Sermon Notes on "From God's Face and For His Sake: Mercy and Forgiveness for Shameful Sinners." Sermon by Mitch Chase

[From the 10:45AM worship service yesterday at Kosmosdale Baptist Church.]

Daniel 9:1-19.

I. Introduction:


A. Praying the Words of Scripture;

B. Praying Confession and Supplication.

II. Setting:

A. The First Year of a New King;

B. Near the End of the Babylonian Captivity.

III. Prayer of Confession (vv. 3-13):

A. Praying Facing Jerusalem (as in Dan 6; see 1 Kings 8:30);

B. Prayer to God:
1. God is great and awesome.
2. God is characterized by covenant-keeping and lovingkindness.

C. Confession of Specific Sins (vv. 5-9):
1. The people had broken God's covenant.
2. God does not owe us warnings, but He often graciously gives them.

D. Confession of God as Just:
1. We deserve every consequence of sin that we receive-- and much greater consequences-- but God is merciful.
2. God was just in administering covenant curses including exile.

IV. Prayer of Supplication (vv. 14-19):

A. Daniel prays that God would turn away His wrath from His people so that His name may be glorified among the nations.

B. God cares about His name in His world: He will make a great name for Himself.

C. We do not pray because we are righteous in ourselves but because God is merciful.

D. Ultimately, the exile-- both in Daniel's day and in ours-- is not only from Israel but from God's favor due to our rebellion; God's wrath is ultimately turned back in Christ (Rom 3:25).

V. What Should We Do?

A. We should confess our sins to God.

B. We should look to Christ, who took the penalty for sin upon Himself on the Cross.