Jonah 1:10.
00:00:05.07\00:00:08.97
The Bible says,
00:00:09.00\00:00:11.44
"Then the men were
exceedingly afraid.
00:00:11.47\00:00:14.21
And they said to him,
'Why have you done this?'
00:00:14.24\00:00:18.68
For the men knew that he fled
from the presence of the Lord
00:00:18.71\00:00:22.48
because he had told them.'"
00:00:22.52\00:00:25.95
Now I want us to
picture this in our minds here.
00:00:25.99\00:00:28.22
These men drew lots.
00:00:28.26\00:00:29.69
I guess that's what you know,
00:00:29.72\00:00:31.19
believers in false
gods sometimes did.
00:00:31.23\00:00:33.93
They drew lots and God
in His mercy and kindness
00:00:33.96\00:00:36.87
allowed the lot
to point to Jonah.
00:00:36.90\00:00:39.47
And so they come
to Jonah and say,
00:00:39.50\00:00:41.64
"You're the
stranger on this ship.
00:00:41.67\00:00:43.54
What do you have to do
with this great storm?"
00:00:43.57\00:00:46.84
And Jonah spills the beans.
00:00:46.88\00:00:48.48
He says, "I'm
running away from my God."
00:00:48.51\00:00:51.31
And do you notice what
these pagan men say to him?
00:00:51.35\00:00:55.28
Why have you what?
00:00:55.32\00:00:58.12
Why have you done this?
00:00:58.15\00:00:59.85
Now think about that.
00:00:59.89\00:01:01.56
These man who
do not even believe
00:01:01.59\00:01:03.99
in the true God of heaven,
00:01:04.03\00:01:05.63
they know that if
they were to ignore
00:01:05.66\00:01:08.60
one of the
commands of their God,
00:01:08.63\00:01:11.60
or they were to incur his wrath
00:01:11.63\00:01:14.20
or run away from
one of their gods,
00:01:14.24\00:01:16.14
they know that
would be bad news.
00:01:16.17\00:01:18.11
So they can't
figure out why Jonah,
00:01:18.14\00:01:20.48
who believes in apparently
the true God of heaven,
00:01:20.51\00:01:22.94
the creator of
the heavens and earth,
00:01:22.98\00:01:24.61
why in the world is he running
away from his God's command?
00:01:24.65\00:01:29.42
It's almost as
though those pagan men
00:01:29.45\00:01:31.22
had more faith in
God than Jonah had.
00:01:31.25\00:01:33.92
Now let me ask you,
00:01:33.96\00:01:35.29
does that sound
like a perfect prophet?
00:01:35.32\00:01:37.43
Yes or no?
00:01:37.46\00:01:38.96
Hardly.
00:01:38.99\00:01:41.00
But you know, if I'm
to apply that to my life,
00:01:41.03\00:01:45.13
it's pretty sad when
the people of the world
00:01:45.17\00:01:48.07
have to look at my life,
the way I live, the way I act.
00:01:48.10\00:01:53.78
The things I think I
do behind closed doors,
00:01:53.81\00:01:56.48
and they ask the question.
00:01:56.51\00:01:58.18
I wonder why he
or she is doing that.
00:01:58.21\00:02:02.85
It's sad when the
people in our workplaces
00:02:02.88\00:02:05.89
maybe talk behind our backs
00:02:05.92\00:02:07.56
and they see the way
we act in the boardroom.
00:02:07.59\00:02:10.86
They hear the things we
gossip about in the break room.
00:02:10.89\00:02:15.03
They see the ethics
that we do or don't follow,
00:02:15.06\00:02:18.53
or maybe the practices
00:02:18.57\00:02:19.90
that we follow
along with the world.
00:02:19.93\00:02:21.47
And they asked themselves,
I thought he was a Christian.
00:02:21.50\00:02:24.61
I wonder why he
does those things.
00:02:24.64\00:02:28.68
Or maybe our neighbors,
if we live in close houses.
00:02:28.71\00:02:32.71
They see how we interact
with each other as a family,
00:02:32.75\00:02:36.15
how I interact with my kids,
how maybe I lose my patience,
00:02:36.18\00:02:41.12
how I say unkind things
to maybe my wife or my dog
00:02:41.16\00:02:44.99
and maybe even try to
use the Bible to justify it.
00:02:45.03\00:02:47.86
And then those same
neighbors wonder wow,
00:02:47.90\00:02:49.93
I see him or her going to church
00:02:49.96\00:02:51.63
every Saturday morning.
00:02:51.67\00:02:53.37
I wonder why their faith
00:02:53.40\00:02:54.74
doesn't make much
difference in their life.
00:02:54.77\00:02:58.41
See when the
people of the world,
00:02:58.44\00:03:00.31
when God has to use
the people of the world
00:03:00.34\00:03:02.44
to rebuke His own people,
00:03:02.48\00:03:04.35
that's
something that's very sad.
00:03:04.38\00:03:06.51
But God does it in
order to get our attention.
00:03:06.55\00:03:09.65
And so before I start
stepping on Jonah's toes,
00:03:09.68\00:03:13.36
if I'm fair, I
really ought to myself, God,
00:03:13.39\00:03:16.12
is there any area of my
life where I'm failing you?
00:03:16.16\00:03:20.96
Is there any area of my life
00:03:21.00\00:03:24.23
where I know that my actions
aren't matching my profession?
00:03:24.27\00:03:29.14
And if it is, Lord, I ask you,
00:03:29.17\00:03:32.14
change me,
Lord, change my heart.
00:03:32.17\00:03:36.14
Because when
your heart is changed,
00:03:36.18\00:03:38.61
then God can work
on your family's heart.
00:03:38.65\00:03:41.28
Then God can work on
your neighbors' heart,
00:03:41.32\00:03:43.39
then God can work on
my colleagues' heart,
00:03:43.42\00:03:46.19
but it all has to begin
with me saying, God, change me.
00:03:46.22\00:03:51.93
Can you say amen?
00:03:51.96\00:03:53.90
Now this story goes on
and in verses 11 to 15,
00:03:53.93\00:03:57.83
I have to tell you
that what Jonah says next
00:03:57.87\00:04:00.77
is something I have a
very hard time comprehending
00:04:00.80\00:04:04.01
or even understanding.
00:04:04.04\00:04:06.01
Let's pick it up in verse 11.
00:04:06.04\00:04:09.28
The Bible says, "Then they,"
meaning those pagan sailors.
00:04:09.31\00:04:14.12
"Then they said to him,
'What shall we do to you
00:04:14.15\00:04:18.15
that the sea may be calm for us?
00:04:18.19\00:04:20.69
For the sea was
growing more tempestuous.'
00:04:20.72\00:04:24.26
And so he said to them,
00:04:24.29\00:04:25.96
'Pick me up and
throw me into the," what?
00:04:25.99\00:04:29.43
"Sea.
00:04:29.46\00:04:30.80
Then the sea will
become calm for you.
00:04:30.83\00:04:33.17
For I know this great tempest
00:04:33.20\00:04:36.54
is because of me.'"
00:04:36.57\00:04:39.27
Verse 13,
00:04:39.31\00:04:40.81
"Nevertheless the men
rowed hard to return to land,
00:04:40.84\00:04:45.05
but they could not,
00:04:45.08\00:04:46.45
for the sea continued to grow
more tempestuous against them.
00:04:46.48\00:04:50.75
Therefore they cried
out to the Lord and said,
00:04:50.79\00:04:53.79
'We pray, O Lord,
00:04:53.82\00:04:55.56
please do not let us
perish for this man's life,
00:04:55.59\00:04:58.89
and do not charge
us with innocent blood,
00:04:58.93\00:05:01.46
for You, O Lord, have
done it as You pleased.'
00:05:01.50\00:05:04.27
So they picked up Jonah,
and threw him into the sea:
00:05:04.30\00:05:07.80
and the sea
ceased from its raging.'"
00:05:07.84\00:05:12.07
Now let's look at
this for a second.
00:05:12.11\00:05:14.78
I'm trying to put
myself in Jonah's shoes.
00:05:14.81\00:05:18.95
And I'm thinking
00:05:18.98\00:05:20.45
that if those
sailors were to ask me,
00:05:20.48\00:05:23.05
what should we do to
make this storm cease?
00:05:23.08\00:05:28.12
I can assure you, my
first response would not be,
00:05:28.16\00:05:31.19
"Oh, well, just throw
me overboard into the sea."
00:05:31.23\00:05:34.13
Does that make any sense to you
00:05:34.16\00:05:35.50
because that doesn't
make any sense to me?
00:05:35.53\00:05:37.10
To me, the
logical response would be,
00:05:37.13\00:05:40.54
"Let's fall on our knees
and bow prostrate before God,
00:05:40.57\00:05:44.34
and I'll repent of my
sin and ask forgiveness,
00:05:44.37\00:05:46.81
and I'll tell God
that I'll go to Nineveh."
00:05:46.84\00:05:49.34
To me that seems a lot
like the logical response.
00:05:49.38\00:05:51.91
Does anybody else think that?
00:05:51.95\00:05:53.45
Or am I just crazy?
00:05:53.48\00:05:54.95
I mean, I would not
say throw me into the sea
00:05:54.98\00:05:58.25
because Jonah had to know
00:05:58.29\00:06:00.56
that under normal circumstances,
00:06:00.59\00:06:03.06
that would be certain what?
00:06:03.09\00:06:05.83
Death.
00:06:05.86\00:06:07.23
In fact, you
know how we know that?
00:06:07.26\00:06:09.13
Because verse 13 tells us
00:06:09.16\00:06:10.83
how these sailors reacted
to that ridiculous request.
00:06:10.87\00:06:14.50
They didn't want to do it.
00:06:14.54\00:06:15.87
It says, "They rode even harder
to try to save themselves."
00:06:15.90\00:06:19.91
They didn't want
to throw him overboard
00:06:19.94\00:06:21.28
because they knew he would die.
00:06:21.31\00:06:22.88
And in their
minds, they figured,
00:06:22.91\00:06:26.05
if his God can
produce a storm like that,
00:06:26.08\00:06:31.39
we don't want to do anything
00:06:31.42\00:06:32.75
to harm the prophet of that God.
00:06:32.79\00:06:36.39
I mean, they had
more faith in God
00:06:36.42\00:06:39.79
than Jonah did.
00:06:39.83\00:06:42.53
But it finally came to a point
00:06:42.56\00:06:45.73
where they seemed
they had no choice.
00:06:45.77\00:06:48.24
And so indeed, they took
Jonah and threw him overboard.
00:06:48.27\00:06:52.31
Now there's something
that comes to my mind here.
00:06:52.34\00:06:54.08
I can't prove
this from Scripture,
00:06:54.11\00:06:55.71
but I just wonder if Jonah knew
00:06:55.74\00:07:00.22
that being thrown overboard
would be certain death,
00:07:00.25\00:07:04.72
a part of me just wonders,
00:07:04.75\00:07:08.29
was Jonah so deeply discouraged
00:07:08.32\00:07:12.69
and depressed
00:07:12.73\00:07:15.30
with the failure he had become?
00:07:15.33\00:07:18.97
Was he so burdened and guilty
00:07:19.00\00:07:22.14
by these poor
choices that he had made?
00:07:22.17\00:07:24.31
We don't know how long
it was between the time
00:07:24.34\00:07:25.87
he got the call and
actually got on the ship?
00:07:25.91\00:07:28.38
Was he so weighed down
by his sins, that he felt,
00:07:28.41\00:07:33.05
you know what?
00:07:33.08\00:07:34.55
"My life is worthless to God.
00:07:34.58\00:07:37.65
I might as well just give up.
00:07:37.69\00:07:39.72
I'm no good to
Him or anybody else.
00:07:39.75\00:07:41.49
I've embarrassed God.
00:07:41.52\00:07:42.86
I've embarrassed my family.
00:07:42.89\00:07:44.23
It might be better for
me to just end it all."
00:07:44.26\00:07:49.20
Now, I can't prove
that from Scripture.
00:07:49.23\00:07:51.43
But I wonder if
that's not why Jonah said
00:07:51.47\00:07:53.13
just throw me overboard.
00:07:53.17\00:07:54.57
I'm tired of dealing with this.
00:07:54.60\00:07:58.21
And if we're honest,
we can relate to that.
00:07:58.24\00:08:00.94
Now maybe most of us
have never had thoughts
00:08:00.98\00:08:03.01
of ending at all but
it does happen to people.
00:08:03.04\00:08:06.82
That there are times
when we feel so worthless
00:08:06.85\00:08:09.65
because we think we've
wasted most of our life.
00:08:09.68\00:08:13.86
Things didn't turn
out the way we had hoped.
00:08:13.89\00:08:16.83
We've made poor choices
00:08:16.86\00:08:18.29
and those
consequences are still with us.
00:08:18.33\00:08:21.30
And the devil has a
way of taking guilt,
00:08:21.33\00:08:24.63
and just
weighing it down upon us
00:08:24.67\00:08:27.14
so that we never forget
and we can never let go.
00:08:27.17\00:08:30.31
And sometimes we really
reach a point where we wonder,
00:08:30.34\00:08:33.34
can my life ever be redeemed?
00:08:33.38\00:08:35.74
Can my life ever be changed?
00:08:35.78\00:08:37.85
Can I ever be used for
anything good in this world?
00:08:37.88\00:08:41.02
And maybe we
wonder it's too late,
00:08:41.05\00:08:43.42
maybe it's better
for me just to die.
00:08:43.45\00:08:46.76
I want you to know
00:08:46.79\00:08:48.12
if there's anybody
thinking that way today.
00:08:48.16\00:08:51.03
It doesn't change the fact
00:08:51.06\00:08:52.39
that God still
has a plan for you.
00:08:52.43\00:08:55.90
Can you say amen?
00:08:55.93\00:08:57.27
God has been working
with imperfect people
00:08:57.30\00:09:00.30
for a long, long time.
00:09:00.34\00:09:02.27
Every disciple that
followed Him was imperfect
00:09:02.30\00:09:05.34
and God was patient and
willing to work with them
00:09:05.37\00:09:08.01
and willing to change them.
00:09:08.04\00:09:10.31
I mean, the Bible tells us,
00:09:10.35\00:09:11.78
"Yea, I have loved thee
with an everlasting love,
00:09:11.81\00:09:15.85
with loving
kindness have I drawn thee."
00:09:15.88\00:09:18.79
God says, He takes those sins,
00:09:18.82\00:09:20.49
He's willing to throw them
into the depths of the sea.
00:09:20.52\00:09:24.33
Though your
sins be like scarlet,
00:09:24.36\00:09:26.90
they can be as white as snow.
00:09:26.93\00:09:30.93
And if you're
looking for hope today,
00:09:30.97\00:09:33.44
I want you to look
00:09:33.47\00:09:34.80
at how God
deals with Jonah here.
00:09:34.84\00:09:37.81
Because indeed,
Jonah is thrown overboard,
00:09:37.84\00:09:40.88
and the only thing that
can save him is a miracle
00:09:40.91\00:09:44.28
and intervention by God.
00:09:44.31\00:09:46.28
And that's exactly what happens
00:09:46.31\00:09:48.38
because God had
designed this big fish.
00:09:48.42\00:09:51.65
In fact, usually
when we think of Jonah,
00:09:51.69\00:09:53.02
that's the first
thing we think of,
00:09:53.05\00:09:54.39
"Oh, yeah, that's the guy
00:09:54.42\00:09:55.76
that was
swallowed by a big fish."
00:09:55.79\00:09:57.13
He swallowed by a big
fish and has to be in there,
00:09:57.16\00:09:59.56
apparently three
days and three nights.
00:09:59.59\00:10:02.73
Now this is the
part of the story
00:10:02.76\00:10:04.10
where some people think,
00:10:04.13\00:10:05.47
"Well, this is why the
Bible is a bunch of fairy tales,
00:10:05.50\00:10:07.60
you can't actually
expect me to believe that,
00:10:07.64\00:10:10.04
that's not a real story."
00:10:10.07\00:10:12.41
But it is.
00:10:12.44\00:10:14.01
Because you take every
story of the Bible literally,
00:10:14.04\00:10:16.58
unless there's a reason in it
to believe that it's symbolic.
00:10:16.61\00:10:20.02
And I figure, God
created the human body.
00:10:20.05\00:10:23.82
So He ought to know
how to keep it alive,
00:10:23.85\00:10:25.75
even inside the
belly of the fish.
00:10:25.79\00:10:27.96
God's the one
that created the fish,
00:10:27.99\00:10:29.96
He ought to be
able to control it.
00:10:29.99\00:10:31.73
And so if God,
00:10:31.76\00:10:33.09
if I could understand
everything that God does,
00:10:33.13\00:10:36.46
if everything
He does is logical,
00:10:36.50\00:10:38.60
and I'm able to comprehend it,
then He would cease to be God.
00:10:38.63\00:10:42.04
If He's God, I
expect Him to do things
00:10:42.07\00:10:44.87
that I can't understand
00:10:44.91\00:10:46.47
and things that
seem to be impossible.
00:10:46.51\00:10:49.01
Can you say amen to that?
00:10:49.04\00:10:50.75
So what God apparently does
00:10:50.78\00:10:52.48
is He gives Jonah time to think.
00:10:52.51\00:10:55.68
I mean, if you're in the
belly of a fish for three days,
00:10:55.72\00:10:57.62
you got plenty of time to think!
00:10:57.65\00:10:59.82
Now whether he's unconscious
or not, I have no idea.
00:10:59.85\00:11:03.32
But you know,
00:11:03.36\00:11:04.69
that's what God
does with us sometimes.
00:11:04.73\00:11:07.16
We're going down the wrong path.
00:11:07.20\00:11:09.53
There's wrong
influences on our life.
00:11:09.56\00:11:12.50
We're making poor choices.
00:11:12.53\00:11:14.97
And sometimes God will do things
00:11:15.00\00:11:17.64
to remove us
from that situation,
00:11:17.67\00:11:20.34
or to remove that
situation from us,
00:11:20.38\00:11:22.91
because He knows we
need to be able to step back
00:11:22.94\00:11:25.88
and have some time of quietness,
00:11:25.91\00:11:28.22
where we can just think
00:11:28.25\00:11:30.65
and hear the voice of the Lord.
00:11:30.69\00:11:34.56
I know He's
done that in my life.
00:11:34.59\00:11:36.52
It's not always
pleasant, but it is necessary.
00:11:36.56\00:11:40.36
And God does that with Jonah.
00:11:40.40\00:11:44.00
And as you near
the end of this story,
00:11:44.03\00:11:46.10
then it says
that after three days,
00:11:46.13\00:11:48.34
the big fish pretty
much vomits Jonah up
00:11:48.37\00:11:51.11
onto the seashore,
00:11:51.14\00:11:52.47
so he's covered in
sand, seaweed and saliva.
00:11:52.51\00:11:55.14
And what God does next,
00:11:55.18\00:11:57.31
to me is the whole
crux of this story.
00:11:57.35\00:12:00.32
He does something almost
incomprehensible and amazing.
00:12:00.35\00:12:06.25
Pick it up in 3:1.
00:12:06.29\00:12:09.99
Now just keep in mind,
00:12:10.03\00:12:11.36
everything Jonah has
done in his failures,
00:12:11.39\00:12:14.96
and notice what God says.
00:12:15.00\00:12:16.90
Jonah 3:1.
00:12:16.93\00:12:21.64
The Bible says,
00:12:21.67\00:12:23.91
"Now the word of the
Lord came to Jonah," what?
00:12:23.94\00:12:29.91
"The second time,
saying, 'Arise, go to Nineveh,
00:12:29.94\00:12:34.75
that great city,
00:12:34.78\00:12:36.12
and preach to it the
message I'll tell you.'
00:12:36.15\00:12:38.72
So Jonah arose,
and went to Nineveh
00:12:38.75\00:12:41.39
according to the
word of the Lord.'"
00:12:41.42\00:12:44.53
Now, don't miss this.
00:12:44.56\00:12:46.83
After all that Jonah had done,
00:12:46.86\00:12:51.23
after everything that
Jonah had been through,
00:12:51.27\00:12:54.87
ignoring God's call
for who knows how long,
00:12:54.90\00:12:58.74
running away from God,
00:12:58.77\00:13:01.38
risking the
lives of those sailors,
00:13:01.41\00:13:03.91
having to end up
in the belly of a fish
00:13:03.95\00:13:06.05
and be spit out who
knows where in the world.
00:13:06.08\00:13:08.88
After all the failures
in this prophet's life,
00:13:08.92\00:13:12.52
you would think
that God would say,
00:13:12.55\00:13:14.82
"Jonah, I'm sorry, I
can't use you anymore.
00:13:14.86\00:13:18.29
I'm going to have
to call someone else.
00:13:18.33\00:13:19.83
I just can't trust you."
00:13:19.86\00:13:22.56
Because if we're honest,
00:13:22.60\00:13:23.93
that's what you and I
would have done with Jonah.
00:13:23.97\00:13:25.63
We would have said,
00:13:25.67\00:13:27.00
"You're out of the picture,
bud, I can't use you anymore."
00:13:27.04\00:13:30.17
But it's not what God did.
00:13:30.21\00:13:32.24
It said that God
brought the same call to him
00:13:32.27\00:13:35.41
a second time,
didn't change it at all.
00:13:35.44\00:13:39.31
It's as though God took the past
00:13:39.35\00:13:41.38
and washed it away and said,
00:13:41.42\00:13:43.08
"Jonah, I'm concentrating
more on your future.
00:13:43.12\00:13:46.39
I'm concentrating
more on your potential
00:13:46.42\00:13:48.86
than I am on your
failures of the past."
00:13:48.89\00:13:51.23
Somebody ought to
say amen this morning,
00:13:51.26\00:13:53.26
because that's what
God does with you and me.
00:13:53.29\00:13:56.90
I mean, will you think
about how faulty this man was?
00:13:56.93\00:14:00.47
Not only after all he had done,
00:14:00.50\00:14:02.24
but even when he went
to Nineveh, what happened?
00:14:02.27\00:14:06.11
He goes to the
city, he preaches,
00:14:06.14\00:14:08.28
and after 40 days and 40 nights,
00:14:08.31\00:14:10.01
he is excited to see the
city of Nineveh destroyed.
00:14:10.05\00:14:13.65
But what is the result?
00:14:13.68\00:14:15.05
This imperfect faulty man
preaches an evangelistic series
00:14:15.08\00:14:19.75
for a few days
00:14:19.79\00:14:21.49
and the Bible says the
king put on sackcloth and ashes
00:14:21.52\00:14:24.33
and 120,000
people were converted
00:14:24.36\00:14:28.50
through a faulty sinful prophet.
00:14:28.53\00:14:31.90
I'd like to have an
evangelistic meeting
00:14:31.93\00:14:33.57
where 120,000 people
are baptized, won't you?
00:14:33.60\00:14:36.91
And so here, God did a miracle
through this imperfect man.
00:14:36.94\00:14:42.31
And then even at
the end of the story,
00:14:42.34\00:14:44.21
Jonah's ticked off about it.
00:14:44.25\00:14:45.65
He doesn't want
God to save Nineveh.
00:14:45.68\00:14:48.22
He wants to see it destroyed,
00:14:48.25\00:14:50.12
and the whole book ends
with Jonah arguing with God
00:14:50.15\00:14:54.79
and with God saying,
00:14:54.82\00:14:56.16
"Should I not have
compassion on these people?"
00:14:56.19\00:14:58.69
And the book pretty much ends
00:14:58.73\00:15:00.83
without the
plot being satisfied.
00:15:00.86\00:15:04.57
Do you see how
patient God was with Jonah?
00:15:04.60\00:15:09.04
It's an example
of how patient God
00:15:09.07\00:15:12.11
is with you and me
in the midst of failure
00:15:12.14\00:15:13.94
because with God,
00:15:13.98\00:15:15.44
we can always start over again.
00:15:15.48\00:15:20.22
Now I want to end
finishing the story
00:15:20.25\00:15:21.92
I told in the beginning,
00:15:21.95\00:15:23.28
because you probably
want to know how it ended.
00:15:23.32\00:15:25.85
You may be thinking to yourself,
00:15:25.89\00:15:27.22
Pastor Dave, you
don't know my life.
00:15:27.26\00:15:30.23
You don't know what
my past has been like,
00:15:30.26\00:15:32.23
you don't know with
the feelings of guilt
00:15:32.26\00:15:34.40
and worthlessness
that I struggle with.
00:15:34.43\00:15:36.60
Let me tell you something
about feeling worthless.
00:15:39.60\00:15:44.11
Remember when I told you
that I quit the seminary,
00:15:44.14\00:15:46.98
and I went home?
00:15:47.01\00:15:49.21
And as I sat in the basement
of my house and realized,
00:15:49.24\00:15:52.41
I had made the biggest mistake
00:15:52.45\00:15:53.95
I had ever made
up to that point.
00:15:53.98\00:15:57.25
You know what it
feels like to think
00:15:57.29\00:15:58.85
that God opened the door
and you won't go through it?
00:15:58.89\00:16:02.32
That God called you to
His work and you refused.
00:16:02.36\00:16:05.73
And to know there's
nothing you can do about it.
00:16:05.76\00:16:09.23
I can't even
begin to put into words
00:16:09.26\00:16:11.50
just the
feeling of horribleness,
00:16:11.53\00:16:15.50
guilt and worthlessness
to press down upon.
00:16:15.54\00:16:18.07
I didn't even
want to talk about it.
00:16:18.11\00:16:21.18
And it finally came to
a point what happened is,
00:16:21.21\00:16:23.68
the devil would actually take,
00:16:23.71\00:16:25.15
there's a certain
verse of scripture
00:16:25.18\00:16:26.61
the devil would take
and just condemn me with it.
00:16:26.65\00:16:30.55
And that verse is Luke 9:62.
00:16:30.59\00:16:33.05
You know what Luke 9:62 says?
00:16:33.09\00:16:35.32
It says, "He who puts his hand
to the plow, and turns back,
00:16:35.36\00:16:40.23
not fit for service
in the kingdom of God."
00:16:40.26\00:16:43.47
In other words,
he is not worthy.
00:16:43.50\00:16:47.57
And the devil
would take that verse
00:16:47.60\00:16:50.21
and just pound it
into my heart and my mind,
00:16:50.24\00:16:53.01
just embedded
there and remind me,
00:16:53.04\00:16:55.38
you're not worthy.
00:16:55.41\00:16:57.38
You're not worthy.
00:16:57.41\00:16:58.95
You said no to God.
00:16:58.98\00:17:02.85
And it came to a
point where I finally,
00:17:02.88\00:17:04.85
I just fell on my knees
and I said, "God, I'm sorry.
00:17:04.89\00:17:08.92
I made a mistake.
00:17:08.96\00:17:11.29
There's nothing I
can do to change it.
00:17:11.33\00:17:14.73
So God, if You
still want me in ministry,
00:17:14.76\00:17:18.17
You're going to
have to open the door,
00:17:18.20\00:17:20.50
because I ruined
the whole thing."
00:17:20.54\00:17:23.87
I figured my name
was on the black list
00:17:23.91\00:17:25.71
of every
conference in North America,
00:17:25.74\00:17:27.71
who wants someone
who goes to seminary
00:17:27.74\00:17:30.08
and then quits
00:17:30.11\00:17:31.45
and don't even know
God's call for his life.
00:17:31.48\00:17:36.25
A few months later,
00:17:36.28\00:17:38.55
I remember the president
of the Pennsylvania Conference
00:17:38.59\00:17:40.89
called me on the phone
and asked Marquita and I,
00:17:40.92\00:17:44.36
"Are you going to camp meeting?"
00:17:44.39\00:17:46.83
"Yeah, I am. Why?"
00:17:46.86\00:17:49.53
"We'd like to
meet with you up there,
00:17:49.56\00:17:50.93
we'd like to talk to you
00:17:50.97\00:17:52.30
about possibly
taking a church district."
00:17:52.33\00:17:54.60
I was stunned.
00:17:54.64\00:17:57.21
And I can remember
sitting in that room
00:17:57.24\00:17:59.07
up at Blue Mountain Academy,
00:17:59.11\00:18:01.51
and they were explaining
00:18:01.54\00:18:02.88
there was a
three-church district
00:18:02.91\00:18:04.25
somewhere in
western Pennsylvania
00:18:04.28\00:18:06.11
and we'd like to send
you there just for one year,
00:18:06.15\00:18:08.62
just on a one-year trial
basis and just see what happens.
00:18:08.65\00:18:14.52
I couldn't believe it.
00:18:14.56\00:18:16.76
The devil was still reminding me
00:18:16.79\00:18:18.23
even then that I'm not worthy.
00:18:18.26\00:18:21.56
And me being a blunt person,
00:18:21.60\00:18:22.93
and I know
Marquita remembers this.
00:18:22.96\00:18:25.73
I asked them a simple question.
00:18:25.77\00:18:28.27
I said, "Guys,
00:18:28.30\00:18:30.31
I know you know what I did.
00:18:30.34\00:18:35.51
I know you know about seminary.
00:18:35.54\00:18:37.48
I know that, you know, I quit.
00:18:37.51\00:18:39.41
I know that you know,
I turned my back on God.
00:18:39.45\00:18:42.72
Why are you calling me?"
00:18:42.75\00:18:46.45
Until the day I die,
00:18:46.49\00:18:49.19
I will never
forget their response.
00:18:49.22\00:18:53.96
They looked at me and they said,
00:18:54.00\00:18:56.10
"David, as a church,
00:18:56.13\00:18:58.77
we don't believe in
once saved, always saved.
00:18:58.80\00:19:02.40
But nor do we believe
in once lost, always lost."
00:19:02.44\00:19:07.84
I have never
forgotten that response.
00:19:07.88\00:19:12.58
And I am here to tell you today
00:19:12.61\00:19:14.58
that regardless of
what your failures are,
00:19:14.62\00:19:16.95
God does not believe
in once lost, always lost.
00:19:16.99\00:19:21.39
I may never be a theologian
that writes a commentary
00:19:21.42\00:19:24.03
but one thing I can assure you,
God is a God of second chances,
00:19:24.06\00:19:29.40
a God of third chances,
a God of fourth chances,
00:19:29.43\00:19:32.63
we can always
start over with Him.
00:19:32.67\00:19:37.27
This morning as
you look at your life,
00:19:37.31\00:19:40.91
and you are
reminded of your journey.
00:19:40.94\00:19:43.75
God's patience
with you, God's mercy,
00:19:43.78\00:19:48.45
God's loving
kindness with your faultiness.
00:19:48.48\00:19:52.65
Are you willing
to say, "Lord Jesus,
00:19:52.69\00:19:55.22
I just want to
thank You for Your mercy
00:19:55.26\00:19:57.83
and Your patience in my life.
00:19:57.86\00:20:00.33
Now, Lord, take me as I am
and use me for Your glory."
00:20:00.36\00:20:05.53
Are you willing to
make that choice today?
00:20:05.57\00:20:08.04
Let me begin by
asking you a question.
00:20:15.21\00:20:18.25
Was there ever a
time in your life
00:20:18.28\00:20:21.05
when you
weren't faithful to God?
00:20:21.08\00:20:24.72
Was there ever a
time in your life
00:20:24.75\00:20:26.45
when you knew
00:20:26.49\00:20:27.82
that you failed to
stand up for your convictions?
00:20:27.86\00:20:31.13
How many people
will be honest and say,
00:20:31.16\00:20:32.63
"Yes, I have faced
times like that in my life."
00:20:32.66\00:20:35.70
If we're brutally honest,
that would include all of us.
00:20:35.73\00:20:39.20
For me, one of
those times happened
00:20:39.23\00:20:41.47
when I was about
19 or 20 years old,
00:20:41.50\00:20:44.54
it happened like this.
00:20:44.57\00:20:46.81
I was at the end of my
junior year of college,
00:20:46.84\00:20:50.51
and for me, life
was going perfectly.
00:20:50.55\00:20:53.82
I had been dating a
girl for about four years,
00:20:53.85\00:20:56.35
and I figured I'm
going to marry her.
00:20:56.38\00:20:58.62
And so in my mind, I
knew who I was going to marry,
00:20:58.65\00:21:01.62
I knew what degree
I was going to get,
00:21:01.66\00:21:03.66
I knew where I
was going to live.
00:21:03.69\00:21:05.49
And I knew what job I
was going to be going into.
00:21:05.53\00:21:08.56
So in my opinion,
00:21:08.60\00:21:10.03
my last senior year of
college was just a formality.
00:21:10.07\00:21:13.54
I already had
things planned out.
00:21:13.57\00:21:16.67
But all that came
crashing down one day,
00:21:16.71\00:21:19.94
in the middle of March,
00:21:19.97\00:21:21.54
when my girlfriend of four years
00:21:21.58\00:21:23.55
unexpectedly broke up with me.
00:21:23.58\00:21:26.82
When she did,
00:21:26.85\00:21:28.18
I kind of felt like
my life was shattered.
00:21:28.22\00:21:30.12
You know, we had dated
00:21:30.15\00:21:31.49
for three or
four years off and on.
00:21:31.52\00:21:33.42
We had broken up before.
00:21:33.46\00:21:35.42
But you see, I had prayed,
00:21:35.46\00:21:36.79
"Lord, let us
get back together."
00:21:36.83\00:21:38.19
And we did.
00:21:38.23\00:21:39.56
And I thought, for sure,
00:21:39.59\00:21:40.93
this has got to be the
girl that God wants me to marry.
00:21:40.96\00:21:44.47
And so when she broke up with me
00:21:44.50\00:21:46.00
near the end of my
junior year, I was angry.
00:21:46.03\00:21:50.17
I was angry with
her, I was angry with God,
00:21:50.21\00:21:54.11
I was angry with
the world around me.
00:21:54.14\00:21:57.25
I remember that
first Friday night
00:21:57.28\00:21:59.05
after the breakup.
00:21:59.08\00:22:00.42
I knew that the next morning,
00:22:00.45\00:22:02.42
I was going to
have to go to church.
00:22:02.45\00:22:04.55
And to be honest,
00:22:04.59\00:22:05.92
church was the last
place that I wanted to be.
00:22:05.95\00:22:09.39
Because I knew I
would walk in the door
00:22:09.42\00:22:10.93
and people would say,
"Happy Sabbath Brother Dave.
00:22:10.96\00:22:13.80
Happy Sabbath."
00:22:13.83\00:22:15.26
Well, I didn't want to hear that
00:22:15.30\00:22:16.63
because it wasn't going
to be a happy Sabbath for me.
00:22:16.67\00:22:19.07
And I knew that, you know,
00:22:19.10\00:22:20.44
when you're a couple in
a church, people know that.
00:22:20.47\00:22:23.61
And so if they see
you sitting separately,
00:22:23.64\00:22:26.71
they know that
something is wrong.
00:22:26.74\00:22:28.51
And I didn't feel like
00:22:28.54\00:22:29.88
answering the question
100 times, "Oh, what's wrong?
00:22:29.91\00:22:32.88
What happened?"
00:22:32.91\00:22:34.38
And I figured, if God
can't be faithful enough
00:22:34.42\00:22:37.19
to keep my
relationships together,
00:22:37.22\00:22:39.32
why should I be faithful to Him?
00:22:39.35\00:22:41.26
Why should I even go to church
and worship Him on this day?
00:22:41.29\00:22:45.13
So that Friday night, I
called up my friend Kevin.
00:22:45.16\00:22:48.86
I said, "Kevin,
I want you to come
00:22:48.90\00:22:50.47
pick me up tomorrow morning,
00:22:50.50\00:22:52.10
and we're going to
go to the college gym
00:22:52.13\00:22:54.04
and we're going
to play basketball."
00:22:54.07\00:22:56.30
Well, Kevin knew
that I was a Christian.
00:22:56.34\00:22:59.57
He knew that I went to church
every single Sabbath morning.
00:22:59.61\00:23:04.15
And so on the
other end of the phone,
00:23:04.18\00:23:05.71
he paused slightly and he
said, "Tomorrow's Saturday.
00:23:05.75\00:23:11.22
Aren't you going to church?"
00:23:11.25\00:23:13.29
I said, "Listen, no, I'm not,
00:23:13.32\00:23:15.22
just shut up and don't
ask me a bunch of questions.
00:23:15.26\00:23:17.63
Pick me up tomorrow morning."
00:23:17.66\00:23:19.56
And on the other end, he said,
00:23:19.59\00:23:20.93
"Fine, you don't have
to get snippy about it"
00:23:20.96\00:23:22.83
and he hung up the phone.
00:23:22.86\00:23:24.77
That whole Friday night,
00:23:24.80\00:23:26.70
the Holy Spirit
tried to convict me
00:23:26.74\00:23:29.17
that this was not the way to go.
00:23:29.20\00:23:31.81
He tried to show me, "Dave,
you can't blame this on God.
00:23:31.84\00:23:35.54
God can bring something
good out of something bad.
00:23:35.58\00:23:38.31
He still has a
plan for your life.
00:23:38.35\00:23:40.15
Don't take this out on Him.
00:23:40.18\00:23:41.68
Church is really
where you need to be
00:23:41.72\00:23:43.79
in order to be encouraged."
00:23:43.82\00:23:45.45
But I would not listen.
00:23:45.49\00:23:47.89
And so the next
morning, when the sun came up,
00:23:47.92\00:23:51.26
Kevin came to pick me up
00:23:51.29\00:23:52.96
and I went down to
the local college gym,
00:23:52.99\00:23:55.50
and I played basketball.
00:23:55.53\00:23:57.27
All morning long,
00:23:57.30\00:23:58.80
I didn't set one
foot inside that church.
00:23:58.83\00:24:04.04
Now, unfortunately,
that is a true story.
00:24:04.07\00:24:08.18
But you know,
someone might look at that
00:24:08.21\00:24:09.71
and they might say, "Well, Dave,
00:24:09.74\00:24:11.51
don't worry about it.
00:24:11.55\00:24:13.05
It's no big deal.
00:24:13.08\00:24:14.75
You only did it once
and it's such a small thing.
00:24:14.78\00:24:18.75
The small things don't matter."
00:24:18.79\00:24:22.82
That's the question we
need to ask this morning.
00:24:22.86\00:24:25.39
Do the small things matter?
00:24:25.43\00:24:27.73
Yes or no?
00:24:27.76\00:24:29.10
Indeed they do.
00:24:29.13\00:24:30.50
Because what we'll discover
from Scripture this morning,
00:24:30.53\00:24:33.23
is that the way we
handle the small things in life
00:24:33.27\00:24:36.74
will largely determine
00:24:36.77\00:24:38.17
what we do with the
larger things in life.
00:24:38.21\00:24:41.58
The choices I
make in the trivial,
00:24:41.61\00:24:44.08
seemingly insignificant things
00:24:44.11\00:24:46.51
will create a pattern in my life
00:24:46.55\00:24:48.82
and prepare me for
how I'm going to handle
00:24:48.85\00:24:51.42
some of the more
important larger issues of life.
00:24:51.45\00:24:55.02
And so today,
what I want us to do
00:24:55.06\00:24:56.56
is to take a look at
the life of a teenager.
00:24:56.59\00:25:00.50
The life of a teenager who
understood that what you do
00:25:00.53\00:25:03.97
and the small
things really does matter.
00:25:04.00\00:25:07.54
Someone at a very young age
00:25:07.57\00:25:09.64
who was tested
with their conviction.
00:25:09.67\00:25:12.94
I want you to take
your Bibles with me.
00:25:12.97\00:25:14.74
And I'd like you to
turn to the Book of Daniel,
00:25:14.78\00:25:17.38
beginning in Chapter 1.
00:25:17.41\00:25:20.22
What book are we going to?
00:25:20.25\00:25:22.18
What chapter?
00:25:22.22\00:25:23.55
All right, Daniel Chapter 1.
00:25:23.59\00:25:25.92
And we're going to begin
00:25:25.95\00:25:27.29
by taking a look at
the first three verses.
00:25:27.32\00:25:31.06
So as you're looking this up,
00:25:31.09\00:25:32.73
I want to give you a little
bit of the background here.
00:25:32.76\00:25:35.76
Here in Chapter
1, it's about 605 BC,
00:25:35.80\00:25:40.17
and Israel is living
in total apostasy to God.
00:25:40.20\00:25:44.61
If you would have walked
around the land of Israel
00:25:44.64\00:25:47.04
at that time,
00:25:47.08\00:25:48.41
you would have
seen many altars built
00:25:48.44\00:25:50.31
in order to worship
and honor the God Bale.
00:25:50.35\00:25:53.75
You would have seen many
pagan shrines to false deities.
00:25:53.78\00:25:58.19
You would have noticed
00:25:58.22\00:25:59.55
that Israel had turned
their back on God's law.
00:25:59.59\00:26:02.36
They weren't
keeping His commandments
00:26:02.39\00:26:04.39
and even when God
sent them the prophets,
00:26:04.43\00:26:07.06
they absolutely
refused to listen,
00:26:07.10\00:26:09.66
their hearts had hardened.
00:26:09.70\00:26:11.93
And so as God
looked down from heaven,
00:26:11.97\00:26:14.60
He knew that He had to
get Israel's attention.
00:26:14.64\00:26:18.01
But they had
basically closed their ears.
00:26:18.04\00:26:20.54
But because God
loved them so much,
00:26:20.58\00:26:23.45
He did not give up on them.
00:26:23.48\00:26:25.55
He knew He had to
do something drastic
00:26:25.58\00:26:28.62
in order to get their attention.
00:26:28.65\00:26:31.39
Now, sometimes that's
true with you and me, isn't it?
00:26:31.42\00:26:34.06
That we can be
going down a certain path,
00:26:34.09\00:26:36.32
totally oblivious to the dangers
00:26:36.36\00:26:38.29
that are before us,
00:26:38.33\00:26:39.66
not realizing
that little by little,
00:26:39.69\00:26:42.03
we're falling away from God
00:26:42.06\00:26:43.87
not making the right
choices in our lives.
00:26:43.90\00:26:46.74
But see, like God
during Israel's time,
00:26:46.77\00:26:49.27
God doesn't just throw us away
00:26:49.30\00:26:51.07
and say, well,
that's their choice.
00:26:51.11\00:26:52.91
I'm going to forget about them.
00:26:52.94\00:26:54.48
God loves us too much
00:26:54.51\00:26:56.38
to let us go down the wrong path
00:26:56.41\00:26:58.51
without trying to intervene.
00:26:58.55\00:27:00.88
And so there are times
00:27:00.92\00:27:02.78
when God will bring
drastic things into our life,
00:27:02.82\00:27:06.59
not because He's angry,
00:27:06.62\00:27:08.39
not because He wants
to bring judgment upon us,
00:27:08.42\00:27:10.83
but because He loves
us too much to let us go,
00:27:10.86\00:27:14.03
and He wants to
get our attention.
00:27:14.06\00:27:17.17
It's probably happened
at some time in your life,
00:27:17.20\00:27:19.77
because it's happened in mine.
00:27:19.80\00:27:21.34
Well, that's what God
is doing here with Israel.
00:27:21.37\00:27:24.27
And so God allows
King Nebuchadnezzar
00:27:24.31\00:27:27.38
and the superpower of Babylon
to come and to attack Israel
00:27:27.41\00:27:32.55
and to destroy
the city of Jerusalem.
00:27:32.58\00:27:35.45
So let's pick up the
story now, beginning in verse 1.
00:27:35.48\00:27:40.46
Daniel Chapter 1,
we're beginning in verse 1.
00:27:40.49\00:27:45.03
The Bible says,
00:27:45.06\00:27:47.13
"And in the
third year of the reign
00:27:47.16\00:27:49.60
of Jehoiakim king of Judah,
00:27:49.63\00:27:52.13
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon
00:27:52.17\00:27:54.67
came to
Jerusalem and did," what?
00:27:54.70\00:27:57.97
"Besieged it.
00:27:58.01\00:27:59.34
And the Lord Gave Jehoiakim
king of Judah in to his hand."
00:27:59.37\00:28:04.65
Now let's go to verse 3.
00:28:04.68\00:28:06.92
"Then the king
instructed Ashpenaz,
00:28:06.95\00:28:09.52
the master of his eunuchs,
00:28:09.55\00:28:11.65
to bring some of
the children of Israel
00:28:11.69\00:28:14.42
and some of the
king's descendants
00:28:14.46\00:28:16.49
and some of the nobles,
00:28:16.52\00:28:18.63
young men in whom
there was no blemish,
00:28:18.66\00:28:21.80
but good-looking,
gifted in all wisdom,
00:28:21.83\00:28:24.90
and possessing knowledge
and quick to understand,
00:28:24.93\00:28:28.30
who had ability to
serve in the king's palace,
00:28:28.34\00:28:31.67
and whom they
might teach the language
00:28:31.71\00:28:34.31
and literature
of the Chaldeans."
00:28:34.34\00:28:36.71
Now I want to stop
there for a second.
00:28:36.75\00:28:39.71
When King Nebuchadnezzar
conquered Jerusalem,
00:28:39.75\00:28:42.45
he had a very
interesting policy.
00:28:42.48\00:28:45.45
You see most kings in
the ancient Middle East
00:28:45.49\00:28:47.86
when they
conquered a foreign land,
00:28:47.89\00:28:50.16
many times you read
in the Old Testament
00:28:50.19\00:28:51.79
where they would kill
00:28:51.83\00:28:53.16
just about
everybody in that city
00:28:53.19\00:28:54.63
and take over it themselves.
00:28:54.66\00:28:56.56
Nebuchadnezzar did not do that.
00:28:56.60\00:28:59.23
Nebuchadnezzar decided
00:28:59.27\00:29:00.67
that to kill
everyone in that city
00:29:00.70\00:29:02.84
would be a waste of resources,
00:29:02.87\00:29:04.84
because many of them
had talents and gifts
00:29:04.87\00:29:08.01
and abilities that he could use
00:29:08.04\00:29:10.45
to build up His
kingdom of Babylon.
00:29:10.48\00:29:13.25
So what he did is he only
partially destroyed Jerusalem.
00:29:13.28\00:29:16.65
And he continued to let
some of the people live there.
00:29:16.69\00:29:19.85
But what he
instructed his officers to do
00:29:19.89\00:29:23.16
was to take some of the
best and brightest of Israel,
00:29:23.19\00:29:27.16
usually those who
were of noble blood,
00:29:27.20\00:29:29.70
and some of the young men
00:29:29.73\00:29:31.07
who were the king's descendants,
00:29:31.10\00:29:33.10
bring them back to Babylon,
00:29:33.13\00:29:35.70
where he could start them
00:29:35.74\00:29:37.07
in a three year
training curriculum
00:29:37.11\00:29:39.94
and teach them how to
live like Babylonians.
00:29:39.97\00:29:43.24
That would mean
learning the culture of Babylon,
00:29:43.28\00:29:46.61
learning the language,
00:29:46.65\00:29:48.65
learning their
educational system,
00:29:48.68\00:29:51.15
learning their
beliefs and their values,
00:29:51.19\00:29:54.32
even learning the
religion of the Babylonians.
00:29:54.36\00:29:58.16
And that would be a problem
for those young Jewish men.
00:29:58.19\00:30:02.46
And the Bible
specifically tells us
00:30:02.50\00:30:04.57
that four of those
young captives were Daniel
00:30:04.60\00:30:07.94
and can you name the others?
00:30:07.97\00:30:11.14
Yes, the Hebrew
names, more of us know them
00:30:11.17\00:30:13.21
as Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego.
00:30:13.24\00:30:16.31
And obviously there are
more than just those four.
00:30:16.34\00:30:19.01
But this was a
challenge for them.
00:30:19.05\00:30:21.22
Because that mean that
they had to live in a land
00:30:21.25\00:30:24.39
that they were
totally unfamiliar with.
00:30:24.42\00:30:26.76
A land whose value system
00:30:26.79\00:30:29.16
was the complete
opposite of the way
00:30:29.19\00:30:31.79
that they had been brought up.
00:30:31.83\00:30:33.56
You see, on one hand,
00:30:33.60\00:30:35.50
these young men would
have been partly thankful
00:30:35.53\00:30:37.83
to Nebuchadnezzar, that
he didn't just kill them,
00:30:37.87\00:30:40.57
because now they have
a second chance on life.
00:30:40.60\00:30:43.04
They'll have an opportunity
00:30:43.07\00:30:44.41
to make something of themselves,
00:30:44.44\00:30:46.04
even in the
foreign land of Babylon.
00:30:46.07\00:30:48.94
But yet they
realize the time is coming
00:30:48.98\00:30:52.01
when their convictions
are going to be tested,
00:30:52.05\00:30:54.55
and they're going to
have to make a choice.
00:30:54.58\00:30:58.65
Now, how many of you have
ever been to another country?
00:30:58.69\00:31:01.36
Can I see your hands?
00:31:01.39\00:31:03.06
How many have
ever had to live there
00:31:03.09\00:31:04.99
for some
extended period of time?
00:31:05.03\00:31:06.83
Anybody?
00:31:06.86\00:31:08.20
Well, if you've ever
been to a foreign country,
00:31:08.23\00:31:10.77
especially for the first time,
00:31:10.80\00:31:13.13
it's a little bit uncomfortable
at first, isn't it?
00:31:13.17\00:31:15.97
Because you may
not know the language,
00:31:16.00\00:31:17.64
you may not be
able to read signs,
00:31:17.67\00:31:19.77
you don't know where things are,
00:31:19.81\00:31:21.14
and you kind of feel
like a fish out of water.
00:31:21.18\00:31:24.31
I remember Marquita
and I, a few years ago,
00:31:24.35\00:31:28.25
we went to the
country of Hungary,
00:31:28.28\00:31:29.85
actually, our whole family.
00:31:29.88\00:31:31.65
And I had been asked to do
00:31:31.69\00:31:33.02
a series of
evangelistic meetings there.
00:31:33.05\00:31:35.72
And so we spent three
weeks in that country.
00:31:35.76\00:31:39.03
And where we
stayed was a church member
00:31:39.06\00:31:41.23
had a lower
level in her basement.
00:31:41.26\00:31:43.20
It was basically an
area separate from her home,
00:31:43.23\00:31:46.43
and it had a
kitchen, bathroom, a bedroom,
00:31:46.47\00:31:49.90
we had all the
privacy that we needed.
00:31:49.94\00:31:51.97
So we lived
there for three weeks.
00:31:52.01\00:31:54.74
And I can remember, at
first, it was kind of hard
00:31:54.78\00:31:58.38
because Marquita had to learn
00:31:58.41\00:32:00.12
how to cook the food over there.
00:32:00.15\00:32:02.05
There was this small little
00:32:02.08\00:32:03.59
rinky-dink stove in the kitchen,
00:32:03.62\00:32:05.49
and we weren't quite
sure how to operate it.
00:32:05.52\00:32:08.29
Sometimes the
instructions read Hungarian
00:32:08.32\00:32:10.89
rather than in English.
00:32:10.93\00:32:12.96
And if you've
ever been to Hungary,
00:32:12.99\00:32:15.43
you cannot read their language.
00:32:15.46\00:32:17.60
You know, if we had been
stuck in a Spanish country,
00:32:17.63\00:32:20.37
we could make out the words
00:32:20.40\00:32:22.07
by looking at the
root system of the word
00:32:22.10\00:32:24.37
and plus Marquita
know some Spanish.
00:32:24.41\00:32:26.71
But in Hungary, you
can look at the word
00:32:26.74\00:32:29.71
and still have no
earthly idea what it's saying
00:32:29.74\00:32:32.48
because they
put letters together
00:32:32.51\00:32:34.68
that don't make any
sense in the English language.
00:32:34.72\00:32:38.22
And so when we
were walking around,
00:32:38.25\00:32:40.46
we had a hard time figuring out
00:32:40.49\00:32:42.66
what each store and
place of business was about.
00:32:42.69\00:32:46.19
Now what the people did there
00:32:46.23\00:32:48.13
is instead of
cooking meals for us,
00:32:48.16\00:32:50.10
because they didn't really know
if we would like their food,
00:32:50.13\00:32:53.27
they decided to just give
us some money like a per diem
00:32:53.30\00:32:56.71
and said, "You go
to the grocery store,
00:32:56.74\00:32:58.91
that's close to where you are,
00:32:58.94\00:33:00.74
that way you can buy the food
00:33:00.78\00:33:02.24
and you can cook
and eat what you like."
00:33:02.28\00:33:04.65
We thought that
was a pretty good idea.
00:33:04.68\00:33:06.78
So there were a few
times while we were there
00:33:06.82\00:33:09.28
that we walked
a few blocks away.
00:33:09.32\00:33:12.15
And we had to pay
attention to landmarks
00:33:12.19\00:33:13.99
to know where we were
00:33:14.02\00:33:15.36
because we
couldn't read the signs.
00:33:15.39\00:33:16.99
And when we walked
into the grocery store,
00:33:17.03\00:33:19.59
we felt as though we
were three or four years old,
00:33:19.63\00:33:22.80
you know why?
00:33:22.83\00:33:24.30
We didn't know what to do.
00:33:24.33\00:33:25.90
I mean, we knew to
walk around the aisles
00:33:25.93\00:33:27.67
and look at the products.
00:33:27.70\00:33:29.04
But as we looked at
the packages and the cans,
00:33:29.07\00:33:31.61
we couldn't read the words
we didn't know what they were.
00:33:31.64\00:33:34.78
The only way we
could figure it out
00:33:34.81\00:33:37.05
is by looking at what?
00:33:37.08\00:33:38.91
You got it, the
pictures on the packaging.
00:33:38.95\00:33:41.72
And now you know
00:33:41.75\00:33:43.08
how a three-year old
or four-year old feels
00:33:43.12\00:33:45.42
that when you're reading
them stories from a book,
00:33:45.45\00:33:47.99
pictures are very important,
00:33:48.02\00:33:50.36
because the pictures
tell them what's going on.
00:33:50.39\00:33:53.50
Then when we had
to go to the cashier,
00:33:53.53\00:33:55.46
she couldn't speak any English.
00:33:55.50\00:33:57.30
We couldn't speak any Hungarian
00:33:57.33\00:33:59.27
and the only thing that saved us
00:33:59.30\00:34:00.90
is on a scanner is
where the price appeared.
00:34:00.94\00:34:03.74
So I was hoping
there was no problems
00:34:03.77\00:34:05.41
because we couldn't communicate,
00:34:05.44\00:34:07.18
then we would
have to get the money
00:34:07.21\00:34:08.58
out of our wallets
00:34:08.61\00:34:09.94
try to figure out
the right currencies
00:34:09.98\00:34:11.55
and you know the bills
of certain denominations.
00:34:11.58\00:34:14.02
So we kind of remember that
00:34:14.05\00:34:15.82
and how
uncomfortable it was at first.
00:34:15.85\00:34:19.79
How do you think Daniel,
00:34:19.82\00:34:21.92
and his four friends
or three friends felt?
00:34:21.96\00:34:24.63
How do you think those
young Jewish men were feeling
00:34:24.66\00:34:27.43
when they
realized they were probably
00:34:27.46\00:34:29.56
never going to be
able to go home again.
00:34:29.60\00:34:34.44
But on top of that,
00:34:34.47\00:34:36.44
imagine how this
affected their spiritual life.
00:34:36.47\00:34:40.58
Because they are
about to live in a place
00:34:40.61\00:34:43.58
that has absolutely no respect
00:34:43.61\00:34:46.28
for the things
that they believe,
00:34:46.31\00:34:48.62
no regard for the
God that they serve.
00:34:48.65\00:34:51.79
No interest in the scriptures
00:34:51.82\00:34:53.86
that they were
brought up to follow.
00:34:53.89\00:34:56.06
And so every day of their life,
00:34:56.09\00:34:58.79
they're going to be
facing some kind of temptation,
00:34:58.83\00:35:01.66
not just in the big things,
but even in the small thing.
00:35:01.70\00:35:06.40
And those young men
had to decide which things,
00:35:06.43\00:35:10.51
which issues are
worth standing up for,
00:35:10.54\00:35:13.84
which issues are
worth risking our lives for.
00:35:13.88\00:35:19.68
You know, sometimes you and I
have to make similar decisions.
00:35:19.71\00:35:23.12
See, we may not live
00:35:23.15\00:35:24.49
in an actual
country called Babylon,
00:35:24.52\00:35:27.59
but you and I live in a place
00:35:27.62\00:35:29.29
that Revelation calls
spiritual Babylon in a sense,
00:35:29.32\00:35:33.80
because we live in a place
00:35:33.83\00:35:35.46
where there is
much religious confusion
00:35:35.50\00:35:38.17
concerning what is truth,
concerning our value systems.
00:35:38.20\00:35:42.17
And every day
when we're at work,
00:35:42.20\00:35:44.57
when we're at school,
00:35:44.61\00:35:46.44
when we're in our neighborhoods,
00:35:46.47\00:35:48.38
we're having to make choices
00:35:48.41\00:35:50.21
as to whether we're
going to be faithful to God
00:35:50.25\00:35:52.61
and what we're going to
allow people to see in us.
00:35:52.65\00:35:55.85
I mean, we live in a world
00:35:55.88\00:35:57.22
that's not
concerned with honesty,
00:35:57.25\00:35:59.45
not concerned with integrity,
00:35:59.49\00:36:01.72
a world that
doesn't respect marriage,
00:36:01.76\00:36:04.06
a world that doesn't
even respect the Bible
00:36:04.09\00:36:06.19
or the things that it teaches.
00:36:06.23\00:36:08.43
We live in a world
where it's no big deal
00:36:08.46\00:36:10.63
to steal from your employer,
00:36:10.67\00:36:12.83
where it's no big deal
to flirt with the woman
00:36:12.87\00:36:15.30
in the cubicle next to you.
00:36:15.34\00:36:17.37
In fact, we live in a world
00:36:17.41\00:36:18.91
where it's okay to
tell the little white lie.
00:36:18.94\00:36:23.04
In this world, you
can talk about Buddha,
00:36:23.08\00:36:26.05
you can talk about Muhammad,
00:36:26.08\00:36:27.85
but man, if you mentioned
the name of Jesus Christ,
00:36:27.88\00:36:30.45
somebody's
going to get offended.
00:36:30.49\00:36:33.36
You can talk about Darwin,
you can talk about evolution,
00:36:33.39\00:36:37.09
but if I say that I
believe in the creation story,
00:36:37.13\00:36:39.96
somebody is going to get upset.
00:36:40.00\00:36:42.60
Even during the holidays,
00:36:42.63\00:36:45.27
you can play Rudolph
the Red Nosed Reindeer.
00:36:45.30\00:36:48.20
You can listen to grandma
got run over by a reindeer.
00:36:48.24\00:36:51.71
But if you play
a religious song,
00:36:51.74\00:36:53.38
like away in a
manger in a public mall,
00:36:53.41\00:36:56.28
somebody is
going to get annoyed.
00:36:56.31\00:36:59.35
Every day, you and I
are having to make decisions
00:36:59.38\00:37:03.28
in the big things
and in the little thing.
00:37:03.32\00:37:08.09
I remember when Marquita
and I lived in Pennsylvania,
00:37:08.12\00:37:11.69
and we pastored near
the big city of Pittsburgh.
00:37:11.73\00:37:15.60
Not long after we moved there,
Marquita was looking for a job.
00:37:15.63\00:37:20.27
And in her search,
00:37:20.30\00:37:22.14
she was able to find
the job she really wanted.
00:37:22.17\00:37:26.47
She was able to be hired
00:37:26.51\00:37:28.51
as the director
of quality assurance
00:37:28.54\00:37:31.28
for a home health agency.
00:37:31.31\00:37:33.35
Now, I'm going to do my
best to explain what that is
00:37:33.38\00:37:35.62
because I'm not
a medical person.
00:37:35.65\00:37:37.09
Anybody here work
in the medical field?
00:37:37.12\00:37:39.49
Okay, well, let's
hope I get this right.
00:37:39.52\00:37:41.59
Basically, what the director
00:37:41.62\00:37:43.22
of quality
assurance does is this.
00:37:43.26\00:37:45.83
It is their job to look over
and to review all of the notes
00:37:45.86\00:37:50.70
and the documentation
that the nurses write.
00:37:50.73\00:37:54.74
See in a home health agency
00:37:54.77\00:37:56.60
when nurses are
sent into somebody's home
00:37:56.64\00:37:59.14
to take care of a
patient or to do treatment
00:37:59.17\00:38:02.54
or therapies or medication,
00:38:02.58\00:38:04.68
they have to document
everything that they do.
00:38:04.71\00:38:08.58
The things they give them,
00:38:08.62\00:38:10.05
what happens
there, the dates, etc.
00:38:10.09\00:38:12.95
And then they
hand that documentation
00:38:12.99\00:38:14.76
in to their home
health care agency.
00:38:14.79\00:38:17.43
And that's what's
used to make decisions
00:38:17.46\00:38:20.10
and to get reimbursement
for Medicare and insurance etc.
00:38:20.13\00:38:24.47
Well, one of the major
rules in quality assurance
00:38:24.50\00:38:28.10
is that you cannot
change the documentation
00:38:28.14\00:38:31.97
where the nurses
have put their notes
00:38:32.01\00:38:34.54
without making a
separate addendum
00:38:34.58\00:38:37.08
or notation concerning it.
00:38:37.11\00:38:39.11
In other words, you
can't just go and erase it
00:38:39.15\00:38:41.48
like it never
happened and change it.
00:38:41.52\00:38:43.72
You actually have to make a note
00:38:43.75\00:38:45.45
that you changed it
on such and such a day,
00:38:45.49\00:38:47.99
and why you changed it.
00:38:48.02\00:38:49.92
And the reason for that
00:38:49.96\00:38:51.29
is someone could just go
and erase the mistake they made
00:38:51.33\00:38:53.96
and say, oh, well,
let's just wipe that out
00:38:54.00\00:38:55.70
like it never existed,
00:38:55.73\00:38:57.37
or they could change
the codes and, you know,
00:38:57.40\00:38:59.63
fraud could be
involved with getting money
00:38:59.67\00:39:01.50
from Medicare insurance
that you really didn't deserve.
00:39:01.54\00:39:04.21
So you actually have to
note when you make changes,
00:39:04.24\00:39:07.58
and if you don't, it
is considered illegal.
00:39:07.61\00:39:10.91
And as a nurse, you
could lose your license.
00:39:10.95\00:39:14.88
Well, during the first
week that Marquita worked there,
00:39:14.92\00:39:18.95
she was sitting at her desk
00:39:18.99\00:39:21.06
and one of the
other directors came in
00:39:21.09\00:39:23.22
and sat a pile of
papers on her desk and said,
00:39:23.26\00:39:26.26
"Marquita, I need you to
change some of the things
00:39:26.29\00:39:29.30
that are
written on these notes."
00:39:29.33\00:39:33.03
And Marquita paused
for a second to make sure
00:39:33.07\00:39:35.44
that she understood
what they were saying.
00:39:35.47\00:39:37.77
And she said, "Let me
make sure I'm understanding.
00:39:37.81\00:39:41.11
You're wanting me
to change the things
00:39:41.14\00:39:44.08
that are on these notes."
00:39:44.11\00:39:46.25
And the answer was, "Yes."
00:39:46.28\00:39:48.62
And Marquita paused for a second
00:39:48.65\00:39:51.25
and looked at her
and said, "I'm sorry.
00:39:51.29\00:39:54.99
You know, I can't do that."
00:39:55.02\00:39:57.73
And the person simply picked up
00:39:57.76\00:39:59.63
the pile of papers from her desk
00:39:59.66\00:40:01.93
and walked away
and said nothing.
00:40:01.96\00:40:06.17
And Marquita had this
foreboding in her mind
00:40:06.20\00:40:09.80
that this was not good.
00:40:09.84\00:40:13.44
At the end of the day,
00:40:13.48\00:40:15.24
the president of the
home health care agency
00:40:15.28\00:40:18.35
called her into his office
00:40:18.38\00:40:20.42
and sat her
down and said to her,
00:40:20.45\00:40:23.45
"Marquita, I'm really sorry.
00:40:23.49\00:40:25.89
But this relationship
doesn't seem to be working out.
00:40:25.92\00:40:28.86
We won't need you
to come back tomorrow."
00:40:28.89\00:40:32.19
"Are you firing me?"
00:40:32.23\00:40:33.93
"Yes, I am."
00:40:33.96\00:40:35.96
Marquita knew why
00:40:36.00\00:40:37.33
and so she decided to
press him a little bit.
00:40:37.37\00:40:39.03
"Well, since it's my first week,
00:40:39.07\00:40:40.40
could you tell me
why you're firing me?
00:40:40.44\00:40:42.60
What is it that you
feel is not working out?"
00:40:42.64\00:40:45.94
And, you know, he would
never give her a straight answer
00:40:45.97\00:40:48.38
because he couldn't say, "Well,
00:40:48.41\00:40:50.18
you're not willing to
do something illegal."
00:40:50.21\00:40:52.75
And so I remember
00:40:52.78\00:40:54.12
when Marquita came
home that afternoon,
00:40:54.15\00:40:57.65
she was on the couch crying
00:40:57.69\00:41:00.46
because anybody
who's ever lost a job,
00:41:00.49\00:41:02.39
regardless of what
the circumstances are,
00:41:02.42\00:41:04.76
that can be a very traumatic
experience, can it not?
00:41:04.79\00:41:08.53
Because it does
something to your self-esteem,
00:41:08.56\00:41:11.23
even when you know
that you were in the right.
00:41:11.27\00:41:14.80
And when she told me what
happened, I have to admit,
00:41:14.84\00:41:19.81
even though I was a
pastor, I was kind of angry.
00:41:19.84\00:41:23.38
And I felt like going down
00:41:23.41\00:41:25.15
to that home health care agency.
00:41:25.18\00:41:26.98
And I wanted to have a few words
00:41:27.02\00:41:28.35
with that president,
00:41:28.38\00:41:29.72
and I wanted him to know
that I knew what he was doing
00:41:29.75\00:41:32.65
and we were going to see
that he's held accountable.
00:41:32.69\00:41:35.72
Well, Marquita
calmed me down a little bit
00:41:35.76\00:41:37.53
and talked me out of it,
00:41:37.56\00:41:38.89
because that probably wouldn't
have done any good anyway.
00:41:38.93\00:41:41.13
But eventually
what she did is she,
00:41:41.16\00:41:43.73
she called a colleague of
hers that she used to work with,
00:41:43.77\00:41:47.07
and that
colleague encouraged her.
00:41:47.10\00:41:48.77
Just call the accrediting agency
00:41:48.80\00:41:51.44
so that they can go
and do an investigation
00:41:51.47\00:41:53.98
and that's what she did.
00:41:54.01\00:41:55.98
Of course, she
never got her job back.
00:41:56.01\00:41:59.31
But just see for Marquita,
she had to make a choice.
00:41:59.35\00:42:02.65
Just changing
something on one piece of paper,
00:42:02.68\00:42:07.66
just doing a
little bit of erasing
00:42:07.69\00:42:09.49
and writing something different
seems like such a small thing,
00:42:09.52\00:42:13.83
something trivial that
will help you keep the job
00:42:13.86\00:42:17.27
you really wanted.
00:42:17.30\00:42:19.00
And I might add a job
00:42:19.03\00:42:20.37
that actually paid a
good income for someone
00:42:20.40\00:42:23.47
who was still in their 20's.
00:42:23.51\00:42:26.27
See, it would
have been very easy
00:42:26.31\00:42:27.74
to just give it and say,
00:42:27.78\00:42:29.11
"Well, I'll do it this time,
and I won't worry about it.
00:42:29.14\00:42:31.45
I won't do it again."
00:42:31.48\00:42:33.25
But see, Marquita understood
00:42:33.28\00:42:34.68
that the way you handle things
00:42:34.72\00:42:36.92
in the small,
insignificant matters of life,
00:42:36.95\00:42:40.39
that paves the way for
how I'm going to handle
00:42:40.42\00:42:43.09
the larger matters of life.
00:42:43.12\00:42:44.69
Can you say amen?
00:42:44.73\00:42:46.09
Because it creates
a pattern in my life.
00:42:46.13\00:42:49.00
If I think that I can
keep compromising my beliefs
00:42:49.03\00:42:53.17
and my values in some
of the smaller things,
00:42:53.20\00:42:56.44
and then when my
life is on the line
00:42:56.47\00:42:58.44
or something
serious is on the line
00:42:58.47\00:43:00.48
that I'm all of a sudden
going to change the pattern
00:43:00.51\00:43:03.35
that I've
developed throughout my life
00:43:03.38\00:43:05.28
and stop compromising,
00:43:05.31\00:43:06.78
that is probably
not going to happen.
00:43:06.82\00:43:09.42
How I handle the small
things largely indicates
00:43:09.45\00:43:12.89
how I'm going to
handle the larger things.
00:43:12.92\00:43:16.59
And Daniel and
his three friends knew
00:43:16.62\00:43:19.56
the time was coming
00:43:19.59\00:43:21.66
when they were going
to have to take a stand.
00:43:21.70\00:43:24.90
Now in their mind,
they probably figured,
00:43:24.93\00:43:27.87
"Well, we're going
to have to take a stand
00:43:27.90\00:43:29.57
when they ask us to bow
down and worship a false god."
00:43:29.60\00:43:33.07
Or when they ask us to
make sacrifices to idols,
00:43:33.11\00:43:36.68
or maybe when they ask us to
go into the temple prostitute,
00:43:36.71\00:43:41.08
because that's what
pagan worship services
00:43:41.12\00:43:42.92
sometimes were like,
00:43:42.95\00:43:44.29
to worship the god of fertility,
00:43:44.32\00:43:45.85
you went into the
temple prostitute.
00:43:45.89\00:43:48.69
Or worse yet, if they asked you
00:43:48.72\00:43:51.93
to participate
in human sacrifices,
00:43:51.96\00:43:56.53
because isn't that
what God told Israel,
00:43:56.56\00:43:58.57
"I find that to
be an abomination."
00:43:58.60\00:44:02.40
That's the areas
00:44:02.44\00:44:03.77
where Daniel and
his friends thought
00:44:03.81\00:44:05.97
they were going to
have to make a stand.
00:44:06.01\00:44:08.14
But as you go
farther in the story,
00:44:08.18\00:44:10.78
their first test came in an area
00:44:10.81\00:44:14.02
that you and I
would tend to think
00:44:14.05\00:44:16.18
is rather small and trivial.
00:44:16.22\00:44:20.12
Let's go on in the story
00:44:20.16\00:44:21.49
and let's pick it up in verse 5.
00:44:21.52\00:44:24.29
Daniel Chapter 1.
00:44:24.33\00:44:26.59
Let's start reading in verse 5.
00:44:26.63\00:44:30.13
The Bible says, "And
the king appointed for them
00:44:30.17\00:44:34.67
a daily provision of
the king's delicacies
00:44:34.70\00:44:38.81
and of the wine which he drank,
00:44:38.84\00:44:41.41
and three years
of training for them,
00:44:41.44\00:44:44.65
so that at the end of that time
00:44:44.68\00:44:47.02
they might serve
before the king."
00:44:47.05\00:44:50.12
Now let's skip to verse 8.
00:44:50.15\00:44:52.35
But Daniel purposed,
00:44:52.39\00:44:54.29
now what does that
word purposed mean?
00:44:54.32\00:44:57.56
It means he had
chosen ahead of time
00:44:57.59\00:45:00.26
that he was going
to be faithful to God,
00:45:00.30\00:45:02.26
no matter what the circumstance.
00:45:02.30\00:45:04.30
"So Daniel purposed in his heart
00:45:04.33\00:45:06.80
that he would not defile himself
00:45:06.84\00:45:09.67
with the portion of
the king's delicacies,
00:45:09.70\00:45:12.57
nor with the
wine which he drank.
00:45:12.61\00:45:15.18
Therefore he requested
of the chief of the eunuchs
00:45:15.21\00:45:18.28
that he might
not defile himself."
00:45:18.31\00:45:21.08
Verse 9.
00:45:21.12\00:45:22.45
"Now God had brought
Daniel into the favor
00:45:22.48\00:45:25.22
and goodwill of the
chief of the eunuchs.
00:45:25.25\00:45:27.66
And the chief of the
eunuchs said to Daniel,
00:45:27.69\00:45:30.13
'I fear my lord the king,
00:45:30.16\00:45:32.26
who has appointed
your food and drink.
00:45:32.29\00:45:34.76
For why should he see
your faces looking worse
00:45:34.80\00:45:37.93
than the young
men who are your age?
00:45:37.97\00:45:40.20
Then you would endanger
my head before the king.'"
00:45:40.24\00:45:43.20
In other words, a
steward is saying to him,
00:45:43.24\00:45:45.54
listen, what
you're asking me to do,
00:45:45.57\00:45:48.34
is put my own life on the line
00:45:48.38\00:45:50.85
for your
convictions and your beliefs,
00:45:50.88\00:45:54.18
which personally to him
seemed rather insignificant.
00:45:54.22\00:45:58.65
But Daniel pressed the
matter and in verse 11 it says,
00:45:58.69\00:46:03.02
"Daniel said to the steward
00:46:03.06\00:46:05.29
whom the chief of the
eunuchs had set over Daniel,
00:46:05.33\00:46:08.06
Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,
00:46:08.10\00:46:10.80
'Please test your
servants for," how long?
00:46:10.83\00:46:14.60
Ten days.
00:46:14.64\00:46:15.97
Let them give us vegetables
to eat and water to drink,
00:46:16.00\00:46:19.21
then let our appearance
be examined before you,
00:46:19.24\00:46:22.54
and the
appearance of the young men
00:46:22.58\00:46:24.18
who eat the portion
of the king's delicacies,
00:46:24.21\00:46:26.98
and then as you see fit,
00:46:27.02\00:46:28.58
so deal with your servants.'"
00:46:28.62\00:46:31.45
In other words, Daniel
and his three friends said,
00:46:31.49\00:46:33.22
"Just test us for 10 days,
and let's see what happens."
00:46:33.25\00:46:37.73
Now think about
this for a second.
00:46:37.76\00:46:40.90
The king is offering to
give all these young men
00:46:40.93\00:46:45.67
who have been taken
captive from Israel.
00:46:45.70\00:46:47.80
They're
basically prisoners of war.
00:46:47.84\00:46:50.54
He is offering to give them
00:46:50.57\00:46:53.11
as much food as
they would like to eat,
00:46:53.14\00:46:55.74
food that would be
served from the king's table.
00:46:55.78\00:47:00.42
Let me ask you something.
00:47:00.45\00:47:02.68
If you had been
taken captive by the enemy,
00:47:02.72\00:47:06.45
and you're kind of
like a prisoner of war,
00:47:06.49\00:47:09.29
what kind of food do you suspect
00:47:09.32\00:47:10.66
you would be given to eat?
00:47:10.69\00:47:13.43
Scraps, maybe bread and water.
00:47:13.46\00:47:16.10
So here they're being offered
00:47:16.13\00:47:18.27
what's comes
from the king's table,
00:47:18.30\00:47:20.67
which means they
will never starve
00:47:20.70\00:47:22.84
because in the
Babylonian's mind,
00:47:22.87\00:47:24.57
in order for young men to
grow up healthy and strong
00:47:24.61\00:47:27.08
and have intellectual wisdom,
00:47:27.11\00:47:29.31
they're going
to have to eat food
00:47:29.34\00:47:31.41
that the king provides.
00:47:31.45\00:47:33.72
Now Nebuchadnezzar
probably meant this
00:47:33.75\00:47:36.52
as a kind gesture
to these young men
00:47:36.55\00:47:39.05
to show them
00:47:39.09\00:47:40.42
that he was giving them
a second chance in life,
00:47:40.46\00:47:42.39
that they could use their powers
00:47:42.42\00:47:43.83
to build his kingdom
00:47:43.86\00:47:45.46
rather than be
dead back in Jerusalem,
00:47:45.49\00:47:47.70
so he probably
meant it as a nice thing.
00:47:47.73\00:47:50.60
But this puts Daniel and
these other young Jewish men
00:47:50.63\00:47:54.54
in a very precarious position
00:47:54.57\00:47:57.34
because for them the food
that came from the king's table
00:47:57.37\00:48:01.54
would have been
things that were unclean
00:48:01.58\00:48:03.55
according to the scriptures.
00:48:03.58\00:48:05.71
There would have been
things that as young Jewish men
00:48:05.75\00:48:07.98
they would have
been taught not to eat.
00:48:08.02\00:48:10.29
And no doubt Daniel
knew, especially the wine,
00:48:10.32\00:48:13.76
living in Babylon
00:48:13.79\00:48:15.12
where temptation
would be all around him.
00:48:15.16\00:48:17.56
He could not afford to
have his mind distorted
00:48:17.59\00:48:21.36
by an alcoholic substance
00:48:21.40\00:48:23.10
and he knew this
wouldn't be wise.
00:48:23.13\00:48:25.27
But yet to refuse
a gift from the king
00:48:25.30\00:48:30.34
would almost be like
slapping him in the face
00:48:30.37\00:48:32.91
as an insult.
00:48:32.94\00:48:34.54
So what are they supposed to do?
00:48:34.58\00:48:38.88
You think the conversation
went through their minds?
00:48:38.91\00:48:41.98
Is this a matter
where it's really worth it
00:48:42.02\00:48:44.72
for us to stand
for our convictions?
00:48:44.75\00:48:47.49
Is this matter
important enough for us
00:48:47.52\00:48:51.23
to risk our lives?
00:48:51.26\00:48:53.93
Now, I can't prove
this from the scriptures.
00:48:53.96\00:48:56.40
But you can't tell me
00:48:56.43\00:48:57.77
that all the
young men from Jerusalem
00:48:57.80\00:48:59.83
weren't talking about this.
00:48:59.87\00:49:01.50
Because apparently,
00:49:01.54\00:49:02.87
besides Daniel
and his three friends,
00:49:02.90\00:49:05.77
the majority of the young men
00:49:05.81\00:49:07.14
apparently had no
problem with this.
00:49:07.18\00:49:09.31
Because it doesn't
say that they resisted,
00:49:09.34\00:49:11.25
it doesn't say
they asked the steward
00:49:11.28\00:49:13.21
if they could just simply eat,
you know, vegetables and water.
00:49:13.25\00:49:16.12
They were willing
to go along with it,
00:49:16.15\00:49:17.95
because in their minds,
the small things didn't matter.
00:49:17.99\00:49:22.26
And I can imagine they
probably said to Daniel
00:49:22.29\00:49:24.76
and Shadrach,
Meshach and Abednego,
00:49:24.79\00:49:26.49
they probably said to them,
00:49:26.53\00:49:27.90
"Listen, if you want to
stand for your convictions,
00:49:27.93\00:49:31.17
that's fine.
00:49:31.20\00:49:32.53
But pick something
important to do it with.
00:49:32.57\00:49:35.17
Don't risk your life
over food and what you eat.
00:49:35.20\00:49:39.21
If you're going
to risk your life,
00:49:39.24\00:49:40.58
wait till they ask you
to bow down to an idol?
00:49:40.61\00:49:43.51
Wait till they ask you
to sacrifice a human baby.
00:49:43.55\00:49:46.82
For Pete's sakes
wait till they ask you
00:49:46.85\00:49:48.45
to go into the prostitute.
00:49:48.48\00:49:50.35
Don't risk your life
over food and drink.'
00:49:50.39\00:49:54.42
I can almost guarantee
that conversation took place.
00:49:54.46\00:49:57.66
Because in the
minds of the majority,
00:49:57.69\00:49:59.83
they probably
figured, you know what?
00:49:59.86\00:50:01.96
"God wasn't faithful to us,
00:50:02.00\00:50:03.47
why should we
be faithful to Him?
00:50:03.50\00:50:05.40
He let our city be destroyed,
our families have been killed.
00:50:05.43\00:50:08.60
We can never go home again.
00:50:08.64\00:50:10.11
Now we've got to live in this
godforsaken place of Babylon
00:50:10.14\00:50:13.44
and live in a whole new culture.
00:50:13.48\00:50:14.91
Why should we stand up for God?"
00:50:14.94\00:50:19.21
And in my mind, I bet you
they tried to pressure Daniel
00:50:19.25\00:50:24.69
and Hananiah and
Mishael and Azariah.
00:50:24.72\00:50:27.79
I can imagine
them saying, "Listen,
00:50:27.82\00:50:30.53
don't you rock the
boat and ruin it for us.
00:50:30.56\00:50:35.70
We're lucky to be alive.
00:50:35.73\00:50:37.83
We're going to go
along with the king's food."
00:50:37.87\00:50:43.34
Can you imagine the
tightrope they had to walk?
00:50:43.37\00:50:48.61
On one hand showing
appreciation and respect
00:50:48.64\00:50:51.38
to Nebuchadnezzar,
00:50:51.41\00:50:53.55
but on the other hand,
trying to put God first
00:50:53.58\00:50:56.62
and be faithful
to their convictions,
00:50:56.65\00:50:58.92
even in the land of Babylon,
00:50:58.95\00:51:01.02
even when their own
friends from Jerusalem
00:51:01.06\00:51:04.93
who grew up the
way that they did,
00:51:04.96\00:51:07.03
were willing to compromise.
00:51:07.06\00:51:11.50
How about you and I?
00:51:11.53\00:51:14.14
Choices we have to
make in our workplaces,
00:51:14.17\00:51:17.81
the way we treat
people, the ethics that we use,
00:51:17.84\00:51:22.38
maybe the way we talk to
people in our own families,
00:51:22.41\00:51:25.68
the way we
interact with our neighbors.
00:51:25.71\00:51:28.72
When people look at us,
00:51:28.75\00:51:30.09
do they see someone who
has a character of Jesus?
00:51:30.12\00:51:32.52
Do they see someone
who lives with values,
00:51:32.55\00:51:35.62
who is moral, who is honest,
who lives with integrity?
00:51:35.66\00:51:40.06
No, we're not perfect
00:51:40.10\00:51:41.43
and there are times
when we make a mistake.
00:51:41.46\00:51:43.83
But there's a difference
00:51:43.87\00:51:45.20
between making an honest mistake
00:51:45.23\00:51:47.27
and living a
lifestyle of compromise.
00:51:47.30\00:51:51.94
Are you being
faithful in the small things
00:51:51.97\00:51:55.94
as much as we think we
are in the larger things?
00:51:55.98\00:51:59.95
Because in this story,
00:51:59.98\00:52:02.05
Daniel and his
friends took a risk,
00:52:02.08\00:52:04.19
asking the steward to
test them for 10 days.
00:52:04.22\00:52:07.32
And, of course, we
know how the story turns out
00:52:07.36\00:52:09.19
because even after 10 days,
00:52:09.22\00:52:11.26
which really it would
take a miracle for them
00:52:11.29\00:52:13.29
to see any difference in
10 days, that had to be God.
00:52:13.33\00:52:16.23
Can you say amen?
00:52:16.26\00:52:17.60
I mean, after 10 days,
00:52:17.63\00:52:19.23
they see the difference
not only in physical health,
00:52:19.27\00:52:22.97
but in their intellectual power
00:52:23.00\00:52:25.17
that they stood head and
shoulders above the rest.
00:52:25.21\00:52:27.91
That is God thing.
00:52:27.94\00:52:29.88
That is how God will bless those
00:52:29.91\00:52:32.15
who realize that
they need to be faithful
00:52:32.18\00:52:34.38
in the small matters,
00:52:34.42\00:52:35.78
because it prepares them
00:52:35.82\00:52:37.15
for how they're going to handle
the larger matters of life.
00:52:37.19\00:52:41.46
And so here's
something to consider.
00:52:41.49\00:52:43.16
This is all in
Chapter 1, by the way.
00:52:43.19\00:52:46.03
But once you go farther,
00:52:46.06\00:52:48.06
what happens to
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
00:52:48.10\00:52:50.83
in Chapter 3, do you remember?
00:52:50.87\00:52:53.54
See the smaller
test was in Chapter 1.
00:52:53.57\00:52:56.67
The big test came in Chapter 3,
00:52:56.71\00:52:58.81
because that's when
they were asked to bow down
00:52:58.84\00:53:02.08
to
Nebuchadnezzar's golden image.
00:53:02.11\00:53:04.45
And that's where they
stood on the plain of Dura,
00:53:04.48\00:53:06.92
and even with
probably thousands of people
00:53:06.95\00:53:09.08
standing around them,
00:53:09.12\00:53:10.45
they refused to bow and
they risked their lives.
00:53:10.49\00:53:14.52
So let me ask you a question.
00:53:14.56\00:53:17.06
If they had compromised
00:53:17.09\00:53:18.79
in the small
matter of Chapter 1,
00:53:18.83\00:53:22.80
do you think
they would have been
00:53:22.83\00:53:24.17
able to stand faithful
00:53:24.20\00:53:25.57
in the larger
matter of Chapter 3?
00:53:25.60\00:53:29.10
Probably not.
00:53:29.14\00:53:30.47
Because once I start
the pattern of compromise,
00:53:30.51\00:53:33.21
it becomes ingrained
into my heart and my mind,
00:53:33.24\00:53:36.48
and it's easier for me to do
it over and over and over again.
00:53:36.51\00:53:40.15
And the only thing
that can break that pattern
00:53:40.18\00:53:42.12
is the power of God Himself.
00:53:42.15\00:53:43.99
Amen?
00:53:44.02\00:53:45.35
But you go even
farther, what about Daniel?
00:53:45.39\00:53:47.56
Once you get to Chapter
6, Daniel's big test came.
00:53:47.59\00:53:52.16
And this is where Daniel
00:53:52.19\00:53:53.53
because he refused
not to pray to his god.
00:53:53.56\00:53:57.10
He's thrown into the lion's den.
00:53:57.13\00:53:59.33
It has to look
hungry lions in the eye.
00:53:59.37\00:54:03.04
Do you think
Daniel could have stood
00:54:03.07\00:54:05.07
for his
convictions in the lions' den,
00:54:05.11\00:54:07.94
if he had
compromised in the small things
00:54:07.98\00:54:10.15
of Chapter 1?
00:54:10.18\00:54:12.01
Probably not.
00:54:12.05\00:54:13.45
Because once you
compromise in one thing,
00:54:13.48\00:54:16.15
we'll do it in another.
00:54:16.18\00:54:18.22
And that's why one of
the important principles
00:54:18.25\00:54:20.66
of God's Word is what
we do in the small thing
00:54:20.69\00:54:24.56
pretty much indicates
00:54:24.59\00:54:25.93
what we'll do in
the larger things.
00:54:25.96\00:54:28.16
Even Jesus Himself told
a parable where He said,
00:54:28.20\00:54:31.37
"He who is faithful in
little will be faithful in much,
00:54:31.40\00:54:36.34
and he who is
unfaithful in little
00:54:36.37\00:54:39.11
will be unfaithful with much."
00:54:39.14\00:54:42.94
But now let's bring
it home to our own lives.
00:54:42.98\00:54:45.91
Because truth is, it's
easy for me to look at Daniel,
00:54:45.95\00:54:49.32
it's easy for you and I
00:54:49.35\00:54:50.79
to look at these other
young Jewish men and say,
00:54:50.82\00:54:53.62
"Shame on you for
compromising, but now,
00:54:53.66\00:54:57.49
we have to apply it to our lives
00:54:57.53\00:54:59.66
and look at the
life that we're living,
00:54:59.69\00:55:01.93
and we have to ask
ourselves some tough questions.
00:55:01.96\00:55:05.80
Am I living a life
of faithfulness to God?
00:55:05.83\00:55:10.14
Do I dare to be like Daniel?
00:55:10.17\00:55:14.38
Are there any areas of my life
00:55:14.41\00:55:16.31
where I know that
I've been compromising?
00:55:16.34\00:55:20.65
Is there any area of my life
00:55:20.68\00:55:22.25
where I know I
haven't been faithful?
00:55:22.28\00:55:26.99
Is there any area of
my life where I know,
00:55:27.02\00:55:30.89
I haven't been
fully following Jesus?
00:55:30.93\00:55:34.70
And I've been doing
it with half of a heart.
00:55:34.73\00:55:38.83
I can't answer
that question for you
00:55:38.87\00:55:40.57
and you can't answer it for me.
00:55:40.60\00:55:42.30
But this morning,
00:55:42.34\00:55:43.67
let the Holy
Spirit speak to your mind
00:55:43.71\00:55:45.47
and reveal to you,
00:55:45.51\00:55:46.88
is there an area
00:55:46.91\00:55:48.24
where you know you're
living a life of compromise?
00:55:48.28\00:55:52.41
And if there is,
be of good cheer,
00:55:52.45\00:55:55.75
because the Bible says
00:55:55.78\00:55:57.12
that if we turn
our hearts over to Him.
00:55:57.15\00:55:59.25
In Ezekiel 36:26, God says,
00:55:59.29\00:56:02.32
"I will give you a new
heart and a new spirit.
00:56:02.36\00:56:05.79
I will take the stony
heart out of your flesh
00:56:05.83\00:56:08.40
and give you a heart of flesh."
00:56:08.43\00:56:11.30
He wants to take our
minds and transform them
00:56:11.33\00:56:14.64
and renew them to
follow in his path.
00:56:14.67\00:56:17.77
And, friends, the truth is,
00:56:17.81\00:56:19.17
the only way you and I
00:56:19.21\00:56:20.84
cannot live a
life of compromise.
00:56:20.88\00:56:22.78
The only way that
we can be faithful
00:56:22.81\00:56:24.81
in the small thing
00:56:24.85\00:56:26.35
is if we choose to
surrender ourselves to Him,
00:56:26.38\00:56:29.92
to spend time with Jesus
every day in a devotional life.
00:56:29.95\00:56:34.16
And as His power
flows into our life,
00:56:34.19\00:56:36.83
He will give us the ability
00:56:36.86\00:56:39.06
to be faithful
in the big things,
00:56:39.09\00:56:41.86
and even more so
in the smaller things.
00:56:41.90\00:56:44.70
And by doing so,
00:56:44.73\00:56:46.23
we will be an
influence to others.
00:56:46.27\00:56:49.60
Because truth be told,
00:56:49.64\00:56:51.37
none of us here
this morning can say,
00:56:51.41\00:56:53.88
"Well, I'm not a good influence,
00:56:53.91\00:56:55.58
I'm not a bad influence.
00:56:55.61\00:56:56.95
I'm just kind of
neutral and in between."
00:56:56.98\00:56:59.98
That's one of the biggest lies
the devil gets us to believe.
00:57:00.02\00:57:03.35
We're either a good influence,
or we're a bad influence.
00:57:03.39\00:57:07.72
There is no in between.
00:57:07.76\00:57:09.66
Because the way we live
our lives every single day
00:57:09.69\00:57:13.09
outside this church
building, I mean, inside it too,
00:57:13.13\00:57:15.96
but especially
outside, people are looking,
00:57:16.00\00:57:19.30
people are watching.
00:57:19.33\00:57:20.77
And we're leaving some
kind of impression on them,
00:57:20.80\00:57:24.11
even if we never know it.
00:57:24.14\00:57:27.94
God forbid anybody
should ever look at my life,
00:57:27.98\00:57:31.11
and see the way I
speak and the way I act,
00:57:31.15\00:57:33.65
and then say,
00:57:33.68\00:57:35.05
"Wow, I thought
Dave was a Christian.
00:57:35.08\00:57:38.39
I didn't know that he did
or said those kinds of things."
00:57:38.42\00:57:44.29
This morning, are
you willing to say,
00:57:44.33\00:57:45.89
Lord Jesus, I want
to be faithful to You.
00:57:45.93\00:57:50.03
And I am asking You to give
me the strength to be faithful
00:57:50.07\00:57:53.44
in the big things
and in the small things.
00:57:53.47\00:57:56.60
Are you willing to say, "Lord,
00:57:56.64\00:57:58.94
give me a heart and help me dare
00:57:58.97\00:58:02.38
to be like Daniel.
00:58:02.41\00:58:05.41
We will pray.
00:58:05.45\00:58:08.98
Heavenly Father,
00:58:09.02\00:58:12.05
we are grateful for Your
mercy and Your compassion.
00:58:12.09\00:58:15.22
You know a lot that,
00:58:15.26\00:58:16.73
Lord when we have
found ourselves to compromise
00:58:16.76\00:58:19.59
that You don't
just pass this facade.
00:58:19.63\00:58:22.86
We are so thankful, Lord,
that when we confess our sins,
00:58:22.90\00:58:25.47
You are
faithful to forgive them,
00:58:25.50\00:58:27.20
but more so
that You will give us
00:58:27.24\00:58:28.80
the power to
make right decision.
00:58:28.84\00:58:31.17