Courage to Say No - 15

Christian lady asked welcome to truly point would give the dish in a culture that celebrates role.

It takes courage to stand up for what's right today. Dr. David Jeremiah reminds us that that is so true in Daniel's day with a look at Daniel's uncompromising life is David to introduce his message courage to say no, thank you for joining us today were studying the book of Daniel, and on this weekend edition were going to talk about that moment in Daniel's life when he stood before a pagan leader and stood up for his God with courage. Today's message is called the courage to say no. It's a message all of us need to hear to strengthen our determination to live for God no matter what God's preparation of the man is a thing of wonder. When we watch as we do here in Daniel, we stand back in amazement, while from man's perspective, what's going on here is the work of God. What really is going on here is God preparing his work. God is always more concerned about the worker that he is about the work while we focus our attention on the ministry God is always focusing his attention on the minister. We always remembered by what a man does. God is excited about what a man is for God knows that if a man is what he ought to be what he does will be right so when we view the man Daniel we are tempted once again to see what he did, and his influence was far-reaching, but how God prepared him to be the champion that he ended up being is even more dramatic for God was actually beginning his work in the life of Daniel long before we ever open up this book long before Daniel being 14 years of age came to be palace of Babylon to be the king's man during his boyhood days. Daniel would have experienced some very deep influences in his life, in the providence of God, he allowed Daniel to be born into the reign of good King Josiah.

The only good King in the realm of the southern kingdom in Judah. Josiah was the first good thing most people it had for 57 years. There was a man who for 55 years rained on the throne by the name of Manasseh. He was a wicked king, a rich and wicked king, whom even God according to the Scripture refused to forgive and after his 55 year reign.

His son Damon came to the throne. It only lasted two years. He was so bad the Scripture says that the servants of his own house conspired against him and what he wasn't looking that Kelvin is on service. He was followed to the throne by Josiah, who was eight years old when he became king. One of the greatest revivals of all of the history of revival took place under the leadership of this young king who began to rain when he was eight years old and rained until he was 39 second Chronicles 34 tells us that in the eighth year of his reign, he began to seek after God and in the 12th year, he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the idols that dwelt in the land and sold or began in the days of Josiah's most remarkable revival the world has ever known. Josiah was convicted about the terrible condition of the temple and so he put together a group of men who were going to go to the temple of Solomon and rebuild it and refurbish it in the Scripture says that while they were building the temple.

They came upon a book. That book was the book of the law as they were rebuilding the temple. They found the book of the law and the Bible says that he'll coyote the priest brought the book of the law to shape and describe in shape and the scribe came to justify the king and he said I want to give you this book and I want you to read it and shape in the scribe show the king saying he'll coyote the priest delivered to me about in shape and read it before the king, and it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the book of the law that he tore his clothes and he began to cry and he made a covenant with the Lord that he would walk after his God and keep his commandments all the days of his life.

Second Kings 23 three and so throughout all of Josiah's reign. There was a great reform in the great revival and you have never seen anything like this. All of her history like the revival, when Josiah was on the throne and Jeremiah was in the pulpit and they cooperated together to bring Judah to her knees and ultimately back to a place of blessing before God and the interesting thing about it is that while all this was going on. Little Daniel was running around in the kingdom of Prince and the court there is good evidence that he may have been related to king Zedekiah and Royal son very much a part of all of the inner workings of that revival now the interesting thing about the revival. Is this that if we were to judge it on the basis of its effect even upon the king's family. It would be a failure for Josiah, who brought that reform to pass had four sons, Johannes Joya, Tim, Zedekiah and grandson by the name of Jehoiada Chin and all of them were evil wicked men, and if you look Josiah's you could say to him, Josiah's that revival was a failure didn't even affect your own kids but you have to back off later and say, but it wasn't a failure because there was a young man who was touched by that reform by the name of Daniel, and he was so involved in what was going on under Josiah's and Jeremiah that when he came to the court palace in Babel and he was tested to take you standard and uncompromising way. We read in verse eight, but Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king's meat. God had been preparing him through all of that day for that moment when he would stand alone we pick up the story and what I would like to call first of all, the resolution of an uncompromising life. Daniel refused to compromise. Notice first of all, in verse eight. His purpose not to compromise his life. We learn that the reason for his success in this whole matter was that he knew what God said and he determined to do it.

He would not violate the word of God.

I'm reminded of the Scripture that tells us that the grass with roof and the flower faded, but the word of our God shall stand forever. Isaiah 40 verse eight and Matthew 24 in verse 35 which says heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

It is always a good thing.

Men and women to draw the line were God's word draws the line for that will provide consistency for all of your life. That's the one thing you can count on that will never change.

It is settled forever in heaven. If Daniel had not said no to Ashkenaz when the temptation came to him, his history would not have been written in the Hall of Fame, but in the whole of failure everything that follows in this book everything that we will study in these next weeks comes down as a fulcrum upon the verse tells us that Daniel purposed in his heart to do what was right. You're going to be thrown into a situation where you stand up for what's right and it's gonna take guts to say no, but you better learn to say no. If you want God to bless your life the resolution of his life.

Resolution of Daniel is an encouragement to all of us is not a reminder to us, whether we be in the political realm or in the church or whatever our business encouragement to us that we need not bend the rules to be blessed of God and that success is not dependent upon our compromising what were committed to the story of compromising the Bible is not a happy one. It is a sad and sickening tale everywhere you see compromise you see loss not Adam compromise God's law and he followed his wife's sin. We lost paradise. Judas compromise to suppose.

Love for Christ for 30 pieces of silver, and he lost his eternal soul men and women wherever you see compromise.

You always see loss not gain and yet that is so contrary to what the world tells us today for the world's message to us in our lives as we live them here in this culture is this. If you want to get ahead you going to have to break a few of the rules to do it.

God says you don't have to do that as we come to the end of this in just a few moments and see the influence that God gave to Daniel, I want to point out to you that the influence that Daniel got wasn't because he broke the rules, but because he refused to budge when God said no not only is there the resolution of uncompromising life. I want you to notice here in the text that there is also refuge for an uncompromising life. God took care of Daniel. When Daniel did what was right. Is it interesting that in verse nine, which is right next to me record of Daniel's commitment. After he determined that he would not defile himself.

The next two words were the first two words of verse. I would say them out loud together. Now God. Now God that you can describe any circumstance you want, you can lay out the worst scenario. Your mind can imagine. But if you just say after all of that now. God you're back in good shape and what happened was that God gave Daniel favor with the people that counted in compromise to get that God just gave it to know what you notice. Thirdly, not just the resolution of an uncompromising life in the refuge of an uncompromising life but thirdly the results of an uncompromising life we have to move through these quickly, but I just want you to notice the first result of an uncompromising life is courage when we take the first standard draw the line. It is like firing the furnace of our own intestinal fortitude to be able to take the next step and be firm that was an interesting that Daniel exhibits the kind of courage and you have to get this picture in your mind where he goes to one of the kings men, and he says thank you for the invitation to eat at the king's table, but I have chosen not to defile myself with the king's food and would Daniel's companions decided that they wouldn't do what the king wanted utility to the fire. So when Daniel walked into that kingdom and he went up to Ashkenaz and he said I chose not to eat that food became this going to defile me. It's corrupting me that takes courage and if you look at it from our viewpoint, you say the man's courageous or crazy. One of the two but we know that he was courageous. Not only does an uncompromising life issue, encourage, but issues also in conviction is an interesting that Daniel went beyond the ordinary and took a high standard against all form of evil.

Sometimes when we read the story we get the idea that Daniel had to eat Paul's and water, but there's nothing in the text about that in fact turn over to the 10th chapter of the book of Daniel show you something interesting. It says here verse two. In those days I Daniel was morning three full weeks and I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth and what's the inference there that it was his normal pattern, under normal circumstances to eat flesh and bread and the drink wine. According to the Old Testament. So when Daniel said I would eat Paul's and I'm going to drink water.

He took a standard that was much higher than even had to take his conviction was that he wanted to live way above temptation.

He wanted to put his standard up so high that no one would have any trouble understanding where he was coming from Daniel just took that which was sold and he knew that if it came out of the ground. It could be defiled, just took it on the ground so we had conviction but I want you to notice. Thirdly, not only did he have conviction and courage.

But he also had courtesy fighting fundamentalist like some of us we took a stand he would've taken it in such a belligerent way that he'd wiped out the whole kingdom by his comments.

I mean you just got up pounded on the pulpit and call down fire judgment on everybody and take the stand. He took her by the time he got done. The pieces would've been laying all over the courtyard, but notice what he did. He purposed in his heart and he requested that he might not defile himself something interesting. You see, sometimes we get the idea that if we take a strong stand. We gotta be mean and nasty about it. Not so someone said that prudence, politeness and plucker fine trio, prudence, politeness and plug instead of defiance of authority. There was a dignified request and I like to just point out to you men and women that when you know you're in the will of God and you're doing that which is right. You can become when you're right, you can be, and you can be courteous. You have to be nasty if you walk in the power of an aggrieved Holy Spirit. There is a kind of quiet power that comes upon your life. Daniel not only had courtesy. We also had confidence.

Notice what happens here when you talk to Ashkenaz about the special diet that he wants to the universe 10.

Ashkenaz said well today. I like to cooperate with you what you are about to endanger my head with the king that a good expression. I'm even Ashkenaz had Nebuchadnezzar figured out. He did not want to play with Nebuchadnezzar. And so when Daniel couldn't get it done the first time he came back and now notice there's a new name that comes up in verse 11. It's the name males are not to tell you there's some confusion about that name for the word actually means steward and some people believe it's just a proper name for what this man did the mellow Czar of the UNIX or the person who is down below Ashkenaz. So when Daniel can get what he wanted by going to the man next to the king, he went to the man next lower, and he said look I don't want to get you in trouble and I know you are in jeopardy but just let me do this. Let's test this for 10 days that you know you can't get in trouble that I will try my diet for 10 days and if at the end of 10 days were not doing better than will do what you want us to do. You say how could Daniel be so courageous and confident that comes from the kind of fiber that Daniel had in his life he believed so much in the word of God that he knew God could not possibly let him down and so with confidence.

He would've said if God be for us, who can be against us. And he put himself on the line for what he believed no holy living always brings confidence.

Are you aware of that if you're always looking over your shoulder. Men and women.

Maybe it's because you're not living right. Something neat about having a clear conscience of not having to worry about what somebody might find out about you. Daniel was living such a holy and righteous life walking in the power that God had given him that he wasn't afraid to test his commitment before the whole kingdom. I like to point out to you. Lastly, the model you have confidence as a result of an uncompromising life. What are the characteristics first of all, he encourage secondly he had conviction thirdly was courteous, fourthly, had confidence in now number five consistency.

You know that's the hardest thing in all of life, consistency, thou art of virtue. Most of us have our good moments and we love to live up there, but it's a hard thing to do it day after day and I want you to notice what verse 21 says, and Daniel continued even onto the first year of King Cyrus novel diplomat just a moment so that you understand the magnitude of this man. He was not just right. Some of the time or most of the time Daniel lived a consistently holy and righteous godly life for over 70 years in the Babylonian palace after the Babylonians were gone he kept right on living like that until the Persians took over and Daniel was just the same. Through it all. This whole chapter would be beautiful if we didn't have the last verse. The last verse of the chapter is a message all in itself. It teaches us that throughout all of the captivity. Daniel continued, Nebuchadnezzar came and went, and Daniel continued. Belshazzar came and went, and Daniel continued. Darius came and went, and Daniel continued, Cyrus came and Daniel was still there and continued consistently to be God's man in the place of influence.

I want to tell you that he was in the public eye for almost 80 years he was in the court from his youth up. He was in a culture that was utterly pagan and yet he is one of three men in the Old Testament, about whom we have no evil report. There is not one negative thing said about Daniel in this book and the only other two men I know.

In the Old Testament, like that of Joseph and Jonathan. In fact, you want a good exposé of what Daniel was like throughout all of his life just flip over to the sixth chapter and the fourth and fifth verse where we read that the presidents of the princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom. What they could find no occasional fall for as much as he was faithful. Neither was there any error or fault found in him then said these men we cannot find any occasion against this Daniel. Unless we find it against him concerning the longest God trip up Daniel is to get into his religion. They watched him under the eyes of scrutiny for all those years and I'm trying to think if there's ever been a politician who is been in government for 50 years, about whom nobody could say a bad thing I can think that there was one. I doubt avoid danger that happening very soon.

But Daniel was.

He lived a life above reproach over the long haul. You know many women as the great challenge in living is such a sobering thing to think that you can be good for a long time and you can blow it all in a moments time think about Solomon the wisest man who ever lived, but in his old age he corrupted his conviction and he died a broken defeated sinful man, but throughout all the kingdom. Daniel continued consistency.

Well, the results of an uncompromising life of these courage, conviction, courtesy, confidence in consistency. The last thing I want to talk to you about of the rewards of an uncompromising life.

You see the world tells us today that if you want to get ahead. We have to do this this and this and break these rules and kind of fudge here in the you know what Daniel wanted is a story. In contrast to the world system of ethics.

Daniel says here's a man who cut it straight and stood up for what he believed in and the result of that was that God rewarded him in his life, and I personally believe that God still in the business of doing that today.

One of the reasons why we have so many problems in our lives. Perhaps as Christians is because were trying to keep 1 foot on the side of the street and 1 foot on the other side of the street and there's so much of the church in the world and so much of the world and the church. We can't tell the difference between the two. I wonder what would happen if all of us would just commit ourselves to say no matter what it costs no matter what people say, no matter how it sliced were God's word draws the line.

That's where my line is an ominous stand right there to Daniel. First of all, God rewarded him with a special impact. I like to think it was a special impact visually.

Daniel had charisma. Notice what it says in verses 13 to 15.

They said let our countenance be looked upon and the Countess abuse. The proportion case food is now see us vilify servants so you can send it to them in this matter and at the end of 10 days there countenances appeared fair and fatter in flesh than all be used to delete the portion King Saul and Daniel. His friends stood up after 10 days eating cereal. They had a visual impact that was noticeable.

Can you imagine what would happen to Daniel. He was living today in the realm of media he be doing commercials winning the name was group Daniel in the Hebrew children celebrate baby on the tomb today will immediately write out there said folks if you want to have power and strength in your life. Each pulse that supports what happened and what he had what I do notice that when Daniel stood up again the 10 days he looked better than any rest of you say it was in the serial no. It wasn't in the serial God did that God did that because Daniel did what was right. God blessed him with a special impact in his life, physically notice second, God blessed them with a special intelligence. The Scripture says in verses 17, 19 and 20, as photo for children. God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom, and among them all was there found none like Daniel and I Michelle Azariah in all matters of wisdom and understanding that the king inquired of them he found them 10 times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his room. They tested 10 days and ended up being 10 times better that interesting and I like what the Psalm say Psalm 2514. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him.

I can't figure this out. I can't promise how it works. I can't do anything about your IQ.

This fix I cannot do anything about that. I can't do anything about your past academic failures. You gotta face up to those, and you may be about to fall down right now. I can tell you this, something very special in this passage of Scripture that says when we do what is right before God, and we take our stand were God takes his stand on his promise to bless us and I believe that even pertains to the intellect God gave him not only special impact physically and special intelligence. But I want you to notice verse 17 God even gave him special insight to Daniel.

It says in verse 17 that Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.

You know that verse 17 is the fulcrum on which the whole book fits what is the book of Daniel, it's visions and dreams. That's what it is. It's a book that interprets the visions and dreams of Daniel and it spreads out through all the ethics of history. Daniel get the wisdom to interpret those visions and those dreams.

The Bible says God gave it to. It was a special gift from God, so that Daniel has gone down in history as a man used of God in advance of the major epics of history to point out everything that would happen of major consequence from this time till the reign of Christ were to get that God gave him special insight and visions and dreams. Fourthly, God gave them special influence special impact visually special intelligence special insight and special influence. He was influential in the court. The Scripture says he stood before the king when the king saw how smart he wasn't, however, done in his course of study.

The Bible says that he stood before the king. What is that mean he was enrolled in the palace, administrators, and he became ultimately Prime Minister of the kingdom.

He not only was influential with the court but he was influential with his companions. Can you imagine what it been like to be Daniel and then have three buddies, Hanan, I am Michelle Azariah, can you imagine what it been like for them to be close to Daniel, you think that you had any impact on them, but he did thirdly had great influence on the captives. You know that Daniel was the only consistent thing they had throughout all captivity Ezekiel was there for part of the time.

Could you imagine how those captives who were hostages in babbling, looked up to Daniel as their hero. He's our man in the palace. He's our guy. You know there's a phrase in the book of Daniel is not repeated about anybody else in all the Bible as far as I know, and that is this old man greatly beloved is found three times in the book of Daniel referring to Daniel.

The only other one who comes close is the Lord Jesus Christ. Daniel was a man greatly beloved, why he was the champion for his people in exile. He was the one they got their strakes from the new Daniel would be right and how they reveled in him, how they rallied around him while they were often babbling away from their land. Can you think of anything that you know of in the realm of history like the story of a man who started out at age 14 under pressure and lived his whole life, until in his late 80s or early 90s and was a constant testimony for his God and his Lord, you know what started young people. It started back on that first day when he was tempted to compromise what he knew was right and he said no. We hope you enjoyed today's Turning Point, weekend edition with Dr. David Jeremiah to hear this and other important programs will get more information about this ministry. Simply download the free Turning Point mobile and we will smart device will visit our website at David Jeremiah dog/radio that's David Jeremiah don't know G/radio.

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