Sermon - Daniel 1:8-21 - Bob Wade

Daniel's gonna do in Chapter one here he's going to give us a model an outline of really how to succeed at honoring God in a world that doesn't and by the way that is exactly where God wants to place you in a world that maybe doesn't know him in a world that's often dark places like babylon babylon was lost it was certainly dark spiritually so why in the world would God send a guy like Daniel and and his friends to a place like that what's interesting because Jeremiah who is also a prophet during the captivity time stops and he gets this word really from God and God tells him exactly what he wants in a Jeremiah chapter 27 or 29 verse 7 he said this but seek the welfare of the city where I sent you into exile and pray to the Lord on its behalf for in its welfare you will find your welfare what's he saying here he's saying that God sent us there now what Daniels gonna do here and down step one is gonna tell us really how to live and how to act and how to carry herself in such a way that God will bless us and use us now you have to remember that Daniel is very young he is somewhere around 15 years old but even in an early age he's committed he's also very courageous Daniel stopped and sort of slowed down the Babylonian Kingdom by saying hang on a second would you not let me defile myself which is what we talked about last week I probably sent a ripple through everybody it was a courageous thing he asked not to do would it be okay if I don't eat this food and I eat this other food because we find out in verse 10 that very clearly the servant of the chief eunuch comes he says look at this doesn't turn out right our heads rule this is serious stuff and he gets it verse 13 he's gonna tell us look I get what just try me on this one but I'm willing to do this he's a very courageous young guy and he's very clear thinking he goes into all of this idea that he's standing in this place where we're really he doesn't really want to be he wouldn't have chosen this place but he goes in and he has a plan it's also interesting that in the middle of all this you'll see that Daniel will not fight every fight that is out there in front of him it's amazing we live in a world today where some people like to fight everything I don't care what it is they'll just fight every single thing Daniel doesn't do that he's also uncompromising it's interesting because you know all this this food all this wine I mean he had to eat something right had to drink something you know it would have been so much easier I mean no one would have had a mark on this guy no one would have said there's the troublemaker right there none of those things would have happened if Daniel would have simply just compromised a little bit and just ate what everybody else ate but he doesn't but the thing that stands out the most about Daniel it's how wise he is biblically see he's effective in reaching a culture because he has figured out how to do it the way God wants him to do it that's very important that you catch this if you remember Daniel and lots of other young Hebrews got carted off into slavery while they were there they got reeducate 'add then they were recall traded into the Babylonian culture in history and and protocol and it's interesting because when you look at Daniels life under that circumstance Daniel never complains about any of that he goes from being a nobleman which many had some sort of royal bloodline in him to a slave does he complain no he goes from being highly educated in his own place from time to time he was a little boy would have been studying you know in the word and understood you know the writing of the the prophets and the Psalms and everything like that before him but now he goes to another place and he's basically asked ditch all of your own learning because now we're gonna re-educate you now you've got to learn all of our rules and laws and traditions and customs and and all that kind of stuff because you need to know it better even than us so that we can call upon you for advice no complaints they even come along and they change his name I mean he's good this name that's God honoring and now they give him this other name no complaints but then they get to the breaking of God's law and he stands his ground when it came to the food and the drink that was sacrificed to idols that's where he's gonna make his stand that is his conviction now look at verse eight here we'll go back to where les left off and and we'll start here but Daniel says resolved that he would not defile himself with the King's food or with a wine that he drank and therefore he asked of the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself he resolved that he would not defile himself now it's important that you catch what that means he did not demonstrate at that point he was not out to fight to change laws he doesn't take a shot at Babylonian culture for its food Daniels conviction is I will not defile myself you see Dan you realize it's not him against Babylon I hope you catch this what it is is him for the Lord now that may not sound like much but it ends up being enough to have a profound impact on Babylonian society and so what we're gonna do this morning is we're gonna look at four things that make Daniel a successful witness in this lost culture the first thing is this as you see that he's respectful he's respectful in other words this is how Daniel is going to deal with Authority verse 8 tells us that Daniel asks the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself he's respectful and he's polite now remember as finesse who is the chief of the eunuchs of the same is not a god follower this is not a godly man this is a society that is built on on excess and and partying and many gods and all sorts of crazy and wild things this is not a godly man and yet in this particular case Daniel is respectful of his authority he shows great respect your thought we're told that that is exactly how you and I are supposed to respond to Authority let me show you something keep your finger in Daniel go over to the right to Romans chapter 13 Romans chapter 13 look at the first two verses here Paul's writing here and he says look let every person be subject to the governing authorities for there is no authority except from God and those that exist have been instituted by God therefore whoever resists the Authority resists what God has appointed and those resists will incur judgment wow that's pretty heavy-duty words I'm guessing that the leader of the known world at that time the Roman Emperor must have been a pretty solid good guy right for him to say that no do you know who was in power when Paul wrote that the book of Romans was written about 80/60 the Roman Caesar at that time from 1858 eighty 64 was a guy named Nero you know what Nero was famous for one is he burned down Rome but two is he had this little ugly habit that he liked to do a light to light up his Kris or is his outdoor parties is that he would take Christians tie them to poles put tar all over him light him on fire and that's how they lit up their parties and he writes sin says obey the authorities it's not just him go back a little bit further to first Peter chapter 2 first Peter chapter 2 look at verse 18 Peter here writes and he says servants be subject to your masters with all respect not only to the good into the gentle but also to the unjust for this is a gracious thing when mindful of God wanted to her sorrows while suffering unjustly you catch what he's saying there he's saying that I want you to obey all the authorities that God has placed in your life even when they're not good why why in the world would God ever say anything like this why would that be the stand why is it matters so much that we reuse respectful of Authority I'll tell you simply you know what Authority problems are transferable let me spell it to you more like this if you if you struggle with our government you're gonna struggle ultimately with God if you struggle with your boss at work ultimately you'll like the way that you run things better than maybe God runs the kingdom so you'll struggle with him if you struggle in your home if a kid struggles with his parents he's always gonna sort sort of see someone that maybe is is above them and struggle with that if I have a wife struggles with a husband we're always gonna struggle with this authority above it isn't there a place for us to simply place our self under Authority and say god I need you to change things but I'm going to personally do exactly what daniel said and I will not defile myself Daniel here is living obediently respectfully he doesn't demand his rights he doesn't decree a cry out for discrimination it doesn't belittle the King's food he does not attack you know his superiors in fact he asks he makes it abundantly clear here that he is not looking for a fight there's a big difference here between holding fast to our convictions and disagreeing with those that are above the truth is it respectfulness in politeness go a long way even with those that we disagree with it's wooing when you run across somebody that is respectful their attitude is so winsome that we don't mind them telling us what they think because of the way that they treat us politeness respectfulness makes people feel valued it makes them makes us likeable and makes us disarming it it leaves an impression and it's completely biblical Paul in Acts chapter 26 goes in before the King and Agrippa is his name and instead of just calling him Agrippa he calls him King Agrippa then you go off and you know a few verses later in verse 26 and you get the Roman sort of the manager for Rome of all of the Judy and area Festus comes along and Paul who could have referred to him in lots of different ways but you know how he calls him most excellent Festus you know it's interesting I read an observation about Billy Graham from a White House staffer and he wrote this he said somehow his manner had a deep effect on people he was both friendly and effective at the same time that's politeness that's respect that takes you out of the equation and lets God work it doesn't become a personal battle you know in today's day and age we don't like something we just complain I mean and it's it's disrespect of Authority is almost everywhere in fact there's a word now that's used everywhere the word vitriol it's it word actually means bitter or acidic but really it only has one meaning in our society today it's when I disagree with somebody politically it's what I say Daniel does not do that Daniel understands the wisdom of Solomon who writes in Proverbs chapter 15 verse 1 a gentle answer turns away wrath or proverbs 16 verse 21 sweetness of speech increases effectiveness so you know what Daniel does he asks and by the way that was a big deal even to ask because that could have been seen as something that would have been a refusal of the Kings table it could have been a put-down and an insult it could have been a challenge to never canalis áfourá tea but he asks and on top of that you got to remember that Daniel's in a situation with immense peer pressure there were lots of groups of these young Hebrews that got carted away they're all in there eating at this table imagine Daniel and his three friends separated themselves I mean you think there were eyes glaring at him at this point verse a is clear that Daniel had clear convictions but what I I see out of Daniel is the wisdom to know that convictions when shared respectfully and politely are way more effective and by the way if you're struggling with authority say wait a minute what am I supposed to do in that case uh I'll tell you proverbs chapter 21 verse one has this wonderful promise to us it says the king's heart is like water in the hands of the Lord he can turn it wherever he wishes do you know what we do in that situation while we're being respectful pray pray to the God that has greater authority than even the king that he'll move the king just like you would move water now there's a second thing and that is you see in Daniel sincerity of faith you really see a clear and sincere walk look what he says in verse nine and said then God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs I love that he gave them favor and compassion why because that is exactly what God does when God takes us and he puts us into a dark place if I'm willing to be his man or his woman in that place he will use me regardless of the circumstances there's a perfect example in Genesis chapter 39 where Joseph gets carted off into slavery into Egypt he could have like complained about my brothers hated me and these people hate me they keep they accuse me of false things you know God why are you doing this and they could have done all this and yet he lived in such a way that he got favored with all those people because God gave it to him and raised him up and he was able to save even his own people listen don't think for a second that when things like this happened like Daniel getting carted off into slavery don't think for a second this is God's plan be its plan a well how do you know that why would you say that Bob well because you know this may bother some of you but Babylonian lives matter just as much as Hebrew lives to our God and so God will strategically just send people into hurting lost areas maybe the company you work for is just full of people that hate God God might send you there the neighborhood the school district whatever the case may be he'll move you in there not so you can argue with everybody but so you'll be salt and light and be so wooing and winsome they'll be drawn to the message that you have go back to verse 9 it's interesting here that Aspen as the chief eunuch here who was not a follower of Yahweh but he is clearly impressed by Daniel's life that tells me a great deal about how Daniel carried himself now Daniel saw the world that God put before him there's a third thing here and that is humility you really see Daniel look at verse 10 through 16 he says here in the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel I fear my lord the king who assigned your food and your drink for why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youth who are in your own age in other words your group of people that were carted away into slavery so that you would endanger my head with a king and then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of his priests had assigned over Daniel and Hananiah Mishael and Azariah task your servants for 10 days let us see vegetables to eat and water to drink and then let our appearances in our appearance of the ewes who eat the King's food be deserved by you and deal with your servants according to whatever you see and so we listen to them in this matter and tested them for 10 days at the end of 10 days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate and the King's the King's await the King's food and so the steward took away their food and the wine that they were to drink and gave them vegetables and by the way let me just be really clear it is not God's will that you get fat from that I'm just want to be clear here where it said that okay if you want to that's your choice but this not God's well okay it what's so interesting here is that Daniel here refers to himself not as privileged and he was even though he had been from noble birth and now carted off into slavery he is being prepared at the very highest level to serve the king and his table he could have said listen don't mess with me I'm smarter than you the King put me here to you know to serve Him doesn't say any of that he's very careful how he refers to himself and verse 12 tells us that he calls himself a servant now I want to tell you something that speaks volumes to me because you see how we carry ourselves is obvious I mean we all know people that we would look at and go you know what that guy's arrogant he just sort of thinks he's better than everybody else well we've all been around people that they just there's something amazing and wonderful and we like being around him because they're just humble a pastor I used to work for years ago used to say there are only two types of people in the world there's one who walks into the room and says Here I am meaning it's all about me who's going to serve me who's looking out for my best interests who who's noticed me who comes up and talks to me I just stood there the whole time and nobody came up and talked to me and I can't tell you how many times I hear that from people when they go to church well I went nobody came and talked to me who did you go talk to well I was just waiting to see who would come talk to me really then there's the other person who walks into the room and says there you are who humbly takes the opportunity to go manum is so excited i can come here and serve and love on these people and meet them and greet them and and i got to be honest with you to me it's obvious when you see that there are only servants who think and people who think they ought to be serve and Daniel here sees himself as a servant which is kind of an important biblical attitude to have Paul in the New Testament in 1st Corinthians chapter 4 verse 1 says that people ought to think of us as servants stop for a second do you realize who just said that the chief writer of the New Testament the primary evangelist of the world at that time stops and says wait a minute I'm the bishop of snow and he doesn't say that people ought to just see as a service Wow who can argue with that who can argue against that type of humility who who really in their right mind berates a servant the Bible is clear that God detests arrogance he is opposed to the proud but he gives grace to the humble now if you keep going here in verses 15 is sixteen you're gonna see the outcome god obviously blesses Daniel and his friends it's obvious to the Babylonians and it ends up changing their thinking and you know what's really interesting is the babylonian kings and the whole royal family would this really opulent lifestyle i mean they they lived large they went first-class on everything they partied hard they they drank and ate in excess and their servants and their attendants ate and drank at the very same table and so this was clearly a challenge to live out every single day now there's a fourth thing the last thing and that is you see in Daniel and his three friends I've really strong work ethic a strong work ethic look what he says starting at verse 17 and asked for these four yous God gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams and at the end of the time when the King had commanded that they should be brought in the chief of eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar and the King spoke with him and along and among all of them none was found like Daniel and Hananiah Mishael and Azariah and therefore they stood before the king and in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the King inquired to them he found them ten times better than all the magicians and the enchanters who were in all his kingdom and Daniel was there into the first year of King Cyrus God's blessing is over all that they do there in verse 17 it's clear that these guys were at excelled and had intellectual achievement and spiritual insights and verse 20 you see that they have this new social standing they really stand you know before the king and they're experienced some set of personal you know success the result of it all is this is that Daniel and his free three friends have this powerful witness over the Babylonian Kingdom in the king's court I think about that Daniel is able to stand for the Lord retain his integrity have an appealing witness and in the middle of it God even honors and blesses him the application here folks is really simple we can succeed in honoring God in a world that doesn't by taking Daniels example he didn't fight about everything but the things that broke God's law became clear conviction to him and he drew the line there he held his ground but even in doing that even in holding that conviction he was wise biblically how he held his ground was not to create an affront or or put something up between people he was respectful he was polite as he held that ground he maintained a sincere witness because I want to taste something any time you stand for something I guarantee you that people are going to be looking for for something what you do wrong they're gonna be watching to see if you're a hypocrite he lived a sincere witness he carried himself with a humble attitude because they could have easily said well we'll just sit back and watch how he sort of he acts and he how he thinks he is because I'll be honest most of us can look at people and go how they kind of give across this attitude his attitude was humble and then through it all they observed what he did his work and the guy put in more effort than everybody else I mean God just blessed that they rose to the top if you and I want to reach the world that God has put us in folks this is an outline for us to use in your work in your neighborhood and the schools your kids are involved in if will be willing to stand our ground have clear convictions but to do it tastefully with respect God will bless that I'm gonna ask you to pray with me wherever you're at would you just do a quick a little evaluation of perhaps how you've approached all this maybe you need to spend a little bit less time watching the TV news and a little bit more time in God's Word to decide how you will deal with the lost world father thank you thank you for taking your servant Daniel putting him in a very difficult place and using him to affect change in a culture because for thousands of years God he's been providing a mom for us to change our world god help us to learn not to be influenced by how the world reacts to things but to be influenced only and solely by how you and your word teach us to deal with those that are lost we want to be effective God we want to live lives that honor you we want to live lives of sincerity and humility recognizing that every good thing comes from your hand and your hand alone and in the middle of a guy we pray that the testimony of the tastes that we would leave in people's mouths would be of humble servants who work hard for you and then God we ask you to bless we ask it all in Jesus name

Channel: Highlands Church

Views: 25,689

Rating: 4.8295083 out of 5

Keywords: sermon, church, highlands church, bible, scottsdale, arizona, jesus, god, religion, christian, non-denominational, evangelical, christianity, theology, christ, pastor, honoring god, faith under fire, daniel, bob wade

Id: -N7WjK-09Eg

Length: 28min 1sec (1681 seconds)

Published: Mon Feb 08 2016