WEBVTT

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 The scripture reading comes from Daniel chapter 1.

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 Please follow along on the screen, the bulletin, or your own Bible.

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 Starting in verse 1, we read,

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 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah,

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 Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem and besieged it.

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 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim, king of Judah, into his hand

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 with some of the vessels of the house of God.

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 And he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his God,

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 and placed the vessel in the treasury of his God.

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 Then the king commanded Aspenaz, his chief eunuch,

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 to bring some of the people of Israel,

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 both of the royal family and of the nobility,

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 youths without blemish of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom,

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 endowed with knowledge, understanding, learning,

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 and competent to stand in the king's palace,

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 and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans.

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 The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate

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 and of the wine that he drank.

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 They were to be educated for three years,

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 and at the end of that time, they were to stand before the king.

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 Among those were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah of the tribe of Judah.

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 And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names.

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 Daniel he called Balthasar,

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 Hananiah he called Shadrach,

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 Mishael he called Meshach,

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 and Azariah he called Abednego.

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 But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food

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 or with the wine that he drank.

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 Therefore, he asked the chief of the eunuchs

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 to allow him not to defile himself.

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 And God gave Daniel favor and compassion

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 in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs.

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 And the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel,

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 I fear my lord the king who assigned you your food and your drink,

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 for why should he see that you were in worse condition

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 than the youths who are of your own age?

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 So you would endanger my head with the king.

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 Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of eunuchs

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 had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,

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 Test your servants for ten days.

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 Let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink.

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 Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths

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 who eat the king's food be observed by you

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 and deal with your servants according to what you see.

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 So he listened to them in this matter

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 and tested them for ten days.

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 At the end of the ten days,

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 it was seen that they were better in appearance

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 and fatter in flesh

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 than all the youths who ate the king's food.

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 So the steward took away their food

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 and the wine they were to drink

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 and gave them vegetables.

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 As for these four youths,

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 God gave them learning and skill

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 in all literature and wisdom.

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 And Daniel had understanding

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 in all visions and dreams.

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 At the end of the time,

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 when the king had commanded

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 that they should be brought in,

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 the chief of the eunuchs brought them in

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 before Nebuchadnezzar.

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 And the king spoke with them.

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 And among all of them,

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 none was found like Daniel,

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 Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.

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 Therefore, they stood before the king.

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 And in every matter of wisdom

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 and understanding

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 about which the king inquired of them,

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 he found them ten times better

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 than all the magicians and enchanters

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 that were in all his kingdom.

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 And Daniel was there

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 until the first year of King Cyrus.

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 This is the word of God.

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 Great.

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 Thank you, Angie,

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 for reading that long passage.

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 And good morning, everybody.

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 Again, great to see you.

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 And welcome.

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 Lovely to have you with us.

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 If you are new to Watermark

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 and I haven't met you,

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 my name's Kevin.

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 And it's great to have you with us today.

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 Now, we are diving into this book of Daniel,

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 this Old Testament book.

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 And the book of Daniel

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 is about so much more

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 than lions' dens

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 and fiery furnaces

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 and children's stories.

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 The book of Daniel

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 really is about two things.

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 It's about sovereignty

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 and it's about faithfulness.

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 And again and again,

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 in the book of Daniel,

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 as we go through it

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 over the next six or seven weeks,

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 we're going to see that

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 what God's going to tell us

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 is that He alone is sovereign.

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 If you're new to church,

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 the word sovereign

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 is a kind of technical word.

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 It means that God is on the throne.

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 He rules and He reigns.

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 And Daniel's going to tell us

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 again and again

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 that God is the one

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 who's on the throne,

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 not any other power

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 or political power

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 or economic power.

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 But the book of Daniel

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 is also about faithfulness.

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 It's about God's faithfulness

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 and how God calls His people

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 to be faithful to Him

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 even in the midst

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 of living in this world,

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 this city,

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 which at the time

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 was not a very God-honoring city.

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 And so in many ways,

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 even while our world

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 looks very different

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 to the ancient city of Babylon,

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 in many of the ways,

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 the underlying belief system

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 and the underlying values,

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 even of a city like Hong Kong,

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 21st century Hong Kong,

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 is actually similar

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 to many of the underlying

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 belief systems and values

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 of an ancient city like Babylon.

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 Babylon was a city

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 that ran on power.

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 It was a city

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 that ran on wealth.

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 It was a very performance-orientated city.

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 It was a city

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 where there was huge

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 economic inequalities

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 between the wealthy

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 and the poor.

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 And so in many ways,

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 the values and the belief systems

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 are quite similar.

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 And so the question

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 we're going to look at

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 in this book

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 again and again is,

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 what does it mean,

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 what does it look like

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 to be the people of God

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 in the midst of the cities

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 in which we live

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 and for us,

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 in the midst of 21st century Hong Kong?

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 Now, today we're going to dive

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 into Daniel chapter 1.

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 And the book of Daniel,

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 the first chapter

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 kind of sets up

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 the rest of the book.

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 In fact, actually,

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 in the original writing,

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 chapter 1 is written

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 in the Hebrew language

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 and then in chapter 2,

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 it changes to Aramaic.

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 And part of the reason for that,

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 it changes back again later on,

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 but part of the reason for that

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 is because Daniel chapter 1

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 is like a prologue.

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 It's setting up the themes

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 that we're going to see

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 throughout the book

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 again and again.

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 And so what we're going to see today

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 is that if,

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 for those of us

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 that are followers of Jesus,

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 if we're going to be faithful to God

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 in the midst of the world

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 that we live in,

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 in the midst of this city

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 and the other big cities

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 to which maybe you move or live,

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 we've got to remember four things.

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 There's four things

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 that I think God wants to show us

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 in chapter 1 today.

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 So let's dive in.

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 The first thing is this.

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 If you're going to be faithful to God,

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 if you're going to become

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 the person that God,

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 the sovereign God,

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 wants to call you to be,

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 you've got to remember

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 who's on the throne.

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 Who's on the throne.

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 Now, when we read Daniel chapter 1,

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 look who's on the throne.

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 It's fairly obvious.

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 It's this guy called Nebuchadnezzar,

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 okay, Nebuchadnezzar II.

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 And what happened is this setting

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 is in 605 BC,

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 Nebuchadnezzar's father

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 had just recently,

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 two or three years before this,

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 demolished the Assyrian empire.

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 The Assyrians were the world superpower.

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 He had crushed them.

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 He came on down to Egypt

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 and there was a battle

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 called the Battle of Carshemesh,

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 I think it was.

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 He crushed the Egyptians.

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 He then dies

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 and his son, Nebuchadnezzar,

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 gets on the throne.

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 And Nebuchadnezzar wants to prove

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 to the world

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 that he is no slouch.

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 He has every bit of authority

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 and ruthlessness

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 as his dad did.

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 And so Nebuchadnezzar's on the throne.

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 He comes to Jerusalem,

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 605 BC.

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 He lays siege to the city of Jerusalem.

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 He wipes out the king

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 and he destroys it.

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 Now, at this stage,

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 he just does that

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 in the first step of that.

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 Later on,

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 he's going to come back

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 and wipe it out fully.

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 But in this instance,

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 what he does

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 is he takes the king,

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 the royal family,

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 high-ranking members of society,

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 the political,

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 the cultural elites,

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 and he takes them back to Babylon

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 and he enters them

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 into this three-year re-education program

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 that Angie read about.

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 They go to this Ivy League

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 Babylonian university.

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 They learn all about

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 Babylonian culture

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 and literature

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 and the arts

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 and the astrology

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 and the values

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 of Babylonian culture.

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 In a few years' time,

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 Nebuchadnezzar's going to go

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 back to Jerusalem

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 and he's going to

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 really wipe it out thoroughly.

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 He's going to pull down the temple,

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 burn all the buildings,

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 rip down the city walls,

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 and march everyone

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 back into Babylon

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 in the exiles.

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 But at this stage,

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 what he does is

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 he just takes the political

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 and the cultural

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 and the economic elites

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 with him

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 back to Babylon.

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 So look at verse 2

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 of what Angie read to us.

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 Nebuchadnezzar takes

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 the holy things

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 from the temple

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 and it says here,

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 he brought them

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 into the land of Shinar

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 to the house of his God

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 and he placed the vessels

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 in the treasury

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 of his God.

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 So Nebuchadnezzar

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 goes to the temple

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 in Jerusalem

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 and he takes all the

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 holy and sacred things,

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 he marches them

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 back to Babylon

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 and he sets them up

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 in the temple

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 to his false god.

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 It's kind of like

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 somebody coming

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 and taking down

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 a cross

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 in our church

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 and then setting it up

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 in a Buddhist temple

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 as a stand

00:10:08.360 --> 00:10:11.379
 from which to burn incense.

00:10:12.060 --> 00:10:13.100
 So you take like a cross,

00:10:13.159 --> 00:10:13.680
 the thing that's

00:10:13.680 --> 00:10:14.879
 most sacred to us

00:10:14.879 --> 00:10:15.120
 and say,

00:10:15.180 --> 00:10:16.279
 oh, let's use this

00:10:16.279 --> 00:10:17.220
 to burn incense

00:10:17.220 --> 00:10:18.200
 to our gods, right?

00:10:18.600 --> 00:10:20.500
 It's absolutely sacrilege.

00:10:21.480 --> 00:10:22.060
 And so what are

00:10:22.060 --> 00:10:23.200
 the Israelites thinking?

00:10:23.960 --> 00:10:24.740
 At this stage,

00:10:24.800 --> 00:10:25.240
 they're thinking,

00:10:25.379 --> 00:10:26.220
 where is God?

00:10:26.779 --> 00:10:27.539
 How can God

00:10:27.539 --> 00:10:28.360
 allow this to happen?

00:10:29.300 --> 00:10:30.240
 It seems like God

00:10:30.240 --> 00:10:31.480
 has become impotent.

00:10:31.980 --> 00:10:32.159
 I mean,

00:10:32.200 --> 00:10:33.320
 God is completely weak.

00:10:33.420 --> 00:10:34.360
 How can God

00:10:34.360 --> 00:10:35.659
 allow this to happen?

00:10:36.440 --> 00:10:38.019
 To everyone in Jerusalem,

00:10:38.019 --> 00:10:39.240
 it seems like God

00:10:39.240 --> 00:10:40.740
 has fallen off the throne

00:10:40.740 --> 00:10:43.059
 and is just allowing

00:10:43.059 --> 00:10:43.679
 Nebuchadnezzar

00:10:43.679 --> 00:10:44.620
 to run rampant.

00:10:45.519 --> 00:10:46.279
 But what God

00:10:46.279 --> 00:10:47.500
 wants us to see here

00:10:47.500 --> 00:10:48.699
 is actually

00:10:48.699 --> 00:10:49.759
 over and above

00:10:49.759 --> 00:10:51.500
 the work of Nebuchadnezzar

00:10:51.500 --> 00:10:53.179
 and the plans

00:10:53.179 --> 00:10:54.159
 of the earthly kings

00:10:54.159 --> 00:10:56.759
 stands the sovereign God,

00:10:56.919 --> 00:10:57.759
 the God of Abraham,

00:10:57.980 --> 00:10:58.639
 Isaac, and Jacob,

00:10:58.759 --> 00:10:59.639
 the God of the Bible

00:10:59.639 --> 00:11:01.179
 who rules over

00:11:01.179 --> 00:11:02.500
 all the affairs

00:11:02.500 --> 00:11:03.500
 of mankind.

00:11:04.519 --> 00:11:05.240
 Look at what happens

00:11:05.240 --> 00:11:06.299
 in verse 1 and 2.

00:11:06.399 --> 00:11:07.460
 If you've got your bulletin,

00:11:07.460 --> 00:11:08.620
 read it with me.

00:11:08.900 --> 00:11:09.259
 It says,

00:11:09.680 --> 00:11:10.540
 In the third year

00:11:10.540 --> 00:11:11.780
 of the reign of Jehoiakim,

00:11:11.960 --> 00:11:12.660
 king of Judah,

00:11:13.340 --> 00:11:14.040
 Nebuchadnezzar,

00:11:14.180 --> 00:11:14.860
 king of Babylon,

00:11:15.060 --> 00:11:15.940
 came to Jerusalem

00:11:15.940 --> 00:11:17.040
 and besieged it.

00:11:17.480 --> 00:11:18.240
 And the Lord

00:11:18.240 --> 00:11:19.280
 gave Jehoiakim

00:11:19.280 --> 00:11:20.480
 into his hands.

00:11:20.960 --> 00:11:21.960
 So who came

00:11:21.960 --> 00:11:23.060
 and besieged Jerusalem?

00:11:24.980 --> 00:11:25.820
 Nebuchadnezzar, right?

00:11:26.379 --> 00:11:27.639
 Who gave him,

00:11:28.060 --> 00:11:28.480
 Jehoiakim,

00:11:28.519 --> 00:11:29.360
 into his hands?

00:11:29.960 --> 00:11:31.379
 The sovereign Lord.

00:11:31.460 --> 00:11:31.980
 That's right.

00:11:32.519 --> 00:11:33.000
 And actually,

00:11:33.060 --> 00:11:33.900
 the passage we looked

00:11:33.900 --> 00:11:34.519
 at last week,

00:11:34.620 --> 00:11:35.440
 Jeremiah 29,

00:11:35.440 --> 00:11:37.280
 says the exact same thing.

00:11:37.380 --> 00:11:37.760
 We didn't look,

00:11:37.840 --> 00:11:38.740
 we didn't pick it up.

00:11:39.120 --> 00:11:40.060
 But in verse 1,

00:11:40.740 --> 00:11:41.060
 it says,

00:11:41.200 --> 00:11:42.140
 Nebuchadnezzar came

00:11:42.140 --> 00:11:43.080
 and took the exiles

00:11:43.080 --> 00:11:44.240
 with him back to Babylon.

00:11:44.800 --> 00:11:45.880
 Verse 4 reads,

00:11:46.360 --> 00:11:47.360
 Thus says the Lord,

00:11:47.440 --> 00:11:48.500
 the God of Israel,

00:11:48.920 --> 00:11:49.640
 to the exiles,

00:11:50.000 --> 00:11:51.020
 those that I,

00:11:51.120 --> 00:11:51.540
 the Lord,

00:11:51.600 --> 00:11:53.060
 have sent into Babylon.

00:11:54.820 --> 00:11:55.140
 Now,

00:11:55.340 --> 00:11:56.540
 what God is saying

00:11:56.540 --> 00:11:57.700
 is that over and above

00:11:57.700 --> 00:11:59.360
 the affairs of politicians

00:11:59.360 --> 00:12:00.560
 and kings and rulers,

00:12:00.560 --> 00:12:02.720
 God sits on the throne.

00:12:02.720 --> 00:12:04.160
 Now,

00:12:04.300 --> 00:12:05.019
 we may think,

00:12:05.420 --> 00:12:05.580
 oh,

00:12:05.620 --> 00:12:06.639
 that's easy to say

00:12:06.639 --> 00:12:08.040
 retrospectively, right?

00:12:08.259 --> 00:12:09.200
 History happens

00:12:09.200 --> 00:12:10.440
 and then you just write

00:12:10.440 --> 00:12:11.279
 in your Bible,

00:12:11.660 --> 00:12:11.820
 oh,

00:12:11.860 --> 00:12:11.980
 well,

00:12:12.019 --> 00:12:12.759
 God was involved

00:12:12.759 --> 00:12:13.300
 in all of it.

00:12:13.360 --> 00:12:14.800
 You're just rewriting history,

00:12:15.040 --> 00:12:15.279
 okay?

00:12:16.100 --> 00:12:16.759
 But actually,

00:12:16.860 --> 00:12:17.560
 in the Bible,

00:12:18.080 --> 00:12:19.480
 God often foretells

00:12:19.480 --> 00:12:20.379
 that this is going to happen.

00:12:21.019 --> 00:12:21.660
 For instance,

00:12:22.180 --> 00:12:23.519
 about 120 years

00:12:23.519 --> 00:12:24.519
 before this happened,

00:12:25.220 --> 00:12:26.040
 the prophet Isaiah

00:12:26.040 --> 00:12:27.300
 goes to Hezekiah

00:12:27.300 --> 00:12:29.060
 and he says this

00:12:29.060 --> 00:12:29.940
 to Hezekiah

00:12:29.940 --> 00:12:31.300
 in Isaiah 39.

00:12:31.660 --> 00:12:32.080
 He says,

00:12:32.080 --> 00:12:33.200
 Hear the word

00:12:33.200 --> 00:12:33.600
 of the Lord,

00:12:33.720 --> 00:12:34.180
 Hezekiah.

00:12:34.840 --> 00:12:35.820
 The days are coming

00:12:35.820 --> 00:12:37.200
 when all that is

00:12:37.200 --> 00:12:37.920
 in your house,

00:12:37.980 --> 00:12:38.300
 in other words,

00:12:38.320 --> 00:12:39.220
 your royal palace,

00:12:39.720 --> 00:12:41.259
 and that which your fathers,

00:12:41.400 --> 00:12:42.480
 the kings have stored up

00:12:42.480 --> 00:12:43.020
 to this day,

00:12:43.340 --> 00:12:44.520
 will be carried off

00:12:44.520 --> 00:12:45.259
 into Babylon.

00:12:45.940 --> 00:12:46.960
 Nothing will be left

00:12:46.960 --> 00:12:47.540
 in Jerusalem

00:12:47.540 --> 00:12:49.220
 and some of your own

00:12:49.220 --> 00:12:49.740
 descendants,

00:12:50.620 --> 00:12:51.040
 in other words,

00:12:51.120 --> 00:12:52.259
 members of the royal family,

00:12:52.639 --> 00:12:53.900
 will be taken away

00:12:53.900 --> 00:12:54.700
 and will serve

00:12:54.700 --> 00:12:55.280
 in the palace

00:12:55.280 --> 00:12:56.240
 of the king of Babylon.

00:12:57.040 --> 00:12:57.300
 Now,

00:12:57.340 --> 00:12:57.980
 what's amazing is

00:12:57.980 --> 00:12:59.460
 when Isaiah writes this,

00:12:59.600 --> 00:13:01.100
 Babylon is like nothing.

00:13:01.100 --> 00:13:02.360
 They're not a world superpower.

00:13:02.680 --> 00:13:03.560
 They're not very strong.

00:13:03.740 --> 00:13:05.060
 Assyria is the world power.

00:13:05.659 --> 00:13:06.399
 Babylon is just

00:13:06.399 --> 00:13:07.980
 some city

00:13:07.980 --> 00:13:10.080
 in the far east.

00:13:10.720 --> 00:13:11.720
 But Isaiah writes and says,

00:13:11.840 --> 00:13:12.720
 The time is coming

00:13:12.720 --> 00:13:14.200
 because you are not obeying God

00:13:14.200 --> 00:13:16.120
 when everything in Jerusalem

00:13:16.120 --> 00:13:17.139
 is going to be carried off

00:13:17.139 --> 00:13:18.000
 and taken to Babylon

00:13:18.000 --> 00:13:19.420
 and some of your descendants

00:13:19.420 --> 00:13:20.100
 are going to serve

00:13:20.100 --> 00:13:20.800
 the king of Babylon

00:13:20.800 --> 00:13:21.620
 in his palace

00:13:21.620 --> 00:13:23.220
 120 years

00:13:23.220 --> 00:13:24.440
 before it actually happened.

00:13:25.279 --> 00:13:25.680
 Friends,

00:13:25.720 --> 00:13:26.779
 you see what God is saying here?

00:13:27.460 --> 00:13:28.700
 What God is trying to tell us

00:13:28.700 --> 00:13:29.520
 is that no matter

00:13:29.520 --> 00:13:30.780
 in every city,

00:13:30.960 --> 00:13:32.000
 in every age,

00:13:32.120 --> 00:13:33.220
 in every generation,

00:13:33.860 --> 00:13:34.860
 there will be things

00:13:34.860 --> 00:13:35.400
 that happen

00:13:35.400 --> 00:13:36.340
 that cause us

00:13:36.340 --> 00:13:37.460
 to wonder and fear

00:13:37.460 --> 00:13:37.860
 and think,

00:13:37.960 --> 00:13:38.660
 where is God?

00:13:39.200 --> 00:13:40.520
 God has fallen off his throne.

00:13:40.660 --> 00:13:41.820
 Is God really in control?

00:13:42.580 --> 00:13:43.240
 And what Daniel

00:13:43.240 --> 00:13:44.100
 wants to show us

00:13:44.100 --> 00:13:45.220
 is that over and above

00:13:45.220 --> 00:13:46.660
 the rule and the authority

00:13:46.660 --> 00:13:47.720
 and the reign

00:13:47.720 --> 00:13:48.759
 of kings and queens,

00:13:49.000 --> 00:13:50.660
 presidents and empires,

00:13:51.379 --> 00:13:52.879
 stands the sovereign God,

00:13:52.960 --> 00:13:54.080
 that God alone

00:13:54.080 --> 00:13:55.360
 is on the throne.

00:13:56.240 --> 00:13:56.780
 God's people

00:13:56.780 --> 00:13:57.680
 end up in Babylon

00:13:57.679 --> 00:13:59.359
 not because of Nebuchadnezzar

00:13:59.359 --> 00:14:00.759
 but because God sent him there.

00:14:01.559 --> 00:14:02.479
 The sovereign God

00:14:02.479 --> 00:14:03.959
 is on the throne.

00:14:05.120 --> 00:14:06.639
 Later on in the book of Daniel,

00:14:06.839 --> 00:14:07.500
 this is like one

00:14:07.500 --> 00:14:08.459
 of my favorite scriptures

00:14:08.459 --> 00:14:09.439
 in all of the Bible,

00:14:09.620 --> 00:14:09.739
 okay?

00:14:09.879 --> 00:14:10.979
 Daniel chapter 5,

00:14:11.839 --> 00:14:13.000
 Daniel speaks to a man

00:14:13.000 --> 00:14:13.959
 called Belshazzar

00:14:13.959 --> 00:14:14.899
 who's a king

00:14:14.899 --> 00:14:17.059
 who follows Nebuchadnezzar.

00:14:17.139 --> 00:14:18.059
 So Nebuchadnezzar dies

00:14:18.059 --> 00:14:19.699
 and this guy Belshazzar

00:14:19.699 --> 00:14:20.699
 becomes king.

00:14:20.759 --> 00:14:21.599
 And listen to what Daniel

00:14:21.599 --> 00:14:22.179
 says to him.

00:14:22.659 --> 00:14:22.939
 He says,

00:14:22.940 --> 00:14:46.380
 So talk about

00:14:46.380 --> 00:14:47.920
 supreme authority, right?

00:14:48.480 --> 00:14:49.200
 Nebuchadnezzar's like

00:14:49.200 --> 00:14:50.420
 the most powerful man

00:14:50.420 --> 00:14:51.740
 of the most powerful nation

00:14:51.740 --> 00:14:52.740
 of all the world.

00:14:53.000 --> 00:14:53.980
 If he wants you dead,

00:14:54.240 --> 00:14:54.740
 you're dead.

00:14:55.000 --> 00:14:55.860
 He wants you alive,

00:14:56.180 --> 00:14:56.840
 you're alive.

00:14:57.240 --> 00:14:58.640
 Supreme authority, right?

00:14:59.280 --> 00:15:00.500
 But then look at the next verse.

00:15:00.879 --> 00:15:01.960
 But when his heart

00:15:01.960 --> 00:15:02.660
 was lifted up

00:15:02.660 --> 00:15:04.240
 and his spirit was hardened,

00:15:04.660 --> 00:15:06.060
 said he dealt proudly,

00:15:06.540 --> 00:15:07.620
 he was brought down

00:15:07.620 --> 00:15:08.680
 from his kingly throne

00:15:08.680 --> 00:15:09.780
 and his glory

00:15:09.780 --> 00:15:10.840
 was taken from him

00:15:10.840 --> 00:15:13.240
 until Nebuchadnezzar knew

00:15:13.240 --> 00:15:15.940
 that it's the most high God

00:15:15.940 --> 00:15:17.060
 who rules the kingdoms

00:15:17.060 --> 00:15:17.720
 of mankind

00:15:17.720 --> 00:15:19.519
 and sets over them

00:15:19.519 --> 00:15:21.720
 whom he wills.

00:15:23.080 --> 00:15:23.980
 Proverbs says,

00:15:24.639 --> 00:15:26.019
 The heart of a king

00:15:26.019 --> 00:15:28.060
 is like a stream of water

00:15:28.060 --> 00:15:29.139
 in the hands

00:15:29.139 --> 00:15:29.920
 of the living God.

00:15:30.100 --> 00:15:31.100
 He directs it

00:15:31.100 --> 00:15:32.040
 where he wants.

00:15:33.139 --> 00:15:33.820
 And what we see

00:15:33.820 --> 00:15:34.680
 in Daniel chapter 1,

00:15:34.780 --> 00:15:36.540
 it's not only macro events

00:15:36.540 --> 00:15:37.300
 like kingdoms

00:15:37.300 --> 00:15:38.000
 and empires,

00:15:38.180 --> 00:15:40.360
 it's micro events as well.

00:15:40.360 --> 00:15:41.759
 Look at verse 9 with me.

00:15:42.279 --> 00:15:42.560
 It says,

00:15:43.080 --> 00:15:43.820
 God gave Daniel

00:15:43.820 --> 00:15:45.139
 favor and compassion

00:15:45.139 --> 00:15:45.700
 in the sight

00:15:45.700 --> 00:15:46.820
 of the chief of the eunuchs.

00:15:47.100 --> 00:15:47.840
 Verse 17,

00:15:48.320 --> 00:15:50.220
 And as for these four youths,

00:15:50.220 --> 00:15:51.620
 God gave them learning

00:15:51.620 --> 00:15:52.240
 and skill

00:15:52.240 --> 00:15:53.159
 in all the literature

00:15:53.159 --> 00:15:54.539
 and the understanding

00:15:54.539 --> 00:15:55.980
 of Babylon.

00:15:56.919 --> 00:15:58.000
 Do you see what God's saying here?

00:15:58.580 --> 00:15:59.279
 God is saying that

00:15:59.279 --> 00:16:00.840
 despite how things appear,

00:16:01.019 --> 00:16:01.560
 God is the one

00:16:01.560 --> 00:16:02.139
 who's on the throne.

00:16:02.879 --> 00:16:04.080
 Sometimes we look around us

00:16:04.080 --> 00:16:04.420
 and we say,

00:16:04.500 --> 00:16:05.460
 God, where are you?

00:16:05.860 --> 00:16:07.060
 How could this be possible?

00:16:08.019 --> 00:16:09.039
 And the story of Daniel

00:16:09.039 --> 00:16:10.340
 is that over and over again,

00:16:10.340 --> 00:16:11.220
 God wants us

00:16:11.220 --> 00:16:12.100
 to have confidence

00:16:12.100 --> 00:16:13.120
 that he's on the throne.

00:16:14.080 --> 00:16:14.340
 Now,

00:16:14.740 --> 00:16:16.100
 why do we need to know this?

00:16:16.980 --> 00:16:17.940
 Who cares, right?

00:16:18.680 --> 00:16:19.320
 That's great

00:16:19.320 --> 00:16:20.519
 for the theology classroom,

00:16:20.600 --> 00:16:21.160
 but how does that

00:16:21.160 --> 00:16:22.080
 actually help you

00:16:22.080 --> 00:16:23.460
 in your Monday to Friday?

00:16:25.120 --> 00:16:25.460
 Friends,

00:16:25.580 --> 00:16:26.240
 all of us

00:16:26.240 --> 00:16:26.960
 are going to go through

00:16:26.960 --> 00:16:27.920
 times in life

00:16:27.920 --> 00:16:29.180
 when the storms of life

00:16:29.180 --> 00:16:29.519
 comes

00:16:29.519 --> 00:16:30.899
 and the fire comes

00:16:30.899 --> 00:16:32.399
 and all of us

00:16:32.399 --> 00:16:32.879
 are going to need

00:16:32.879 --> 00:16:34.400
 a robust theology

00:16:34.400 --> 00:16:35.940
 of the bigness of God.

00:16:36.620 --> 00:16:37.620
 If your view of God

00:16:37.620 --> 00:16:38.300
 is small

00:16:38.300 --> 00:16:39.440
 and minuscule,

00:16:39.800 --> 00:16:40.680
 you'll be tossed

00:16:40.680 --> 00:16:41.520
 by the wind

00:16:41.520 --> 00:16:42.080
 and the waves

00:16:42.080 --> 00:16:42.840
 and you'll be thrown.

00:16:43.460 --> 00:16:44.120
 But if you're able

00:16:44.120 --> 00:16:45.340
 to see the bigness

00:16:45.340 --> 00:16:46.520
 and the majesty of God,

00:16:46.600 --> 00:16:47.360
 it'll be like putting

00:16:47.360 --> 00:16:48.360
 roots down

00:16:48.360 --> 00:16:49.340
 into the foundation

00:16:49.340 --> 00:16:51.060
 that will hold you strong

00:16:51.060 --> 00:16:51.460
 in the midst

00:16:51.460 --> 00:16:51.980
 of the storms

00:16:51.980 --> 00:16:52.940
 and the fires of life.

00:16:53.680 --> 00:16:54.320
 Tim Keller

00:16:54.320 --> 00:16:56.080
 wrote this incredible book

00:16:56.080 --> 00:16:57.320
 10 years ago

00:16:57.320 --> 00:16:58.440
 called Walking with God

00:16:58.440 --> 00:16:59.500
 Through Pain and Suffering.

00:17:00.220 --> 00:17:00.900
 And one of the things

00:17:00.900 --> 00:17:01.840
 he says in that book,

00:17:01.940 --> 00:17:03.040
 amazing insights,

00:17:03.200 --> 00:17:03.560
 he says,

00:17:03.559 --> 00:17:04.440
 every one of us

00:17:04.440 --> 00:17:05.480
 are going to face trauma

00:17:05.480 --> 00:17:07.220
 and trials in our life.

00:17:07.539 --> 00:17:08.899
 It's just a matter of time

00:17:08.899 --> 00:17:11.259
 before we encounter something

00:17:11.259 --> 00:17:12.839
 that just challenges you

00:17:12.839 --> 00:17:13.399
 no end.

00:17:14.179 --> 00:17:14.500
 And he says,

00:17:14.579 --> 00:17:16.440
 when you face the storms

00:17:16.440 --> 00:17:17.619
 and the trials of life,

00:17:18.039 --> 00:17:19.379
 there are three kinds of people.

00:17:20.339 --> 00:17:21.440
 Some people who are,

00:17:21.519 --> 00:17:21.859
 let's say,

00:17:21.940 --> 00:17:23.059
 atheists or agnostics.

00:17:23.159 --> 00:17:24.480
 You don't have any belief in God.

00:17:24.659 --> 00:17:24.799
 Okay?

00:17:24.919 --> 00:17:25.819
 Take one person.

00:17:26.279 --> 00:17:27.059
 Second person,

00:17:27.599 --> 00:17:28.659
 someone who's a Christian

00:17:28.659 --> 00:17:30.579
 but they've got a small view

00:17:30.579 --> 00:17:32.000
 of the sovereignty of God.

00:17:32.379 --> 00:17:32.940
 They know God

00:17:32.940 --> 00:17:33.860
 is kind of,

00:17:33.920 --> 00:17:34.680
 sort of in control.

00:17:34.820 --> 00:17:35.660
 Maybe God wants us

00:17:35.660 --> 00:17:36.400
 to be a good person.

00:17:36.779 --> 00:17:38.360
 But they don't really have conviction

00:17:38.360 --> 00:17:39.480
 that God is on the throne.

00:17:40.100 --> 00:17:41.120
 And the third person

00:17:41.120 --> 00:17:42.400
 is somebody who knows

00:17:42.400 --> 00:17:44.019
 that God rules and reigns.

00:17:44.759 --> 00:17:45.680
 And Tim Keller says this,

00:17:45.759 --> 00:17:47.400
 when the storms of life come,

00:17:47.799 --> 00:17:49.220
 when the fires come,

00:17:49.539 --> 00:17:50.580
 the first person

00:17:50.580 --> 00:17:51.320
 will say,

00:17:51.380 --> 00:17:51.700
 oh well,

00:17:51.860 --> 00:17:53.200
 there's no meaning in life anyway.

00:17:53.580 --> 00:17:54.360
 Stuff happens.

00:17:54.539 --> 00:17:55.519
 That's just the way it is.

00:17:56.259 --> 00:17:57.460
 The second person

00:17:57.460 --> 00:17:59.160
 will be the most broken by it.

00:17:59.840 --> 00:18:01.039
 The second person will say,

00:18:01.140 --> 00:18:02.080
 God, where are you?

00:18:02.079 --> 00:18:03.259
 You've abandoned me.

00:18:03.299 --> 00:18:04.399
 How can you let this happen?

00:18:04.740 --> 00:18:06.279
 I thought you were meant to be good.

00:18:06.980 --> 00:18:08.220
 But the third person,

00:18:08.299 --> 00:18:10.619
 the person who has a robust theology

00:18:10.619 --> 00:18:11.539
 of God's sovereignty

00:18:11.539 --> 00:18:12.779
 will be able to say,

00:18:12.879 --> 00:18:14.419
 God, I don't know why you're lying to this.

00:18:14.799 --> 00:18:15.859
 I don't know what's going on

00:18:15.859 --> 00:18:16.799
 but I know one thing.

00:18:16.859 --> 00:18:17.539
 I know you're good

00:18:17.539 --> 00:18:19.019
 and I know you're on the throne.

00:18:20.559 --> 00:18:21.439
 Do you see what this means?

00:18:21.939 --> 00:18:22.960
 It means for those of us

00:18:22.960 --> 00:18:24.119
 that are followers of Jesus,

00:18:24.679 --> 00:18:25.859
 if you're a follower of Jesus

00:18:25.859 --> 00:18:27.119
 but you haven't wrestled

00:18:27.119 --> 00:18:27.919
 and come to understand

00:18:27.919 --> 00:18:29.039
 that God is the one

00:18:29.039 --> 00:18:29.859
 who's on the throne,

00:18:30.259 --> 00:18:31.859
 when the storms of life comes,

00:18:31.920 --> 00:18:33.259
 when the fire comes,

00:18:33.500 --> 00:18:34.960
 it will throw your faith.

00:18:35.599 --> 00:18:36.519
 You'll feel abandoned

00:18:36.519 --> 00:18:37.200
 and let down.

00:18:37.680 --> 00:18:38.579
 But if you know

00:18:38.579 --> 00:18:40.319
 that God rules and reigns,

00:18:40.379 --> 00:18:41.200
 you might not understand

00:18:41.200 --> 00:18:42.700
 why he allows what he allows

00:18:42.700 --> 00:18:44.339
 but you'll have the confidence

00:18:44.339 --> 00:18:45.759
 to know that God is in control.

00:18:46.180 --> 00:18:47.240
 He hasn't abandoned me.

00:18:47.700 --> 00:18:48.440
 Does that make sense?

00:18:49.700 --> 00:18:51.000
 Okay, I hope that makes sense.

00:18:51.619 --> 00:18:52.559
 Okay, are you still awake?

00:18:53.180 --> 00:18:53.960
 Okay, great.

00:18:53.960 --> 00:18:57.220
 This is the point of Daniel chapter one.

00:18:57.819 --> 00:18:58.799
 That even though it looks like

00:18:58.799 --> 00:18:59.900
 Nebuchadnezzar's on the throne,

00:19:00.000 --> 00:19:01.180
 actually God is on the throne.

00:19:01.319 --> 00:19:02.620
 He rules and he reigns.

00:19:03.079 --> 00:19:03.980
 And Daniel's point here

00:19:03.980 --> 00:19:05.000
 is that if we,

00:19:05.380 --> 00:19:06.519
 who are followers of Jesus,

00:19:06.700 --> 00:19:08.120
 are going to be faithful to Christ

00:19:08.120 --> 00:19:09.160
 in the midst of our city,

00:19:09.259 --> 00:19:10.440
 in the midst of what's going on,

00:19:10.779 --> 00:19:11.519
 you have to learn

00:19:11.519 --> 00:19:12.740
 the lesson of Daniel.

00:19:13.259 --> 00:19:13.900
 You have to know

00:19:13.900 --> 00:19:15.620
 that Nebuchadnezzar's not on the throne,

00:19:15.860 --> 00:19:17.380
 Caesar Augusta's not on the throne,

00:19:18.000 --> 00:19:19.100
 Jesus is on the throne.

00:19:19.860 --> 00:19:22.079
 Okay, second thing is this.

00:19:22.079 --> 00:19:24.720
 Character trumps gifting.

00:19:25.839 --> 00:19:27.799
 Now, Daniel is obviously

00:19:27.799 --> 00:19:29.519
 a very gifted man, right?

00:19:29.899 --> 00:19:31.119
 You read the book of Daniel

00:19:31.119 --> 00:19:32.539
 and he's super smart.

00:19:32.879 --> 00:19:33.839
 He's very clever.

00:19:34.319 --> 00:19:35.159
 He's a genius.

00:19:35.740 --> 00:19:37.299
 He's got profound wisdom.

00:19:37.859 --> 00:19:39.519
 I mean, just look at what he says here, right?

00:19:39.559 --> 00:19:40.699
 The way he negotiates

00:19:40.699 --> 00:19:43.279
 with the chief of staff of Nebuchadnezzar.

00:19:43.720 --> 00:19:46.240
 God gives him supernatural gifts and talents.

00:19:46.799 --> 00:19:49.059
 He's obviously a very wise

00:19:49.059 --> 00:19:50.339
 and incredibly gifted man.

00:19:50.960 --> 00:19:51.879
 And this is, of course,

00:19:51.880 --> 00:19:53.980
 exactly what Nebuchadnezzar's looking for.

00:19:54.540 --> 00:19:55.960
 Look at what Nebuchadnezzar says

00:19:55.960 --> 00:19:57.260
 to his chief of staff

00:19:57.260 --> 00:19:59.200
 when he sends this guy

00:19:59.200 --> 00:20:01.120
 on a recce trip to Jerusalem.

00:20:01.240 --> 00:20:03.220
 He says, listen, I want you to go.

00:20:03.520 --> 00:20:05.280
 Look at what he says in verse three and four.

00:20:05.740 --> 00:20:07.260
 Bring some of the people of Israel,

00:20:07.860 --> 00:20:09.680
 members of the royal family and nobility,

00:20:10.300 --> 00:20:11.420
 youths without blemish,

00:20:12.380 --> 00:20:13.600
 people of good appearance,

00:20:13.940 --> 00:20:16.100
 skillful in wisdom,

00:20:16.420 --> 00:20:17.580
 endowed with knowledge,

00:20:17.800 --> 00:20:18.940
 understanding and learning,

00:20:18.940 --> 00:20:21.160
 and competent to stand before the king.

00:20:22.000 --> 00:20:23.920
 So Nebuchadnezzar is looking

00:20:23.920 --> 00:20:25.480
 for all the kinds of things

00:20:25.480 --> 00:20:26.440
 that we look for

00:20:26.440 --> 00:20:28.140
 in potential spouses

00:20:28.140 --> 00:20:30.799
 and in future employees, right?

00:20:31.320 --> 00:20:33.000
 Someone from a good family background,

00:20:34.000 --> 00:20:35.039
 someone with good looks,

00:20:35.380 --> 00:20:36.100
 okay, that helps,

00:20:36.559 --> 00:20:38.059
 someone that's got intellectual smarts,

00:20:38.059 --> 00:20:41.119
 and someone that has good social EQ,

00:20:41.859 --> 00:20:42.019
 okay?

00:20:42.079 --> 00:20:44.059
 All the things that we look for in society.

00:20:45.859 --> 00:20:46.039
 And,

00:20:46.379 --> 00:20:48.899
 but what God is showing us here

00:20:48.899 --> 00:20:51.379
 is that actually what God wants us to see

00:20:51.379 --> 00:20:53.559
 that those things,

00:20:53.659 --> 00:20:54.619
 though Daniel has them,

00:20:54.700 --> 00:20:57.019
 those are not the standout quality for Daniel.

00:20:57.980 --> 00:20:58.940
 In God's kingdom,

00:20:59.079 --> 00:20:59.980
 what sets you apart

00:20:59.980 --> 00:21:01.399
 is not your family background,

00:21:01.919 --> 00:21:03.099
 your intellectual credibility,

00:21:03.480 --> 00:21:04.980
 your social EQ,

00:21:04.980 --> 00:21:06.220
 your good looks.

00:21:06.839 --> 00:21:08.480
 What sets you apart in God's kingdom

00:21:08.480 --> 00:21:09.460
 is actually character.

00:21:10.400 --> 00:21:11.259
 It's actually character.

00:21:12.059 --> 00:21:13.880
 At the time that Daniel and his friends

00:21:13.880 --> 00:21:14.579
 go to Babylon,

00:21:14.740 --> 00:21:15.440
 they're teenagers,

00:21:15.620 --> 00:21:16.839
 they're 16 year olds,

00:21:17.360 --> 00:21:18.960
 and they are seduced

00:21:18.960 --> 00:21:20.759
 and wined and dined by the king.

00:21:21.200 --> 00:21:23.880
 The king pays for the Ivy League education.

00:21:24.599 --> 00:21:27.180
 The king is bankrolling their board and lodging.

00:21:27.759 --> 00:21:29.420
 The king is setting them up,

00:21:29.579 --> 00:21:31.400
 feeding them with stuff from his table,

00:21:31.559 --> 00:21:32.180
 his food,

00:21:32.480 --> 00:21:33.019
 and all that.

00:21:33.019 --> 00:21:34.400
 And amazingly,

00:21:34.639 --> 00:21:35.619
 Daniel and his friends

00:21:35.619 --> 00:21:37.200
 fully engage in the culture

00:21:37.200 --> 00:21:38.680
 and the city that they're part of.

00:21:38.960 --> 00:21:40.220
 They absolutely do

00:21:40.220 --> 00:21:41.400
 what Jeremiah tells them to.

00:21:41.460 --> 00:21:42.460
 They put down roots,

00:21:42.740 --> 00:21:43.339
 they settle,

00:21:43.779 --> 00:21:45.240
 they are loving the city

00:21:45.240 --> 00:21:46.339
 in which they're part of.

00:21:47.079 --> 00:21:48.519
 But there comes a point

00:21:48.519 --> 00:21:51.139
 where there's a line in the sand

00:21:51.139 --> 00:21:52.440
 that Daniel knows

00:21:52.440 --> 00:21:54.720
 for him to cross that line in the sand

00:21:54.720 --> 00:21:56.519
 is going to go against

00:21:56.519 --> 00:21:58.299
 who God is calling him to be.

00:21:59.259 --> 00:22:00.879
 And so look at what happens in verse 8.

00:22:00.880 --> 00:22:01.860
 It says,

00:22:02.500 --> 00:22:03.100
 Daniel resolved

00:22:03.100 --> 00:22:05.220
 that he would not defile himself

00:22:05.220 --> 00:22:06.240
 with the king's food

00:22:06.240 --> 00:22:08.160
 or with the wine that he drank,

00:22:08.440 --> 00:22:10.760
 and therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs

00:22:10.760 --> 00:22:13.300
 to allow him not to defile himself.

00:22:14.580 --> 00:22:16.540
 The word resolve here

00:22:16.540 --> 00:22:19.240
 talks about setting your face

00:22:19.240 --> 00:22:20.780
 determined on something.

00:22:20.880 --> 00:22:21.580
 It's actually the word

00:22:21.580 --> 00:22:23.080
 that's sometimes used in the Bible

00:22:23.080 --> 00:22:24.540
 for like a cast

00:22:24.540 --> 00:22:25.480
 that you put over your arm.

00:22:25.560 --> 00:22:27.360
 Someone breaks their arm,

00:22:27.359 --> 00:22:29.219
 you put a cast on them,

00:22:29.279 --> 00:22:30.240
 the hard cast

00:22:30.240 --> 00:22:31.039
 that's going to keep

00:22:31.039 --> 00:22:33.479
 that arm firm and fixed.

00:22:34.419 --> 00:22:35.639
 Daniel resolves,

00:22:35.679 --> 00:22:37.079
 he's got this resolution

00:22:37.079 --> 00:22:38.399
 that he says,

00:22:38.519 --> 00:22:39.779
 I know where I stand.

00:22:39.879 --> 00:22:41.379
 He's got the strength of character

00:22:41.379 --> 00:22:43.459
 to know where his convictions lie

00:22:43.459 --> 00:22:46.000
 and where not to cross that line.

00:22:48.019 --> 00:22:49.240
 Remember how in,

00:22:50.000 --> 00:22:51.059
 earlier on in the Bible,

00:22:52.259 --> 00:22:54.619
 Samuel goes to this man called Jesse,

00:22:54.619 --> 00:22:56.119
 and God tells Samuel

00:22:56.119 --> 00:22:57.719
 to anoint one of Jesse's sons

00:22:57.719 --> 00:23:00.019
 to be the new king of Israel,

00:23:00.099 --> 00:23:01.000
 the first king of Israel.

00:23:01.699 --> 00:23:03.459
 And so Jesse brings out all the sons

00:23:03.459 --> 00:23:05.299
 and Jesse does exactly

00:23:05.299 --> 00:23:07.099
 what Nebuchadnezzar does.

00:23:07.559 --> 00:23:08.679
 He brings out his sons

00:23:08.679 --> 00:23:09.539
 that are good looking,

00:23:10.059 --> 00:23:10.919
 intellectually smart,

00:23:11.119 --> 00:23:11.759
 social EQ,

00:23:12.379 --> 00:23:13.319
 good background, right?

00:23:13.619 --> 00:23:14.079
 And he says,

00:23:14.139 --> 00:23:15.299
 here's my eldest son.

00:23:15.379 --> 00:23:16.000
 He's strong,

00:23:16.099 --> 00:23:16.579
 he's fit,

00:23:16.879 --> 00:23:18.279
 this man will make a good king.

00:23:18.539 --> 00:23:20.000
 And he goes through all the sons

00:23:20.000 --> 00:23:20.739
 and God says,

00:23:20.799 --> 00:23:21.819
 I haven't chosen any of them.

00:23:22.459 --> 00:23:23.039
 And God says,

00:23:23.039 --> 00:23:24.720
 man looks at the outward appearance,

00:23:24.899 --> 00:23:26.819
 but God looks at the heart.

00:23:28.740 --> 00:23:30.500
 In the language of the New Testament,

00:23:31.519 --> 00:23:32.559
 Paul says the same thing.

00:23:32.720 --> 00:23:33.259
 Paul says,

00:23:33.759 --> 00:23:35.559
 it's not your spiritual gifts

00:23:35.559 --> 00:23:36.599
 that God looks for,

00:23:36.740 --> 00:23:38.779
 things like speaking in tongues

00:23:38.779 --> 00:23:39.480
 or leadership

00:23:39.480 --> 00:23:40.359
 or prophecy

00:23:40.359 --> 00:23:41.480
 or words of knowledge.

00:23:41.740 --> 00:23:43.139
 It's not spiritual gifts

00:23:43.139 --> 00:23:44.559
 that make you great in God's kingdom.

00:23:45.059 --> 00:23:46.379
 It's spiritual fruit.

00:23:47.119 --> 00:23:48.119
 It's the fruit of the Spirit.

00:23:48.240 --> 00:23:49.139
 It's things like patience.

00:23:49.279 --> 00:23:50.159
 It's things like kindness.

00:23:50.759 --> 00:23:51.700
 It's things like gentleness.

00:23:51.700 --> 00:23:53.100
 It's things like having grace

00:23:53.100 --> 00:23:54.180
 for those that have hurt you.

00:23:54.759 --> 00:23:55.900
 It's things like being merciful

00:23:55.900 --> 00:23:59.240
 to those that society looks down upon.

00:23:59.720 --> 00:24:00.480
 Those are the things

00:24:00.480 --> 00:24:01.519
 that God actually looks for.

00:24:02.319 --> 00:24:03.340
 The gifts of the Spirit

00:24:03.340 --> 00:24:04.080
 are just the things

00:24:04.080 --> 00:24:04.860
 that God gives us

00:24:04.860 --> 00:24:05.799
 by his sovereign will.

00:24:06.380 --> 00:24:07.220
 God anoints you,

00:24:07.420 --> 00:24:07.980
 that's wonderful.

00:24:08.440 --> 00:24:09.559
 But it's the fruit of the Spirit,

00:24:09.640 --> 00:24:10.860
 the fruit of walking with Jesus

00:24:10.860 --> 00:24:12.180
 that actually God is looking for.

00:24:12.960 --> 00:24:13.279
 And friends,

00:24:13.380 --> 00:24:14.100
 in our city,

00:24:14.240 --> 00:24:15.440
 we love to invest

00:24:15.440 --> 00:24:16.500
 in our skill sets,

00:24:16.880 --> 00:24:18.120
 in our abilities, right?

00:24:18.700 --> 00:24:19.880
 How many of us are parents?

00:24:19.880 --> 00:24:21.100
 We are always sending our kids

00:24:21.100 --> 00:24:23.000
 to extracurricular activities, right?

00:24:23.060 --> 00:24:23.720
 Extra Chinese,

00:24:24.020 --> 00:24:24.660
 extra maths,

00:24:25.080 --> 00:24:26.000
 extra tennis lessons,

00:24:26.200 --> 00:24:27.160
 extra piano lessons,

00:24:27.920 --> 00:24:29.060
 extra whatever lessons.

00:24:29.840 --> 00:24:30.880
 Think about in the marketplace.

00:24:31.100 --> 00:24:31.640
 We're always trying

00:24:31.640 --> 00:24:32.580
 to build our resume,

00:24:32.820 --> 00:24:33.320
 our CV.

00:24:34.340 --> 00:24:35.140
 But what God is looking for,

00:24:35.180 --> 00:24:36.400
 he says those things are not bad,

00:24:36.520 --> 00:24:37.860
 but actually the kind of people

00:24:37.860 --> 00:24:38.440
 that are going to make

00:24:38.440 --> 00:24:39.340
 a difference in the city,

00:24:39.800 --> 00:24:41.400
 if you want to be faithful to Jesus,

00:24:41.540 --> 00:24:42.920
 it's not just our resume,

00:24:43.340 --> 00:24:44.640
 it's actually our character.

00:24:45.260 --> 00:24:46.620
 God wants to build our character.

00:24:46.619 --> 00:24:52.459
 How do we build our character?

00:24:53.079 --> 00:24:53.939
 What does it take

00:24:53.939 --> 00:24:54.979
 to build our character?

00:24:55.239 --> 00:24:56.099
 Well, let me just run through

00:24:56.099 --> 00:24:56.939
 a couple of things quickly.

00:24:58.319 --> 00:24:59.419
 The first thing is actually

00:24:59.419 --> 00:25:00.939
 it takes deep reflection of God.

00:25:01.599 --> 00:25:02.659
 Have you ever spent time

00:25:02.659 --> 00:25:03.119
 with someone

00:25:03.119 --> 00:25:05.000
 that is really outstanding,

00:25:05.259 --> 00:25:06.259
 someone who's brilliant,

00:25:07.019 --> 00:25:08.019
 and you go away

00:25:08.019 --> 00:25:09.000
 from being with that person

00:25:09.000 --> 00:25:10.079
 and you just want to

00:25:10.079 --> 00:25:11.419
 become better yourself?

00:25:11.779 --> 00:25:12.359
 Do you know what I mean?

00:25:12.759 --> 00:25:13.679
 You spend time with someone

00:25:13.679 --> 00:25:14.519
 who's so compassionate,

00:25:14.639 --> 00:25:15.219
 so kind,

00:25:15.220 --> 00:25:15.920
 and you feel like

00:25:15.920 --> 00:25:17.160
 you want to be kinder yourself.

00:25:17.960 --> 00:25:19.460
 The more time we spend with God

00:25:19.460 --> 00:25:20.500
 and reflect on his nature

00:25:20.500 --> 00:25:21.100
 and his character

00:25:21.100 --> 00:25:23.220
 actually develops within us

00:25:23.220 --> 00:25:25.500
 a longing to become more like him.

00:25:25.960 --> 00:25:27.440
 Deep reflection on who God is.

00:25:28.100 --> 00:25:29.440
 How do we become people of character?

00:25:29.880 --> 00:25:31.019
 Well, you go through trials

00:25:31.019 --> 00:25:31.799
 and tribulations.

00:25:32.279 --> 00:25:33.440
 We mentioned this earlier,

00:25:33.559 --> 00:25:35.440
 but nothing will shape your character

00:25:35.440 --> 00:25:37.880
 like the fire and the storm.

00:25:38.380 --> 00:25:39.819
 But as Keller reminded us,

00:25:40.120 --> 00:25:40.900
 when you go through

00:25:40.900 --> 00:25:41.860
 the fire and the storm,

00:25:42.319 --> 00:25:44.120
 the difference between growing you

00:25:44.119 --> 00:25:45.079
 and destroying you

00:25:45.079 --> 00:25:46.539
 is whether you can hold on to God

00:25:46.539 --> 00:25:47.299
 in the midst of it.

00:25:47.939 --> 00:25:49.019
 There's nothing like the fire

00:25:49.019 --> 00:25:49.839
 and the storms of life

00:25:49.839 --> 00:25:51.079
 that's going to grow your character

00:25:51.079 --> 00:25:52.000
 and make you to become

00:25:52.000 --> 00:25:53.379
 a person of substance.

00:25:53.899 --> 00:25:54.839
 And that's actually one of the things

00:25:54.839 --> 00:25:55.699
 I find hardest

00:25:55.699 --> 00:25:56.559
 about being a parent.

00:25:57.219 --> 00:25:57.879
 On the one hand,

00:25:57.939 --> 00:25:59.559
 I want to deliver my children

00:25:59.559 --> 00:26:01.119
 from the difficulties of life

00:26:01.119 --> 00:26:02.959
 because my heart goes out to them.

00:26:03.279 --> 00:26:04.339
 But I also know

00:26:04.339 --> 00:26:05.839
 the difficulties of life

00:26:05.839 --> 00:26:07.000
 is actually what's going to grow them

00:26:07.000 --> 00:26:07.959
 and mature them, right?

00:26:08.579 --> 00:26:09.500
 And God is the same.

00:26:09.619 --> 00:26:11.059
 He allows us to go through challenges

00:26:11.059 --> 00:26:11.819
 to grow us.

00:26:11.819 --> 00:26:13.319
 But you know the other way

00:26:13.319 --> 00:26:14.319
 that you develop character

00:26:14.319 --> 00:26:15.919
 is through cultivating

00:26:15.919 --> 00:26:17.259
 a life of repentance

00:26:17.259 --> 00:26:19.579
 and confession.

00:26:20.700 --> 00:26:21.519
 As Christians,

00:26:21.639 --> 00:26:22.099
 one of the things

00:26:22.099 --> 00:26:23.119
 that we do as Christians

00:26:23.119 --> 00:26:24.519
 is we are called

00:26:24.519 --> 00:26:25.839
 to examine our hearts,

00:26:25.980 --> 00:26:27.099
 to constantly reflect,

00:26:27.819 --> 00:26:28.779
 where am I being defensive?

00:26:29.619 --> 00:26:30.539
 Where am I being proud?

00:26:31.379 --> 00:26:32.799
 Where am I blaming others?

00:26:33.579 --> 00:26:34.839
 Where am I pointing my fingers

00:26:34.839 --> 00:26:36.279
 to other people?

00:26:36.980 --> 00:26:37.659
 Where am I living

00:26:37.659 --> 00:26:38.519
 for my own glory

00:26:38.519 --> 00:26:39.339
 rather than God?

00:26:39.339 --> 00:26:40.519
 And God says

00:26:40.519 --> 00:26:41.220
 as we cultivate

00:26:41.220 --> 00:26:43.439
 a habit of reflection

00:26:43.439 --> 00:26:44.199
 and repentance

00:26:44.199 --> 00:26:45.019
 and confession,

00:26:45.500 --> 00:26:46.899
 actually we shape the character.

00:26:47.099 --> 00:26:48.720
 We become the kind of people

00:26:48.720 --> 00:26:49.740
 that God's calling us to.

00:26:50.419 --> 00:26:51.619
 And so while Nebuchadnezzar

00:26:51.619 --> 00:26:52.079
 is pleased

00:26:52.079 --> 00:26:52.799
 that he scored

00:26:52.799 --> 00:26:53.679
 these young guys

00:26:53.679 --> 00:26:54.919
 with the perfect resume,

00:26:55.439 --> 00:26:56.799
 what sets them apart

00:26:56.799 --> 00:26:57.339
 in Babylon

00:26:57.339 --> 00:26:58.939
 is not just their resume

00:26:58.939 --> 00:27:00.259
 but actually their character.

00:27:01.419 --> 00:27:02.459
 The kind of people

00:27:02.459 --> 00:27:03.720
 that God's called them to be.

00:27:04.359 --> 00:27:04.740
 And friends,

00:27:04.779 --> 00:27:05.939
 if we're ever going to serve

00:27:05.939 --> 00:27:06.480
 our city

00:27:06.480 --> 00:27:08.379
 by remaining faithful to Jesus,

00:27:08.380 --> 00:27:09.220
 we've got to become

00:27:09.220 --> 00:27:09.980
 the kind of people

00:27:09.980 --> 00:27:10.480
 that are growing

00:27:10.480 --> 00:27:11.500
 our character as well.

00:27:12.160 --> 00:27:12.380
 Okay?

00:27:12.500 --> 00:27:13.360
 So that's the second thing.

00:27:13.820 --> 00:27:14.580
 Third thing is this.

00:27:14.600 --> 00:27:15.560
 I'm going to run through this

00:27:15.560 --> 00:27:16.300
 really quickly.

00:27:16.580 --> 00:27:18.420
 Is if we're going to become

00:27:18.420 --> 00:27:19.040
 the kind of people

00:27:19.040 --> 00:27:20.620
 that love and serve our city,

00:27:21.240 --> 00:27:22.020
 we've got to know

00:27:22.020 --> 00:27:23.460
 what it means to worship.

00:27:24.120 --> 00:27:25.420
 What it means to worship.

00:27:26.920 --> 00:27:27.860
 Look at Daniel

00:27:27.860 --> 00:27:28.780
 and his friends here.

00:27:28.880 --> 00:27:29.800
 They go to Babylon

00:27:29.800 --> 00:27:30.760
 and amazingly,

00:27:31.260 --> 00:27:32.300
 they say yes

00:27:32.300 --> 00:27:33.580
 to all sorts of things

00:27:33.580 --> 00:27:34.060
 in the city.

00:27:34.160 --> 00:27:34.800
 They say yes

00:27:34.800 --> 00:27:35.640
 to new names.

00:27:35.640 --> 00:27:38.560
 So Nebuchadnezzar

00:27:38.560 --> 00:27:39.340
 gives these guys

00:27:39.340 --> 00:27:40.300
 Babylonian names.

00:27:40.400 --> 00:27:41.259
 They say yes to that.

00:27:41.660 --> 00:27:42.440
 They say yes

00:27:42.440 --> 00:27:43.940
 to Babylonian education.

00:27:44.620 --> 00:27:45.460
 They say yes

00:27:45.460 --> 00:27:46.640
 to Babylonian culture.

00:27:47.180 --> 00:27:47.740
 They say yes

00:27:47.740 --> 00:27:48.520
 to all these things.

00:27:48.620 --> 00:27:49.500
 But there's one thing

00:27:49.500 --> 00:27:50.600
 that Daniel and his friends

00:27:50.600 --> 00:27:51.380
 say no to.

00:27:51.520 --> 00:27:52.880
 What is it that they say no to?

00:27:53.980 --> 00:27:55.140
 It's the food

00:27:55.140 --> 00:27:55.840
 and the wine.

00:27:56.020 --> 00:27:56.220
 Right?

00:27:56.900 --> 00:27:57.300
 Now,

00:27:57.620 --> 00:28:00.259
 why does Daniel do that?

00:28:00.860 --> 00:28:01.120
 Well,

00:28:01.220 --> 00:28:02.580
 the point that Daniel's making

00:28:02.580 --> 00:28:03.660
 is not that we should

00:28:03.660 --> 00:28:04.880
 all become vegetarians.

00:28:04.880 --> 00:28:05.280
 Okay?

00:28:05.440 --> 00:28:06.660
 That's not Daniel's

00:28:06.660 --> 00:28:07.300
 main point here.

00:28:07.700 --> 00:28:08.740
 And he's not saying

00:28:08.740 --> 00:28:09.880
 that alcohol is bad

00:28:09.880 --> 00:28:10.920
 and we shouldn't drink wine.

00:28:11.100 --> 00:28:11.360
 Okay?

00:28:12.520 --> 00:28:13.740
 And this is not also

00:28:13.740 --> 00:28:14.720
 some secret code

00:28:14.720 --> 00:28:17.060
 for Christian dieting techniques.

00:28:17.180 --> 00:28:17.360
 Okay?

00:28:17.740 --> 00:28:18.180
 Sometimes,

00:28:18.260 --> 00:28:18.780
 I don't know if you've ever

00:28:18.780 --> 00:28:19.180
 heard this,

00:28:19.220 --> 00:28:20.000
 when I was growing up

00:28:20.000 --> 00:28:21.220
 people used to talk about

00:28:21.220 --> 00:28:22.500
 the Daniel diet.

00:28:22.660 --> 00:28:22.760
 Okay?

00:28:22.780 --> 00:28:23.140
 We should all do

00:28:23.140 --> 00:28:24.060
 the Daniel diet

00:28:24.060 --> 00:28:25.320
 and eat more vegetables.

00:28:25.720 --> 00:28:26.380
 And that's probably

00:28:26.380 --> 00:28:27.100
 good for us.

00:28:27.780 --> 00:28:28.380
 Dr. Graham,

00:28:28.460 --> 00:28:28.980
 you can tell us

00:28:28.980 --> 00:28:29.800
 vegetables is probably

00:28:29.800 --> 00:28:30.600
 a good thing, right?

00:28:30.800 --> 00:28:32.080
 But that's not the point

00:28:32.080 --> 00:28:33.240
 of Daniel chapter 1.

00:28:33.240 --> 00:28:35.579
 What's going on here?

00:28:35.980 --> 00:28:36.220
 Well,

00:28:37.400 --> 00:28:38.420
 remember in the Bible,

00:28:39.180 --> 00:28:40.640
 having a meal with someone

00:28:40.640 --> 00:28:42.380
 is always a sign,

00:28:42.480 --> 00:28:43.240
 it's always symbolic

00:28:43.240 --> 00:28:43.799
 of saying,

00:28:43.960 --> 00:28:44.799
 I welcome you,

00:28:44.960 --> 00:28:45.940
 I accept you.

00:28:46.779 --> 00:28:47.220
 Remember,

00:28:47.359 --> 00:28:48.059
 Jesus is always

00:28:48.059 --> 00:28:48.779
 getting in trouble

00:28:48.779 --> 00:28:50.099
 because he's always

00:28:50.099 --> 00:28:52.079
 eating and having meals

00:28:52.079 --> 00:28:52.740
 with the people

00:28:52.740 --> 00:28:53.740
 that the Pharisees

00:28:53.740 --> 00:28:55.160
 don't want to accept

00:28:55.160 --> 00:28:55.620
 and welcome.

00:28:56.359 --> 00:28:57.359
 And so he's having a meal

00:28:57.359 --> 00:28:58.259
 with the tax collectors

00:28:58.259 --> 00:28:58.920
 and the sinners

00:28:58.920 --> 00:29:00.140
 and the Pharisees

00:29:00.140 --> 00:29:00.380
 are saying,

00:29:00.480 --> 00:29:01.519
 how can you welcome them?

00:29:01.519 --> 00:29:02.680
 How can you love those people?

00:29:03.259 --> 00:29:04.879
 You should be rebuking them.

00:29:05.519 --> 00:29:06.559
 Jesus is having meals

00:29:06.559 --> 00:29:06.839
 with them

00:29:06.839 --> 00:29:07.299
 and he's always

00:29:07.299 --> 00:29:07.940
 getting in trouble

00:29:07.940 --> 00:29:09.139
 because it's Jesus' way

00:29:09.139 --> 00:29:09.539
 of saying,

00:29:10.279 --> 00:29:11.019
 I'm not just opening

00:29:11.019 --> 00:29:11.819
 my home to you,

00:29:11.839 --> 00:29:12.879
 I'm opening my heart.

00:29:13.240 --> 00:29:14.200
 I'm welcoming you.

00:29:14.980 --> 00:29:15.220
 And friends,

00:29:15.279 --> 00:29:16.200
 that's why actually

00:29:16.200 --> 00:29:17.680
 having communion

00:29:17.680 --> 00:29:20.099
 when our hearts

00:29:20.099 --> 00:29:20.559
 are bitter

00:29:20.559 --> 00:29:21.359
 with other members

00:29:21.359 --> 00:29:22.319
 of the church family

00:29:22.319 --> 00:29:23.259
 is actually a very

00:29:23.259 --> 00:29:24.480
 hypocritical thing to do

00:29:24.480 --> 00:29:25.740
 because when we take

00:29:25.740 --> 00:29:26.500
 communion together,

00:29:26.579 --> 00:29:27.440
 it's a way of saying,

00:29:27.859 --> 00:29:28.859
 I recognize you,

00:29:28.920 --> 00:29:29.680
 I welcome you,

00:29:29.740 --> 00:29:30.460
 I accept you.

00:29:30.460 --> 00:29:31.500
 But if there's

00:29:31.500 --> 00:29:33.380
 unforgiveness in my heart,

00:29:33.480 --> 00:29:34.079
 that's actually not

00:29:34.079 --> 00:29:34.819
 a good thing to do.

00:29:35.579 --> 00:29:36.420
 And so having a meal

00:29:36.420 --> 00:29:37.160
 is always a way

00:29:37.160 --> 00:29:38.120
 of welcoming someone,

00:29:38.220 --> 00:29:38.980
 of accepting them.

00:29:39.660 --> 00:29:40.799
 Now look at what's going on

00:29:40.799 --> 00:29:41.740
 here in verse 8.

00:29:42.480 --> 00:29:43.160
 Verse 8 says,

00:29:43.340 --> 00:29:44.319
 Daniel resolved

00:29:44.319 --> 00:29:45.279
 that he would not

00:29:45.279 --> 00:29:46.559
 defile himself

00:29:46.559 --> 00:29:48.100
 with the king's food.

00:29:49.340 --> 00:29:50.579
 The word defile

00:29:50.579 --> 00:29:51.980
 is in the Old Testament

00:29:51.980 --> 00:29:53.059
 a word that has to do

00:29:53.059 --> 00:29:53.779
 with worship.

00:29:54.720 --> 00:29:55.019
 Remember,

00:29:55.100 --> 00:29:55.600
 God's people

00:29:55.600 --> 00:29:56.160
 were not allowed

00:29:56.160 --> 00:29:56.980
 to go to the temple

00:29:56.980 --> 00:29:58.079
 if they were defiled,

00:29:58.180 --> 00:29:59.180
 if they were unclean.

00:29:59.180 --> 00:30:00.539
 And the issue

00:30:00.539 --> 00:30:01.360
 for Daniel here

00:30:01.360 --> 00:30:02.660
 is not the food,

00:30:02.799 --> 00:30:03.840
 what tastes good

00:30:03.840 --> 00:30:04.960
 or doesn't taste good.

00:30:05.360 --> 00:30:06.500
 The issue for Daniel

00:30:06.500 --> 00:30:07.680
 is there's something

00:30:07.680 --> 00:30:08.519
 going on here

00:30:08.519 --> 00:30:11.060
 that Daniel knows

00:30:11.060 --> 00:30:12.120
 that if he crosses

00:30:12.120 --> 00:30:13.279
 this line,

00:30:13.700 --> 00:30:14.640
 for him,

00:30:15.140 --> 00:30:16.279
 that in his heart

00:30:16.279 --> 00:30:16.759
 would mean

00:30:16.759 --> 00:30:19.060
 I'm moving into

00:30:19.060 --> 00:30:20.860
 Babylonian worship.

00:30:21.660 --> 00:30:21.820
 Okay?

00:30:22.259 --> 00:30:23.060
 There's something

00:30:23.060 --> 00:30:23.660
 going on here

00:30:23.660 --> 00:30:24.100
 for Daniel

00:30:24.100 --> 00:30:24.700
 that he's saying,

00:30:24.960 --> 00:30:25.840
 at this point,

00:30:25.880 --> 00:30:27.360
 if I say yes to this,

00:30:27.359 --> 00:30:28.599
 I'm selling my soul.

00:30:29.559 --> 00:30:30.299
 Daniel knows

00:30:30.299 --> 00:30:31.339
 that for whatever reason,

00:30:31.459 --> 00:30:32.639
 for him to say yes

00:30:32.639 --> 00:30:33.799
 to Nebuchadnezzar

00:30:33.799 --> 00:30:34.639
 at this point

00:30:34.639 --> 00:30:35.799
 meant that he

00:30:35.799 --> 00:30:37.059
 couldn't come before God

00:30:37.059 --> 00:30:38.219
 with a clear conscience

00:30:38.219 --> 00:30:39.119
 in worship

00:30:39.119 --> 00:30:39.500
 and say,

00:30:39.639 --> 00:30:40.319
 you are my God,

00:30:40.359 --> 00:30:41.000
 I live for you.

00:30:41.719 --> 00:30:42.019
 Now,

00:30:42.439 --> 00:30:42.679
 friends,

00:30:42.740 --> 00:30:43.339
 for all of us,

00:30:43.359 --> 00:30:43.859
 that's going to be

00:30:43.859 --> 00:30:44.559
 a different thing.

00:30:45.579 --> 00:30:46.259
 The Bible doesn't

00:30:46.259 --> 00:30:46.919
 actually say,

00:30:47.399 --> 00:30:48.119
 there's some things

00:30:48.119 --> 00:30:48.959
 the Bible's clear on,

00:30:49.019 --> 00:30:49.179
 right?

00:30:49.240 --> 00:30:49.479
 Like,

00:30:49.740 --> 00:30:50.319
 don't have sex

00:30:50.319 --> 00:30:50.979
 before marriage.

00:30:51.099 --> 00:30:51.779
 That's just,

00:30:51.879 --> 00:30:52.699
 it's just clear.

00:30:53.319 --> 00:30:54.199
 It's pretty hard

00:30:54.199 --> 00:30:55.240
 to say yes to that

00:30:55.240 --> 00:30:56.139
 and come to God

00:30:56.140 --> 00:30:56.740
 before worship

00:30:56.740 --> 00:30:57.020
 and say,

00:30:57.080 --> 00:30:57.240
 God,

00:30:57.280 --> 00:30:57.920
 I live for you,

00:30:57.960 --> 00:30:58.140
 right?

00:30:58.400 --> 00:30:59.360
 The Bible's pretty clear

00:30:59.360 --> 00:31:00.200
 on those kinds of things.

00:31:00.700 --> 00:31:01.640
 But there's a whole bunch

00:31:01.640 --> 00:31:02.100
 of things

00:31:02.100 --> 00:31:03.280
 that actually the Bible's

00:31:03.280 --> 00:31:03.880
 not clear on

00:31:03.880 --> 00:31:05.340
 and we've got to know

00:31:05.340 --> 00:31:06.180
 in our heart

00:31:06.180 --> 00:31:07.080
 what is our conscience?

00:31:07.259 --> 00:31:08.600
 What is the line

00:31:08.600 --> 00:31:09.600
 in the sand for me

00:31:09.600 --> 00:31:11.480
 that if I say yes to this,

00:31:11.520 --> 00:31:12.720
 it's going to be really hard

00:31:12.720 --> 00:31:13.800
 for me to come before God

00:31:13.800 --> 00:31:14.240
 and worship

00:31:14.240 --> 00:31:15.060
 and say,

00:31:15.140 --> 00:31:15.400
 Christ,

00:31:15.460 --> 00:31:16.080
 I live for you,

00:31:16.160 --> 00:31:16.980
 I give you my all.

00:31:17.860 --> 00:31:18.640
 For some of us,

00:31:18.640 --> 00:31:19.960
 maybe it's

00:31:19.960 --> 00:31:22.020
 what we do with our money.

00:31:22.940 --> 00:31:23.740
 For some of us,

00:31:23.820 --> 00:31:24.400
 maybe it's

00:31:24.400 --> 00:31:25.640
 what we do with our time.

00:31:26.460 --> 00:31:27.480
 For some of us,

00:31:27.940 --> 00:31:28.160
 friends,

00:31:28.200 --> 00:31:28.800
 it's going to mean

00:31:28.800 --> 00:31:30.220
 maybe even saying no

00:31:30.220 --> 00:31:31.160
 to a certain job

00:31:31.160 --> 00:31:32.060
 or a pay rise

00:31:32.060 --> 00:31:33.140
 or a certain promotion

00:31:33.140 --> 00:31:35.200
 because saying yes to that

00:31:35.200 --> 00:31:35.920
 is going to be,

00:31:36.020 --> 00:31:36.600
 in a way,

00:31:36.700 --> 00:31:37.560
 selling our soul.

00:31:38.020 --> 00:31:39.000
 It's going to be engaging

00:31:39.000 --> 00:31:40.320
 in the act of worship.

00:31:41.180 --> 00:31:41.960
 It's when work

00:31:41.960 --> 00:31:43.060
 becomes more than work,

00:31:43.140 --> 00:31:44.540
 work becomes worship

00:31:44.540 --> 00:31:46.040
 to our culture.

00:31:47.040 --> 00:31:47.460
 Friends,

00:31:47.460 --> 00:31:48.360
 though the pressure

00:31:48.360 --> 00:31:49.000
 is great,

00:31:49.120 --> 00:31:49.880
 will you dare

00:31:49.880 --> 00:31:50.960
 to be like Daniel

00:31:50.960 --> 00:31:51.940
 and resolve

00:31:51.940 --> 00:31:53.000
 in your heart

00:31:53.000 --> 00:31:54.180
 that while God

00:31:54.180 --> 00:31:54.799
 has called us

00:31:54.799 --> 00:31:55.819
 to love and serve

00:31:55.819 --> 00:31:56.319
 the city,

00:31:56.859 --> 00:31:57.740
 he hasn't called us

00:31:57.740 --> 00:31:58.660
 to love the things

00:31:58.660 --> 00:31:59.759
 of the city primarily

00:31:59.759 --> 00:32:01.359
 but to love him

00:32:01.359 --> 00:32:02.140
 and thereby

00:32:02.140 --> 00:32:03.240
 to serve the city.

00:32:04.079 --> 00:32:04.859
 And Daniel knows

00:32:04.859 --> 00:32:05.519
 that for him

00:32:05.519 --> 00:32:06.640
 there's a line in the sand

00:32:06.640 --> 00:32:08.339
 that moving beyond that

00:32:08.339 --> 00:32:09.559
 goes from just serving

00:32:09.559 --> 00:32:10.000
 the city

00:32:10.000 --> 00:32:11.279
 to worshiping the city.

00:32:12.259 --> 00:32:13.039
 And Christ calls us

00:32:13.039 --> 00:32:13.220
 and says,

00:32:13.579 --> 00:32:14.180
 the best way

00:32:14.180 --> 00:32:14.940
 that we can serve

00:32:14.940 --> 00:32:15.359
 our city

00:32:15.359 --> 00:32:16.420
 is to make sure

00:32:16.420 --> 00:32:17.839
 that our love for Christ

00:32:17.839 --> 00:32:18.759
 is preeminent.

00:32:18.759 --> 00:32:20.900
 Okay,

00:32:21.000 --> 00:32:21.740
 maybe I'll just

00:32:21.740 --> 00:32:22.839
 leave that point there.

00:32:23.420 --> 00:32:24.079
 I hope that makes

00:32:24.079 --> 00:32:24.879
 some kind of sense.

00:32:25.240 --> 00:32:25.400
 Okay,

00:32:25.819 --> 00:32:26.740
 fourth thing is this.

00:32:26.940 --> 00:32:28.259
 Last one is this.

00:32:29.200 --> 00:32:30.119
 In order for us

00:32:30.119 --> 00:32:30.799
 to really love

00:32:30.799 --> 00:32:31.440
 and serve our city,

00:32:31.559 --> 00:32:32.299
 for us to be faithful

00:32:32.299 --> 00:32:32.779
 to God

00:32:32.779 --> 00:32:34.480
 in the midst of Hong Kong,

00:32:34.920 --> 00:32:36.140
 we've got to understand

00:32:36.140 --> 00:32:37.400
 God's redeeming grace.

00:32:37.900 --> 00:32:38.960
 God's redeeming grace.

00:32:42.519 --> 00:32:43.980
 Look at Nebuchadnezzar's

00:32:43.980 --> 00:32:44.960
 strategy here.

00:32:45.140 --> 00:32:45.279
 Now,

00:32:45.400 --> 00:32:46.119
 Nebuchadnezzar's

00:32:46.119 --> 00:32:46.980
 is a smart guy.

00:32:47.579 --> 00:32:48.400
 Look at what he

00:32:48.400 --> 00:32:49.100
 does here

00:32:49.100 --> 00:32:50.900
 in chapter one.

00:32:51.980 --> 00:32:52.519
 Nebuchadnezzar

00:32:52.519 --> 00:32:53.759
 is pillaging

00:32:53.759 --> 00:32:54.540
 Jerusalem.

00:32:54.860 --> 00:32:55.000
 Okay,

00:32:55.120 --> 00:32:56.220
 and he's getting

00:32:56.220 --> 00:32:57.200
 all these exiles

00:32:57.200 --> 00:32:58.320
 to leave Jerusalem

00:32:58.320 --> 00:32:59.019
 and to come

00:32:59.019 --> 00:32:59.640
 and work

00:32:59.640 --> 00:33:00.700
 as slaves

00:33:00.700 --> 00:33:02.500
 in his Babylonian empire.

00:33:03.300 --> 00:33:04.500
 But Nebuchadnezzar

00:33:04.500 --> 00:33:05.280
 doesn't want

00:33:05.280 --> 00:33:06.360
 a refugee crisis

00:33:06.360 --> 00:33:07.040
 on his hands

00:33:07.040 --> 00:33:08.740
 and he doesn't

00:33:08.740 --> 00:33:09.200
 want

00:33:09.200 --> 00:33:10.820
 a rebellion

00:33:10.820 --> 00:33:11.660
 on his hands.

00:33:12.259 --> 00:33:12.500
 And so,

00:33:12.580 --> 00:33:13.220
 what he does

00:33:13.220 --> 00:33:14.519
 is he's going to

00:33:14.519 --> 00:33:15.320
 come and decimate

00:33:15.320 --> 00:33:15.880
 Jerusalem,

00:33:16.220 --> 00:33:17.360
 but the first thing

00:33:17.360 --> 00:33:17.680
 he does

00:33:17.680 --> 00:33:18.160
 is he gets

00:33:18.160 --> 00:33:18.820
 the cultural

00:33:18.820 --> 00:33:19.620
 and the political

00:33:19.620 --> 00:33:20.360
 elites

00:33:20.360 --> 00:33:21.840
 to leave Jerusalem

00:33:21.840 --> 00:33:22.920
 and he comes

00:33:22.920 --> 00:33:24.200
 and inculcates them,

00:33:24.320 --> 00:33:25.160
 indoctrinates them

00:33:25.160 --> 00:33:26.360
 in Babylonian culture

00:33:26.360 --> 00:33:27.279
 15,

00:33:27.400 --> 00:33:27.900
 20 years

00:33:27.900 --> 00:33:28.720
 before the rest.

00:33:29.080 --> 00:33:29.300
 Okay,

00:33:29.380 --> 00:33:29.960
 does that make sense?

00:33:30.360 --> 00:33:30.580
 So,

00:33:30.660 --> 00:33:30.920
 he gets

00:33:30.920 --> 00:33:31.660
 the noble

00:33:31.660 --> 00:33:34.300
 families,

00:33:34.860 --> 00:33:35.259
 the king

00:33:35.259 --> 00:33:35.779
 and the queen,

00:33:36.320 --> 00:33:37.259
 the nobility,

00:33:37.580 --> 00:33:38.360
 the royal members

00:33:38.360 --> 00:33:38.960
 of the family,

00:33:39.080 --> 00:33:39.460
 et cetera,

00:33:39.940 --> 00:33:40.500
 the political

00:33:40.500 --> 00:33:41.200
 and cultural elites.

00:33:41.200 --> 00:33:42.180
 he brings them

00:33:42.180 --> 00:33:42.680
 to Babylon

00:33:42.680 --> 00:33:44.440
 and he indoctrinates

00:33:44.440 --> 00:33:45.480
 them in Babylonian

00:33:45.480 --> 00:33:46.759
 customs and culture

00:33:46.759 --> 00:33:48.000
 so that when

00:33:48.000 --> 00:33:49.340
 the rest of Jerusalem

00:33:49.340 --> 00:33:50.080
 comes there

00:33:50.080 --> 00:33:51.080
 15 years later,

00:33:51.319 --> 00:33:52.840
 they see their leaders

00:33:52.840 --> 00:33:53.819
 and they say,

00:33:54.279 --> 00:33:54.480
 oh,

00:33:55.039 --> 00:33:55.920
 I guess life here

00:33:55.920 --> 00:33:56.539
 is not so bad.

00:33:56.620 --> 00:33:57.059
 We should just

00:33:57.059 --> 00:33:57.799
 follow those guys.

00:33:57.880 --> 00:33:58.259
 We should do

00:33:58.259 --> 00:33:58.779
 what they do.

00:33:59.460 --> 00:33:59.700
 So,

00:34:00.039 --> 00:34:00.799
 Nebuchadnezzar

00:34:00.799 --> 00:34:01.559
 wants to get

00:34:01.559 --> 00:34:02.279
 the leaders

00:34:02.279 --> 00:34:03.779
 and get them

00:34:03.779 --> 00:34:04.759
 on his side

00:34:04.759 --> 00:34:05.360
 first

00:34:05.360 --> 00:34:06.160
 before he brings

00:34:06.160 --> 00:34:07.000
 the rest of the nation.

00:34:07.519 --> 00:34:07.720
 Okay,

00:34:07.799 --> 00:34:08.440
 does that make sense?

00:34:09.240 --> 00:34:10.139
 Very smart.

00:34:11.000 --> 00:34:12.039
 But friends,

00:34:12.480 --> 00:34:13.780
 what the Bible says

00:34:13.780 --> 00:34:15.039
 is that what man

00:34:15.039 --> 00:34:16.260
 intends for evil,

00:34:16.800 --> 00:34:17.980
 God intends

00:34:17.980 --> 00:34:19.079
 for good.

00:34:19.579 --> 00:34:20.460
 Because look at

00:34:20.460 --> 00:34:21.480
 what God does here.

00:34:22.159 --> 00:34:23.260
 God does the exact

00:34:23.260 --> 00:34:23.980
 same thing.

00:34:24.800 --> 00:34:25.800
 God sends

00:34:25.800 --> 00:34:26.800
 15 years

00:34:26.800 --> 00:34:27.720
 before the rest

00:34:27.720 --> 00:34:28.119
 of Israel

00:34:28.119 --> 00:34:28.880
 going to Babylon,

00:34:29.519 --> 00:34:30.220
 God sends

00:34:30.220 --> 00:34:30.860
 a bunch

00:34:30.860 --> 00:34:31.760
 of faithful,

00:34:32.320 --> 00:34:33.119
 character-filled

00:34:33.119 --> 00:34:34.460
 men that have got

00:34:34.460 --> 00:34:36.059
 resolve and character

00:34:36.059 --> 00:34:37.079
 ahead

00:34:37.079 --> 00:34:38.039
 so that when

00:34:38.039 --> 00:34:39.199
 the rest of Israel

00:34:39.199 --> 00:34:40.259
 come 15 years

00:34:40.259 --> 00:34:40.619
 later,

00:34:40.920 --> 00:34:42.420
 they see Daniel

00:34:42.420 --> 00:34:44.179
 and these other guys

00:34:44.179 --> 00:34:44.800
 that have been put

00:34:44.800 --> 00:34:46.300
 in positions of prominence

00:34:46.300 --> 00:34:48.460
 serving Babylon

00:34:48.460 --> 00:34:49.380
 and yet faithful

00:34:49.380 --> 00:34:50.019
 to God

00:34:50.019 --> 00:34:51.679
 and the rest of Israel

00:34:51.679 --> 00:34:52.719
 can go and say,

00:34:52.960 --> 00:34:54.840
 let's follow those guys.

00:34:55.860 --> 00:34:56.800
 God does

00:34:56.800 --> 00:34:58.940
 what Nebuchadnezzar

00:34:58.940 --> 00:34:59.840
 was hoping to do,

00:35:00.159 --> 00:35:00.699
 God does

00:35:00.699 --> 00:35:01.440
 for his kingdom.

00:35:02.039 --> 00:35:03.159
 And what that means

00:35:03.159 --> 00:35:04.940
 is that as Israel

00:35:04.940 --> 00:35:06.539
 gets to Babylon

00:35:06.539 --> 00:35:07.800
 and they see

00:35:07.800 --> 00:35:08.779
 Daniel and his friends

00:35:08.779 --> 00:35:09.659
 serving faithfully,

00:35:09.800 --> 00:35:10.619
 they can remain

00:35:10.619 --> 00:35:11.500
 faithful to God

00:35:11.500 --> 00:35:13.380
 and 70 years later

00:35:13.380 --> 00:35:14.279
 they will go back

00:35:14.279 --> 00:35:15.000
 to Israel

00:35:15.000 --> 00:35:16.199
 and rebuild

00:35:16.199 --> 00:35:16.739
 the temple,

00:35:16.980 --> 00:35:17.880
 rebuild Jerusalem,

00:35:18.559 --> 00:35:19.679
 re-engage God

00:35:19.679 --> 00:35:20.559
 and become faithful

00:35:20.559 --> 00:35:22.000
 to God's people

00:35:22.000 --> 00:35:22.699
 once again.

00:35:24.360 --> 00:35:26.279
 But notice here,

00:35:26.820 --> 00:35:27.759
 it's not just that

00:35:27.759 --> 00:35:28.440
 God is being

00:35:28.440 --> 00:35:29.259
 good to them

00:35:29.259 --> 00:35:30.559
 because he's a nice guy.

00:35:31.460 --> 00:35:32.000
 Remember,

00:35:32.340 --> 00:35:33.820
 why is Israel

00:35:33.820 --> 00:35:34.500
 in Babylon

00:35:34.500 --> 00:35:35.580
 in the first place?

00:35:36.600 --> 00:35:37.260
 Remember what we said

00:35:37.260 --> 00:35:37.820
 last week?

00:35:38.260 --> 00:35:39.760
 The reason God's people

00:35:39.760 --> 00:35:40.340
 are in Babylon

00:35:40.340 --> 00:35:41.360
 is because of their

00:35:41.360 --> 00:35:42.340
 constant rebellion

00:35:42.340 --> 00:35:43.880
 and their rejection

00:35:43.880 --> 00:35:44.400
 of God.

00:35:44.700 --> 00:35:45.760
 For hundreds of years

00:35:45.760 --> 00:35:46.620
 God has been saying,

00:35:46.980 --> 00:35:47.600
 turn to me,

00:35:47.920 --> 00:35:48.460
 turn to me,

00:35:48.559 --> 00:35:49.480
 don't reject me

00:35:49.480 --> 00:35:50.400
 and they constantly

00:35:50.400 --> 00:35:51.100
 reject God.

00:35:51.200 --> 00:35:51.760
 So eventually,

00:35:52.300 --> 00:35:53.740
 God brings the Babylonians

00:35:53.740 --> 00:35:54.700
 as his instrument

00:35:54.700 --> 00:35:55.519
 of discipline,

00:35:56.000 --> 00:35:56.539
 his instrument

00:35:56.539 --> 00:35:57.500
 of punishment,

00:35:58.019 --> 00:35:58.640
 his instrument

00:35:58.640 --> 00:35:59.440
 of judgment.

00:35:59.900 --> 00:36:01.180
 God takes Israel

00:36:01.179 --> 00:36:01.919
 into Babylon

00:36:01.919 --> 00:36:03.279
 as an act

00:36:03.279 --> 00:36:04.159
 of discipline.

00:36:04.559 --> 00:36:04.819
 Okay?

00:36:04.980 --> 00:36:05.739
 Does that make sense?

00:36:06.819 --> 00:36:08.419
 But as my friend

00:36:08.419 --> 00:36:09.699
 Stephen Rain points out,

00:36:10.299 --> 00:36:11.179
 before God

00:36:11.179 --> 00:36:12.599
 has even instituted

00:36:12.599 --> 00:36:13.440
 the discipline,

00:36:13.899 --> 00:36:14.980
 he's already working

00:36:14.980 --> 00:36:15.699
 on their redemption.

00:36:16.399 --> 00:36:17.299
 Before God

00:36:17.299 --> 00:36:18.199
 has even brought about

00:36:18.199 --> 00:36:19.019
 their punishment,

00:36:19.440 --> 00:36:20.519
 he's already working

00:36:20.519 --> 00:36:21.159
 the plan

00:36:21.159 --> 00:36:21.879
 to bring about

00:36:21.879 --> 00:36:22.639
 their restoration.

00:36:23.259 --> 00:36:24.139
 Before God

00:36:24.139 --> 00:36:25.139
 has even finished

00:36:25.139 --> 00:36:25.819
 the correction,

00:36:26.339 --> 00:36:27.239
 he's already putting

00:36:27.239 --> 00:36:28.179
 in place a plan

00:36:28.179 --> 00:36:28.819
 to bring about

00:36:28.819 --> 00:36:29.379
 their renewal.

00:36:29.380 --> 00:36:31.160
 Israel hasn't even

00:36:31.160 --> 00:36:32.360
 gone to Babylon yet,

00:36:32.440 --> 00:36:32.980
 they're still on

00:36:32.980 --> 00:36:33.619
 their way there

00:36:33.619 --> 00:36:34.900
 and God is already

00:36:34.900 --> 00:36:35.880
 putting in a place

00:36:35.880 --> 00:36:37.440
 to send the leaders

00:36:37.440 --> 00:36:38.640
 ahead so that

00:36:38.640 --> 00:36:39.680
 they can restore

00:36:39.680 --> 00:36:40.860
 Israel and save

00:36:40.860 --> 00:36:41.680
 them and redeem

00:36:41.680 --> 00:36:41.980
 them.

00:36:42.599 --> 00:36:43.579
 It's kind of like

00:36:43.579 --> 00:36:44.140
 this, okay?

00:36:44.240 --> 00:36:45.220
 This is my friend

00:36:45.220 --> 00:36:45.820
 Stephen Rain,

00:36:45.880 --> 00:36:46.820
 this is his analogy.

00:36:47.440 --> 00:36:47.880
 He says,

00:36:48.380 --> 00:36:49.019
 it's like imagine

00:36:49.019 --> 00:36:49.920
 your child does

00:36:49.920 --> 00:36:50.780
 something really,

00:36:50.900 --> 00:36:51.400
 really naughty,

00:36:51.660 --> 00:36:51.860
 okay?

00:36:52.340 --> 00:36:53.119
 Really bad

00:36:53.119 --> 00:36:54.380
 and you send them

00:36:54.380 --> 00:36:55.099
 to their room

00:36:55.099 --> 00:36:55.599
 and you say,

00:36:55.920 --> 00:36:56.680
 you go to your

00:36:56.680 --> 00:36:57.980
 bedroom and I'm

00:36:57.980 --> 00:36:58.820
 going to come in

00:36:58.820 --> 00:36:59.140
 there and I'm

00:36:59.139 --> 00:36:59.599
 going to deal

00:36:59.599 --> 00:36:59.960
 with you,

00:37:00.019 --> 00:37:00.259
 right?

00:37:01.099 --> 00:37:01.460
 And they go

00:37:01.460 --> 00:37:02.039
 to the bedroom

00:37:02.039 --> 00:37:03.980
 and on the way

00:37:03.980 --> 00:37:04.639
 to the bedroom

00:37:04.639 --> 00:37:06.039
 you see this flyer,

00:37:06.119 --> 00:37:07.259
 this amazing holiday

00:37:07.259 --> 00:37:08.039
 to Disneyland,

00:37:08.400 --> 00:37:08.759
 Europe.

00:37:09.159 --> 00:37:09.460
 And you're like,

00:37:09.500 --> 00:37:10.079
 oh, that's a good

00:37:10.079 --> 00:37:10.400
 idea.

00:37:10.739 --> 00:37:11.779
 And you go online

00:37:11.779 --> 00:37:12.559
 and you book

00:37:12.559 --> 00:37:13.739
 this amazing holiday

00:37:13.739 --> 00:37:16.299
 to Disneyland.

00:37:16.920 --> 00:37:17.900
 On the way

00:37:17.900 --> 00:37:18.859
 to dealing

00:37:18.859 --> 00:37:19.599
 with your child

00:37:19.599 --> 00:37:20.139
 you're already

00:37:20.139 --> 00:37:20.779
 thinking of the

00:37:20.779 --> 00:37:21.859
 restoration plan.

00:37:22.759 --> 00:37:23.480
 That's what God

00:37:23.480 --> 00:37:24.179
 is doing here.

00:37:24.759 --> 00:37:25.679
 As he sends

00:37:25.679 --> 00:37:26.619
 his people

00:37:26.619 --> 00:37:27.460
 into Babylon

00:37:27.460 --> 00:37:28.260
 to deal

00:37:28.260 --> 00:37:28.579
 with them

00:37:28.579 --> 00:37:29.900
 and to punish

00:37:29.900 --> 00:37:30.179
 them,

00:37:30.280 --> 00:37:31.220
 to discipline

00:37:31.220 --> 00:37:31.559
 them,

00:37:31.980 --> 00:37:32.659
 he's already

00:37:32.659 --> 00:37:33.500
 instituting the

00:37:33.500 --> 00:37:34.119
 plan for their

00:37:34.119 --> 00:37:34.579
 correction,

00:37:35.199 --> 00:37:35.940
 their restoration,

00:37:36.539 --> 00:37:37.220
 their renewal,

00:37:37.639 --> 00:37:38.420
 and their redemption.

00:37:39.179 --> 00:37:39.659
 And that's

00:37:39.659 --> 00:37:40.159
 actually what

00:37:40.159 --> 00:37:41.840
 the last verse

00:37:41.840 --> 00:37:42.539
 of chapter 1

00:37:42.539 --> 00:37:43.000
 is all about.

00:37:43.099 --> 00:37:43.539
 Look at the

00:37:43.539 --> 00:37:44.599
 very last verse.

00:37:44.699 --> 00:37:45.320
 It says here,

00:37:46.039 --> 00:37:47.019
 Daniel was there

00:37:47.019 --> 00:37:47.820
 until the first

00:37:47.820 --> 00:37:49.079
 year of King Cyrus.

00:37:49.699 --> 00:37:49.900
 Well,

00:37:49.940 --> 00:37:50.800
 who is King Cyrus?

00:37:51.539 --> 00:37:51.740
 Well,

00:37:51.780 --> 00:37:52.840
 King Cyrus is the

00:37:52.840 --> 00:37:53.539
 leader of the

00:37:53.539 --> 00:37:54.980
 Persian Empire

00:37:54.980 --> 00:37:56.199
 who overthrew

00:37:56.199 --> 00:37:57.219
 the Babylonians

00:37:57.219 --> 00:37:58.480
 who turned

00:37:58.480 --> 00:38:00.059
 to the Israelites

00:38:00.059 --> 00:38:00.659
 and said,

00:38:00.920 --> 00:38:01.500
 I don't need you

00:38:01.500 --> 00:38:02.019
 in my kingdom.

00:38:02.219 --> 00:38:02.619
 Why don't you

00:38:02.619 --> 00:38:03.240
 go back to

00:38:03.240 --> 00:38:03.900
 Jerusalem and

00:38:03.900 --> 00:38:04.639
 rebuild the

00:38:04.639 --> 00:38:04.920
 temple,

00:38:05.139 --> 00:38:05.679
 rebuild the

00:38:05.679 --> 00:38:05.920
 city,

00:38:06.119 --> 00:38:06.679
 rebuild your

00:38:06.679 --> 00:38:06.920
 walls?

00:38:07.320 --> 00:38:07.860
 Why don't you

00:38:07.860 --> 00:38:08.500
 go back and

00:38:08.500 --> 00:38:09.119
 worship your

00:38:09.119 --> 00:38:10.300
 God back in

00:38:10.300 --> 00:38:10.740
 your nation?

00:38:12.039 --> 00:38:12.800
 At the very

00:38:12.800 --> 00:38:13.380
 end of the

00:38:13.380 --> 00:38:13.880
 very first

00:38:13.880 --> 00:38:14.280
 chapter,

00:38:14.679 --> 00:38:15.400
 God is putting

00:38:15.400 --> 00:38:16.059
 a little hint

00:38:16.059 --> 00:38:17.159
 in store here.

00:38:17.219 --> 00:38:17.519
 He's saying,

00:38:17.659 --> 00:38:17.900
 yes,

00:38:17.940 --> 00:38:18.719
 I'm going to

00:38:18.719 --> 00:38:19.059
 send these

00:38:19.059 --> 00:38:19.659
 guys to Babylon.

00:38:20.179 --> 00:38:20.539
 Yes,

00:38:20.559 --> 00:38:20.960
 I'm dealing

00:38:20.960 --> 00:38:21.320
 with them.

00:38:21.679 --> 00:38:22.159
 But this

00:38:22.159 --> 00:38:22.539
 isn't the

00:38:22.539 --> 00:38:22.860
 end of the

00:38:22.860 --> 00:38:23.179
 story.

00:38:23.179 --> 00:38:24.299
 This is a

00:38:24.299 --> 00:38:24.859
 temporary

00:38:24.859 --> 00:38:26.339
 arrangement.

00:38:27.119 --> 00:38:27.480
 Actually,

00:38:27.619 --> 00:38:27.899
 what I've

00:38:27.899 --> 00:38:28.159
 got in

00:38:28.159 --> 00:38:28.719
 plan is

00:38:28.719 --> 00:38:28.879
 their

00:38:28.879 --> 00:38:29.299
 redemption

00:38:29.299 --> 00:38:29.759
 and their

00:38:29.759 --> 00:38:30.299
 restoration

00:38:30.299 --> 00:38:31.259
 and their

00:38:31.259 --> 00:38:31.619
 renewal.

00:38:32.419 --> 00:38:33.319
 Even before

00:38:33.319 --> 00:38:34.079
 God's people

00:38:34.079 --> 00:38:34.639
 have come

00:38:34.639 --> 00:38:35.159
 to Babylon,

00:38:35.359 --> 00:38:35.699
 God is

00:38:35.699 --> 00:38:35.960
 already

00:38:35.960 --> 00:38:36.460
 putting in

00:38:36.460 --> 00:38:36.899
 place

00:38:36.899 --> 00:38:37.659
 their

00:38:37.659 --> 00:38:38.039
 renewal.

00:38:38.739 --> 00:38:39.059
 And friends,

00:38:39.099 --> 00:38:39.519
 it's the same

00:38:39.519 --> 00:38:40.000
 thing we see

00:38:40.000 --> 00:38:40.199
 in the

00:38:40.199 --> 00:38:40.480
 book of

00:38:40.480 --> 00:38:40.739
 Ruth.

00:38:41.259 --> 00:38:42.219
 Naomi is

00:38:42.219 --> 00:38:42.679
 convinced

00:38:42.679 --> 00:38:43.119
 that God

00:38:43.119 --> 00:38:43.719
 has abandoned

00:38:43.719 --> 00:38:43.980
 her,

00:38:44.299 --> 00:38:44.980
 he's rejected

00:38:44.980 --> 00:38:45.259
 her,

00:38:45.539 --> 00:38:45.879
 he's done

00:38:45.879 --> 00:38:46.419
 away with

00:38:46.419 --> 00:38:46.619
 her,

00:38:46.960 --> 00:38:47.299
 things are

00:38:47.299 --> 00:38:47.779
 going wrong

00:38:47.779 --> 00:38:48.000
 in her

00:38:48.000 --> 00:38:48.279
 life,

00:38:48.519 --> 00:38:48.919
 and the

00:38:48.919 --> 00:38:49.839
 very last

00:38:49.839 --> 00:38:50.319
 verse of

00:38:50.319 --> 00:38:50.839
 the first

00:38:50.839 --> 00:38:52.000
 chapter is

00:38:52.000 --> 00:38:52.440
 a promise

00:38:52.440 --> 00:38:52.899
 of hope.

00:38:53.179 --> 00:38:54.019
 God is

00:38:54.019 --> 00:38:54.460
 not done

00:38:54.460 --> 00:38:54.859
 with her,

00:38:54.940 --> 00:38:55.259
 but God

00:38:55.259 --> 00:38:55.539
 is going

00:38:55.539 --> 00:38:56.019
 to redeem

00:38:56.019 --> 00:38:56.279
 her,

00:38:56.579 --> 00:38:57.099
 heal

00:38:57.099 --> 00:38:57.419
 her,

00:38:57.859 --> 00:38:58.279
 and restore

00:38:58.279 --> 00:38:58.579
 her.

00:38:59.099 --> 00:38:59.339
 And so

00:38:59.339 --> 00:38:59.799
 right at

00:38:59.799 --> 00:39:00.199
 the outset

00:39:00.199 --> 00:39:00.460
 of the

00:39:00.460 --> 00:39:00.759
 book of

00:39:00.759 --> 00:39:01.039
 Daniel,

00:39:01.259 --> 00:39:01.899
 God wants

00:39:01.899 --> 00:39:02.319
 his people

00:39:02.319 --> 00:39:02.779
 to know

00:39:02.779 --> 00:39:03.799
 though their

00:39:03.799 --> 00:39:04.279
 sin is

00:39:04.279 --> 00:39:04.739
 great,

00:39:04.980 --> 00:39:05.399
 his

00:39:05.399 --> 00:39:06.259
 redeeming

00:39:06.259 --> 00:39:06.839
 grace and

00:39:06.839 --> 00:39:07.500
 his mercy

00:39:07.500 --> 00:39:08.159
 is greater

00:39:08.159 --> 00:39:08.599
 still.

00:39:09.440 --> 00:39:09.739
 You see

00:39:09.739 --> 00:39:10.019
 that?

00:39:10.559 --> 00:39:10.859
 Though

00:39:10.859 --> 00:39:11.619
 their sin

00:39:11.619 --> 00:39:12.119
 is great,

00:39:12.440 --> 00:39:13.379
 his redeeming

00:39:13.379 --> 00:39:13.940
 grace and

00:39:13.940 --> 00:39:14.719
 his mercy

00:39:14.719 --> 00:39:16.579
 way outstrips

00:39:16.579 --> 00:39:17.500
 even their

00:39:17.500 --> 00:39:18.659
 worst sins

00:39:18.659 --> 00:39:19.299
 and failures.

00:39:19.839 --> 00:39:20.440
 God wants

00:39:20.440 --> 00:39:21.019
 his people to

00:39:21.019 --> 00:39:21.359
 see that

00:39:21.359 --> 00:39:21.739
 though their

00:39:21.739 --> 00:39:22.699
 rebellion calls

00:39:22.699 --> 00:39:23.299
 for judgment,

00:39:23.799 --> 00:39:24.679
 his mercy and

00:39:24.679 --> 00:39:25.119
 his heart of

00:39:25.119 --> 00:39:26.759
 compassion calls

00:39:26.759 --> 00:39:27.019
 for their

00:39:27.019 --> 00:39:28.399
 restoration and

00:39:28.399 --> 00:39:28.960
 their renewal.

00:39:29.579 --> 00:39:30.299
 If only they'll

00:39:30.299 --> 00:39:31.059
 humble themselves.

00:39:31.899 --> 00:39:32.539
 If only they'll

00:39:32.539 --> 00:39:33.219
 come to him

00:39:33.219 --> 00:39:34.599
 with faith and

00:39:34.599 --> 00:39:35.079
 repentance.

00:39:36.480 --> 00:39:37.039
 Friends,

00:39:37.119 --> 00:39:37.480
 isn't the

00:39:37.480 --> 00:39:38.119
 redeeming,

00:39:38.879 --> 00:39:39.379
 restoring,

00:39:40.219 --> 00:39:41.139
 renewing grace of

00:39:41.139 --> 00:39:41.739
 God simply

00:39:41.739 --> 00:39:42.219
 incredible?

00:39:43.219 --> 00:39:44.039
 Isn't it amazing

00:39:44.039 --> 00:39:45.679
 that when we're at

00:39:45.679 --> 00:39:46.480
 our worst,

00:39:47.159 --> 00:39:48.079
 God is already

00:39:48.079 --> 00:39:49.379
 orchestrating a plan

00:39:49.380 --> 00:39:50.140
 to redeem and

00:39:50.140 --> 00:39:50.700
 renew us?

00:39:51.780 --> 00:39:52.059
 Friends,

00:39:52.160 --> 00:39:52.260
 you know,

00:39:52.280 --> 00:39:52.900
 the Bible says

00:39:52.900 --> 00:39:53.400
 that actually

00:39:53.400 --> 00:39:54.320
 the story of

00:39:54.320 --> 00:39:55.300
 Israel and

00:39:55.300 --> 00:39:56.800
 Babylon is the

00:39:56.800 --> 00:39:57.720
 story of every

00:39:57.720 --> 00:39:58.680
 single human

00:39:58.680 --> 00:39:59.039
 being.

00:40:00.000 --> 00:40:00.840
 The Bible says

00:40:00.840 --> 00:40:01.440
 that when we

00:40:01.440 --> 00:40:02.039
 were at our

00:40:02.039 --> 00:40:02.539
 worst,

00:40:03.360 --> 00:40:04.059
 God was

00:40:04.059 --> 00:40:05.019
 already putting

00:40:05.019 --> 00:40:06.760
 in place

00:40:06.760 --> 00:40:08.119
 plans to

00:40:08.119 --> 00:40:08.800
 redeem us

00:40:08.800 --> 00:40:09.160
 and to

00:40:09.160 --> 00:40:09.660
 renew us.

00:40:10.320 --> 00:40:11.240
 The Bible says

00:40:11.240 --> 00:40:11.980
 that while we

00:40:11.980 --> 00:40:12.400
 were still

00:40:12.400 --> 00:40:13.260
 enemies of

00:40:13.260 --> 00:40:13.460
 God,

00:40:13.539 --> 00:40:14.059
 while we were

00:40:14.059 --> 00:40:14.780
 shaking our

00:40:14.780 --> 00:40:15.460
 fists at God

00:40:15.460 --> 00:40:15.780
 and saying,

00:40:15.900 --> 00:40:16.380
 we don't want

00:40:16.380 --> 00:40:16.840
 your way,

00:40:17.240 --> 00:40:17.800
 we want to be

00:40:17.800 --> 00:40:18.200
 our own

00:40:18.200 --> 00:40:18.480
 king,

00:40:19.019 --> 00:40:19.700
 while we

00:40:19.700 --> 00:40:20.140
 were still

00:40:20.140 --> 00:40:20.760
 sinners,

00:40:21.100 --> 00:40:21.880
 God sent

00:40:21.880 --> 00:40:22.500
 his son,

00:40:23.180 --> 00:40:24.120
 Jesus Christ,

00:40:24.220 --> 00:40:24.760
 to die on

00:40:24.760 --> 00:40:25.240
 the cross.

00:40:25.860 --> 00:40:26.200
 And do you

00:40:26.200 --> 00:40:26.580
 remember the

00:40:26.580 --> 00:40:26.980
 words of

00:40:26.980 --> 00:40:27.539
 Jesus while

00:40:27.539 --> 00:40:27.980
 he's on the

00:40:27.980 --> 00:40:28.240
 cross?

00:40:28.600 --> 00:40:29.320
 While he's

00:40:29.320 --> 00:40:30.160
 being nailed

00:40:30.160 --> 00:40:30.840
 to the cross

00:40:30.840 --> 00:40:31.480
 by his

00:40:31.480 --> 00:40:31.940
 enemies,

00:40:32.760 --> 00:40:33.480
 Jesus prays

00:40:33.480 --> 00:40:33.840
 his prayer

00:40:33.840 --> 00:40:34.180
 and he says,

00:40:34.360 --> 00:40:34.640
 Father,

00:40:34.800 --> 00:40:35.380
 forgive them.

00:40:36.220 --> 00:40:36.880
 They do not

00:40:36.880 --> 00:40:37.380
 know what

00:40:37.380 --> 00:40:37.760
 they do.

00:40:39.140 --> 00:40:39.580
 Friends,

00:40:39.640 --> 00:40:40.120
 when you were

00:40:40.120 --> 00:40:40.420
 at your

00:40:40.420 --> 00:40:41.180
 very worst,

00:40:41.940 --> 00:40:42.460
 when you

00:40:42.460 --> 00:40:43.680
 had abandoned

00:40:43.680 --> 00:40:44.260
 God and

00:40:44.260 --> 00:40:44.539
 when you

00:40:44.539 --> 00:40:44.820
 had wanted

00:40:44.820 --> 00:40:45.200
 to be on

00:40:45.200 --> 00:40:45.600
 the throne

00:40:45.600 --> 00:40:45.900
 of your

00:40:45.900 --> 00:40:46.420
 own life,

00:40:46.420 --> 00:40:48.180
 when your

00:40:48.180 --> 00:40:48.700
 life was

00:40:48.700 --> 00:40:49.380
 wrecked with

00:40:49.380 --> 00:40:50.240
 sin and

00:40:50.240 --> 00:40:50.579
 guilt,

00:40:51.320 --> 00:40:51.840
 Jesus went

00:40:51.840 --> 00:40:52.099
 to the

00:40:52.099 --> 00:40:52.480
 cross for

00:40:52.480 --> 00:40:52.659
 you.

00:40:53.300 --> 00:40:53.800
 Jesus had

00:40:53.800 --> 00:40:54.340
 not abandoned

00:40:54.340 --> 00:40:54.639
 you.

00:40:55.180 --> 00:40:55.659
 Jesus had

00:40:55.659 --> 00:40:56.039
 not given

00:40:56.039 --> 00:40:56.380
 up on

00:40:56.380 --> 00:40:56.579
 you.

00:40:57.180 --> 00:40:57.400
 Friends,

00:40:57.460 --> 00:40:57.840
 when you

00:40:57.840 --> 00:40:58.320
 didn't know

00:40:58.320 --> 00:40:58.659
 Jesus,

00:40:58.860 --> 00:40:59.420
 Jesus knew

00:40:59.420 --> 00:40:59.760
 you and

00:40:59.760 --> 00:41:00.320
 he went

00:41:00.320 --> 00:41:00.619
 to the

00:41:00.619 --> 00:41:01.159
 cross for

00:41:01.159 --> 00:41:01.420
 you.

00:41:02.240 --> 00:41:02.639
 How

00:41:02.639 --> 00:41:03.440
 astounding,

00:41:03.639 --> 00:41:04.440
 how awesome,

00:41:04.579 --> 00:41:05.740
 how unbelievably

00:41:05.740 --> 00:41:07.440
 incredible is

00:41:07.440 --> 00:41:08.440
 God's redeeming

00:41:08.440 --> 00:41:09.000
 grace.

00:41:09.940 --> 00:41:10.360
 Friends,

00:41:10.440 --> 00:41:10.659
 you know what

00:41:10.659 --> 00:41:11.360
 the secret is?

00:41:12.740 --> 00:41:13.579
 God's renewal,

00:41:13.860 --> 00:41:15.039
 God's restoration,

00:41:15.039 --> 00:41:16.059
 God's great

00:41:16.059 --> 00:41:16.900
 redemption isn't

00:41:16.900 --> 00:41:17.440
 automatic.

00:41:18.259 --> 00:41:18.940
 It's free,

00:41:19.119 --> 00:41:19.579
 but it's not

00:41:19.579 --> 00:41:19.980
 cheap.

00:41:21.000 --> 00:41:21.900
 It requires

00:41:21.900 --> 00:41:22.519
 our humility.

00:41:23.440 --> 00:41:24.059
 It requires

00:41:24.059 --> 00:41:24.739
 our submission.

00:41:25.759 --> 00:41:26.420
 It requires

00:41:26.420 --> 00:41:26.980
 that we come

00:41:26.980 --> 00:41:27.559
 to him in

00:41:27.559 --> 00:41:28.139
 faith and

00:41:28.139 --> 00:41:28.619
 repentance.

00:41:29.460 --> 00:41:30.079
 It requires

00:41:30.079 --> 00:41:30.559
 that we come

00:41:30.559 --> 00:41:30.900
 to him and

00:41:30.900 --> 00:41:31.039
 say,

00:41:31.119 --> 00:41:31.420
 Jesus,

00:41:32.079 --> 00:41:32.679
 have your

00:41:32.679 --> 00:41:32.940
 way.

00:41:33.739 --> 00:41:34.019
 Friends,

00:41:34.059 --> 00:41:34.559
 the story of

00:41:34.559 --> 00:41:35.480
 Daniel is that

00:41:35.480 --> 00:41:36.159
 God wants to

00:41:36.159 --> 00:41:36.800
 show us that

00:41:36.800 --> 00:41:37.480
 he is on the

00:41:37.480 --> 00:41:37.759
 throne,

00:41:38.219 --> 00:41:39.019
 that no matter

00:41:39.019 --> 00:41:39.639
 what's going on

00:41:39.639 --> 00:41:40.039
 in our world,

00:41:40.159 --> 00:41:40.880
 God rules and

00:41:40.880 --> 00:41:41.159
 reigns,

00:41:41.159 --> 00:41:41.480
 and we can

00:41:41.480 --> 00:41:42.039
 trust him,

00:41:42.059 --> 00:41:42.420
 even in the

00:41:42.420 --> 00:41:42.880
 midst of the

00:41:42.880 --> 00:41:43.820
 storms and

00:41:43.820 --> 00:41:44.400
 the trials of

00:41:44.400 --> 00:41:44.659
 life.

00:41:45.420 --> 00:41:46.139
 Daniel 1

00:41:46.139 --> 00:41:46.559
 wants to

00:41:46.559 --> 00:41:47.159
 tell us and

00:41:47.159 --> 00:41:47.659
 show us that

00:41:47.659 --> 00:41:49.039
 character trumps

00:41:49.039 --> 00:41:49.960
 gifting every

00:41:49.960 --> 00:41:50.480
 single day.

00:41:51.079 --> 00:41:51.579
 And God wants

00:41:51.579 --> 00:41:52.099
 to show us that

00:41:52.099 --> 00:41:52.619
 if we're going

00:41:52.619 --> 00:41:53.759
 to be faithful

00:41:53.759 --> 00:41:54.679
 people of God

00:41:54.679 --> 00:41:55.360
 in the city,

00:41:55.659 --> 00:41:56.159
 we need to

00:41:56.159 --> 00:41:56.519
 know what it

00:41:56.519 --> 00:41:56.880
 means to

00:41:56.880 --> 00:41:57.340
 worship him.

00:41:57.400 --> 00:41:57.779
 We need to

00:41:57.779 --> 00:41:58.380
 know what

00:41:58.380 --> 00:41:58.659
 does it mean

00:41:58.659 --> 00:41:59.279
 to put Christ

00:41:59.279 --> 00:41:59.639
 first,

00:41:59.699 --> 00:42:00.219
 even in the

00:42:00.219 --> 00:42:00.659
 midst of the

00:42:00.659 --> 00:42:01.219
 most trying

00:42:01.219 --> 00:42:01.679
 and difficult

00:42:01.679 --> 00:42:02.420
 circumstances

00:42:02.420 --> 00:42:03.019
 of our life.

00:42:03.900 --> 00:42:04.340
 But ultimately

00:42:04.340 --> 00:42:05.039
 God wants to

00:42:05.039 --> 00:42:05.860
 know that

00:42:05.860 --> 00:42:06.259
 there will be

00:42:06.259 --> 00:42:06.880
 days when we

00:42:06.880 --> 00:42:07.179
 fail.

00:42:07.699 --> 00:42:08.019
 There will be

00:42:08.019 --> 00:42:08.559
 days when it

00:42:08.559 --> 00:42:09.059
 doesn't work

00:42:09.059 --> 00:42:09.239
 out.

00:42:09.340 --> 00:42:09.639
 There will be

00:42:09.639 --> 00:42:10.300
 times when

00:42:10.300 --> 00:42:11.139
 serving God

00:42:11.139 --> 00:42:11.539
 in the city,

00:42:11.659 --> 00:42:12.259
 we mess up

00:42:12.259 --> 00:42:12.900
 and we fail.

00:42:13.599 --> 00:42:13.920
 And God

00:42:13.920 --> 00:42:14.420
 wants us to

00:42:14.420 --> 00:42:14.780
 know that

00:42:14.780 --> 00:42:15.340
 even on our

00:42:15.340 --> 00:42:16.119
 very worst

00:42:16.119 --> 00:42:16.320
 day,

00:42:16.400 --> 00:42:16.820
 God is not

00:42:16.820 --> 00:42:17.639
 withdrawing from

00:42:17.639 --> 00:42:17.820
 us,

00:42:18.000 --> 00:42:18.639
 he's moving

00:42:18.639 --> 00:42:19.380
 towards us

00:42:19.380 --> 00:42:20.400
 in unbelievable

00:42:20.400 --> 00:42:21.780
 grace and

00:42:21.780 --> 00:42:22.079
 mercy.

00:42:22.500 --> 00:42:23.079
 This is the

00:42:23.079 --> 00:42:23.440
 God we

00:42:23.440 --> 00:42:23.780
 serve.

00:42:23.940 --> 00:42:24.380
 This is the

00:42:24.380 --> 00:42:24.680
 God we

00:42:24.680 --> 00:42:24.960
 love.

00:42:25.360 --> 00:42:25.920
 This is the

00:42:25.920 --> 00:42:26.240
 God that

00:42:26.240 --> 00:42:26.619
 has called

00:42:26.619 --> 00:42:26.980
 us to

00:42:26.980 --> 00:42:27.340
 love and

00:42:27.340 --> 00:42:28.139
 serve our

00:42:28.139 --> 00:42:28.380
 city.

00:42:28.840 --> 00:42:29.320
 Let's pray

00:42:29.320 --> 00:42:29.659
 together.

00:42:30.960 --> 00:42:31.400
 Heavenly

00:42:31.400 --> 00:42:31.760
 Father,

00:42:32.000 --> 00:42:32.900
 we come

00:42:32.900 --> 00:42:33.240
 before you

00:42:33.240 --> 00:42:33.760
 this morning

00:42:33.760 --> 00:42:34.639
 and we

00:42:34.639 --> 00:42:38.019
 need you,

00:42:38.099 --> 00:42:38.280
 God.

00:42:38.960 --> 00:42:39.519
 God, we

00:42:39.519 --> 00:42:39.760
 want to

00:42:39.760 --> 00:42:40.300
 become the

00:42:40.300 --> 00:42:40.840
 people that

00:42:40.840 --> 00:42:41.380
 you've called

00:42:41.380 --> 00:42:41.800
 us to be.

00:42:41.800 --> 00:42:43.320
 As a

00:42:43.320 --> 00:42:43.820
 church, Lord,

00:42:43.860 --> 00:42:44.340
 we want to

00:42:44.340 --> 00:42:44.980
 love and

00:42:44.980 --> 00:42:45.640
 serve our

00:42:45.640 --> 00:42:45.880
 city.

00:42:46.500 --> 00:42:47.560
 We want to

00:42:47.560 --> 00:42:48.380
 bring salt

00:42:48.380 --> 00:42:49.140
 and light to

00:42:49.140 --> 00:42:49.580
 our city.

00:42:50.580 --> 00:42:51.100
 God, as a

00:42:51.100 --> 00:42:51.560
 church, we

00:42:51.560 --> 00:42:52.180
 want to be

00:42:52.180 --> 00:42:53.140
 those that

00:42:53.140 --> 00:42:54.060
 bring the

00:42:54.060 --> 00:42:54.560
 good news of

00:42:54.560 --> 00:42:55.039
 Jesus to

00:42:55.039 --> 00:42:55.420
 our city.

00:42:56.720 --> 00:42:57.340
 But Father

00:42:57.340 --> 00:42:58.220
 God, first and

00:42:58.220 --> 00:42:58.820
 foremost, we

00:42:58.820 --> 00:42:59.300
 need to be

00:42:59.300 --> 00:42:59.920
 those that

00:42:59.920 --> 00:43:00.500
 have been

00:43:00.500 --> 00:43:01.800
 touched and

00:43:01.800 --> 00:43:02.560
 transformed by

00:43:02.560 --> 00:43:03.180
 the redeeming

00:43:03.180 --> 00:43:03.660
 grace of

00:43:03.660 --> 00:43:03.940
 God.

00:43:05.000 --> 00:43:05.320
 And so,

00:43:05.440 --> 00:43:05.920
 Christ, we

00:43:05.920 --> 00:43:06.640
 pray, come and

00:43:06.640 --> 00:43:07.080
 work in our

00:43:07.080 --> 00:43:07.420
 hearts.

00:43:08.340 --> 00:43:09.039
 God, I pray

00:43:09.039 --> 00:43:10.059
 for those of

00:43:10.059 --> 00:43:10.460
 us this

00:43:10.460 --> 00:43:11.079
 morning that

00:43:11.079 --> 00:43:12.099
 are feeling

00:43:12.099 --> 00:43:15.920
 like we

00:43:15.920 --> 00:43:16.719
 desperately need

00:43:16.719 --> 00:43:17.159
 your grace

00:43:17.159 --> 00:43:17.619
 this morning,

00:43:17.719 --> 00:43:17.940
 God.

00:43:19.920 --> 00:43:20.759
 God, those of

00:43:20.759 --> 00:43:21.360
 us that need

00:43:21.360 --> 00:43:22.199
 redemption in

00:43:22.199 --> 00:43:22.900
 some way, maybe

00:43:22.900 --> 00:43:23.579
 our marriage

00:43:23.579 --> 00:43:24.380
 needs redemption.

00:43:25.960 --> 00:43:26.360
 Maybe our

00:43:26.360 --> 00:43:27.000
 relationship with

00:43:27.000 --> 00:43:28.259
 our children is

00:43:28.259 --> 00:43:28.639
 healing.

00:43:32.840 --> 00:43:33.539
 God, maybe

00:43:33.539 --> 00:43:34.239
 some of us

00:43:34.239 --> 00:43:36.259
 have sinned

00:43:36.259 --> 00:43:36.699
 in some

00:43:36.699 --> 00:43:38.179
 great and

00:43:38.179 --> 00:43:39.000
 grievous way

00:43:39.000 --> 00:43:39.379
 and it

00:43:39.379 --> 00:43:40.299
 feels like we

00:43:40.299 --> 00:43:40.960
 are beyond

00:43:40.960 --> 00:43:41.759
 forgiveness.

00:43:43.199 --> 00:43:43.699
 Oh, God,

00:43:43.759 --> 00:43:44.379
 won't you wash

00:43:44.379 --> 00:43:44.859
 us with your

00:43:44.859 --> 00:43:45.179
 grace?

00:43:45.359 --> 00:43:46.099
 Won't you flood

00:43:46.099 --> 00:43:46.619
 us with your

00:43:46.619 --> 00:43:46.940
 mercy?

00:43:48.359 --> 00:43:48.940
 Won't you,

00:43:49.079 --> 00:43:50.019
 Jesus, remind

00:43:50.019 --> 00:43:52.339
 us that of

00:43:52.339 --> 00:43:53.199
 your redeeming,

00:43:53.980 --> 00:43:54.739
 incredible

00:43:54.739 --> 00:43:55.519
 redeeming grace,

00:43:55.639 --> 00:43:55.859
 God?

00:44:00.099 --> 00:44:00.859
 Jesus, I pray,

00:44:00.940 --> 00:44:01.419
 also won't you

00:44:01.419 --> 00:44:02.299
 help us to,

00:44:03.039 --> 00:44:03.960
 like Daniel and

00:44:03.960 --> 00:44:04.639
 his friends, to

00:44:04.639 --> 00:44:05.099
 have deep

00:44:05.099 --> 00:44:07.460
 resolve, to

00:44:07.460 --> 00:44:08.240
 know that no

00:44:08.240 --> 00:44:08.679
 matter what

00:44:08.679 --> 00:44:10.780
 the cost, we

00:44:10.780 --> 00:44:12.179
 will serve

00:44:12.179 --> 00:44:12.720
 you and

00:44:12.720 --> 00:44:13.320
 worship you,

00:44:13.380 --> 00:44:14.000
 God, that you

00:44:14.000 --> 00:44:14.619
 will be first

00:44:14.619 --> 00:44:15.320
 and foremost in

00:44:15.320 --> 00:44:15.840
 our hearts and

00:44:15.840 --> 00:44:16.300
 our lives.

00:44:18.619 --> 00:44:19.280
 Christ, come and

00:44:19.280 --> 00:44:19.800
 lead us in your

00:44:19.800 --> 00:44:20.579
 mercy, we pray.

00:44:20.720 --> 00:44:21.119
 Amen.

00:44:22.360 --> 00:44:23.159
 In your

00:44:23.159 --> 00:44:23.820
 awesome name,

00:44:24.920 --> 00:44:25.300
 Amen.