You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama.
Our passion is to experience and express grace.
Join us.
Amen.
Last week we began a journey through the book of Daniel.
We began that journey by reading about the defeat of God's people.
His people suffering defeat against Babylon and King Nebuchadnezzar.
So God's people are going to be taken into Babylon where the rest of the book occurs.
Today Daniel and his friends are taken into exile in Babylon.
They're moved there and we begin to deal then with the question of when in Babylon?
How should we live?
What does it look like for God's people living in Babylon?
Here's this pluralistic culture much like the one we live in and God's people called to a singular devotion to Him.
How?
How can that happen?
In some ways it's the age-old challenge of being in the world but not of the world.
And there are at least four ways that Christians have approached this idea through the years.
The first is to isolate, right?
You're faced with this dilemma living in Babylon and one option is to isolate, to avoid all possible interaction with this culture.
To avoid contact with the world whenever possible.
Create a separate culture of your own that protects from the ills of the world and is entirely Christian.
This approach values safety and assumes, incorrectly I would say, that all evil is out there.
And we can, with some degree of success, avoid being defiled by avoiding being near the world.
A second option is to fight.
Even in an angry or belligerent way.
Always being angry about everything and always seeking to push back.
At every turn, the way I'm engaging the culture is by defeating it to gain control or power.
This approach values control.
It would seek to see Christians in the majority and would fight politically or socially
to see Christian influence in the culture increase by being in charge.
It's the we're going to win approach.
We're going to be stronger than they are.
Now, if you're among the older generations in this room this morning and you've lived most of your life in America
and particularly in the southern Bible belt,
some version of this approach is pretty much the air you breathe, right?
That you may have grown up and not actually felt at all like you were living in Babylon.
You may have felt very much like Christian principles ruled the day in many areas of society
and in the way that you engaged.
Christians have even used terms like moral majority
to talk about the way we engage with the culture,
that that's what we're going to have and that's how we'll live.
But if you're among the younger generations in the room today,
you've never experienced a world quite like that,
even in Huntsville, Alabama.
Even growing up here, you're much more accustomed to a culture that disagrees with
or actively discourages your values and beliefs.
Younger Christians, you may have noticed, are in general not particularly interested
in striving to be in control of cultural institutions.
But rather, they're working to remain credible and relevant
as a minority in an increasingly dismissive and sometimes hostile culture
that they're growing up in.
And as they do that, the temptation for them is actually towards a third approach,
which is to assimilate.
To determine to be a part of the world in every way.
To take a passive, go-with-the-flow stance on most issues
and just hope to blend in and get along, right?
Not to attract too much negative attention or too much criticism.
This approach values acceptance.
In the end, perhaps, as other generations may notice,
may sometimes find themselves left with little distinctively Christian.
No distinctively Christian message at all, perhaps.
We all have personal tendencies as we think about how to engage, don't we?
Some of us to isolate, some of us to fight, some of us to assimilate.
But while there are moments where each of these approaches may be helpful,
in general, none of them is fully biblical.
Is there a fourth approach?
Is there another way to engage in a culture like Babylon?
Like ours?
Daniel will show us one as we read chapter 1.
And we will learn this,
that because God is supremely valuable,
we must maintain our distinctive identity in the world.
Because God is supremely valuable,
we must stay distinctive,
maintain that distinctive identity while engaging in the world.
Let's give attention to God's word
and see what this looks like for his people here in Babylon.
It's a lengthy section in Daniel 1,
but we'll start at verse 3,
after Nebuchadnezzar has conquered Israel.
This is God's word.
The wine that the king drank.
They were to be educated for three years,
and at the end of that time,
they were to stand before the king.
Among these were Daniel, Hananiah,
Mishael, and Azariah of the tribe of Judah.
And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names.
Daniel he called Belteshazzar.
Hananiah he called Shadrach.
Mishael he called Meshach.
And Azariah he called Abednego.
But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself
with the king's food or with the wine that he drank.
Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs
to allow him not to defile himself.
And God gave Daniel favor and compassion
in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs.
And the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel,
I fear my lord the king who assigned your food and your drink,
for why should he see that you were in worse condition
than the youths who are of your own age?
So you would endanger my head with the king.
Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs
had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,
Test your servants for ten days.
Let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink.
Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths
who eat the king's food be observed by you
and deal with your servants according to what you see.
So he listened to them in this matter
and tested them for ten days.
At the end of ten days it was seen
that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh
than all the youths who ate the king's food.
So the steward took away their food
and the wine they were to drink
and gave them vegetables.
As for these four youths,
God gave them learning and skill
and all literature and wisdom.
And Daniel had understanding
and all visions and dreams.
At the end of the time when the king had commanded
that they should be brought in,
the chief of the eunuchs brought them in
before Nebuchadnezzar.
And the king spoke with them
and among all of them none was found
like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
Therefore they stood before the king.
And in every matter of wisdom and understanding
about which the king inquired of them,
he found them ten times better
than all the magicians and enchanters
that were in all his kingdom.
And Daniel was there until the first year
of King Cyrus.
Pray with me.
Father, this is a familiar story
for some of us.
But it seems distant.
It happened a long time ago.
600 B.C.
Not a world we're familiar with.
Would you teach us about yourself
from your word this morning?
Would you show us what you would have for us?
This is your word
and so we ask your spirit
to teach us.
Would you make our hearts open
to what you would show us this morning?
We ask it in Jesus' name.
Amen.
As the story opens here,
what brings Daniel and his friends
to Babylon
is the king's plan
of complete assimilation.
It's in verses 3-7
that we just read.
The king has a plan
for complete assimilation.
Nebuchadnezzar wants to do what?
He wants to cement his power
over these newly conquered peoples,
doesn't he?
He wants to make sure
that he's in power
and that he stays in power
by taking the best
and the brightest of Israel
and making them Babylonian
in every way.
Daniel and his friends
are probably teenagers,
by the way,
when they are taken
from their homes
and dragged to Babylon.
enrolled in Babylon Prep.
The Babylonian public schools
are well known
for their excellence
in academics.
They're also well known
for their excellence
at inculcating
the Babylonian worldview
and way of life.
So classes on literature
and math
and medicine,
but also classes on omens,
astrology,
pagan religion,
and others most likely.
Don't miss that God,
who is at work here,
who we saw last week,
is in control,
has placed some of his beloved people
right there.
Right there
in the world.
The program of assimilation
that they're to undergo
includes new names,
a new diet,
new education,
the best of everything
that Babylon has to offer
with the intent
of communicating one message,
one thing that the king wants
these men
who would serve
before the king
to know,
the path
to the things
that are really valuable
is to be like one of us.
All those things
you heard growing up
in Israel,
they're inferior.
We've conquered them.
That's not worthy
of following.
The path
to the really valuable things
is to be like us.
You hear that message
all the time,
don't you?
The path
to what's really valuable
is to be like us.
Maybe you've been
a part of a
friend group,
a workplace clique,
a sorority
that you've been engaged with
and the reality
is that backbiting
and gossip
and demeaning criticism
of others
is really the language
of the land
in this group.
If you're going
to be a part of it,
if you're going
to be in there
getting or staying in
requires compromising
your commitment
to Christ
to get what's
really valuable,
to get in,
to be a part of that.
Caring for the marginalized
will just get you
marginalized.
You can tell that.
And then what good
will you be,
you ask yourself?
Young people,
some of you
are going off
to school
and you're hearing
a message there
that if you're going
to get what's
really valuable,
that if you're going
to find love
and what's really
important in life,
you will have to
have a sexual morality
like everyone else.
It's just normal
and expected
these days,
isn't it?
The commitments
that your parents
have taught you
as you've grown up
are mocked
as ridiculous.
Nobody really
lives that way
anymore.
That's silly,
that's old-fashioned,
that's out of date.
And the relationships,
the guy or the girl
that you really need,
this is the only way
you can get it
is to do
what everyone else
is doing.
We all know
how valuable it is
to provide
for our families,
don't we?
To have a good job
and to keep it
and to be able
to provide,
that's valuable,
isn't it?
It's very valuable.
And many of us
realize if we don't
fudge the numbers
like the rest
of the people
in the office,
we'll lose the promotion
or the bonus
or the job.
And then if we
don't make the money,
we won't be able
to live in the right place
or get the valuable things
to protect our kids
and that would be terrible
and after all,
it's just a very small
compromise
for such a big payoff
to be able to provide
for my family,
right?
We live in these places,
don't we?
Where does your heart
receive that clear message?
The path to the things
that are really valuable
is to be like everyone else.
You know,
there's a reason
my parents always
used to say to me,
if everybody else
jumps off a bridge,
are you gonna jump
off a bridge too?
Anybody else's parents
ever say that to them?
Why did we say that a lot?
I mean,
it sounds silly,
but honestly,
you know,
I was a smart
and sarcastic
little kid sometimes.
Sometimes I thought
to myself
but didn't have the guts
to say it,
yeah,
maybe I would.
I mean,
because yeah,
if everybody else
is doing it,
maybe they've found
what's really valuable.
Maybe they're
in the right place
and they've figured
something out
and I wanna,
at least I'd be,
I won't be alone.
At least I'll be a part
of the group
even if they're wrong.
You've felt that way.
There's safety in numbers,
right?
Daniel determines
not necessarily.
Starting at verse eight,
we see Daniel's commitment
to his distinctive identity.
His commitment
to his distinctive identity.
Look at verse eight.
What does Daniel do?
But Daniel,
faced with this plan
of assimilation,
resolved that he would
not defile himself
with the king's food
or with the wine
that he drank.
Daniel makes a decision.
I'm not going to defile myself
in that way.
He doesn't isolate himself,
does he?
He doesn't try to just
avoid Babylon altogether
and to escape
from Babylonian education
or politics.
No, he spends
the rest of his life in it.
He doesn't fight.
He doesn't angrily attack
those in charge
of the program
and seek to take over
and be in charge.
But he doesn't assimilate either.
He doesn't just go along
with this complete indoctrination
into Babylonian culture,
full loyalty to the king
and forgetting his Jewish heritage.
He doesn't do that.
Instead, he resolves
not to defile himself.
He commits to maintaining
his distinctive identity
in some way
even in the midst of that.
And so it's a fair question
to say,
why here with the food and wine?
Why is it there
that Daniel draws the line?
You may think perhaps
that it's because
of Jewish dietary laws
that Daniel,
these things would be unclean
and so Daniel decides
he won't eat them.
That's actually not true
in this case.
It wouldn't make sense
of why the wine
would be included
as not part of that.
And later in Daniel,
we actually see him
probably eating
some of this very food.
So it seems like
it wasn't black and white
like that.
You may think very reasonably
that the food
was offered to idols.
And so it was important
for Daniel
not to partake of food
offered to idols.
Except that that really
is not the context
we're in here.
Plus, the veggies
probably would have been
the same.
And he's happy
to partake of those.
The Bible doesn't tell us
why specifically
Daniel drew the line here
except that he determined
not to defile himself
in this way.
So the particular reason
why must not be the issue
but rather that Daniel
determined to maintain
his identity
as a follower of Yahweh
in some way
and not give himself
wholly over
to dependence on
and commitment
to the king.
Just taking it all in
and just being loyal
to the king.
It's a foothold
in that sense
for Daniel
in the midst of the program
of complete assimilation.
A way not to forget
who he is.
Notice just a few things
about the way
that Daniel engages
the ungodly culture
at this point.
He's not fearful,
is he?
But he's bold.
Determining that he would
take a stand here
and going straight
to the chief of the eunuchs
with his request.
He's willing to risk,
isn't he?
It's risky.
Perhaps even risking
his life to suggest
this idea.
Verse 10 tells us
that it could cost
the chief of the eunuchs
his head.
So it certainly was
risky for Daniel.
In asking this though,
he's humble,
isn't he?
Not pridefully insisting
that he knows better
but asking permission.
And he's respectful.
Personally and patiently
engaging two different officials
to ask for their help
rather than taking to Facebook
as you would probably expect him
to have done
to rant about
the ridiculous new program
and the fools in charge of it.
But he doesn't do that.
Finally, he's dependent.
Verse 9 says,
and God gave.
You hear an echo
from verse 2 last week?
And God gave.
It actually happens again
in this chapter.
Three times in the first chapter.
It'll happen in verse 17.
We'll see in a minute.
And God gave.
Who's still in charge?
God is in charge.
God is the one
who gives Daniel favor
in the eyes of these foreign officials
who would really have had no reason
to listen to Daniel.
He's engaging in a foreign culture
in a distinctive way.
In a way that's consistent
with his identity
as a follower of Yahweh.
And in a way that is not forcing
his own agenda
to become reality
but is rather completely dependent
on God to grant him success.
It won't happen
if God doesn't give him favor.
And these may seem like
small things here
that we're talking about.
In a decision not to eat the food
and drink the wine.
But in the small things,
if you know the story
of the rest of Daniel,
you know God's offering here,
Daniel and his friends,
a training ground
for idols
and fiery furnaces
and lion's dens.
A training ground
that allows them
to be distinctive now
in preparation
for even more difficult days
that lie ahead.
Friends, as followers
of Jesus Christ,
we have a distinctive identity.
We are in Christ.
And that is to be
what primarily defines us
in every facet of life.
That means, for example,
that we find value
in that we are loved by God
and adopted into His family.
So we are distinctively
not looking for our value
in the approval of others.
In worldly success
and accumulating the things
of the world.
In the comfort
and the fame
that we might otherwise
chase after.
We rest in the grace of God
for ourselves
and extend that grace
to others
even at great cost
to ourselves.
And that is to be distinctive.
In fact, it is distinctive
if you live and love
others like that.
The point of Daniel 1
is not to tell you
that it's okay
to change your name
but it's not okay
to change what you eat.
That's not the point
of this chapter.
It's not a detailed list
of do's and don'ts
for living in Babylon.
Do these particular things
but make sure
you avoid the others.
It's a reminder here
of the primacy
of our identity
in Christ.
That we sacrifice
that distinctive identity
and blend in
with our loyalties
and priorities
looking just like
the world's
at our own peril.
We really can't go
any further
without stopping
to admit
how easy that is.
Right?
How easy would it have been
for Daniel
just to go along
with one more thing.
Right?
Everybody else
is a part of the program.
It would have been
very easy.
It wasn't even
best we can tell
individually more evil
than any other part
of the program.
It didn't stick out
as the one thing
to avoid.
How easy is it
just to give in
in one more area?
Just to say
I'll buy what you buy
and pursue what you pursue
and I'll watch
what you watch
and I'll say
what you say
and eventually
over time
just forget
that my life
is to be shaped
distinctively
by who I am
in Christ
not by just
receiving the air
that I breathe
around me
every day.
It's so easy
isn't it
just to go
with the flow.
Some days
I feel like
that's all
I've got the energy
for.
Not to determine
to do anything
at all
just kind of
whatever the culture
seems to do.
It's like going
through Atlanta
at the flow
of traffic
and you can look
up and not even
realize you were
going 80
in a 55
right?
It's natural
it's easy
it feels right.
It's so hard
to resolve
not to defile
yourself
to be committed
to your
distinctive identity
to be driven
in everything you do
by who you are
in Christ.
That's hard.
You can't do it
without trusting
God's provision
of lasting
blessing.
That's what
we see here
at the end
of the chapter.
We see again
in verse 17
that God
gave
this time
blessing them
with learning
and skill
and their
training
and Daniel
particularly
with expertise
and vision
and dreams
so they far
surpass all
the other youths
in the king's
training right?
Now that seems
like a triumph
doesn't it?
There it is
they've conquered
they've won
everything's good
stories over
and there is
blessing
there is a
temporal blessing
from God
God's people
are honored
but things are
not all good
for Daniel
and his friends
are they?
And they experience
some of that
temporal protection
blessing from God
yes they do
but also
quite a bit
of suffering
they spend
the rest
of their lives
in exile
away from
the promised land
facing persecution
at the hands
of jealous
colleagues
and ungodly
kings
listen the
lasting blessing
is not a few
good days
in Nebuchadnezzar's
court
it can't be
can it?
But the thing
that's really
worth it for
Daniel enough
to risk his
life in this
case can't
just be a few
good days of
being smarter
than the guys
around him
the lasting
blessing is
God
himself
we see
that relationship
they have
with God
is highlighted
there in
verse 17
as God
gives them
learning
and understanding
particularly
Daniel
with the
dreams
and visions
where does
that come
from?
Whenever it
comes up
the interpretation
of the dream
comes from
God
doesn't it?
It shows
that Daniel
understands
God's heart
that he's
a man
of God
that he's
in relationship
with God
you see
the gift
with lasting
value
is knowing
God
a relationship
with God
is lasting
and is
strengthened
by the
commitment
to that
primary
and distinctive
identity
as his
child
in the midst
of temptation
to compromise
or assimilate
it strengthens
the relationship
and the truly
valuable thing
is being his
and eternally
being his
look at verse 21
again
didn't probably
catch your
attention
Daniel was there
until the first
year of
King Cyrus
until the first
year of King Cyrus
we know at that
point in time
Daniel would have
to be in his
80s
or older
that's his
entire life
right?
A note here
about King Cyrus
to wrap up
the first chapter
that we said
is about two
kingdoms in
conflict
the kingdom
of Israel
and the kingdom
of Babylon
Yahweh
and Nebuchadnezzar
they're in
conflict
who's greater
it appears
at the beginning
that Babylon
is greater
and that Yahweh
is defeated
right?
That's what we
saw last week
but Cyrus
is not just
another king
who steps in
after Nebuchadnezzar
is gone
Cyrus is a
Persian
king
his nation
has conquered
Babylon
even in
Daniel's
lifetime
Daniel
is still
there
still standing
still
serving
the king
kings pass
kingdoms
pass
but God
remains
in control
knowing him
therefore
is of
much
greater value
than getting
in with
Nebuchadnezzar
do you see that?
if you just
got in with
Nebuchadnezzar
he's gonna be
gone
it's gonna
pass
but knowing
God
is much
greater
value
being connected
to his son
is of much
greater value
than being
connected
to the power
players of
society
that's the
eternal
perspective
that God
truly
lasts
even kings
pass
people
people who
seem to be
powerful
and valuable
and will really
get us
somewhere
and they're
gone
but
God
remains
kids
that's something
that's hard
to wrap your
minds around
God being
eternal
God lasting
forever
that's
that's hard
to picture
sometimes
isn't it?
but that's
what's so
important
in this
passage
to
remember
God
is
so valuable
that knowing
him
is a
greater
treasure
than having
all the
treasures
of the
world
kids
that's
our
thing
to
write
down
about
God
this
morning
it's
what
Daniel
learns
about
God
and what
enables
Daniel
to take
the stand
that he
does here
in chapter
one
God is
so valuable
that knowing
him is a
greater
treasure
than having
all the
treasures
of the
world
the most
valuable
thing
is being
his
eternally
remember
y'all
in Christ
in that
distinctive
identity
what do we
have
we
forgotten
we have
every
spiritual
blessing
the ones
that
really
last
we're
children
of the
king
the
everlasting
king
we have
an
eternal
inheritance
that can
never
fade
away
listen
I know
all the
things
that we
long
for
seem
so
valuable
and the
way to
get them
seems
so
simple
just
blend
in
and get
ahead
just
blend
in
and get
love
just
blend
in
and get
what you
really
want
and need
but when
you weigh
things in
eternal
scales
there's no
comparison
with the
relationship
you have
with God
and the
distinctive
identity
that you
have
in Christ
it's
that
grace
that
gift
that
he
gives
us
that
enables
us
to
remain
committed
to the
one
who
has
committed
himself
to
us
I want
to close
by talking
from my
heart
to the
younger
generation
in the
room
this
morning
that's
those
of us
I don't
know
maybe
south
of our
40s
something
like that
you can
be a part
of the
group
if you
want
if you
know
you're
not
you can
listen
in
anyway
all of
us
who
Lord
willing
are
going
to be
around
when
a few
kings
pass
you know
I wasn't
a teenager
too long
ago
sometimes I
think it
was just
yesterday
but even
now in
my 30s
I remember
and still
say to
myself
some of
the same
things I
used to
say as
a teenager
one of
those that
I find
saying to
myself
is you
know what
I'll
follow
Christ
later
in that
area of
my life
I'll be
committed
to Christ
later
because to
be quite
honest with
you there's
so much
going on
there are
so many
areas of
life and
I am so
busy just
one thing
at a time
you know
what I'll
deal with
that another
time
I'll
follow
Christ
later
you know
what I've
realized after
telling myself
that for
a lot
of
years
it only
costs
more
later
to have
that
distinctive
identity
the cost
keeps going
up
not
down
the cost
of following
Christ
isn't going
down
in our
culture
if you
won't pay
it now
you won't
pay it
later
if you
won't
sacrifice
for Christ
now
you won't
sacrifice
later
that's
what God
has taught
me
don't say
to yourself
after college
after I get
to go
really enjoy
my life
then I'll
follow God's
model for
morality
after I
get to have
my fun
don't say
to yourself
you know
after I get
the job
that I
really need
once I've
got that
job
then I'll
start
working
honestly
and treating
others
respectfully
that's when
I'll do
it
don't say
to yourself
you know
what
after
after we
finally get
through this
season
and really
get settled
then I'll
start making
my family
the priority
that they
should be
and loving
them the way
that God
tells me
to love
them
don't say
to yourself
after I
get my
kids out
of the
house
take good
care of
them
protect
them
and get
them out
of the
house
then I'll
have a
zeal for
the lost
like you've
never seen
then I'm
really going
to care
about that
y'all I want
to stop
saying those
things
I need you
to help
me stop
saying those
things to
myself
it's not
going to
cost
less
and in
these early
small
decisions
we begin
to set the
pattern for
our lives
for future
decisions
here's how
it works
if getting
what's really
valuable
in life
requires
setting God
aside now
why in the
world would
that change
later
if getting
what's really
valuable
requires setting
God aside
I'm not going
to change
that later
and bring
him back
in
in other
words if
God's not
worth it
now he
won't be
then either
but if you
decide to be
distinctive
now if you
find following
Jesus to be
worth it
now even
at great
cost he
will be
worth it
it will be
worth it
again
later
because when
we say the
cost of
following Jesus
of being
distinctive in
that identity
is not going
down that
means something
else has to
change doesn't
it if that's
true you know
what has to
happen God
has to become
more valuable
to us doesn't
he if that
cost is going
to go up he's
got to become
more valuable
faster and
more consistently
remember what
said of Moses
in Hebrews 11
by faith Moses
when he was
grown up
refused to be
called the son
of Pharaoh's
daughter choosing
rather to
be mistreated
with the people
of God than
to enjoy the
fleeting pleasures
of sin
he considered
the reproach of
Christ greater
wealth than the
treasures of
Egypt for he was
looking to the
reward because he
had an eternal
perspective he
considered the
reproach of
Christ greater
wealth than the
treasures of
Egypt y'all
that's the choice
we're going to be
making next
generation the
choice will be
the reproach of
Christ
over the
treasures of
Egypt it
will cost and
Moses said even
reproach with
Christ is greater
value than the
treasures of
Egypt it reminds
me of Jesus when
he's tempted by
Satan what's he
tempted to do to
find control to
find comfort Satan's
way rather than God's
way and Jesus says
God is so valuable
he is so worth it
that I'll choose the
path that I know at
the end of it is what
waiting for me a
cross torment and
pain and rejection by
my father is worth
it Jesus says it's
going to cost
something and it's
worth it to choose
that path he says
God is the treasure he
is the one of
lasting value
knowing God himself
is the treasure that
is most precious
solid joys and
lasting treasure
none but Zion's
children know
so that's in front of
us if we're going to
be anything like what
God intends for us as
his church here at
Southwood in the years
to come if we're
going to be God's
agent of changing the
world don't you want
to be a part of that
don't you want to be a
part of God's agency to
change the world to
fill every person in
every corner of
creation with his
glory that's what he's
doing and he wants us
to be a part of it if
we're going to get to
do that we will have to
learn together and we
will have to help each
other remember in the
hard times that God is
supremely and eternally
valuable pray with me
God we need your help
for that there's so
many other things in
our hearts that seem
more valuable and that
we want we want to be a
community of people we
want to be your body that
truly believes that you're
worth whatever cost you
might ask us to pay that
truly believes that the
people who have yet to
meet you are worth
whatever cost we would
pay to show your love to
them we just confess that
many days it's not true
many days our choices are
for ourselves and our own
comfort and father I pray
that you would by your
grace make yourself so
precious in our hearts so
valuable in our eyes that
everything else would pale in
comparison I pray that you
would make the song we're
about to sing increasingly
true of us would you make
Jesus more valuable to us than
anything else that we would be
forever different that the
world would be changed because
Jesus was indeed the pearl of
great price and we did
anything to have him and to
share him with others do that
work we ask in his name amen
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you