Motivation for Commitment - Part 2

Welcome to the intensified Catholic child and family for Monday, September 26. Do you really believe God's way is the best way. Today's podcast helps you evaluate your motivation for commitment with a look at the life of Daniel. If you turn to Daniel chapter 6 formal and you'll recall that in this particular chapter that the Bible says the rise and let me tell you what's happened.

First of all you had King Nebuchadnezzar that you have. Bill shows a then you have the rise so the Medes and the Persians have already come in now and taken over Babylon. No Nebuchadnezzar, but his salsa live lost the kingdom and so Darius appoints 120 satraps or servants who answer him, and he appoints three commissioners over all these hundred 20 and Daniel is one of those commissioners and so the Scrooges is in verse three of Daniel six, then this Daniel began distinguishing himself among the commissioners and satraps because he possessed an extraordinary spirit and the king planned to appoint him over the entire kingdom that is Daniel had excelled himself to the degree that he was going to be upon the prime minister over all of Babel. So what happens what normally happens. The other commissioners and satraps began to be very jealous and salt. The Bible says in verse four, a ground of accusation against then so they found one they found out that three times that he opened his wonder up in his home and he prayed toward Jerusalem to Jehovah God they found out about it. They went to the king.

They said old king live forever real pious hypocrites old king live forever. We think it be a wonderful idea.

If you would establish a decree that says for 30 days. Anyone who bows down to anyone else but you and your gods and worship them, they should be thrown in the Lions didn't he's I think it's a wonderful idea. So he signed the edict and eroded the court below the Medes and Persians, which meant there was absolutely no way to revoke that law for 30 days there would be absolutely no exceptions to the law. What'd they do well.

Listen to this wonderful verse, verse 10 now when Daniel knew that the document was signed. He entered his house now in his roof chamber. He had windows open toward Jerusalem and he continued kneeling on his knees. Three. To listen, he continued and started to impress anybody. He continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying, and giving thanks before his God, as he had done previously or had been doing previously now because what they did is they would delay someone do it went straight to the king.

They said okay we caught Daniel praying toward Jerusalem to his God. So they arranged Daniel before the king. The Bible says that Daniel is placed into the lions den thrown the Lions den by the king.

But it's interesting what the king said verse 16 then the king gave orders and Daniel was brought in and cast in the lines then the king spoke and said knowing that he is the king is throwing in the lines then he said to Daniel.

Daniel your God, whom you constantly serve will himself deliver you. Can you imagine the kind of witness that Daniel had all ready had in Babylon with the king saying Daniel I have seen such in your life. I believe that even though I throw you in the lines then your God is able to deliver you. Will you remember what happens the next morning, the king can't wait. Verse 19 the king rose early before dawn at the break of day when in haste of the lines. Then we came to the been of lions. He's he cried out. Daniel serve the living God has your God, whom you constantly serve been able to deliver you from the line is in the biz. Then Daniel spoke to the king okaying live forever.

Can you imagine what the king must've felt when they heard all Daniel's voice okaying live forever. Now you're the rest of the story is interesting what happens here when Daniel was thrown. The lines then all of a sudden, for some unknown reason all the lines had locked Joe but they couldn't do a thing that all they could do is just look at Daniel smell loving way that tail but could not open their mouths, Daniel was committed to being a good witness to God the father Jehovah God is he doing Elohim is he doing Yahweh. He was committed to bearing as on tarnished a witness as possible in a pagan society have you made a commitment to Jesus Christ, that in the day in which you live in the society which you live that his tone is with all kinds of evil and darkness have you made the commitment yet Lord Jesus, regardless of the consequences. I choose to live obediently I choose to live separated I choose to live before you keeping my body soul and spirit unto you, regardless of the consequence regardless of which way the winds are blowing. You see, this is the way many people name the name of Jesus Christ and of the last visit, or how my going live today which way is the wind blowing which way are the crowds going. Which way is the pressure going which will bring me more apt to prove Obama appear.

What will keep me from being rejected. What will bring me the least amount of harm and the least amount of criticism and the least amount of exposure. What will keep me the safest. That's not the questions that real, genuine, true, committed believers ask what we ask is God what you want me to do. I choose to do that and I'll leave the consequences of my obedience to you. And that's the kind of believers that God needs to live in the society we live in a pagan society ungodly vile evil wicked demonic set panic. We living in that kind of a society have you made a commitment to Jesus Christ that you will live for him as long as it's convenient until the persecution sets in as long as it is, say, as long as you have the approval of your friends or have you made a commitment to Jesus Christ that you are going to obey him by the power of the Holy Spirit, regardless of what it cost you because you see it is our witness before the world you and should be motivated to obey the living God because of the overflow of the consequences of the life that we live who is motivated to obey God by your disobedience whose motivated to loving Jesus Christ with devotion when they see you compromising your convictions and giving and when the pressure zone and moving along with the crowd because you don't want to be a fanatic is what happens.

You and I can make a commitment to Jesus Christ to live for him and the further and further away from truth. The world becomes what does that make it that makes us look like fanatics.

We haven't bunched. That's the way the world looks at us. Listen 30 years ago 25 years ago you not to believe what we believe, do what we do and you know what, nobody open their mouth the day we look like pious fanatics who has done the moving Satan and his crowd is the one who's done the movie and then moving further and further and further away from God, and the further away from truth they get the more fanatical you going to look so I ask you question friend you made a commitment to stand before God because of your fear of criticism and approval of your friends have you join the world you send will not too far from where I used to be. The truth is you moving with them. That's where they were then moving the other direction you say what I throw. You know I have the same sort of friends I have that. Where did your friends go of a movie with the unbelieving what you see. You will not have to take a stand for Jesus Christ.

Listen, not based on what my friends do. But based on what God says he will not based on what he says I don't bunch.

Well, it's movable the motivation that is the cause of Christ itself and what you notice something if you turn back over the chapter 5 now Nebuchadnezzar, who was the king when Daniel was taken when he died. Bill Shatzer, his son became the key and the city was being surrounded by the Persians derives the key surrounded the city of Babylon. And so here they are having a big part in a drunken stupor and his father's wicked is he is in his drunken stupor.

He could make any kind of decision. He chose then after about in the middle of all this reveling and carrying on. All of a sudden with no warning.

This finger appears out of nowhere and begins to write on the wall using what kind of reaction that they have verse six of chapter 5 will tell you exactly what kind of reaction the king had his face grew pale. That means white. His thoughts alarmed him his hip joints which slack his knees began knocking together. Can you imagine what kind of site that was all of a sudden. He could not stand before this on defined in indescribable finger that was writing on the wall scared them to death. So they call the soothsayers the magicians and all the rest and his wife, the Queen sits and there's a man in the kingdom relating to Daniel. They called Daniel."

When he comes in now and all this it's going on. He knows that anything he could say could cost him his life just like that, but at this moment and you will know this unless you know the sequence of events is Syrians.

The Babylonians, the Persians, the Greeks, the Romans here is the trail of God's prophetic work in all of human history. What is about to happen is a vital part in what God is going to do historically in the world. Daniel comes on the scene. Verse 16 the king makes a mark on the promises if he can interpret listen when Daniel says Daniel Anson said before the king. Keep your gifts for yourself or give your awards to someone else. However, I will read the inscription of the king and make the interpretation known to the listener. This, then the hand was sent from him and this inscription was written out Mende Mende TECO you Farson and here's what it means belch as if God has numbered your kingdom and put into it. You've been weighing on the scales and found efficient. Your kingdom is been divided and it has already been given the Medes and the Persians in before dawn, get the next day Bill Shasta was the prisoner of King Darius and the whole kingdom of Babylon had fallen into captivity. Why do you think Daniel did not come and say well that is a strange hand thinking about what could've happened to him if he told the truth he never even question that he said keep your presence for yourself out and when you give something to tell you what God says. Here's what the one true living God says you been weighed in the balance. You've been found wanting. Your kingdom has already come to an end. Belch out is that it's all over for you for the cause of Jehovah, Daniel fulfilled his commitment to be obedient to God regardless of the consequences. Are you willing to obey God today, regardless of the consequences.

Are you willing to confront people with the truth about Jesus Christ. Whether they like you are not the you hesitate to bear witness for Jesus Christ because you're afraid they'll reject you my friend, you have the only message that can transform the world. What is it that's keeping you from sharing that Rowley lovingly pointedly effectively courageously inflate the people who need to be saved. You see, as a teenager. Daniel made a decision, he purposed in his heart to be old media to Jehovah God and I want to ask you had you purposed in your heart to obey God. I know what is challenge you to do and where you stand this point in your life, what God is called to do, but I will ask you this question.

Had you made a commitment. Have you ever said to him of your but told him, Lord, I will obey you regardless of the circumstances are you watching the win watching your friends. Looking at the precious see what Safeway is the majority what's the most profitable are you asking the question what is obedience to God my friend a sincere committed child of God ultimately ask only one question. I'm not saying that you will ask many questions, but ultimately US the final question what will it take for me to be obedient to Almighty God and not answer that this question is yes God I will obey you. That is the quality of commitment that God is looking for the lives of his children and you see when we are committed when we are committed and we see the cause of Christ. The cause of Christ. When we see the importance of that we will take a firm, loving but strong.

A revocable stand in the name of God one last motivation of fulfilling your commitment to him.

I can't even find in the book of Daniel.

You know why because there's not one negative thing about Daniel in that book, but because God does use this. I want to go to another book in the Bible and use someone else.

Just this last point.

For a moment. So let me show you just for a moment because he's a perfect example of what God will use owners at times when we don't fulfill our commitment Jonah. You recall that God called him to go to preach the gospel to preach the truth, thus saith the Lord to Nineveh.

Jonah said after argument God. He said nothing doing because he really wanted God to destroy the Ninevites because they were a threat to God's people. He wouldn't go so what he do he went down the to jumper the Bible says Baltimore ticket on a boat all the way to Tarsus to run from God to get away from God. When he got on that beautiful Mediterranean.

All of a sudden this big storm came up and then the sailors decide the cast lots to see whose fault it was, of course, it fell upon Jonah. Finally they threw him overboard. You remember the Bible says a big fish swallowed and and if you read the second chapter.

Jonah you find out why Jonah ran all the way to Nineveh soon as he hit dryland because brother God put the pressure he gave them a submarine ride in the big whale or whatever it wanted with he put the pressure on Jonah would let him get away. The Bible says that the wealthy stream up on the shore and when he did. He must've landed on the street because he headed out for Nineveh couldn't wait to get bad to be obedient to God has got Amanda put pressure on you. What he hasn't give a wonderful experience in store because my friend he will you see, God shouldn't have to motivate is the pressure but he wanted.

He wants to. If he chooses to he knows he needs to and listen. If what God is calling you to do. If this point of direction. Your life is that important to God right now. Listen, the more pressure you feel what's this, the more pressure you feel from God to do what he's calling you to do you market down. The more important it is to God that you operate a certain way at this point in your life. It does make a difference what your mother so the many ways that you and I get motivated not simply ask you the question what would take to motivate you to make this commitment to Jesus Christ Lord Jesus, I commit myself to you, but by the power the Holy Spirit and the indwelling Christ who lives within me. I will obey you regardless of the consequences if you've never made that commitment. You need to make it nobody can force you to make it, not even God will for sure, but you should make it because of who he is and because of his purpose in your life and because of who to whom you belong.

And because apply you're here, our father, we thank you for being patient with us. We've not one to fulfill your will for our lives. We pray today that the Holy Spirit will speak to every single hero blows not escape that simple truth that we make a commitment that requires obedience regardless of the circumstances, those whom you have called an area of service will make the commitment those in whose lives you working about surrendering some had Bill make a commitment. Making some definite decision about the family that they'll make a commitment. Whatever it is will be courageous enough trusting in the believing in the to say yes perfect assurance lead all the consequences to you is my prayer in Jesus name, amen.

Thank you for listing to motivation or commitment, we would like to invite you to join us in celebrating 45 years have God's faithfulness.in tax.org last 45 years to learn more. This podcast is a presentation of intense ministry, Atlanta, Georgia