8 Words to Direct Your Life

Opening Scriptures:
Matt. 5:13 - you are the salt
Matt. 5:14 - you are to be the light of the world
Eph. 2:10 - you were created by God for good works
1 Cor. 12:7 - every Christian given manifestations of the Spirit for the good of others 

Point = You are here for a Reason!  a Purpose!
In other words -- to MAKE A DIFFERENCE    (MAED)  - make an eternal difference

in light of that.....  8 words to direct your life... FROM A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE

#1.  CONSIDER = stop and think, examine, reflect on LIFE and YOUR life
Jesus said, "life is more than food and clothes"  - more than material things.
Should ask self "where I came from?  Where am I going?  WHY am I here?  - sum total of philosophy

Prov. 14:8, 15, 21:29    Matt. 6:30-33

#2.  CHOOSE - on one hand, can't choose all things (when and where born, to whom, siblings, etc)
                      however, CAN choose what to DO with what you have
Deut. 30:11-15, 19

John 1:11- given opportunity to accept Christ.

#3.  DEVELOP- IF you choose Christ, THEN are to Develop your Christian Character!  2 Pet. 1:3-9
This requires... attention, effort, discipline, continuity

#4.  INFLUENCE - "salt, light, fishers of men, helpers" = INFLUENCE
in other words, guide, direct, convince, sway, shape, change for the better
2 Cor. 5:17-20
"ambassador" - seeks to Represent Christ
                     - seeks to influence people for Christ

Lest I present Christianity as ALL work and responsibility ... add
#5.  ENJOY!  1 Tim. 6:17
Proverbs says a lot about "glad heart, cheerful heart"
Ecclesiastes - "nothing better than Be Happy - Do good - eat, drink and find satisfaction in your work - this is God's gift to man"
Nehemiah 8 = "Go enjoy choice food, sweet drinks, do not grieve FOR (1) this is a holy day" AND "the joy of the Lord is your strength"

But also...
#6.  PREPARE   Luke 12:13-21 - this man had an Abundance!!  Was prepared to ENJOY it!! But failed to prepare for most important time of his life!!! (ie:  death and thereafter!!)  Hence = "Rich Fool"

#7.  REVISIT - ie:  Reexamine, Review, Reevaluate these things! 
Is often repeated in Scripture: "Remember, don't forget, be careful, watch out, etc....
BECAUSE We = forgetful... Especially when times are good!!!
2 Pet. 1:12-13  - The value, benefit of attending a good Bible based church!

#8.  READJUST - compare to self-guided missile.  Knows the target but has to readjust course many times during the trip there.
But, we are not machines, we don't automatically readjust.  We have to consciously choose to readjust course.
must apply 'self.... attention, examination, willingness, effort

This seems intense!  A lot of effort and work and self-discipline!  And it IS!!! But.... John 13:17 - "not you know... blessed If you DO....!!
This I know about you..... in other words, You Want to Be Blessed!!!

Closing Scripture:  Deut. 28:1-6

Faith for the Fire

Recap = Daniel 1.  (See last week's notes.)  605 BC - Jerusalem invaded, best and wisest of young men taken to Babylon to make them into Babylonian wise men.

Today:

Dan. 2:1-2 - Nebuchadnezzar's dream.  Offered death or riches to magicians, enchanters, sorcerers (all forbidden) to not only tell him what the dream was but then EXPLAIN what the dream MEANT!! 
Apparently, these wise men could do something things. 
Examples:  Egyptian magicians, sorcerers - mimicking some of the signs that Moses showed Pharoah. 
                 Witch of Endor and calling up Samuel for Saul.  
The Bible CONDEMNS dabbling in witchcraft, substances, black magic, etc.  It will mess you up, and has nothing to do with Jesus.  Continuing in these things can ruin a society.  

Dan. 2:10-11 - what king asks is impossible for all but the true God.

King very angry at this.  Set decree to destroy all of the wise men.  This included Daniel and three friends. 

Dan. 2:12-18 Daniel responds with prudence and discretion.  Then  schedules meeting with the king.  Goes home and prays with his friends.  You need Christian brothers and sisters in your life.  Join a church.  Get involved with those that are there.
Daniel tells the king his dream and the interpretation. 
Interpretation:  head of gold
                       chest of silver
                       body of bronze
                       legs of iron
                       feet of iron mixed with clay
                       large stone
(descriptions of coming kingdoms after Babylonians)

When things get crazy in the world, Christians should be the most calm.

Dan. 2:25-30   Daniel gave all the credit to God, not himself.

Point #1:  God's best servants are humble servants.

Dan. 2:46-49
Question:  did the King get saved?  Answer:  NO!!  Paid lip service.  Bowed down and paid Daniel homage.  Shouldn't have done that!!Was stirred but not changed.

Point #2:  God's servants don't just give lip service!  Matt. 15:7-8
Jesus to the Pharisees,
See that in many folks - they have an experience, but no submission to God.

How do you know King Neb wasn't changed?

Dan. 3:1-7 - Image of gold - 90 ft. tall, 9 ft. wide.    Set up probably near where the Tower of Babel was built.
Ordered everyone to fall down and worship the image when heard the music.  Clearly Nebuchadnezzar was not changed. 
Everyone went along.  

Point #3:  God's people don't follow the crowd.
If the whole world is chasing something, you need to stop and question - is this honoring to God or not?
The mark of a Christian is not how much you can look like the world. 
John 15:18 - if the world hates you, understand, it hated me first.  However,
Rom. 12:18 - as far as it depends on you, live in peace.

Dan. 3:8-12
Point #4:  God's people will be hated - 2 Tim. 3:12
Chaldeans had lost their influence to these Hebrew boys whose God was not a god of the Babylonians. they'd been put in places of authority  So, they tried to have Shad, and Misch, and Abed killed. 

Just like Jesus was rejected by the elites (Pharisees and Sadducees) who were trying to hang on to their control.   John 9:41 - knew the truth of who Jesus was but but tried to suppress it.

Rom. 1:20-22 - they were without excuse.  Claiming to be wise, became fools.   Word for fool = Nabal. - morally corrupt, willingly disobedient, 
If you are suppressing God's call, drop your pride and come to Jesus.  

Dan. 3:13-18
Point #5:  Obedience to God is always right 

Dan. 3:19-23 - king sat down to laugh

Dan. 3:24-27 - 4th. man in the fire?  son of the gods?  Christophony?   I believe was Jesus!
God saves his people. not even the smell of smoke on their clothing.

Psm. 103:11-12
Point #6:  Jesus Saves  His blood was so precious and powerful, it can save YOU!  Murderers, adulterers, thieves, even tax collectors.  Saves completely!!!

Eph. 2:8-9 - if you've never put your faith in Jesus Christ, let go and follow Jesus.  If He's drawing you to Himself, don't fight it.  Don't put it off!

For those of us who ARE Christians, let us not be afraid to stand for truth, for God, let us think about what we're doing, what we are going along with.  Make sure our confessions and our praise goes to the King of kings and Lord of lords.

 

 

Set Apart for the Lord

 Can learn a lot from Sunday School Bible stories.  They stick with you throughout your life.

This morning from book of Daniel.

Dan. 1:1-2 - takes place about 605 BC. Later, were more sieges, more captives taken, finally temple overthrown.

Question:  The Lord gave.......?  Why? 
Answer:  to discipline His people.  They were living in sin. Had abandoned God.   Can read about that in Jeremiah, Ezekiel, 2 Kings.  Were serving other gods.   Would offer up sacrifices to these foreign gods.  Even to sacrificing their children.  

Point #1:  God disciplines and purifies His people.
 Does this because He loves us.  The Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastens everyone He accepts as His son. - Heb. 12:6

Psalm 94:12 - Blessed is the man whom You discipline, O Lord, and whom you teach out of your law.
When we are disciplined by God, is a good thing.  That means we are His children.  We're His people. 

Psm. 94:14 - For the Lord will not forsake His people;  He will not abandon His heritage!  Jesus' blood is precious for us to continue in our sins.   He will not let us go our own way.

He disciplines us because He loves us and we are HIS people.  We are called by His name for a purpose.
Discipline is for our good!

2 Tim. 2:21-22 - "....flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace,...."
God can discipline individuals, nations, communities, and churches.  From the outside, looks like a defeat.  But
God is NOT defeated.  He allowed this for a purpose.

Point #2:  God doesn't lose - He works through calamity.

Daniel 1:3-7
Took the brightest and best to Babylon to teach them Babylonian ways.  )Not a good kingdom.  Not a good king.)  Mainly young people.
   *Education
   *Religion
   *Identity - gave them new names that mocked the meaning of their Jewish names - names pointed to YHWH
To teach them how NOT to be Jews, but how to be Babylonians.

Purpose was to deconstruct them down to nothing and rebuild them into Babylonian wise men. 

Today much of the same is happening to our young people through Hollywood, politics, academia, social media, etc.  Whole purpose = to destruct, confuse and abuse - from Christianity, family, basic identity as man/woman, from truth of God's Word.

Challenge:  keep our eyes open!  Be on guard!  Set our minds of true things.  A lot of things are discussed as normal, good, acceptable are not neutral.  Enemy's #1 target is young people - and the best and brightest of our young people.

Daniel 1:8-14 - resolved in innermost being.
  They were all alone (no parents, priests, teachers) - they'd seen great calamity.  Would be easy to forget about or doubt God.
  Were not Vegans, but didn't want to eat unclean, and food sacrificed to idols.  Not only would they be partaking of the king's food, would be partaking in the worship of the king's idols.  They resolved in their heart to honor God.  They denied themselves.  - No one else did!  Seemingly, everyone else was going along with the king's orders.

We can get to the point where we judge right or wrong by what is socially acceptable?  What does everyone else think about this.  That can NEVER be our standard.  Daniel and his friends RESOLVED in their hearts to honor God by what they ate and drank.
How easy it would have been for them to NOT do this, to just fall in line with everyone else.   Most of these youths had seen horrible things - were totally separated from friends and family.

Question:  Do we deny ourselves?     Matt. 16:24 - If anyone would come after me......
Youth - dating, media, speech, treatment of others, what we consume - does it look different from the world around you?
Adults - time, money, media, spouse and kids, speech?  Do our lives truly look different from those around us who are not saved.  Do these things reflect our devotion to God?   The way we speak to each other?  to those who have wronged us?  to those in the community?  It is easy to point fingers at other people.  Easy to find the faults in other people.  Need to examine selves.  

It's amazing what God will do with young people when they are sold out to Jesus Christ.

1 Tim. 4:12 - don't let anyone look down on you.......in speech, conduct, love, faith, purity..  People are going to want to know what is different about you.

This could have cost Daniel and friends, as well as the chief eunuch greatly.  But God is always working - already working things out when we can't see - must just trust and obey.  

Dan. 1:15-21 - God is pleased with and blesses faithfulness.
Luke 11:28 - "Blessed rather are those who hear the Word of God and keep it!"

They were given understanding and wisdom (comes from God) and learning.  More than all in Babylon.  We given an audience with the king.  They used that wisdom for the glory of God.

Matt. 5:16 - Let your light so shine before men....
Stand out - be different.  Stay faithful to God.  Trust and believe that God will use us.
Don't let the world dictate your belief, your words, or your life.

God takes the low things of this world and uses them for big things.    

Let us honor God with our whole lives, be courageous, and stand firm.