You Can't Have My Name

Daniel 1:1 (NIV)

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.

Daniel 1:3–7 (NIV)

Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility—

young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians.

The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service.

Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.

The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.

Introduction

Let me start this off by asking an odd question. How many of you really like the name that your parents gave you?

Show of hands.

How many of you kind of like the name your parents gave you? Like, it’s not your choice, but it is what it is.

Show of hands.

OK, last question and it’s a little odd, but we’re at church and it’s a place of confession. How many of you go by a name that really isn’t your given first name? Maybe it’s your middle name, or a nick name, but you just don’t want to go with your first name?

Show of hands.

You all are brave! Thank you for sharing that with us today!

Growing up, I didn’t think too much about my name; Joshua. And I really didn’t think much about my middle name; Paul.

But man, when I think about the names my parents gave me, Joshua Paul, it’s strong. Like, I’m not sure with a name like Joshua Paul you can do anything else but lead a church. Named after an Old Testament AND a New Testament Leader? Come on, maybe that’s why I’m the Pastor in my family.

All my brothers are in law enforcement… and then there’s me. The Pastor.

But if I am honest with you all, I struggled with my last name growing up. It’s not an easy name to say - Herrera.

Growing up, I would say my name very American… I would say Herrera and would completely neglect the double r’s and the intentional rolling of the r’s...

I remember one time in my home room at school I was sitting behind Gabby Herrera. The teacher asked us to go around the room and introduce ourselves and Gabby pronounced our last name with authority and authenticity - Herrera.

I was up next and I went American with it. I said, “Hi, my name is Josh Herrera.” And I’ll never forget Gabby spoke up and she said, “It’s Herrera. Say it right or don’t say it at all.”

My Lord, I never felt so attacked. Gabby apparently chose violence that morning. But we got through that, and I made sure that depending on my audience, we were either going with the OG, roll the R’s, and eat a carne asada taco last name, or if my audience was black or white, we were going with the Taco Bell pronunciation of my last name.

I play to the room.

Transition

Today, I want to look at this passage of scripture and look at the time that King Nebuchadnezzer changed the name of four Hebrew boys, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.

The Context of Babylon

Before I can really preach today’s message, and the next two messages in our series, I need to teach you about Babylon.

Everyone say Babylon.

Babylon was a major city along the Euphrates River in Mesopotamia. The name Babylon means, “Gate of the Gods.” At its time, it was a place of modernism and influence that would then spread throughout the world.

If it was trending, it started in Babylon.

If it was a hash tag, it started in Babylon.

If it was popular, it started in Babylon.

But Babylon was also a location that was always in conflict with God. In the Book of Genesis we read about the Tower of Babel and it was man’s attempt to elevate themselves to the stature of God, and that was in Babylon. God would confuse the people of that region by giving them different languages and it served to decentralize this location and populate the rest of the then known world.

In time, Babylon would grow under King Nebuchadnezzer and he set his sights on conquering other nations. This was allowed by God so that Babylon could eventually take Israel and Judah captive. This was a form of judgment against Israel and Judah for turning their hearts away from God. This would be temporary, and eventually Babylon would be judged by God. As a matter of fact when God judged Babylon for taking Israel captive, he did so by completely destroying this city and its people. Israel still exists today, but Babylon is gone.

Now one last key piece of information we need on Babylon is that later in the Bible we read about Babylon. I mean, all the way at the end of the Bible in the Book of Revelation. So Babylon was not just a city and a people, but there is a Spirit of Babylon, and it is a demonic Spirit. The Spirit of Babylon causes worldly kingdoms to war against the Kingdom of God, and it is alive and active today. The Spirit of Babylon can be identified by sexual immorality, injustice, violence, moral relativism, and fatherlessness.

When you see these things, know that the Spirit of Babylon is at work in the world today.

Everyone say Babylon.

Bring me Your Best

Now let’s get to the text and see what is happening with these four Hebrew boys. The King tells his servant to bring him the best and the brightest young men that he could find. The King’s agenda was to take these four boys and strip them of their identity, values, and heritage, and replace it with Babylon’s identity, Babylon’s values, and Babylonian heritage.

You need to understand that just as in Babylon then, the Spirit of Babylon is trying to do the same to our children today.

The Spirit of Babylon wants to strip your children of their identity, their values, and their heritage.

If you don’t wake up Mom and Dad, you’ll allow culture, social media, celebrities, politicians and political agenda’s to indoctrinate your children until you no longer recognize the child you raised.

Because here’s the deal - the enemies agenda is never overt, it is covert.

The Four Hebrew Boys came before the King and He explained to them that they needed Babylonian names now that they would be seated at the King’s table.

In other words, he would give them position, which would come at the expense of their names.

And Lighthouse, this is an old demonic trick that continues to manifest itself over and over again. The world will come to you and offer you position, influence, and resources, and all you have to do is lay down your identity in return.

Hear me students, the world never offers you something and asks for nothing in return. It’s a counterfeit Gospel.

The Gospel says, Jesus has already paid the price for you, all you have to do receive his forgiveness and follow Him.

The counterfeit Gospel says I’ll give you position, but what you don’t know is it will take you further than you wanted to go, keep you longer than you wanted to stay, and cost you more than you wanted to pay.

That’s Not My Name

Let me take you deeper into the text here so that you see what’s happening with the names of these boys.

Daniel - God is my judge.

Belteshazzar - Lady, protect the King

They wanted to replace his name with a feminine name, and take the focus off of God and put it on man.

Hananiah - Yahweh is Gracious

Shadrach - I am fearful of God

Instead of seeing the grace of God, they want him to be afraid of God and become self focused.

Mishael - Who can compare to God? No one!

Meshach - I am despised, contemptible and humiliated

Replace confidence in God to cowardice and become once again, self focused.

Azariah - Yahweh has helped

Abednego - The servant of Nebo

From seeing the help of God, to becoming the slave to man

In every one of these name changes, the Spirit of Babylon is taking boys who were made in the image of God, and surrender their identity to one that either confused their gender, replaced security to insecurity, or shifted their focus from God to man.

False Labels

// Two tricks of the enemy //

The enemy is trying to get us to accept a false identity by accepting a cultural definition of who we are.

Cultural definitions are always moving us into wordly standards of what is beauty, what is success, what is love, and what is acceptance. The world wants to group you, corner you, and label you, so that you can be reduced to the lowest common denominator. You aren’t unique - you are just like everyone else.

You don’t get to keep our Hebrew name, you get a Babylonian name, just like everyone else.

Another trick of the enemy is to reduce you to the mistakes you’ve made. He wants your past to define you. He’s using the times that you fell short from moving on to what’s ahead.

God’s Plan

But how many of you know that for every lie of the enemy there is truth found in God.

The enemy is hard at work to homogenize you but the truth says this,

Psalm 139:14 (NIV)

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made...

You are not a cosmic accident. You are not a mistake. Here is what you need to know about yourself.

Jeremiah 1:5 (NIV)

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart...

And can I tell what the Bible says about those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior?

Ephesians 2:4–6 NIV

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,

Hear me Lighthouse, King Nebuchadnezzar sat the boys at his table. They had no say in the matter. They were forced to sit there. But here is what you need to know - when the world tries to give you a position in exchange for your identity, you are already seated in heavenly places.

You’ve been saved, you’ve been raised from the dead, and you have an identity that the enemy wishes he had. As a matter of fact, that’s why the enemy is after you. You have an identity he lost. He gave up his place in heaven and now you’ve got it. So don’t lay it down for a seat at the world’s table.

And for those of you who think that you’ve gone too far. For those of you who think that God can’t save you, or he won’t save you, let me tell you about our God.

2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

When you come into Christ you aren’t the same person, you are a new person. The old you is gone and the only opinion that matters sees you as loved, forgiven and home again. But do you want to know what else he says about you?

Romans 4:7 (NIV)

“Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.

The bible calls you blessed!

Not a person with a past, but blessed

Not a person who had an addiction, but blessed.

Not a person who did time, but blessed.

Not a person who had a divorce, but blessed.

Not a person who struggled with gender, but blessed.

Not a person who was a thief, but blessed.

This is who you are because this is who God says you are!

Conclusion

Lighthouse, you need to know that you are a child of God, and that he has formed you, and he has named you!

Every day you need to look yourself in the mirror and remind yourself - I am not a cosmic accident, I am a child of God. I am who He says I am. You need to remind yourself daily because the Spirit of Babylon is trying to get you to compromise your calling and to lay down your identity for a seat at the world’s table.

But we are not going to give in. We’re going to discern the lies of the enemy and we are going to stand on the truth of God’s word.

Salvation prayer.

// Baptism Sunday push //