Saints in a Secular Society

11. The charge Dr. Tony Evans talked about preparing our kids to be saints in a secular society so this is the alternative hundred 20-speaker, pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas Texas and president of the alternative, no matter how much we try to protect her sooner or later the come face-to-face with the world's value system and start feeling the pressure to conform to it. Let's join Dr. Evans as he talked about how we can get them prepared in the same country that gave birth to you and I are witnessing the devolution of the nation you're watching the unraveling of a culture spiritually. While there is always been evil always been sinful people always been bad things. They used to be called. I regularly hear on television. They will talk about the people are shifting that they no longer view thing that they used to do. The great tragedy of the opinions of Christians worshiping with, as though God checks with poles before he defines what is legit versus diligent so saints to function in a secular culture and what we might call a post Christian saints. The function in a second society long as we keep charge of the four walls. But the moment you try to be Christian on their you now become a problem. That's one of the situation in the book of verse two says the Lord gave Joachim King of Judah in two his hand into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar is the king of Babylon. Babylon society a pagan variety, led by a man named Nebuchadnezzar. When God's people rebelled against God. He turned the boat with the second. That's where the story unfold. He turns them over, he takes the vessels from the house of God. He invades the church he brings them to the lives in the house of God, so God takes over the Christian God makes verse three to the chief of the officials to bring the cream cream of the crop including some from the royal family and the nobles you teenagers and that was no defect looking showing intelligence in every branch with the endowment understanding. Designing knowledge led the ability for serving the king's court and language of the other words let's get the next generation that's thinking in the whole. We are not where they came to church about let's get God away from them that they do that the first thing they do is isolate them from their spiritual they remove Israel from the house of God to Babylon idols, and they relocate in order to reeducate ammonium school located in the Babylonian city by Babylonian teachers reading Babylonian literature that you stop to think like a Babylonian culture influence on you and less verse five the king appointed for them.

A daily ration of the king's choice and the wind which the king and then let's do some mouse let's remain the names coming out of Israel.

Verse six was Daniel Hannah Nyack miss you and Azariah, but we will rename and look at the names are built, Shadrach me shack. In other words, all Babylonian will give you a secular name because you part of the secular culture. So now raise the question, Michael changed the name. Select little Hebrew right Hebrew boys names back home. When I born in a moment's name was Daniel and Michelle please notice that those two names with EL to then they went. So now we learn a little bit about them again and without WORD for God is the singular God Elohim created the heavens and that's plural person is a majestic plural God is three persons composed of one God were making one God. Three different persons making the singular God Elohim, but if you just want a designated singular God said, let snake man and he said he made man singular so you can make Elohim the plural God or you can use a little yeah how they literally praised John please God. So what name John which is God's name.

So now where learn a little bit about that wanted to be with God so that they couldn't get away from. Every time you call that name that had to be reminded of that had to be reminded that they have gone sample job not the father of your children with God so that when they go along. That name has already been stamped on that no God. Know that you make understand, but the real comes charge you God. You didn't ask about whether they go to public school Monday Tuesday Wednesday just because they don't like school because you know that an education to their well being and being productive. They don't get to vote on days once a week.

My father never gave you. Do you want to go to church and pretend like I was in the house when Babylon captured them in society.

When Babylon want to make sure they got in that charge you got all that you could get away from Al and God had something back. You should not only say what did you learn about when Babylon gets his and look at the names are built, Shadrach me shack words all Babylonian Babel get to know you. We will give you a secular name because you part of the secular culture. But Daniel made up in his mind he would not defile himself at the king's choice food with the wind, which Daniel says I got my limitations, but you'll end here is that if you establish a boundary. Have you establish a boundary for your kids. As a boundary for you on your job but day actually was thinking when he was wrong with eating food at the Kingston software King will take you lunch.

What's the problem Daniel last name is God. I can tell you what Daniel was thinking to see he was raised in a theocentric theistic God centered environment. He's probably 15 or 16 years old when we read about them in Babylon so he said 15 or 16 years being raised in the house of God by a family that wanted him to remind him that he belong to God that was instilling it with God. He was that and I know exactly what he's thinking he's thinking now Exodus 34 verses 14 and 15, for you shall not worship any other God for the Lord, whose name is jealous is a jealous God my competition is verse 15 you made a comment within the line and revise to their gods and someone might invite you to open stay with Dr. Evans will come back in a moment with more about how Daniel kept his spiritual identity intact. There are songs about togetherness, standing side-by-side United. We hear a lot about unity. No one really knows what unity truly is the power of oneness in Christ United guided payers and new devotional stronger together we part powerful prayers tonight. Dr. Tony Evans shows you how you needing spiritual standing with others in prayer leads to a stronger nation. Find out more about stronger together weaker apart@tonyevans.org Tony Evans stronger together weaker apart is such a powerful book, we'd like you to have a copy as our way of saying thanks when you support Tony's ministry with a financial contribution and for limited time along with the book will also include all 14 lessons in Tony's current two-volume teaching series, turning a nation to God when you make the arrangements online@20of.org you can instantly download the digital copies that we send the CDs and book your way.

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I repeat that information for you after part two of today's lesson will jealous you and you wanted to know that God not only will eating idolatry in the name of secular rhythm in the name of political correctness.

What you was another wooden spoon. But because God is not asking you to isolate yourself from the culture works money doing something even wind up going to the King school for three years he went to university, the University loses identity in a secular universe secular job. The issuing on the secular job in which you work. That job probably issuing the job that you do good for you now. God granted Daniel and compassion in the side of the command. Once God's favor, God's compassion God's blessing when they made no commitment I'm taking my stand with God, and now we want to see God now we want to be black and we promise what we don't commit we get called backwards Christians. Daniel takes his God.job versus versus I am a jealous God. So whenever we joined the world and still expect God's blessing is a contradiction you can't join the world when you a competitive God same time say Lord blessed me. I don't miss this says but Daniel made up his mind did makeup is mindful… God made the decision for you decision if it's the right one may not make the decision for you because you're no longer the free agent.

He created you the bank, but he will respond to God and see what you made up are you taking him into that career you just want to bless you even though you will forget him in your career. This is radical stuff radical stuff because a lot of people that were around you will like you. Now you will find yourself like Daniel and the three Hebrew boys, the odd man out to make up your mind and not go with the crowd and not be politically correct.

The ball when you don't know what's politically correct when you won't go crowd.

When you sit Babylon and still retain the church, not compromising with the standards of God in order to be accepted by the culture but I love verse nine verse nine says God after we get up but so get gonna but Betty about Ralph, but Ruth James and Leslie would amount God.

Now God looks like. When he sees you have made up your mind when you say what God can do with you when you and he comes in on the back and now I can do some because I understand that you made a decision for me in a secular society. America is prime for the watching generation, without conscience all the stuff you seen kids doing at younger and younger age is because they have no conscience. They don't have a sense of this is wrong.

This is shameful.

They don't feel that bad about it because all the systems out there, has made it sound like it's okay and everybody's doing it. You don't have to feel bad about it and is no longer no longer is no longer something you should refrain from this most longer something you should say that's not right. Yeah I did and it was wrong. Now begin yes you are going to look weird because you living in a culture no longer weird and strange when you make up your mind that that's not how I roll because I got L on the back of my name on the back of no name it name and name every time I looked up as God just got this in the Bible that yeah like it is going to get on but when Babylon given him a name to remember something to reel them back in the train up a child in the way he should go and when he is not department you will give God a fishing line to real them back when you play with the template for the learned in Sunday school to sleep.

I know it looks like they're not interested you name something will. When Babylon Dr. Evans will come back in a moment to wrap up our time together with the final word of encouragement first so there's a lot more to today's lesson than we had time to present on the year, so check with us for details on getting a full-length copy of the message, called saints in a secular society. Better yet, get it is a part of Tony's current two-volume compilation turning a nation to God. It contains 14 of his hardest hitting lessons on what it means to be a citizen of heaven living on earth. And as I mentioned earlier if we hear from you right away. You can get all these messages on CD and digital download as well as a copy of Tony's book stronger together weaker apart, this entire resource package is her way of saying thanks when you make a contribution to the ministry of the alternative, so get in touch before the special offer runs out. Just give us a call at one 800 832, 22, and one of our resource team members will help you make the arrangements or visit us online@tonyevans.org from the ancient Greeks to Shakespeare to Mark Twain. It's been said that clothes make the man. Tomorrow will discover there's actually a biblical basis to that age-old cliché when pastor Jonathan Evans brings us a special message right now though Tony's back to close today's program. So what is God calling us to be calling us to be saints of the secular society is calling us to go against the grain. When the grain is going against God because that system is sophisticated Nebuchadnezzar has got this thing organized 15 God redefined valve system to redefine morality to redefine what I believe that system is that is unless you know you the alternative Dr. Tony is made possible by the generous fusion