Participants:
Series Code: 15GYC
Program Code: 15GYC000009A
|
00:32 I am persuaded that neither life nor death, nor principalities,
00:38 nor powers in heaven, or on earth, and hell can separate 00:42 me from the love of Jesus, and Christ our Lord. 00:45 Thank you so much for the music. 00:47 I have been blessed and greatly inspired by the 00:51 service this morning. 00:53 I've been here all week. 00:54 This is, I think, the tenth or eleventh GYC meeting 00:58 that my wife and I have attended. 01:00 And every time we come, I think we leave more inspired 01:06 than when we came. 01:08 GYC represents the finest, and the best of what it means to be 01:16 a Seventh-day Adventist young person preparing for the coming 01:20 of Christ in the final generation. 01:22 And so we are deeply thankful for the way that God is using 01:28 the GYC leadership, for the way He's using young people to play 01:33 a meaningful part in the finishing of His work on earth. 01:37 I've been praying that God would touch all of our lives, 01:41 and the Spirit would work powerfully during the message 01:44 this morning, so let's pray. 01:46 Father in Heaven, we thank You with all our hearts that we live 01:54 on the knife edge of eternity. 01:56 We thank You that Jesus, the One who died on Calvary's cross, 02:02 reaches out to us today as the living Christ, 02:06 the resurrected Christ, in the sanctuary above, 02:11 and that from that sanctuary He longs to minister grace to our 02:18 hearts, strength to our lives. 02:21 He longs to impart to us power for mission. 02:26 And so we open our hearts to You this morning. 02:30 We sense that this is not an ordinary hour 02:33 in earth's history, and we recognize that in this 02:39 generation you are raising up young people, and adults, 02:43 to empower them by Your Spirit for the finishing of 02:47 Your work on earth. 02:49 And so we open our hearts for the special 02:51 blessing of this hour. 02:53 Whatever blessings we received in the past are not sufficient 02:58 enough for the present. 02:59 So we pray Thee that You would come with Your almighty power, 03:04 and bless in a special way, as we open Your Word. 03:08 In Christ's name, Amen. 03:13 This past summer the General Conference of Seventh-day 03:17 Adventists was held in San Antonio, Texas, and it was 03:21 historic in many ways. 03:23 One of the ways that it was historic is that for the first 03:28 time in the history of our Seventh-day Adventist church 03:32 we had sixty-five delegates from mainland China with us 03:38 at the General Conference Session. 03:39 And they brought so much to the session. 03:42 I spent time with them each afternoon at the session 03:46 studying the Bible together. 03:48 We left the main meeting and opened Scripture, 03:51 and spent an hour or two studying. 03:53 Once the General Conference Session was over, 03:56 I had the privilege, with my wife, of traveling for two, 04:00 two and a half weeks with the delegates from China. 04:04 They came to the General Conference. 04:07 We visited Washington, D. C., and then we traveled to 04:11 early Adventist history sites. 04:13 And in each of those sites we studied the Word of God. 04:17 We went to the Miller farm and studied the 04:20 significance of the sanctuary. 04:22 We traveled to Washington, New Hampshire, 04:25 the first Seventh-day Adventist church, 04:27 and studied the significance of the Sabbath. 04:30 We traveled to Hiram Edson's farm in upstate New York, 04:34 and spent time in that barn, reconstructed, of course, 04:38 studying the sanctuary message. 04:40 Traveled across to Battle Creek, Michigan and visited the old 04:46 sanitarium, and studied the origin of the Adventist church, 04:50 and the Adventist health message, and went on to 04:52 Andrews University. 04:53 As we traveled together during this period of time, 04:58 the stories, the testimonies of these stalwart, 05:03 faithful brothers and sisters from China deeply impressed me. 05:08 I'll tell you the story of somebody that I will call, 05:11 not their real name, Mr. and Mrs. Wong. 05:15 Mr. Wong was a member of the Red Guard Chinese Army. 05:19 And I should say we were grateful, and thankful to the 05:24 Chinese government for allowing these delegates to come, 05:28 and we are thankful to God for the officials that have given 05:32 the measure of religious liberty that they have in China. 05:35 But many, many years ago in 1991 to 1993, Mr. Wong was a 05:42 member of the Red Guard. 05:44 He was an avowed atheist. 05:46 He felt that all Christians were ignorant fools that believed 05:52 fables that you couldn't have any confidence in. 05:55 When he came home from the Army on leave, 06:00 he discovered that something amazing had 06:02 happened in his city. 06:04 From 1991 to 1993 in one city in China, 06:10 there was a mighty spiritual revival. 06:13 And in one Seventh-day Adventist church in that city 06:17 for three years there were between two and three thousand 06:22 people baptized each year. 06:24 That local congregation grew to well over ten thousand. 06:30 It was an amazing moving of God's grace, 06:33 an amazing outpouring of God's Spirit. 06:36 When Mr. Wong came home from the Army he discovered that his wife 06:42 had become a Seventh-day Adventist, 06:45 that some of his brothers had become Adventists, 06:48 and his father and mother had become Adventists and joined 06:50 that local congregation. 06:52 He was furious. He was incredibly angry. 06:56 As he told me the story he said, Pastor, I could not understand 07:01 why my own wife would accept such fables, such nonsense, 07:06 such intellectual superficiality. 07:10 He said, I was angry. 07:11 I ranted, I raved, I yelled at her. 07:15 He said, I threatened her in a variety of ways. 07:18 I would go to the Adventist church and break up their 07:21 worship services with my rants, and anger, and rage. 07:25 He said, Then one day I came with rocks and stones 07:30 and threw them through the windows of the church. 07:32 I felt I had to do everything I could to dissuade my wife 07:36 from this foolishness. 07:38 His wife developed a very serious eye infection, 07:44 and that eye infection threatened her 07:48 with loss of sight. 07:50 She was taken to the hospital for a very serious operation 07:55 to save her vision. 07:57 And as the surgeons operated on her she, of course, 08:01 had a patch on one eye. 08:03 And her physician said to her, We don't want you to strain 08:08 your other eye by any reading, because if you do that 08:12 you may lose total vision. 08:14 One day her husband came into her room and he saw her reading 08:20 the Bible, with a patch on one eye, looking at the Word of God. 08:26 And he said, I thought the physicians 08:28 told you not to do that. 08:29 And she said, Well, I needed strength. 08:32 I need the strength that comes from God's Word, 08:35 and I could not go for months without reading the Word of God. 08:40 He looked at her and he said, You are foolish. 08:43 As your husband, I'm not going to allow you to go blind 08:47 reading the Word of God. 08:49 Give me that book and I'll read it for you and to you. 08:52 Praise God! Praise God! 08:56 He said, What do you want me to read? 08:59 She said, Read the book of Job. 09:03 Now I am not sure that that's the first book I would introduce 09:08 people to in the Bible. 09:09 Read the book of Job. 09:11 But God's ways are mysterious. 09:12 Mr. Wong said to me, Pastor Mark, I began to read the book 09:16 of Job, and I saw the trials that this man was going through. 09:20 And I recognized that I was putting my wife through 09:23 some of the trials. 09:24 She was the modern Job! 09:26 And he said, I kept reading, and reading, 09:28 and faith grew in my heart. 09:30 And so I saw Job trusted God in spite of the trials. 09:33 As I saw Job trusted God in spite of what was going on 09:37 in his life, he came to the end of the book 09:40 of Job, and he was amazed. 09:42 If you have your Bible, and I know you do, take it and read. 09:45 Turn to Job 42, Job 42 and look there at verse 10. 09:52 Mr. Wong said, Pastor Mark, I read the book of Job to my wife. 09:57 I saw Job's faith. I saw Job's courage. 10:00 I saw Job's confidence in God, and I was absolutely amazed. 10:05 He then said, I came to the end of the book and I read, 10:10 Job 42:10, and the Lord restored Job's losses 10:17 when he prayed for his friends. 10:19 Indeed the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. 10:24 And Mr. Wong said, Pastor Mark, I was so amazed 10:28 in a God like that. 10:30 As his wife continued to have treatment, Mr. Wong did not 10:36 admit what God was doing in his life. 10:39 As she would go to treatments to see the physician, 10:42 he would take the Bible out of the drawer 10:45 by her bed and read it. 10:47 And secretly he read the Bible until that day in that hospital 10:52 room Mr. Wong knelt down and said, Jesus, I'm Yours! 10:57 Jesus, I can resist You no longer. 11:00 Mr. Wong today is a part of a Pastoral team that in one 11:07 pastoral district has 20,000 members, 11:11 and 400 churches and groups. 11:15 If God can take a member of the Red Army, an atheist, 11:21 one who believes that Christianity is nonsense, 11:25 and lead him to be a mighty pastor for God, 11:29 what can God do for your life? 11:31 What can God do with my life? 11:33 When I asked Mr. Wong, What was the most significant thing that 11:38 led you to make that decision? 11:41 What led you to your conversion? 11:44 If he were here this morning giving his testimony, 11:46 this is what he would say. 11:48 He would tell you there was one major reason. 11:51 His wife was faithful to God, and did not 11:56 compromise her integrity. 11:58 The Holy Spirit used her powerfully to reach her husband. 12:03 Now there's one thing for certain, a half-hearted 12:06 compromising Christianity is not going to impact 12:10 the world for Christ. 12:11 One pastor put it this way, God will not use a compromised 12:16 life to reach a compromised world. 12:18 God will use a life that is given over to Him, 12:22 that is a demonstration of the message that through the power 12:25 of Jesus Christ and His love, He can transform 12:27 our lives and set us free. 12:29 If the world is looking for anything today, 12:31 it is looking for young people, it's looking for adults, 12:34 that have authentic, genuine Christianity. 12:38 A sham, a pretense, hypocrisy will never reach the world. 12:42 A sugar coated gospel will not transform a society. 12:47 By the grace of Christ, and the power of the living Christ, 12:51 no formal, ritualistic Christianity will do, 12:54 no half hearted Christianity will do. 12:56 Young people with divided hearts, and compromised lives, 13:00 will not impact a world for Jesus Christ. 13:04 Ellen White adds this... 13:05 Ellen White makes an amazingly penetrating comment in a 13:11 Manuscript 16, written in 1890, she says: Let it be understood 13:18 that Seventh-day Adventists can make no compromise. 13:21 In your opinions, and in your faith there must not be the 13:25 least appearance of wavering. 13:27 One of the sterling examples in Scripture of an undivided 13:33 heart, of an uncompromised faith, one of the sterling 13:38 examples in Scripture is Daniel. 13:42 Throughout his life he stands as a sterling example of 13:45 faithfulness and loyalty. 13:46 And this morning we want to spend some time studying 13:49 the life of Daniel. 13:51 We're going to look at chapter 1 in the book of Daniel, 13:54 then fast forward to chapter 6. 13:57 In Daniel 1, Daniel is approximately 17 years old. 14:02 He's in his teens, and he faces an incredibly amazing test. 14:07 In Daniel 6 it is about 65 or 66 years later, 14:14 and Daniel is 83 years old. 14:16 He faces an amazing test. 14:19 Wherever you are on your spiritual journey, 14:23 whether you are young or old, Satan is an equal 14:29 opportunity employer. 14:31 He does not have any prejudice in those whom he tempts. 14:37 You may be young, you may be old, you may be Hispanic, 14:42 or Asian, or African, or from North America. 14:46 Your language may be Spanish, or your language may be Italian. 14:53 Your language may be Portuguese. 14:55 Your language may be Tagalog. 14:58 You may speak one of the African dialects. 15:01 You may speak English. 15:02 But that does not exempt you from temptation. 15:06 Satan is an equal opportunity tempter. 15:09 He tempts men and women, young and old. 15:11 Merely because you have walked with Christ, and been faithful 15:16 to Christ for 20 or 30 years, does not mean in any way 15:21 that you're exempt from the temptations of Satan. 15:24 And one of the things we see in the life of Daniel is the life 15:29 of faithfulness from the beginning to the end. 15:32 Daniel did not merely start the journey, 15:35 Daniel finished the journey. 15:37 And he found in Christ One that was the author 15:41 and finisher of his faith. 15:43 He found in Christ One who he could hold the beginning 15:48 of his confidence strong to the end. 15:50 So I invite you to take your Bible 15:52 and turn to the book of Daniel: Psalms, Proverbs, Isaiah, 15:58 Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Daniel 1. 16:02 Daniel 1 begins with the Great Controversy's scene. 16:09 Look at Daniel 1:1. 16:13 Here we begin with the Great Controversy. 16:16 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah 16:21 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to 16:24 Jerusalem, and besieged it. 16:26 So here you have two kings: Nebuchadnezzar and Jehoiakim. 16:30 You have two cities: Jerusalem and Babylon. 16:34 Babylon the citadel of evil, Babylon the 16:38 center of idol worship, Babylon the center of egotistical, 16:43 proud, manmade religion. 16:46 Jerusalem, the sanctuary of God, the Shekinah glory of God, 16:52 the people of God, the law of God. 16:55 Babylon, the city of falsehood and error. 16:58 Jerusalem, the city of truth. 17:01 Nebuchadnezzar attacks Jerusalem, 17:05 and Jerusalem falls to Nebuchadnezzar. 17:08 So in chapter 1 you see the Great Controversy. 17:11 Verse 1, the Controversy between good and evil, 17:14 the controversy between Christ and Satan. 17:18 Daniel and his young teenage friends, are taken captive. 17:22 Nebuchadnezzar longs to bring the brightest, 17:29 the most intelligent, those that are handsome, 17:34 and physically attractive. 17:35 He longs to bring a group of youth that have the potential 17:39 for leadership that will be educated for three years at the 17:46 University of Babylon, so Nebuchadnezzar can send them 17:50 back as his emissaries to Jerusalem. 17:53 The Devil loves to attack the brightest, the best, 17:59 the most intelligent, because he knows that if he gets 18:02 the leaders, the followers will follow. 18:05 And the Devil still uses that strategy today on Christian 18:10 Seventh-day Adventist young people. 18:11 If he can capture the minds of the brightest, and the best, 18:16 if he can lead them from faithfulness to God, 18:21 he knows that if he gets the leaders, 18:23 the followers are going to follow. 18:24 So here, in the book of Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar takes captive 18:30 the most intelligent, the brightest young people, 18:35 brings them to the university, to Babylon, to educate them 18:40 in the University of Babylon. 18:43 Early in that captivity, Daniel and his friends are ushered into 18:48 the banquet hall of Babylon. 18:50 Everything is set on those tables to tempt the taste, 18:56 to satisfy the palette, to delight the eyes. 19:00 The music is playing, the tables are set, 19:06 the royal banquet is there. 19:08 Now there's an interesting aside that I want 19:11 you to see in Daniel 1. 19:14 Notice it in verse 2. 19:16 And the Lord... Now that word for Lord there is a word that 19:22 means the One who is in control over all. 19:25 In spite of the captivity, in spite of the apparent defeat, 19:29 God is still sovereign; He is still on His throne. 19:34 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, 19:37 with some of the articles of the house of God: 19:39 What are the articles of the house of God? 19:41 The candlestick from the sanctuary. 19:44 What are the articles from the house of God? 19:46 The articles that were in the sanctuary that the Shekinah 19:50 glory reflected off. 19:52 Those golden emblems that were in the sanctuary of Jerusalem, 19:56 were taken, and where were they brought? 19:58 Daniel 1:2, And he brought the articles to the 20:02 treasure house of his god. 20:04 Who was his god? BelMarduk, the chief god. 20:07 There were thirteen chief gods of Babylon. 20:09 BelMarduk was the chief god. 20:12 BelMarduk sat in a golden temple, on a golden throne, 20:15 before a golden table. 20:16 Can you imagine it? 20:18 The very candlestick in the sanctuary, the very emblems 20:22 of the sanctuary that reflected the Shekinah glory of God, 20:26 the very presence of God. 20:28 Nebuchadnezzar came into the sanctuary, took those out, 20:31 brought them to the temple, the pagan temple of 20:34 the idol of BelMarduk. 20:36 He put them there. 20:37 Daniel and his friends are ushered into that banquet room. 20:40 They see some of those glittering golden articles 20:46 that had been in the sanctuary. 20:47 And I can just imagine that Nebuchadnezzar was in effect 20:52 saying, If your God is so supreme, 20:54 why are you in captivity to us? 20:56 If your God is so supreme, why are the articles from 20:59 the sanctuary here? 21:00 If your God is so supreme, why is Jerusalem 21:04 in ruins and defeated? 21:05 Here Daniel and his friends go in to that sanctuary, 21:11 and they're invited to defile their health, 21:16 and defile their minds. 21:19 The food on those tables was offered to the god BelMarduc. 21:24 To eat that food was to worship and give 21:29 tribute to the pagan gods. 21:31 Also Daniel was wise enough to know that that wine 21:39 would defile his mind; that those alcoholic beverages would 21:43 destroy brain cells; that they would effect conscience, reason, 21:49 and judgment; and make him less capable of responding 21:53 to the Holy Spirit's impact on the mind. 21:56 He recognized that the unclean foods on that table would 22:01 destroy his health. 22:02 And so Daniel knew that the decision that day 22:06 was not a small one. 22:08 He recognized that it was much more than a glass of alcohol, 22:13 much more than unclean foods, but that it was the 22:17 compromising of his integrity. 22:19 He recognized that it was much more than simply that one 22:24 choice, because that choice would lead to another choice, 22:27 and another choice, and another choice. 22:29 So in one of the most magnificent passages 22:32 in Scripture, Daniel 1:8, The pressure 22:38 to conform was enormous. 22:40 With the destruction of Jerusalem Nebuchadnezzar 22:42 claimed that his god's were superior to the God of Jehovah. 22:46 Notice what Daniel says; what it's recorded about Daniel. 22:51 Daniel 1:8, But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not 22:56 defile himself with the portion of the king's delicacies, 22:59 nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested 23:03 of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. 23:06 The Scripture says, Daniel purposed in his heart. 23:10 What is the word purposed mean? 23:12 Purposed means he decided. 23:14 Purposed means he determined. 23:16 Purposed means he chose. 23:19 In the heart, in the Old Testament the heart is the 23:23 seat of the intellect. 23:25 It is the center of the emotions. 23:28 It is the center of our thought processes. 23:32 There are two passages in Proverbs that are helpful here. 23:35 Proverbs 4:23. Now keep your finger in Daniel 1. 23:41 We're going to go back to it. 23:42 Proverbs 4:23. We're studying this idea, 23:50 Daniel purposed in his heart. 23:52 What is this heart? 23:55 Daniel 4. In the Bible the heart is the center of the intellect, 24:00 the center of emotions, it is the thought center from which 24:07 decisions are made. 24:08 In Proverbs 4:23 the Scripture says: Keep your heart with all 24:16 diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. 24:20 Keep your heart, keep your mind, guard your mind. 24:25 Proverbs 23:7 adds: As a man or a woman does what? 24:32 You know the text. Say it with me. 24:34 As a man thinks in his what? heart, so is he. 24:39 You know, a number of years ago Isaac Newton, 24:42 that famous hymn writer... 24:44 You know, Isaac Newton wrote between 650 and 750 hymns. 24:48 Some scholars say it was 650, some say 700, some say 750. 24:53 You know, he wrote those great hymns like, 24:55 When I survey the wondrous cross upon which 24:58 the Prince of Glory died. 25:01 Isaac Newton, who had written so many of those hymns, 25:04 was not a real large man. 25:05 He was about 5'3", 5'4", quite thin. 25:09 And one day in London there was a parade in Isaac Watt's honor. 25:15 And people gathered to pay tribute to this mighty 25:20 hymn writer of God. 25:22 And they gathered along the streets of London. 25:26 Many of them got up on balconies so they would see 25:28 this mighty man of God. 25:29 They had sung his majestic hymns, and they had pictured 25:33 a man 6', 6' 1", 6' 2". 25:35 Many didn't know him. 25:37 They had pictured this huge man. 25:38 Isaac Watts was riding in a open covered, 25:43 kind of like carriage. 25:46 And as he was riding in this horse drawn carriage, 25:48 he was kind of hunched over. 25:50 By now he was old, and he didn't even look like he was 25:52 5' 4", he looked like he was about 5' 1" or 5'. 25:55 He was kind of hunched over. 25:56 And there was one of these high society women that was sitting 26:01 in the balcony, and she looked over and saw this carriage. 26:05 And she looked, and as the carriage passed, she was one of 26:09 those women that often spoke, or men, too. 26:12 I've got to be careful that I don't get 26:13 myself in trouble here. 26:15 She was one of those individuals... Now that's good! 26:18 ...who thought second, and spoke first. 26:24 Have you ever met anybody like that? 26:26 It's always good to think before you speak, 26:28 not to speak before you think. 26:30 But anyway, she blurted out... 26:32 Isaac Watts is coming by and she bursts out and says, What? 26:36 Are you Isaac Watts? 26:38 She was so surprised because he was a 26:41 little shriveled up man. 26:42 You know, Watts just always thought in poetry. 26:47 And, you know, one time his father said, Why are your 26:51 eyes open in prayer? 26:52 And Watts said, I could not say my prayers when 26:57 the mouse ran up the stairs. 26:58 So he always thought, you know, in poetry. 27:00 So this woman says, What? You Isaac Watts? 27:03 And he motioned for the carriage to stop. 27:07 It did. He stood up to his full 5' 3" or 5' 4" length, 27:11 and he said, Madam, could I in fancy grasp the poles, 27:16 or hold creation in my hand, I'd still be measured by my mind, 27:22 for the mind is the measure of a man. 27:25 The great battle in the last days of Earth's history is not 27:29 a battle in the Middle East. 27:30 It is a battle for your mind. 27:33 And the Devil is focusing on every young person today, 27:38 doing everything he can, with mass media, with video. 27:44 He's doing everything he can through the party culture, 27:49 the pleasure culture. 27:50 He is doing everything he can to capture your thought patterns, 27:56 because what you habitually think about develops attitudes. 28:03 Attitudes lead to actions. 28:07 Repeated actions lead to habits. 28:10 And habits develop character. 28:13 Who are we? We are the sum choices of our thoughts, 28:21 our attitudes, our actions, and our habits. 28:25 Character is what defines us, and the choices we make 28:33 determine the characters that we will have. 28:37 The battle is a battle for your intellect. 28:41 It's a battle for your mind. 28:44 It's a battle to control your thoughts. 28:46 And Satan will do everything he can in this godless, secular 28:51 society to influence the thought processes, because the mind 28:56 is the seat of our emotions. 28:59 Now writing of Daniel and his friends courageous stand 29:03 for right, Ellen White makes this telling, this incredibly 29:07 telling observation in Prophets and Kings, Page 483. 29:12 She's commenting on Daniel 1:8 that says Daniel purposed in his 29:17 heart to serve God. 29:18 And she says: Should they compromise with wrong 29:22 in this instance, by yielding to the pressure of circumstances, 29:28 their departure from principle would weaken their sense of 29:32 right and their appearance of wrong. 29:34 Now lets pause on that sentence. 29:36 What happens if I compromise my integrity? 29:40 What happens when the Holy Spirit convicts me to do 29:45 something, and in spite of the Holy Spirit's conviction, 29:49 in spite of the clear teachings of the Word of God, 29:52 I compromise that integrity? What happens? 29:56 What happens is my perception of what is right, 30:01 and my perception of what is wrong is colored, 30:05 so I can no longer fully discern rightness and wrongness, 30:10 and as the result of that, I will then ultimately think 30:16 that what I'm doing is okay, and justify that. 30:20 So the danger of compromise is that not only does it lead one 30:25 on a path contrary to the will of God, it creates a fogginess, 30:32 a murkiness's in the mind so that sin cannot be discerned. 30:37 Ellen White continues, in which she says: Should they compromise 30:43 with wrong in this instance... 30:44 This is Prophets and Kings, 43. 30:46 ...in this instance by yielding to the pressure of 30:49 circumstances, their departure from principle would weaken 30:53 their sense of right, and their appearance of wrong. 30:55 The first wrong step would lead to others until their connection 31:00 with heaven would be severed. 31:02 They would be swept away by temptation. 31:07 Samuel Johnson, a popular author put it this way: 31:10 The chains of habit are too weak to be felt, 31:15 until they are too strong to be broken. 31:17 The chains of habit are too weak to be felt, 31:23 until they are too strong to be broken. 31:26 C. S. Lewis, in those Screwtape Letters, that famous narrative 31:33 of Lewis, makes an interesting observation. 31:36 One of his characters, Wormwood, says this: Indeed, the safest 31:42 road to hell is the gradual one. 31:45 The gentle slope, the soft under foot without sudden turnings, 31:50 without milestones, without sign posts. you see courage 31:53 You see courage, not compromise, brings the smile of God 31:58 upon His people, and it brings God's blessings. 32:02 Daniel made a rock solid decision. 32:05 He purposed in his heart to serve God, 32:08 and as the result of that he opened his mind to 32:12 the blessings of God. 32:14 Back to Daniel 1. Daniel graduates three years later 32:20 from the University of Babylon with honors. 32:24 He graduates three years later from the University of Babylon, 32:29 at the head of his class. 32:30 Daniel's decision to purpose in his heart to serve God, 32:37 not only to refuse the wine, not only to refuse the unclean 32:41 foods, but to negotiate with Melzar, the chief host, 32:48 for a ten day trial on a vegetarian diet. 32:51 Daniel demonstrates mentally, spiritually, and physically, 32:57 the superiority of God's way of life. 33:00 And there on that vegetarian diet Daniel excels in class, 33:05 not simply because of his diet, but because of the blessing of 33:10 God upon one's life that was totally consecrated to Him. 33:15 We look there at Daniel 1, and we see at the end of Daniel 1, 33:21 the Scriptures recording the faithfulness of this man of God. 33:26 Daniel 1:17. As for these four young men, God gave them 33:32 knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom: 33:35 and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. 33:39 Verse 20. And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, 33:44 about which the king examined them, he found them ten times 33:48 better than all the magicians and astrologers 33:50 that were in his realm. 33:51 Does it pay to serve God? 33:54 Does it pay to live an uncompromised life? 33:58 Does it pay to have an undivided heart? 34:00 When we come to Christ and we say, Jesus, everything I have, 34:05 all that I am is Yours. 34:06 All I want to know is what pleases You. 34:09 All I want to do is the will of God. 34:11 When we make that decision in our lives, and we purpose 34:15 in our hearts to please God in the things we take into our 34:19 body, and to please God in the things we take into our mind, 34:22 to please God in every aspect of our worship. 34:26 When we make that decision, we open our lives 34:29 for the abundant blessings of God. 34:32 The last verse of Daniel 1 is significant. 34:36 Daniel 1. Let your eyes drop down to the last verse. 34:41 Thus Daniel continued until the first year of king Darius. 34:46 Nations rise and fall: Babylon comes on the scene of history, 34:51 Medo Persia comes on the scene of history, 34:53 but Daniel continues. 34:55 Kings rise and fall: there is Nebuchadnezzar and his son, 34:59 and his son, and finally Darius the Mede, and Cyrus the Persian. 35:04 Governments rise and fall, kings come and go, 35:08 but Daniel continues. 35:10 God is looking for a generation of young people today that are 35:14 powerful witnesses in the Babylon of this world. 35:17 And God will use them to touch the kings, 35:20 and queens, and princes. 35:21 God will use them to impact a postmodern secular society 35:26 in the Western world. 35:27 God is looking for young people today that purpose in their 35:31 heart like Daniel did. 35:33 He's looking for adults that make a decision to live an 35:37 uncompromised life for God. 35:39 And when God gets that group of Daniel's today, 35:42 that group of Esther's today, that group of Joseph's today, 35:45 when God has that group of faithful men and women today, 35:49 who want only one thing, who long for heaven more than they 35:52 long for earth, who long for eternity more than they long 35:56 for the things of time, for the things of heaven appeal to them 36:01 more than the things of this earth. 36:02 When God has that group of people, He will pour out His 36:06 Spirit in abundant measure, and the work of God will be finished 36:10 on earth rapidly, quickly. 36:12 Daniel was faithful to God when he was 17 years old, 36:15 but throughout the years, Daniel maintained his faithfulness. 36:21 And we turn to Daniel 6. 36:24 We come now to the end of Daniel's life. 36:28 Daniel 6, and we come to the end of Daniel's life. 36:32 Daniel now is 83 years old. 36:36 Medo Persia overthrows Babylon. 36:40 Durias appoints Daniel, along with two others as governors. 36:47 The nation of Medo Persia is divided into a 120 areas. 36:54 There's a prince over each area. 36:56 Then there are three governors in charge of those 120 areas, 37:02 and Daniel becomes the first. 37:04 Now here is the interesting thing to me. 37:07 How old was Daniel at this time? 37:11 Well, if he was in his late teens in chapter one, 37:15 about 20 when he graduated from the University of Babylon, 37:18 and if Nebuchadnezzar overthrew Jerusalem in 605, 37:22 and if Medo Persia overthrew Babylon in 539, 37:28 there's 66 years there. 37:30 And if Daniel was about 17 when he was taken into 37:33 captivity, he's about 83. 37:34 Now the interesting thought to me is this, Do you take an 83 37:41 year old Jew and put him in charge of the entire 37:45 country of Medo Persia? 37:48 There must have been something so incredibly special 37:52 about Daniel's life. 37:53 At 83 years old, because he had followed the principles of God 37:58 in making positive choices in his life, and had not defiled 38:03 his physical, mental, or spiritual health, 38:06 he was still incredibly sharp. 38:09 He still had razor edge thinking. 38:13 The health practices that he had followed, and the decisions 38:18 to live an uncompromised life that he had followed, 38:22 with the blessing of God, enabled him to serve 38:27 for generations in his life. 38:29 Living an uncompromised life is not some ritualistic legalism. 38:36 It is rather an accepting the abundant life that Jesus 38:41 Christ offers to us. 38:42 Anything that Christ asks us to give up 38:46 is only destructive anyway. 38:48 The way of the cross, and the way of self denial through 38:54 the cross of Calvary, is the way to the abundant life, 38:57 because Jesus said in John 10:10 I have come that they might have 39:01 what? life, and they might have it more abundantly. 39:06 So Daniel, faithful to God. 39:10 The governors became concerned about that. 39:14 The princes became concerned. 39:17 They became jealous. 39:18 And there's one thing that one notices here in this chapter, 39:23 Daniel 6:4, and onward. 39:26 Sin never gets smaller. 39:29 It always gets larger. 39:32 They look, in verse 4, So the governors and the satraps sought 39:38 to find some charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom; 39:42 but they could find no charge or fault, because he was faithful, 39:47 nor was there any error or fault found in him. 39:51 They searched everything they could about Daniel. 39:58 They bugged his royal telephone. 40:01 They hacked his royal e-mail. 40:04 They opened every mailbox. 40:07 They even checked his Twitter account. 40:11 And they said, We know that everybody is somewhat dishonest. 40:20 We know everybody pads their pockets a little bit. 40:22 Maybe Daniel is putting something away 40:25 for his retirement account. 40:27 Nobody's perfect! They examined his private and public life. 40:32 They checked his finances, they analyzed his words, 40:37 they looked at his commands and decrees. 40:40 Everything he did was scrutinized, and they found 40:45 nothing, absolutely nothing. 40:48 Because Daniel was in private what he was in public. 40:52 What are you watching on the internet when nobody else knows? 40:59 What are you looking at on television 41:02 when nobody else knows? 41:04 What are you cramming into your mouth when nobody else knows? 41:09 Are you the same person in private as you are in public? 41:16 Are you the same person when you go to university or college 41:22 when you come to GYC? 41:24 Daniel's heart was undivided. 41:30 And when they examined his life there was nothing, 41:36 nothing that they could find. 41:39 By the grace of God, not by some super human willpower, 41:46 It was not that Daniel overcame by willpower, 41:52 it was that Daniel's will was surrendered to the 41:57 One that had power. 41:58 He did not overcome by willpower, 42:01 but his will was surrendered to the One that had power. 42:04 When he purposed in his heart to serve God, 42:07 God gave him the power to accomplish that choice. 42:10 You and I are weak, but God has given us the capacity, 42:16 God has given us the power of choice. 42:19 Daniel made that choice, Daniel 6, to serve the living God. 42:29 And even when the decree went forth that anybody who served 42:39 any other God except the king, would be cast 42:43 into a den of lions. 42:45 Daniel recognized that he had nothing to hide. 42:49 It's a wonderful thing in life when you have nothing to hide. 42:52 And if somebody checked your private life and saw what kind 42:55 of books you're reading, what kind of magazines, 42:56 what kind of television programs, or internet you're 42:58 surfing, that that was in harmony with God's will. 43:02 The, in verse 5, the wise men say, the Satraps say, 43:10 Wise only in the wisdom of Babylon, 43:12 the rulers of Babylon would be more accurate to put it. 43:15 Verse 5. But these men said, We shall not find any charge 43:19 against this Daniel, except we find it against the law of God. 43:22 The unchangeable law of the Medes and Persians came in 43:29 contact with the immutable law of God. 43:32 Church and state united, and worship was 43:39 decreed and enforced. 43:41 But God had a man, God had an individual who sensed that his 43:50 loyalty was to the King of Kings, 43:53 not to the king of Babylon. 43:55 Once again, at end time there will be, according to the 44:00 prophecies of the book of Revelation, 44:01 a union of church and state powers. 44:06 But once again God will have men and women that witness to the 44:11 glory of His name, that witness to the might of His power 44:16 in a final generation. 44:18 The Bible says, as you look at it there, these Satraps, 44:26 these governors, become jealous of Daniel. 44:29 Jealousy leads to envy; envy leads to something else. 44:35 Verse 7. They come before king Darius. 44:38 King Darius, live for ever. 44:40 All the governors of the kingdom, the administrators, 44:43 the Satraps, the counselors, the advisers have consulted together 44:47 to establish a royal statue. 44:48 What do you know about that statement immediately? 44:51 What do you know about it? 44:53 It is a bold-faced lie! 44:54 Did all the governors meet? 44:56 Was Daniel one of those three governors? He was. 44:59 Did Daniel meet with them? He did not. 45:02 So notice carefully, first you have jealousy. 45:05 The jealousy leads to envy. 45:06 The envy leads to lying. 45:08 And the lying leads to the willingness to put an 45:10 innocent man to death. 45:12 Starting down the road of compromise, 45:14 one never knows where that compromise is going to end. 45:19 Envy to jealousy, jealousy to lying, lying to the willingness 45:22 to put the innocent man to death. 45:24 Daniel 6:10, Daniel 6:10. 45:31 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, 45:35 he went home, and in the upper room with it's windows open 45:39 toward Jerusalem, he knelt down upon his knees three times a day 45:43 and prayed, and gave God thanks as he did before. 45:48 Daniel knew that without prayer there was no power. 45:52 Daniel would not allow his allegiance to Darius 45:56 to compromise his relationship with God. 45:59 Daniel remembered some things. 46:01 He remembered that God had impressed him, and empowered him 46:06 as a teenager, 65 years before, to keep his 46:10 heart pure before God. 46:12 Daniel remembered the God that gave him wisdom to excel in his 46:17 comprehensive exams in Babylon. 46:19 Daniel remembered that God had given him wisdom, 46:21 and knowledge, and skill. 46:23 Daniel remembered that God had preserved his life, 46:26 and enabled him to interpret the king's dream in chapter 2. 46:29 Daniel remembered that God had delivered Shadrach, Meshach, 46:32 and Abednego from the fiery furnace in chapter 3. 46:35 Daniel remembered that God had enabled him to hold the 46:38 Babylonian empire together for seven years, 46:41 when Nebuchadnezzar ate grass. 46:42 Daniel remembered that God had translated the writing 46:46 on the wall for him in chapter 5, 46:48 when the Babylonian empire fell. 46:50 Daniel remembered that God had given him the position 46:54 of the first governor of the empire. 46:56 Daniel remembered these things, and Daniel knew that God 46:59 was the source of his strength. 47:00 What ever test you face, what ever difficulty you face, 47:04 what ever challenge you face, remember that God is the 47:08 source of your strength. 47:10 God is bigger than the mountain you have to climb. 47:12 God is greater than the problem you have to face. 47:15 God is larger than the challenges that lie before you 47:18 when you leave GYC. 47:19 We serve not a small narrow God, but our God is great, 47:25 our God is powerful, our God is greater than the powers of hell. 47:30 On the cross of Calvary He triumphed over the 47:32 principalities and powers of hell. 47:34 He lives in the sanctuary above, and our God reigns. 47:38 Now for Daniel prayer wasn't a few trite phrases repeated 47:42 over and over, or some ritual memorized formula. 47:45 To Daniel prayer was the breath of the soul. 47:48 It was the vitality, the life of the soul. 47:51 Daniel kneels to pray, and as he does, those governors and 47:56 princes come running, if they can run. 47:59 Because they have been eating of the royal banquet hall, 48:02 and they are somewhat rotund, and they can't run too fast. 48:04 I imagine them curling behind bushes. 48:07 I imagine these slithering snakes looking up to 48:11 condemn the man of God. 48:13 And Daniel prays. They run back to the king and say, 48:17 King, King, Daniel is praying! 48:21 He doesn't regard your decree. 48:23 He doesn't regard you. 48:24 The king tries to deliver Daniel, but he can't. 48:28 He can't and keep his position, and he's not willing to risk his 48:32 neck by violating the law of the Medes and the Persians. 48:34 So the king goes home that night to sleep, 48:40 and Daniel's thrown in a lion's den. 48:43 Now the Bible says that as the king goes in to the palace, 48:47 his royal musicians want to play sweet lullabies, 48:54 and he says, No music tonight. 48:56 They want to feed him Babylonian foods, a good supper, a banquet. 49:04 No food tonight. The Bible says he says, No music, 49:07 and he fasts all night. 49:10 He gets in to bed, slips on his royal silk pajamas, 49:14 puts his head on some royal pillow, and there in a palace, 49:19 in a mansion, in the most lavish building in the then known 49:24 world, the king who has everything can't sleep. 49:28 He tosses and turns. 49:30 His stomach is in knots. 49:33 He's got some kind of headache, and sweat's 49:36 running down his face. 49:37 And he tosses and turns all night. 49:39 But the Bible says Daniel's thrown into a lions' den. 49:42 And in this preacher's imagination, Daniel is in some 49:46 stinky, smelly lion's den, with lions that have not been 49:51 house trained, with lions' that may not have been washed 49:55 for awhile, and he puts his head on some big 49:58 cat and goes to sleep. 49:59 What a contrast. What a contrast. 50:04 When there's peace in your heart, 50:08 that peace passes all understanding. 50:11 Peace comes not from what my hands possess, 50:15 but from what my heart possesses. 50:18 Peace comes not from what I have, 50:22 but from the One that has me. 50:24 And when our lives are surrendered to Christ, 50:28 even in the lions' den, even in the lions' den, there is peace. 50:37 There is peace here in that lions' den. 50:42 The sun rises over the lions' den. 50:47 It rises over the kingdom of Darius. 50:51 The king runs to that lion's den. 50:55 And in Daniel 6:22 it says: The king cries out 51:02 to Daniel in verse 20. 51:04 Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, 51:07 whom you serve continually, been able to deliver 51:09 you from the lions? 51:11 Now what does Daniel say? 51:12 My God has sent His angel, and shut the lions' mouths, 51:16 so that they have not hurt me: because I was found 51:19 innocent before Him. 51:20 My God has shut the lions' mouths. 51:23 There is a lion tamer in the house. 51:29 When the lions of lust roar in your ears, 51:33 there is a lion tamer. 51:34 When the lions of anger, or bitterness roar in your ears, 51:38 there is a lion tamer. 51:40 When because of a past, your life feels shattered and broken, 51:44 because of what happened to you in childhood, 51:46 there is a lion tamer. 51:48 When the words of criticism are about ready to come out of your 51:51 mouth, there is a lion tamer. 51:53 When you're ready to reach for a glass of alcohol, 51:55 there is a lion tamer, Jesus Christ. 51:58 The Bible says the Devil is walking around like a roaring 52:02 lion, seeking whom he may devour. 52:05 But the lion of the tribe of Judah, Jesus the living Christ, 52:10 is stronger than the temptations that we face, stronger than the 52:15 little impish devils lion. 52:17 I thank God for the testimony of a heathen king, 52:21 echoing and re-echoing down the centuries. 52:25 A heathen king makes his declaration because of the 52:29 faithfulness, because of the loyalty of Daniel. 52:32 Daniel was called by God. 52:34 Daniel was chosen by God. 52:36 Daniel was faithful to God. 52:39 And when you're chosen by God in a final generation, 52:42 when you're called by God in a final generation, 52:45 when you're faithful to God in a final generation, 52:48 your life will be a testimony before kings and queens, 52:52 before your neighbors, before your friends. 52:56 It will be a testimony in the university where you go, 52:59 in the computer lab where you work. 53:02 It'll be a testimony, a powerful testimony to others. 53:05 Here a heathen king cries out. 53:08 Look at what Darius says. 53:10 He says seven things about God. 53:13 Notice: He is the living God. 53:15 Who is this God? He's alive! 53:18 God has not wound this earth up like a clock, 53:21 and He's not some absentee landlord in our lives. 53:26 God is alive! He is the living God. 53:28 He is steadfast forever. 53:30 He is just when I need Him; Jesus is near. 53:32 Just when I falter, just when I fear. 53:34 Just when I need Him most. 53:36 Jesus is steadfast forever. 53:37 Who is He? 1. He's alive. 53:41 2. He's steadfast forever. 53:42 3. His kingdom is that which shall not be destroyed. 53:47 The kingdoms of Babylon, the kingdoms of Medo Persia, 53:50 the kingdoms of Greece, the kingdoms of Rome, 53:52 the kingdoms of this world have faded away into insignificance. 53:56 But there is an eternal, ever lasting kingdom coming that will 54:01 never, ever pass away. 54:03 Daniel's eyes were on the eternal kingdom, 54:06 not on the kingdoms of this world. 54:07 Notice: He is the living God; He's alive. 54:11 He's steadfast forever. 54:13 He never changes. That's two. 54:14 His kingdom is going to last forever. That's three. 54:17 His dominion shall insure to the end. That's four. 54:20 He delivers. Five. 54:22 He is the God that delivers. 54:24 What are you facing today? 54:25 What temptation, what challenge, discouragement, despondency, 54:30 fear? What do you face? 54:32 He is the living God. 54:34 He is steadfast forever. 54:36 His kingdom will never be destroyed. 54:39 His dominion shall endure to the end. 54:42 He delivers, He rescues. 54:44 And in your life He wants to show signs. 54:47 In your life He wants to show wonders. 54:50 In your life He wants to do something miraculous for you. 54:54 God is once again looking for young people who, through His 54:59 strength, and by His power, have undivided hearts, 55:02 and live lives of loyalty. 55:04 God is one again looking for young people who are wholly 55:08 consecrated, totally sold out for Him. 55:10 Their commitment to Christ, and heaven's principles, 55:13 will impact their families. 55:15 It'll impact their neighborhoods. 55:17 It'll impact their schools. 55:18 It'll impact their universities. 55:20 It'll impact their jobs. 55:21 It'll impact their world, their workplaces. 55:24 These are God's world changers. 55:28 Every place they go, wherever they find themselves, 55:31 their positive influence is for the kingdom of God. 55:34 Their lives speak of honesty. 55:36 Their lives speak of purity. 55:38 Their lives speak of integrity. 55:39 Their lives speak of diligence. 55:41 Their lives speak of faithfulness. 55:42 They can be depended upon. 55:44 Through them the earth is lightened with the glory of God. 55:48 Through them Christ's character is revealed before a waiting 55:53 world and a watching Universe. 55:54 This is your destiny. 55:56 This is your calling. 55:58 Do not sell out cheap! 56:01 This is God's plan for your life. 56:04 Will you accept God's plan for your life? 56:06 Will you say, Jesus, I want to live an uncompromised life. 56:11 If you want to be a Daniel in this generation, 56:14 if you want to live a life uncompromised, 56:18 I want you to stand, and I want to pray for you. 56:20 You just want to say, Lord, with all of my weakness, 56:24 all of my frailty, all my brokenness, 56:26 You know what my heart is. 56:28 That's the kind of life that I want to live. 56:30 That's the kind of person I want to be. 56:33 I don't want to live some half-hearted Christian life 56:36 that is a life of compromise. 56:38 That is the kind of person, God, that I want to be. 56:42 Now a special appeal for somebody here. 56:49 Is there somebody here that as I spoke today, 56:53 God brought to your mind certain areas of 56:57 compromise in your life, and you began to think about it. 57:03 And you said, Lord, I want to be done with that compromise. 57:07 I want to be done with it. 57:11 As we pray, do you just want to give that thing to Jesus now? 57:15 Somebody here God's heart is touching; 57:18 something He wants you to surrender to Him. 57:21 Some attitude, some habit, something in your life that's 57:27 not in harmony with His will. 57:30 For somebody this is decision day. 57:32 For somebody, you're going to leave this auditorium different. 57:36 You want to just raise your hand and say, God, I'm giving You 57:39 that thing; you know what it is. 57:40 God, I'm giving You that thing. 57:41 God, I'm giving You that attitude. 57:43 God, I'm giving You that habit. 57:46 We make the choice, and God's power comes down. 57:52 We don't overcome by willpower. 57:54 Our wills are united with Divine power. 57:57 You can put your hand down. 57:59 One last appeal. Last evening I met with an individual 58:06 who said, Pastor Mark, as I've come to GYC, 58:08 I've never been baptized. 58:12 And God just touched my heart, and I want to look 58:15 forward to Bible baptism. 58:17 There may be many of you in two classes: first maybe as a young 58:25 person you've come to this meeting, and you've never yet 58:28 made that decision to follow Jesus in baptism. 58:31 And God is speaking to your heart right now. 58:35 God is touching your heart right now. 58:38 And you want to leave this place saying, God, 58:41 I want to follow Jesus all the way. 58:45 I want to purpose in my heart, like Daniel, to follow Christ. 58:49 And right now you want to make that decision. 58:51 Maybe there's somebody here that you were baptized once, 58:55 and you drifted away from Christ, far away. 59:00 And you want to look forward to re-baptism. 59:04 We can talk to you about it, and counsel with you about it. 59:07 Somebody here, by raising your hand you say, I want to look 59:10 forward to baptism. 59:11 Not done that yet. I want to look forward to baptism. 59:13 I want the Spirit of God to touch my life. 59:15 I want to look forward to following 59:18 Christ in Bible baptism. 59:19 Somebody here that the Spirit of God is saying, I want to be 59:23 re-baptized. I just feel God calling me. 59:26 You know, if you're looking forward to baptism, 59:28 or re-baptism, we're going to gather with a group of young 59:31 people right here at the front, and I'm going to invite you to 59:34 come down, and I want to pray over you right now. 59:37 So just come down. I'm going to come to the side over here. 59:40 I'm going to come off the stage and come down to the side. 59:42 If you want to look forward to baptism... |
Revised 2016-08-03