A sermon preached in St. Columba's at Choral Evensong 2nd May 2010 - Text Daniel in the Lions Den - Daniel 6
I wonder if you have ever thought of what we do sunday by sunday as having a cost?
Of our christian faith having a price?
I wonder How much would you be willing to sacrifice to keep praying to God?
Could it be accounted in monetary terms? Or in terms of time, in term of what we would risk loosing?
In the well known story from the Old Testament we have heard how Daniel was willing to risk paying the ultimate price for simply praying to God …
Daniel was appointed by the new king darius to be one of three administrators who would look after the sattraps (the area rulers) everything would be run past him to ensure that the King would not lose anything as far as taxes were concerned. Daniel was indeed a man of great integrity and authority and no one could find fault with him.
He was also a man of faith – praying at his window 3 times a day. Those plotting his downfall knew that that was the only way they could legitimately get rid of him. By Outlawing prayer.
In verse 10 it states
Although Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he continued to go to his house, which had windows in its upper room open towards Jerusalem, and to get down on his knees three times a day to pray to his God and praise him, just as he had done previously.
Nothing would stop Daniel from prayer & praying publicly.
We know today how the story ends, we know that it does have a happy ending for Daniel
The cost of prayer for Daniel, meant that his life was put at risk, his job was certainly at an end. But he was prepared to take that risk, to remain faithful to God.
We also must remember that Daniel was in forced exile in Babylon so his praying at the window would have been a witness to other Jews around about that someone in the upper echleons of government was praying to the God of their ancestors.
Last Night in St. Annes Cathedral various groups which support the percecuted church held an information evening after a day of prayer for the persececuted church.
This day highlighted that throughout the centuries there has always been some friction between God's followers and the rulers of the day. And even today the threats continue, the risks are real.
Some of our Brothers and Sisters in Christ tonight are facing torture and even death for believing in God, reading the Bible & doing what Daniel did – praying .
We just have to look at the israelites under pharaoh in egypt, daniel, the first christians and their percecution in the Roman coliseum right down through the centuries to today. The cost of faith, the cost of prayer is as real today as it has been for those in centuries past.
Thankfully in St. Columbas, for an evening prayer service we are not having to worry about police coming in and arresting us, or a mob ransacking our houses looking for Bibles. The fact that we live in a country where there is peace, where freedom of speech and religion is enshired in law we should be so thankful for.
Imagine for a moment things were different and the decision you took to come to church tonight, which you knew is where you should be risked you being sent to jail and perhaps even loosing everything.
Belief in God is risky, faith in God and living out his gospel has never been without Cost. During the week I was listening to a speaker talk about the first disciples as they were sent out to preach and this speaker asked the question:
Do you think those first century preachers mentioned in their sermons that the life of a disciple was a risky one? That it might mean ultimately death? He was sure that they would have done.
For people today in many nations that is the case – to become a christian may cost the convert everything. Loosing their family, perhaps imprisonment & in extreme cases death. That is the reality for some.
In our OT testament reading
What did Daniel risk by praying?
Daniel risked his career & ultimately his life
What did he gain?
Knowing that God was with him
Example for the other exiles
Ultimately changed the religious environment as the king turned to Daniels God
How about us – you and me – what do we risk by praying?
Day by day, if we are honest here in Belfast – not too much!
Perhaps we might loose 15/20 minutes of TV or extra time in bed
Perhaps we might risk loosing a bit of street credibility if we offer to share our faith or to pray with someone
What do we gain by praying ?
Knowing that God knows our problems
Knowing that we are setting an example for our children / family
Knowing that it will Change things
One of the great things about our Book of common prayer is that within its covers are things for use every single day and as such it can help us to live out the teachings of God … turn with me to page 139 you will see outlines of things to pray for each and every day under various headings
We are all called to be like Daniel, we are called to be people of prayer – men and women who do pray for the needs of the world, people who pray risky things and then also people who work with integrity and truth, putting God's law into practice.
Today 200-250 million Brothers and Sisters in Christ are facing persecution simply for praying to God and sharing their faith in him with others. There are a couple of challenges
- Firstly like Daniel are we prepared to pray daily to God, to build our relationship with him
- Then, are we prepared, whatever the cost to stand up for God -unafraid of the consequences
- and are we prepared to find out about and speak out for our Brothers and Sisters who are locked in prison and facing hardship simply for declaring the name of Jesus?
Pray to end
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