Sermon Tone Analysis

In every crowd there seems to be one individual who stands out above the rest.

This could be for a variety of reasons.

It could be their personality.

It could be their position.

It could be their looks.

It could be their ability.

As we come to the end of the book of Daniel, I would like to take one final look at the book’s namesake, Daniel.

On three different occasions, near the end of the book, Daniel is addressed as a man greatly beloved.

Daniel stood out.

He stood out to God as we can see from these verses.

He stood out to those around him.

What was it about Daniel that caused him to stand out?

Daniel was an educated man.

Probably most of us here realize that a good education is important.

That’s part of the reason why we have the ministry of South Charlotte Baptist Academy.

This past Friday, I was giving a tour of the Academy to a prospective parent who currently has a child in the first grade.

When I showed her work that was done by one of our current first grade students, she was thoroughly impressed.

Her child wasn’t doing anything like that in his public school.

Daniel was an educated man but it wasn’t his education that made him stand out.

Daniel was a man of conviction.

Even the word knows that “conviction” is a desirable trait to have.

In a Forbes article entitled, “Why the Best Leaders Have Conviction,” the writer said,

“Conviction in a leader is an incredibly valuable yet increasingly rare trait.”

Daniel was a man of conviction but it wasn’t his conviction that made him stand out.

Daniel was a man of wisdom.

That’s it, you may say, I need more wisdom!

It is possible to have both wisdom and conviction.

However...

Daniel was a man of wisdom but it wasn’t his wisdom that made him stand out.

Daniel was a man who feared God.

This is a big one!

Yes, we all need to fear God more and fear people less.

And yet....

Daniel was a man who feared God more than any man - including the king - but it was not that that made him stand out.

Daniel was a man of prayer.

Daniel was a man of prayer but it wasn’t his prayer life that made him stand out.

Daniel was a man of courage.

We all need to be greater prayer warriors.

But....

Daniel was a man of courage but it wasn’t his courage that made him stand out.

Daniel was a man of God’s Word.

“I need to study God’s Word more!” And, while that may be true....

Daniel was a man of God’s Word but it wasn’t his study of God’s Word that made him stand out.

Daniel was a man of brokenness.

Yes, we need to call sin sin!

We need to be serious about sin in our lives.

We should not justify it.

We should not sweep it under the rug.

We should not act as if it hasn’t happened.

Ill: Getting frustrated this past Friday.

Daniel was a man of brokenness but it wasn’t his brokenness that caused him to stand out.

The lessons learned from Daniel should not simply be one of “Do this” and “Don’t do this.”

Some may say, “I need or want to be like Daniel.

What do I need to do?”

You can’t simply try to come up with a “formula” that will somehow “magically” make you a spiritual giant like Daniel

That’s exactly what people have tried to do with the Daniel Fast.

Based on Daniel 1:8 and 10:2-3, an entire cottage industry has been built around the Daniel Fast.

“The Daniel Fast is a religious partial fast that is popular among Evangelical Protestants in the United States in which meat, wine, and other rich foods are avoided in favor of vegetables and water for typically three weeks in order to draw the believer closer to God.”

As if simply changing our diet will make us more spiritual.

Let me ask you, “What do you think was most important to Daniel?”

· His diet?

· His social standing?

· His position within the government?

· His education?

· His influence?

· His great wisdom?

· His Biblical knowledge?

· Or His relationship with God?

Daniel was a man greatly loved by God because Daniel greatly loved God.

God made a “big deal” about Daniel because Daniel made a “big deal” about God.

Daniel stood out to God because God stood out to Daniel.

While there are many passages in Daniel that attest to this, I’ll share just one:

Now, before I go on, allow me to address one major “hang-up” that some may have.

God did not love Daniel anymore than He loves any one of you here this morning.

God never has and never will play favorites!

God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross to pay the penalty for your sins.

You and I have never been so loved!

No one, this morning, can throw a pity party and say, “God just doesn’t love me!”

That is hogwash and a lie from the Devil.

God loves you!

But, “Pastor Campbell”, you say, “that still doesn’t answer the question, ‘Why was Daniel a man greatly beloved?’”

Allow me to share with you two Biblical truths to illustrate what made the difference in Daniel’s life.

Jesus told his disciples, “…Without me ye can do nothing.”

Do you get it?

It’s that simple!

Daniel could do nothing without God!

· He could not have developed educationally without God.

· He could not have been a man of conviction without God.

· He could not have been a man of wisdom without God.

· He could not have “feared God” without God.

· He could not have been a man of prayer without God.

· He could not have been a man of God’s Word without God.

· He could not have been a broken man without God.

And neither can you or I! Please let that sink in, “Without God, you can do nothing!”

Go ahead and fill in the fill blank: “Without God, I cannot __________.”

Why?

Because without God you and I can do nothing!

Daniel let His light shine!

This was John’s testimony of Jesus Christ - “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

Increase there means “become greater in size, amount, intensity, or degree.”