Preaching famous texts is always challenging, because people think they know the story, and as the saying goes, "familiarity breeds contempt." We're so familiar with the story, it's lost all relevance in our lives. The story of Daniel and the lions comes with an additional challenge: though famous, it has been famously misinterpreted!
The usual interpretation goes like this: "Look at Daniel, he's so good! He trusts God. He's uncompromising. He's incorruptible. He's absolutely moral. Be like him and God will take care of you by protecting you and prospering you. He won't let anything bad happen to you. Despite all the dangerous metaphorical lions in your life, you won't have a scratch on you. Guaranteed. Just trust and obey." That's all fine and well, except that's not the point of the story and, it just isn't true! Many of us have been taught this false moralistic interpretation, and if you've been good, and bad things have happened, you're disillusioned. Or you read the story, and say, "I could never be this good, so Christianity just isn't for me."
Join us as we look at this story in historical, cultural, and biblical context to see the glorious grace of a God who muzzles the fiercest lions in our lives, not because of our goodness, but because of Jesus Christ, the Lion of Judah.
Daniel 6
May 8, 2016 • Daniel 6
Daniel 1
April 3, 2016 • Daniel 1
You ever feel like living a faithful Christian life is an uphill battle? Like the deck is stacked against you? Like you're Sisyphus, pushing a massive boulder uphill, and when you're almost at the top, you gas out and the stone comes tumbling down the hill, almost crushing you in the process? There are so many temptations in this world, and so many more in the city. How in the world can you remain faithful and flourishing, instead of faithless and languishing? You ever feel like you're the absolutely only Christian in your circles of influence? Maybe one of the only Christians in your whole school, company, and or community? Perhaps in your whole city? Well, you feel like that, because in Boston, it's statistically true. Sometimes, the Christian life feels like you're living in a den with lions, who are ready to devour you alive. Sometimes, it feels like there are lions on the outside, and lions of the heart on the inside. Join us as we start a study through the epic book of Daniel and learn some timeless (and therefore, timely) lessons of how to live in the lion's den.
Daniel 3
April 17, 2016 • Daniel 3
Today we have the blessing of studying one of the most famous and beloved stories in all of Scripture: the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego thrown into the fiery pit. It's a phenomenal testimony of the unwavering, ironclad, immovable faith of three young men, in the face of the most dire of circumstances. This text is chock-ful of faith-building and live-giving lessons. A primary question the text poses before us today is: am I going to declare the Lord to be my God, my primary allegiance, come what my, or will I bow to the multitude of glittering idols that the world present to me? The same battle these men fought, is actually waged daily in our hearts over much lesser issues. Furthermore, so many questions arise from the text: ~How can Nebuchadnezzar force everyone to worship this image he's built, immediately after he just proclaimed to Daniel, "Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings." ~Couldn't Shadrach, Meshach, and Abelnego have bowed down to this image in public, but still worshiped Jesus in their hearts? Why the brouhaha? ~Why didn't God save them before they are thrown into the fire? Didn't he cut it a little close there? ~Who was the fourth person in the fire pit with them? Join us as we answer these questions and more.