October 14, 2007

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Sermon
 Scripture KJV

Reverend David S. Huffer

Westwood Baptist Church - 2124 Davis Road
 Waynesboro, VA

Daniel 1
 
1:8    But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.
1:9    Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.
1:10    And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king.
1:11    Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,
1:12    Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.
1:13    Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king's meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants.
1:14    So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days.
1:15    And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat.
1:16    Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse.
1:17    As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.
1:18    Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar.
1:19    And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king.
1:20    And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.
1:21    And Daniel continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus.

 

Lessons In The Lion’s Den:

 Sewer Rats & Other Worldly habits To Contend With

Daniel 1:8-21

 

Life is a sewer … It Stinks!

STORY – 1969 – trip to California – 12 yrs. Old. – saw every state west of the Mississippi.

·         Grand Canyon national Park in Arizona

·         Clean out horse stalls – get a free ride into the canyon

·         I cleaned all the stalls – But there was a BIG problem

·         I forgot to tell mom and dad where I had gone.

·         You got it right – NO trip for David into the Canyon!

·         Man  - were those stalls smelly!

 

Daniel was in a sewer called Babylon.

·         Fortunately, Daniel had well-developed spiritual muscles when he was thrown into the Babylonian culture.

·         He encountered many challenges to his faith

FRIENDS – We too are faced with challenges to our faith.

·         From Daniel we are learning lessons from the Lion’s Den

·         To be or not to be eaten!

 

Daniel is our Paradigm shift. He is our way of looking at our problems differently and thus leading to a different reaction.

 

CHALLENGED TO STAND OR CHANGE

In three particular tests designed to destroy his faith – Daniel refused to compromise.

·         He admitted a fragrant aroma of godliness.

2 Corinthians – 2:15-16 – “For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death to death, and to the other the aroma of life to life. And who is sufficient for these things?”

A. Change Your Loyalty

Soon after arriving in Babylon, Daniel & Co. faced their first challenge

·         They were given Babylonian names

·         Essentially, Daniel was being asked to change his loyalty to another God

Their Hebrew names which connected them with their God, were

·         replaced with names that would connect them with the three Babylonian gods – Bel, Aku, and Nebo.

·         They were now Babylonians and expected to live as Babylonians

Daniel

“God is my Judge”

Belteshazzar

“Bel’s Prince”

Hananiah

“Yahweh is gracious”

Shadrach

“Command of Aku”

Mishael

“Who is like God”

Meshach

“Who is like Aku”

Azariah

“Yahweh has helped”

Abednigo

“Servant of Nebo”

 

How did they respond? They endured it!

·         In the 70 plus years Daniel lived in Babylon he never referred to himself as Belteshazzar.

·         He was Daniel, and God was his judge.

B. Change Your Thinking

Not only was Daniel and company’s faith challenged to change loyalties, but also their thinking.

·         They were submerged into Babylonian education

·         For three years they learned from the scholars of Babylon.

·         Their education was intended to change the way they saw the world and make them think like Babylonians.

 

Their education was well-rounded – from astronomy to math, literature to science, and architecture to agriculture.

·         The Babylonians even had their own accounts of important Biblical events

·         All their literature not only lifted up the Babylonians gods, but portrayed a pagan view of life and ethics.

 

How did Daniel and Co. respond?

·         They applied themselves and mastered the curriculum,

·         kept their eyes on their God,

·         And they survived!

FRIENDS – If you don’t believe me – read their story!

·         Daniel 1:17a – As for these you men, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom …”

C. Change Your Lifestyle

Although Daniel endured his name change and participated in their education, there were some things that he could NOT do.

·         The third test was to eat the food of the King

COME ON FRIENDS – Let’s face it = “YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT!”

What’s the big deal in eating food?

·         I thought Jesus said: “It’s not what a man eats or drinks that defiles him?”

·         And did not Paul say in the Book of Romans: “we are free to eat all things”

YES – But, Daniel and Co. were still under the law, and it strictly forbid the eating of meals that were sacrificed to foreign gods.

·         Daniel was just following orders!

 

Fidelity was the big issue – not food.

·         Idolatry (unfaithfulness to God) was the reason the nation was in captivity.

·         Daniel was not about to compromise his stand with God any further.

SOLUTION? V.8-12

Daniel suggests that they have vegetable dinners for a while!

FRIENDS – If you can get your kids to eat their vegetables – that is a paradigm shift!

 

HOW TO SHIFT PARADIGMS

A. A Made Up Mind

·         Long before Daniel hits the streets of Babylon he had been instructed to “go with God” no matter what.

Proverbs 22:6 – Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.

Psalms 119:9-11 – How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your Word. With my whole heart I have sought you; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against thee.

 

FRIENDS – If your mind is made up to go with God today, you will be able to stand with God tomorrow!

B. Tried and True Trusting

Daniel was not relying on “WALL PLAQUE THEOLOGY” to get him through the tough times.

·         He was trusting in His God who is faithful.

Jeremiah 15:16 – Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me a joy and rejoicing of my heart; for I am called by Your name, O LORD of hosts.

Proverbs 3:3-6 – Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

C. Outcome Based Obedience

Too many times we are caught trying to obtain the outcome we want, rather than what God desires.

·         The paradigm shift to God’s Word leaves the results up to God

 

CLOSE

Daniel was blessed for being obedient – V.17-20

·         You can almost hear Daniel humming the tune, “Trust and Obey”

 

HEAR ME THIS MORNING CHURCH:

The world will challenge your:

  1. Loyalty to God
  2. Thinking about God
  3. Lifestyle of living for God

 

Life without God is a sewer and it stinks!

·         There are worldly habits we have to contend with everyday

 

SO NOW IS THE TIME TO PREPARE TO STAND OR TO BE EATEN!

 

Prayer: Lord, life at times stinks. I have discovered in those times I have taken my eyes off Your Word and placed them on my circumstances.

·         The paradigm shift I need is to change my life according to Your Word.

·         Help, Father God, through Your Spirit’s leading to do just that.

 

AMEN!

 

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