My God, Not Just Everyone Else's

Introduction

There are moments when you realize your faith looks a lot like a family memory. You can tell what God did for your mother, your husband, your grandmother, your pastor. You can even testify: "I saw it with my own eyes, how God worked in their lives." But when the question turns personal, something wavers. Can you say: "I trust in my God"?

In a sermon given at SOS Lyon church, Matt Marvane lingers on King Darius's declaration after Daniel's deliverance from the lions' den (Daniel 6:25-27). The king gives a magnificent testimony. He proclaims that Daniel's God is living, that he works wonders, that he saves. But Matt Marvane points out a detail that changes everything: Darius says "the God of Daniel," not "my God." Between testifying for others and accepting for yourself, there is a step no one can take in your place.

Article Outline

1. Darius's declaration: true, powerful… and yet not enough

The text of Daniel 6:25-27 is solemn. Darius writes "to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth." He decrees that all should tremble before the God of Daniel, "for he is the living God, and steadfast forever. His kingdom is that which shall not be destroyed. His dominion shall be even to the end. He delivers and rescues. He works signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions."

Every sentence is right. Every sentence is true. The king saw the miracle with his own eyes: Daniel thrown into the den, the lions perfectly calm beside him, Daniel alive. Darius testifies. He proclaims. He decrees. But Matt Marvane insists: "He said the God of Daniel, he did not say my God." An official declaration does not replace a personal relationship.

2. Testifying for others, accepting for yourself

There is a difference between testifying to the faith of others and accepting that faith for yourself. You can say of the God of your parents, your grandparents, your uncle, your aunt, your spouse: "He is powerful, he works wonders, I have seen it." That is already a grace. But Matt Marvane makes this appeal: "I no longer want to live off the coattails of the faith of those around me." That day might be the day when you too can say: "This is my God. He is mine and I am his."

This message is addressed to those who think 2,500 years is too far away, that Daniel is a beautiful story, but that God seems distant. Yet if God has been faithful from the patriarchs to today, if he is the God of Abraham, of Isaac, of Jacob, of Esther, of Ruth, of Peter, of Paul, it is precisely because he does not depend on any one generation. He is always ready to become your God.

3. Following Jesus: far more than a click

Matt Marvane then draws a parallel with the words of Jesus in Luke 9:23: "If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me." Following Jesus today is not clicking "follow." It is not building a profile as a sympathizer. It is a life decision.

The preacher picks up the image of social media. Some people buy fake followers to look popular. Jesus, on the other hand, never chased popularity. He never twisted his message to please anyone. He never flattered the crowds. He was clear: "If anyone wants to follow me, he can, but on one condition: he must deny himself." As long as you have not renounced your own life, you may believe you are following Jesus, but it is only an illusion.

4. Not being ashamed of him

Jesus continues in Luke 9:26: "For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed, when he comes in his glory, and the glory of the Father, and of the holy angels." Following Jesus does not mean unfollowing him when what he teaches makes you uncomfortable. Loving your enemies, washing feet, viewing others as more important than yourself, worshiping God in every circumstance: these are demands that, even today, cause some to unsubscribe.

Jesus is unmistakably clear: the consequences will play out all the way into eternity. This is not a game, nor a trend, nor a fashion. It is a decision for life, one renewed every day. That is why, Matt Marvane recalls, at baptism we ask: "Do you commit to serve and be a disciple of Jesus for the whole of your life?"

5. Jesus is not on a private profile

Another image drawn from the digital world: Jesus does not have a locked profile. You do not need permission to see who he is. He exposed himself, even to the point of having his body exposed naked on a cross. He hid nothing. He was publicly humiliated, not for his own sake, but so that we would never again be ashamed of him.

"This is my God," the preacher sums up, "he gave himself for me. He died on that cross for me. He was stripped for me. He shed his blood for me." No filter, no gimmick, no AI. What Jesus reveals is raw, real, take it or leave it. And he has proven this faithfulness across millennia. What he says, he always accomplishes.

6. The illustration of the chain: testifying is not enough

To illustrate this, Matt Marvane invites several people from the congregation to form a human chain. Jean-Pierre represents the Father. He reaches out his hand to his wife Jenny, who reaches out her hand to Genola, who reaches out her hand to little Theo. "What a beautiful picture," he says, "several generations connected to the Father." One could stop there. But the preacher pushes further.

When Jean-Pierre shakes his hand, Jenny feels the shake strongly. Genola feels it less. Theo, at the very end, barely feels it at all. When Jean-Pierre whispers "God loves you" and the message is passed mouth to mouth, a question remains: "Is that really what he said?" By the end of the chain, the message weakens and doubt sets in.

The only remedy, Matt Marvane insists, is for Theo to let go of his aunt's hand and come take the Father's hand himself. From that point on, a new chain begins. The son hears the Father's voice directly, he touches his hand himself. "There is a difference between communicating and passing on," he says. "We can communicate a great deal to our children, and we should. But nothing will ever replace the Father passing himself directly to the child."

7. Letting go, taking hold, holding on

The move from inherited faith to personal faith often requires a renunciation. Sometimes a natural inheritance. Sometimes wealth. Sometimes a place in the family: the preacher mentions those who have heard, "If you become a Christian, you will be disinherited." The disciple's answer: "What matters most is that I go and take hold of my Father's hand. And I know he will never let go of me, because he is faithful."

You can lean on this faithfulness of God. He has never lied, he has never failed, he has never said what he did not accomplish. There is no one like him, neither on earth nor in heaven. You can place your trust in someone real, someone who has proven his faithfulness for thousands of years.

Key Takeaways

• Testifying is not believing. Recognizing that God has worked in the lives of others, even your own loved ones, does not make you a disciple. You have to move from "the God of…" to "my God."
• Faith is not handed down like an object. It must be personally taken hold of. Your parents, grandparents, and spouse can prepare the way, but you yourself must take God's hand.
• Following Jesus means denying yourself. Not a click, not a fashion, not a trend. A decision for life, renewed every day.
• Do not be ashamed of him. Jesus himself warned: if anyone is ashamed of him today, this will play out before the Father. Faithfulness to Christ means owning it publicly.
• God has been faithful for thousands of years. You can lean on him because he has never failed. He says it, and he always accomplishes it.

Personal Application

Take a quiet moment and let these questions reach you honestly.

1. Today, does your faith look more like a family inheritance or a personal relationship with God? Where are you really, right now?
2. When you say "God," are you thinking of someone else's God (a parent, a pastor, a friend), or can you say: "This is my God"?
3. Are there words of Jesus that unsettle you enough to make you want to "unfollow" him? Which ones? What would you do if you chose to embrace them instead of running from them?
4. What is Jesus asking you to give up today in order to follow him fully? A plan, a fortune, an image, an inheritance?
5. If you are a parent, grandparent, or elder in the faith: what kind of chain do you want to see form in your family: one of indirect transmission, or a generation that takes hold of the Father's hand for itself?

Scripture Cited

• Daniel 6:25-27 - Darius's declaration about the God of Daniel.
• Luke 9:23-26 - the conditions for following Jesus.

FAQ

What is this sermon by Matt Marvane at SOS Lyon church about?

It starts from King Darius's declaration after Daniel's deliverance from the lions' den (Daniel 6:25-27) to draw out two levels: testifying to what God has done for others, and accepting that he becomes one's own personal God. The message calls for a move from inherited faith to personal faith, also drawing on Luke 9:23.

What does it mean to "no longer live off the coattails of others' faith"?

It means no longer being content to stay near believers or to benefit from their prayers and testimonies. Everyone is called to personally take hold of God's hand, to enter into a direct relationship with him, like little Theo who lets go of his aunt's hand to take the Father's hand in the preacher's illustration.

Why does Jesus require self-denial?

In Luke 9:23, Jesus reminds us that following him involves the whole of life: "If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me." This denial is not a religious performance; it is the consequence of a decision to place one's trust in God rather than in oneself. Without that shift, one can admire Jesus without truly following him.