Below is an excerpt from the sermon…

We’ll be in the book of Daniel tonight. Daniel 1. We started a series I think it was last Sunday night, and we called it “Those that Finished Strong.” Those that finished their Christian life strong.

Many in the Bible began, but they did not all finish. And the thing I love about Daniel is this not only did one of the archangels, (there’s three—Michael, Gabriel, and Lucifer) Michael actually appeared to Daniel on more than one occasion. So one of the top three angels came and spoke to him, actually answered his prayer. And that’s when Michael said 21 days ago, when you prayed, I had the answer and I was coming. But I got tied up in spiritual warfare with the King of Persia. I mean, it’s an amazing story, so the angels were present in his life, and that’s what I love about Daniel. What a guy. Plus, he’s the only Old Testament character called Beloved, just like John, the beloved disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. That’s what Daniel’s called in the Old Testament. One character is called that. Amazing.

Many people in the Bible serve God in their adult years but wasted their youth. Some people serve God during their youth but wasted their adult years. A few of them serve God from youth all the way through their adult years. Just a few. Daniel is one of them. That’s why I love Daniel. You can’t find one negative on him. I’m sure there were some, but not in the Bible. God did not list one thing he ever did wrong. What a guy. I love this guy.

So, let’s notice as we look down in Daniel 1 for just a moment, and then we’ll pray in just a second. We’ll give you this background. Daniel 1:1-2 says, “In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it. 2. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god.”

Notice Nebuchadnezzar was an idol worshipper, and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god. And then it talks about in Daniel 1:4…notice who they captured during this time—”Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom” What’s that mean? They could do algebra. Skillful. They knew pie are round. They knew all that stuff, “…and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.”

So, they ended up taking the best of the kids. The best of the young people, people they thought they could teach a new language, people who are apt at science and apt at math and things like that. Daniel was taken. And so, we’ll just stop there.

Let’s pray and then we’ll jump into the message here. Father, would you bless now this brief time that we have. Show us something in this life. You’ve given us twelve chapters about Daniel. Help us not see just him, but see you working in him. What a life, Lord. Only you could help some kid like Daniel get through all of this. I have no idea how he made it, except for you. Would you please help us now? In Jesus name, Amen.

So quickly, we’ve covered this a lot. Here’s the background of the story. It takes place during the Babylonian captivity God had judged Israel. He releases his hand of safety. Nebuchadnezzar comes. He surrounds Jerusalem first starves them out. It’s called a siege. So, they cut off the water source. They cut off all the food source.

Think for a moment. What if somehow they had troops surround Napa. In fact, I think they’re doing this Tuesday. But the troops surround Napa, and they don’t let any trucks come in. No groceries, no canned foods, no meat, no bottled water. Nothing is allowed to come into the city. How long could you live? How much food do you have stockpiled Y2K at your house? How many of you have a big garden, besides like one tomato plant, one string bean, maybe one little pepper plant? Most of us are not able to sustain ourselves like that.

So, he cuts off the food supply. Soon there’s no food. Jeremiah depicts part of this. They started eating the horses. They start eating the cattle. They eat all the animals. Soon the church goldfish is gone. Even the pumpkin from pumpkin Sunday is gone. Now neighbors are looking at neighbors. Yeah, cannibalism starts taking place. It talks about it in Scripture. It got that bad. Nebuchadnezzar said. I don’t even have to kill you guys. I’ll just starve you out.

Zedekiah, who was the governor or the mayor of the city tried to escape out of a wall. They caught him. Nebuchadnezzar set up portable court. He says, “You’re the problem with this town.” And they said, “Take his sons, kill them in front of him.” And then they burned his eyes out so the last thing he would ever see where his own sons killed in front of him. That’s the Nebuchadnezzar that took over. That’s the guy.

So he attacks three different times. He ends up taking out Daniel and his three friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. They renamed them. They gave them a new language, new dietary laws, new customs, and tried to give him a new religion, a new idol to worship. That’s the Nebuchadnezzar. That’s the day in which Daniel lived

Think for a moment about when they took the captives. Here’s the city burning. He’s leaving. He’s either chained or in ropes. Probably stripped naked, walking barefoot through the hot sun, 600 miles to Babylon. He has no security. His temples is gone. His parents are gone. His leaders are gone. Any security that he’s ever had in nation’s history. And now he finally arrives in Babylon. That’s Daniel. How would you feel? And it’s interesting. He never got to go back. The story never ends “and happily ever after.” He never got to go back. They rebuilt the city. But he never got to go home. That’s this Daniel. And he finished the Christian life. He comes to Babylon. He didn’t have a pastor. They don’t have a Christian school. He comes to Babylon. He didn’t have parents. He didn’t have anybody to look up to religiously. But he had God. And so when he left Jerusalem, he didn’t leave God and God never left him.

And so what did he do? What are some actions that we can? Maybe a follow that helped him finish strong? I want to give them to you tonight…