Perfectly Displaced

Small Town Bubbles struggle to prepare children for life.

The Christian home and local church are effective training grounds to prepare young people.

We all face a moment of displacement.

To move something from its place and position.

Daniel - Nebuchadnezzar besieged Judah three times.

The first resulted in taking vessels from the temptle and certain young men of nobility.

A systematic approach that would remove the identify of Judah.

READ (DANIEL 1:1-7)

Daniel and his three friends were probaly 14-18 years old when they were moved from Judah to Babylon.

Straight-line distance is 1,678 miles.

How can we know that someone or something is attempting to displace us?

1. Babylon is Everywhere.

Babylon’s motto - You were secure in your wickedness; you said, “No one see me.” Your wisdom and knowledge led you astray. You said to yourself, “I am, and there is no one else.” - (Isaiah 47:10)

The # 1 God of Babylon was “self”.

Babylon’s goal was to remove the identify of Judah.

They worshipped idols, but their success as a nation had gotten to their head.

Why did God allow this to happen?

Because the Jews walked away from Him in their worship.

In the early stages, sin is really fun. Especially when we surround ourselves with people who will convince us that our decisions are justified.

Why is culture falling apart?

We have adopted a Babylonian mindset of self-worship.

“Anyone who finds his life will lose it, and anyone who loses his life because of me will find it.” - (Matthew 10:39)

Anything we have been taught contrary to this passage is self-worship.

2. The Promise of a “New Life”.

4 men were given new names that promised a new identity.

Daniel – “God is my judge” = Belteshazzar – “Prince of Baal”

Hannaniah – “Beloved of the Lord = Shadrach – “Illumed by the son god.”

Mishael – “Who is as God” = Meshach – “Who is like unto the moon god”

Azariah – “The Lord is my help” = Abednego – “Servant of Nego. A shining fire”

These men were taught to give up their beliefs in the God of scripture.

They could have whatever they wanted as long as they assumed Babylonian influence.

The promise of a “new life” is alluring so so many people these days.

One work of Satan is to convince people to look past reality and choose a counterfeit reality.

Just because you have a teacher speaking to you does not mean that what they say is truth.

New life in Christ

“Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life.” - (Romans 6:4)

“To take off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires, to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, the one created according ot God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.” - (Ephesians 4:22-24)

Self worship is not new.

Daniel did not give up or lose hope.

How learned how to live in Babylon without losing his identity as God’s son.

We are called to embrace a similar philosophy.