I am persuaded that neither life
nor death, nor principalities,
00:00:32.33\00:00:38.13
nor powers in heaven, or on
earth, and hell can separate
00:00:38.17\00:00:42.57
me from the love of
Jesus, and Christ our Lord.
00:00:42.60\00:00:45.77
Thank you so much for the music.
00:00:45.81\00:00:47.54
I have been blessed
and greatly inspired by the
00:00:47.58\00:00:51.38
service this morning.
00:00:51.41\00:00:53.05
I've been here all week.
00:00:53.08\00:00:54.65
This is, I think, the
tenth or eleventh GYC meeting
00:00:54.68\00:00:58.95
that my wife
and I have attended.
00:00:58.99\00:01:00.59
And every time we come, I
think we leave more inspired
00:01:00.62\00:01:06.06
than when we came.
00:01:06.09\00:01:08.26
GYC represents the finest, and
the best of what it means to be
00:01:08.30\00:01:16.20
a Seventh-day Adventist young
person preparing for the coming
00:01:16.24\00:01:20.11
of Christ in the
final generation.
00:01:20.14\00:01:22.68
And so we are deeply thankful
for the way that God is using
00:01:22.71\00:01:28.05
the GYC leadership, for the way
He's using young people to play
00:01:28.08\00:01:33.36
a meaningful part in the
finishing of His work on earth.
00:01:33.39\00:01:37.36
I've been praying that God
would touch all of our lives,
00:01:37.39\00:01:41.00
and the Spirit would work
powerfully during the message
00:01:41.03\00:01:44.60
this morning, so let's pray.
00:01:44.63\00:01:46.07
Father in Heaven, we thank You
with all our hearts that we live
00:01:46.10\00:01:53.98
on the knife edge of eternity.
00:01:54.01\00:01:56.14
We thank You that Jesus, the
One who died on Calvary's cross,
00:01:56.21\00:02:02.78
reaches out to us
today as the living Christ,
00:02:02.85\00:02:06.92
the resurrected
Christ, in the sanctuary above,
00:02:06.96\00:02:10.99
and that from that sanctuary He
longs to minister grace to our
00:02:11.03\00:02:18.23
hearts, strength to our lives.
00:02:18.27\00:02:21.94
He longs to impart
to us power for mission.
00:02:21.97\00:02:26.34
And so we open our
hearts to You this morning.
00:02:26.37\00:02:30.18
We sense that this
is not an ordinary hour
00:02:30.21\00:02:33.92
in earth's history, and
we recognize that in this
00:02:33.95\00:02:39.69
generation you are raising
up young people, and adults,
00:02:39.72\00:02:43.76
to empower them by Your
Spirit for the finishing of
00:02:43.79\00:02:47.76
Your work on earth.
00:02:47.80\00:02:49.13
And so we open our
hearts for the special
00:02:49.16\00:02:51.57
blessing of this hour.
00:02:51.60\00:02:53.10
Whatever blessings we received
in the past are not sufficient
00:02:53.13\00:02:58.17
enough for the present.
00:02:58.24\00:02:59.57
So we pray Thee that You would
come with Your almighty power,
00:02:59.61\00:03:04.55
and bless in a special
way, as we open Your Word.
00:03:04.58\00:03:08.25
In Christ's name, Amen.
00:03:08.28\00:03:10.72
This past summer the General
Conference of Seventh-day
00:03:13.72\00:03:17.59
Adventists was held in
San Antonio, Texas, and it was
00:03:17.63\00:03:21.46
historic in many ways.
00:03:21.53\00:03:23.23
One of the ways that it was
historic is that for the first
00:03:23.26\00:03:28.17
time in the history of our
Seventh-day Adventist church
00:03:28.20\00:03:32.64
we had sixty-five delegates
from mainland China with us
00:03:32.67\00:03:38.08
at the General
Conference Session.
00:03:38.11\00:03:39.65
And they brought so
much to the session.
00:03:39.68\00:03:42.78
I spent time with them
each afternoon at the session
00:03:42.82\00:03:46.29
studying the Bible together.
00:03:46.32\00:03:48.29
We left the main
meeting and opened Scripture,
00:03:48.32\00:03:51.33
and spent an
hour or two studying.
00:03:51.36\00:03:53.16
Once the General
Conference Session was over,
00:03:53.19\00:03:56.43
I had the privilege, with
my wife, of traveling for two,
00:03:56.46\00:04:00.64
two and a half weeks
with the delegates from China.
00:04:00.67\00:04:04.77
They came to the
General Conference.
00:04:04.81\00:04:06.98
We visited Washington, D.
C., and then we traveled to
00:04:07.04\00:04:11.11
early Adventist history sites.
00:04:11.15\00:04:13.68
And in each of those sites
we studied the Word of God.
00:04:13.72\00:04:17.15
We went to the
Miller farm and studied the
00:04:17.19\00:04:20.92
significance of the sanctuary.
00:04:20.96\00:04:22.89
We traveled to
Washington, New Hampshire,
00:04:22.92\00:04:25.39
the first
Seventh-day Adventist church,
00:04:25.43\00:04:27.80
and studied the
significance of the Sabbath.
00:04:27.83\00:04:30.73
We traveled to Hiram Edson's
farm in upstate New York,
00:04:30.77\00:04:34.64
and spent time in that
barn, reconstructed, of course,
00:04:34.67\00:04:38.51
studying the sanctuary message.
00:04:38.54\00:04:40.84
Traveled across to Battle Creek,
Michigan and visited the old
00:04:40.88\00:04:46.48
sanitarium, and studied the
origin of the Adventist church,
00:04:46.51\00:04:50.45
and the Adventist
health message, and went on to
00:04:50.49\00:04:52.52
Andrews University.
00:04:52.55\00:04:53.89
As we traveled together
during this period of time,
00:04:53.92\00:04:58.73
the stories, the
testimonies of these stalwart,
00:04:58.79\00:05:03.80
faithful brothers and sisters
from China deeply impressed me.
00:05:03.87\00:05:08.20
I'll tell you the story
of somebody that I will call,
00:05:08.27\00:05:11.84
not their real
name, Mr. and Mrs. Wong.
00:05:11.87\00:05:15.24
Mr. Wong was a member of
the Red Guard Chinese Army.
00:05:15.28\00:05:19.71
And I should say we were
grateful, and thankful to the
00:05:19.75\00:05:24.19
Chinese government for allowing
these delegates to come,
00:05:24.25\00:05:28.62
and we are thankful to God for
the officials that have given
00:05:28.66\00:05:32.09
the measure of religious
liberty that they have in China.
00:05:32.13\00:05:35.76
But many, many years ago in
1991 to 1993, Mr. Wong was a
00:05:35.80\00:05:42.94
member of the Red Guard.
00:05:42.97\00:05:44.31
He was an avowed atheist.
00:05:44.34\00:05:46.54
He felt that all Christians were
ignorant fools that believed
00:05:46.57\00:05:52.58
fables that you
couldn't have any confidence in.
00:05:52.61\00:05:55.78
When he came home
from the Army on leave,
00:05:55.82\00:05:59.99
he discovered that
something amazing had
00:06:00.02\00:06:02.76
happened in his city.
00:06:02.79\00:06:04.13
From 1991 to 1993
in one city in China,
00:06:04.16\00:06:10.60
there was a
mighty spiritual revival.
00:06:10.63\00:06:13.54
And in one Seventh-day
Adventist church in that city
00:06:13.57\00:06:17.84
for three years there were
between two and three thousand
00:06:17.87\00:06:22.48
people baptized each year.
00:06:22.51\00:06:24.88
That local congregation
grew to well over ten thousand.
00:06:24.91\00:06:30.32
It was an amazing
moving of God's grace,
00:06:30.35\00:06:33.32
an amazing
outpouring of God's Spirit.
00:06:33.36\00:06:36.76
When Mr. Wong came home from the
Army he discovered that his wife
00:06:36.79\00:06:42.53
had become a
Seventh-day Adventist,
00:06:42.56\00:06:45.10
that some of his
brothers had become Adventists,
00:06:45.13\00:06:48.04
and his father and mother
had become Adventists and joined
00:06:48.07\00:06:50.91
that local congregation.
00:06:50.94\00:06:52.44
He was furious. He
was incredibly angry.
00:06:52.47\00:06:56.11
As he told me the story he said,
Pastor, I could not understand
00:06:56.14\00:07:01.18
why my own wife would accept
such fables, such nonsense,
00:07:01.22\00:07:06.89
such
intellectual superficiality.
00:07:06.92\00:07:10.29
He said, I was angry.
00:07:10.33\00:07:11.66
I ranted, I
raved, I yelled at her.
00:07:11.69\00:07:15.16
He said, I threatened
her in a variety of ways.
00:07:15.20\00:07:18.90
I would go to the Adventist
church and break up their
00:07:18.93\00:07:21.90
worship services with my
rants, and anger, and rage.
00:07:21.94\00:07:25.37
He said, Then one day I
came with rocks and stones
00:07:25.41\00:07:30.18
and threw them through
the windows of the church.
00:07:30.21\00:07:32.75
I felt I had to do everything
I could to dissuade my wife
00:07:32.78\00:07:36.82
from this foolishness.
00:07:36.85\00:07:38.45
His wife developed a
very serious eye infection,
00:07:38.49\00:07:44.16
and that eye
infection threatened her
00:07:44.19\00:07:48.93
with loss of sight.
00:07:48.96\00:07:50.60
She was taken to the hospital
for a very serious operation
00:07:50.63\00:07:55.90
to save her vision.
00:07:55.94\00:07:57.51
And as the surgeons
operated on her she, of course,
00:07:57.54\00:08:01.84
had a patch on one eye.
00:08:01.88\00:08:03.78
And her physician said to
her, We don't want you to strain
00:08:03.81\00:08:08.35
your other eye by any
reading, because if you do that
00:08:08.38\00:08:12.59
you may lose total vision.
00:08:12.62\00:08:14.16
One day her husband came into
her room and he saw her reading
00:08:14.19\00:08:20.60
the Bible, with a patch on one
eye, looking at the Word of God.
00:08:20.63\00:08:25.97
And he said, I
thought the physicians
00:08:26.00\00:08:28.07
told you not to do that.
00:08:28.10\00:08:29.50
And she said,
Well, I needed strength.
00:08:29.54\00:08:32.27
I need the strength
that comes from God's Word,
00:08:32.31\00:08:35.28
and I could not go for months
without reading the Word of God.
00:08:35.31\00:08:40.32
He looked at her and
he said, You are foolish.
00:08:40.35\00:08:43.65
As your husband, I'm not
going to allow you to go blind
00:08:43.69\00:08:47.89
reading the Word of God.
00:08:47.92\00:08:49.26
Give me that book and I'll
read it for you and to you.
00:08:49.29\00:08:52.43
Praise God! Praise God!
00:08:52.46\00:08:56.10
He said, What do
you want me to read?
00:08:56.13\00:08:59.83
She said, Read the book of Job.
00:08:59.87\00:09:03.87
Now I am not sure that that's
the first book I would introduce
00:09:03.91\00:09:08.41
people to in the Bible.
00:09:08.44\00:09:09.78
Read the book of Job.
00:09:09.81\00:09:11.21
But God's ways are mysterious.
00:09:11.25\00:09:12.85
Mr. Wong said to me, Pastor
Mark, I began to read the book
00:09:12.88\00:09:16.58
of Job, and I saw the trials
that this man was going through.
00:09:16.62\00:09:20.39
And I recognized that I
was putting my wife through
00:09:20.42\00:09:23.59
some of the trials.
00:09:23.63\00:09:24.96
She was the modern Job!
00:09:24.99\00:09:26.33
And he said, I kept
reading, and reading,
00:09:26.36\00:09:28.26
and faith grew in my heart.
00:09:28.30\00:09:30.23
And so I saw Job trusted
God in spite of the trials.
00:09:30.27\00:09:33.74
As I saw Job trusted God
in spite of what was going on
00:09:33.77\00:09:37.44
in his life, he came
to the end of the book
00:09:37.47\00:09:40.94
of Job, and he was amazed.
00:09:40.98\00:09:42.54
If you have your Bible, and I
know you do, take it and read.
00:09:42.58\00:09:45.45
Turn to Job 42, Job 42
and look there at verse 10.
00:09:45.48\00:09:52.25
Mr. Wong said, Pastor Mark, I
read the book of Job to my wife.
00:09:52.29\00:09:57.66
I saw Job's faith.
I saw Job's courage.
00:09:57.69\00:10:00.50
I saw Job's confidence in God,
and I was absolutely amazed.
00:10:00.53\00:10:05.50
He then said, I came to
the end of the book and I read,
00:10:05.53\00:10:10.21
Job 42:10, and the
Lord restored Job's losses
00:10:10.24\00:10:17.65
when he prayed for his friends.
00:10:17.68\00:10:19.68
Indeed the Lord gave Job
twice as much as he had before.
00:10:19.71\00:10:24.45
And Mr. Wong said,
Pastor Mark, I was so amazed
00:10:24.49\00:10:28.82
in a God like that.
00:10:28.86\00:10:30.19
As his wife continued to
have treatment, Mr. Wong did not
00:10:30.23\00:10:36.60
admit what God
was doing in his life.
00:10:36.63\00:10:39.07
As she would go to
treatments to see the physician,
00:10:39.10\00:10:42.70
he would take the
Bible out of the drawer
00:10:42.74\00:10:45.17
by her bed and read it.
00:10:45.21\00:10:47.14
And secretly he read the Bible
until that day in that hospital
00:10:47.18\00:10:52.81
room Mr. Wong knelt down
and said, Jesus, I'm Yours!
00:10:52.85\00:10:57.29
Jesus, I can
resist You no longer.
00:10:57.32\00:11:00.32
Mr. Wong today is a part
of a Pastoral team that in one
00:11:00.36\00:11:07.76
pastoral district
has 20,000 members,
00:11:07.80\00:11:11.57
and 400 churches and groups.
00:11:11.60\00:11:14.97
If God can take a member
of the Red Army, an atheist,
00:11:15.00\00:11:21.91
one who believes that
Christianity is nonsense,
00:11:21.94\00:11:25.31
and lead him to be a
mighty pastor for God,
00:11:25.35\00:11:29.05
what can God do for your life?
00:11:29.08\00:11:31.49
What can God do with my life?
00:11:31.52\00:11:33.69
When I asked Mr. Wong, What was
the most significant thing that
00:11:33.72\00:11:38.73
led you to make that decision?
00:11:38.76\00:11:41.46
What led you to your conversion?
00:11:41.50\00:11:44.03
If he were here this
morning giving his testimony,
00:11:44.07\00:11:46.80
this is what he would say.
00:11:46.84\00:11:48.17
He would tell you
there was one major reason.
00:11:48.20\00:11:51.57
His wife was
faithful to God, and did not
00:11:51.61\00:11:56.31
compromise her integrity.
00:11:56.34\00:11:58.31
The Holy Spirit used her
powerfully to reach her husband.
00:11:58.35\00:12:03.32
Now there's one thing
for certain, a half-hearted
00:12:03.35\00:12:06.19
compromising Christianity
is not going to impact
00:12:06.22\00:12:10.26
the world for Christ.
00:12:10.29\00:12:11.63
One pastor put it this way,
God will not use a compromised
00:12:11.66\00:12:16.40
life to reach a
compromised world.
00:12:16.43\00:12:18.77
God will use a life
that is given over to Him,
00:12:18.80\00:12:22.14
that is a demonstration of the
message that through the power
00:12:22.17\00:12:24.97
of Jesus Christ and
His love, He can transform
00:12:25.01\00:12:27.71
our lives and set us free.
00:12:27.74\00:12:29.31
If the world is
looking for anything today,
00:12:29.34\00:12:31.95
it is looking for young
people, it's looking for adults,
00:12:31.98\00:12:34.75
that have authentic,
genuine Christianity.
00:12:34.78\00:12:38.05
A sham, a pretense, hypocrisy
will never reach the world.
00:12:38.09\00:12:42.66
A sugar coated gospel
will not transform a society.
00:12:42.69\00:12:47.50
By the grace of Christ, and
the power of the living Christ,
00:12:47.53\00:12:51.03
no formal, ritualistic
Christianity will do,
00:12:51.07\00:12:54.40
no half hearted
Christianity will do.
00:12:54.44\00:12:56.91
Young people with divided
hearts, and compromised lives,
00:12:56.94\00:13:00.68
will not impact a
world for Jesus Christ.
00:13:00.71\00:13:04.25
Ellen White adds this...
00:13:04.28\00:13:05.61
Ellen White makes an amazingly
penetrating comment in a
00:13:05.65\00:13:11.39
Manuscript 16, written in 1890,
she says: Let it be understood
00:13:11.42\00:13:17.99
that Seventh-day Adventists
can make no compromise.
00:13:18.03\00:13:21.40
In your opinions, and in
your faith there must not be the
00:13:21.43\00:13:25.03
least appearance of wavering.
00:13:25.07\00:13:27.80
One of the sterling examples
in Scripture of an undivided
00:13:27.84\00:13:33.51
heart, of an uncompromised
faith, one of the sterling
00:13:33.54\00:13:38.95
examples in Scripture is Daniel.
00:13:38.98\00:13:41.98
Throughout his life he
stands as a sterling example of
00:13:42.02\00:13:45.19
faithfulness and loyalty.
00:13:45.22\00:13:46.96
And this morning we want
to spend some time studying
00:13:46.99\00:13:49.79
the life of Daniel.
00:13:49.82\00:13:51.16
We're going to look at
chapter 1 in the book of Daniel,
00:13:51.19\00:13:54.66
then fast forward to chapter 6.
00:13:54.70\00:13:57.10
In Daniel 1, Daniel is
approximately 17 years old.
00:13:57.13\00:14:02.17
He's in his teens, and he faces
an incredibly amazing test.
00:14:02.20\00:14:07.44
In Daniel 6 it is
about 65 or 66 years later,
00:14:07.48\00:14:14.25
and Daniel is 83 years old.
00:14:14.28\00:14:16.58
He faces an amazing test.
00:14:16.62\00:14:19.09
Wherever you are on
your spiritual journey,
00:14:19.12\00:14:23.89
whether you are young
or old, Satan is an equal
00:14:23.93\00:14:29.20
opportunity employer.
00:14:29.23\00:14:31.37
He does not have any prejudice
in those whom he tempts.
00:14:31.40\00:14:37.81
You may be young, you may
be old, you may be Hispanic,
00:14:37.84\00:14:42.74
or Asian, or African,
or from North America.
00:14:42.78\00:14:46.72
Your language may be Spanish,
or your language may be Italian.
00:14:46.75\00:14:53.46
Your language may be Portuguese.
00:14:53.49\00:14:55.56
Your language may be Tagalog.
00:14:55.59\00:14:58.93
You may speak one of
the African dialects.
00:14:58.96\00:15:01.33
You may speak English.
00:15:01.36\00:15:02.70
But that does not
exempt you from temptation.
00:15:02.73\00:15:06.07
Satan is an equal
opportunity tempter.
00:15:06.10\00:15:09.00
He tempts men and
women, young and old.
00:15:09.04\00:15:11.54
Merely because you have walked
with Christ, and been faithful
00:15:11.57\00:15:16.71
to Christ for 20 or 30
years, does not mean in any way
00:15:16.75\00:15:21.55
that you're exempt from
the temptations of Satan.
00:15:21.58\00:15:24.52
And one of the things we see in
the life of Daniel is the life
00:15:24.55\00:15:29.16
of faithfulness from
the beginning to the end.
00:15:29.19\00:15:32.06
Daniel did not
merely start the journey,
00:15:32.09\00:15:35.76
Daniel finished the journey.
00:15:35.80\00:15:37.70
And he found in Christ
One that was the author
00:15:37.73\00:15:41.27
and finisher of his faith.
00:15:41.30\00:15:43.30
He found in Christ One who
he could hold the beginning
00:15:43.34\00:15:48.51
of his confidence
strong to the end.
00:15:48.54\00:15:50.51
So I invite you
to take your Bible
00:15:50.55\00:15:52.91
and turn to the book of Daniel:
Psalms, Proverbs, Isaiah,
00:15:52.95\00:15:58.25
Jeremiah,
Ezekiel, Daniel, Daniel 1.
00:15:58.29\00:16:02.39
Daniel 1 begins with the
Great Controversy's scene.
00:16:02.42\00:16:09.53
Look at Daniel 1:1.
00:16:09.56\00:16:13.54
Here we begin with
the Great Controversy.
00:16:13.57\00:16:16.84
In the third year of the
reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah
00:16:16.87\00:16:21.44
Nebuchadnezzar
king of Babylon came to
00:16:21.48\00:16:24.45
Jerusalem, and besieged it.
00:16:24.48\00:16:26.28
So here you have two kings:
Nebuchadnezzar and Jehoiakim.
00:16:26.31\00:16:30.95
You have two cities:
Jerusalem and Babylon.
00:16:30.99\00:16:34.32
Babylon the citadel
of evil, Babylon the
00:16:34.36\00:16:38.93
center of idol worship, Babylon
the center of egotistical,
00:16:38.96\00:16:43.93
proud, manmade religion.
00:16:43.97\00:16:45.97
Jerusalem, the sanctuary of
God, the Shekinah glory of God,
00:16:46.00\00:16:51.97
the people of
God, the law of God.
00:16:52.01\00:16:55.48
Babylon, the city
of falsehood and error.
00:16:55.51\00:16:58.88
Jerusalem, the city of truth.
00:16:58.91\00:17:01.15
Nebuchadnezzar
attacks Jerusalem,
00:17:01.18\00:17:05.32
and Jerusalem
falls to Nebuchadnezzar.
00:17:05.35\00:17:08.69
So in chapter 1 you
see the Great Controversy.
00:17:08.72\00:17:11.49
Verse 1, the Controversy
between good and evil,
00:17:11.53\00:17:14.90
the controversy
between Christ and Satan.
00:17:14.93\00:17:18.93
Daniel and his young teenage
friends, are taken captive.
00:17:18.97\00:17:22.94
Nebuchadnezzar longs
to bring the brightest,
00:17:22.97\00:17:29.04
the most intelligent,
those that are handsome,
00:17:29.08\00:17:34.22
and physically attractive.
00:17:34.25\00:17:35.65
He longs to bring a group of
youth that have the potential
00:17:35.68\00:17:39.92
for leadership that will be
educated for three years at the
00:17:39.95\00:17:46.13
University of Babylon, so
Nebuchadnezzar can send them
00:17:46.16\00:17:50.33
back as his
emissaries to Jerusalem.
00:17:50.37\00:17:53.54
The Devil loves to
attack the brightest, the best,
00:17:53.57\00:17:58.97
the most intelligent,
because he knows that if he gets
00:17:59.01\00:18:02.34
the leaders, the
followers will follow.
00:18:02.38\00:18:04.98
And the Devil still uses
that strategy today on Christian
00:18:05.01\00:18:09.98
Seventh-day
Adventist young people.
00:18:10.02\00:18:11.75
If he can capture the minds
of the brightest, and the best,
00:18:11.79\00:18:16.52
if he can lead them
from faithfulness to God,
00:18:16.56\00:18:20.96
he knows that if
he gets the leaders,
00:18:21.00\00:18:23.53
the followers
are going to follow.
00:18:23.57\00:18:24.90
So here, in the book of Daniel,
Nebuchadnezzar takes captive
00:18:24.93\00:18:30.21
the most intelligent,
the brightest young people,
00:18:30.24\00:18:35.61
brings them to the university,
to Babylon, to educate them
00:18:35.64\00:18:40.02
in the University of Babylon.
00:18:40.05\00:18:43.05
Early in that captivity, Daniel
and his friends are ushered into
00:18:43.08\00:18:48.89
the banquet hall of Babylon.
00:18:48.92\00:18:50.86
Everything is set on
those tables to tempt the taste,
00:18:50.89\00:18:56.33
to satisfy the
palette, to delight the eyes.
00:18:56.36\00:19:00.44
The music is
playing, the tables are set,
00:19:00.47\00:19:05.97
the royal banquet is there.
00:19:06.01\00:19:08.88
Now there's an
interesting aside that I want
00:19:08.91\00:19:11.58
you to see in Daniel 1.
00:19:11.61\00:19:14.15
Notice it in verse 2.
00:19:14.18\00:19:16.65
And the Lord... Now that word
for Lord there is a word that
00:19:16.69\00:19:22.02
means the One who
is in control over all.
00:19:22.06\00:19:25.76
In spite of the captivity,
in spite of the apparent defeat,
00:19:25.79\00:19:29.66
God is still sovereign;
He is still on His throne.
00:19:29.70\00:19:34.04
And the Lord gave Jehoiakim
king of Judah into his hand,
00:19:34.07\00:19:37.44
with some of the
articles of the house of God:
00:19:37.47\00:19:39.81
What are the
articles of the house of God?
00:19:39.84\00:19:41.74
The candlestick
from the sanctuary.
00:19:41.78\00:19:44.15
What are the articles
from the house of God?
00:19:44.18\00:19:46.31
The articles that were in
the sanctuary that the Shekinah
00:19:46.35\00:19:49.98
glory reflected off.
00:19:50.02\00:19:52.35
Those golden emblems that were
in the sanctuary of Jerusalem,
00:19:52.39\00:19:56.39
were taken, and
where were they brought?
00:19:56.42\00:19:58.49
Daniel 1:2, And he
brought the articles to the
00:19:58.53\00:20:02.76
treasure house of his god.
00:20:02.80\00:20:04.17
Who was his god?
BelMarduk, the chief god.
00:20:04.20\00:20:07.90
There were thirteen
chief gods of Babylon.
00:20:07.94\00:20:09.70
BelMarduk was the chief god.
00:20:09.74\00:20:12.07
BelMarduk sat in a golden
temple, on a golden throne,
00:20:12.11\00:20:15.31
before a golden table.
00:20:15.34\00:20:16.71
Can you imagine it?
00:20:16.75\00:20:18.11
The very candlestick in
the sanctuary, the very emblems
00:20:18.15\00:20:22.65
of the sanctuary that reflected
the Shekinah glory of God,
00:20:22.68\00:20:26.42
the very presence of God.
00:20:26.45\00:20:28.32
Nebuchadnezzar came into
the sanctuary, took those out,
00:20:28.36\00:20:31.79
brought them to the
temple, the pagan temple of
00:20:31.83\00:20:34.73
the idol of BelMarduk.
00:20:34.76\00:20:36.10
He put them there.
00:20:36.13\00:20:37.73
Daniel and his friends are
ushered into that banquet room.
00:20:37.77\00:20:40.57
They see some of those
glittering golden articles
00:20:40.60\00:20:45.97
that had been in the sanctuary.
00:20:46.01\00:20:47.91
And I can just imagine that
Nebuchadnezzar was in effect
00:20:47.94\00:20:52.41
saying, If your
God is so supreme,
00:20:52.45\00:20:54.78
why are you in captivity to us?
00:20:54.82\00:20:56.32
If your God is so supreme,
why are the articles from
00:20:56.35\00:20:59.45
the sanctuary here?
00:20:59.49\00:21:00.82
If your God is so
supreme, why is Jerusalem
00:21:00.86\00:21:04.03
in ruins and defeated?
00:21:04.06\00:21:05.63
Here Daniel and his
friends go in to that sanctuary,
00:21:05.66\00:21:11.53
and they're invited
to defile their health,
00:21:11.57\00:21:16.87
and defile their minds.
00:21:16.91\00:21:19.67
The food on those tables was
offered to the god BelMarduc.
00:21:19.71\00:21:24.75
To eat that food
was to worship and give
00:21:24.78\00:21:29.95
tribute to the pagan gods.
00:21:29.98\00:21:31.69
Also Daniel was wise
enough to know that that wine
00:21:31.72\00:21:39.39
would defile his mind; that
those alcoholic beverages would
00:21:39.43\00:21:43.90
destroy brain cells; that they
would effect conscience, reason,
00:21:43.93\00:21:49.10
and judgment; and make
him less capable of responding
00:21:49.14\00:21:53.94
to the Holy
Spirit's impact on the mind.
00:21:53.98\00:21:56.95
He recognized that the unclean
foods on that table would
00:21:56.98\00:22:01.18
destroy his health.
00:22:01.22\00:22:02.88
And so Daniel knew
that the decision that day
00:22:02.92\00:22:06.89
was not a small one.
00:22:06.92\00:22:08.32
He recognized that it was much
more than a glass of alcohol,
00:22:08.36\00:22:13.50
much more than unclean
foods, but that it was the
00:22:13.53\00:22:17.03
compromising of his integrity.
00:22:17.07\00:22:19.77
He recognized that it was
much more than simply that one
00:22:19.80\00:22:24.41
choice, because that choice
would lead to another choice,
00:22:24.44\00:22:27.14
and another
choice, and another choice.
00:22:27.18\00:22:29.14
So in one of the
most magnificent passages
00:22:29.18\00:22:32.18
in Scripture,
Daniel 1:8, The pressure
00:22:32.21\00:22:38.49
to conform was enormous.
00:22:38.52\00:22:40.26
With the destruction of
Jerusalem Nebuchadnezzar
00:22:40.29\00:22:42.96
claimed that his god's were
superior to the God of Jehovah.
00:22:42.99\00:22:46.33
Notice what Daniel says;
what it's recorded about Daniel.
00:22:46.36\00:22:51.13
Daniel 1:8, But Daniel purposed
in his heart that he would not
00:22:51.17\00:22:56.00
defile himself with the portion
of the king's delicacies,
00:22:56.04\00:22:59.47
nor with the wine which he
drank: therefore he requested
00:22:59.51\00:23:03.41
of the chief of the eunuchs that
he might not defile himself.
00:23:03.45\00:23:06.51
The Scripture says,
Daniel purposed in his heart.
00:23:06.55\00:23:10.09
What is the word purposed mean?
00:23:10.12\00:23:12.52
Purposed means he decided.
00:23:12.55\00:23:14.72
Purposed means he determined.
00:23:14.76\00:23:16.96
Purposed means he chose.
00:23:16.99\00:23:19.03
In the heart, in the Old
Testament the heart is the
00:23:19.06\00:23:23.63
seat of the intellect.
00:23:23.67\00:23:25.63
It is the
center of the emotions.
00:23:25.67\00:23:28.94
It is the center of
our thought processes.
00:23:28.97\00:23:32.57
There are two passages in
Proverbs that are helpful here.
00:23:32.61\00:23:35.84
Proverbs 4:23. Now keep
your finger in Daniel 1.
00:23:35.88\00:23:41.42
We're going to go back to it.
00:23:41.45\00:23:42.78
Proverbs 4:23.
We're studying this idea,
00:23:42.82\00:23:50.43
Daniel purposed in his heart.
00:23:50.46\00:23:52.96
What is this heart?
00:23:52.99\00:23:55.06
Daniel 4. In the Bible the heart
is the center of the intellect,
00:23:55.10\00:24:00.70
the center of emotions, it
is the thought center from which
00:24:00.74\00:24:07.38
decisions are made.
00:24:07.41\00:24:08.81
In Proverbs 4:23 the Scripture
says: Keep your heart with all
00:24:08.84\00:24:16.42
diligence; for out of
it are the issues of life.
00:24:16.45\00:24:20.52
Keep your heart, keep
your mind, guard your mind.
00:24:20.56\00:24:25.93
Proverbs 23:7 adds: As a
man or a woman does what?
00:24:25.96\00:24:32.50
You know the
text. Say it with me.
00:24:32.53\00:24:34.70
As a man thinks in
his what? heart, so is he.
00:24:34.74\00:24:39.37
You know, a number of
years ago Isaac Newton,
00:24:39.41\00:24:42.24
that famous hymn writer...
00:24:42.28\00:24:44.91
You know, Isaac Newton
wrote between 650 and 750 hymns.
00:24:44.95\00:24:48.88
Some scholars say it was
650, some say 700, some say 750.
00:24:48.92\00:24:53.82
You know, he wrote
those great hymns like,
00:24:53.86\00:24:55.46
When I survey the
wondrous cross upon which
00:24:55.49\00:24:58.36
the Prince of Glory died.
00:24:58.39\00:25:00.10
Isaac Newton, who had
written so many of those hymns,
00:25:01.53\00:25:04.27
was not a real large man.
00:25:04.30\00:25:05.63
He was about
5'3", 5'4", quite thin.
00:25:05.67\00:25:09.40
And one day in London there was
a parade in Isaac Watt's honor.
00:25:09.44\00:25:15.38
And people gathered to
pay tribute to this mighty
00:25:15.41\00:25:20.68
hymn writer of God.
00:25:20.72\00:25:22.28
And they gathered
along the streets of London.
00:25:22.32\00:25:26.02
Many of them got up on
balconies so they would see
00:25:26.05\00:25:28.42
this mighty man of God.
00:25:28.46\00:25:29.86
They had sung his majestic
hymns, and they had pictured
00:25:29.89\00:25:33.23
a man 6', 6' 1", 6' 2".
00:25:33.26\00:25:35.76
Many didn't know him.
00:25:35.80\00:25:37.13
They had pictured this huge man.
00:25:37.17\00:25:38.50
Isaac Watts was
riding in a open covered,
00:25:38.53\00:25:43.57
kind of like carriage.
00:25:43.61\00:25:46.01
And as he was riding in
this horse drawn carriage,
00:25:46.04\00:25:48.94
he was kind of hunched over.
00:25:48.98\00:25:50.41
By now he was old, and he
didn't even look like he was
00:25:50.45\00:25:52.81
5' 4", he looked like
he was about 5' 1" or 5'.
00:25:52.85\00:25:55.48
He was kind of hunched over.
00:25:55.52\00:25:56.85
And there was one of these high
society women that was sitting
00:25:56.89\00:26:01.09
in the balcony, and she looked
over and saw this carriage.
00:26:01.12\00:26:05.73
And she looked, and as the
carriage passed, she was one of
00:26:05.76\00:26:09.86
those women that
often spoke, or men, too.
00:26:09.90\00:26:12.57
I've got to be
careful that I don't get
00:26:12.60\00:26:13.94
myself in trouble here.
00:26:13.97\00:26:15.30
She was one of those
individuals... Now that's good!
00:26:15.34\00:26:18.67
...who thought
second, and spoke first.
00:26:18.71\00:26:24.01
Have you ever met
anybody like that?
00:26:24.05\00:26:26.25
It's always good to
think before you speak,
00:26:26.28\00:26:28.62
not to speak before you think.
00:26:28.65\00:26:29.98
But anyway, she blurted out...
00:26:30.02\00:26:32.45
Isaac Watts is coming by and
she bursts out and says, What?
00:26:32.49\00:26:36.42
Are you Isaac Watts?
00:26:36.46\00:26:38.69
She was so
surprised because he was a
00:26:38.73\00:26:41.10
little shriveled up man.
00:26:41.13\00:26:42.46
You know, Watts just
always thought in poetry.
00:26:42.50\00:26:46.37
And, you know, one time
his father said, Why are your
00:26:47.54\00:26:51.44
eyes open in prayer?
00:26:51.47\00:26:52.81
And Watts said, I
could not say my prayers when
00:26:52.84\00:26:57.18
the mouse ran up the stairs.
00:26:57.21\00:26:58.55
So he always
thought, you know, in poetry.
00:26:58.58\00:27:00.92
So this woman says,
What? You Isaac Watts?
00:27:00.95\00:27:03.18
And he motioned for
the carriage to stop.
00:27:03.22\00:27:07.49
It did. He stood up to his
full 5' 3" or 5' 4" length,
00:27:07.52\00:27:11.66
and he said, Madam, could
I in fancy grasp the poles,
00:27:11.69\00:27:15.96
or hold creation in my hand, I'd
still be measured by my mind,
00:27:16.00\00:27:22.14
for the mind is
the measure of a man.
00:27:22.17\00:27:25.14
The great battle in the last
days of Earth's history is not
00:27:25.17\00:27:29.01
a battle in the Middle East.
00:27:29.04\00:27:30.71
It is a battle for your mind.
00:27:30.75\00:27:33.38
And the Devil is focusing
on every young person today,
00:27:33.42\00:27:38.45
doing everything he can,
with mass media, with video.
00:27:38.49\00:27:44.93
He's doing everything he
can through the party culture,
00:27:44.96\00:27:49.56
the pleasure culture.
00:27:49.60\00:27:50.93
He is doing everything he can to
capture your thought patterns,
00:27:50.97\00:27:56.34
because what you habitually
think about develops attitudes.
00:27:56.37\00:28:03.75
Attitudes lead to actions.
00:28:03.78\00:28:07.78
Repeated actions lead to habits.
00:28:07.82\00:28:10.75
And habits develop character.
00:28:10.79\00:28:13.32
Who are we? We are the
sum choices of our thoughts,
00:28:13.36\00:28:20.96
our attitudes, our
actions, and our habits.
00:28:21.00\00:28:25.87
Character is what defines
us, and the choices we make
00:28:25.90\00:28:33.44
determine the
characters that we will have.
00:28:33.48\00:28:37.48
The battle is a
battle for your intellect.
00:28:37.51\00:28:41.88
It's a battle for your mind.
00:28:41.92\00:28:44.12
It's a battle to
control your thoughts.
00:28:44.15\00:28:46.79
And Satan will do everything
he can in this godless, secular
00:28:46.82\00:28:51.89
society to influence the thought
processes, because the mind
00:28:51.93\00:28:56.60
is the seat of our emotions.
00:28:56.63\00:28:59.57
Now writing of Daniel and
his friends courageous stand
00:28:59.60\00:29:03.51
for right, Ellen White makes
this telling, this incredibly
00:29:03.54\00:29:07.54
telling observation in
Prophets and Kings, Page 483.
00:29:07.58\00:29:12.08
She's commenting on Daniel 1:8
that says Daniel purposed in his
00:29:12.11\00:29:17.19
heart to serve God.
00:29:17.22\00:29:18.65
And she says: Should
they compromise with wrong
00:29:18.69\00:29:22.72
in this instance, by yielding to
the pressure of circumstances,
00:29:22.76\00:29:28.00
their departure from principle
would weaken their sense of
00:29:28.03\00:29:32.13
right and their
appearance of wrong.
00:29:32.17\00:29:34.24
Now lets pause on that sentence.
00:29:34.27\00:29:36.60
What happens if I
compromise my integrity?
00:29:36.64\00:29:40.64
What happens when the
Holy Spirit convicts me to do
00:29:40.68\00:29:45.48
something, and in spite of
the Holy Spirit's conviction,
00:29:45.51\00:29:49.32
in spite of the clear
teachings of the Word of God,
00:29:49.35\00:29:52.65
I compromise that
integrity? What happens?
00:29:52.69\00:29:56.06
What happens is my
perception of what is right,
00:29:56.09\00:30:01.16
and my perception of
what is wrong is colored,
00:30:01.20\00:30:05.57
so I can no longer fully
discern rightness and wrongness,
00:30:05.60\00:30:10.14
and as the result of that,
I will then ultimately think
00:30:10.17\00:30:16.04
that what I'm doing is
okay, and justify that.
00:30:16.08\00:30:20.05
So the danger of compromise is
that not only does it lead one
00:30:20.08\00:30:25.59
on a path contrary to the will
of God, it creates a fogginess,
00:30:25.62\00:30:32.03
a murkiness's in the mind so
that sin cannot be discerned.
00:30:32.06\00:30:37.13
Ellen White continues, in which
she says: Should they compromise
00:30:37.17\00:30:43.34
with wrong in this instance...
00:30:43.37\00:30:44.71
This is Prophets and Kings, 43.
00:30:44.74\00:30:46.61
...in this instance by
yielding to the pressure of
00:30:46.64\00:30:49.48
circumstances, their departure
from principle would weaken
00:30:49.51\00:30:53.01
their sense of right, and
their appearance of wrong.
00:30:53.05\00:30:55.15
The first wrong step would lead
to others until their connection
00:30:55.18\00:31:00.52
with heaven would be severed.
00:31:00.56\00:31:02.66
They would be
swept away by temptation.
00:31:02.69\00:31:07.06
Samuel Johnson, a
popular author put it this way:
00:31:07.10\00:31:10.17
The chains of habit
are too weak to be felt,
00:31:10.20\00:31:15.00
until they are too
strong to be broken.
00:31:15.04\00:31:17.61
The chains of habit
are too weak to be felt,
00:31:17.64\00:31:23.11
until they are too
strong to be broken.
00:31:23.14\00:31:26.21
C. S. Lewis, in those Screwtape
Letters, that famous narrative
00:31:26.25\00:31:33.46
of Lewis, makes an
interesting observation.
00:31:33.49\00:31:36.86
One of his characters, Wormwood,
says this: Indeed, the safest
00:31:36.89\00:31:42.46
road to hell is the gradual one.
00:31:42.50\00:31:45.70
The gentle slope, the soft under
foot without sudden turnings,
00:31:45.73\00:31:50.71
without milestones, without
sign posts. you see courage
00:31:50.74\00:31:53.14
You see courage, not compromise,
brings the smile of God
00:31:53.17\00:31:58.75
upon His people, and
it brings God's blessings.
00:31:58.78\00:32:02.68
Daniel made a
rock solid decision.
00:32:02.72\00:32:05.79
He purposed in his
heart to serve God,
00:32:05.82\00:32:08.89
and as the result of
that he opened his mind to
00:32:08.92\00:32:12.79
the blessings of God.
00:32:12.83\00:32:14.40
Back to Daniel 1. Daniel
graduates three years later
00:32:14.43\00:32:20.04
from the University
of Babylon with honors.
00:32:20.07\00:32:24.44
He graduates three years later
from the University of Babylon,
00:32:24.47\00:32:29.44
at the head of his class.
00:32:29.48\00:32:30.81
Daniel's decision to purpose
in his heart to serve God,
00:32:30.85\00:32:37.09
not only to refuse the wine,
not only to refuse the unclean
00:32:37.12\00:32:41.52
foods, but to negotiate
with Melzar, the chief host,
00:32:41.56\00:32:48.36
for a ten day trial
on a vegetarian diet.
00:32:48.40\00:32:51.80
Daniel demonstrates mentally,
spiritually, and physically,
00:32:51.83\00:32:57.57
the superiority
of God's way of life.
00:32:57.61\00:33:00.38
And there on that vegetarian
diet Daniel excels in class,
00:33:00.41\00:33:05.91
not simply because of his diet,
but because of the blessing of
00:33:05.95\00:33:10.09
God upon one's life that
was totally consecrated to Him.
00:33:10.12\00:33:15.36
We look there at Daniel 1, and
we see at the end of Daniel 1,
00:33:15.39\00:33:21.36
the Scriptures recording the
faithfulness of this man of God.
00:33:21.40\00:33:26.90
Daniel 1:17. As for these
four young men, God gave them
00:33:26.94\00:33:32.17
knowledge and skill in
all literature and wisdom:
00:33:32.21\00:33:35.71
and Daniel had understanding
in all visions and dreams.
00:33:35.74\00:33:39.88
Verse 20. And in all matters
of wisdom and understanding,
00:33:39.91\00:33:44.89
about which the king examined
them, he found them ten times
00:33:44.92\00:33:48.12
better than all the
magicians and astrologers
00:33:48.16\00:33:50.36
that were in his realm.
00:33:50.39\00:33:51.73
Does it pay to serve God?
00:33:51.76\00:33:54.40
Does it pay to live
an uncompromised life?
00:33:54.43\00:33:57.97
Does it pay to
have an undivided heart?
00:33:58.00\00:34:00.74
When we come to Christ and we
say, Jesus, everything I have,
00:34:00.77\00:34:04.97
all that I am is Yours.
00:34:05.01\00:34:06.74
All I want to know
is what pleases You.
00:34:06.78\00:34:09.04
All I want to do
is the will of God.
00:34:09.08\00:34:11.31
When we make that decision
in our lives, and we purpose
00:34:11.35\00:34:15.28
in our hearts to please God
in the things we take into our
00:34:15.32\00:34:19.12
body, and to please God in the
things we take into our mind,
00:34:19.15\00:34:22.92
to please God in
every aspect of our worship.
00:34:22.96\00:34:26.36
When we make that
decision, we open our lives
00:34:26.39\00:34:29.90
for the abundant
blessings of God.
00:34:29.93\00:34:32.50
The last verse of
Daniel 1 is significant.
00:34:32.53\00:34:36.74
Daniel 1. Let your eyes
drop down to the last verse.
00:34:36.77\00:34:40.98
Thus Daniel continued until
the first year of king Darius.
00:34:41.01\00:34:46.75
Nations rise and fall: Babylon
comes on the scene of history,
00:34:46.78\00:34:51.65
Medo Persia comes on
the scene of history,
00:34:51.69\00:34:53.79
but Daniel continues.
00:34:53.82\00:34:55.49
Kings rise and fall: there
is Nebuchadnezzar and his son,
00:34:55.52\00:34:59.23
and his son, and finally Darius
the Mede, and Cyrus the Persian.
00:34:59.26\00:35:04.63
Governments rise and
fall, kings come and go,
00:35:04.67\00:35:08.10
but Daniel continues.
00:35:08.14\00:35:10.24
God is looking for a generation
of young people today that are
00:35:10.27\00:35:14.88
powerful witnesses in
the Babylon of this world.
00:35:14.91\00:35:17.78
And God will use
them to touch the kings,
00:35:17.81\00:35:20.42
and queens, and princes.
00:35:20.45\00:35:21.85
God will use them to impact
a postmodern secular society
00:35:21.88\00:35:26.35
in the Western world.
00:35:26.39\00:35:27.72
God is looking for young people
today that purpose in their
00:35:27.76\00:35:31.33
heart like Daniel did.
00:35:31.36\00:35:33.36
He's looking for adults
that make a decision to live an
00:35:33.40\00:35:37.13
uncompromised life for God.
00:35:37.17\00:35:39.20
And when God gets that
group of Daniel's today,
00:35:39.23\00:35:42.40
that group of Esther's today,
that group of Joseph's today,
00:35:42.44\00:35:45.51
when God has that group of
faithful men and women today,
00:35:45.54\00:35:49.31
who want only one thing, who
long for heaven more than they
00:35:49.34\00:35:52.71
long for earth, who long
for eternity more than they long
00:35:52.75\00:35:56.28
for the things of time, for the
things of heaven appeal to them
00:35:56.32\00:36:01.19
more than the
things of this earth.
00:36:01.22\00:36:02.72
When God has that group of
people, He will pour out His
00:36:02.76\00:36:06.16
Spirit in abundant measure, and
the work of God will be finished
00:36:06.19\00:36:10.13
on earth rapidly, quickly.
00:36:10.17\00:36:12.10
Daniel was faithful to
God when he was 17 years old,
00:36:12.13\00:36:15.30
but throughout the years, Daniel
maintained his faithfulness.
00:36:15.34\00:36:21.44
And we turn to Daniel 6.
00:36:21.48\00:36:24.28
We come now to the
end of Daniel's life.
00:36:24.31\00:36:28.18
Daniel 6, and we come to
the end of Daniel's life.
00:36:28.22\00:36:32.85
Daniel now is 83 years old.
00:36:32.89\00:36:36.02
Medo Persia overthrows Babylon.
00:36:36.06\00:36:38.96
Durias appoints Daniel, along
with two others as governors.
00:36:40.63\00:36:47.17
The nation of Medo Persia
is divided into a 120 areas.
00:36:47.20\00:36:54.04
There's a prince over each area.
00:36:54.08\00:36:56.24
Then there are three governors
in charge of those 120 areas,
00:36:56.28\00:37:02.85
and Daniel becomes the first.
00:37:02.88\00:37:04.49
Now here is the
interesting thing to me.
00:37:04.52\00:37:07.12
How old was Daniel at this time?
00:37:07.16\00:37:11.13
Well, if he was in his
late teens in chapter one,
00:37:11.16\00:37:15.53
about 20 when he graduated
from the University of Babylon,
00:37:15.56\00:37:18.13
and if Nebuchadnezzar
overthrew Jerusalem in 605,
00:37:18.17\00:37:22.67
and if Medo Persia
overthrew Babylon in 539,
00:37:22.70\00:37:28.01
there's 66 years there.
00:37:28.04\00:37:30.05
And if Daniel was about
17 when he was taken into
00:37:30.08\00:37:33.28
captivity, he's about 83.
00:37:33.31\00:37:34.65
Now the interesting thought
to me is this, Do you take an 83
00:37:34.68\00:37:41.06
year old Jew and put
him in charge of the entire
00:37:41.09\00:37:45.46
country of Medo Persia?
00:37:45.49\00:37:48.03
There must have been
something so incredibly special
00:37:48.06\00:37:52.10
about Daniel's life.
00:37:52.13\00:37:53.47
At 83 years old, because he had
followed the principles of God
00:37:53.50\00:37:58.67
in making positive choices
in his life, and had not defiled
00:37:58.71\00:38:03.41
his physical,
mental, or spiritual health,
00:38:03.45\00:38:06.41
he was still incredibly sharp.
00:38:06.45\00:38:08.98
He still had
razor edge thinking.
00:38:09.02\00:38:13.36
The health practices that he
had followed, and the decisions
00:38:13.39\00:38:18.63
to live an uncompromised
life that he had followed,
00:38:18.66\00:38:22.26
with the blessing of
God, enabled him to serve
00:38:22.30\00:38:27.07
for generations in his life.
00:38:27.10\00:38:29.80
Living an uncompromised life is
not some ritualistic legalism.
00:38:29.84\00:38:36.44
It is rather an accepting
the abundant life that Jesus
00:38:36.48\00:38:41.02
Christ offers to us.
00:38:41.05\00:38:42.52
Anything that
Christ asks us to give up
00:38:42.55\00:38:46.25
is only destructive anyway.
00:38:46.29\00:38:48.72
The way of the cross, and
the way of self denial through
00:38:48.76\00:38:54.03
the cross of Calvary, is
the way to the abundant life,
00:38:54.06\00:38:57.53
because Jesus said in John 10:10
I have come that they might have
00:38:57.57\00:39:01.27
what? life, and they
might have it more abundantly.
00:39:01.30\00:39:06.11
So Daniel, faithful to God.
00:39:06.14\00:39:10.05
The governors became
concerned about that.
00:39:10.08\00:39:14.68
The princes became concerned.
00:39:14.72\00:39:17.32
They became jealous.
00:39:17.35\00:39:18.85
And there's one thing that one
notices here in this chapter,
00:39:18.89\00:39:23.43
Daniel 6:4, and onward.
00:39:23.46\00:39:26.93
Sin never gets smaller.
00:39:26.96\00:39:29.80
It always gets larger.
00:39:29.83\00:39:32.93
They look, in verse 4, So the
governors and the satraps sought
00:39:32.97\00:39:38.84
to find some charge against
Daniel concerning the kingdom;
00:39:38.87\00:39:42.24
but they could find no charge or
fault, because he was faithful,
00:39:42.28\00:39:47.28
nor was there any
error or fault found in him.
00:39:47.32\00:39:51.49
They searched everything
they could about Daniel.
00:39:51.52\00:39:58.26
They bugged his royal telephone.
00:39:58.29\00:40:01.40
They hacked his royal e-mail.
00:40:01.43\00:40:04.80
They opened every mailbox.
00:40:04.83\00:40:07.74
They even checked
his Twitter account.
00:40:07.77\00:40:11.31
And they said, We know that
everybody is somewhat dishonest.
00:40:11.34\00:40:20.08
We know everybody pads
their pockets a little bit.
00:40:20.12\00:40:22.85
Maybe Daniel is
putting something away
00:40:22.88\00:40:25.82
for his retirement account.
00:40:25.85\00:40:27.39
Nobody's perfect! They examined
his private and public life.
00:40:27.42\00:40:32.76
They checked his finances,
they analyzed his words,
00:40:32.79\00:40:37.07
they looked at his
commands and decrees.
00:40:37.10\00:40:40.64
Everything he did was
scrutinized, and they found
00:40:40.67\00:40:44.97
nothing, absolutely nothing.
00:40:45.01\00:40:48.21
Because Daniel was in
private what he was in public.
00:40:48.24\00:40:52.68
What are you watching on the
internet when nobody else knows?
00:40:52.71\00:40:59.72
What are you
looking at on television
00:40:59.75\00:41:02.52
when nobody else knows?
00:41:02.56\00:41:04.13
What are you cramming into your
mouth when nobody else knows?
00:41:04.16\00:41:09.00
Are you the same person in
private as you are in public?
00:41:09.03\00:41:16.87
Are you the same person when
you go to university or college
00:41:16.91\00:41:22.44
when you come to GYC?
00:41:22.48\00:41:24.91
Daniel's heart was undivided.
00:41:24.95\00:41:30.72
And when they examined
his life there was nothing,
00:41:30.75\00:41:36.02
nothing that they could find.
00:41:36.06\00:41:39.06
By the grace of God, not
by some super human willpower,
00:41:39.09\00:41:46.13
It was not that
Daniel overcame by willpower,
00:41:46.17\00:41:52.14
it was that Daniel's
will was surrendered to the
00:41:52.17\00:41:57.05
One that had power.
00:41:57.08\00:41:58.45
He did not
overcome by willpower,
00:41:58.48\00:42:01.58
but his will was surrendered
to the One that had power.
00:42:01.62\00:42:04.32
When he purposed in
his heart to serve God,
00:42:04.35\00:42:07.26
God gave him the power
to accomplish that choice.
00:42:07.29\00:42:10.79
You and I are weak, but
God has given us the capacity,
00:42:10.83\00:42:16.26
God has given us
the power of choice.
00:42:16.30\00:42:19.23
Daniel made that choice, Daniel
6, to serve the living God.
00:42:19.27\00:42:29.01
And even when the decree went
forth that anybody who served
00:42:29.04\00:42:39.25
any other God except
the king, would be cast
00:42:39.29\00:42:43.59
into a den of lions.
00:42:43.63\00:42:45.73
Daniel recognized that
he had nothing to hide.
00:42:45.76\00:42:49.40
It's a wonderful thing in life
when you have nothing to hide.
00:42:49.43\00:42:52.33
And if somebody checked your
private life and saw what kind
00:42:52.37\00:42:55.30
of books you're
reading, what kind of magazines,
00:42:55.34\00:42:56.74
what kind of television
programs, or internet you're
00:42:56.77\00:42:58.47
surfing, that that was
in harmony with God's will.
00:42:58.51\00:43:02.91
The, in verse 5, the
wise men say, the Satraps say,
00:43:02.94\00:43:10.52
Wise only in the
wisdom of Babylon,
00:43:10.55\00:43:12.49
the rulers of Babylon would
be more accurate to put it.
00:43:12.52\00:43:15.06
Verse 5. But these men said,
We shall not find any charge
00:43:15.09\00:43:19.26
against this Daniel, except we
find it against the law of God.
00:43:19.29\00:43:22.86
The unchangeable law of
the Medes and Persians came in
00:43:22.90\00:43:29.57
contact with the
immutable law of God.
00:43:29.60\00:43:32.37
Church and state
united, and worship was
00:43:32.41\00:43:39.88
decreed and enforced.
00:43:39.91\00:43:41.95
But God had a man, God had an
individual who sensed that his
00:43:41.98\00:43:50.63
loyalty was to
the King of Kings,
00:43:50.66\00:43:53.13
not to the king of Babylon.
00:43:53.16\00:43:55.30
Once again, at end time
there will be, according to the
00:43:55.33\00:44:00.07
prophecies of the
book of Revelation,
00:44:00.10\00:44:01.90
a union of
church and state powers.
00:44:01.94\00:44:06.24
But once again God will have men
and women that witness to the
00:44:06.27\00:44:11.95
glory of His name, that witness
to the might of His power
00:44:11.98\00:44:16.75
in a final generation.
00:44:16.79\00:44:18.79
The Bible says, as you
look at it there, these Satraps,
00:44:18.82\00:44:26.06
these governors,
become jealous of Daniel.
00:44:26.09\00:44:29.03
Jealousy leads to envy;
envy leads to something else.
00:44:29.06\00:44:35.54
Verse 7. They come
before king Darius.
00:44:35.57\00:44:38.67
King Darius, live for ever.
00:44:38.71\00:44:40.04
All the governors of the
kingdom, the administrators,
00:44:40.08\00:44:43.51
the Satraps, the counselors, the
advisers have consulted together
00:44:43.55\00:44:47.02
to establish a royal statue.
00:44:47.05\00:44:48.72
What do you know about
that statement immediately?
00:44:48.75\00:44:51.75
What do you know about it?
00:44:51.79\00:44:53.12
It is a bold-faced lie!
00:44:53.15\00:44:54.49
Did all the governors meet?
00:44:54.52\00:44:56.22
Was Daniel one of those
three governors? He was.
00:44:56.26\00:44:59.53
Did Daniel meet
with them? He did not.
00:44:59.56\00:45:02.23
So notice carefully,
first you have jealousy.
00:45:02.26\00:45:05.10
The jealousy leads to envy.
00:45:05.13\00:45:06.84
The envy leads to lying.
00:45:06.87\00:45:08.20
And the lying leads to
the willingness to put an
00:45:08.24\00:45:10.64
innocent man to death.
00:45:10.67\00:45:12.01
Starting down the
road of compromise,
00:45:12.04\00:45:14.91
one never knows where that
compromise is going to end.
00:45:14.94\00:45:19.01
Envy to jealousy, jealousy to
lying, lying to the willingness
00:45:19.05\00:45:22.82
to put the
innocent man to death.
00:45:22.85\00:45:24.25
Daniel 6:10, Daniel 6:10.
00:45:24.29\00:45:31.09
Now when Daniel knew
that the writing was signed,
00:45:31.13\00:45:35.13
he went home, and in the upper
room with it's windows open
00:45:35.16\00:45:39.70
toward Jerusalem, he knelt down
upon his knees three times a day
00:45:39.73\00:45:43.91
and prayed, and gave
God thanks as he did before.
00:45:43.94\00:45:48.38
Daniel knew that without
prayer there was no power.
00:45:48.41\00:45:52.91
Daniel would not allow
his allegiance to Darius
00:45:52.95\00:45:56.79
to compromise his
relationship with God.
00:45:56.82\00:45:59.49
Daniel remembered some things.
00:45:59.52\00:46:01.96
He remembered that God had
impressed him, and empowered him
00:46:01.99\00:46:06.13
as a teenager, 65
years before, to keep his
00:46:06.16\00:46:10.60
heart pure before God.
00:46:10.63\00:46:12.03
Daniel remembered the God that
gave him wisdom to excel in his
00:46:12.07\00:46:17.14
comprehensive exams in Babylon.
00:46:17.17\00:46:19.31
Daniel remembered that
God had given him wisdom,
00:46:19.34\00:46:21.84
and knowledge, and skill.
00:46:21.88\00:46:23.58
Daniel remembered that
God had preserved his life,
00:46:23.61\00:46:26.01
and enabled him to interpret
the king's dream in chapter 2.
00:46:26.05\00:46:29.38
Daniel remembered that God
had delivered Shadrach, Meshach,
00:46:29.42\00:46:32.79
and Abednego from the
fiery furnace in chapter 3.
00:46:32.82\00:46:35.42
Daniel remembered that God
had enabled him to hold the
00:46:35.46\00:46:38.56
Babylonian empire
together for seven years,
00:46:38.59\00:46:41.23
when Nebuchadnezzar ate grass.
00:46:41.26\00:46:42.73
Daniel remembered that
God had translated the writing
00:46:42.76\00:46:46.27
on the wall for
him in chapter 5,
00:46:46.30\00:46:48.40
when the Babylonian empire fell.
00:46:48.44\00:46:50.77
Daniel remembered that
God had given him the position
00:46:50.81\00:46:54.34
of the first
governor of the empire.
00:46:54.38\00:46:56.01
Daniel remembered these
things, and Daniel knew that God
00:46:56.04\00:46:59.31
was the source of his strength.
00:46:59.35\00:47:00.92
What ever test you face,
what ever difficulty you face,
00:47:00.95\00:47:04.65
what ever challenge you
face, remember that God is the
00:47:04.69\00:47:08.96
source of your strength.
00:47:08.99\00:47:10.49
God is bigger than the
mountain you have to climb.
00:47:10.53\00:47:12.86
God is greater than the
problem you have to face.
00:47:12.89\00:47:15.46
God is larger than the
challenges that lie before you
00:47:15.50\00:47:18.30
when you leave GYC.
00:47:18.33\00:47:19.80
We serve not a small narrow
God, but our God is great,
00:47:19.83\00:47:25.31
our God is powerful, our God is
greater than the powers of hell.
00:47:25.34\00:47:30.38
On the cross of
Calvary He triumphed over the
00:47:30.41\00:47:32.65
principalities
and powers of hell.
00:47:32.68\00:47:34.55
He lives in the sanctuary
above, and our God reigns.
00:47:34.58\00:47:38.45
Now for Daniel prayer wasn't
a few trite phrases repeated
00:47:38.49\00:47:42.79
over and over, or some
ritual memorized formula.
00:47:42.82\00:47:45.89
To Daniel prayer was
the breath of the soul.
00:47:45.93\00:47:48.66
It was the vitality,
the life of the soul.
00:47:48.70\00:47:51.10
Daniel kneels to pray, and
as he does, those governors and
00:47:51.13\00:47:56.57
princes come
running, if they can run.
00:47:56.60\00:47:59.04
Because they have been eating
of the royal banquet hall,
00:47:59.07\00:48:01.98
and they are somewhat rotund,
and they can't run too fast.
00:48:02.01\00:48:04.91
I imagine them
curling behind bushes.
00:48:04.95\00:48:07.48
I imagine these
slithering snakes looking up to
00:48:07.52\00:48:11.69
condemn the man of God.
00:48:11.72\00:48:13.25
And Daniel prays. They
run back to the king and say,
00:48:13.29\00:48:17.63
King, King, Daniel is praying!
00:48:17.66\00:48:21.90
He doesn't regard your decree.
00:48:21.93\00:48:23.26
He doesn't regard you.
00:48:23.30\00:48:24.63
The king tries to
deliver Daniel, but he can't.
00:48:24.67\00:48:26.94
He can't and keep his position,
and he's not willing to risk his
00:48:28.64\00:48:32.31
neck by violating the law
of the Medes and the Persians.
00:48:32.34\00:48:34.68
So the king goes
home that night to sleep,
00:48:34.71\00:48:40.65
and Daniel's
thrown in a lion's den.
00:48:40.68\00:48:43.08
Now the Bible says that as
the king goes in to the palace,
00:48:43.12\00:48:47.82
his royal musicians
want to play sweet lullabies,
00:48:47.86\00:48:54.13
and he says, No music tonight.
00:48:54.16\00:48:56.30
They want to feed him Babylonian
foods, a good supper, a banquet.
00:48:56.33\00:49:04.41
No food tonight. The
Bible says he says, No music,
00:49:04.44\00:49:07.64
and he fasts all night.
00:49:07.68\00:49:10.71
He gets in to bed, slips
on his royal silk pajamas,
00:49:10.75\00:49:14.68
puts his head on some royal
pillow, and there in a palace,
00:49:14.72\00:49:19.49
in a mansion, in the most lavish
building in the then known
00:49:19.52\00:49:24.09
world, the king who
has everything can't sleep.
00:49:24.13\00:49:28.00
He tosses and turns.
00:49:28.03\00:49:30.37
His stomach is in knots.
00:49:30.40\00:49:33.60
He's got some kind
of headache, and sweat's
00:49:33.64\00:49:36.10
running down his face.
00:49:36.14\00:49:37.77
And he tosses
and turns all night.
00:49:37.81\00:49:39.71
But the Bible says Daniel's
thrown into a lions' den.
00:49:39.74\00:49:42.81
And in this preacher's
imagination, Daniel is in some
00:49:42.84\00:49:46.78
stinky, smelly lion's den,
with lions that have not been
00:49:46.82\00:49:51.25
house trained, with lions'
that may not have been washed
00:49:51.29\00:49:55.19
for awhile, and he
puts his head on some big
00:49:55.22\00:49:58.06
cat and goes to sleep.
00:49:58.09\00:49:59.79
What a
contrast. What a contrast.
00:49:59.83\00:50:04.10
When there's
peace in your heart,
00:50:04.13\00:50:08.07
that peace passes
all understanding.
00:50:08.10\00:50:11.57
Peace comes not from
what my hands possess,
00:50:11.61\00:50:15.78
but from what
my heart possesses.
00:50:15.81\00:50:18.51
Peace comes not
from what I have,
00:50:18.55\00:50:22.08
but from the One that has me.
00:50:22.12\00:50:24.49
And when our lives
are surrendered to Christ,
00:50:24.52\00:50:28.19
even in the lions' den, even in
the lions' den, there is peace.
00:50:28.22\00:50:37.33
There is peace
here in that lions' den.
00:50:37.37\00:50:42.90
The sun rises
over the lions' den.
00:50:42.94\00:50:47.14
It rises over the
kingdom of Darius.
00:50:47.18\00:50:51.78
The king runs
to that lion's den.
00:50:51.81\00:50:55.28
And in Daniel 6:22 it
says: The king cries out
00:50:55.32\00:51:02.92
to Daniel in verse 20.
00:51:02.96\00:51:04.46
Daniel, servant of the
living God, has your God,
00:51:04.49\00:51:07.06
whom you serve continually,
been able to deliver
00:51:07.10\00:51:09.63
you from the lions?
00:51:09.66\00:51:11.00
Now what does Daniel say?
00:51:11.03\00:51:12.37
My God has sent His angel,
and shut the lions' mouths,
00:51:12.40\00:51:16.60
so that they have not
hurt me: because I was found
00:51:16.64\00:51:19.37
innocent before Him.
00:51:19.41\00:51:20.74
My God has shut
the lions' mouths.
00:51:20.78\00:51:23.45
There is a lion
tamer in the house.
00:51:23.48\00:51:29.25
When the lions of
lust roar in your ears,
00:51:29.28\00:51:33.15
there is a lion tamer.
00:51:33.19\00:51:34.86
When the lions of anger, or
bitterness roar in your ears,
00:51:34.89\00:51:38.86
there is a lion tamer.
00:51:38.89\00:51:40.23
When because of a past, your
life feels shattered and broken,
00:51:40.26\00:51:44.40
because of what
happened to you in childhood,
00:51:44.43\00:51:46.40
there is a lion tamer.
00:51:46.43\00:51:48.17
When the words of criticism are
about ready to come out of your
00:51:48.20\00:51:51.67
mouth, there is a lion tamer.
00:51:51.71\00:51:53.61
When you're ready to
reach for a glass of alcohol,
00:51:53.64\00:51:55.58
there is a lion
tamer, Jesus Christ.
00:51:55.61\00:51:58.21
The Bible says the Devil is
walking around like a roaring
00:51:58.25\00:52:02.12
lion, seeking
whom he may devour.
00:52:02.15\00:52:05.35
But the lion of the tribe of
Judah, Jesus the living Christ,
00:52:05.39\00:52:10.23
is stronger than the temptations
that we face, stronger than the
00:52:10.26\00:52:15.36
little impish devils lion.
00:52:15.40\00:52:17.03
I thank God for the
testimony of a heathen king,
00:52:17.07\00:52:21.17
echoing and
re-echoing down the centuries.
00:52:21.20\00:52:25.61
A heathen king makes his
declaration because of the
00:52:25.64\00:52:29.34
faithfulness, because
of the loyalty of Daniel.
00:52:29.38\00:52:32.25
Daniel was called by God.
00:52:32.28\00:52:34.35
Daniel was chosen by God.
00:52:34.38\00:52:36.69
Daniel was faithful to God.
00:52:36.72\00:52:39.29
And when you're chosen by
God in a final generation,
00:52:39.32\00:52:42.79
when you're called by
God in a final generation,
00:52:42.82\00:52:45.79
when you're faithful to
God in a final generation,
00:52:45.83\00:52:48.76
your life will be a testimony
before kings and queens,
00:52:48.80\00:52:52.93
before your
neighbors, before your friends.
00:52:52.97\00:52:56.47
It will be a testimony in
the university where you go,
00:52:56.50\00:52:59.91
in the computer
lab where you work.
00:52:59.94\00:53:02.71
It'll be a testimony, a
powerful testimony to others.
00:53:02.74\00:53:05.81
Here a heathen king cries out.
00:53:05.85\00:53:08.45
Look at what Darius says.
00:53:08.48\00:53:10.49
He says seven things about God.
00:53:10.52\00:53:13.36
Notice: He is the living God.
00:53:13.39\00:53:15.92
Who is this God? He's alive!
00:53:15.96\00:53:18.19
God has not wound
this earth up like a clock,
00:53:18.23\00:53:21.80
and He's not some
absentee landlord in our lives.
00:53:21.83\00:53:26.03
God is alive! He
is the living God.
00:53:26.07\00:53:28.14
He is steadfast forever.
00:53:28.17\00:53:30.04
He is just when I
need Him; Jesus is near.
00:53:30.07\00:53:32.67
Just when I
falter, just when I fear.
00:53:32.71\00:53:34.68
Just when I need Him most.
00:53:34.71\00:53:36.04
Jesus is steadfast forever.
00:53:36.08\00:53:37.81
Who is He? 1. He's alive.
00:53:37.85\00:53:41.02
2. He's steadfast forever.
00:53:41.05\00:53:42.68
3. His kingdom is that
which shall not be destroyed.
00:53:42.72\00:53:47.42
The kingdoms of Babylon,
the kingdoms of Medo Persia,
00:53:47.46\00:53:50.49
the kingdoms of
Greece, the kingdoms of Rome,
00:53:50.53\00:53:52.56
the kingdoms of this world have
faded away into insignificance.
00:53:52.59\00:53:56.23
But there is an eternal, ever
lasting kingdom coming that will
00:53:56.26\00:54:01.60
never, ever pass away.
00:54:01.64\00:54:03.44
Daniel's eyes were
on the eternal kingdom,
00:54:03.47\00:54:06.17
not on the
kingdoms of this world.
00:54:06.21\00:54:07.71
Notice: He is the
living God; He's alive.
00:54:07.74\00:54:11.68
He's steadfast forever.
00:54:11.71\00:54:13.05
He never changes. That's two.
00:54:13.08\00:54:14.42
His kingdom is going to
last forever. That's three.
00:54:14.72\00:54:17.02
His dominion shall
insure to the end. That's four.
00:54:17.05\00:54:20.22
He delivers. Five.
00:54:20.26\00:54:22.42
He is the God that delivers.
00:54:22.46\00:54:24.33
What are you facing today?
00:54:24.36\00:54:25.86
What temptation, what challenge,
discouragement, despondency,
00:54:25.89\00:54:30.20
fear? What do you face?
00:54:30.23\00:54:32.23
He is the living God.
00:54:32.27\00:54:34.84
He is steadfast forever.
00:54:34.87\00:54:36.87
His kingdom will
never be destroyed.
00:54:36.91\00:54:39.37
His dominion
shall endure to the end.
00:54:39.41\00:54:42.11
He delivers, He rescues.
00:54:42.14\00:54:44.11
And in your life He
wants to show signs.
00:54:44.15\00:54:47.35
In your life He
wants to show wonders.
00:54:47.38\00:54:50.19
In your life He wants to do
something miraculous for you.
00:54:50.22\00:54:54.86
God is once again looking for
young people who, through His
00:54:54.89\00:54:59.29
strength, and by His
power, have undivided hearts,
00:54:59.33\00:55:02.56
and live lives of loyalty.
00:55:02.60\00:55:04.53
God is one again looking
for young people who are wholly
00:55:04.57\00:55:08.50
consecrated,
totally sold out for Him.
00:55:08.54\00:55:10.91
Their commitment to
Christ, and heaven's principles,
00:55:10.94\00:55:13.84
will impact their families.
00:55:13.88\00:55:15.48
It'll impact
their neighborhoods.
00:55:15.51\00:55:17.28
It'll impact their schools.
00:55:17.31\00:55:18.65
It'll impact their universities.
00:55:18.68\00:55:20.42
It'll impact their jobs.
00:55:20.45\00:55:21.88
It'll impact their
world, their workplaces.
00:55:21.92\00:55:24.59
These are God's world changers.
00:55:24.62\00:55:27.99
Every place they go,
wherever they find themselves,
00:55:28.02\00:55:31.29
their positive influence
is for the kingdom of God.
00:55:31.33\00:55:34.36
Their lives speak of honesty.
00:55:34.40\00:55:36.20
Their lives speak of purity.
00:55:36.23\00:55:38.10
Their lives speak of integrity.
00:55:38.13\00:55:39.87
Their lives speak of diligence.
00:55:39.90\00:55:41.44
Their lives
speak of faithfulness.
00:55:41.47\00:55:42.84
They can be depended upon.
00:55:42.87\00:55:44.21
Through them the earth is
lightened with the glory of God.
00:55:44.24\00:55:48.54
Through them Christ's character
is revealed before a waiting
00:55:48.58\00:55:52.98
world and a watching Universe.
00:55:53.01\00:55:54.75
This is your destiny.
00:55:54.78\00:55:56.58
This is your calling.
00:55:56.62\00:55:58.32
Do not sell out cheap!
00:55:58.35\00:56:01.32
This is God's
plan for your life.
00:56:01.36\00:56:04.06
Will you accept
God's plan for your life?
00:56:04.09\00:56:06.26
Will you say, Jesus, I want
to live an uncompromised life.
00:56:06.29\00:56:11.53
If you want to be a
Daniel in this generation,
00:56:11.57\00:56:14.60
if you want to live
a life uncompromised,
00:56:14.64\00:56:18.17
I want you to stand,
and I want to pray for you.
00:56:18.21\00:56:20.58
You just want to say,
Lord, with all of my weakness,
00:56:20.61\00:56:24.05
all of my
frailty, all my brokenness,
00:56:24.08\00:56:26.25
You know what my heart is.
00:56:26.28\00:56:28.28
That's the kind of
life that I want to live.
00:56:28.32\00:56:30.69
That's the kind of
person I want to be.
00:56:30.72\00:56:33.15
I don't want to live some
half-hearted Christian life
00:56:33.19\00:56:36.36
that is a life of compromise.
00:56:36.39\00:56:38.39
That is the kind of
person, God, that I want to be.
00:56:38.43\00:56:42.06
Now a special
appeal for somebody here.
00:56:42.10\00:56:45.80
Is there somebody
here that as I spoke today,
00:56:49.07\00:56:53.78
God brought to your
mind certain areas of
00:56:53.81\00:56:57.75
compromise in your life,
and you began to think about it.
00:56:57.78\00:57:03.82
And you said, Lord, I want
to be done with that compromise.
00:57:03.85\00:57:07.69
I want to be done with it.
00:57:07.72\00:57:09.22
As we pray, do you just want
to give that thing to Jesus now?
00:57:11.23\00:57:15.40
Somebody here
God's heart is touching;
00:57:15.43\00:57:18.50
something He wants
you to surrender to Him.
00:57:18.53\00:57:21.54
Some attitude, some habit,
something in your life that's
00:57:21.57\00:57:27.91
not in harmony with His will.
00:57:27.94\00:57:30.18
For somebody
this is decision day.
00:57:30.21\00:57:32.41
For somebody, you're going to
leave this auditorium different.
00:57:32.45\00:57:36.28
You want to just raise your hand
and say, God, I'm giving You
00:57:36.32\00:57:39.19
that thing; you know what it is.
00:57:39.22\00:57:40.56
God, I'm giving You that thing.
00:57:40.59\00:57:41.92
God, I'm giving
You that attitude.
00:57:41.96\00:57:43.46
God, I'm giving You that habit.
00:57:43.49\00:57:45.03
We make the choice,
and God's power comes down.
00:57:46.56\00:57:50.67
We don't overcome by willpower.
00:57:52.03\00:57:54.90
Our wills are
united with Divine power.
00:57:54.94\00:57:57.71
You can put your hand down.
00:57:57.74\00:57:59.11
One last appeal. Last
evening I met with an individual
00:57:59.14\00:58:06.35
who said, Pastor
Mark, as I've come to GYC,
00:58:06.38\00:58:08.65
I've never been baptized.
00:58:08.68\00:58:10.72
And God just touched my
heart, and I want to look
00:58:12.35\00:58:15.72
forward to Bible baptism.
00:58:15.76\00:58:17.43
There may be many of you in two
classes: first maybe as a young
00:58:17.46\00:58:25.20
person you've come to this
meeting, and you've never yet
00:58:25.23\00:58:28.14
made that decision to
follow Jesus in baptism.
00:58:28.17\00:58:31.41
And God is speaking
to your heart right now.
00:58:31.44\00:58:35.71
God is touching
your heart right now.
00:58:35.74\00:58:38.61
And you want to leave
this place saying, God,
00:58:38.65\00:58:41.78
I want to follow
Jesus all the way.
00:58:41.82\00:58:45.25
I want to purpose in my heart,
like Daniel, to follow Christ.
00:58:45.29\00:58:48.99
And right now you
want to make that decision.
00:58:49.02\00:58:51.49
Maybe there's somebody here
that you were baptized once,
00:58:51.53\00:58:55.86
and you drifted away
from Christ, far away.
00:58:55.90\00:59:00.84
And you want to look
forward to re-baptism.
00:59:00.87\00:59:04.31
We can talk to you about it,
and counsel with you about it.
00:59:04.34\00:59:07.31
Somebody here, by raising your
hand you say, I want to look
00:59:07.34\00:59:10.45
forward to baptism.
00:59:10.48\00:59:11.81
Not done that yet. I want
to look forward to baptism.
00:59:11.85\00:59:13.52
I want the Spirit of
God to touch my life.
00:59:13.55\00:59:15.88
I want to look
forward to following
00:59:15.92\00:59:18.19
Christ in Bible baptism.
00:59:18.22\00:59:19.55
Somebody here that the Spirit
of God is saying, I want to be
00:59:19.85\00:59:23.02
re-baptized. I just
feel God calling me.
00:59:23.06\00:59:26.13
You know, if you're
looking forward to baptism,
00:59:26.16\00:59:28.66
or re-baptism, we're going
to gather with a group of young
00:59:28.70\00:59:31.43
people right here at the front,
and I'm going to invite you to
00:59:31.47\00:59:34.24
come down, and I want
to pray over you right now.
00:59:34.27\00:59:37.24
So just come down. I'm going
to come to the side over here.
00:59:37.27\00:59:40.31
I'm going to come off the
stage and come down to the side.
00:59:40.34\00:59:42.78
If you want to look
forward to baptism...
00:59:42.81\00:59:44.15