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Authentic Faith ...Living as True Believers I want to speak to you today about authentic faith. Being the real deal. Jesus Christ is not looking for part-time followers. We’re going to examine one more story about a person of genuine faith.

This is the final sermon in the series I have preached over the summer months. It is hard to believe that summer will soon be over but here we are.

We have been looking at a few people who received honorable mention in the concluding verses of Hebrews 11.

We have learned about:

      Joshua and winning faith.
      Rahab and starting over with a clean slate.
      Gideon and his courageous faith.
      Barak and contagious faith.
      Samson and his collapsing faith.
      Jephthah and his conquering faith.
      David and his “keeping it real” faith.
      Samuel and his prayer of faith.

Today I want to look at a very familiar story for many people. It is the story of Daniel who as Hebrews 11 states, “stopped the mouths of lions.”

Daniel is without doubt one of the shining stars of the Bible when it comes to authentic faith. He lived it.

He lived his faith at home, in the workplace, and even in a foreign land where it would have been easy to compromise. There was no compromise in Daniel.

Let’s look at some facts about authentic faith and how Daniel lived it out in his life.

Daniel 6

1. Authentic faith will always be tested.

Daniel was a young man when he was taken captive and found himself in a very strange lands surrounded by strange customs and false gods. Over and over he was placed in situations where compromise would have been the easier choice. In the story we look at today, Daniel was under great scrutiny because he had become the King’s right hand man. He was a foreigner. He was a prisoner of war that had become one of the king’s most trusted advisors. As you can imagine, politics was different then than they are now. The other advisors were extremely jealous of Daniel so they began to devise a plan to get rid of him.

They looked at Daniels life from every angle and they could find nothing inconsistent.

“They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. Finally these men said, ‘We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.’” Daniel 6:4-5

Could that be said of you?

Are you living a consistent life? A life based fully on the word of God?

One of the things I find fascinating is the compromises that individuals will make to achieve fame in their lives.

Somehow they attempt to lay aside their faith so that they can perform their art. I have watched this in singers, actors and a host of others who compromise their values to achieve fame.

Jessica Simpson, known for her conservative church upbringing, is just another in a long line of individuals who apparently are willing to sell out their values for a little fame. Her family and the press made a lot of headlines in the early days making a distinction between her and Britney Spears. Her latest hit song is entitled, The Sweetest Sin and the video is a far cry from the Bible centered teen-ager she was when she signed her first record deal at 14.

All of us will be tested when we have authentic faith. We will be challenged on a daily basis to make decisions that will honor or dishonor of faith in God.

In 1989, Marla Maples gained celebrity status through her relationship with Donald Trump. Of her affair she said, “I was never embarrassed because I never felt I did anything wrong.” Such words are a far cry from the ones she used to read every night as a teenager. She called the Bible her favorite book and loved to read the Ten Commandments. Before Trump divorced Ivana to marry her, Maples told an interviewer, “As a girl I picked up the Bible and read ‘Thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not fornicate.’ But after my parents’ divorce, I learned you can’t take the Bible literally and be happy.” The former Mrs. Trump embraced a commonly held myth that denies any connection between Biblical obedience and true happiness. In John 15:11, Jesus denounced this myth by reminding his disciples that obedience to Scripture is what makes our joy “complete.” Maybe that’s why her marriage to Donald Trump didn’t last.Houston Chronicle, Aug. 19, 1990

What area are you being tested in?
Are you standing strong?
Are you standing for God?

2. Authentic faith will always be adequate.

The enemies of Daniel hatched a plan that led the king to declare a new rule. This rule declared that for thirty days, whoever prayed to anybody or any god except the king would be thrown into a den of hungry lions.

Daniel heard the new law and the Bible says that he, “...went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.” (ver.10)

The men who were out to get Daniel had him where they wanted him and they went and told the king what Daniel was doing. The king was very upset because he loved Daniel but even the king could not change his own law.

“So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, ‘May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!’” Daniel 6:16b

“Daniel, servant of the Living God, has your God, whom you serve continually been able to rescue you from the lions?” Daniel 6:20b

Authentic faith will ensure you that God is adequate. He is the source for every need you may have.

You will find that when the night is the darkest He will be your light. He will not always keep you from walking through the dark nights but He will keep you as you walk through them.

The gems of Christ-following have generally been mined during suffering.

The Christ-followers who have been the most recognized through the years are those who let the problems of life make them better rather than bitter.

When the editors of Biography Magazine asked Caroline Rhea, "What historical figure would you like to be?" She replied, "I've always admired Joan of Arc, so I'd say her but without the burning at the stake thing."—Biography, October 2001When I read her statement, I immediately understood what she meant. I mean, who wouldn't like to be a person of conviction characterized by strength and determination like Joan of Arc? Conversely, who wants to be burned at the stake? The only problem with that thinking is that it ignores the fact that people of conviction often have to pay the ultimate price.Paul was beaten, stoned and left for dead. Daniel had to spend the night with the lions. Church history says that 10 of the 11 remaining apostles died martyr's deaths and everyone knows that Jesus died on the cross for our sins.Convictions often lead to sufferings. And great people are often called upon to make the ultimate price.Philippians 3:10 KJV “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.”

In 1519, Hernando Cortes landed at the present site of Veracruz, Mexico. This Spanish explorer came with the commitment to conquer the land for his country. Two previous Spanish expeditions had been unable to establish a settlement in Mexico. Cortes was determined to succeed, so to make certain that his men shared similar zeal for the task, he set fire to their fleet of eleven ships. Retreat was no longer an option as they were forced to move toward conquest. This whole-hearted devotion of Cortes has been described by historians as one of the most important elements in his success. With such zeal, he led 110 sailors and 553 soldiers to conquer five million people. (Ironically, his zealous pursuit began on Good Friday . . . reminiscent, though not comparable, with another Conqueror who nailed his possibilities for retreat to a cross).

Cortez’s determination provides Christians with a picture of commitment, and serves as a reminder that if men will yield themselves to such earthly goals how much greater should be our commitment to conquer spiritual darkness with the Light of the world. (Cortes claimed to fight under the banner of Catholicism but history suggests his intentions were far more self-serving.) The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History, Michael Hart, 1978, p. 349–354

If we will approach life with a never retreat attitude we will be much more authentic in our attempt to follow Christ. We will find that God is adequate to sustain us through every wind that blows through our lives.

3. Authentic faith will always bring deliverance.

Daniel is indeed thrown into the hungry lions den and the king spends a sleepless night. In the morning he comes to the den and questions Daniel.

“Daniel answered, ‘O king, live forever! My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight.’” Daniel 6:21-22

The commercial begins with a young girl standing alone in a picturesque meadow. The camera then pans to another part of the field where it shows a gigantic African rhinoceros. The ominous beast begins a lethal charge towards the girl, whose serene and happy face remains unmoved. As the rhinoceros gets closer, the words appear on the screen, "Trust is not being afraid." A split second before the rhino tramples the helpless child, it stops, and the girl, her smile never wavering, reaches up and pets the animal on its massive horn. The final words then appear, "even when you are vulnerable." Citation: Stephen Nordbye, Charlton, Massachusetts

In our lives of authentic faith, God just simply wants us to trust Him. In Psalm 91 we read these words, “Because he loves me, says the Lord, I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble and honor him.”

My friend Mark called me the other day. In the last year he watched as his sister was diagnosed with cancer and fairly quickly passed away. He called me twice in the last month to tell me that his father had been diagnosed with cancer and then he called to tell me that his mother had been diagnosed with cancer. His sister came to know Christ and is in heaven today. Neither one of us knows what God is doing or allowing to happen but we know there is no one else to trust. He is holding on to God. When things fall apart we hold on to God more tightly.

4. Authentic faith will always bring honor to God.

I am always looking for modern heroes of authentic faith. Right now in our country Judge Roy Moore is standing strong in Alabama defending his right to display the Ten Commandments in the state house.

He is not yelling or screaming, he is just quietly committed to fighting the battle to uphold his right to challenge the federal government. The government can be wrong just like they were wrong in the days of Martin Luther King.

Daniel stood strong and did not waver and God was honored. If he had compromised Darius would have never given the testimony that he gave.

“For He is the living God and He endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end. He rescues and He saves; He performs signs and wonders in the heaven and earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.” Daniel 6:26-27

How to experience authentic faith:

    Be consistent
    Be persistent
    Be patient

In The Christian Reader, Randy Bishop writes:

For many young people in Fort Worth, Texas, September 15, 1999, started with prayer around their high school's flagpole. After taking a public stand for their faith, about four hundred youth gathered in the sanctuary of Wedgwood Baptist Church for a See You at the Pole rally that night. Alleluias rang out as a Christian band led the group in singing praises.Suddenly a lone gunman burst in. Larry Ashbrook killed seven people—Shawn Brown, 23; Sydney Browning, 36; Justin Ray, 17; Cassie Griffin, 14; Joey Ennis, 14; Kristi Beckel, 14; Kim Jones, 23—before committing suicide. At first, many thought the gunman was part of a skit. But they soon realized the bullets weren't blanks and the blood wasn't ketchup. Many of the youth, plus 150 adults and children, at Wedgwood that night must have wondered where God was. But in the weeks following the tragedy, they, and the world, have found that God didn't abandon them.

Drawing from the church's official Web site and other sources, here are some confirmed instances of God's hand at work:Although the deaths and injuries were tragic, the devastation could have been much worse. Sixty-eight bullets were fired and only 14 people were hit. About 90 bullets remained unused. A bomb Ashbrook fashioned blew up in the sanctuary, but most of the shrapnel went into the ceiling, injuring no one.

All of Ashbrook's victims were believers.

Though it was a beautiful night, no children were on the church's playground, which Ashbrook had to walk past to enter the church. The shooter did not come to the nursery or elementary school areas of the church, and leaders were able to get the children out with very few of them seeing anything but police cars and fire trucks.A paramedic, Art DeFord, was at church that night and gave some of the victims immediate medical attention, stabilizing them before other emergency personnel arrived.

All of the injured have been released from the hospital and are recovering—Mary Beth Talley, Robert DeBord, 17; Justin Laird, 16; Nicholas Skinner, 14; Kevin Galey, 38; Jeff Laster, 34; and Jaynanne Brown, 41.Fifteen thousand people attended a community-wide service at the football stadium of Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. Al Meredith, Wedgwood's senior pastor, challenged people to pray and fast on Monday, the 20th. The service was broadcast live on a local television station and on CNN. Because Kim Jones's parents live and work in Saudi Arabia, that country, which is closed to the gospel, allowed portions of the service to be broadcast there.A DJ at a local Christian radio station (KLTY) was able to lead a caller to Christ. The caller had said he wanted what the church members had.

When prompted by a question from Vice President Al Gore, Pastor Meredith was able to present the gospel clearly on the television show, Larry King Live. In the days following the tragedy, Meredith was also able to pray with President Bill Clinton and Texas Governor George W. Bush.The husband of a church member professed a newfound faith in Christ shortly after the shooting. His wife, Jodi, and three-year-old daughter were at the church during the shooting, as he watched the scene unfold on television. The wife had been praying, with others, for his salvation for two years. She says the shooting helped him realize he was not in control of everything around him.

As of December 1, 1999, Wedgwood's Web site, www.wedgwoodbc.org, had 100,000 visits. The site offers a link to the site of the North American Mission Board (SBC), which displays the plan of salvation in multiple languages.The church has received more than $100,000 in unsolicited donations. They have established a committee to determine how it will be spent.

Sydney Browning's family has set up a youth scholarship fund in her name. The survivors of other victims have also set up funds in their honor. Citation: Randy Bishop, "What Was God Doing at Wedgwood?" Christian Reader (March/April 2000), p. 88

While attending college, Robert Short told his mother he had become an atheist. She became very upset and cried for weeks. Sometime later, his life was transformed when he made a commitment to Christ. The next time he came home to visit, he told his mother he was now a Christian and had decided to become a minister. His mother again became upset. This time she thought he’d become a fanatic. Mrs. Short’s reactions to her son illustrates the distorted perception of commitment that is espoused by so many. We want to be included in the “roll call of the saints” but don’t wish to “go overboard” with zeal. Such mediocre “commitment” is described as “lukewarm” and is repulsive to the Savior who has given nothing less than his all. NEWSLETTER Newsletter, Aug. 1996

Let’s be authentic in our faith. We are called to be real at home, at work, at school.

We are being called to stand strong even when no one is looking.

I am going to have the band sing the song we started with one more time. Listen to these words and let God speak to you.

2003/08/31