Mission Hills Church
What does it mean to follow Jesus in a culture that thinks faith itself is irrelevant? And how do we live by faith in a culture that thinks the very question marks us as out-of-touch and out-of-step with the modern world? As fresh as this issue might feel right now, the truth is that God’s people have always faced this same dilemma. Join us as we find insight and encouragement for this all-important question from the book of Daniel.
Seductive = the ability to gradually lead us to a place we don't want to be, without realizing that's where we're headed
Daniel 10:20-21 NIV
Daniel 11:1 NIV
Daniel 11:2 NIV
People tend to confuse success with wisdom
Success is seductive.
Daniel 11:3 NIV
Success leads to arrogance, which leads to destruction.
Now we've gotten to Antiochus IV
Daniel 11:4 NIV
The prince of the covenant is probably the Jewish high priest Onias, whom Antiochus had killed in 171 BC
Success leads to arrogance, which leads to destruction.
God is in control, even when it doesn't look like it..
Daniel 11:4 NIV
Daniel 11:5-21 NIV
Daniel 11:22 NIV
Daniel 11:23-27 NIV
Daniel 11:20 NIV
Keeping up the appearance of success takes a lot of effort.
Daniel 11:28-30 NIV
Daniel 11:22 NIV
Daniel 11:23-27 NIV
God is in control, even when it doesn’t feel like it.
Daniel 11:28 NIV
Daniel 11:29-30 NIV
Our success tempts us to arrogance, but other's success tempts us to compromise.
Daniel 11:31 NIV
Daniel 11:32 NIV
Daniel 11:33-45 NIV
Daniel 11:40-45 NIV
Success is seductive.
Seduction is the experience of being gradually led to a bad place we had no intention of going without realizing that’s what’s happening.
Our success can seduce us into arrogance and foolishness
The best armor against the seductive power of success is asking how our success can be leveraged to honor God and bless others.
Other's success can seduce us into compromise.
We thrive when we refuse to be seduced by worldly success.
Questions to consider this week:
Where has success distorted my view of myself?
What steps do I need to take to correct that distortion?
Where am I tempted to compromise in order to support someone who is successful.