Be Different

Waukomis Summit church at different locations around the triangle news you are joining us at home in the context there of your home want to say welcome to all of you.

I can see everybody is back in their normal post-Easter attire this weekend which is good. What a phenomenal weekend last weekend was a man many of you many of you were were back in church in person for the first time in nearly a year and it really seemed like God showed up as well. Listen to this we have right at 8000 people attend in person services last weekend which is which is the first time a long time.

I mean we here since coven is it just to be able to get that many people get together again.

There were 96 people total that professed faith first time faith in Jesus and another 86 who made a public declaration of the faith and baptism, just last weekend and and by faith more this weekend must be honest some people are shy about coming forward or sitting in the text.

Sources say an even 100 lives that were change for eternity.

I feel confident in that I know is I get it. It's not about the numbers that I have said it before and I will say it again. Every single number represents a story and every story represents a person that is made in the image of God so we can celebrate numbers right. It will say in honor of the retired UNC coach Roy Williams your dad gum right we will celebrate there's numbers to the ribs and people are campus teams are working feverishly to follow up with all the people who raised a hand made a decision or texted that they were ready to begin a relationship with Jesus.

In fact, I heard from her Summit online director Kelsey Baker that she had four people four people who indicated I'm not ready to go all in yet, but I am willing to start the conversation and she is already set up times to meet with them and chat with him. One of the great things that came out of lockdown was this on be able to take our online platform and engage a lot of people just aren't comfortable being in church and it's allowed us to reach a whole new segment of people. A lot of people last week and indicated interest in this class that were starting exploring Christianity, which is can unpack a lot of Christian basics. It is for those of you who are either new to Christianity or just wanting to learn more about some of the big question somebody like if you want to participate in that class. I don't think they begun it at most campuses, yet you can text the word ready this morning ready to 33933 and we will get you the information and you can participate if you want will summit one more time one more time.

Can we just give thanks to God for his faithfulness to us in this season.

Amen. Amen. All right with you will get your Bibles out and you will open them to the book of Daniel, the book of Daniel.

It is about halfway through your Old Testament. If you do not know where Daniel is open your Bible to the table of contents and find Daniel there is no shame in that the person next to you makes fun of you for doing that.

Just raise your hand and another shall come and escort them out of the church how we will throw them out.

Okay you you find the book of Daniel we are beginning a new series today called shining in Babylon. It is a study of the entire book of Daniel. All 12 chapters and I wanted to explain for a minute where the title shining in Babylon comes from is from a verse in the very last chapter of verse that has been one of my favorite verses in the Old Testament since high school met is Daniel 12 three which says this, those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens and those who lead many to righteousness. They will shine like the stars forever and ever. The book of Daniel is about how to be a faithful witness in a dark and hostile environment. You see, unlike other books in the Bible. This book is not written from inside Israel.

But let me show you look at verse one in chapter 1, go back to that one cannot. Chapter 1 verse one in the third year of the reign of King Joe Holcomb of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and laid siege to it.

The Lord handed King Joachim of Judah over to him along with treasures from the house of God.

Nebuchadnezzar carried them to the land of Shinar it's a cute little details come back to the minute come to the house of his God and he put the vessels in the treasury of his God, King Joachim, who was the was with Judah's 19th king after King David continued to lead Israel in a downward spiral of unbelief, compromise and disobedience. God had warned Israel start all way back in Deuteronomy. He warned Israel that if they continued to walk this path that he would send them into exile and so in 605 BC, he kept his promise and might I say before we go any farther, but I believe that God has a warning for some of you in this. We are three minutes into this message and God is right now speaking to some of you through his word, he is saying to you.

You think you can continue on in your sin, you think I'm bluffing.

I kept my word, Israel. I'll keep it with you.

You think is beyond him to send you into some kind of exile so gonna suffering because of persistent sin. But you refuse to walk away from this and as a pastor of about two decades now I've seen God destroy many a believer who just kept putting God off.

Who would not listen.

Do not be deceived. The apostle Paul says God will not be mocked. Do not mistake God's patience for his apathy. He is not kidding. God is not kidding. And he is telling some of you right now, today, you need to wake up and get serious because I am not kidding what verse three the king ordered Ashkenaz's chief eunuch to bring some of the Israelites from the royal family and from an ability young men without any physical defect looking suitable for instruction in all wisdom, knowledgeable, perceptive, and capable of serving in the king's palace that the best of the best of course he was to teach them that the Chaldean language and literature.

They were to become school in the waves about a lot. Now let's talk for a minute about Babylon because there is some deeply important symbolism that is at work here.

Babylon here refers to a specific kingdom in the sixth century BC whose king was Nebuchadnezzar, a kingdom that was located in what is modern day Iraq, but in the Bible. Listen Babylon also represents a spiritual power that is at work in every secular kingdom in every age on every continent in the New Testament.

For example, that the early Christians used Babylon as a code name for Rome even though Rome was miles away from the ancient city of Babylon and had no political or ethnic connection to Babylon whatsoever in the book of Revelation. Babylon becomes the apostle John's name for the whole world system that is in opposition to Jesus. Did you notice verse to the detail. I pointed out where it said the city of Babylon wise you see that to the land of Shinar but didn't want to Shinar is the place in Genesis 11 to all mankind gathered together in order to build a gigantic tower and make a name for themselves and you remember the name of that tower. The tower of Babel Babel Babylon gaga sutured in their God nicely played. The point is in the Bible. Babylon is the term for the spiritual kingdom at work in secular world powers. Since the tower about it is the kingdom built in opposition to God. The kingdom independent of God the kingdom where man is in charge and man is at the center. Satan has always used secular government, secular media secular business secular economics to make war against the people of the gospel. He is the prince of the power of the air of the ruler of this world and so he's over the kingdom of Babylon is only two kingdoms kingdom of Jesus and chemo Babylon, you will want to be a now here's the thing. Most of you like Daniel are called to serve in Babylon.

There are a few of us called to serve in the church, but the majority of you are called to serve out in Babylon 607 days of the week here at work in Babylon. The book of Daniel is a manual for how to survive and to thrive in the shine in Babylon. The book of Daniel was written in a very interesting albeit confusing way.

Chapters 1 through seven are all going to be about the events of Daniel's life in Babylon a lot of famous stories and Mary recognized their normal lives in Shadrach me shack. Abednego, the fiery furnace, and many others. Chapters 8 to 12 are Daniel's prophecy about the restoration of Israel. The coming of the Messiah and the end of the world get this. Chapter 1 is written in Hebrew, because it starts in the land of Israel. Chapters 2 through seven are written in Aramaic, the language of Babylon because all the Events Take Pl. in Babylon then. Chapters 8 to 12. Which of the prophecies about the future. They revert back to Hebrew again because were back to prophecy about the end of time.

The question of the book of Daniel is this you know how to be faithful to God in the Hebrew chapters. Can you do it in Aramaic you may know what faithful Christian service. Looks like on your home turf. But do you know what it looks like in Babylon.

Here's the question of Daniel. What this faithfulness to God look like in the secular realm in secular powers controlled by secular powers that are at war with the gospel. That's the question again. Looking back to the story. Dana 11.

Dana was one of four young men looking smart, healthy athletic the best of the best conscripted into the Nebuchadnezzar service. We don't think of this like an episode of the bachelor Hebrew edition verse three says they were put under the chief eunuch which means they would have been made. Units also which means that their capacity to have kids was quite literally crushed Plato. Plato said that that that people enrolled in these training programs were usually 14 to 17 years old so we can assume that all this happened to Dana when he was about 15 Nebuchadnezzar then has the names changed for good Hebrew names which pointed to the glory of God. Nebuchadnezzar change their names to speak. Praise to his got average annual data. For example, Daniel. The name Daniel means God is my judge that you change the belt. The Shah's are which means they'll protect the king and Anaya. That's his friend. That means God is gracious in Hebrew leg exchanged Shadrach, which means under the command of ox to the moon got Misael. That means there is none like God gets change the me shack there is none like out to the moon got Azariah God has helped me gets change to. Abednego, this servant of Nebo, the Babylonian God of wisdom, pause for a minute with me to think about what happened to the world of these €15 I keep in mind these are real people. If you got teenage sons.

Just like when your voice.

These high school age boys watch as their homeland is invaded, their families are killed, their Temple is desecrated their futures as husbands and fathers destroyed and their names are changed to give praise to a foreign deity ever somebody comes because their name some of you feel like you've been put into a difficult environment in which to be a Christian. I dare say that Daniel and his friends got to be so again. What this faithfulness in this kind of environment look like verse eight, but Daniel but Daniel resolved not to defile himself of the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself. This way the royal food and wine would have included a lot of things that were forbidden by the tour of the Jewish law for Israelites to eat to this is their first test of faith are they going to conform to the Scriptures are they going to cave to the culture of Babylon, so Daniel asked that he and his friends that they be allowed to eat from a different menu that is a pretty annoying request from a prisoner because nobody in charge of freeing the group likes it when different people demand different things to moms out there want to say amen there is nothing that burns up my wife Veronica more than one of our kids demands a different meal than what you prepare for the family. Verse nine but now God had caused the official show favor and compassionate Daniel but the official told Daniel, not afraid of Nebuchadnezzar. He's assigned your food and drink depicted himself chose the menu. Why should he see you looking looking worse than the other young men who are your age the king within have my head because a you. Daniel then said to him, please test your servant for 10 days. There was nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink.

Now please, please, please do not be shortsighted and they could Daniel just gave you some kind of secret superior Jesus bless Quito diet to be like oh I know, I know it vegetables and water and I bet that man only whole grains and non-GMO stuff that is not the point here. These were evidently the only things I could eat that were ritually defiled. You are free to follow this Daniel diet if you want, but that's not the point of this chapter and so help me, if you use this chapter to find some kind of biblical mandate for essential oils. Our relationship is over.

Okay Daniel said. Dingle said, C muscles one of verse 13 then compare our parents about a young man who eat the royal food matrix or service in accordance with what you see. So he agreed to this and tested them for 10 days. Test at the end of the 10 days they look healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them he found them 10 times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom. God bless the blessed mirrors and the principal being taught here and that is when you commit to doing things God's way. God often glorifies himself by honoring and exalting you now.

Be very careful. This is not a magic formula. Sometimes as you can see in the book of Daniel.

You do the right thing and you suffer for it, but I'm telling a consistent biblical testimony is that those who honor God. God intern honors. Here's the first principle of Daniel that I want you to master.

You cannot make a difference unless you're different.

You cannot make a difference in Babylon unless you're different. If you want to make a difference.

You have to be different. Not one caveat I just feel compelled to explain here.

I'm not talking about being weird. There's no excuse for Christian weirdness. We all know Christians who are just strange right some of us are strange. They may think you tell a complete stranger things like I'm in a baby when prayer and it just wears people out, don't do that for you think the greatest witness you can have its new aggressive bumper stickers. I think when you see somebody in the highway and come up on their car, their whole back of their cars is plaster with Chris with bumper stickers. You know it's one of two kinds of people to the far left liberal evangelical Christian in our bumper sticker say things like, in case rapture. This car will be unmanned as if that's what the maker might want to still safer. Do you follow Jesus is closely so that when the other day and now in our day. The Internet has come along and given birth to a whole new level of Christian weirdness with phrases like God answers me email or tweet others how you want to be tweeted, and some of you just start raining like that's pretty good. I want to put that on Facebook today.

See you are part of the problem right there.

Okay, don't do that. By the way some of you have met some weird Christians, and it totally turned you off, how to sell you again. I've been a pastor for a couple decades. What I've learned these people would have been weird. Whether or not they are Christians and there is usually Christianity expressed awareness but is nothing to do with Jesus. Okay, let's work were talking about being different here or not we are different meaning distinct from Babylon and some very crucial ways for these Hebrew teenagers. The first application of that principle was faithfulness to God and what they ate and drank there they decided they would be guided by the Bible, not Babylon.

Now you and I are no longer under Torah law, so we should ask, what does that look like for us today. How do we in 21st-century America.

How do we keep from defiling ourselves with the royal food and wine in our Babylon wise always.

I have three points write the works of the Trinity. It works for pastor. So three points number 11. We show that were different. We show that were different. By living according to different values, particularly in relation to what I call the big three big three St. Augustine said the followers of Jesus are most distinguishable from the world, how to dress, but the eats remember how they talk, their most distinguishable from the world in their attitude toward three things the big three money, sex and power money Babylon approaches money from the standpoint of acquisition get all you can keep all you can maybe give away a little to show that you're a good person and maintain favor with the community, but money is lifeline. It's the key to the good life for the believer. For the believer because God is their trust and their treasure, but I got a whole different approach toward money. Yes, we live off of money, but we also recognize that money is something entrusted to us for the advancement of God's kingdom. So as God prospers us in money were not just thinking about how to advance her standard of living were also asking how we should be increasing in advancing our standard of giving. Here's a question for you is money for you primarily something that you acquire and enjoy give a little bit away on the side or is your money a tool primarily to bless and power and prosper. The kingdom of God, of which you enjoy a little bit on the side the make sense. He hears a reset on the summit church which one of these statements is true of you you you sufficiently and live extravagantly or do you live sufficiently and give extravagantly say most of you if you consider yourself Christians you give me like my my giving us a fish. I'm not benchmark for Christians but 10%. I got it out there. I'm giving sufficiently.

But when we look at your lifestyle you like you live pretty extravagantly.

That's important Babylon report to the Bible is not wrong for you to be rich.

I want you to make tons of money but you will find me looking you you live sufficiently and you give extravagantly nice. That's your first big three second the big three sex Babylon approaches sex from the standpoint of all let me. It feels good can be wrong. Christian sees sex as a gift of God to be used for God's purposes, and according to his design, which is within a covenant based lifelong marriage between a man and a woman. It was said of the early Christians that they stood in stark contrast to the Roman citizens around them because they were not quote promiscuous, which means dispersing freely.

They were promiscuous with her money while they were guarded were stingy with their beds of the Romans. By contrast, were guarded with their money.

They were stingy with their money and therefore promiscuous with her meds so they were exactly opposite. Christians seem totally backwards by Babylonian standards and restrains because it wouldn't gorge on the royal food and wine when it came to sex power. That's the third of the big three per Babylon whatever power you got you press it to your advantage. What you do a power that your looks, you should use that money, you should use that your talent picture majority culture status your my minority status.

Use that whatever power you have is to be held onto and pressed for as much advantage as you get out of it to the Christian sees any position of power and privilege exactly the opposite. They see their power and privilege like Jesus all his something not used to serve self but used to serve and looked up others to the follower of Jesus is always asking how can I use this position of power privilege to lift out those people around me again Christians are most distinct from Babylon in relation to these three things. So what about you forget how many Bible verses you know if you get your church attendance. What your relationship to be three things like is it more characterized by Babylon or the Bible.

If your life is shaped by the Bible going to be stranger and to be more offensive to those around you than Daniel wasn't Babylon. I've heard it described like this. Imagine you're watching a big marching band on a football field you want a marching band. If you ever been in one or watched one everybody met band may be several hundred people big but everybody has their eyes trained on one person. The conductor and they are marching in be with his or her baton so you got one guy out there.

You got your binoculars understands you notices one guy has in his air parts, and he's not listening to the conductor he's listening to Draco Lil Wayne on radio station, please marching that beat how to get a look. Strange, chaotic, out-of-control nosy actually out-of-control warming well the only thing strange because he's doubting the music from another place. The question is what are you dialed into baton are you looking at what beat are you listening to your marching. According to heavens values there some strange under some really practical places us show up submit a settlement process one step farther for you college students and young professionals. If you're living your living by the principles of Babylon. The nuclear approach or career like everybody else in college and say which career is going to make me feel the most fulfilled and which ones you get me the most money. If you're shaped by the Bible you will not ask that first.

The first thing you ask is what career can best serve the great commission.

That's why we always say to our students around here. The question is no longer. If you are called. The question is simply where and how because the call to Jesus to leverage your life or the great commission. That's not a special mystical moment that God gave to a few of us and the rest of us were dispersed or pursue our careers like Babylon doesn't type a little bit know were all supposed to take our what we haven't forgot how can this be used for your kingdom.

We see you gotta get a job somewhere. I get a job in a place where God is doing something strategic and so we challenge all of our students and young professionals to take the first two years after the graduate why not want to pursue that career place where you can be a part of what God is doing around the world right since we had 1400 members of our church uproot and move and was a part of our research planning team to something like the Bible, not Babylon go to you're interested in, and we we want to help you with that company. The other end of the spectrum is how you approach your career fundamentally different from the people around you.

For those you approaching retirement. If you're shaped by by the Bible, then you're not gonna be thinking like everybody else does. When it comes retirement finally got enough money by just get up and do what I want. All day long with no obligations. That's sure Babylon either. Instead, if you're sitting by the Bible you will say how can I use this chapter where I've got arguably the most to contribute on the wisest of ever been in the least financial need. I'm retired, how can I use that freedom and that wisdom to invest in his kingdom. Some of you who are retired need to think about what you have to offer right now. God did not give you this, 15, 20 years, however long it lasts, so you can basically hang out on vacation until you go to heaven he gave you that to serve in the great commission is on the way. Think about it is the trajectory of your life right now for all of you the trajectory of your life. Is it going toward suffering or as a going away from suffering the people of Babylon use their power and money to take them away from suffering. That's the whole point right, power, money keeps me isolated from suffering for the follower Jesus. It's the exact opposite. The trajectory of your life moves toward suffering, the more power, money you have, the more you're freed up to bless others of the more you have capacity to do it financially if I'm in a place to retire early means I'm freed up to serve in a new capacity we never really retire because there are always people who need Jesus was in the American and the Babylonian dream and the gospel mission to take you to two entirely different places. You asked which one you're following those values you show up and how you manage your Christian business or your business. Use me if you're Christian business owner I know one Christian business owner is committed to invest 10% of all this profits back in the kingdom of God.

Melissa is not a requirement, nor is it a formula that God guarantees make you successful under singular prayerfully discern what God is calling you to do, but I know one business owner who's committed to do 90% of the profits in the kingdom of God.

The point is you start living by different set of values. As you are not business owners. These values you show, but how you manage your personal budget. I told you this before but if you're committed to follow Jesus for your money to be at least three steps behind everybody else who makes the same amount of money as you do follow me here.

Okay, one thing that is true of human nature is you know who is about the same income level as you and you will always comparing yourself to how they live. While therefore, that must be house for workload clearly spent all their money on.

On closer must be a big deal of it. Listen Bible teaches us at least three things that distinguish us and how we treat money from how the world doesn't want tells not to go into debt. The city average. Raleigh citizen was about 5% above his or her means somewhere in the neighborhood of $15,000 in credit card debt following the Bible.

That's not what you can pursue number two because you save proverb says the wise man saves out of every check you a little side number three tells you to be generous.

10% is generally the starting point for that. That means if you're following biblical values with your money, you're going to be at least three steps behind everybody else is not wanted that you're saving and you're being generous to put you three steps behind everybody else to make the same amount of money as you and that is noticeable in lifestyle question is do you look different in these areas. Are you just a Christianized version about a lot number two, number two, we show that were different. By refusing to compromise our integrity. These four Hebrew young men did not compromise their convictions, even when doing so, threaten to cost them greatly for the follower of Jesus convictions are not something that can ever be set aside because everything we do everything we do is done first and foremost not for the book but the bottom line is done as an offering to Jesus. Pastor Brian here told me about a hotel owner at his previous church that shows, for example, not the awful pornography at his hotel, even though it is widely known that it is one of the most lucrative things in the hotel owner can do brings in at least $100,000 of profit per year, even for a small hotel right and he said I can do it because it's hard to see that money being offered a sacrifice to Jesus. Or maybe you've heard the story of Eric little certainly shared with you and his is the story that was featured in the movie. Chariots of fire Eric little was eight was an incredible runner who was also very committed believer and he was recruited for the 1928 Olympic team in Great Britain when he got to Paris that year for the Olympics. He was told that his he the hundred meter qualifying heat to get into the finals will be held on a Sunday is convictions work, you shouldn't work a run on a Sunday and so he says is the Lord's day in and it's dishonoring to God. He thought for me to do that while the British team appealed to the Olympic Committee to change the date of the heap of the committee would not budge. Then they pled with Eric little to change in the wooden budget became as big scandal British papers just skewered him by the way, he became a worldwide laughingstock for a couple days is team eventually just switch them before hundred meter race but if you ever run track. You know that's a totally different race you train for that in completely different ways, but against all odds Eric one after he won. He said he said here's the reason I believe I want and that is that those who honor God. He will honor again this is not a promise is not a magic formula. Sometimes you do the right thing and you suffer books like Daniel show us that God often uses your refusal to compromise as the vehicle through which he shows off his power glorifies his name does number two number three number three. We sure there were different by conforming to Scripture, not culture status right now way of Jesus is countercultural in every society, though often in different weights following Jesus was counterculture in the 1950s in different ways that it is today. But just as offensive. Back then, as it is in 21st century we always say right here. The Bible is an equal opportunity offender. It hasn't ticked you off yet.

It's because you're just not paying attention. I in some cultures it's the Scriptures teaching on the sanctity of marriage that offends the culture and others is the Scriptures emphasis on grace and generosity in giving away power in some cultures it's Jesus's emphasis on the equality of all peoples as being alike made in the image of God that offends because that threatens to overturn the whole system. Other cultures it's God's authority over his creation that offends them like the fact God says he made male and female differently in and and we can overturn the system or reassign her gender because it feels right that you want the great tragedies of the church in the West is how often and how consistently we have conformed to Babylon in my library. I got a three volume history of slavery in the world, written by an African-American scholar.

One thing he points out is that slavery was present in almost every culture and history you but to any history in history of any culture any any time there is a culture with power. One of the common characteristics of simple fallen men is that they use whatever power they have. To exploit those who are less powerful when the primary expressions, letters and slavery was true of Asian cultures true African cultures true in European cultures numerically impact the shows of the Largest Slave Trade Took Pl. in Arab cultures. The terrible European slave trade, the traffic 11 million Africans right twice that many were bought and sold on the Arabian Peninsula grimacing time.

But the real tragedy. This this African-American scholar says is that Western cultures while they were doing. This is spouse, a gospel that undermined the very nature of slavery, a gospel that they were willfully blind in their eyes to in order to participate in slavery, I because our gospel taught the first of all, people made alike an image of God. Number two, and taught that Jesus died for all people equally alike. Number three that it was responsibility. The strong lift of the week not oppress them what Jesus did for us and yet and yet we find the church in the West not only complicit in slavery, we find it as a defender and a proponent of it in several places.

What happened they conform to the world. They did not want different. They just conform to the culture around them and that has left a legacy of damage both to our society and to the church that we still have not fully recovered from Nonno. It's easy to get behind my draggers it well. We learned our lesson. There when I get to do that again to see the church doing it again in other areas. For example, as Babylon shifts its view on sexuality and gender.

Many the church cigarette along with it. Looking anything you didn't you do this research itself is easy to find. Look at the attitudes, especially among younger Christians and churches like ours watch them shifting right now on, things like same-sex marriage changes right along with the culture. I have a friend who teaches a religion class in a public high school is not a Christian but he said you said one thing I've noticed is that is it used to be about his no more than 10, 15 years ago when I ask a question about something like same-sex marriage. He says it is usually split about half how the class would say they didn't. It was right. You have one, and any said that was usually leaving the kids who were involved in church and those who want is about five years ago, I noticed it shifting to where it was about two thirds one third. He said now now is it is not that kids go to church less so when the church he said, but he says in my classes. When asked that question. He says it is the rare one or two, sometimes not at all who will say that they believe that that is not according to the will of God. What happened to shifting toward Babylon listen. Do not congratulate yourself because you get the slavery question right, or because you're so bold about the wrongness of discrimination, nobody really debates that anymore not listen. I'm not saying that we've achieved a racially just society or that there is not more work to be done.

There is understanding. Very few overtly embrace racism anymore. The question is what were going to do with those things are culture to day demands that we conform to the royal food that it requires us to eat that there's a famous line attributed to the reformer Martin Luther was in this, the courage of the soldier is tested and how well not it how well he stands for the battle is the hottest night and how brave he postures himself for the battle is passed. Three see a lot of Christians do all their virtue, signaling is purchasing one things I don't believe and argue about anymore right as I told how righteous I am here you want to show your courage.

You think the place where CNN is not on your side you take the place where it's really unpopular. That's where the courage of the soul. That's where Daniel shows up his old cultures on this way but this is what God says in a Christians had done that in 1860 we be in a different place today. They would do it today would say future generation from all kinds Arctic by the way next week I will have with me. A friend her name is Rebecca McLaughlin's room on the best books on difficult questions that come to Christianity at its own amazing but I get to interview her checksheet which, when the Cambridge sheet had same-sex attraction and all that stuff and start splashing into crisis committee.

Amazing, but she's an example somebody said on the Babylon, but on my door. Babylon's going question is what are you going to do when abstaining from the king's table actually cost you for some of you not conforming the Babylon of these things. My cost you your job for Daniel not conforming to Babylon bring the cost in his life, and please please don't think that these are just right or left issues on talking about is if I'm trying to push you one political leaning to the other. Tony listen being shaped by Scripture to put you out of fashion with both the political left and the political right in our country. I'm not saying that both these platforms are morally equivalent. I'm not saying there's no wiser choice between them under saying that neither neither the political right, or the political left for us fully captures the essence of the kingdom of God because both are political parties. Babylon I don't belong to the donkey at home belong to the elephant oblong the land. That's a totally different animal right many things associated with the political left that we have to profoundly reject how they treat unborn human life like a commodity to be discarded at will, for the sake of convenience, how they reject Christian understandings of morality in general: oppressive how they leave no room for disagreement on these matters and threatened to cancel you if you object, but there are also things associated with the political right that we have to reject some on the right deal go beyond a healthy patriotism and appreciation for American freedoms may go to an unhealthy embrace of Christian nationalism were were urged to place our hope for the future in American exceptionalism and military might. Some on the right speak as if her only responsibility is to protect their own rights and pursue our own interests will have any responsibility for the less privileged around us, a follower of Jesus is different from all things Babylon rights… Let's return this main idea okay because I got away this point quickly right you won't make a difference unless you're different your noggin to make a difference unless you're different. In the New Testament, Jesus compared to being salt.

Salt preserves the food that it's in brings out the beauties of flavor in the food right. Jesus is the truer and better Lowery seasoning salt that's a good thing for you to write down but if the salt loses its saltiness. Jesus says it's worthless. Just be thrown out white power thinking is true of the Christian that conforms to the world. He says because they neither help preserve the culture nor nor are they able to demonstrate the distinctive beauty of Christ in the culture and thoughts.

As such, they're useless to God. Also useless to the world and this will be thrown out if I'm with God's viewing them out of the mouth the words and I got an interview. If you study the history of Christianity, one of the great ironies is a lot of it will become mainstream churches the big denominations in the 1940s, 1950s, right as our culture begin to shape begin to change its opinion on Orthodox Christian teaching of Christian morality.

These mainstream churches change right along with them and they justified it with things like what we don't change our out-of-date old-fashioned views on on these issues.

Working become so offensive to our culture will lose our influence and yet those churches and denominations and did that will they been the one that shrunk the fastest today.

Their numbers are incredibly small and they become altogether irrelevant. If you want to make a difference. You got to be different. The best example of this is Jesus. Jesus ministry was a paradox because there was never anybody who so exalted God's standards of righteousness. We said this sooner would what heaven and earth pass away, then he would compromise one jot or tittle of God's moral code, and yet at the same time was never anybody who so effectively gather the outcasts and the nonreligious to his side.

The prostitutes are the tax collectors. They all wanted to be around them. Why is his life pointed to an entirely different kingdom, heavenly kingdom of purity and wholeness and grace. Watching his life was like watching somebody dance to a different beat heavenly beings. See that's who really Daniel is all about.

The point of Daniel is not that that Daniel or his friends could ever be righteous enough to win Babylon back to God.

Report is not that that that you can be righteous enough to win your society back to God.

It's not about Darren to be a Daniel Daniels life is itself a prophecy about a Savior who would come a Savior who would perfectly display the kingdom of God and that Savior would not defile himself with any of Babylon's delicacies, though it cost him his very life. You see, unlike Daniel Jesus what just threatened with death for doing the right thing actually suffered it and then the ultimate act of courage he display the kingdom of God again by offering grace and salvation to those who kill them, and God did not simply make him look better and healthier after 10 days of righteousness God raised him from the dead after three days of corruption and now now because he's done that, it demonstrated the victory for us. We can always pattern and as we knew we can demonstrate the beauty of God. Just like he did again God is called most of you to be in Babylon the good news is now he wants to use you like Daniel M like Jesus put you here to make a difference and you do that by being different. Here's a question. Are you willing to be difference in order to make that difference because some of us were put all will settle the Christian jargon and a lot more Babylon than it is about own extend you an invitation to begin to form your life.

Scripture, the gospel and watch what God tells her that in your family and the community around much about your heads with me if you would point at which and every service we trust the real preacher to show up and that's not me that's the Holy Spirit and he has this way begin its underthings is beckoning some of you right now for some of you. It's a specific area. He wants you to surrender for others of you to tell you, get serious, you actually a follower of Jesus, are you playing games will leave you here just a moment at all campuses are in your home just there quiet for a couple moments listening to the Holy Spirit in our worship team common there but holiness