Idol - Culture, Part 2

You will call to respond to present the Christian faith and watch God do his thing with Dr. Tony Evans is not job getting tougher post-Christian culture. Now that will you are called to be salt and light you not called to make. This is the alternative with Dr. Tony, author, speaker, pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas Texas and president of the alternative, you probably heard it said that Christians are supposed to be in the world but not of the world today. Dr. Evans will talk about why that balancing act is often so difficult in outline ways to keep our feet firmly planted in the kingdom. Let's join him in the book of Daniel as he begins her lesson God's people have lost because of God. God allowed in 605 BC to send upon Jerusalem Randy Sackett and slaughter all gobs of people and then live people out and bring them to the pagan culture all Babylon Daniel finds himself now with his three friends three Hebrew boys. Nebuchadnezzar know if you going to get the most out of these boys. He's got to be realize their men probe Babylon. He's got all ripped away from them their Christian background and he's got to inculcate with them a second love Babylonian way of thinking.

So we really take them really identifies them and then he does the big he really indoctrinate. It says he sent them to a Babylonian school for three years to teach them the language thoughts and meaning of Babylonian life. So for three secularized in their thinking by education, three. Verse one Nebuchadnezzar made in image verse three. At the end of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had sent verse five the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up first worship the golden image. Verse 12 the golden image which he had set up verse 14 the golden image which he had set up verse 15 fall down and worship the image I have made verse 18 the golden image that you have sent out was the word image and boy are we concerned with image today. Self worship we market start.

We will image so bad that will back off of other folks image to give us the image we want is call reality TV when I look at the folk which will help me define the main because I want to feel good about me, it is call of celebrity worship praising those we emulate. Even though the one in the late work praise makes Jack Shadrach and Abednego were asked to bow to NH bow to image verse 15 Matthew ready at any moment when you hear the sound of music you can worship the image. But then he gave a warning that balls he's getting.

If you do not worship you will immediately be cast into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire, and what God is there who can deliver you out of my hand know you did it was to give you another chance to get some give you another chance bow you will get fired and I do mean fire you must bow to the image of this company you must bow not just to the work, but the image to the worldview. You must make this image, your image. This is who you gotta be if you go working and if you're not willing to be this what God is there to pray at all that but this the real world.

What God was going to deliver you out of my neck three Hebrew boys. I love this answer.

Verse 16 says Shadrach me shack in the indigo replied to the king okay offering and talking at the same time as what you need to have some folk in your life will pick a sandwich with they say all we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter now just asking the question which God is fire you will get you out of this, been charged several memo boys have discussed this we knew this day was coming when we did about that so we don't we don't need we don't need to go back and think about.

We are, and prayed about it we already know where we stand. So let me give you.

Respectfully, okay, the answer definitely something to say which God God. Verse 17 whom we serve is able to deliver us on the furnace of blazing and he will deliver us out of your hand. Okay so you asked what God sent you last.

God but don't stop there who we know who we talk about God. We go to church to worship with Lisa on the table to say they go on the same, but if he does not because God is also some so even if he does not let it be known to you. Okay, that we are not going to serve your God. I know we're not going to serve your God worship the golden image that you have said that you online in the same way will work for you, but we won't worship will be applied.

But don't ask bow to the I know you want a company man. You can have a company man but I can have the company be my God I'm not for an image now is nothing wrong with looking nice taking care of yourself having people appreciate you respect you.

The Bible is on honor is due.

Giving is not worship spiritually. Spoiling you to God.

Jesus points you thinking so thank you from God may give me Jesus.

Jesus… But only bend them, then that's where calls come from. Listen to see whether they Jesus scope is image. Dr. Evans will share what can happen when we put principles over people pleasing when he continues her message just a moment the first. Many of us are concerned about the direction our culture seems to be taking these days and feel helpless to do anything about it, but Dr. Evans says it's not too late for our country to turn around.

He's written a book that explains exactly how Christians can work together to usher in a revival unlike anything we've ever seen. It's called America. Turning a nation to God.

Look at how godly principles give us the power to reclaim justice, morality, freedom and strength for our nation and a church for a limited time as our gift when you make a donation in support of this listener supported ministry along with the book will send you Tony's current eight part teaching serious American idols on both CD and instant digital downloads. The special double offer will only be available for a few more days, so be sure to get both of these powerful resources right away. Just visit Tony Evans.org to make the arrangements. You can also call our resource request line at 1-800-800-3222 our phone center never closes.

So there's always somebody waiting to help you.

Again, that's 1-800-800-3222 will get back to today's message right after this racism, but what can one person do to make a difference to bring that connectedness and togetherness in his book blindness embraced Dr. Tony Evans looks at his own life, straddling the worlds of white evangelical circles in black urban culture and what the Bible says about race, racism and reconciliation. If the church can come together as one, we might just become one nation under God.

It's a call for unity on me.

Learn more Tony Evans.org so we have about the company working what about well Nebuchadnezzar is to take all makes the fire seven times.

Verse 24 was astounded and he said to hire official for 24 not three men cast down in the midst of the fire walking around in the midst of the fire and the appearance of the fall is like a son of the God Bible says that so let me start my day. When you take a stand for God it all away the you won't get when you take a stand for God, not me, not suffering persecution and opposition to the stamp and thrown in by because not let him know that I wanted 32 and three ways you will be with you. Nebuchadnezzar looked through the window when you write on Count 123 right well number one in the five number three we made it seven well right now which I can promise you take your stand for God, you won't get fired. You know how to be idle and you will be challenged. I am telling you, you will be there by yourself and you live in a day Christianity is going to be me behaving.

Some people struggling with work with with them with no God didn't show up into the building until they said we won't. God showed up in the five S. about the way… To draw the chapter 6. Step six last.

Daniel is about 85 is old man in the way in verse three Daniel begin distinguishing himself among the commissioners and satraps because he possessed an extraordinary spirit and the king planned to appoint over the entire limit is working a second job is now in a post-Christian culture and he's advancing in the reasonings advancing even always working a second job is even non-Christians recognize an extraordinary work as an extraordinary spirit about one will steal from the company he won going abuse coworkers. He won gold in costs like the rest of them cost what looks like the other folks would live if he won doing this man was extraordinary.

This is most of you will going to work tomorrow. You can go to work in a non-Christian environment and you want to be extra you want to be a regular employee, even if it's a pagan environment in which you live. You should be the best one work, and why the Bible says you go to work for the Lord Christ you should BMX a very employee. But like any job he had some havens says that these men said we need to find first ground of accusation against him up on some wrong with him with a confronted work so they said this Daniel.

Unless we find it against him with regard to the law of God number we can criticizes work all that he that committed Christian, we can find some wrong and we will use his faith against work so they came up with the law that says you can't pray to any other god for 30 days except to the king and the king like that long ago.

So the king signed. So now prayer has been kicked out of the public square. Right can't pray to anybody else but to the king Job camping school you camping you can print any other God is now the law of the land firsthand. Now, when the document was he entered his house now in his chamber. He had windows open toward rules and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying, and giving thanks before his God and he had been doing previous, you cannot God accept the K for the next 30 days. Daniel Google prayer obtain some 517 which says you pray morning noon and evening. So he had developed a pattern of three-day prayers. The law says you can do this so it says he went home that I know some of some windows will open some of us will close the window pulldown machine says he got on his knee.

Some of you will need to get on you need to pray and stand up for a walk around the brain, but he got on his knee and he left the window. That's how they knew he was still pray with the city Window open toward Jerusalem the holy city of God with the temple was because he knew where his blessings came from. So we kept focusing on focusing on God is that he's in a Catch-22 because the laws of them even Persians don't change and can't pray I don't know the dogs will be put in the liens they were going to be alive.

You go to work tomorrow. If you are a full-time Christian in our part-time sinking funds in you will find some pages so people don't like you.

Your extraordinary spirit annual Christianity legibly for God until about the fact that you are a representative of God on the job so they found out he was still pray and told the king he got thrown into the lines and the next day the king came verse 20 when you come near the den, Daniel. He cried out with a trembling voice. The king spoke and said Daniel what the living God who you can't serve able to deliver you from the second non-Christian J cyclic King but it says that God will use our body in the company. New serve God. Christian spiritual CIA representative what the covert operative.

So my question is if you are a Christian on your job, what would you be found in a set of all charges. They said no, so how you can get over so can you please mount Rose.

Sharon is not yet bright and morning star befriended talking on Jesus, the read your Bible at lunch time talking at Christmas stuff, but now that you and what the havens I want to know what God when you're in a bad situation all that stuff.

See you to be a committed Christian is not saying the same thing.

But the question is when you go out there with the light.

When you go out there with behaviors when you go out with people rejected not because you're being bombastic or inappropriate. You just think that you are a verbal follow-up of Jesus Christ. When you go out no as a Christian document talk about plan, about preaching about with you in the day in and answered anything.

King my God sent his angel and shut the lion's mouth, and they have not honed me inasmuch as not been found in this right now. Yeah hello hello got down there.

Then he went and cast him. Not a lot God God does not know God more than I need to know God. Job.Romeo Dr. Tony Evans will come back in just a moment with an important closing remark on today's message but first I want to remind you that is her way of saying thanks for your contribution to help keep Tony's broadcast coming your way on the station will send you all eight messages from his current teaching series American idols as well as is timely and important book America turning a nation to God. American idols will help you identify and avoid the thoughts, people, places or things that push God out of your life and his book America will help you grasp spiritual strategies that reach beyond political and cultural issues and can spark a much-needed nationwide revival.

This special bundle is only available for a few more days, so contact us right away@tonyevans.org to get all the details and make the arrangements or give us a call at 1-800-800-3222 were members of our resource team are ready to assist you with your request.

24 seven. Again, that's online it Tony Avenue and start or or by phone at 1-800-800-3222 if you're careful when you drive your car. How much more careful would you be driving your bosses car in a nutshell, that's the difference between ownership and stewardship.

And that's what we'll hear about tomorrow in a special message from Pastor Jonathan Evans right now though Tony's back with this closing thought is assistance. We lost but now that we own the pagan territory.

You are called to be salt and light you not called to fake it to make it a call to responsibly, kindly, lovingly, but clearly represent the Christian faith and then watch God do his thing. But you won't watch it until he sees you all a lie in the same girlfriend telling a boyfriend or boyfriend girlfriend we not crossing that line. That's about it on the job was being enticed to try some drug we not crossing that not somebody that's been drawn into something ugly… We not crossing the is made possible by the general