1 00:00:00,050 --> 00:00:02,710 Pastor Josh: So Daniel chapter one, I remember the first time. 2 00:00:03,925 --> 00:00:09,014 Being in cities, we would always, in living in a city where we got to set 3 00:00:09,014 --> 00:00:13,795 off fireworks, ourselves, we would, buy whatever fireworks we could afford 4 00:00:13,795 --> 00:00:15,775 growing up, and we would, light them. 5 00:00:15,775 --> 00:00:16,705 And that was exciting. 6 00:00:16,705 --> 00:00:18,564 And I thought that's what 4th of July was. 7 00:00:19,165 --> 00:00:22,914 Until I started dating my wife and she said, we do something different. 8 00:00:22,944 --> 00:00:27,384 We go out on the water at Tahoe and we watch the fireworks set 9 00:00:27,384 --> 00:00:29,214 to music launched from barges. 10 00:00:29,214 --> 00:00:30,354 I'm like, what is this? 11 00:00:30,354 --> 00:00:31,374 What are you talking about? 12 00:00:31,764 --> 00:00:36,389 So far my first experience, we go out, me and her, and we get in this little boat. 13 00:00:36,894 --> 00:00:40,584 And we go to the edge of where they allow you in the water and there's 14 00:00:40,584 --> 00:00:44,364 this floating barge, and then there's a countdown and there's thousands of 15 00:00:44,364 --> 00:00:47,454 people gathered around and they're all cheering and chanting and everything. 16 00:00:47,574 --> 00:00:52,194 And then all of a sudden the music starts, like the fireworks are tied to music and 17 00:00:52,194 --> 00:00:55,074 they start launching and it's glorious. 18 00:00:55,074 --> 00:00:55,854 we're right under it. 19 00:00:55,854 --> 00:00:57,864 You could feel the heat from the fireworks. 20 00:00:57,864 --> 00:00:58,764 That's how close we are. 21 00:00:59,154 --> 00:01:03,174 I'm like worried at least we're in water and it's this explosion 22 00:01:03,174 --> 00:01:04,674 and this chaos and this. 23 00:01:04,974 --> 00:01:10,454 Thundering and this just beautiful and one comes and you think that's the finale. 24 00:01:10,454 --> 00:01:11,234 That's the best. 25 00:01:11,234 --> 00:01:13,484 And then there's the next one. 26 00:01:13,724 --> 00:01:14,774 Spectacular. 27 00:01:14,954 --> 00:01:16,904 You can feel the heat on your face. 28 00:01:17,264 --> 00:01:21,283 Audio, visual, sensory overload to the max. 29 00:01:21,404 --> 00:01:22,874 And when it's over. 30 00:01:23,954 --> 00:01:25,304 Everything's different. 31 00:01:25,304 --> 00:01:29,964 Everybody's, just saw they're in this shock and awe kind of stance. 32 00:01:30,174 --> 00:01:32,723 Drunken boats make their way back to the docks. 33 00:01:32,723 --> 00:01:37,674 The patriotic crowd march to their next celebration, and the smoke begins 34 00:01:37,674 --> 00:01:41,844 to clear in your left alone with the blistering darkness of night. 35 00:01:42,019 --> 00:01:44,934 But as your eyes adjust and you look up into the blanket of night, 36 00:01:45,144 --> 00:01:50,574 you're reminded once again, and for a city boy who grew up in Stockton. 37 00:01:52,029 --> 00:01:57,158 I was really struck the first time at the regal specks of light that 38 00:01:57,158 --> 00:02:03,789 pierced the darkness, the stars that have been anchored there for eons. 39 00:02:04,539 --> 00:02:08,999 And in Daniel 12, chapter three, it says, in those who are wise shall shine 40 00:02:08,999 --> 00:02:11,038 like the brightness of the sky above. 41 00:02:11,159 --> 00:02:16,259 And those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever. 42 00:02:16,319 --> 00:02:19,228 And with one verse, the theme of Daniel has given to us. 43 00:02:20,789 --> 00:02:23,249 How to be light in the darkness. 44 00:02:25,749 --> 00:02:30,159 in our day and age, fireworks are fun and exciting, and now, I 45 00:02:30,159 --> 00:02:36,399 mean, people loud coming on the scene, seemingly making an impact. 46 00:02:36,864 --> 00:02:42,384 This politician or this star, or this leader, charismatic and 47 00:02:42,384 --> 00:02:45,084 this person now they're gonna have it, they're gonna lead it. 48 00:02:45,084 --> 00:02:49,793 And we just find as history repeats itself, just so much noise that dissipates 49 00:02:49,793 --> 00:02:55,614 and is forgotten as soon as the next one explodes onto the scene and the Book of 50 00:02:55,614 --> 00:03:00,294 Daniels about how to be a faithful witness in a dark and a hostile environment. 51 00:03:00,864 --> 00:03:04,254 And what's interesting about the Book of Daniel is, unlike other books in the 52 00:03:04,254 --> 00:03:10,914 Bible, this book is not written from inside Israel, but in exile in a country 53 00:03:10,914 --> 00:03:14,994 that isn't theirs, in a culture that isn't theirs, where everything they 54 00:03:14,994 --> 00:03:17,724 believe in know is turned upside down. 55 00:03:18,353 --> 00:03:25,044 So how to live in God's kingdom in a place that doesn't recognize his rule, how to 56 00:03:25,044 --> 00:03:29,214 live in this city as an alternate city. 57 00:03:30,264 --> 00:03:34,614 How to live is light and salt like we are called to. 58 00:03:35,543 --> 00:03:39,293 So I wanna look at this evening, chapter one, the place, verse one 59 00:03:39,293 --> 00:03:43,824 to two, the pressure verse three to seven, the performance verse eight to 60 00:03:43,824 --> 00:03:45,744 21, and then the power of verse eight. 61 00:03:46,599 --> 00:03:48,429 I will not promise you that will always happen. 62 00:03:48,939 --> 00:03:50,889 In fact, I kind of it sometimes it's cheesy. 63 00:03:50,889 --> 00:03:54,399 Anyways, the place, let's go verse one to two. 64 00:03:54,429 --> 00:03:56,978 In the third year of the reign of Jehovah Kim, king of Judah, 65 00:03:56,978 --> 00:04:00,969 Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 66 00:04:01,119 --> 00:04:05,409 And the Lord gave Jehovah Kim king of Judah into his hand with some of the 67 00:04:05,439 --> 00:04:09,789 vessels of the house of God, and he brought them to the land of China, to 68 00:04:09,789 --> 00:04:13,959 the house of his God and placed the vessels in the treasury of his God. 69 00:04:14,724 --> 00:04:18,134 Now, I used to have a quote on my desk, when I'd put my studies 70 00:04:18,134 --> 00:04:22,064 together by Warren Weby that said, people don't come to church to learn 71 00:04:22,064 --> 00:04:24,794 about the Hittites, which I love. 72 00:04:24,794 --> 00:04:25,784 It's so true, right? 73 00:04:26,594 --> 00:04:29,384 Please, I just need some grace, please. 74 00:04:29,774 --> 00:04:33,704 But sometimes the context, and we can get nerdy and, lose the forest 75 00:04:33,704 --> 00:04:38,514 through the trees, as they say, but some of the context is crucial 76 00:04:38,514 --> 00:04:40,284 to understanding what's going on. 77 00:04:41,094 --> 00:04:47,334 King Jehovah Kim was Judah's 19th King after King David. 78 00:04:47,334 --> 00:04:47,994 19. 79 00:04:48,084 --> 00:04:48,474 Okay. 80 00:04:49,433 --> 00:04:54,504 Continued to lead Israel in a downward spiral of unbelief, 81 00:04:54,504 --> 00:04:58,914 compromise, and disobedience, and this section of Israel's history. 82 00:04:58,914 --> 00:05:01,974 If you've ever read through the Bible as a rough read, it's rough. 83 00:05:02,154 --> 00:05:07,164 I mean, the northern kingdom of Israel did not have one good king. 84 00:05:07,919 --> 00:05:10,079 and ultimately they're conquered by Assyria. 85 00:05:11,079 --> 00:05:15,169 the Southern Kingdom of Judah fared a little better, and were able to stave 86 00:05:15,169 --> 00:05:18,469 off captivity or exile by Assyria. 87 00:05:18,529 --> 00:05:19,939 Ultimately, they're conquered. 88 00:05:20,204 --> 00:05:24,894 by, Babylon, but it's like holding your breath underwater when you read 89 00:05:24,954 --> 00:05:26,304 and you're like, oh my goodness. 90 00:05:26,304 --> 00:05:29,034 And everybody did what was right in their own eyes or in this king, 91 00:05:29,034 --> 00:05:30,804 they turned his heart away from God. 92 00:05:30,954 --> 00:05:33,924 This king did what was right and this king rebelled against God. 93 00:05:33,984 --> 00:05:37,164 And all of a sudden you get to this king and it's like coming up underwater. 94 00:05:37,164 --> 00:05:40,974 You take a deep breath and you're like, finally someone's gonna follow God. 95 00:05:41,094 --> 00:05:42,864 And even there, it's a little wonky, right? 96 00:05:42,864 --> 00:05:45,234 Sometimes they're like, oh, they make it so far. 97 00:05:45,524 --> 00:05:46,754 They make it so far. 98 00:05:46,754 --> 00:05:52,054 Then the, like Siah, he's just ah, I could be a priest, I'm a king. 99 00:05:52,054 --> 00:05:53,014 I could be a priest too. 100 00:05:53,014 --> 00:05:57,304 And he goes in and gets leprosy and, doesn't farewell. 101 00:05:57,304 --> 00:06:02,614 but then it's back underwater and it's another series and, and of Bad King 102 00:06:02,614 --> 00:06:04,534 after Bad King, and then a good king. 103 00:06:05,069 --> 00:06:09,929 Well, we're getting to the end of that whole rhythm and that whole process. 104 00:06:09,929 --> 00:06:15,569 Now, in the second Kings 24, God warn Israel that if they continue to walk 105 00:06:15,569 --> 00:06:19,319 this path, he would send them into exile. 106 00:06:19,319 --> 00:06:22,709 And so in 6 0 5 BC he kept that Promise. 107 00:06:24,089 --> 00:06:27,329 Dates are actually pretty important to the Book of Daniel, as we'll see 108 00:06:27,329 --> 00:06:29,759 further as we go through this book. 109 00:06:30,134 --> 00:06:34,174 And as we see in, the verses we just read, the World power at that 110 00:06:34,174 --> 00:06:38,614 time is not Assyria anymore because again, world powers come and go. 111 00:06:38,614 --> 00:06:42,064 Fireworks show up, they blow up, and then they go and somebody else 112 00:06:42,064 --> 00:06:47,074 is on the scene to repeat the whole process, add Naum, but Babylon. 113 00:06:47,074 --> 00:06:51,634 Now Babylon is on the scene and we gotta say a little bit 114 00:06:51,634 --> 00:06:53,524 about Babylon because Babylon. 115 00:06:56,044 --> 00:07:01,924 Shows up all throughout the Bible, one of the most powerful and 116 00:07:01,924 --> 00:07:03,874 largest cities in the ancient world. 117 00:07:04,414 --> 00:07:08,284 Located in modern day Iraq, about 60 miles south of Baghdad. 118 00:07:08,284 --> 00:07:12,064 Famous for its hanging gardens, one of the seven wonders of the world. 119 00:07:12,184 --> 00:07:15,364 This city had walls around it that were 80 feet thick. 120 00:07:15,484 --> 00:07:16,594 Now I'm in construction. 121 00:07:16,834 --> 00:07:18,124 This is mind boggling to me. 122 00:07:18,574 --> 00:07:20,704 320 feet tall. 123 00:07:20,884 --> 00:07:22,984 Can you imagine building a wall like that? 124 00:07:22,984 --> 00:07:26,014 Could you imagine what it took without Milwaukee? 125 00:07:26,869 --> 00:07:29,479 18 volt fuel batteries to get it done right. 126 00:07:29,479 --> 00:07:30,709 That's insane. 127 00:07:31,219 --> 00:07:33,499 And Daniel and his friend would've walked around this city. 128 00:07:33,499 --> 00:07:38,659 They would've seen over 1000 temples in this one city alone. 129 00:07:38,899 --> 00:07:42,859 Dedicat all front Gods 1000 temples, a church on every corner. 130 00:07:43,249 --> 00:07:43,669 Right. 131 00:07:44,569 --> 00:07:47,929 Pluralistic incredibly diverse because they were so powerful. 132 00:07:47,929 --> 00:07:52,609 They would go and they would conquer a country and take the most influential 133 00:07:52,639 --> 00:07:56,769 that they could deem the young, the wise, those who were the most. 134 00:07:57,594 --> 00:08:00,804 Uh, had the most potential, and then they would mold them and they 135 00:08:00,804 --> 00:08:03,264 would shape them into their image. 136 00:08:03,264 --> 00:08:05,334 They would integrate them into Babylon. 137 00:08:05,934 --> 00:08:08,514 Now, there's some deeply important symbolism at work here. 138 00:08:08,514 --> 00:08:13,074 Babylon here refers to a spec specific kingdom in sixth century bc. 139 00:08:13,074 --> 00:08:17,724 But in the Bible, Babylon also represents a spiritual power at 140 00:08:17,724 --> 00:08:20,604 work in every secular kingdom. 141 00:08:21,149 --> 00:08:23,669 In every age in the New Testament. 142 00:08:23,669 --> 00:08:29,009 In fact, the early Christians used Babylon as a code name for Rome, even though 143 00:08:29,009 --> 00:08:32,938 Rome was miles away from the ancient city of Babylon, had a no political 144 00:08:32,938 --> 00:08:34,469 connection to Babylon whatsoever. 145 00:08:34,679 --> 00:08:38,999 In fact, in the book of Revelation in chapter 17 and 18, the Apostle John, the 146 00:08:38,999 --> 00:08:43,679 one whom Jesus loved, Babylon, becomes the Apostle John's name for the whole 147 00:08:43,679 --> 00:08:46,679 world system in opposition to Jesus. 148 00:08:47,159 --> 00:08:48,809 And Jesus' people, right? 149 00:08:48,809 --> 00:08:50,489 His disciples, his followers. 150 00:08:50,999 --> 00:08:53,819 So did you notice in verse two though, when I said, Hey, take 151 00:08:53,819 --> 00:08:58,319 note where it said the city of Babylon was to the land of Shiner. 152 00:08:59,069 --> 00:09:04,169 Shiner is the place in Genesis 11, 12, uh, two, where all mankind 153 00:09:04,229 --> 00:09:08,429 gathered together in order to build a great tower and to make a name 154 00:09:08,429 --> 00:09:10,139 for themselves like gambit, right? 155 00:09:10,139 --> 00:09:11,819 I'm about to make a name for myself. 156 00:09:11,819 --> 00:09:13,649 But anyways, and so you remember. 157 00:09:14,024 --> 00:09:19,464 The name of the Tower of Babel, Babylon, and you kinda see what 158 00:09:19,464 --> 00:09:21,144 God's doing there in this narrative. 159 00:09:21,144 --> 00:09:25,914 The point is in the Bible, Babylon is the term for the spiritual kingdom 160 00:09:25,914 --> 00:09:28,944 at work and secular world powers. 161 00:09:29,124 --> 00:09:32,514 Since the Tower of Babel, it's the city of a man. 162 00:09:33,324 --> 00:09:34,704 It's the city of man. 163 00:09:34,704 --> 00:09:36,474 It's the East of Eden. 164 00:09:36,684 --> 00:09:37,974 It's what man builds. 165 00:09:37,974 --> 00:09:40,704 It's cane and his inheritance. 166 00:09:40,854 --> 00:09:42,594 And it's his descendants. 167 00:09:42,594 --> 00:09:44,004 It's that idea. 168 00:09:44,034 --> 00:09:48,144 We're going to manufacture something so silly when we look at it, they 169 00:09:48,144 --> 00:09:49,764 said, can, let's come together. 170 00:09:49,914 --> 00:09:53,304 We're gonna make a tower and we're gonna get to God. 171 00:09:53,304 --> 00:09:54,474 we're gonna reach him. 172 00:09:54,474 --> 00:09:58,014 We're gonna build and we are gonna climb, and we're gonna get to God. 173 00:09:58,014 --> 00:09:59,634 We're gonna pull heaven down to earth. 174 00:10:00,459 --> 00:10:02,499 In all religions, that's what religion is. 175 00:10:03,549 --> 00:10:07,779 All religion that is just on its basis is man's attempt to get to God. 176 00:10:07,929 --> 00:10:12,039 Man's attempt to build some structure, follow some rule, follow 177 00:10:12,039 --> 00:10:17,349 some program, follow some mantra, some savior to get to heaven. 178 00:10:18,579 --> 00:10:22,899 The gospel is completely different 'cause it's the only one out there 179 00:10:22,899 --> 00:10:24,789 that says Heaven came down to earth. 180 00:10:26,664 --> 00:10:33,024 As we'll see, but here is this man city babble Babylon. 181 00:10:33,414 --> 00:10:38,634 The enemy of our souls is always using this manmade kingdom to oppose the 182 00:10:38,634 --> 00:10:42,054 kingdom of light and it will do it. 183 00:10:42,104 --> 00:10:47,744 and we face opposition as Christians in one of two ways, and the temptation 184 00:10:48,014 --> 00:10:51,764 is either to separate or assimilate. 185 00:10:53,204 --> 00:10:55,844 Separate or assimilate. 186 00:10:57,074 --> 00:11:00,784 Think of the church, as a boat, right? 187 00:11:01,174 --> 00:11:02,884 Think of you made this boat right? 188 00:11:02,884 --> 00:11:06,664 You shaped it like a cool boat that you actually like, took some time. 189 00:11:06,664 --> 00:11:09,694 You found a tree trunk, you carved it, you got a boat. 190 00:11:10,354 --> 00:11:13,624 You don't just put that boat up somewhere to sit in a warehouse. 191 00:11:13,624 --> 00:11:14,494 What is that boat for? 192 00:11:14,494 --> 00:11:16,084 That boat is to be in the river. 193 00:11:16,084 --> 00:11:18,224 it's to be, going down the rapids. 194 00:11:18,224 --> 00:11:21,974 It's to go fishing off of the boat is made for the water. 195 00:11:22,364 --> 00:11:25,604 But if you were careful of the way that you crafted the boat, 196 00:11:25,694 --> 00:11:27,194 you made sure there were no holes. 197 00:11:27,194 --> 00:11:27,704 Why? 198 00:11:27,794 --> 00:11:30,134 Because the water's not supposed to be in the boat. 199 00:11:30,284 --> 00:11:31,904 And the church is the same way. 200 00:11:32,354 --> 00:11:35,744 God made the church to be in the world, but the world's not 201 00:11:35,744 --> 00:11:37,094 supposed to be in the church. 202 00:11:37,429 --> 00:11:41,359 But what people tend to do is they tend to too, they either separate, 203 00:11:41,869 --> 00:11:47,719 we're not going in the water, or they become a submarine and they're like, 204 00:11:47,779 --> 00:11:50,029 we are, we're indistinguishable. 205 00:11:50,269 --> 00:11:54,049 We're so in the world that you can't tell the difference, right? 206 00:11:54,079 --> 00:11:57,284 Separate or, assimilate separate. 207 00:11:57,334 --> 00:11:59,794 now Daniel's gonna really deal with the assimilate. 208 00:12:00,169 --> 00:12:05,389 And how the world works to assim, assimilate you into its mold. 209 00:12:05,389 --> 00:12:08,389 I wanna talk a little bit about separate number one, and here's 210 00:12:08,389 --> 00:12:10,909 some homework if you want that. 211 00:12:11,569 --> 00:12:17,089 You see this subculture happening in judges chapter 17 to 18, this Christian 212 00:12:17,089 --> 00:12:20,479 subculture, this idea, this separation. 213 00:12:20,959 --> 00:12:24,829 But it's like where you go if you have your boat and you just take 214 00:12:24,829 --> 00:12:27,949 some of the water and you make your own pond next to the lake. 215 00:12:28,744 --> 00:12:30,034 It's a subculture. 216 00:12:30,064 --> 00:12:33,754 It's like we want everything cool that they have, but we're gonna do it with 217 00:12:33,754 --> 00:12:36,304 some Christianese on top of it, right? 218 00:12:36,574 --> 00:12:38,464 And we know that we've been around it. 219 00:12:38,704 --> 00:12:43,204 The culture is bad and toxic and pure, so we need to stay away from it, but 220 00:12:43,204 --> 00:12:45,004 we really want the similar things. 221 00:12:45,004 --> 00:12:47,224 And so we christianize everything. 222 00:12:47,989 --> 00:12:50,989 We have Christian movies, Christian music, Christian shopping, 223 00:12:50,989 --> 00:12:54,859 Christian schools, Christian coffee shops named Hebrews, right? 224 00:12:54,919 --> 00:12:58,939 And, all kinds of stuff, it, that stuff's not bad. 225 00:12:58,989 --> 00:13:01,719 maybe the Christian breath min's called testaments are bad. 226 00:13:02,039 --> 00:13:05,069 but anyways, that stuff isn't bad in and of itself. 227 00:13:05,069 --> 00:13:07,229 It's what the end game for it is. 228 00:13:07,229 --> 00:13:10,049 It can be a tremendous way to disciple someone. 229 00:13:10,394 --> 00:13:15,074 But if the idea behind it is to stay away because the world's yucky and 230 00:13:15,074 --> 00:13:18,404 pier and we need to hold out and hunker down until the Lord comes 231 00:13:18,404 --> 00:13:20,894 back, that's when it's bad, right? 232 00:13:20,954 --> 00:13:23,234 God made you to be in the water. 233 00:13:23,324 --> 00:13:25,574 You're to be in the world, just not of it. 234 00:13:26,024 --> 00:13:30,234 And and so there's this subculture, believers observe the external trappings 235 00:13:30,234 --> 00:13:34,464 of Christian faith and practice, but inwardly adopt the fundamental values and 236 00:13:34,464 --> 00:13:36,624 perspectives from the dominant culture. 237 00:13:36,894 --> 00:13:38,094 And we see this happen. 238 00:13:38,754 --> 00:13:41,784 They may not, do the typical, I don't smoke, drink, or chew or 239 00:13:41,784 --> 00:13:43,704 date girls that do kind of thing. 240 00:13:44,154 --> 00:13:50,514 Yet inwardly there is materialistic, selfish, individualistic status and image 241 00:13:50,524 --> 00:13:56,854 conscious as the society around them stay somewhat separated from unbelievers 242 00:13:56,854 --> 00:13:58,444 in various Christian ministries. 243 00:13:58,744 --> 00:14:02,674 Yet they have just sprinkled Bible verses and pist language on a 244 00:14:02,674 --> 00:14:06,154 lifestyle that is fundamentally no different from those around them. 245 00:14:06,454 --> 00:14:10,774 Thus, they're a subculture, just a subset of the dominant culture. 246 00:14:11,074 --> 00:14:12,634 A Christian subculture, right? 247 00:14:13,024 --> 00:14:16,144 So this one takes the water, makes a little pond next to the 248 00:14:16,144 --> 00:14:17,914 lake, the anti-culture homework. 249 00:14:17,914 --> 00:14:19,024 Psalm 1 37. 250 00:14:20,269 --> 00:14:22,519 This is the more aggressive this is. 251 00:14:22,519 --> 00:14:26,479 The anti-culture believers respond to the unbelieving culture with a 252 00:14:26,479 --> 00:14:29,299 sense of superiority and hostility. 253 00:14:29,929 --> 00:14:33,529 They feel polluted by the very presence of unbelieving schools, 254 00:14:33,529 --> 00:14:35,599 entertainment, arts, and culture. 255 00:14:37,249 --> 00:14:42,319 They feel they cannot really function in society without having cultural power. 256 00:14:42,709 --> 00:14:47,899 Believers can consider themselves hostile visitors seeking to undermine the culture. 257 00:14:48,739 --> 00:14:52,639 Some take a more passive approach and withdraw from really any real 258 00:14:52,639 --> 00:14:56,599 interaction beyond denouncing and wailing the moral decay of the day. 259 00:14:56,689 --> 00:14:57,799 Oh, it's so terrible. 260 00:14:57,919 --> 00:15:00,739 Others aim to get the cultural power back. 261 00:15:01,159 --> 00:15:01,999 We're gonna win. 262 00:15:01,999 --> 00:15:05,099 We're gonna get the power, and then we're gonna bring, God into 263 00:15:05,099 --> 00:15:07,109 everything that you've worked for. 264 00:15:07,109 --> 00:15:07,859 Constantine. 265 00:15:07,859 --> 00:15:08,489 Good job. 266 00:15:08,589 --> 00:15:11,194 That's how we killed the movement of the gospel. 267 00:15:12,459 --> 00:15:13,659 Next assimilate. 268 00:15:13,929 --> 00:15:17,799 That's where the boat's in the water, but the boat is in the water so much that it 269 00:15:17,799 --> 00:15:19,899 becomes indistinguishable for the water. 270 00:15:20,049 --> 00:15:22,779 It's like a submarine with screen doors, as Biff Tanner said. 271 00:15:22,829 --> 00:15:25,529 Let's look at that in our next section. 272 00:15:25,619 --> 00:15:26,459 Thank you babe. 273 00:15:26,669 --> 00:15:27,389 Got the reference. 274 00:15:27,489 --> 00:15:28,479 the pressure. 275 00:15:28,509 --> 00:15:29,259 The pressure. 276 00:15:30,369 --> 00:15:35,079 So that's the place we're in Babylon in the city. 277 00:15:35,469 --> 00:15:37,359 America, another country. 278 00:15:37,779 --> 00:15:43,209 There's things that represent Babylon in all of those places that represent 279 00:15:43,209 --> 00:15:44,859 Babylon in all of those places. 280 00:15:45,769 --> 00:15:52,029 that city of man, the values of man power, greed, it was set of the early 281 00:15:52,029 --> 00:15:57,219 church that they were promiscuous with their generosity and their wealth, but 282 00:15:57,219 --> 00:15:58,989 they were guarded with their sexuality. 283 00:16:00,234 --> 00:16:03,234 See, that's an alternate value to the value of the city of man. 284 00:16:03,234 --> 00:16:06,114 The city of man is no, we are protective over our wealth. 285 00:16:06,114 --> 00:16:06,894 We're gonna hoard it. 286 00:16:06,894 --> 00:16:11,814 It's for me, it's for mine that we're promiscuous with our bodies. 287 00:16:11,964 --> 00:16:15,744 And so there's these two contrasting kingdoms at work, and there always 288 00:16:15,744 --> 00:16:19,914 will be the kingdom of man, the city of Babylon, and the Kingdom of God. 289 00:16:20,514 --> 00:16:25,284 And, uh, so the pressure, verse three, the King Commander Aspen as the chief 290 00:16:25,284 --> 00:16:29,184 eunuch to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family of the 291 00:16:29,184 --> 00:16:32,334 nobility, used without blemish of good appearance and skillful and all wisdom 292 00:16:32,334 --> 00:16:36,084 endowed with knowledge, understanding, learning competent to stand the King's 293 00:16:36,084 --> 00:16:39,144 palace and to teach them the literature and the language of the Chaldeans. 294 00:16:39,384 --> 00:16:41,394 They can assign them a daily portion of food. 295 00:16:41,739 --> 00:16:44,749 That the king, ate and the wine that they drank and they were 296 00:16:44,749 --> 00:16:46,309 to be educated for three years. 297 00:16:46,309 --> 00:16:48,619 And at the end of that time, they were stand before the king. 298 00:16:48,949 --> 00:16:52,909 Among these were Daniel Hanai, Micha and Azariah, the tribe of Judah. 299 00:16:53,089 --> 00:16:55,249 And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names. 300 00:16:55,249 --> 00:16:55,639 Daniel. 301 00:16:55,639 --> 00:16:57,109 He called Belt Shaar. 302 00:16:57,109 --> 00:16:57,110 Hanai. 303 00:16:57,110 --> 00:17:01,669 He called Shadrach Micha, he called Micha and Azariah, he called a Bindigo. 304 00:17:02,329 --> 00:17:05,209 So a description of the most tragic and dramatic event that 305 00:17:05,209 --> 00:17:06,409 these people could ever imagine. 306 00:17:06,409 --> 00:17:09,799 These young boys, their homes are of obliterated. 307 00:17:10,159 --> 00:17:14,388 The city is burned, their temple is desecrated. 308 00:17:15,079 --> 00:17:18,829 The Babylonians are going into the temple, and they're taking the vessels 309 00:17:18,829 --> 00:17:25,429 that were set apart to be used in the worship of that temple, and now 310 00:17:25,429 --> 00:17:29,239 they're being used as instruments to worship the Babylonian Gods. 311 00:17:29,959 --> 00:17:32,029 This incredible display of power. 312 00:17:32,029 --> 00:17:34,909 This are God beat Your God. 313 00:17:35,209 --> 00:17:39,679 Daniel's one of four young men, good looking, smart, healthy, athletic. 314 00:17:39,679 --> 00:17:43,699 The best of the best constricted into a Nebuchadnezzar service. 315 00:17:43,789 --> 00:17:48,019 Don't think like this is an episode of The Bachelor, the Hebrew edition, because 316 00:17:48,019 --> 00:17:51,469 verse three says they were put under the chief eunuch, which means they would've 317 00:17:51,469 --> 00:17:56,869 been made eunuchs also, which means their capacity to have kids was quite. 318 00:17:57,229 --> 00:18:01,189 Literally crushed Daniel. 319 00:18:01,219 --> 00:18:04,789 Plato, the historian, said that people enrolled in these training 320 00:18:04,789 --> 00:18:08,689 programs are usually 14 to 17 years old, so we can assume all this 321 00:18:08,689 --> 00:18:10,369 happened when Daniel is about 15. 322 00:18:12,709 --> 00:18:13,819 So you get taken away. 323 00:18:13,819 --> 00:18:16,939 you're town's destroyed, where you go to worship. 324 00:18:16,939 --> 00:18:20,269 Everything that you brought up, everything that you knew, you're taken away, 325 00:18:20,269 --> 00:18:24,139 you're stolen away, your parents are probably killed, and, you're taken away. 326 00:18:24,139 --> 00:18:30,089 And, Made Eunuchs forced into service of the enemy. 327 00:18:32,669 --> 00:18:35,609 Nebuchadnezzar has their names changed. 328 00:18:36,269 --> 00:18:39,659 They had good Hebrew names, which pointed to the glory of God. 329 00:18:39,659 --> 00:18:44,249 Nebuchadnezzar changed their names to speak of the praise of his gods. 330 00:18:44,249 --> 00:18:48,419 Daniel literally means God is, my judge is changed to belt to 331 00:18:48,419 --> 00:18:51,779 Shaar, but Al protects the king. 332 00:18:52,949 --> 00:18:55,889 Hananiah means God is gracious. 333 00:18:56,849 --> 00:19:00,179 He becomes Shadrach under the command of a coup. 334 00:19:00,179 --> 00:19:04,829 The moon, God, Michel, there is none like God changed to Micha. 335 00:19:05,579 --> 00:19:06,839 There is none like a coup. 336 00:19:06,839 --> 00:19:10,499 The Moon God, Azariah God has helped me. 337 00:19:12,539 --> 00:19:18,029 Ab Bendigo the servant of Nebo, the Babylonian God of wisdom. 338 00:19:18,029 --> 00:19:21,269 Now there's something funny that happens in the language and it had. 339 00:19:21,644 --> 00:19:27,494 Scholars like scratching their heads for a while and that's that through the 340 00:19:27,494 --> 00:19:31,754 rest of the book of Daniel, whenever their Babylonian names are given, they're 341 00:19:31,754 --> 00:19:34,094 misspelled in the original language. 342 00:19:36,284 --> 00:19:39,734 And at first we're like, oh, do we have bad manuscript copies? 343 00:19:39,734 --> 00:19:43,094 that's weird that a scribe, they're so careful usually on all this until 344 00:19:43,094 --> 00:19:45,194 all the copies showed the misspelling. 345 00:19:45,494 --> 00:19:46,574 Do you know what it was? 346 00:19:47,309 --> 00:19:50,179 It was like a rebel protest. 347 00:19:50,749 --> 00:19:54,739 It's like this, nah, it's this punk rock kind of. 348 00:19:55,189 --> 00:19:55,819 Oh yeah. 349 00:19:55,909 --> 00:19:57,169 Oh, that's what you're gonna name 'em. 350 00:19:57,169 --> 00:19:58,999 We're not even gonna consider spelling them. 351 00:19:58,999 --> 00:19:59,269 Right? 352 00:19:59,269 --> 00:20:02,539 It's this protest in the book of the Bible. 353 00:20:02,539 --> 00:20:03,769 I love it. 354 00:20:04,039 --> 00:20:05,059 And I love that. 355 00:20:05,059 --> 00:20:06,259 That's God's like, yes. 356 00:20:06,289 --> 00:20:08,569 That is a good, that's a good thing. 357 00:20:09,169 --> 00:20:11,059 but pause for a minute and think about what happened to 358 00:20:11,059 --> 00:20:12,409 the world of these 15 year olds. 359 00:20:13,444 --> 00:20:15,394 Keep in mind, these are real people. 360 00:20:16,654 --> 00:20:19,864 These high school age boys watches their homeland was invaded, their 361 00:20:19,864 --> 00:20:21,814 families killed their temple desecrated. 362 00:20:22,084 --> 00:20:26,554 Their future as husbands and fathers destroyed and their names change 363 00:20:26,554 --> 00:20:29,854 to give praise to a foreign deity. 364 00:20:30,874 --> 00:20:34,864 And then they're in this training program that was designed to assimilate them. 365 00:20:34,864 --> 00:20:37,354 They had years of training under King Nebuchadnezzar. 366 00:20:37,534 --> 00:20:39,184 They're giving Babylonian names. 367 00:20:39,184 --> 00:20:40,744 They're giving Babylonian jobs. 368 00:20:40,954 --> 00:20:43,444 They're studying the language and the literature of Babylon. 369 00:20:43,444 --> 00:20:48,184 In fact, just so you can see how far their inculcation went, part of their 370 00:20:48,184 --> 00:20:49,219 training would've been learning. 371 00:20:49,649 --> 00:20:51,149 a Babylonian spirituality. 372 00:20:51,149 --> 00:20:54,839 If you see in verse 20, and in every matter of wisdom and understanding 373 00:20:54,839 --> 00:20:57,839 about which the king inquired of them, he found them 10 times better than 374 00:20:57,839 --> 00:21:01,769 all the magicians, the enchanters that were in all his kingdom. 375 00:21:01,769 --> 00:21:04,079 That's the larger group that they're a part of. 376 00:21:04,079 --> 00:21:05,849 In this process is ingenious. 377 00:21:05,849 --> 00:21:12,089 If you're the enemy, a display of power, first and foremost, we conquered your God. 378 00:21:12,089 --> 00:21:12,779 Where is he? 379 00:21:13,949 --> 00:21:17,664 He shows up in verse two, which shall get to. 380 00:21:18,824 --> 00:21:21,764 He's in verse two, and in fact, he's the one that says, 381 00:21:22,184 --> 00:21:26,834 gave Judah over, Jo came over. 382 00:21:28,844 --> 00:21:29,924 God's still on his throne. 383 00:21:30,464 --> 00:21:31,154 All through this. 384 00:21:31,154 --> 00:21:32,084 God's on his throne. 385 00:21:32,984 --> 00:21:34,064 God's on his throne. 386 00:21:34,904 --> 00:21:37,694 But there's this display of power, these young kids, 387 00:21:41,774 --> 00:21:43,394 and there's this temptation. 388 00:21:45,629 --> 00:21:47,159 For all of us, at least for me. 389 00:21:47,159 --> 00:21:48,899 Don't you want to be on the winning team? 390 00:21:50,019 --> 00:21:51,699 that's just one level working. 391 00:21:52,539 --> 00:21:53,889 Tell them that they're special. 392 00:21:53,889 --> 00:21:56,559 Out of all the people we see potential in you. 393 00:21:56,679 --> 00:21:58,479 You are the best and the brightest. 394 00:21:59,859 --> 00:22:01,479 All those other people, they didn't cut it. 395 00:22:01,479 --> 00:22:03,879 You guys, you are the future of this city. 396 00:22:06,729 --> 00:22:09,549 Remove their physical cultural identity. 397 00:22:09,549 --> 00:22:13,149 Remember, they were circumcised as Hebrews. 398 00:22:14,484 --> 00:22:15,504 And that's removed. 399 00:22:15,564 --> 00:22:16,854 When they become eunuchs. 400 00:22:17,394 --> 00:22:25,734 Remove their spiritual identity, change their names, reeducation, 401 00:22:26,364 --> 00:22:29,184 here's what to believe. 402 00:22:30,144 --> 00:22:35,664 Then the king's food, making them dependent on the king for everything, but 403 00:22:35,664 --> 00:22:37,974 making the king seem like, I've got you. 404 00:22:37,974 --> 00:22:38,919 I'm gonna give you the best. 405 00:22:40,089 --> 00:22:41,919 They're not free. 406 00:22:42,219 --> 00:22:47,469 They're slaves, they're captives, but he's treating them like they're royalty, 407 00:22:47,559 --> 00:22:49,769 except he's, hurt them physically. 408 00:22:49,769 --> 00:22:51,179 He's destroyed their own. 409 00:22:51,389 --> 00:22:54,779 He's changing everything about them, and it's this psychological 410 00:22:54,779 --> 00:22:58,499 warfare that happens even nowadays. 411 00:22:58,499 --> 00:23:00,979 Do you see any similarities in our culture? 412 00:23:00,979 --> 00:23:04,039 Who wants to tell you your identity and what you are? 413 00:23:04,039 --> 00:23:04,069 I. 414 00:23:05,104 --> 00:23:10,924 Constantly, you are what you do, or you are how you perform, or 415 00:23:10,924 --> 00:23:12,964 you are what you can provide. 416 00:23:12,964 --> 00:23:14,494 You are what you accomplish. 417 00:23:14,524 --> 00:23:15,784 Over and over. 418 00:23:15,964 --> 00:23:22,534 The same similar things that keep you captive, that keep you under, 419 00:23:22,534 --> 00:23:25,834 that tries to redefine who you are. 420 00:23:27,949 --> 00:23:31,729 And remember the vibe of the king is giving off this freedom and flourishing, 421 00:23:31,939 --> 00:23:35,269 but that environment, you're just one bad dream away from death. 422 00:23:35,839 --> 00:23:40,339 As we see in the rest of the book of Daniel, they can't interpret one bad 423 00:23:40,339 --> 00:23:44,849 dream, the rest of the magicians, and he's gonna kill 'em all, all the years. 424 00:23:44,849 --> 00:23:47,189 Think of all the money they poured into that program. 425 00:23:47,249 --> 00:23:49,619 He's gonna write it off for tax credit. 426 00:23:50,339 --> 00:23:55,589 He's just gonna obliterate, wipe 'em all out because they really aren't free. 427 00:23:56,084 --> 00:24:01,004 And nobody's free in that identity that's pressed upon them. 428 00:24:01,454 --> 00:24:02,744 You have to look this way. 429 00:24:02,744 --> 00:24:04,094 You have to think this way. 430 00:24:04,424 --> 00:24:06,794 We all feel that pressure in our culture. 431 00:24:07,244 --> 00:24:11,444 There is two kingdoms trying to occupy the same space, and when two kingdoms trying 432 00:24:11,444 --> 00:24:13,334 to occupy the same space, there's tension. 433 00:24:15,704 --> 00:24:20,764 Or we see even the, the person in charge of the whole crew is in fear for his life. 434 00:24:20,794 --> 00:24:24,394 He doesn't wanna step outta line, and the enemy of our souls is after 435 00:24:24,394 --> 00:24:28,534 identity to lie to us about who we are in Christ and to conform 436 00:24:28,534 --> 00:24:29,764 us into the image of this world. 437 00:24:29,764 --> 00:24:33,964 Romans 12, two says, do not copy the behavior and the customs 438 00:24:33,964 --> 00:24:37,654 of this world, but let God transform you into a new person. 439 00:24:37,654 --> 00:24:41,764 By changing the way you think, then you will learn to know 440 00:24:41,764 --> 00:24:43,474 what God's will for you. 441 00:24:43,524 --> 00:24:46,394 Is, Which is good, pleasing and perfect. 442 00:24:46,964 --> 00:24:50,419 Let's see how they do with this pressure to assimilate. 443 00:24:51,249 --> 00:24:53,049 And that in the performance, what do they do? 444 00:24:53,049 --> 00:24:54,909 The test that's before them. 445 00:24:55,149 --> 00:24:58,149 But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself, verse 446 00:24:58,149 --> 00:25:00,819 eight, with the king's food or with the wine that he drank. 447 00:25:00,819 --> 00:25:04,119 Therefore, he asked the chief Euch to allow him not to defile himself. 448 00:25:04,299 --> 00:25:07,584 And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the E, 449 00:25:08,049 --> 00:25:11,889 and the chief of the Euch said to Daniel, I fear my Lord, the king who 450 00:25:11,889 --> 00:25:15,519 assigned you food and drank for, why should he see that you are in worse 451 00:25:15,519 --> 00:25:17,619 condition than the user of your own age? 452 00:25:19,089 --> 00:25:22,269 So would you endanger my head with the king? 453 00:25:22,719 --> 00:25:25,659 Then Daniel said to the steward from whom the chief of the Euch had assigned 454 00:25:25,659 --> 00:25:27,731 over Daniel Hanai, Michel Azariah. 455 00:25:27,789 --> 00:25:29,469 Test your servants for 10 days. 456 00:25:29,919 --> 00:25:32,589 Let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. 457 00:25:32,649 --> 00:25:35,859 Then let our appearance in the appearance of the use who eat the king's food 458 00:25:35,859 --> 00:25:39,129 be observed by you and with your severance according to what you see. 459 00:25:39,129 --> 00:25:42,669 So he listened to them in the matter and tested them for 10 days, and at the end 460 00:25:42,669 --> 00:25:47,379 of 10 days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh. 461 00:25:48,129 --> 00:25:50,169 Than all the youth who ate the King's food. 462 00:25:50,529 --> 00:25:53,739 So the steward took away their food and the wine they were to 463 00:25:53,739 --> 00:25:55,719 drink and gave them vegetables. 464 00:25:56,334 --> 00:25:59,844 As for these four use, God gave them learning and skill 465 00:25:59,964 --> 00:26:01,554 and all literature and wisdom. 466 00:26:01,554 --> 00:26:05,484 And Daniel had understanding in all dreams and visions and at the end 467 00:26:05,484 --> 00:26:08,274 of time when the king in commanded that they should be brought in, the 468 00:26:08,274 --> 00:26:12,114 chief of the Euch brought them before Nebuchadnezzar and the king spoke with 469 00:26:12,114 --> 00:26:14,004 them and among them was none found. 470 00:26:14,004 --> 00:26:16,194 Like Daniel had and I, Michelle Azariah. 471 00:26:16,324 --> 00:26:19,954 Therefore, they stood before the king, and in every matter of wisdom and 472 00:26:19,954 --> 00:26:23,494 understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them 10 473 00:26:23,494 --> 00:26:27,994 times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in his kingdom. 474 00:26:27,994 --> 00:26:32,554 And Daniel was there until the first year of King Cyrus, and here they are in the 475 00:26:32,554 --> 00:26:35,134 king's palace eating at the king's table. 476 00:26:35,344 --> 00:26:38,584 And you've got to recognize this would've been the best food in the country 477 00:26:38,734 --> 00:26:42,664 prepared by the most talented chef with the most expensive wine every day for 478 00:26:42,664 --> 00:26:44,704 them, the most expensive ingredients. 479 00:26:45,669 --> 00:26:50,259 But verse eight says, Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself at the King's 480 00:26:50,259 --> 00:26:52,449 food or with the wine that he drank. 481 00:26:52,449 --> 00:26:53,829 He says, I won't do it. 482 00:26:53,829 --> 00:26:56,709 I'm not going to eat the King's food and drink his wine. 483 00:26:56,709 --> 00:27:01,149 And here's the thing, we don't exactly know why he refused to do this. 484 00:27:02,259 --> 00:27:06,009 It could have been everybody's debated, all the commentators and the scholars. 485 00:27:06,309 --> 00:27:07,719 It could have been. 486 00:27:08,639 --> 00:27:11,819 that there was a kind of, the kind of food they were eating. 487 00:27:11,819 --> 00:27:15,569 Maybe it wasn't permitted in some of the Jewish dietary laws, but the wine 488 00:27:15,569 --> 00:27:19,589 would be, or it could have been the use of the food that they were eating. 489 00:27:19,619 --> 00:27:22,709 It had been previously sacrificed to Babylonian gods. 490 00:27:23,129 --> 00:27:25,919 It could have been all those reasons, but we don't know because 491 00:27:25,979 --> 00:27:27,809 it doesn't tell us explicitly. 492 00:27:28,409 --> 00:27:34,559 But here's what we do know, that Daniel and his four friends, 493 00:27:34,679 --> 00:27:36,299 it says, would've been defiled. 494 00:27:36,629 --> 00:27:41,279 If they crossed that line, it would've made them impure. 495 00:27:41,489 --> 00:27:44,729 It would've been contrary to their convictions in God. 496 00:27:44,789 --> 00:27:48,809 And so he said he resolved not to eat it. 497 00:27:49,259 --> 00:27:53,879 So Daniel asks, and that he and his friends be able to eat a different menu. 498 00:27:53,939 --> 00:28:01,109 Now that's pretty anno annoying request for a prisoner to be asking because nobody 499 00:28:01,109 --> 00:28:02,639 in charge of feeding groups likes it. 500 00:28:02,639 --> 00:28:03,599 When people demand. 501 00:28:03,944 --> 00:28:05,594 Different kinds of food, right? 502 00:28:05,594 --> 00:28:07,244 Can I get an amen from the moms? 503 00:28:08,264 --> 00:28:12,254 Andrea loves nothing more than one of our kids asking for a different meal than 504 00:28:12,254 --> 00:28:14,294 what she's prepared for the family, right? 505 00:28:15,554 --> 00:28:19,004 But anyways, so they do make their quest. 506 00:28:19,004 --> 00:28:24,014 Now, please don't be shortsighted as we read this and think that 507 00:28:24,014 --> 00:28:31,874 Daniel gave you just now tonight exclusively some super secret. 508 00:28:32,279 --> 00:28:36,179 Jesus powered keto diet, right? 509 00:28:36,509 --> 00:28:38,519 That's the, this is it guys. 510 00:28:39,449 --> 00:28:42,719 Some of your, because we're actually told when they ate this, they got 511 00:28:42,719 --> 00:28:46,949 fat, which I think is the opposite of why some of us diet anyways. 512 00:28:46,949 --> 00:28:47,489 Maybe not. 513 00:28:48,219 --> 00:28:51,099 but some of you are like, I knew it. 514 00:28:51,159 --> 00:28:52,329 Vegetables and water. 515 00:28:52,329 --> 00:28:56,049 I bet that meant only whole grains and non GMO stuff, right? 516 00:28:56,079 --> 00:28:57,069 But that's not the point. 517 00:28:57,069 --> 00:28:57,909 And this is the point. 518 00:28:59,124 --> 00:29:00,234 I love John Cleese. 519 00:29:00,234 --> 00:29:01,824 He's the British comedian. 520 00:29:01,884 --> 00:29:05,124 He said, if God did not intend for us to eat animals, then why 521 00:29:05,124 --> 00:29:06,504 did he make them out of meat? 522 00:29:08,814 --> 00:29:09,684 I thought, I always love that. 523 00:29:09,894 --> 00:29:12,504 But anyways, you're free to follow this Daniel diet, but that's 524 00:29:12,504 --> 00:29:14,094 not the point of the chapter. 525 00:29:14,784 --> 00:29:17,514 Daniel said, let us eat vegetables and water. 526 00:29:17,544 --> 00:29:18,144 It's interesting. 527 00:29:18,144 --> 00:29:20,484 He didn't come out and say, Hey everybody, I'm a Christian. 528 00:29:20,544 --> 00:29:21,114 You're wrong. 529 00:29:21,114 --> 00:29:21,594 I'm right. 530 00:29:21,594 --> 00:29:22,284 Check me out. 531 00:29:22,314 --> 00:29:23,484 Where's my promotion? 532 00:29:24,054 --> 00:29:24,774 He comes. 533 00:29:25,419 --> 00:29:26,859 Respectfully to the person. 534 00:29:27,039 --> 00:29:32,769 He makes the request and the chief eunuch says, listen, yoni king's food, you're 535 00:29:32,769 --> 00:29:35,949 gonna get all skinny and scrawny and look pathetic, and it's gonna come back onto 536 00:29:35,949 --> 00:29:38,079 me while you're feeding these young guys. 537 00:29:38,439 --> 00:29:39,459 So look, verse 11. 538 00:29:39,459 --> 00:29:43,329 Then Daniel said to the steward, okay, you've gotta notice Daniel is not 539 00:29:43,329 --> 00:29:45,219 talking to the chief of Eunuch anymore. 540 00:29:45,279 --> 00:29:46,719 He switches up to somebody else. 541 00:29:46,719 --> 00:29:47,559 So he's resilient. 542 00:29:47,559 --> 00:29:48,249 He doesn't give up. 543 00:29:48,249 --> 00:29:50,049 He's not like, well, I tried it for God, 544 00:29:52,149 --> 00:29:52,509 you know? 545 00:29:52,569 --> 00:29:53,349 Struck out. 546 00:29:53,409 --> 00:29:54,459 Struck out for Jesus. 547 00:29:55,314 --> 00:29:55,914 He's no, 548 00:29:57,954 --> 00:29:58,884 I'm going. 549 00:29:59,574 --> 00:30:00,234 And he doesn't give up. 550 00:30:00,234 --> 00:30:00,954 He's resilient. 551 00:30:00,954 --> 00:30:01,644 He keeps going. 552 00:30:01,644 --> 00:30:02,574 He tries another route. 553 00:30:02,574 --> 00:30:05,274 He talks to the steward and they get fatter. 554 00:30:05,274 --> 00:30:09,804 Verse 15, which back then was the standard of beauty because if you're working out 555 00:30:09,804 --> 00:30:13,794 in the field and you were muscular and tan, admit that you weren't well to do, 556 00:30:14,394 --> 00:30:18,474 but if you were puffy, that was awesome. 557 00:30:18,984 --> 00:30:21,024 That meant you had, that meant you had servants. 558 00:30:21,024 --> 00:30:25,324 That meant you could, kind of thing, but everybody is blown away 559 00:30:25,654 --> 00:30:28,864 because God causes them to flourish. 560 00:30:29,314 --> 00:30:31,594 And this story raises an interesting question. 561 00:30:31,594 --> 00:30:35,224 How do we know where to draw the line in the city in which we live in the 562 00:30:35,224 --> 00:30:40,684 culture in which we live in the city of man as people of the kingdom of God? 563 00:30:40,774 --> 00:30:42,334 And it's really fascinating in the story. 564 00:30:42,364 --> 00:30:43,054 Daniel. 565 00:30:43,504 --> 00:30:47,014 Takes a Babylonian name, he does a Babylonian job. 566 00:30:47,044 --> 00:30:49,954 He learns their culture, their language, their spirituality, 567 00:30:49,954 --> 00:30:51,424 but he won't eat the king's food. 568 00:30:51,424 --> 00:30:54,244 Why this and not that? 569 00:30:55,474 --> 00:30:58,264 Well, it doesn't tell us why. 570 00:30:58,804 --> 00:31:03,349 There's no clear biblical laws that make first simple explanation of why 571 00:31:03,394 --> 00:31:06,244 he did one thing but refused another. 572 00:31:07,084 --> 00:31:09,964 And this is not the only line that Daniel and his friends drawn. 573 00:31:10,354 --> 00:31:14,314 Remember, they're like, we're not worshiping your stupid, idol. 574 00:31:14,914 --> 00:31:17,254 no, I'm gonna keep praying with my windows open. 575 00:31:17,634 --> 00:31:20,304 He probably could have closed his windows and avoided all conflict, 576 00:31:20,304 --> 00:31:24,564 but he, for some reason, you'll see in the story, he's gonna draw line. 577 00:31:24,564 --> 00:31:25,764 He's gonna say no. 578 00:31:25,764 --> 00:31:27,774 To go beyond this would be compromise. 579 00:31:28,344 --> 00:31:30,949 I would lose myself if I crossed this. 580 00:31:31,509 --> 00:31:35,469 Line and he ends up in the lion's den or refusing wealth. 581 00:31:35,499 --> 00:31:37,899 Remember to interpret the handwriting on the wall. 582 00:31:38,379 --> 00:31:41,169 He's like, your kingdom's going away anyways. 583 00:31:41,229 --> 00:31:42,729 Why this not that? 584 00:31:42,729 --> 00:31:46,569 See, when it comes to where to draw lines in ethical situations, we want 585 00:31:46,569 --> 00:31:51,309 God to give us the rule to make it explicit, but God wants us to use wisdom 586 00:31:52,479 --> 00:31:54,189 and so let's apply that in our context. 587 00:31:54,189 --> 00:31:56,349 How do we know where to draw lines? 588 00:31:56,349 --> 00:31:57,819 How do you know where to draw a line at work? 589 00:31:57,819 --> 00:31:59,139 I think about this all the time. 590 00:32:00,069 --> 00:32:00,879 This is a big one. 591 00:32:00,879 --> 00:32:05,049 Do you participate when people at work are talking bad about a coworker? 592 00:32:05,379 --> 00:32:06,189 Ooh. 593 00:32:07,029 --> 00:32:07,899 Is that a line? 594 00:32:08,679 --> 00:32:09,489 Do you defend them? 595 00:32:10,809 --> 00:32:11,709 Do you participate? 596 00:32:11,709 --> 00:32:13,149 The juicy gossip? 597 00:32:14,229 --> 00:32:18,339 Do you slam their character to make yourself look, oh, it's so tantalizing. 598 00:32:19,329 --> 00:32:21,069 How do you know where to draw the lines? 599 00:32:21,069 --> 00:32:22,359 What about honesty? 600 00:32:22,359 --> 00:32:23,979 What about cutting corners? 601 00:32:24,069 --> 00:32:27,679 Yes, you get the job done quicker, but are, is it, is it good? 602 00:32:27,679 --> 00:32:31,549 Is it good work just to do it in order to meet a deadline? 603 00:32:31,549 --> 00:32:33,019 Where do we draw the line? 604 00:32:33,019 --> 00:32:33,979 the Bible's clear. 605 00:32:34,099 --> 00:32:37,369 You have to draw lines, but the scripture doesn't tell us where those 606 00:32:37,369 --> 00:32:38,719 lines need to be drawn sometimes. 607 00:32:38,719 --> 00:32:40,819 Now, some situations are black and white. 608 00:32:40,819 --> 00:32:42,109 Don't lie, don't cheat. 609 00:32:42,349 --> 00:32:44,029 Don't participate in wickedness. 610 00:32:45,349 --> 00:32:51,889 Those are pretty obvious, but some areas are gray Now, we wish that 611 00:32:51,889 --> 00:32:53,599 there was a simple answer to all this. 612 00:32:53,599 --> 00:32:57,589 What if God doesn't want to simply tell us what to do in every situation, 613 00:32:57,589 --> 00:33:01,639 but invites us into deeper maturity, into deeper community, into deeper 614 00:33:01,639 --> 00:33:04,429 reliance on him in every circumstance. 615 00:33:05,554 --> 00:33:09,364 And one of the things that, has been helpful to me is in one Corinthians 616 00:33:09,364 --> 00:33:13,554 six 12 with this whole wisdom thing, and, one Corinthians 10 23, 617 00:33:14,154 --> 00:33:17,484 it says, all things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful. 618 00:33:17,484 --> 00:33:21,294 All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. 619 00:33:21,594 --> 00:33:25,014 At 10 53, all things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful. 620 00:33:25,014 --> 00:33:29,244 All things are lawful for me, but not all things edify and those are an 621 00:33:29,244 --> 00:33:33,594 amazing thing for being in this worldwide because what it says, number one, it 622 00:33:33,594 --> 00:33:35,274 says, man, you're freer than you think. 623 00:33:35,934 --> 00:33:38,454 Whom the suns free is free indeed. 624 00:33:39,244 --> 00:33:40,504 Not freedom like the world. 625 00:33:40,509 --> 00:33:47,104 The world sees freedom as like no boundaries, but we flourish. 626 00:33:47,809 --> 00:33:50,329 In the right boundaries we're like a fish, right? 627 00:33:50,329 --> 00:33:53,059 If a fish is man, I'm not experiencing freedom. 628 00:33:53,059 --> 00:33:54,499 I wanna live on the land. 629 00:33:55,129 --> 00:34:00,589 very shortly he is going to experience death, but he'll flourish in the 630 00:34:00,589 --> 00:34:02,329 environment that he was created for. 631 00:34:02,929 --> 00:34:04,609 But I love the old King James that says. 632 00:34:05,239 --> 00:34:08,239 All things are lawful, but not all things are expedient. 633 00:34:08,329 --> 00:34:09,139 It's such a good word. 634 00:34:09,139 --> 00:34:11,929 What it means is it means you're running your race with endurance, 635 00:34:11,929 --> 00:34:15,139 looking into Jesus, the author of the perfecter of our faith, right? 636 00:34:15,199 --> 00:34:17,839 And you're casting aside every weight in the sin, which so 637 00:34:17,839 --> 00:34:19,998 easily ens snares us, right? 638 00:34:20,059 --> 00:34:21,679 And then you're looking un Jesus. 639 00:34:21,679 --> 00:34:22,728 That's Hebrews right? 640 00:34:22,849 --> 00:34:25,629 And he, and you're looking into him now. 641 00:34:25,989 --> 00:34:27,399 Is there anything slowing me down? 642 00:34:27,429 --> 00:34:29,768 Yes, I could do it, but man, is it speeding me on. 643 00:34:30,364 --> 00:34:33,214 I used to, I'm not gonna tell the whole story, but I used to, when I started 644 00:34:33,214 --> 00:34:35,625 swim team, I was so embarrassed. 645 00:34:35,864 --> 00:34:39,585 And so I would swim in these huge cargo shorts and it was like 646 00:34:39,585 --> 00:34:40,844 swimming with a parachute on. 647 00:34:41,324 --> 00:34:44,625 And then they told me and I practicing them, and I would not change. 648 00:34:44,625 --> 00:34:45,524 I say, you gotta wear Speedo. 649 00:34:45,524 --> 00:34:46,335 I'm not gonna wear Speedo. 650 00:34:46,335 --> 00:34:46,964 You gotta wear Speedo. 651 00:34:46,964 --> 00:34:47,864 I'm not gonna wear Speedo. 652 00:34:48,054 --> 00:34:49,824 I don't, I know I'm not gonna do it. 653 00:34:49,824 --> 00:34:51,594 And then finally, I was not gonna be able to. 654 00:34:52,074 --> 00:34:52,495 Swim. 655 00:34:52,495 --> 00:34:55,734 I had worked months of my life preparing. 656 00:34:55,734 --> 00:34:58,834 So finally I went and I bought it and then, I wore my towel up on 657 00:34:58,834 --> 00:35:04,625 the starting block 'cause I was so embarrassed and the gun went off. 658 00:35:04,684 --> 00:35:09,255 I threw off my towel and dove in and one stroke, and one junk. 659 00:35:09,524 --> 00:35:11,984 And I got half the pool on my jump. 660 00:35:12,944 --> 00:35:16,484 And I came up and I was the head of everybody, and then I was to the wall. 661 00:35:16,605 --> 00:35:17,895 I didn't even get to do flip turn. 662 00:35:17,895 --> 00:35:19,210 And then finally I came back. 663 00:35:19,270 --> 00:35:20,800 Guys, I was so proud of my speedo. 664 00:35:20,800 --> 00:35:21,580 I was walking around. 665 00:35:21,580 --> 00:35:24,069 I was just like, yes, 666 00:35:26,410 --> 00:35:26,920 why? 667 00:35:27,400 --> 00:35:28,359 I dropped the weight. 668 00:35:28,390 --> 00:35:30,880 Yes, it's lawful. 669 00:35:30,880 --> 00:35:32,680 Is it speeding me on my course? 670 00:35:32,710 --> 00:35:35,830 Okay, all things are lawful, but I won't be brought under the power of Vinny. 671 00:35:36,069 --> 00:35:37,750 See how this starts to work in wisdom? 672 00:35:38,109 --> 00:35:40,510 If you're under its power, you're not free. 673 00:35:41,755 --> 00:35:44,395 Are, am I free If you're under its power? 674 00:35:44,395 --> 00:35:44,665 No. 675 00:35:46,015 --> 00:35:46,465 Okay. 676 00:35:47,005 --> 00:35:49,345 And then the mo, one of the most important, all things are lawful, 677 00:35:49,345 --> 00:35:50,395 but not all things edified. 678 00:35:50,395 --> 00:35:52,345 That's the context of the church community. 679 00:35:53,335 --> 00:35:56,125 Does it help the church community thrive? 680 00:35:56,845 --> 00:35:57,895 Does it build them up? 681 00:35:57,895 --> 00:36:01,720 Because I'm not Josh Ka over here, Christian by myself. 682 00:36:01,855 --> 00:36:05,245 And then we come together and I report how I'm doing as a solo Christian. 683 00:36:05,395 --> 00:36:07,045 We are the body of Christ together. 684 00:36:09,175 --> 00:36:13,915 And we bear one another's burdens and in doing so, thus fulfill the law of Christ. 685 00:36:14,605 --> 00:36:17,605 It doesn't happen any other way apart from the body. 686 00:36:18,175 --> 00:36:21,354 And man, wisdom again, we want God just to give us a rule, 687 00:36:21,354 --> 00:36:23,394 but God wants us to use wisdom. 688 00:36:23,394 --> 00:36:23,785 I love you. 689 00:36:23,785 --> 00:36:27,024 Read in the book of Proverbs and it'll say, do this, and then another 690 00:36:27,024 --> 00:36:28,375 place that will say, don't do this. 691 00:36:28,375 --> 00:36:30,084 And you're like, is that a contradiction? 692 00:36:30,444 --> 00:36:32,184 And you say, how do I reconcile that? 693 00:36:32,214 --> 00:36:32,845 What's he saying? 694 00:36:32,845 --> 00:36:35,665 He's saying sometimes you do it, sometimes you don't. 695 00:36:36,055 --> 00:36:39,684 What's the thing that you use to decide wisdom? 696 00:36:39,684 --> 00:36:39,714 I. 697 00:36:41,154 --> 00:36:44,484 So how Daniel and his friends not only have the wisdom to draw a line 698 00:36:44,484 --> 00:36:46,254 in the sand, but the power to do it. 699 00:36:46,254 --> 00:36:48,325 And so let me wrap up with the power, verse eight. 700 00:36:48,654 --> 00:36:52,615 But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's 701 00:36:52,615 --> 00:36:54,384 food or with the wine that he drank. 702 00:36:54,535 --> 00:36:57,654 Therefore, he asked the chief eunuch to allow him not to defile himself. 703 00:36:57,654 --> 00:37:00,205 Now, the Hebrew word here for resolve literally means 704 00:37:00,444 --> 00:37:02,604 that he decided in his heart. 705 00:37:04,435 --> 00:37:11,904 He made an internal commitment that would determine his external actions. 706 00:37:13,194 --> 00:37:15,355 Somebody once said, this is really good. 707 00:37:15,384 --> 00:37:19,855 Integrity is setting your priorities before your opportunities. 708 00:37:24,355 --> 00:37:26,185 He fixed his heart on something. 709 00:37:27,834 --> 00:37:31,944 Jesus says in Luke 1234 where your treasure is. 710 00:37:32,725 --> 00:37:34,495 Your heart will be also, 711 00:37:36,875 --> 00:37:40,904 one of the most gospel freeing things I, is the whole idea of willpower. 712 00:37:41,505 --> 00:37:42,255 because 713 00:37:45,345 --> 00:37:49,095 for years I was like, try harder, do better, jump faster. 714 00:37:49,095 --> 00:37:52,995 I wanted to be the bionic Christian, how do I do this? 715 00:37:53,925 --> 00:37:55,395 And, I would read dedication. 716 00:37:56,925 --> 00:37:59,445 A previous rededication of a previous rededication. 717 00:38:01,035 --> 00:38:01,815 I like this time. 718 00:38:01,815 --> 00:38:02,655 It's serious. 719 00:38:03,195 --> 00:38:05,235 Try baptism again, being, come on. 720 00:38:05,235 --> 00:38:05,925 What's happening? 721 00:38:06,285 --> 00:38:08,205 No, I'm going all in this time. 722 00:38:08,205 --> 00:38:08,865 I'm serious. 723 00:38:08,865 --> 00:38:11,895 I go to a camp, throw away all this stuff that held me back, those 724 00:38:11,895 --> 00:38:14,055 weights, this time, I'm serious, Lord. 725 00:38:14,115 --> 00:38:14,895 Make it a week. 726 00:38:14,895 --> 00:38:15,405 Boom. 727 00:38:17,685 --> 00:38:20,115 The thing about an athlete, and Paul gives us this picture of 728 00:38:20,115 --> 00:38:22,935 an athlete, is that the athlete. 729 00:38:23,970 --> 00:38:25,560 It's not like they don't like ice cream. 730 00:38:27,390 --> 00:38:33,450 I'm sure they love gold Medal ribbon from Baskin Robbins or peanut butter chocolate. 731 00:38:34,830 --> 00:38:36,030 the difference 732 00:38:39,030 --> 00:38:40,530 is that they have a greater desire 733 00:38:42,720 --> 00:38:43,800 and that's to win the crown. 734 00:38:45,270 --> 00:38:48,030 And so they bring all other desires. 735 00:38:49,275 --> 00:38:51,045 And submission to that greater desire. 736 00:38:53,025 --> 00:38:58,365 It's not that they have to not ice cream, it's that they remind themselves what 737 00:38:58,365 --> 00:39:03,945 their true north is that true desire is, and that's what Daniel is doing here. 738 00:39:04,005 --> 00:39:10,035 He's recognizing his true treasure before he even headed there. 739 00:39:10,485 --> 00:39:12,285 This is his treasure. 740 00:39:12,285 --> 00:39:15,045 He resolved that he would not. 741 00:39:15,045 --> 00:39:17,415 He set his heart, he fixed his heart. 742 00:39:18,180 --> 00:39:20,940 He said it on God. 743 00:39:21,870 --> 00:39:25,940 In fact, a lot of people say, man, all these crazy desires and why we 744 00:39:25,940 --> 00:39:27,680 fail is that we feel so strongly. 745 00:39:27,890 --> 00:39:28,820 I love CS Lewis. 746 00:39:28,820 --> 00:39:31,310 He says, it's 'cause we don't feel strongly enough. 747 00:39:33,050 --> 00:39:36,290 Man, God invites you to have all of them that you want. 748 00:39:36,350 --> 00:39:37,160 Draw near to me. 749 00:39:37,160 --> 00:39:40,850 The God of the universe says, come get me. 750 00:39:41,220 --> 00:39:45,060 have all of you that Paul, praise that the Ephesians might. 751 00:39:45,450 --> 00:39:50,130 Expand their ability to take in all the fullness of God. 752 00:39:50,130 --> 00:39:51,800 Like he's get more. 753 00:39:51,980 --> 00:39:54,350 Then you might be able to comprehend the height, the width, the depth, and the 754 00:39:54,350 --> 00:40:00,480 breath of the love of God Our Lord, man, he wants to pour it out so there's this 755 00:40:00,720 --> 00:40:03,170 true north, there's this prize, this. 756 00:40:03,560 --> 00:40:06,560 I'm not finicky go blown about with the wind. 757 00:40:06,800 --> 00:40:08,200 I'm not, deciding later. 758 00:40:08,200 --> 00:40:10,090 But there was something in their hearts where they're 759 00:40:10,090 --> 00:40:12,460 like, man, this is the anchor. 760 00:40:13,330 --> 00:40:15,880 And why is that important to decide? 761 00:40:15,880 --> 00:40:19,930 Because in cities like Babylon, being different won't happen naturally. 762 00:40:20,470 --> 00:40:24,220 What's natural, what's human nature is to try to fit in, to follow the 763 00:40:24,220 --> 00:40:27,820 crowd, to go with the flow, to take the path of least resistance, so you'll 764 00:40:27,820 --> 00:40:30,370 never drift into being set apart. 765 00:40:32,410 --> 00:40:34,420 And Daniel felt the pressure, no doubt about it. 766 00:40:34,420 --> 00:40:35,800 He was surrounded by pressure. 767 00:40:35,800 --> 00:40:38,560 He was working in Babylon with a Babylonian name. 768 00:40:38,560 --> 00:40:41,710 He's very much in the city, but he knew his limits and he drew 769 00:40:41,710 --> 00:40:43,090 a line that he wouldn't cross. 770 00:40:43,090 --> 00:40:43,900 Now why? 771 00:40:45,580 --> 00:40:47,470 Why won't he cross these lines? 772 00:40:48,130 --> 00:40:51,130 Because God's people are called to be set apart, to be 773 00:40:51,190 --> 00:40:53,680 different, to be salt and light. 774 00:40:54,100 --> 00:40:57,040 Someone once said, you can't make a difference unless you're different. 775 00:40:57,820 --> 00:40:59,380 Now one huge caveat. 776 00:40:59,380 --> 00:41:01,600 I'm not talking about being weird. 777 00:41:02,950 --> 00:41:04,840 we can be weird as Christians sometimes. 778 00:41:05,825 --> 00:41:07,565 I'm talking about being different. 779 00:41:07,565 --> 00:41:09,815 That salt and light, that's different. 780 00:41:09,815 --> 00:41:13,685 The light, the city that set on a hill, it was set of the early Christians. 781 00:41:13,685 --> 00:41:18,365 This is by Rodney Stark, stood in stark contrast to other Roman citizens 782 00:41:18,365 --> 00:41:21,995 because they were promiscuous, which means dispersing freely their 783 00:41:21,995 --> 00:41:23,855 money and guarded with their beds. 784 00:41:23,855 --> 00:41:27,485 Romans were guarded, stingy with their money and promiscuous with their beds. 785 00:41:27,725 --> 00:41:29,255 Take power for Babylon. 786 00:41:29,255 --> 00:41:30,605 Whatever power you have. 787 00:41:30,670 --> 00:41:32,530 Press it to your advantage. 788 00:41:32,650 --> 00:41:33,820 If it's your looks, use that. 789 00:41:33,820 --> 00:41:34,900 If it's your money, use that. 790 00:41:34,900 --> 00:41:36,010 If it's your talent, use that. 791 00:41:36,010 --> 00:41:40,330 Whatever power you have is to be held onto and pressed for advantage. 792 00:41:40,330 --> 00:41:43,030 But the Christian sees any position of power and privilege 793 00:41:43,210 --> 00:41:47,290 like Jesus did something with which to serve and lift others up 794 00:41:48,730 --> 00:41:50,860 we're only to use power to serve. 795 00:41:50,890 --> 00:41:53,380 That's the crazy upside down nature of being a. 796 00:41:53,765 --> 00:41:58,385 A child of God, Jesus came not to be served, but to serve and 797 00:41:58,385 --> 00:41:59,795 to give his life as a ransom. 798 00:42:00,125 --> 00:42:02,375 Do you understand how crazy that is? 799 00:42:02,855 --> 00:42:07,295 The God man, the one who holds the universe by the word of his power. 800 00:42:07,475 --> 00:42:08,825 The uncaused cause. 801 00:42:08,825 --> 00:42:10,025 No beginning, no end. 802 00:42:10,025 --> 00:42:11,705 The alpha, the omega. 803 00:42:11,945 --> 00:42:13,925 He came to wash your feet. 804 00:42:14,975 --> 00:42:15,995 Man. 805 00:42:16,325 --> 00:42:20,255 All power, all authority, he says is given unto him, right? 806 00:42:21,065 --> 00:42:21,425 And. 807 00:42:22,475 --> 00:42:23,885 We've fallen short. 808 00:42:24,575 --> 00:42:28,615 So is the thing today like determined to be a Daniel and 809 00:42:28,615 --> 00:42:29,875 try really hard to be different? 810 00:42:29,875 --> 00:42:30,715 Let's pray. 811 00:42:31,345 --> 00:42:32,274 Is that the lesson? 812 00:42:32,274 --> 00:42:35,845 But here's the thing, we can't do it in our own strength and we haven't done it. 813 00:42:36,835 --> 00:42:38,274 We've fallen short. 814 00:42:39,085 --> 00:42:41,935 And if we try to do it on our own strength moving forward, 815 00:42:41,935 --> 00:42:44,305 we don't lean into this vision. 816 00:42:44,680 --> 00:42:48,310 And so often I am co-opted by compromise. 817 00:42:48,310 --> 00:42:51,340 We can't do it, but Jesus did. 818 00:42:51,550 --> 00:42:56,350 And God's grace is at work already in chapter one and in all of it. 819 00:42:56,815 --> 00:42:58,944 And that's what from the very beginning of the book, Daniel. 820 00:42:58,944 --> 00:43:01,495 Remember back in verse one, it says, king Nebuchadnezzar, Bessie, 821 00:43:01,495 --> 00:43:04,915 Jerusalem, and then in the second verse it says, and yet the Lord 822 00:43:04,915 --> 00:43:07,194 gave Jerusalem into his hand gave. 823 00:43:07,495 --> 00:43:07,826 It's saying, yeah. 824 00:43:07,830 --> 00:43:10,524 The kingdom of this world are making decisions and moving parts, but 825 00:43:10,524 --> 00:43:14,455 ultimately God is sovereignly at work, orchestrating all of this. 826 00:43:14,804 --> 00:43:19,304 And so then you look at verse nine, it says, God gave Daniel favor and compassion 827 00:43:19,304 --> 00:43:20,714 in the sight of the chief eunuchs. 828 00:43:20,955 --> 00:43:25,345 So there's this clue at the beginning of the story of God's favor, of God's grace. 829 00:43:25,464 --> 00:43:27,264 He's showing his compassion. 830 00:43:27,264 --> 00:43:30,085 And then you get to verse 17, and it says, as for these four use, 831 00:43:30,085 --> 00:43:33,955 God gave them learning and skill and all literature and wisdom. 832 00:43:34,104 --> 00:43:37,165 So you have this phrase being repeated three times. 833 00:43:37,165 --> 00:43:39,075 In the first chapter, the Lord gave. 834 00:43:39,144 --> 00:43:40,224 The Lord gave. 835 00:43:40,285 --> 00:43:44,184 So this story isn't about how great Daniel is. 836 00:43:44,875 --> 00:43:47,424 It's about how gracious Daniel's God is. 837 00:43:47,424 --> 00:43:47,545 Amen. 838 00:43:48,835 --> 00:43:52,464 God gave him favor and God gave him learning and skill. 839 00:43:52,524 --> 00:43:55,404 And as we keep reading, we'll see that God is the one who makes. 840 00:43:56,184 --> 00:43:58,915 Daniel Excel, he gets all the glory. 841 00:43:59,154 --> 00:44:04,375 So this book of the Bible is beckoning us to look not at Daniel, but to 842 00:44:04,375 --> 00:44:08,484 look at the God of Daniel who is sovereign and gracious and accomplishes 843 00:44:08,484 --> 00:44:10,104 his purpose through his people. 844 00:44:10,285 --> 00:44:14,484 See, Daniel was imperfect, but risked his life to be faithful to God's purpose. 845 00:44:15,564 --> 00:44:17,875 But Jesus was perfect, the greater Daniel. 846 00:44:18,325 --> 00:44:22,404 And not only did he risk his life, he gave his life to fulfill God's purpose. 847 00:44:23,214 --> 00:44:25,075 We shouldn't just be moralizing. 848 00:44:25,075 --> 00:44:27,354 The book of Daniel saying, be more like Daniel. 849 00:44:27,354 --> 00:44:28,495 Try harder to be like him. 850 00:44:28,495 --> 00:44:32,245 No, Daniel is ultimately pointing us forward to Jesus. 851 00:44:32,365 --> 00:44:36,894 And Jesus scripture tells us, set his face towards Jerusalem where 852 00:44:36,894 --> 00:44:38,274 he was going to be crucified. 853 00:44:38,274 --> 00:44:39,144 Do you know what that means? 854 00:44:39,354 --> 00:44:42,174 It means he resolved in his heart 855 00:44:44,335 --> 00:44:44,845 why 856 00:44:48,205 --> 00:44:50,694 we're told that in the book of Hebrews. 857 00:44:52,915 --> 00:44:55,375 He went to the cross because of the joy set before. 858 00:44:55,460 --> 00:44:57,170 What was the one thing God didn't have 859 00:45:01,790 --> 00:45:03,680 you and me in Right relationship with him? 860 00:45:05,720 --> 00:45:09,345 Is that like crazy and audacious that God's you're the joy. 861 00:45:13,660 --> 00:45:16,120 You're the sunrise on the other side of the resurrection, on 862 00:45:16,120 --> 00:45:17,439 the other side of the cross. 863 00:45:18,580 --> 00:45:18,759 What? 864 00:45:20,649 --> 00:45:23,080 That he longed to save you. 865 00:45:23,080 --> 00:45:26,080 He endured the scro cross, despising the shame. 866 00:45:26,169 --> 00:45:31,059 But for the Joyce set before him, he went, he was resolute. 867 00:45:31,089 --> 00:45:34,509 He had decided he had set his face toward Jerusalem. 868 00:45:34,569 --> 00:45:35,679 He had set his heart. 869 00:45:37,720 --> 00:45:42,279 He resolved to go to the cross, that he was willing to be cast out on our behalf, 870 00:45:42,339 --> 00:45:44,620 that he was willing to bear our shame. 871 00:45:44,920 --> 00:45:49,149 See, the book of Hebrews tells us that Jesus was crucified, not in the city of 872 00:45:49,149 --> 00:45:51,160 Jerusalem, but outside the city Gates. 873 00:45:51,160 --> 00:45:51,519 Guys. 874 00:45:51,549 --> 00:45:53,140 He was exiled. 875 00:45:53,170 --> 00:45:57,129 He was cast out so that we might be brought in and given a 876 00:45:57,129 --> 00:46:00,099 place at the table of sons and daughters of the Kingdom of God. 877 00:46:00,370 --> 00:46:02,649 So complete was this. 878 00:46:03,214 --> 00:46:04,115 Redemption. 879 00:46:04,115 --> 00:46:06,904 So complete was this salvation. 880 00:46:07,654 --> 00:46:10,774 I love somebody who was telling me as we were just thinking about the cross and 881 00:46:10,774 --> 00:46:15,315 good Friday when Peter, comes and Jesus is being arrested and it's all chaos. 882 00:46:15,315 --> 00:46:19,215 And Peter takes out his sword and he cuts off the high priest servant's ear, right? 883 00:46:19,425 --> 00:46:20,085 Boom. 884 00:46:20,295 --> 00:46:23,925 Guys, what would happen to Peter if that's how it ended? 885 00:46:24,875 --> 00:46:25,835 He'd be arrested. 886 00:46:25,835 --> 00:46:26,825 He'd be tried. 887 00:46:26,825 --> 00:46:28,415 He did committed violence. 888 00:46:28,535 --> 00:46:29,555 Do you know what God does? 889 00:46:29,615 --> 00:46:34,025 God picks up the ear and fixes it so well. 890 00:46:35,675 --> 00:46:36,815 It's like it never happened. 891 00:46:43,835 --> 00:46:46,655 And so too, that's what he did with our sin. 892 00:46:47,705 --> 00:46:49,835 He bore it and paid it in full. 893 00:46:50,900 --> 00:46:54,560 He said to tell the sky it's finished, it's complete as far 894 00:46:54,560 --> 00:46:55,970 as the east is from the west. 895 00:46:55,970 --> 00:46:58,010 I remember your sin no more. 896 00:47:00,350 --> 00:47:03,590 There is therefore, now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 897 00:47:05,735 --> 00:47:09,275 Guys, the redemption in the rescue. 898 00:47:09,605 --> 00:47:13,055 And so Jesus dies on the cross verse in, he rises from the grave so that 899 00:47:13,055 --> 00:47:16,925 we can have new life in him and so that we can experience the city on the 900 00:47:16,925 --> 00:47:20,615 hill that he calls us to be a part of letting his light shine through us. 901 00:47:20,615 --> 00:47:23,015 And so through Christ, through trusting the finished work of 902 00:47:23,015 --> 00:47:27,904 cross, getting that story into our hearts and letting it simmer. 903 00:47:29,855 --> 00:47:34,145 And boil, then we can actually fulfill this vision at work. 904 00:47:34,205 --> 00:47:36,425 They take sheet metal and they try to bend it into place 905 00:47:36,425 --> 00:47:37,925 sometimes, and guess what happens? 906 00:47:37,925 --> 00:47:40,475 As soon as they let go, it goes back into place and so many 907 00:47:40,475 --> 00:47:41,555 of our hearts are like that. 908 00:47:42,020 --> 00:47:44,030 We hear something and we're like, yeah, I'm gonna do it. 909 00:47:44,030 --> 00:47:45,650 And our hearts are like W. 910 00:47:46,460 --> 00:47:49,820 But what they do when they want it to stay is they take a blowtorch 911 00:47:49,820 --> 00:47:53,420 to it and they melt that sucker and then they bend that thing and they 912 00:47:53,420 --> 00:47:55,160 can shape it any way they want. 913 00:47:55,160 --> 00:47:58,160 And so to the gospel, which is the power of God unto salvation. 914 00:47:58,435 --> 00:48:04,045 Which is the power of God comes into our heart and His grace in His mercy in his 915 00:48:04,045 --> 00:48:08,695 favor is shed of brought in our hearts and our affections deeper than emotion. 916 00:48:08,815 --> 00:48:16,195 It's the taste buds of the soul is stirred and we see and we savor the good, kind, 917 00:48:16,225 --> 00:48:22,165 awesome, gracious king who did that in our place and our hearts, like the disciples 918 00:48:22,165 --> 00:48:25,075 who say, did they not burn within us? 919 00:48:28,550 --> 00:48:31,820 And so by God's grace, he makes us different guys. 920 00:48:32,480 --> 00:48:34,580 By God's grace, he is our wisdom. 921 00:48:34,580 --> 00:48:37,190 It's literally says He's the wisdom come from God. 922 00:48:37,280 --> 00:48:39,560 So we, we know when to resist and draw the line. 923 00:48:39,560 --> 00:48:42,620 By God's grace, he has strength and we cast ourselves on him. 924 00:48:42,620 --> 00:48:45,620 By God's grace, we could trust God for the results. 925 00:48:47,375 --> 00:48:50,015 And yet God is sovereign overall. 926 00:48:50,075 --> 00:48:52,175 The Lord gave Wendy Witter. 927 00:48:52,205 --> 00:48:57,335 God is in control no matter how things look in his kingdom on one day fill 928 00:48:57,484 --> 00:49:01,805 the earth no matter how things look, no matter how they look to Daniel 929 00:49:01,805 --> 00:49:04,265 and his friends, he's in control. 930 00:49:04,355 --> 00:49:06,515 And it would be easy to look at these verses. 931 00:49:06,840 --> 00:49:10,980 And if we didn't see verse two there and guess that God isn't in control, 932 00:49:11,010 --> 00:49:14,580 but in Daniel, we learn as we do in so many other scriptures, trials 933 00:49:14,580 --> 00:49:16,650 are not obstacles to God's purposes. 934 00:49:16,860 --> 00:49:19,290 They're instruments of his purposes. 935 00:49:20,730 --> 00:49:23,280 And then I love in verse, this is a little bit of application. 936 00:49:23,280 --> 00:49:27,240 I don't do this often, so enjoy seven in verse one. 937 00:49:27,240 --> 00:49:31,080 In 21 you have the span of 70 years. 938 00:49:31,170 --> 00:49:33,330 Sometimes we read this story and we think. 939 00:49:33,800 --> 00:49:35,630 This week, it's the food. 940 00:49:35,870 --> 00:49:39,800 Next week it's the lion's den, or next week it's the idol. 941 00:49:39,800 --> 00:49:40,790 It's the furnace. 942 00:49:41,060 --> 00:49:41,960 70 years. 943 00:49:41,960 --> 00:49:43,100 This all takes place 944 00:49:49,520 --> 00:49:51,890 and it's just steady patient endurance by these guys 945 00:49:56,775 --> 00:50:01,100 just waking up every day like Daniel enjoying his God. 946 00:50:06,260 --> 00:50:07,820 Next parenting. 947 00:50:09,080 --> 00:50:11,930 Whatever they did in those 15 years, they killed it. 948 00:50:14,780 --> 00:50:17,900 Be not weary and well doing for induced season, you shall reap if you faint. 949 00:50:17,900 --> 00:50:18,230 Not 950 00:50:20,720 --> 00:50:21,620 it's hard, 951 00:50:25,010 --> 00:50:27,755 but God loves them more than we do. 952 00:50:29,150 --> 00:50:30,529 But just that steady faithfulness. 953 00:50:30,529 --> 00:50:32,180 There's some patient endurance. 954 00:50:32,810 --> 00:50:35,480 Number three, friendship. 955 00:50:40,850 --> 00:50:42,725 Daniel Shadrach me. 956 00:50:43,355 --> 00:50:47,205 In a bene go, somebody once said, show me your friends 957 00:50:47,205 --> 00:50:48,285 and I'll tell you your future, 958 00:50:51,495 --> 00:50:52,005 man. 959 00:50:53,445 --> 00:50:56,835 What a treasure some godly friends are. 960 00:50:58,815 --> 00:51:01,125 There's a difference between friends who are Christians 961 00:51:04,575 --> 00:51:09,855 and friends you like weep over the gospel with, and oh, 962 00:51:09,855 --> 00:51:10,875 that it would all be the same. 963 00:51:13,140 --> 00:51:15,420 But the truth of the matter, that's not always the case, 964 00:51:17,700 --> 00:51:21,090 but to pray and to be the friend that sticks closer than 965 00:51:21,090 --> 00:51:24,270 a brother to be the friend. 966 00:51:26,040 --> 00:51:31,920 Next is, so you have separation and assimilation. 967 00:51:33,240 --> 00:51:33,870 Where's the middle? 968 00:51:35,520 --> 00:51:36,510 Last bit of homework. 969 00:51:36,600 --> 00:51:37,380 Jeremiah 29. 970 00:51:38,895 --> 00:51:43,335 You have the exiles waiting outside the city and they're 971 00:51:43,335 --> 00:51:44,925 waiting for like revival to happen. 972 00:51:44,925 --> 00:51:47,505 They're promised by a false prophet in chapter 28. 973 00:51:47,865 --> 00:51:49,155 That revival's coming. 974 00:51:49,455 --> 00:51:50,835 Just wait, hunker down. 975 00:51:55,245 --> 00:51:59,805 And Jeremiah sends him a letter and he says, go in and seek the 976 00:51:59,805 --> 00:52:03,375 piece of the city plant vineyards. 977 00:52:03,465 --> 00:52:05,475 Oh, does that mean we're gonna be here for a while? 978 00:52:06,570 --> 00:52:07,470 Seek the flourishing. 979 00:52:07,470 --> 00:52:13,560 Buy houses, get married, move in, become the alternate city in the city, 980 00:52:15,810 --> 00:52:17,730 all that Christ has done in us. 981 00:52:18,000 --> 00:52:20,250 All the mercy and the compassion that he's shown us when we 982 00:52:20,250 --> 00:52:21,660 were enemies, Christ died. 983 00:52:21,990 --> 00:52:27,090 You now take that to your neighbors, to your coworkers, to 984 00:52:27,090 --> 00:52:31,230 everybody you encounter, and you become a light that's undeniable. 985 00:52:31,680 --> 00:52:34,050 Yes, we'll be distracted by fireworks. 986 00:52:35,760 --> 00:52:42,840 That when the dust clears and the smoke clears the love of God through his people 987 00:52:43,740 --> 00:52:53,280 is undeniable and will last much longer than a couple of minutes, but forever. 988 00:52:54,030 --> 00:52:54,450 Let's pray. 989 00:52:55,680 --> 00:52:58,290 Father, we thank you for your word this evening. 990 00:52:59,370 --> 00:53:03,270 We thank you for your rescue of us and God as we,