Trevor S. Ferguson
December 17, 2011
The world today is short of good role models. Many men and
women previously held in high esteem have been shown to have serious character
flaws and have had to resign from their lofty positions and some have even
ended up in prison. The problem is pervasive. From politics to the classroom,
entertainment, sports and even in the church. Prominent entertainers have been
convicted of drug trafficking, others have been charged with murder.
Politicians have been found to be corrupt and have had to resign their post; there
have been wide-scale mismanagement, cost overruns, lying and arrogance. Few, if
any, of these can be held up as role models for the maturing youth who will be
required to lead the next generation.
In the church we have another type of imbalance. There is a
gross shortage of willing and able workers. As Jesus posited in Matthew 9:27: "The
harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.” Many of the able are not willing
and the willing are often not ‘able’. Many of the persons in the church with
great success in academia and in their secular work find little time to put into
the church and many of the persons who work in the church do not take time to
improve themselves so that they can serve more efficiently, effectively and appeal
to a wider cross-section of persons.
Today I want to propose to all, that there is
another way where we can achieve the best of both worlds. We can build persons
of good character who will excel in academia, who will excel in their secular
work and who will excel in ministry. I will call this ‘The Daniel Character’
because I believe that in Daniel we have the best example of the complete man,
characterized by excellence in academics, excellence in work and excellence in
ministry
I must confess that Daniel is my favourite bible character.
My favourite part of course is not the episode in the lions’ den, what I admire
most is that from the time we meet him as a teenager captured and brought to
Babylon until his last prophecy is recorded some seventy years later his
character remained unblemished.
Let’s look at some of these character defining events in
Daniel’s life and see how we can learn from his actions and attitude.
The first telling statement is seen in Daniel 1:8. Confronted
with a situation where he was being fed food that violated his conscience the
scripture tells us that Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile
himself. With this clear position he spoke to the person in charge and
expressed to him that the food being served violated his conscience and
therefore he would not partake. He went further however to suggest an
alternative that would accomplish the king’s desire but would preserve his
personal integrity before God. As a result Daniel was able to continue in the
kings employ and along with his three friends Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
became models of right living. Daniel 1:20 records the end result of their
initial endeavours: “And in all matters
of wisdom and understanding about which the king examined them, he found them
ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his
realm.”
The next encounter described in Daniel 2 shows Daniel’s
ability to respond in a time of crisis. When he learnt of a decree requiring
all the wise men of Babylon to be killed, Daniel did not cower in fear but
enquired into the reason for that decision. When he was told the reason he went
in to speak to the king and again offered a solution: “Give me some time, I
will show the king the interpretation.” Of course, we know the end result.
Nebuchadnezzar’s dream was revealed to Daniel in a vision and he was able to
share it and the interpretation with the king.
The lion’s den encounter must be included in any discourse on
Daniel. But the issues that led to him having to face the lions must not be
overlooked. By now Daniel had been part of the service of at least three kings.
Now about 80 years old Daniel was one of three presidents in the kingdom.
Daniel was reported to be preferred above all the presidents and princes
because an excellent spirit was in him. When his subordinates sought to find
occasion against him they could find none and therefore had to find accusation
as it pertains to the fervency of his commitment to God. This I say is the
hallmark of an excellent worker.
The last example I would like to mention pertains to his
approach to the apparent expiration of the time appointed for the Babylonian
captivity and his intersession on behalf of the nation of Israel. Daniel chapter nine records these events, how
he had recalled the prophesy of Jeremiah, that Israel would spend seventy years
in Babylonian captivity and then have the opportunity to return to Jerusalem.
Daniel’s approach again was not dismay but he used the opportunity to intercede
to God on Israel’s behalf and as a result receive the great revelation
concerning the Israel’s seventy prophetic weeks covering the period from the
return to Jerusalem until the final revelation of the Messiah in his kingdom.
So what can we learn from Daniel?
My challenge to us today is to become the Daniels of this
generation. The church urgently needs men and women of integrity who will excel
not only in academics, who will excel not only in their secular work, who will
not only develop into leaders in society, who will not only have money and
influence but who will also be committed to the cause of Christ.
My challenge today is a call for young men and women who will
diligent study the word of God, who will rightly divide the word of truth.
My challenge today is for men and women who will commit to
prayer and fasting and seeking after God until Christ forms in them producing
an excellent spirit, righteous character, unwavering faith and holy boldness.
My challenge today is for men and women who will avail
themselves to the ministry of the church: apostles, prophets, evangelists,
pastors and teachers.
My challenge today is for men and women who will sit in the
highest offices in the land but will be unshaken in faith, fervent in standards
and apostolic to the core.
When we develop men and women with this Daniel Character, we
will have better churches, we will have better communities, we will have a
better Jamaica, we will have a better world!
I close with the words on one of our old songs: Dare to be a
Daniel:
- Standing
by a purpose true,
Heeding God’s command,
Honor them, the faithful few!
All hail to Daniel’s band! - Many
mighty men are lost,
Daring not to stand,
Who for God had been a host
By joining Daniel’s band. - Many
giants, great and tall,
Stalking through the land,
Headlong to the earth would fall,
If met by Daniel’s band. - Hold
the Gospel banner high!
On to vict’ry grand!
Satan and his hosts defy,
And shout for Daniel’s band.
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