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Series Code: BOL
Program Code: BOL000649A
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00:00 (Breath of Life Theme Music)
00:04 Sermon #B649 - Test Time 00:22 Dr. Byrd: The Word of God says in the Book of Daniel, Daniel 1:1, 00:27 if you would go there quickly with me,Daniel 1:1, Daniel 1:1. 00:38 The Word of God says, "In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah 00:43 came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it. 00:48 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, 00:51 with part of the vessels of the house of God; 00:53 which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his God 00:56 and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his God. 01:00 And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, 01:05 that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king's seed, and of the princes; 01:09 Children in whom was no blemish, but well-favored and skillful in all wisdom, 01:12 and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, 01:15 and such as had the ability in them to stand in the king's palace, 01:19 and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans. 01:24 And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king's meat, 01:27 and of the wine which he drank; so nourishing them three years, 01:31 that at the end thereof they might stand before the king. 01:34 Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: 01:40 Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names; for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; 01:45 and to Hananiah of Shadrach; and to Mishael of Meshach; and to Azariah of Abednego." 01:51 Verse eight, "But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile 01:55 himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: 02:00 therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself." 02:07 Today, we just want to challenge you on the subject in harmony with our green plate day, 02:12 test time, test time. 02:14 God, right now, we have sung; we have prayed; we have listened to the importance of healthful living. 02:20 Now, we need a word from You. Speak, Lord, for Your servants here and forgive us of our sins. 02:25 And, God, You do what You do with the appeal time. 02:27 We give You praise, honor, and glory for what You're going to do through Your Word, in Jesus' name. 02:32 Let everyone say Amen. 02:33 [Congregation: Amen] 02:35 And Amen. Turn into your neighbors and say, "Neighbor, it's test time." Come on. 02:38 Say it like you mean it. Say, "Test time." All right. Quickly. 02:42 The Book of Daniel is full of miracles, visions, and prophecies. 02:46 We know this book very well; Daniel in the lion's den, the three Hebrew boys in the fiery furnace, 02:52 the 2,300-day prophecy, the 70-weeks prophecy. We know all of these. 02:57 But before all of that, the Book of Daniel begins with a 10-day experiment. 03:04 Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, captures the city of Jerusalem. 03:08 And then takes many of Jerusalem's people back to Babylon. 03:13 Now, included in this captivity were some of the best and brightest young men of Jerusalem. 03:20 These young men didn't have any physical defects. They were handsome. 03:22 They were smart, well-informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king's palace. 03:28 Now, some scholars believe the plan was to prepare these young men for 03:34 priestly roles excelling the arts of divination, astrology, and magic. 03:39 Other scholars thought they would be groomed for offices and positions of political nature. 03:44 But whatever the reason, the idea, the modus operandi, was to capture some promising young men, 03:51 indoctrinate their hearts 03:53 and minds in order that they might become fully Babylonianized within a three-year period. 04:00 Their thought was, "Give us these young men for three years. 04:07 And we will make them Babylonians for life." 04:11 That shouldn't be strange to us, because we often hear many Christian denominations 04:15 and religions say, "Give me a child for a certain period of time in their life. 04:21 And I'll make them a Catholic. I'll make them a Baptist. I'll make them a Muslim. 04:25 I'll make them an Adventist for their life." 04:28 That's why going to Oakwood is so important 04:31 because the foundation that you get here will remain with you for the rest of your life. 04:36 Do you I have a witness in this place? 04:37 [Congregation: Yes] 04:39 Now, you need to understand these young men did not have a say in the process. 04:44 They did not choose to go to Babylon. They were forced to go to Babylon. 04:50 I don't want to turn this into a black history sermon. 04:52 And I know we just have sung We Shall Overcome. 04:55 But I get concerned when I hear people say, "People chose to be in slavery." Nobody chose to be a slave. 05:08 People were forced to be slaves. I hope somebody's watching. 05:12 Do I have a witness to this place? The Hebrew young men were castrated and forced into slavery. 05:20 The Hebrew young women were forced to gratify the immoral sexual desires of their captors. 05:26 Their choice was to obey or die. Those who chose to obey were treated well, receiving food 05:35 and wine from the king's table which is very similar to slavery in the 17th, 18th, 05:40 and 19th century right here in America. If you obey, if you didn't rise up, you were treated better. 05:47 You didn't have to work as hard in the fields. You can work in the house. 05:51 You are a house slave and not a field slave. Are you hearing what I'm saying? 05:56 If you were a woman and you complied with the sexual deviants of your slave owner, 06:01 you were looked out after. If you were a man and you did what you were told 06:06 and you didn't speak up against rape, incest, and inhumane treatment, you were tolerated. 06:13 So then don't think it's strange that the majority of the Hebrew young men agreed to 06:16 obey their Babylonian capturers knowing that there was a three-year probationary period. 06:22 And because they wanted to stay alive, they succumbed to the notion that this, too, shall pass. 06:30 But in every period of every age, I'm so glad that there are still some people who will stand up. 06:41 I am so glad there are still some people who will stand for their rights. 06:46 There are some people who will still not bow down to the unrighteous 06:50 foolish edicts of an unrighteous king. 06:53 There are still some people out there who will not go along to get along. 06:58 There are still some people who will speak truth to power. 07:03 The Babylonians had invaded Jerusalem. Jerusalem had been overwhelmed. The land was conquered. 07:10 The devastation was terrible. Israel no longer controlled its own destiny. 07:15 The Babylonians took Hebrew youth back to Babylon. 07:18 The youth were made eunuchs without ever having the hope of having children on their own. 07:22 And they would spend the remainder of their lives serving a pagan king. 07:29 Now, let me remind you that the Babylonian army didn't capture Jerusalem 07:34 because they had better generals. The Babylonian army didn't succeed in this invasion 07:40 because they had better weapons. 07:42 Nebuchadnezzar's forces did not win these battles because they were in better uniforms. 07:48 Jerusalem was defeated according to Daniel 1:1, because the Bible says, 07:53 "The Lord gave Jehoiakim into Nebuchadnezzar's hand." I don't think you all got that. 08:01 The Lord gave Jehoiakim into Nebuchadnezzar's hand. 08:07 In other words, God delivered the Hebrews into the hands of the Babylonians. 08:15 Somebody's saying, "Well, why would God do that?" Because God is God. 08:19 And God can do whatever God wants to do. 08:22 And because God knows what God is doing, we have to learn to trust God. 08:26 Because God's ways are not our ways. God's thoughts are not our thoughts. 08:31 God, I believe, allowed Jerusalem's capture because it was according to God's plan. 08:36 It was all according to His plan for Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, 08:41 and Abednego to end up in the king's courts, 08:44 so God could get the glory and more people would know about the Almighty God. 08:51 So Nebuchadnezzar captures Israel, retains the most intelligent, 08:56 the most talented Hebrews to serve him in his court. Everybody else was to go work in the field. 09:01 But Daniel and his three friends - Shadrach, Meshach, 09:03 and Abednego were included in the group of royal favorites. 09:07 Living in the king's court meant they had to eat the king's meat. 09:11 Now, while there is no record in Scripture of what the king's meat was, we do know this. 09:20 It wasn't Griller's, Super Link's, Fri-Chick, ready burger, the impossible burger, tofu, or 09:33 that good veggie meat the young people love so much in the Oakwood Cafeteria. Amen? 09:38 [Congregation: Amen] 09:40 [Congregation: Laughing] 09:45 But it was something else. So Daniel, the Bible says, stands up and purposes in his heart, 09:53 in verse number eight, that he would not defile himself with the king's meat 09:58 nor with the wine the king drink. Now, to purpose something means to establish 10:03 or fix something so firm that it becomes unmovable and unshakable. 10:09 Another word for this is conviction. Everybody say conviction. 10:10 [Congregation: Conviction] 10:13 Convictions are truths that we are so sure of 10:17 and so convinced about that nothing can make us move from our convictions. 10:21 Are you hearing what I'm saying? 10:22 Convictions are what you need to live as a Christian in an ungodly world. 10:27 Convictions give you the ability to stand and keeping on when everyone around you has fallen away, 10:35 and you are the last one standing. 10:38 In the name of Jesus, if you want to be a person that God can use for His glory, 10:45 I am a witness that you got to have some convictions. 10:48 A man who stands for nothing will fall for anything. You got to have some convictions. 10:56 I've learned everybody's not going to understand you. Everybody may not like you. 11:02 But you can't be popular and prophetic at the same time. You got to have some convictions. 11:08 And let me tell you this. 11:10 These convictions, they have to be your convictions, not somebody else's convictions. 11:15 Ellen White says, "We are not to be mere reflectors of other men's thoughts." 11:18 Are you hearing what I'm saying? 11:19 So Daniel, the text says, 11:22 under conviction asks for a meeting-- asks for a meeting to meet with one of the king's men, 11:31 so he can tell the king's man what's he's not going to do. Now, this was risky. 11:39 Daniel and his friends could have expelled from the royal academy, 11:41 or worse, yet, they could have been killed. But I'm so glad Daniel knew who his Father was. 11:46 I'm so glad that Daniel knew that God had his back. Are you hearing what I'm saying, everybody? 11:51 So what does Daniel do? We know the story. Daniel proposes an experiment. 11:55 We all know what that experiment is. We're at Oakwood. 11:57 We're at an educational institution, and experiments are performed every day. 12:01 But just in case you don't know, 12:02 an experiment is a scientific procedure undertaken to make a discovery, test a hypothesis, 12:06 or demonstrate a known fact. Experiments can be unethical and inhumane. 12:13 What am I talking about? You all remember the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment. 12:19 Unethical. Inhumane. But then an experiment can be as simple as mixing baking soda, vinegar; 12:28 and put some glitter in it; and you create a sparkly volcano. 12:32 But this experiment was different. This experiment dealt with food. 12:37 Daniel says, "Let us only eat pulse," which was a diet of beans, lentils, edible seed like grain, 12:47 "and let's drink water only. No meat. No drink. No wine. Just beans and lentils and water for 10 days. 12:58 And let's see who fares better physically: those who eat the king's meat 13:02 and drink the king's wine, or the four of us who eat beans, lentils, and drink water?" 13:09 So the story says that for 10 days, Daniel and his friends would only eat lentils, beans, grains 13:14 or the edible seeds of certain plants, 13:15 drink water while all the other servants would eat the king's meat. 13:21 The Bible says, and this is the key, verse 15, 13:25 "At the end of the 10 days, Daniel and his friends," the Bible says, "their countenances," 13:30 their what, everybody-- [Congregation: Countenances] 13:32 "appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than those who ate the king's meat." 13:41 Now, let me be clear. My reason for sharing this today to you is not to make you become a vegetarian 13:48 or vegan. I can't make you do anything. 13:52 That's a decision that you have to make between you and the Lord. Do I have a witness in this place? 13:57 But studies do show that a vegetarian diet is, typically, lower in saturated fat, 14:03 higher in fiber, complex carbohydrates, and mild Vitamin C 14:07 and E. Vegetarians, the test studies say, also have lower cholesterol, a lower risk of obesity, 14:13 hypertension, and of developing diabetes or cardiovascular diseases. 14:17 The benefits of being a vegan are that a vegan diet is richer in certain nutrients. 14:21 It can help you lose excess weight. [Congregation: Laughing] 14:23 Dr. Byrd: It lowers blood sugar levels, improves kidney function, protects against certain cancers, 14:30 is linked to lower risk of heart disease, and can reduce pain from arthritis. 14:35 Now, that's what the study showed. And we know this is true. 14:41 Because I was telling Ms. Elise that many people live in the Huntsville, Alabama area 14:47 and also in area in Loma Linda, California that are in our Adventist communities. 14:53 And these communities have been labeled as blue zones 14:56 because the people live longer in these communities because of their diets. 15:01 Are you hearing what I'm saying? 15:03 We have health professionals today that can speak with greater authority 15:08 and expertise on the benefits of a green plate diet. 15:12 But I'm just a lowly preacher trying to lose some weight. 15:15 And I want to come from a spiritual perspective. 15:19 When I read Daniel 1, I want to be sure that I point out that there is a clear connection 15:26 between what we eat and our countenances. That what we eat impacts our countenance. 15:35 The text says in Daniel 1:15, "At the end of the ten days, Daniel and his friends, 15:42 their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than those who ate the king's meat." 15:47 Daniel's body was healthy, and his body was fair. 15:52 But friends of mine, this is my holy hypothesis. 15:55 I just don't believe it was Daniel's physical body that appeared healthier. 16:01 But it was also his mind. 16:04 It was also his spirit that were kept clean 16:08 by his decision to eat only that food which he felt was clean. 16:12 Daniel went on to use his spiritual clarity to interpret dreams, stand for truth and righteousness, 16:19 inspire several conquering kings to respect his God. 16:22 When I read the word - and I read about Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, 16:26 and Abednego in Daniel 1 - it makes me think about what in my own diet could be hampering 16:33 or compromising my spiritual and physical well-being. Are you hearing what I'm saying? 16:40 [Congregation: Amen] 16:41 We are what we eat. If you eat garbage, you'll be garbage. 16:50 Too many people are on a "see food" diet where when they see it, they eat it. What's that? 17:00 I don't know what it is. But it's good. But all that is grease. 17:02 But it sure tastes good. Ellen White says in Council on Health, life is a gift from God. 17:07 Our bodies have been given to us to use in God's service. 17:09 And a misuse of the body shortens the time period that God designed shall be used for His service. 17:16 When the young men were found to be better and healthier 17:18 and better nourished after 10 days than their counterparts, 17:21 the Bible teaches that they knew God was providing for them. 17:24 And this knowledge would help them maintain their devotion to God in later tests. 17:29 What am I talking about? Because Daniel passed the food test in Daniel 1, 17:36 he was able to pass the prayer test-- [Congregation: Applause] 17:40 -- in Daniel 6 when he was thrown in the lion's den. Are you hearing what I'm saying? 17:45 If you can't handle the test Satan throws your way now, 17:48 how are you going to handle the bigger tests of life that are going to come later? 17:51 I'm almost done. But the text says a few more points. But I just want to share, two. 17:55 Number one, Daniel and his friends trusted God. They trusted God working through their diet. 18:01 And they trusted and believed that God would reward them for their obedience. 18:05 Listen to be good, their obedience. And God did. God honored their obedience. 18:11 And after 10 days, they were healthier and stronger than all the others in the royal academy. 18:16 So for the rest of the three-year course, they were allowed to continue eating this simple diet. 18:20 And by the end of those three years, 18:22 they were head and shoulders above all the rest in the royal kingdom in wisdom and judgment. 18:25 They became the king's most trusted advisers and counselors. 18:28 Now, listen to be good. Don't get it twisted. Don't misquote Pastor Byrd. 18:32 Some people are good for that. 18:34 [Congregation: Laughing] 18:39 This is not me. That we should adapt or take on a similar diet only if we want to become stronger 18:48 and smarter than everyone else. I know a lot of unintelligent vegans and vegetarians. 18:58 Are you hearing what I'm saying? Don't get it twisted. 19:02 The outcome of the young men was entirely God's doing 19:06 and was not limited to making a healthier choice. 19:10 But it had everything to do with making a Godlier choice, a choice to obey God. 19:19 My parents taught me to obey is better than to sacrifice, that a hard head made a soft bottom. 19:29 Are you hearing what I'm saying? 19:30 [Congregation: Yes] 19:32 I praise God that Daniel's request was granted But what if it hadn't been? 19:42 What if his request had not been granted? What if the king's man, Melzar, 19:47 thought that they were just being too picky, too difficult? And he said, "I'm sorry. 19:52 But listen. This is what has been prepared. 19:55 This is what's on your table. And this is what you're going to eat. 20:00 Just eat this food like everybody else, and hush." 20:07 What do you think the four Hebrews would have done? I don't know about you. 20:12 But I believe that their trust in and obedience to God was so strong; 20:17 that if they had starved to death, they would have done it rather to be giving in to their hunger 20:24 and thirst and compromise their convictions. That's obedience. 20:32 If we can have that kind of obedience to withstand that kind of test, 20:34 what are we going to do when the world is on fire? 20:38 Second lesson then I'm going to sit down. Favor. 20:43 Notice now that it was God who put Daniel in favor with Nebuchadnezzar's official. 20:49 I could preach a whole sermon on this. If you read the text, 20:53 Daniel did not speak directly to Nebuchadnezzar's man. But he spoke to Nebuchadnezzar's men's man. 21:03 Are you with me, everybody? It wasn't the associate under Daniel. 21:10 It was the associate under the associate. God orchestrated it that Daniel would speak to him. 21:20 Verse nine, "Now God brought Daniel into favor and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs. 21:29 " Daniel was known for his wisdom. But God used that wisdom on the official's heart. 21:32 That's favor. And favor is not fair. Stop hating on somebody else's favor. 21:44 Realize that what God has for me, it is for me. 21:52 And if you're being hated on, don't worry about your haters. 21:58 God will make your haters your elevators. 22:02 [Congregation: Applause] 22:04 The Bible says, specifically, that God will make your enemies your footstool. 22:11 What can we learn from this? You got to have enemies in order to step on somebody. 22:18 So praise God for your enemies, 22:21 because if you don't have enemies, you wouldn't have anybody to step on? 22:24 Are you hearing what I'm saying? 22:25 [Congregation: Amen] 22:27 Dr. Byrd: I'm learning how to just laugh at myself. And I look at my enemies. 22:32 And I look at them, and I say, "Footstool [laughter]." 22:35 I look over there and say, "Footstool." 22:38 And I'm smiling at how you're doing it under my breath, "Footstool [laughter]." 22:42 Keep doing what you're doing: 22:45 And God will honor you when you honor Him. It's test time. 22:54 The world is in a mess. It's test time. The world is coming to an end. It's test time. 23:06 Jesus is soon to come. It's test time. What you eat is what's eating you. It's test time. 23:16 Are you going to obey? Or are you going to sacrifice? It's test time. Favor is from the Lord. 23:27 It's test time. This is not a Math test, not an English test, not a Biology test, not a History test, 23:37 not a Greek test. But it's time church to get ready for God's test. 23:43 We've got wildfires, whistleblowing, impeachment talks. But it's test time. 23:50 But I want to encourage somebody today. Don't be anxious for the test. 23:55 Don't be scared for the test. Don't worry about the test. You don't get an A on the test. 24:03 You're going to pass the test because Jesus already wrote the grade at Calvary. 24:10 At Calvary, He died for our sins. We just got to live through this test. 24:15 So nevertheless, it's only a test. You got to hold on. 24:23 Praise God that the four Hebrews ate how they did. But don't forget the message of this text. 24:42 Obedience. You got to obey. 24:48 I don't care how you try to rationalize the Word of God 24:50 and make the Word of God suit your purposes and preferences. 24:54 The Word of God is the Word of God. You got to obey. And God will give you favor. 25:05 It's test time. But you got to be willing to stand for the right. 25:15 You got to be willing to stand if nobody else around you is standing. 25:31 Thank you very much for tuning in to this week's Breath of Life broadcast. 25:35 We hope and pray that you've been blessed by Dr. Byrd's inspirational message. 25:40 If you would like to hear this sermon in its entirety, 25:42 please feel free to visit us at www.breathoflife.tv. 25:48 Or, call us at (256) 929-6460 25:56 [End] 26:00 [MUSIC] 26:06 Congregation: [Applause] 26:15 We still haven't come down from the mountaintop 26:17 as we recently concluded our fall revival in our Nation's Capital, Washington, DC. 26:23 Each night the Word of God was preached and at the close of our time in DC, 26:29 we were blessed to witness 53 people surrendered their lives to the Lord through baptism. 26:36 “I Love being a father, nothing makes me happier. 26:40 Like, waking up seeing my daughters, and I just know that I had to--- 26:45 I had to bring my family here. Dr. Byrd he baptised me and her together. 26:53 You know? So that meant alot to me, and I'm glad we are young and we really want this. 27:01 For our children and for ourselves.” 27:04 “Man! Dr, Byrd has been an inspiration to me because he knows the Bible inside out. 27:12 His words, his continuous flow. He gives me inspiration in the things that I do, to know that-- 27:20 You know? I'm on the right path. I'm just not there yet but I know I'll get there though." 27:28 “I just been getting feed more and more and more 27:32 Just learning more and more about the Bible. 27:35 Learning how to live, learning how to eat right. 27:40 You know? Oh Lord. 27:42 It's just-- It's just-- 27:45 It's just so awesome.” 27:47 We are excited to see God continue to transform lives with the Gospel of Jesus Christ! 27:53 We are mindful however that we can't do this work without your help. 27:58 Each and every contribution helps us to keep sharing God's Word. 28:02 Please make your tax deductible gift payable to Breath of Life by mail, 28:07 at Breath of Life PO BOX 5960, Huntsville, AL 35814 28:15 Give us all call the number is 256.929.6460 28:22 Or you can visit us online at www.breathoflife.tv 28:27 [end] |
Revised 2019-11-01