Taking A Stand

Prayer

Recap where we have been the last 2 weeks.

Week One of our Series on Daniel was about God’s providence. This is all ordained by Him, allowed by Him and will be used by Him to accomplish His purposes in this world and our lives.

Last week we looked at the strategy of the enemy of our souls to take over the education system and lead generations astray. And he does it through Isolation, Indoctrination, Assimilation and Confusion. And how we need to make sure we do not lose out on our identity as followers of Christ. Which leads us to this week. With a message called. Taking A Stand.

Daniel 1:8–21 NIV

8 But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. 9 Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel, 10 but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.” 11 Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, 12 “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.” 14 So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days. 15 At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. 16 So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead. 17 To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds. 18 At the end of the time set by the king to bring them into his service, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. 20 In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom. 21 And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.

Aaron Tippin

You’ve Got to Stand for Something or you’ll fall for anything. You’ve got to be your own man, not a puppet on a string. Never compromise what’s right and uphold your family name. You’ve got to stand for something or you’ll fall for anything.

Family Name- You’ve taken on a new name.

Do not take the Lord’s name in vain is more than about using God’s name as a swear word. It implies we have taken on a new identity. When we place our faith in Christ. When we repent and call upon the name of Jesus for our salvation. When we entrust him to be our Lord we are given a new name. We are born of a new nature and have become a new creation. No longer are we carrying around the burdens of our past and the sin, we have been freed and forgiven and now we are ambassadors of the King. We are now Christians. Christ “like” ones. And as such, what I now do, I do in the name of being a Christian. I represent Christ in my life, in my actions, in my decisions.

So to not take the Lord’s name in vain is so much more than swearing…It’s understanding that you have married yourself to him and you now represent him…so represent him well.

There was a verse in 1 Corinthians that I believe ties last weeks message into this one, and summarizes them both well.

1 Corinthians 16:13–14 NIV

13 Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. 14 Do everything in love.

Be on guard.- Why, well because the enemy is at work. But now we are to stand firm.

Take a Stand. Stand firm. It’s a scriptural truth that is all over the place when the bible talks about the enemy of our souls. When we mentions the enemy, be sure that somewhere right around there, there is an encouragement to take a stand as well. To stand in courage of the fear that the enemy wants you to feel.

Ephesians 6:11–18 NIV

11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

1 Peter 5:8–9 NIV

8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

Take a stand. Well I believe there are three

They Resolved

Make up your mind ahead of time.

Daniel 1:8 NIV

8 But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.

Purposed within his heart…

Proverbs 7:1–3 NIV

1 My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you. 2 Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. 3 Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.

The things and or ideals you place in your heart are going to have a significant impact on your behavior.

The reason that is important is because that’s so different than what many in our world would say. Many want to take the position that my behavior is determined by my environment, what the people around me do. Therefore I’m a passive agent, that brings a neutral heart to the equation, or in most cases a positive heart to the equation....and the problems I face are because others around me have treated me badly......My love cup hasn’t been filled up, my inner child hasn’t been properly stroked......my problem is the people around me.

But those with a biblical mindset know that this is not true. Those who seek to think biblically about life would say, No....its not so much what others do to me....but its the condition of the heart that I bring to the table. I’m not a passive victim, I’m an active moral agent....and what I have chosen to place in my heart is what’s going to make the difference between taking a right stand for God or not.

Let me illustrate this for you this way. Let’s say you’ve had a tough day at work. I mean everything that could have gone wrong went wrong, and you just can’t wait to get home to your lovely wife and children….dinner…relax…game…foot massage//instead…house disaster…dinner not done…kids screaming…wife frustrated

What you believe in your heart…what you have purposed in your heart…what you have resolved will make a huge impact on what takes place in that home as soon as you walk through the doors.

Because if in your heart, that home is your castle and you reign as king. And within that system, your wife is there to serve you and meet your needs and those kids are supposed to behave just so then as soon as you walk into that chaos…you’re expectations are not going to be met and you will likely react in a way that is not honoring to your spouse, your kids or your God.

HOWEVER…if you have purposed in your heart that your home is not your castle, and you are not the King but you serve a different King. And that King has given us the ultimate example of what it means to love and to serve. To lay down his life for those he loved, then it is so much easier when you walk into that house and everything isn’t just so. If you purpose in your heart to honor Jesus, even though if everything’s not quite ready I’ll have an opportunity to be like Christ....so Lord whatever I find on the other side of this door, I’m making up my mind to serve you and show my love for you by my response.... that kind of person, who makes up his mind ahead of time, is well positioned to take a stand for God.

Purposing ahead of time that you will take a stand for Christ is crucial to living a life that is honoring to your Lord.

and I’m not suggesting that making decisions is the end of the process, but I am suggesting that it is a very important point in the process..... - the willingness to purpose in your heart.....to decide with the help of God, this is what you’re going to do, and this is what you’re not going to do..... - this is what you’re going to be, and this is what you’re not going to be.... - this is what you’re to want, and this is what you’re not going to want.... - this is what you’re going to say, and this is what you’re not going to say.... - this is where you’re going to go, and this is where you’re not going to go....

And so I have to ask…

- are you making up your mind? - are you purposing in your heart? - are you putting the kind of ideas in there that position you to take a stand for God?

1) I believe that there are some who need to hear that because you need to make up your mind about trusting Jesus Christ. - you’ve been hearing about that for some time but you’ve not repented of your sin and trusted Christ as Savior and Lord.....friend, its time to make up your mind. - its time to purpose in your heart..... - its impossible to live like Daniel until you have established a personal relationship with God through trusting in the shed blood of Christ.

Daniel purposed in his heart ahead of time that he was going to honor and obey God. Which leads us to the 2nd Principle…What to and when to Take a Stand.

They Refrained

We need to know what to take a stand for and when.

Daniel 1:8–14 NIV

8 But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. 9 Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel, 10 but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.” 11 Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, 12 “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.” 14 So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.

Get this. Daniel didn’t take a stand until they offered him the royal food and wine.

He didn’t take a stand when… 1) They deported him to a foreign nation....no sign of resistance. 2) They changed his name to one that would have been very offensive to him.....no resistance. 3) They made him attend their schools....no resistance.

No he took a stand against eating food…but why?

Because the food was a biblical issue that would cause Daniel to disobey his God.

- eating this food would have been a violation of OT dietary laws, and it had probably been offered to their pagan gods…so on both counts, Daniel had a biblical reason not to participate....so what determined when Daniel took a stand and when he didn’t was whether or not he was in danger of violating the Word of God.

But also notice how he took a stand. He wasn’t a defiant jerk. He wasn’t flipping tables in Jesus name. No he asked permission, and not just once. Because he was turned down the first time. But he tried again. He went to another person in charge and he asked if they could do a test.

Our posture when taking a stand is just as important as the stand we take. Remember the king we serve. A king who was humble and gentle in heart. A king who by all accounts could have spoken the words and every knee would bow, who instead modeled a servants heart, a humble and gentle heart who served and loved as our example.

I think this is what is so inspiring to me about Christian Martyrs. Their posture when facing certain death. The stand they take for Christ.

Read stories from All for Jesus…page 221

The reality is there are two general responses today when it comes to having our faith tested. And church, get ready…during the next 10 months, you will have plenty of opportunities to take a stand for Christ. But the two general reactions to taking a stand is…

A believer simply doesn’t. Some people who call themselves Christians will not stand up for anything. - they are so ruled by the fear of man that they are hiding their light under a bushel basket and hoping desperately that no one finds out they’re a Christian. They are ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Had they lived during Daniel’s day they would have justified eating the food because of the unique circumstances....

Some believers, on the other hand....take positions on everything...they’ve got an opinion on every subject and they take a stand on practically every issue that comes up at work. They take a stand on every issue that comes up in the community or the country and in effect they push people away from the gospel because they are trying to do the job of Holy Spirit.

- somewhere in the middle of that is Daniel.... - change his location --- he might not like it, but he’ll let it go..... - change his name --- he might not like it, but he’ll let it go.... - change his school ---- won’t like it, but he’ll let it go.....

- its only when there is a clear violation of the Word of God that Daniel stands up for what he believes.

- Daniel was able to be Daniel because of his love for and obedience to God’s Word. - now, there’s an obvious contrast going on in this text on this particular point. - who’s the other Jewish man who was mentioned earlier in the chapter?

- Jehoiakim ---- and what was his relationship to the Word of God? - he was the one who took Jeremiah’s scroll...and because he didn’t like God’s message, cut it up and threw it in the fire.

- so you’ve got the king of Judah on the one hand, despising and rejecting God’s Word, and this young teenager Daniel, loving and obeying God’s Word....and at the risk of his popularity, and his future, and his career, and his own life.....was willing to stand up for God’s Word.

And that leads us to the last principal which is that…

They were Rewarded

Believe that God is a good God who loves you and blesses your obedience.

Daniel 1:15–17 NIV

15 At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. 16 So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead. 17 To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.

Daniel 1:18–21 NIV

18 At the end of the time set by the king to bring them into his service, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. 20 In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom. 21 And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.

God blesses and honors obedience. He does. And he desires obedience more than offering sacrifices at the altar.

1 Samuel 15:22 NIV

22 But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.

God blessed Daniel and the boys becasue they obeyed his word. And he will bless you too. When you obey and take a stand for Him and His word.

We know this to be true because we have the ultimate example in Christ our Savior. Who was obedient even unto death. And so today we are going to take communion.

Distribute the elements.

We are reminding ourselves of the stand that Christ took for us. That even on the night before his death, he went to the garden to pray and he understood that he was going to be taking the ultimate stand. That he wasn’t going to back down from obeying His heavenly father.

Hebrews 12:1–3 NIV

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Jesus sat with his disciples that night before his death and he led them in the first communion.

Luke 22:15–20 NIV

15 And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” 17 After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. 18 For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

Jesus took a stand for you. It’s high time that we take a stand for Him.

Prayer