The Book Of Daniel - Week 1 - Jon McNary

``So we don't wanna freak out, and we don't wanna blend in. So what is our other option? Well, the other option is that we can shine. We can be people who live with the hope and the joy and the confidence that comes from personally knowing the God of the universe, the God who holds the whole world in his hands. And that relationship and that confidence frees us up to love selflessly, and to give generously, and to forgive quickly, and to walk through life with both truth and grace in full measure at all times. This is how we want to respond. We want to be people who shine. [00:44:42] (43 seconds)  #LiveToShine

You know, this is what Daniel did and this is why it made such a big difference because later down the line in chapter six, Daniel's gonna find himself in the lion's den. But Daniel didn't resolve in the lion's den. No, he resolved back in chapter one. And that's what allowed him to thrive even when he was in the the moment of the lion's den. And that's the invitation for you this morning as well. Not to be louder, not to be weirder. Lord knows we don't need any more weird Christians. Not to stand on a soapbox, right, but to resolve, to make up your mind, I'm gonna follow Jesus no matter what this world does around me. And when you do that, you don't just survive Babylon, that's when you thrive. That's when you shine. [01:10:10] (61 seconds)  #ResolveToThrive

Do you guys see what happened? Because Daniel resolved and because they said, listen, I'm gonna go against the grain, God blessed them, and they get to the end of this three year training program, and they're presented before the king, and the king looks at them, and he's like, man, these four really look good. They're strong. They're healthy. Like, you know, way to go, guys. And then he starts interviewing them, and he realizes those four are also, like, the most brilliant. They understand things better than anybody else. They're 10 times more insightful than any other wise people that I have in my administration. And so the king gives them influence in his life and in the kingdom of Babylon, but it all started because they resolved three years before this. [01:03:05] (46 seconds)  #ResolveToInfluence

And that leads to the fourth and final step which is indoctrination. This is who you are now. You work for Babylon. You eat, drink, and think, breathe Babylon. You represent Babylon. You walk like Babylon. You talk like Babylon. You are Babylonian. This was their strategy. And I'll tell you something that I've learned. The enemy of our souls, who Jesus calls a thief and a liar, he has a very similar strategy for us today as well. He wants to isolate us. He wants us to deconstruct who we are and what we believe and then just consume everything that the world has to offer us because ultimately, he wants us to become someone new. [00:55:29] (51 seconds)  #ResistIndoctrination