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Message Notes
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” —2 Timothy 1:7
“Dear friends, I warn you as ‘temporary residents and foreigners’ to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls.” —1 Peter 2:11 (NLT)
“I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world.” —John 17:14 (NLT)
“In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God. And he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god.” —Daniel 1:1-2 (ESV)
“Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility, youths without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king’s palace, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate, and of the wine that he drank. They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king. Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah of the tribe of Judah. And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego.” —Daniel 1:3-7 (ESV)
Nebuchadnezzar’s 4 Step Strategy to Conformity
Step 1 - Make them learn a new language.
Step 2 - Indoctrinate their minds with a foreign philosophy
Step 3 - Expose them to a foreign lifestyle.
Step 4 - Change their identity and their loyalty
- Daniel – God is mu judge - Belteshazar – Bel will protect
- Hananiah – God shows grace - Shadrach – Inspired by Aku (the moon god)
- Mishael – Who is like God? - Meschach – who is like Aku?
- Azariah – God is my help - Abednego – servant of Nebo (Venus)
“But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself.” —Daniel 1:8
Resolve – firmness of purpose, to be separated, having an unwavering firmness of character, action, or will.
How can we live without fear in Today’s culture?
- It starts in the home.
Teach our children
- Their identity in Christ
- Their purpose is in life
- The source of their strength
- How to connect to that strength
Godly inner convictions can overcome any outer pressure.
“God takes complete responsibility for a life totally yielded to Him.” —Charles Stanley
- God-honoring obedience leads to God-given rewards.
“At the end of the ten days, Daniel and his three friends looked healthier and better nourished than the young men who had been eating the food assigned by the king. So after that, the attendant fed them only vegetables instead of the food and wine provided for the others. God gave these four young men an unusual aptitude for understanding every aspect of literature and wisdom. And God gave Daniel the special ability to interpret the meanings of visions and dreams.” —Daniel 1:15-17 (ESV)
“Whenever the king consulted them in any matter requiring wisdom and balanced judgment, he found them ten times more capable than any of the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom.” —Daniel 1:20 (ESV)
- Don’t fear the culture or attack the culture, instead lead and change the culture.
“When the training period ordered by the king was completed, the chief of staff brought all the young men to King Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked with them, and no one impressed him as much as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So, they entered the royal service.” —Daniel 1:18-19 (ESV)