Courage to Say No - Part 1

Going tonight in a culture that defames it even celebrates wrong takes courage to stand up today on Turning Point. Jeremiah reminds us that the same was true in Daniel's day, as he continues his ceilings in the book of Daniel handwriting home with an inspiring look at Daniel's uncompromising life is used to based on courage to say no, thank you for joining us for the Friday edition of Turning Point. Be polite having you with us were studying the book of Daniel and you have joined us at a good time just got our feet in the door were in the first chapter today were going to talk about Daniel's courage to say no. Daniel's one of my favorite books of the Old Testament. It kind of is a wonderful book because the first part of the book is a narrative of Daniel's life and you have the lion's dad and you have all of the other stories about Daniel and his three friends, Shadrach me shack and Abednego and then when you get to sort of the middle of the book it becomes very prophetic and it is filled with some of the greatest most amazing prophecies you will ever read in the Bible. Daniel is an assailed book. I mean, people come after that book because if Daniel is what it appears to be and what we know what is. A lot of people been critical of the Bible are in serious trouble. So the book of Daniel, one of the key books in the Bible. If you've never gone through a study of the book of Daniel. We welcome you to this opportunity and if you've been through it before I need to go through it every other year. So just keep my mind fresh with Daniel's prophetic truth and so thank you for joining us and I hope you be able to stay with us as we wrap our arms around the book of Daniel from the Old Testament.

Well I'm ready to jump back into the story that you let's go and find out what happened when to say no preparation of a man is a thing of wonder. When we watch as we do here 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 are enamored 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 rain of good King Josiah. The only good king in the realm of the southern kingdom and Judah. Josiah was the first good thing most people would have 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. He 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 for Kelvin's own 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 reigned until he was 39 second Chronicles 34 tells us that in the eighth year of his reign, he began to seek after God.

12 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 met positive or just a moment and express to you my amazement that the book of the law could be lost in the church when I say that, may I go on to say that it is the common experience of men and women all across this land to go to church regularly every Sunday and for all intents and purposes book of the law might as well be lost, for they never open it. In fact, one of the things people say when they come here to churches.

I talked to them is that they're surprised everybody brings their Bible because in this church. The book of the law has not been lost as they were rebuilding the temple.

They found the book of the law and the Bible says that Bill Kiam, the priest brought the book of the law to shape and describe in shape and the scribe came to just live the king and he said I want to give you this book and I want you to read it and shape the scribe show the king saying hello Kiam, the priest delivered to me about them safe and read it before the king, and it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the book of the law to disclose any 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 Josiah's reign.

There was a great reform in the great revival and Judah had 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 collaborated together to bring Judah to her knees and ultimately back to 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's who brought that reform to pass had four sons, Johannes Joya, Kim, Zedekiah and the grandson by the name of Joya Chin and all of them were evil, wicked man, 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 Babylon and he was tested to take you stand 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 and we discussed in the first few verses of this chapter how that having come to the kingdom of Babylon and being selected for his physical, mental, and social requirements and graces is put through the schooling in Babel and is given all of the learning of the language of the Chaldean nation. Finally, he is brought to a place where he must take a stand for what is right for King wants him to eat the meat that is been offered to idols and that is unclean and drink the wine that is been poured out as a sacrifice to the wicked gods in Babel and in Daniel said I can't do that. My Bible says that's wrong and I will draw the line there. I will not do what God forbids me to do.

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 or offend 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 ask them as 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. I remember reading a bit of advice that a father gave to his son when he was about to go out into the world and someone took that advice and put it in the poetic form and it goes like this.

You're starting my boy on life's journey along the grand highway of life you meet with a thousand temptations each city with evil is rife.

The world is a stage of excitement. There's danger wherever you go. But if you are tempted, and weakness have encouraged my boy to say no encourage alone lies your safety when you the long journey began your trust in a heavenly father will keep you unspotted from sin temptations will go on increasing of streams from a regular flow, but if you'd be true to your manhood. Have courage my son to say no. Be careful in choosing companions seek only the brave and the true and stand by your friends when in trial not changing the old for the new when by false friends. You are tempted, the taste of the wine cup to know with firmness with patients with kindness. Have courage. My boy to say no, 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. Sin we lost paradise. Abraham compromise the truth lied about Sarah and he almost lost his wife Sarah compromise God's word said to Abraham to Hagar and she bore Ishmael and we lost peace in the Middle East. Esau compromise for a meal with Jacob and he lost his birthright.

Aaron compromised his convictions about idolatry and he and the people lost the privilege of the promised land. Sampson compromise righteous devotion as a Nazirite with Delilah and he lost his strength and he lost his eyes and he lost his life. David compromise the moral and divine standard of God, committed adultery with Bathsheba murdered Uriah and lost his child. Solomon compromise convictions married foreign wives and lost the United Kingdom Ahab compromise married Jezebel and lost his throne, and I've since the fire compromised.

They compromise their word about giving lied to the Holy Ghost, and they lost their lives. Judas compromised his 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. I believe that were hungry in our world today. For a few men who will stand up and say as Daniel so will I be some young people walked into a high school class and were confronted by a godless professor.

The professor said all of you believe the myths of the Bible, please stand and several stood me said those of you are absolutely sure remain standing and there were a few who sat down and only a few who remain standing and then he added.

Now this semester. I'm going to free you from this religious Bible nonsense. I read the Bible. Once it's written by a bunch of mixed up men and I want to release you and one young Daniel stood up and he said sir.

The Bible is God's letter to Christians and if you're confused that's what you get for reading somebody else's mail. 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. One of the first two words of verse nine. Let's say them out loud together. Now God. Now God that you can describe any circumstance you want, you can layout 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.

He didn't compromise to get that God just gave it to them. So when Daniel needed to work his way through this problem of his diet. He had a friend were accounted when we are in the will of God. He is our refuge and our help and you know what I think Daniel would say young people, adults. I would rather be a captive in Babylon in the will of God than to be free in Jerusalem out of the will of God, and I would agree there is anyplace like the safety of being in God's will you get out of God's will and you're on your own. You stay where God wants you to do what God wants you to do and he is committed to take care of the watch over you and to give you strength. Proverbs 16 seven says it this way when a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him. Isn't that interesting. I want you to 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 stand and 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. I like to say to young people that the time you need to take your stand for what's right is on the first day in your new environment. Just draw the line and you know will happen when you do that it will give you courage to take the stand. When the test comes now, is it 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 remind you about this guy. Nebuchadnezzar you know that one of the sons of Josias, a fellow by the name of Zedekiah when you thought that Nebuchadnezzar was going to take control of the city of Jerusalem thought he would escape and so he ran out the back to the king's garden, but Nebuchadnezzar's men went after him and they caught him, and you know what they did to. They got all of his sons, and all of the nobles from his kingdom and they said I want you to sit down) they line them all up and they went down the line one at a time and they killed every single one of his children and all of the nobles from his cabinet and then Nebuchadnezzar took a hot sword and he stuck it in the eyesockets of King Zedekiah and put out his eyes, so that the last thing that came would ever see was the vicious slaying of his own children. That's what can a guy Nebuchadnezzar was and what 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 Aspen as a set. I chose not to eat that food became just going to defile me.

It's corrupting 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 editions 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, let me 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. What's the inference there that it was his normal pattern, under normal circumstances to eat flesh and bread and drink wine. According to the Old Testament. So when Daniel said I'm 20 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 this pulse that he ate literally the word means see that is so all kinds of ideas about what that was. Dr. Chris will down south says it was black-eyed peas I tell you one thing I know it wasn't it couldn't possibly been grits. He could not have any regrets and survive. Some folks said it was some sort of serial what was it was just some kind of seed that was sewn. That's why they call it vegetable. Daniel just took that which was sown 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 when he 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 and pounded on the pulpit and call down fire judgment on everybody and take the stand. He took her by the time you got done.

The pieces would've been laying all over the courtyard, but notice what he purposed in his heart and he requested that he might not defile himself a little more diplomacy like for all of us would probably service will wouldn't such a great illustration in such a model for how to live the Christian life in difficult times. Frankly friends. That's where we are right now we need to learn from Daniel how to stand for what we believe in a gracious way, but in a strong way, no matter what the penalty holder ground and not become hateful in the process and into the weekend and we like we just got started in the study, but back on Monday for the second half of courage to say no every weekend see if I care the message you just came to you from the shadow Mountain community and the Jeremiah missing would love to learn how to link point is touching your life so please write us 338 San Diego, CA 92163 visit our website David Jeremiah/writing you a copy of the series sequence from the prophecies of the handwriting is the Jeremiah study Bible, English standard version as well as in standard large print in the new available in your choice of handsome cover options, go to David Jeremiah/what you join us Monday as we continue the series. The handwriting on point with David Jeremiah for taking time to listen for an pleasing