Dressed for Success

Dressed for the job that you want not for the job that you have.

    

About 600 BC, the Babylonians captured Judah, and Daniel was taken at about 14 year old.   

Babel means confusion or babbling. 

God is not the author of confusion.  

Daniel had 3 years of training to erase his past and his culture.  

Daniel means God is my judge.

  

His name was changed to Belteshazzar which means Baal is my god.  

The God who is in me is greater than a difficult situation in front of me like Daniel was in.

  

God's favor breeds jealousy.  People were jealous of Daniel.   

When God starts blessing, the devil starts messing.    

You are never to young or to old to walk in excellence.  Daniel walked in excellence his entire life.

  

You may work in an environment that's dark, but God can bless you anyway.   

Daniel 6  (NLT)

Darius the Mede decided to divide the kingdom into 120 provinces, and he appointed a high officer to rule over each province. 

2 The king also chose Daniel and two others as administrators to supervise the high officers and protect the king’s interests. 

3 Daniel soon proved himself more capable than all the other administrators and high officers.

Because of Daniel’s great ability, the king made plans to place him over the entire empire.

You are different to make a difference.  Excellence is doing the best with what you have.  

1.  Excellence begins in our heart.

Excellence will go above and beyond.  We serve a God who deserves our first and our best.  

Daniel had an excellent spirit that influenced everything that he did.  God expects our best.  

Malachi 1:8-10  (NLT)

8 When you give blind animals as sacrifices, isn’t that wrong? 

And isn’t it wrong to offer animals that are crippled and diseased? 

Try giving gifts like that to your governor, and see how pleased he is!” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

9 “Go ahead, beg God to be merciful to you! 

But when you bring that kind of offering, why should he show you any favor at all?” 

asks the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

10 “How I wish one of you would shut the Temple doors so that these worthless sacrifices could not be offered! 

I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “and I will not accept your offerings.

2. Excellence validates your faith in Jesus Christ.  

Jesus was Heaven's first and best sacrifice. 

Some come through sorrow.  

Some come through mud.  

There is no one who hasn't come, but through Jesus's blood.

  

God deserves our first, and our best when we worship and serve Him.  

3. Excellence makes the gospel attractive.  

Excellence attracts excellence.

  

Winners will stretch to it.  Whiners will run from it.  

Excellence is in our speech, our deeds, and how we handle ourselves.

Daniel 6  (NLT)

4 Then the other administrators and high officers began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling government affairs, 

but they couldn’t find anything to criticize or condemn. 

He was faithful, always responsible, and completely trustworthy. 

4. Excellence is your habits. 

People are watching your actions.

People are forming opinions about God through you.  

There is a divine connection between excellence and favor.

We must show up on time, and be where we are supposed to be.  

Showing up on time shows value to everyone else in the room.  

Finish the things that you start.

Diligence is measured when desire is gone.  

Be prepared. 

  

Study yourself to death, but pray yourself back to life.

  

God will do His part if you will do your part.  

 5.  Excellence in our hands. 

God can make you better in whatever you do.  God has put something unique in you.  

Daniel 1:20  (NLT)

20 Whenever the king consulted them in any matter requiring wisdom and balanced judgment, 

he found them (Daniel and his friends) ten times more capable 

than any of the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom.

James 1(NLT)

5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. 

Mike Haman, Healing Place Church

http://healingplacechurch.org/media/god-co/