Sunday 05/01/ 2022

God's word says this 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 and he gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of 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 are in worse condition than the youths who are of your own age so you would endanger my head with the king then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had assigned over Daniel hananiah michelle and azariah he said to them test your servants for 10 days let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink 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 so he listened to them in this matter and tested them for 10 days at the end of 10 days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter and flesh than all the youths who

Ate the king's food so the steward took away their food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables and so God we do thank you for your word we thank you for what you're doing in our church and in our lives God your word it says that all Scripture is God breathed and is profitable for teaching for reproof for correcting for training in righteousness that the man of God may be complete equipped for every good work and God I just ask that today that you would equip men and women in our church with your word that we might be able to rightly live in a society that does in many ways hate you God in a time when there is so much hurt and so much loss and so much hate God help us to really stand to stand with conviction to be resolute in our beliefs that we might be like your son Jesus Christ to be filled with grace and truth we love you God in Jesus name amen well I want to give you guys a little bit of a history lesson it's the year 1695 and there's a wicked this is 1695 bc it's a wicked king named manasseh who is the king of judah manasseh he was a really really really really really bad king his legacy is being like the worst of all of judah's kings and he rebuilt altars to the demon bale he reestablished the high places set up asherah poles he built altars to the moon and the sun and the stars in God's own temple he burned his sons as a sacrifice to those demonic entities and he dealt with fortune tellers set up

Mediums and necromancers to perform their their dark arts among God's own people and as a result of all that manasseh he was carried off as a prisoner and while he was there he repented and he turned away but his legacy remains that he led israel into demon worship and he forsook the law of God and for generations the law of God wasn't even talked about among God's people later on in 642-640 there was another king his name was amon and he completely abandoned the Lord and he was so bad and his reign was so short because he was doing such awful things that his advisors assassinated him and then a young man comes onto the scene his name is josiah and josiah he was an eight-year-old who was a great king he ruled from about 640 to 609 bc and when josiah was in his 18th year reigning as the king of judah the people they rediscovered the book of the law they found it in some dusty corner in God's temple they said hey look it's a book well what does it say and then they read the covenant that God had established with them and what was josiah's reaction he tears his clothes and he weeps and he says we got to do something guys this is why our nation is in such disarray and as a result of the preaching of God's word reformation went throughout the nation of judah in the city of jerusalem and a tremendous revival takes place that year and that was the year 622 bc which was also what a lot of historians believed to be the year that Daniel was born now we don't know much about Daniel's parents but there are some things that we can extrapolate the first thing is that we do know that they trusted the Lord

They were probably young adults during this tremendous revival among God's people and so they gave Daniel this name meaning God is my judge this shows that the parents they knew that they would give an account to the living God one day for how they raise their child and the second thing that we can kind of get to know is that even though there were some wicked kings after josiah there was jehoia has and joha kim they ruled in very evil ways the parents had done enough to establish Daniel so ingrained in God's word that even here he is 16 years later living for the glory of Jesus Christ yes it's the old testament but he lived for God so let's talk about five traits to shine brightly in babylon the first thing I want you to notice is Daniel's conviction Daniel's conviction the passage says that Daniel was resolved that word resolve in the hebrew is which means to determine in your heart beforehand let me ask you a question do you have convictions more importantly do you live like you have convictions that's really the evidence the Bible uses this word here resolve at jonathan edwards he used the term resolution jonathan edwards he is the greatest american theologian in our history his sermon centers in the hands of an angry God sparked a revival from which we are still benefiting to this day and as a young man jonathan edwards he wrote down 70 resolutions and I want to I want you to see this first one that he wrote down if you could it says resolved I will do whatever I

Think will be most to God's glory in my own good profit and pleasure for as long as I live I will do all these things without any consideration of the time they take whatever I think will be to the will be most to God's glory without any consideration of what they may take Daniel he made the decision early in his life I am going to honor the Lord as they put the shackles and the chains on him and led him away into babylon he and his friends they resolved beforehand that they no matter what the situation that they're going into they're going to live for the glory of God and it starts by saying I won't defile myself by eating the king's food and wine it doesn't really seem like a big deal as a Christian does it have you ever thought maybe that the small compromises that you make now will lead to the greater compromises down the road so we make resolutions now to stand in the principles founded upon the word of God to stand within the word of God to hold fast to the convictions that we know to be true based upon what his word says and we like to think that at some point in time down the road you know that there's going to be this major like crossroads in our lives where we're going to be able to stand up for Jesus in public and maybe maybe by our resolution then that maybe that will inspire some other people to live for God sinclair ferguson he points this out his word's not mine true faithfulness in Scripture is first exercised in small things and in private if we fail there any faithfulness we show in public will be hypocrisy

A performance for the crowd and not an expression of loyalty to our Lord the second thing that Daniel I guess the second trait that I want you to notice is Daniel's humility yeah Daniel he held to convictions but standing in our own convictions even if they're based upon God's word and it's not done with a humble attitude can be just plain stubbornness Daniel and his friends they didn't fight against the system that they found themselves in but they found ways to operate within that system look at Daniel's attitude he asked which means that he's he's seeking permission he's submitting himself to the authorities that are over him he doesn't say well my God says this and God's law says that do you think that God knows those things is he ignorant of his law the things that he's called you and I as believers to do he knows the hurdles he knows the struggles Daniel he is looking for permission and so he asks the chief eunuch ash penaz could we please do this so as to not defile ourselves and so we learn that as Christians it's not just holding fast to Biblical principles which is true and it's right for us to do but it's also how it is done and admittedly that's probably the hardest one for me like if I land anywhere on the grace and truth spectrum I'm going to land squarely in truth because I'm so terrified to be wrong about things anyone else tracking with me there okay and the thing is that truth can be invalidated in our lives if our lives are not reflections of that

Truth as Christians in america like we've got policies locally nationally that we disagree with there are things in the southern baptist convention that we disagree with probably you probably have brothers and sisters even that you sit next to that you disagree with from time to time and so we should do everything possible to follow Daniel's example of disagreeing in an agreeable way and Jesus is the best example of this look at what Peter writes in first Peter chapter 2 verses 21 through 23 God's word says this for to this you have been called because Christ also suffered for you leaving you an example so that you might follow in his steps he committed no sin neither was deceit found in his mouth when he was reviled he did not revile in return when he suffered he did not threaten but continued trusting himself or entrusting to him who judges justly the third trait that I want to bring to your attention from Daniel is Daniel's faith he says test your servants that's what Daniel says in verse 12 test your servants once again just chock full of humility would you please just give us this opportunity to try and sometimes that's all the faith that God needs in order to do something huge just this one small step of obedience remember that king hezekiah we talked about this last week king hezekiah he had the babylonian envoys come a couple probably like 100 years or so before all this takes place he shows the babylonian envoys all the treasure because he wanted to get into their good graces he wanted them as this up-and-coming empire to provide

Protection for them because he was fearful of them and he wanted their protection rather than just God's and so if Daniel and hananiah and michelle and azariah if they begin to entrust in the king's meat and the king's wine wouldn't they be guilty of trusting in the king of babylon just like the king hezekiah so instead what they do is they try to look okay what are the things that God has provided here what has he made available he's made available vegetables things like lentils and eggplants and lettuce and things like that things that were available over there in the middle east and this is diet food this is not high calorie food this is not food that you get chubby on and these these guys they're eunuchs and in babylonian culture kind of you know the more full in the face the rounder in the face that you are the healthier you're perceived to be but Daniel he has faith that God is going to provide even in the midst even when it doesn't necessarily make sense God is going to provide the fourth trait that Daniel shows here is self-control notice that it goes with vegetables and water there's very few people that are willing to go on this diet and as friends they resolve to do their best to honor the Lord and they say you know if we gotta give up meat then that's just what we're gonna have to do also just to clarify just in case if anyone's wondering this is what's called descriptive not prescriptive okay God he has declared all foods clean according to the new covenant but that does not excuse a lack of self-control self-control is tough

But if we can't control ourselves in what hope do we have in leading others and sharing the Gospel with the power of the spirit and I believe with all my heart that God he is preparing young men and young women even in our own church to take stands just like Daniel and his friends did here in ancient babylon and I gotta wonder what were some of the things that maybe the other jewish exiles were thinking as they saw Daniel and his friends holding fast to God's law as best as they could do you think they were filled with maybe a little bit of bitterness at their own shortcomings of not obeying God's law what they know to be right they experienced the revival too they knew what God's law said do you think there was maybe a little bit of resentment or maybe maybe they thought you know I'm not that bad and so for them to take a stand like this it's just unnecessary maybe I should just go talk to them and encourage them maybe to just get with the times you know and make these small compromises if Daniel and his friends compromise here they're gonna compromise everywhere remember that proverbs it tells us that a man without self-control is like a city that has been broken into and left without walls you might think that the decisions that you make now will not affect your tomorrow but let me guarantee you that they absolutely do they absolutely do in aerial navigation there's this rule called one in 60. And it means that for every one degree that you're off

It'll put you a mile off course for every 60 miles that you fly so after one foot of travel you'll be off by like.2 inches which isn't that big of a deal it seems after a mile you'd be off by 92.2 feet this summer austin and I were flying to the southern baptist convention in anaheim and if that's the rule then you know we're gonna crash somewhere 26 miles off course and so the question is are there corrections that you and I need to make to our lives maybe there's skipping church or screen times way too high or maybe you're not prioritizing getting into God's word or maybe you're not serving in your local church make those corrections get back on course do what you got to do the final trait here is honor Daniel he showed honor to those who are around him and to those who are over him he tells the steward let us be observed by you and you can make the decision according to what you see he doesn't say hey let me make the decision based off of how I feel oh he gives honor to those who are over him and in the same way Paul he writes in romans 13 verse 7 paid to all what is owed to them taxes to whom taxes are owed revenue to whom revenue is owed respect to whom respect is owed and honor to whom honor now we've been able to see a lot of Daniel here but Daniel is not the most important character in this book God is and so what do we see God doing here if we're not careful we can miss the hand of God in our lives and so if you

Could write these things down we see his hand working in four ways firstly he prepares his people why on earth were Daniel and his friends resolved to make this stand well it was because God had prepared them beforehand God he always raises up men and women to minister during their times of trials each and every single one of us the times that we're in the seasons that we are in they are unique most definitely but so has every other generation of Christians had to deal with unique situations like the early church they had vastly different problems than you and I have today is Jesus fully God those were the wrestling like the questions that they were wrestling with was he fully divine was he fully human how does that work they were dealing with those issues Christians and during the 1500s during the reformation they dealt with vastly different things being burned at the stake and different things like that likewise we've got culture wars and in social wars moral issues and so even though it's unique times the principles in God's word are eternal and so we can trust in them and I want to encourage parents in this way that it is incumbent upon you and I to disciple our children to make disciples of our kids to teach them what God's word says to teach them accurately and to be serious about it as serious as school and perhaps you're hearing maybe you're a young person and you know God is maybe calling you to ministry and you need to take those next steps about talking with that with your parent with the church leader about God's call to ministry secondly I want you to

Notice that he directs the heart that God directs the heart the chief of the eunuchs he has no reason to have favor on these conquered teens but he does he feels the need to protect them which is why there's some compassion there but he fears his superior as many bureaucrats do he's unwilling to literally stick his neck out and he doesn't outright say no way get back where you belong instead Daniel he moves down the chain of command maybe my immediate superior will be able to handle this remember that God he directs the heart in proverbs 21 1 it says the king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord he turns it wherever he will Jeremiah 10 23 it says I know o Lord that the way of man is not in himself that is not in man who walks to direct his steps and so when God here is giving grace to Daniel and his friends in the eyes of the steward it's because God is at work and this is a hidden mystery because we can't tell when someone has favor on you and I might be that you know you're a kid and you got to play ball on sundays you don't know what your coach's response is going to be when you take a principled stand and say coach I can't play on sundays I'm a believer and I love Lord Jesus Christ you don't know what's going to happen when you talk to your boss about your schedule and how you have to prioritize the Lord above everything else but when the Lord gives favor there we know that the Lord is at work and God he is working right now you might not see it his hand it might be completely hidden from you

And we know in romans 8 28 it's verse that many of us have clung to during hard times and we know that for those who love God all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose and God he is working right now in your life in your situation in your trials and in your pain God is at work and we may not see his hand completely and it may not always work out the way that you kind of hope that it did like here in Daniel we see God working it out and opening up doors and finally you know taking being able to take steps of faith but sometimes God's answer might be my will is different than what you hope and we see that most exemplified in the garden when Jesus Christ is praying and saying God if there's any way this cup can pass from me let it happen but alas not my will but yours be done and it was through the death of his son Jesus Christ that salvation was able to come about so that way we can receive it by faith and we don't have to slaughter lambs and rams and sheep and ox we can come to God simply by faith as a repentant sinner saying God I'm yours do with me as you will thirdly he works in meekness I mean how many times has God not received the glory in your life or in my when we make a really good decision that kind of worked out go yeah that was a good decision or perhaps perhaps you know you are naturally talented at something someone pays you a compliment yeah you know I guess that just got the midas touch you know everything that turned touch turns to gold instead of giving credit where credit's

Due we kind of build ourselves up and we make ourselves more important and we make ourselves bigger and bigger rather than responding in humility and saying you know God he just he gave me the wisdom for that decision he gave me the strength to overcome that obstacle God's word says that he opposes the proud but he gives grace to the humble and Daniel he asks in humility test your servants let it be observed by you then you can deal with your servants the way that you see there's no arrogance there's no pride it's just a faithful quiet humility remember that Jesus he taught us and sermon on the mount that's the meek who will who shall inherit the earth I heard a story one time of two dogs I guess a modern parable maybe one dog was a little jack russell terrier who the family just loved cuddling with up on the couch and it would it would snoodle around and it would play and it would get on people's laps and there was another dog that was a great pyrenees and you know they wanted to get up on the couch and hop on to people and lick their faces and stuff like that in this family they tried to make them both indoor dogs but the great pyrenees if it saw something that wanted to get to there was no stopping it would it would bowl over children and little old ladies and it would get exactly where it wanted to go because it was too big it was too heavy it was too clumsy which one got the most attention it was the little one because it was smaller and sometimes we're just too big in ourselves we're too big to be meek and so our prayer should be God just

Make us smaller make us smaller make us smaller until all that my neighbors and my family see is you whereas John the baptist prayed he must increase and I must decrease that's the key to meekness maybe maybe you don't see God at work because you're not meek you're full of yourself and if Daniel hadn't been humble we might not have this example fourthly he gives blessings through obedience look at verses 15 and 16 at the end of 10 days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter and flesh than all the youths who ate the king's food so the steward took away their food and the wine that they were to drink and gave them vegetables in our culture of people they want you to think that Jesus he restricts your freedom and your happiness now maybe if you just you know had unrestricted sex if you have the freedom to kill your child if you give in to alcohol and drugs you know if people would just lay off then you'll be happy I mean is that really what we believe and why is that the most miserable people are the folks that wrestle with these things if the world if that's the standard for happiness then why isn't the prostitute the happiest person in the world what Jesus does is he delivers what the world promises but can never give if you want love you need Jesus he exemplified that for you and I on the cross when he died you want acceptance Jesus doesn't say hey I need to you need to clean yourself up and you need to do this and you need to do that before you can come to him he says come as you are come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest if you need hope Jesus he offers a hope in

This life and the next so that we can endure all the trials that come our way it doesn't matter if we're carried off as exiles to babylon or you know if people strip our rights we've got a greater kingdom that we're living for and it's the kingdom of God if you need joy Jesus he offers joy to all who come to him by faith but here's the deal he also guarantees trials and hardships in this world it's a narrow path it's a narrow gate it's a hard journey Daniel he's not living his best life now look at all the things that he's lost and how he's still seeking to be faithful to God's will in God's plan and as we see he is going to do an amazing work through the life of Daniel and so what are we going to do with all this the first thing I want you to think on is you know you can try your hardest to be a good person and try to be nice and shine in babylon and things like that but being a good person doesn't save you there's some great people out there that don't know Jesus it's only by turning away from sin and trusting in the Lord that anyone can enter the kingdom of heaven you come to Jesus just like you are and I know there are some out there that don't have a relationship with Christ today is the day of salvation today is the day to be saved and you can't do it on your own you have to come to Jesus in order to have a right relationship with God and secondly I want you to examine the attitude that you and I'm preaching to myself here maybe have in our culture do you live with conviction like when your friends are cutting up do you join in on lewd jokes

Do you hold fast honoring the Lord are you full of humility are you full of pride do you have faith and take steps to live out your faith do you have self-controlled are you ruled by your passions and your desires do you honor those who are in authority over you or does your flesh rule your response so I want to invite you to surrender those traits to the Lord and ask him to make you more like his son in every way head hand heart I want you to know that God is raising up young men and women to stand for him I look at our church and I see teens and I see young adults and I don't despair for our future rather I'm excited because I know that they can shine in babylon amen I see daniels I see Esther's in our church that God is going to use to shine in camdenton and abroad and I want you to do this I want you to pick one of those five traits that we talked about and I want you to seek to intentionally grow in it this week so what are you going to grow in you know which one really rallies you up why don't you tell a friend and develop a game plan on how to grow in that share it with a community group leader or ask a spouse to check in with you and say hey can you help me in this heart I want you to believe that God is working as we seek to be faithful in babylon God tells us that he is working to grow his kingdom he is working in your life not just so things can work out but so that God could receive the most glory through you

There's really no greater place for a Christian believer to be amen and so God we thank you for all that you're doing we thank you for your son Jesus and Lord if there's anyone here that maybe they don't have the hope of eternal life that today they would deal with you that they would come to you forsaking everything this world has to offer to cling to Christ gain Christ because you're better God you're so much God as we stand and we worship together help us Lord to worship you with conviction that we might go out of here not just simply as first baptist church and people who have worshipped today but as your ambassadors assault and light to a city that desperately needs the hope of the Gospel help us Lord to shine for you today and every day in Jesus name amen let's stand and let's worship together [Music] when I fear my faith will fail Christ will hold me fast when the tempter would prevail he will hold me fast I could never keep my hold life's fearful path for my love is often cold he must hold me fast he will hold me fast for my Savior loves me so he will hold me fast [Music] sing that third verse for my life he bled and died for my life he bled and died Christ will hold me fast justice has been satisfied he will hold me fast raised with him to endless life he will hold me fast

Till our faith is turned to sight when he comes at last he will hold me fast for my Savior loves me so he will hold me fast for my Savior loves me so he will hold me fast and Lord that is our confession Lord that you do hold us in the palm of your hand thank you for that eternal assurance that you won't let us just be lost and Lord if there's anyone here that maybe they don't know you maybe they struggle with what it means to be a Christian what is repentance God I pray that you would continue just to draw them by your Holy Spirit today God we love you and as we leave here as the church equipped let us shine forth in your glory in Jesus name amen you