05.24.2015 Daniel - How to Hold to the Truth Without Being Arrogant

5-24-2015 from Grace Summit on Vimeo.

Grab a Bible out of the pew – Turn to Acts 2 –
2:1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.
5 Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 They were amazed and astonished, saying, “Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God.
We think of Pentecost and we think of the tongues of fire – but really, Pentecost is all about gathering every people and race and nation into one family of God. That is what is being celebrated today.
It ties in with Daniel.
Lord, thank You for this day – that Your Spirit was sent and now lives in us and among us who believe – and He gathers people from every nation to worship the Lamb that was slain. Lord, thank You that You were slain for our sins – and that Your blood washed over us that we might be clean. Help us to learn to live lives that are controlled by the Spirit of God. May we learn to be Your lights – and salt of the earth – lights that shine brightly in a dark world.
Daniel 1: 3 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his officials, to bring in some of the sons of Israel, including some of the royal family and of the nobles, 4 youths in whom was no defect, who were good-looking, showing intelligence in every branch of wisdom, endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge, and who had ability for serving in the king’s court; and he ordered him to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans.
5 The king appointed for them a daily ration from the king’s choice food and from the wine which he drank, and appointed that they should be educated three years, at the end of which they were to enter the king’s personal service.
Daniel and his friends are being assimilated into Babylonian culture – resistance is futile, as they say on Star Trek – going through a process of indoctrination – into the king’s court – under scrutiny under the watch of the king – observing their lives and controlling every aspect of their lives – and it is in that context that they are being asked to live faithful, authentic lives as children of God.
Have you seen Selma? It is hard to imagine the scrutiny that he went through. The church is being placed under greater and greater scrutiny and pressure. As it increases, God is asking us to live authentic Christian lives. It happens in society at large, but it also happens where you live and work, doesn’t it? When people find out you are a Christian trying to live your faith – every time you fail – they make note of it! It does not get past them. In one sense, that is a good thing! People are observing – Matthew 5:16! Watch me! One thing that is happening – there are a lot of bad examples and we get lumped into those bad examples. The average person who does not attend church – the average person – Though 70% claim to be Christians – only about 20% are really committed to their faith, surveys show.
We can come across as arrogant and superior. Those who are not doing a good job of this – we all know Christians who are arrogant and have an attitude of superiority – taint those who don’t. second – hypocrites – third – agenda driven –
Daniel will teach us – how to relate in a world like ours – first – we can and should hold to truth without being arrogant. We can and we should.
It is completely possible to do this.
Jesus held to the truth better than anyone ever did – do you think people thought he was arrogant?
We can and should be agents of transformation through love, and yet not push an agenda.
We can see change happen without connecting to an agenda. When you connect to an agenda, your Christianity is done in their lives.
We can and should have behavior, though not ‘perfect’ – and that is really important because we will never be perfect – but there is something about being human that is really attractive to people – so not being perfect – but having a behavior that represents our beliefs. There is a difference there – because perfect behavior tends to be hypocritical – but behavior that represents our belief is authentic and real.
In my opinion – the church has overemphasized having right views. We judge and determine a person’s spiritual status by the views they hold and repeat – but Jesus emphasized living a right life – He even said – many will come and say, “Lord, Lord… the right view – did we not do the right view in your name? And he will say – the views were right but the life failed it.
IN Daniel’s story – the people were exiled and dispersed – and this is much like the church today – scattered and dispersed in a foreign land. We are exiles. “The church is an outpost of heaven living as aliens in a strange land” – what would that look like?
The biggest problem is not the changing culture, but the fact that the church became too comfortable with the culture a long time ago. Decades ago. And although we rail against certain aspects of culture, the reality is that we adopt many more aspects that are not good than we rail against!
1 Peter 2:9 – you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation.
That is the church – a new culture. A royal priesthood – a holy nation.
We think of ourselves as Americans. But what are we? Christians. That is our nation. We are citizens first of that nation. And our American citizenship – though blessed we are to have it – falls way down the line.
Because of that – our job is not to change, save, or preserve the culture we grew up in – but because we are a new culture and nation, we are to present a new culture – a kingdom culture – to the world. We are to be a light – salt – foreign objects – thrown onto the meat - -not to change the meat into salt, but to preserve it. We are light shining in the darkness, so the darkness can see.
As we are light and salt – then we will have impact on the world and at times, that will create enormous changes in the world.
The church has seen enormous change in the world through the ages – but it has done it only when its focus was on being lights to the world.
Whenever the church has gone into the world to change it- we have things like the Crusades and colonization and running out native cultures.
But when we are salt and light – we are of benefit to the world and it is transformed.
When our emphasis is on changing culture, we lose the power of the gospel – but it is the gospel that will change everything.
The great news is – as it gets darker, the light shines brighter. We should say – what an opportunity! Along with that – there is a reality that opposition will grow. It will continue to increase. The more the opposition increases the greater the opportunity!
Practically – how do we do that? Back to Daniel.
6 Now among them from the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 7 Then the commander of the officials assigned new names to them; and to Daniel he assigned the name Belteshazzar, to Hananiah Shadrach, to Mishael Meshach and to Azariah Abed-nego.
8 But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself. 9 Now God granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials,
Navigating culture is like going through a minefield! The reality – it is not an easy task. It is not as clear-cut as some would make you think. When stepping through it is easy to step on a culture bomb that blows up on us!
Daniel and his friends engaged in certain aspects of the Babylonian culture – while presenting an alternate culture to those who watched them.
There are two great errors – first – to pull out fully in culture. The second is to engage fully!
We are not to engage when – engaging in culture forces us or compels us to sin or do evil and go against our conscience. We are never to engage in culture if engaging forces us to do evil. When it comes to sin and evil – those things in the Bible are pretty clear. God has made it really clear. There are a minority of things where things are debated – but for the most part – it is clear. And we can’t go there!
When it comes to conscience – what is very clear is that it varies from one person to another!
Paul talked about that many different ways – it may be okay for one person – so don’t judge and criticize – each will be judged by God. Before God they will stand or fall – and stand they will!
If it is a matter of conscience – your judging will be a fall.
For Daniel – it was an issue of food. He determined not to defile himself. We defile ourselves with food all the time! There were things offered to idols – even vegetables – and wine – which is not restricted – so there must be some issues of conscience here. They determined that they could not remain faithful if they went down that path – it would corrupt them.
What IS amazing about the story – what they DID participate in – three years of indoctrination into the Babylonian culture – and great risk to what they might be taught. But Daniel understood that in doing this – he would not be forced to sin or go against his conscience. He was able to remain faithful in the midst of indoctrination.
There are areas at times where we are called to engage that will make our Christian lives very difficult. I am sure it was hard to remain a faithful Jew under those teachings of indoctrination. I am sure God will put us in those situations where it is crushing – but we can remain faithful. That will be different for each of us to engage with culture.
10 and the commander of the officials said to Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has appointed your food and your drink; for why should he see your faces looking more haggard than the youths who are your own age? Then you would [m]make me forfeit my head to the king.”
11 But Daniel said to the overseer whom the commander of the officials had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, 12 “Please test your servants for ten days, and let us be given some vegetables to eat and water to drink.
We see gracious resistance – please? Gentle nonconformity to evil. Harsh nonconformity is the easy way out – anyone can do it. It takes no courage. Gentle nonconformity to evil takes all the courage to the world. He makes an appeal to the official – he does not demand. Daniel has confidence without arrogance. He does not attack nor condemn the cultural practices of Babylon – but he determines to do what is right.
Daniel engaged relationally with the commander. We should develop relationships with people who are fully engaged in the culture. As things get worse, we tend to disengage into holy huddles. This is especially true in engaging with those who we think are the cause of the downfall. Do you have relationships with people? We need to change our thinking about those people – and we need to understand that those who engage like this are caught in the cultural web – they are not the enemy – they are prisoner held captive and we are the ones who can release them from their prison.
One task today – find someone who is engaged in culture and develop a relationship.
After 9/11 – there was a great outcry against Muslims. I go to the Middle Eastern market – and I make an effort to engage with them when I see them throughout the community! Hey! How are you! They have warmed up to me.
We can engage relationally without engaging in those things that would be sin.
13 Then let our appearance be [n]observed in your presence and the appearance of the youths who are eating the king’s choice food; and deal with your servants according to what you see.”

14 So he listened to them in this matter and tested them for ten days. 15 At the end of ten days their appearance seemed better and they were fatter than all the youths who had been eating the king’s choice food. 16 So the overseer continued to withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and kept giving them vegetables.
Daniel had a willingness to cooperate with the powers that be to accomplish good.
We have a small group of pastors here in the Falls – how can the church work together – cooperate – with the city – with the police – with all that is going on today…
17 As for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and intelligence in every branch of literature and wisdom; Daniel even understood all kinds of visions and dreams.

18 Then at the end of the days which the king had specified for presenting them, the commander of the officials presented them before Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The king talked with them, and out of them all not one was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s personal service. 20 As for every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and conjurers who were in all his realm.
God responded to their faithfulness. Yes, it was a minefield – and yes, they were feeling their way through. It was not the diet that made them better – it is great if you want to do the Daniel Diet – but it was GOD! Who wanted to do something supernaturally through them – and God wants to work in you in ways that cannot be done by power or manipulation. God wants us – He has placed us – at the very time that we live – so that we can be light and influences of change through gracious resistance and nonconformity to evil.
Lord, we know that our world is becoming a minefield – and you have placed us here. Scrutiny and pressure have increased and will only continue to do so. Help us to live faithfully under it. In Your name we pray.