Resolved
Notes
Transcript
FEELS IMPOSSIBLE::MISSION IMPOSSIBLE
FEELS IMPOSSIBLE::MISSION IMPOSSIBLE
Welcome…Vision…Online...
December 6th! November 22nd…Dream Sunday!!! Exciting things coming...
How do we stand firm…Love well…Yours is the Kingdom??? Faith brings resolve…Hope is the anchor we need to build our resolve…Our resolve sets us apart...
We’ve been talking about how to live knowing that the Kingdom is His…that God is the one on the throne and that He’s the one who is in control of who’s in control…When we understand this, to be a follower of Jesus, is to be living as an exile, as a resident alien, as an ambassador of King Jesus...
This is not our true home…but it’s our temporary one... and no matter what happens around us, if our context changes, and it feels more and more anti-Christian, our purpose doesn’t change…we are to stand firm and love well...
All that we do ought to flow out of the Kingdom ethic of love…God first loved us…so we love others…we love our brothers and sisters in the church…and we strive to love our neighbor and enemy...
This isn’t easy…especially when we feel the pressure to conform from the culture we live in…and at the end of the day, it’s a clash of kingdoms…the kingdom of this world temporarily is in the hands of Satan and Jesus has mobilized and empowered the church to bring His Kingdom in the here and now...
But…in the present moment when it seems so dark and bleak, hopeless and difficult, remember who wins…remember the score at the end of the game…Jesus is on the throne and He will never be removed from being the King of Kings...
We are to be a force of good here as we live here temporarily…to be salt and light…to show and point others to Jesus…by being resolved in our convictions and faith and by loving well...and we can only do that when we understand who God is, then, who we are and who we are not in this world.
And it’s exactly that that world wants to confuse and destroy in your life…distort truth of who God is, isolate you from being able to know Him, tempt you with empty desires, and make every effort to redefine you over and over and over...
The real battle isn’t over our democracy in America…the real battle is for the hearts and souls of every human being who is separated from God…it’s not a political kingdom we are really engaged with…it’s a spiritual one...
It’s not about a battle between democrats and republicans…it’s ultimately a battle that is being waged against Jesus and His movement on this earth through the local church...
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
So how do we live faithfully in a land that is not our land…in a home that is not our home? How do we thrive in Babylon? How do we remain faithful? How do we bloom where God has planted us?
You predetermine ahead of time what you will do, what you will focus on, and who you are and will be. You make a resolve ahead of time…You choose what you will do and be before you face the circumstance, and remain resolved in the midst of it no matter what.
That's how Daniel did it and that's how we to can do it.
STEALING BEVO
STEALING BEVO
1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God. And he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god. 3 Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility,
Remember the pain of the Exile…Jerusalem being destroyed and now God is planting them in Babylon, the personification of evil. The confusion and the pain of having to go through this…
1 By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion. 2 On the willows there we hung up our lyres. 3 For there our captors required of us songs, and our tormentors, mirth, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” 4 How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?
Daniel made it clear, that it was God who did this…for a plan that is higher than ours…Daniel understood that God is in control of who is in control…
They took some the vessels of the House of God (the temple) and placed them in the treasury of his god.
We may read that, and just conclude, so? Why is that a big deal?
Stealing BEVO Picts…Maybe this will help…how would UT fans feel about A&M stealing Bevo…again…and gearing him up with Aggie swag? Does that help???
It's an insult. It's a reminder that they lost. That their God was weak. In that culture back then, whatever nation is in power also reflects which god is in power. And in the temple of Neb. God, are vessels and idols and other things of many gods…because they have conquered many nations…
So he placed the vessels of the house of God, that are holy and set apart, tools that are used to help the Israelites relate to God, are now placed in the temple of a false god…
It's a constant reminder to those in Exile, that their god has been defeated…he's too weak to handle this force…You still want to believe in your God? Fine…but look at our trophies…our god is stronger…our god is in control…your God is too weak…your God is defeated…Your God is dead…Just to remind you…
Now, let's piece some of this together…
Israel…the people of God, the one true God…God has made promises about his presence, his favor, his blessing, etc…Now, defeated…Exiled…forced to live in enemy territory…
Do you think that maybe they thought the life would now be impossible? To stay true to God would be impossible? Maybe, there's no point anymore…Where is God? Why did He lose? Why did he get defeated…maybe Babylon is right…maybe we have been wrong…God why are you allowing this? Doing this?
I mean, he let us be taken captive? I have to now change how I live…It's going to be impossible…It FEELS IMPOSSIBLE…
Have you been there? Have you felt this? Is this where you are now? What you feel now? God where are you? What are you doing? Why are you doing this? Allowing this? I thought you were on the throne?
What if, if for some reason, all the churches in America were forced to be closed…what would you do? How would you see faith in God?
Surely, many who were exiled with Daniel gave in to this pressure…they gave into the feeling of impossibility…impossible to stand firm with all of the outside pressures
Daniel wasn't immune from such thoughts…I mean let's just be honest…He probably thought it, but he moved past it…How? Because of his Faith…that solidified his Hope. You see, DANIEL MOVED PAST THESE THOUGHTS BECAUSE OF HIS FAITH IN GOD THAT SOLIDIFIED HIS HOPE.
DROP ANCHOR
DROP ANCHOR
Without this hope, Daniel would have no anchor. Without this hope, you have no anchor. Because of Jesus, his death, resurrection, ascension, extends to us an anchor like no other…
19 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain,
24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
10 “For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
You have to know Him…Faith comes from hearing and hearing comes from the word of God. This is of utmost importance. If you don’t know who God is, how can you ever stand firm in this hope? Jesus painted a picture of of a man who built his house on a solid foundation that was able to survive any storm…that foundation is Himself…It’s not just knowing it, it’s about believing it, building off of it...
Listen, Jesus is our anchor, but we still have to set that anchor.
Daniel knew of who was in control of who's in control…Since he knew that, he didn't despair or panic…
Somewhere along the line, Daniel, purposed in his heart to not be swayed, to not be defiled, to not compromise his convictions, his beliefs in God…He chose ahead of time how he would respond…he drew a line in the sand before…He set God apart in His heart…that no matter what comes, this is my allegiance…this is my loyalty…He is my Lord…He is my King…predetermined obedience…
We don't know if this resolve of Daniel's, this hope of his, was formed before the exile came, or during the four months that it took to get to Babylon…we don't know…but what we do know by deduction, is that he had it and it came as a result of God's grace, family, community, knowing God's word, prayer…interacting with God…
And that encourages me…because if it's by God's grace, then standing firm in Babylon is not impossible.
Make no mistake, we need God’s grace more than we realize.
1 You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus,
We need to be reminded of our faith, hope and strength that’s found in Jesus…because the world we live in, is very good at getting believers to assimilate into the ways of the world...
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
3 Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility, 4 youths without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king’s palace, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. 5 The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate, and of the wine that he drank. They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king. 6 Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah of the tribe of Judah. 7 And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego.
STEAL - KILL - DESTROY
STEAL - KILL - DESTROY
Make no mistake, both kingdoms have a plan and a purpose for your life. One is to get you to compromise and ultimately destroy and the other is bring life and life to the full. Every worldly kingdom basically has the same assimilation process to keep you away from experiencing the life that God wants for you and for others...
ISOLATION - INDOCTRINATION - ATTACHMENT (DEPENDENCE, COMPROMISE, DESIRES) - CONFUSION
Removed from Jerusalem for specific training
Removed from Jerusalem for specific training
So, Neb. Took about 50-75 of their young and upcoming leaders…the from the royal family and of their nobles. They were around the age of 12-18 years old is the best estimate. Scholars would say that Daniel was around 14-16 years old at this time…
I want you, especially you youth and college students, young adults, to grab hold of this…Daniel was a slave at 14-16 years old and was faithful in an oppressive culture… They removed them from Jerusalem, the exile happened in a few waves, they wanted to remove their young leaders first…they knew how to infiltrate and build culture…get the youth…sound familiar…Isolate them from God's influence…put them into a culture that is not like their own…where seeking God isn’t normative…prayer was odd, Scripture mocked
Learn their language and religion
Learn their language and religion
So, these exiles, Daniel, have just been enrolled into a 3 year program…to train them to be like them, to think like them, to act like them, to value like them, to speak like them, keep reminding them that their god doesn't work, he's dead, he's aloof, whatever…
3 year educational program. The state sponsored religion is satanic and the curriculum is loaded with astrology, astronomy, magic, and the occult. Incantations, omens, prayers, etc.
Babylon was known as one the elite philosophical centers…they had an advanced education and legal system, law of the Medes and Persians…in fact, do you know where the 3 wise men come from in the Christmas story? Babylon…
They are being forced to learn a system that is opposite of theirs…You are a Jew…now we want you to learn about our gods…which are Satanic…our ways…etc.
New Names & Possible castration
New Names & Possible castration
Not only that, they rename them…Again, this may fall on deaf ears today…because we don't understand the weight and significance of names like they did. Names were indicators of their identity…
Daniel meant "God is my judge." His new name is Belshazzar, which means "Bel's prince." Prince of Satan…this was an identity change…every time his name, or his friend's name was called, it was to change who they thought they were…
Now, just psychologically speaking, identity formation is heightened during adolescence. That's the age of this guys…
I didn’t do well with nicknames…I always felt offended…but the reality is, b/c Jesus wasn’t my anchor, I allowed some of those names in and shape me…it wasn’t until God saved me that I was able to discover who I am...
My identity doesn't come from culture, doesn't come from what others say about me, it doesn't come from achievements or failures or positions or titles…It comes from the voice of God…I'm His son…I'm his beloved…I am secure, forgiven, accepted, etc. No matter what's said and done out here…I know who I am in here…
8 But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself.
Up to this point Daniel and his three friends had shown no outward resistance to their assimilation into Babylonian culture. They didn’t skip their Babylonian literature classes, and they answered to their Babylonian names. That is what makes this encounter so striking. Why did Daniel draw the line here?
Here? This is where you are going to draw the line? It seems like to me that this is the best part…Steak and Wine. Daniel, come on…You didn't refuse magic school, being torn away from your family, having your name changed to moon god boy, but steak and wine????
Ya…it may sound ridiculous to us, but to him this would have made him to compromise his resolve.
RESOLVED - WHY THE FOOD AND WINE?
RESOLVED - WHY THE FOOD AND WINE?
It was not that Daniel was a vegetarian or one who abstained from wine, because later (in Daniel 10) he refrained from meat and wine for a period of three weeks of mourning (vv. 2, 3). That implies that he normally ate meat and drank wine. What does Daniel hope to accomplish by his determined stand? Why has he chosen the area of his diet as the moral and theological line over which he refuses to step?
The question is not easy to answer with confidence. Of course, our first guess would be that Daniel is firm in his commitment to the dietary laws of the Old Testament, the laws of kashrut (Lev. 11; Deut. 12:23–26). After all, the verb “defile” (ga’al) denotes religious defilement. In other words, he wants to keep kosher. However, if Daniel’s intention was to keep kosher, then why did he refrain from wine? The Old Testament laws do not restrict any but the Nazirite from wine (Num. 6:1–4). Further, in their threats and warnings, the preexilic prophets implied that it was impossible, by definition, to keep kosher in the land of captivity (Hos. 9:3; Amos 7:17).
However, it appears that maybe, Daniel and his three friends were not willing to compromise by disobeying God’s commands in eating “unclean food.”
If Daniel was not motivated by the dietary laws of the Old Testament, then perhaps he was concerned about the religious overtones of the food from the king’s table. In a marvelously written chapter synthesizing material from various Akkadian texts, A. Leo Oppenheim informs us about the “care and feeding of the gods.” We learn here that sumptuous food would be offered to the gods, and, after their having time to enjoy the repast, whatever was left would be brought to the king’s table. No Mesopotamian king is ever recorded as going hungry.
Perhaps Daniel would have been troubled by eating food that was first offered to idols, so that we can here locate his determination to avoid the food. However, Daniel does not avoid all the food of the palace. He does eat the vegetables, and we have no reason to think that these were not offered to the gods along with the meat and drink. Maybe Daniel would not compromise by eating meat offered to idols.
Rather than these doubtful reasons, we believe that the motivation lies more closely connected to the story. Daniel and his three friends are in a process of education and preparation for service. Their minds as well as their bodies are being fed by the Babylonian court. If they prosper, then to whom should they attribute their development and success? The Babylonians. However, by refusing to eat the food of the king, they know it is not the king who is responsible for the fact that “they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food” (1:15). Their robust appearance, usually attained by a rich fare of meats and wine, is miraculously achieved through a diet of vegetables. Only God could have done it.
But what stands out is the word - RESOLVED. other way of saying it…He purposed in his heart not to defile himself…Sure, you I'll go through your classes, and I will excel in them, go ahead and call me what you want…but in here, my heart, this is who I will follow…I have set God apart in my heart…
You can't touch what's in here…
You see education is just education…if we have a foundation of faith, we can filter all of that through can't we? What's wrong with studying evolution? Nothing. That doesn't mean we believe it…doesn’t mean we agree with it…it means we understand the theory of it and how it works…This is an external thing…it can't touch your heart…it has no influence on your heart…
I will learn your system, but it will not change me.
Nor does a name change…you can call me what you want…you can place any identity on me, but I know who I am, and who's I am. You can take my name away from me, you can take my title away, you can't touch my conviction, you can't touch my heart…I have already resolved on this before this promotion, before this temptation, before this captivity, before any of this came…
This is my conviction and I will not cross it…NOR WILL I FLIRT WITH TEMPTATION.
The food was one thing, but he even kept a high standard and said, no to the wine even though that was kosher and ok for him. Because sometimes when we lower our standards, we slowly weaken our resolve. It begins to erode
That ought to make us think a bit. Where have we lowered our standards? Have one too many, where maybe for you one is too many? Watch questionable media? Entertain gossip? Settle for good enough? We aren't pushing a legalistic mindset here…because what we are talking about is our heart…
This makes me think of PROVERBS 4:23…above all else…guard your heart…
Listen closely...Resolve is not Good Intentions. Good Intentions will be compromised. Don’t be a wet noodle…build convictions off of who God is…off of His word…You must do this now, not later…if you have convinced yourself that later is when you will decide, friend, later will never come...
You want to know why this is important? Beyond avoiding sin and being holy…why is it important to be resolved? Because...
OUR RESOLVE DISPLAYS GOD
OUR RESOLVE DISPLAYS GOD
You see, I wonder if Daniel thought about it this way…I wonder how Daniel saw the vessels in the temple of Marduk? Those temples are still holy, set apart, even though they are in this demonic temple... I wonder if Daniel thought, "I am God's vessel. I am to be set apart. I am to be holy, or different."
20 Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. 21 Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.
22 So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 23 Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. 24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.
15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
This is where it gets real doesn’t it…Let’s not just listen to this story for some academic purpose here…It’s His kingdom…and we have a role to play in it…So ask yourself, what kind of vessel do you want to be? How are you presenting yourself to God? How are you rightly handling the word of truth? Are there are areas in your life that you are compromising and you know it? You have seen it weaken your resolve to be faithful and obedient?
Are there areas in your life where you are flirting with sin? Push the line a bit? Have one too many? Watch what you shouldn’t…Maybe even it’s just the distractions that you allow in your life…the lack of discipline that keeps you from connecting with Jesus, engaging in community, prayer and worship...
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Love the way this is written…the weights (not necessarily sinful things) but things that slow you down, distract you, pull you away…we have a race to run here…b/c It’s His Kingdom...
So how do we navigate this today? How do navigate the grey areas? If Scripture says do this or don’t this and we do the opposite, that’s sin. That’s clear. That’s very black and white. But what about the areas that are not so clear...
Let’s talk about education…let’s talk about being in the culture…how do we navigate those waters...
NAVIGATING THE GREY
Let me speak into that but let me say this first...
Daniel Daniel 1:1–21
Daniel teaches us that the struggle is not to make the culture Christian, but how a Christian can live in a hostile culture.
Daniel Daniel 1:1–21
the principle of continuity will drive us to ask ourselves where God is calling on us to make a stand of faith in the midst of our constantly changing culture, a prospect frightening as well as exciting.
Daniel Daniel 1:1–21
But no matter what their political orientation, whether conservative or liberal, Christians will find themselves at odds with the values and beliefs of the broader culture just by virtue of their ultimate allegiance to a God who is bigger than themselves.
Daniel Daniel 1:1–21
Daniel endured much cultural assimilation, yet he knew where it was appropriate for him to draw the line of distinction. The text implies that Daniel acted in a right manner for his situation. The narrative applauds his growth in wisdom. Not only that, but as we will see in the following chapters, Daniel also had wonderful opportunities to make even bolder statements of his faith.
Once again, Daniel is not given to us as a model of the one biblical way for the believer to interact with his or her culture. Rather, when viewed in the light of the rest of Scripture, Daniel imparts the liberating, yet frightening news that there are multiple ways to be a believer in an unbelieving world. Much depends on the person and his or her specific cultural situation.
Daniel Daniel 1:1–21
(1) Jesus spoke a paradox when he taught that though we are “in the world” (John 17:11, 15), we are, like him, not “of it” (17:14, 16). Indeed, Jesus is the one who has sent us into the world (17:18) with the purpose that the world “may believe that you have sent me” (17:21). To use another biblical image of our involvement with the present world, we are “resident aliens” (cf. Phil. 3:20).
But notice the leeway provided in Jesus’ statement. It is a general principle that can be lived out in a variety of ways. What does it mean, to take a concrete example, in the area of the education of our children? All of us who have had children have struggled with the decision of how best to educate them. Schools have a huge impact on the development of our children’s thinking and life direction, and there are many who will tell you that there is one, and only one, correct answer to that question. Some will say that a Christian school is the only proper choice. We want our children not only to avoid the thinking of secular humanism found in the public school system, but also to construct a positive, biblically centered understanding of the world.
Others, some because of the lack of a Christian school option and others because they believe even the Christian schools have imbibed the spirit of the age, advocate home-schooling. Occasionally a brave soul will even suggest that the public school, with all of its potential pitfalls, is the only way to go to prevent the “ghettoization” of the church, and prepare our children for “life in the real world.”
Looking at this question in the light of Christ’s admonition to be “in the world, but not of it” and with an eye on Daniel’s success in a truly pagan educational environment does not allow us to answer this question with dogmatism. There is no single answer to this question for all people of faith at every stage of a child’s development. Too much depends on the child, the school system, the parents, the church, and so much more. We can be “in the world, but not of it” in the local public school, the Christian school, or the home school.
How many of us wish that the answer was simple and clear-cut, not only in this issue but in all the issues of faith and culture that bombard us daily. What movies and television shows are appropriate for me to watch? What magazines can I read? What music can I listen to? How protective of my children should I be?
Daniel Daniel 1:1–21
(2) But this does not mean we withdraw from a dangerous and hostile world. In Matthew 10:16 Jesus calls his disciples “sheep” and the rest of the world “wolves,” but he demands courage from his sheep to take the risk to live among the wolves. In the process, he gives them a strategy, using two more animal metaphors: “Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” We are to be innocent and shrewd as we live out the issues of faith in our culture. And does this not describe Daniel perfectly? Daniel certainly was innocent. He mounted no angry assault on his captors; rather, he acted quite civilly.67 He was virtually serpent-like in his crafty strategy to remain faithful in a land antithetical to his deeply held faith. As the story continues, we will observe that Daniel not only remained faithful but exercised significant influence on the godless world around him.68
STAND FIRM & DON’T FORGET TO LOVE WELL
STAND FIRM & DON’T FORGET TO LOVE WELL
9 And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs, 10 and the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and your drink; for why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youths who are of your own age? So you would endanger my head with the king.” 11 Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12 “Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the king’s food be observed by you, and deal with your servants according to what you see.” 14 So he listened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days. 15 At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king’s food. 16 So the steward took away their food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.
Daniel could have been chippy about it. He could have bossed it. But he was so humble in his approach…He knew what he was asking…He's a slave defying the King's order, who was blood thirsty and an ego-manic. This was courageous of Daniel. Daniel wasn't ashamed of his convictions.
He asked with gentleness and respect…and when the chief eunuch said no, Daniel was wise and gentle and humble and creative in his approach…He didn't get bitter, he didn't throw in the towel when his request was refused the first time…
He believed that God would honor his resolve, his obedience…and so he acted…went to the number 2 and asked him, we have 3 years…give us 10 days, test us, you will see a difference in 10 days…
Ok…we got to understand the miracle that's taking place here…Daniel just asked for 10 days, to go vegetarian, to prove that in 10 days you will notice a SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE in their appearance…Note the words fatter in the flesh…That's literal. Man I so live in the wrong time period…
They sort of prized a little chubbiness…
Question…10 day diet of vegetables versus an all you can eat steak, lobster, cake, delicacy and wine buffet? Which one would make you fatter in flesh?
This was a miracle of sorts…Daniel was putting his God on display with His resolve!
Maybe this is why Daniel refused to eat the food to begin with…Maybe he was putting his foot in the ground and saying, "MY LIFE WILL PROVE THAT GOD IS NOT DEAD…THAT GOD IS NOT DEFEATED…THAT GOD IS IN CONTROL…" You have the vessels in your temple…But I know who's in control of who's in control…I know who's I am…and I'm going to be a vessel for Him to prove to you, that our God is the God…I'm making myself useful…here…
Daniel's obedience showcased God.
It allowed God to work! God gave Daniel favor with the Chief Eunuch of King Neb….showed that God is greater through the diet…
And…
17 As for these four youths, God gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. 18 At the end of the time, when the king had commanded that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. 19 And the king spoke with them, and among all of them none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Therefore they stood before the king. 20 And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom.
God set them way apart…10 times better…God gave them the ability to learn their system, better than their own people…Let that sink in for a moment…God gave Daniel and his 3 friends, the ability to graduate Magna Cum Laude in the class of magic, astrology, and the occult. What?!? Ya…God has a plan…He knows that Daniel has resolved to not be defiled…God knows that Daniel has a yes in his heart…He knows that Daniel knows who He is in him…He knows that Daniel has set Him apart from everything else…He knows that he can use Daniel to influence Babylon…
Daniel resolved…
BUILDING RESOLVE
BUILDING RESOLVE
1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
What's true of Daniel is true of us…how Daniel developed his resolve is how we too develop ours…
First, IT STARTS WITH HAVING A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. There's no other way. We need God to justify us…we need to have peace and reconciliation with God. We need God as our anchor. We need to experience and encounter his grace…He becomes our shelter, our refuge, our hope, our all in all…
And he extends this relationship to us…by grace…he made a way for us to be made alive in Him…to make us sons and daughters…where he will never leave us nor forsake us, where He has a plan for us, etc…
We start in grace and we stand in grace.
This relationship, is our anchor because of the promises that God has given us…because of who we are in him…we know our identity…we know how he sees us…we know who He is…He's our good Father, full of unfailing love, He's above all else, He's more powerful than anything else, He's over everything, and He's our Father because of Jesus Christ!
Because of this anchor for our soul, we never despair, we never panic, because of this. Because of this grace. We don't let our circumstances change our view of God, rather our view of God changes how we see our circumstances. So we can rejoice in our sufferings…
Sufferings don't erode our resolve, our faith, our hope…Because we have this relationship…where nothing can separate us from the love of God…
We know that in the suffering, God is doing something. He isn't defeated. He isn't shocked. He isn't distant. He has a plan…and it's good, and you can trust it…doesn't mean you understand it all…or you always feel ok with it…but you know He's working through it and in it…
Obedience must be learned…and the best way to learn obedience is through suffering. It says in Hebrews, that Jesus too, had to learn obedience through what he suffered…
Listen, this suffering isn't always, actually it rarely is, external forces or circumstances…the suffering is more often than not, the battle within the heart…to compromise or not.
What will you do when tempted? What will you do when the opportunity is there to lower your standards? What will you do when the pressure from the outside is strong? Or from within your own sinful nature? Will you draw near to God? Will you resist the devil…the temptation…God always provides a way out…what will you chose?
You see, OBEDIENCE IN THE SMALL LEADS TO OBEDIENCE IN THE BIG. SMALL VICTORIES OVERTIME LEAD TO BIG VICTORIES. Think about it, if Daniel would have given in here, do you think he would have had the resolve later in the story when he was faced with being thrown into the lion's den?
When we obey, we experience God's favor and blessing. When we obey we learn more of God's ways and who He is. When we obey we grow. When we obey we grow stronger in our faith…more consistent…WE will also learn how to hear the Spirit’s leading in the grey areas...
Obedience develops endurance…which produces character, and this produces hope…
This hope is not wishful thinking…This hope is experiential because of God's love that has been poured into our lives by His grace
It's real, it's vibrant, it awoke us from the dead…
And this kind of hope produces courage, and courage is found in our resolve.
These 4 guys impacted and influenced Babylon because of their resolve.
Let's do what Daniel did this morning…
Purpose in your heart to obey God. Set Christ apart as Lord in your heart. Choose now…Like Joshua said in JOSHUA 24:15
Christian, I want to speak to you, I want you to accept this and be ok with this…WE WILL NEVER MATCH UP TO THE VALUES OF THIS WORLD. NEVER. So choose who you will follow.
Resolve this.
Decide to give your life to Jesus…Have the love of God…made alive…
Some of you, need to return back home to God…you know you have walked over the line, you have compromised, lowered your standards…you have not kept yourself set apart as a useful vessel…This morning is the best time to repent and come back…God's grace will cover your sin and give you what you need to get back up and start again…
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Our relationship with God, knowing who we are in Jesus, leads to HOPE…AND THIS HOPE LEADS TO A COURAGEOUS RESOLVE IN A WORLD THAT NEEDS TO SEE THE LIGHT OF JESUS CHRIST.
Pray
