Resolve | Sunday, June 11, 2023

With that, would you take out your Bibles? If you don't have a Bible, you can raise your hand, and an usher will bring you one. We are in the Old Testament book of Daniel. Turn to about the middle of your Bible and then turn to the right. You will pass books like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel until you find the Book of Daniel. We started this last week, and we are going to be studying through this book throughout the summer.

A few years ago, I came down with a serious case of vertigo. Has anyone ever had vertigo before? I just asked you to raise your hand if you need a Bible, and then I asked if you have ever had vertigo. Vertigo is horrendous. For about three weeks, just a couple of years ago, I had a continual case of vertigo, and it was totally debilitating. When it would start, I found that the only thing I could do was lay flat on my stomach and not move, with my eyes closed. As soon as I would open my eyes and even just move a millimeter, it felt like the entire world was moving and spinning. It was absolutely terrible.

Like a good man, I didn't reach out to my doctor for about a week. I figured it would go away and be okay. It was by the third or fourth time I was driving down the freeway when the world started spinning, and I thought, "This is going to kill me or somebody." I decided maybe I should go to the doctor. When I went, they were concerned and sent me to a specialist to be tested for something called Meniere's disease. Then I did the horrible thing that maybe you have done before: I Googled Meniere's disease and instantly became very concerned. I prayed, "God, please don't let me have Meniere's disease."

Thankfully, I went to the specialist, and they said, "No, you don't have Meniere's disease. However, you had a bad concussion about 20 years ago, and this is related to that concussion." They sent me to another specialist who performed this amazing magic called the Epley maneuver. They turned my head to the side, rolled me on my side, and turned it to the other side while the whole world was spinning the entire time. When they were done, it was like the vertigo was gone. It was amazing! It comes back from time to time, but not as bad as it did during those few weeks a couple of years ago.

I bring that up because I think that the last ten years of life in our culture has left a lot of people feeling like they have cultural vertigo. It is as if you took a snapshot of...

Everything that's going on in our world can feel overwhelming. It's as if we took it into something like Photoshop and turned up the Gaussian blur to the point where we can't even recognize the culture around us. There was an author and futurist back in the 1970s named Alvin Toffler, who wrote about this coming stage that we're experiencing. He called it "Future Shock," a term he developed to describe the trauma one feels when finding oneself in a rapidly changing culture—a culture that is changing very quickly over a short period of time.

Have any of you felt like you've been experiencing Future Shock or cultural vertigo over the last few years? Not just in the last ten years, but especially in the last three years? Unfortunately, there is no Epley maneuver that I know of for cultural vertigo; there is no immediate treatment. However, I believe we need to find a way to regain our footing in a culture that feels destabilizing. We need to find our footing so that we can stand.

Using some of the language of a New Testament writer, the Apostle Paul, in Ephesians, he says, "Having done all to stand, stand therefore." This is the call to Christians living in a world that has been turned upside down. We need to find a way to stand so that we can be the people that God has called us to be and do the work that God has commissioned us to do in our time and place.

This is one of the reasons I think the Book of Daniel is so important for us to study at this time. There are great applicable points in this book that speak to those who find themselves in a cultural situation where everything has been turned upside down. Daniel and Azariah certainly experienced this shock, and I would say it was exponentially more intense than what you and I are experiencing in our current culture. Their world was completely turned upside down. They had been removed from their upper-class, noble life in Jerusalem in the nation of Judah and were planted in the palace of the most pagan empire imaginable—Babylon.

Their home, along with all the comfort and security it provided, was transplanted to the Palace of Babylon. In the process, they were given new names, and their clothes and appearance were changed. They were now being trained in the language and literature of the Chaldean culture of Babylon. To add insult to injury, they were most likely castrated as well. These young men brought to Babylon were emasculated.

When we look at a story like the Book of Daniel, we might assume that these individuals were in the later stages of their lives. However, it is highly likely, based on the internal evidence found in the scriptures and our understanding of history during this period, that Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were probably no more than 14 or 15 years old when this happened. Before they were uprooted from Judah and Jerusalem and planted in Babylon, they were on a path toward what would likely have been a good life. They were living among the nobility in Judah, and some of those uprooted and taken to Babylon were probably connected to the royal family in Judah and Jerusalem.

They had hopes, dreams, and visions for the future, but in a moment, those things were completely turned upside down, becoming a devastating nightmare. There are many things that we find to complain about; the last several years have given us more than enough ammunition to murmur and complain. However, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah's experience was much worse than anything we could imagine. Their experience helps us gain a little perspective on what we are going through and facing in our time.

Additionally, their experience provides important insights into how we ought to live and flourish when we find ourselves in a culture that is turned upside down. One of the first things that becomes clear as you open this book and read the opening verses is an important point worth noting. Look at Daniel chapter 1, verse 1. It says, "In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah..."

This period of time is probably in history right around 605 to 603 BC, when Jehoiakim was king of Judah. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem and besieged it.

Now note this verse; this is important for our perspective: "The Lord gave Jehoiakim, king of Judah, into Nebuchadnezzar's hand." Lean over and underline that in your neighbor's Bible. The Lord gave Jehoiakim and the people of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, this wicked pagan king from Babylon, with some of the articles of the house of God. Nebuchadnezzar carried these articles into the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, Marduk, and he brought the articles into the treasure of his god, Marduk, also known as Bel.

In the midst of everything that Daniel went through, it is believed by many that the authorship of the Book of Daniel is traditionally attributed to him. Although this was many years after he was carried away to Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar, he is very likely the one who recorded these things. Daniel had the proper perspective, which is a perspective that I think we need to take note of, and we need to prayerfully ask God to help us have the same perspective.

Point number one, if you're taking notes this morning: Daniel's predicament was not outside of God's purview. This is an important point for us to hold on to. What Daniel, Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael were going through was not outside of God's vision, purview, or plan. God knew what was being served up for Daniel and his friends because, in one sense, God had set the table and had ordered the meal.

God knew what was going on, and Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah could know that what they were going through was not outside of God's plan. It is very possible they didn't recognize or know this on day one; it might have taken a little while for them to gain this perspective. But ultimately, in the end, they began to recognize that what they were going through was not outside of God's plan. Perhaps it didn't come for a number of reasons.

Years until a prophet still back in Jerusalem named Jeremiah sent a letter to those who found themselves in the situation that these four individuals found themselves in. Jeremiah told them they were there by God's decree and plan. God has planned this whole thing out, and God's assurance, His word to them, is recorded in Jeremiah 29:11: "For I know the plans that I have for you," says the Lord, "plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."

Now imagine that Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah are in Babylon, experiencing their entire world being turned upside down or collapsing around them. Their names are changed, their clothing has changed, and they are indoctrinated into the worldview of Babylon. In this situation, God's message to them was, "I'm doing a work, even if you can't see it perfectly clearly. I am doing a work."

I am not one who believes that every specific detail of every situation and circumstance is meticulously ordered and determined by God, but I do believe that God, as one old hymn says, is quietly sovereign. He has an amazing ability and capacity to work in the difficult situations and hard things that we go through. He is able to work in those circumstances and situations; nothing happens outside of God's allowance and His gaze.

Now, that does not mean that I always understand what God is doing. It does not mean that I always like the circumstances or situations that I find myself in. But it does mean that I can trust in the situation, whatever I might go through. Even in the situation that Daniel and these three individuals were experiencing, God knew what was going on, and He had permitted it to come into their lives. Whether I can understand it or not, whether I can see His hand or understand His purpose or not, I certainly cannot always see, nor do I always recognize how any good can come out of some of the horrendous and bad things that happen—not just in my life, but in the broken world in which we live.

However, I can trust that God is working and can work in the midst of those circumstances to bring about His ultimate ends and His ultimate good. I don't fully know how God is able to do that.

If I did know how God is able to do that, then maybe I would be God and not Him. But I'm not God, and thank God for that. However, I do know that God can and is working things together for good. That's what we find in the New Testament book of Romans, chapter eight. Some of you might have even committed that verse to memory: Romans 8:28. It says, "And we know that God works all things together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose."

I don't know how God is able to work all things together for good. I don't know what God does behind the scenes to accomplish this, but I do believe that God will ultimately work out His good in the end. It may take for me to step into eternity and gain full perspective, because the Scriptures say in First Corinthians, chapter 13, that we see dimly, as through a frosted glass now, but one day we will see face to face, and we will know fully. Right now, we just know a little bit; we know in part, but then we shall know even as we are known. That is our ultimate end in hope.

So right now, I may not see everything by sight, but in faith, I trust that God is working. We live by faith and not by sight. And listen, that's hard. I saw a visible illustration of this last night. My mom was sitting right there, and my wife and I went out to dinner with my parents. When we were coming back from San Diego, we were driving on the 15 freeway. My mom has one of those cool Teslas that you can put into autopilot. I said, "You should put it into autopilot." She said, "I don't like autopilot." I insisted, "You should put it in," so she did.

She was driving by faith and not by sight, and it is hard to give up control. Amen? It's difficult to say, "Hands off the wheel, foot off the brake or the accelerator; it's in the hands of A.I." That's hard. It is exponentially more difficult in our lives, where we think that we're in control or would like to be in control. We need to say, "God, You drive." This is the perspective I think that Daniel had. It's a perspective that you and I, by God's grace and through prayer, need to seek to apprehend.

As I said, I don't know that Daniel had this perspective on day one, but I think over time he started to develop and understand that God was ultimately the one who was working. I have to remind myself of this frequently.

To trust God means recognizing that He is in control, especially when it seems like the world around us is out of control. It is impossible to scroll through social media, visit the news sites we frequent, or watch the news without feeling that things are chaotic. This can lead to a sense of cultural vertigo.

The proper response to gain perspective is perhaps to go to our knees, fold our hands, close our eyes, and say, "God, You ultimately are on the throne." That is what the Scriptures say, and it raises a question of faith: Do I actually believe that? It can be a challenging place to be, to come to that mindset.

Consider Daniel's predicament and whatever challenges you might face in this world. None of these situations are outside of God's purview. God knew what Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were facing. Not only did God know their circumstances in that moment, but He had been actively working through all the events of history for many hundreds of years to bring about His ultimate ends.

Before Daniel was born, before Nebuchadnezzar was a name known in history, and before Babylon became the dominant world empire, God was announcing to His people that this eventuality would come. He foretold through the prophets that there would be an exile, which they were experiencing at that time. In fact, seven centuries before Daniel found himself in Babylon, God had spoken through Moses to the children of Israel. He told them that if they walked in His covenant and commandments, they would experience blessing. However, if they rebelled, rejected that covenant, and were stubborn, they would ultimately end up in exile.

Throughout those 700 years, Israel often walked away from God, rejected His commandments, and broke His covenant. As a result, they began to experience the removal of God's protection and blessing. In His grace and patience, God sent prophets to call them back to repentance. Sometimes they would repent, but many times they would harden their hearts and stiffen their necks. Every time God sent a prophet to them, prophesying nearly 50 years before the events unfolded, He sought to guide them back to Him.

The Northern Kingdom of Israel was taken out by the Assyrian Empire about 150 years before Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon, and Daniel would end up in Babylon. God had sent a prophet to the Northern Kingdom of Israel, calling them to repentance. His name was Amos, and in Amos chapter 3, verse 7, he says, "Surely the Lord God does nothing except He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets." God reveals what He is going to do before He does it, and this is a helpful point for us to adjust our perspective.

Point number two, if you're taking notes: God's plans are not hidden from His people. Now, that doesn't mean that God gives us every detail. It doesn't mean that we have perfect clarity about all things that are coming in the future. However, I would say that God does give us a general picture of what He is doing ultimately in world history. We will see this quite clearly in some of the chapters of the Book of Daniel. There are visions, dreams, and interpretations of those visions and dreams in the Book of Daniel that provide amazing clarity about things that were going to happen in future history from Daniel's perspective. We look back on history now and see that those things came to pass with amazing clarity.

This is one of the reasons that many critical scholars of the Book of Daniel argue that it could not have possibly been written by Daniel in the 6th century BC; it had to be written much later, after the events came to pass, because he spoke with such clearer clarity. What God does is reveal what He is doing, not in perfect detail, but in the general outline of what He is doing in the world.

Why does God do this? I think one of the reasons is so that we would not be caught off guard, ignorant, and unaware when things happen. He gives us the general outline of what He is doing in human history so that we might be able to navigate the storms we go through. He does not say, "I'm going to keep you from and take you out of all the possible storms." Instead, He says, "No, you live in a broken world that has fallen because of sin, and I have an ultimate plan to deal with that sin and that brokenness." In the interim period, He will direct our steps through it. We will hear a voice behind us saying, "This is the way; walk in it." He does not give us all the details of everything that is going to come to pass because if He did, you and I would just object.

This is not a good idea. That's what I would do, and that's what you would do as well. He doesn't give us all the details, but he does say, "Here's generally where I'm going and what I'm doing," and he promises to be with us even to the end of the age. These are some of Jesus's last words to his earliest followers: "All authority in Heaven and Earth has been given to me. Therefore, go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I've commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even till the end of the age."

Jesus said all authority has been given to him, and sometimes we look at the world and think it doesn't seem like it. God says, "I have an ultimate end that I am bringing about, but I'm going to be with you in the midst of it." We don't always see everything that he's doing, but he gives us the general picture so that we may know how to navigate the storms that we face. We can look to him for provision, protection, power, and strength in the midst of the storms we go through.

God's plans were not hidden from Daniel and his friends. They knew, through the circumstances they were experiencing and the situations they would face, that God was still working. They were still under God's rule, within his will, and receiving God's provision and favor. It probably didn't always feel like that, but that was their ultimate expectation and hope.

Look at verse 3 of Daniel chapter one. Then King Nebuchadnezzar instructed Ashpenaz, the master of the eunuchs, to bring some of the children of Israel, some of the king's descendants, and some of the nobles—young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge, and quick to understand—who had the ability to serve in the king's palace. They were to be taught the language and the literature of the Chaldeans. The king appointed for them a daily provision of the king's delicacies and the wine that he drank, along with three years of training in Babylon, so that at the end of that time they might serve before the king.

Now, from among those of the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. To them, the chief of the eunuchs gave new names. He gave to Daniel the name Belteshazzar, to Hananiah the name Shadrach, to Mishael the name Meshach, and to Azariah the name Abednego.

This underline it, put a star next to an exclamation point. But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's delicacies nor with the wine which he drank. Therefore, he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were plucked from Jerusalem and planted in Babylon. Their names have been taken, their clothing has been changed, and their language and culture are in the process of being replaced. They have been made eunuchs—emasculated and castrated. They are to be indoctrinated in and assimilated into all things Babylon. One author writing on this states that this was a total program of assimilation in which they had little means to resist the forces. Yet, Daniel purposed in his heart that he might not defile himself. He made a resolution. He resolved that though they were going to change everything about the outside—his appearance, his clothing, the place that he lived, and the views that he would have—they were going to change everything about what he looked like. He purposed and resolved that the inside would be committed to the Lord. He purposed in his heart that this would be the temple unto God.

At this point, when this took place, when he made this resolution, Babylon, under the government of Nebuchadnezzar, was exercising control over every aspect of their lives. But Daniel still resolved to stand. Most likely, the only possible area that he could have was in what he consumed. He purposed in his heart that he might not defile himself with a portion of the king's delicacies nor with the wine which he drank. Therefore, he requested of the chief of the eunuchs, Ashpenaz, that he might not defile himself.

I can almost guarantee that you and I have not yet, nor probably ever will, face anything like what Daniel, Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael were facing there in Babylon. But in whatever context we find ourselves in—a world turned upside down, as we're experiencing cultural vertigo—we need to follow this example.

Taking notes, God's people must resolve to fulfill God's purpose no matter the context. The circumstances will and do change, but even though the situations around us will and do change, we still have the same calling from our God. We are to be in this world but not of this world. Even though this world is constantly trying to force you into its mold, New Testament author Paul wrote, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."

To avoid being forced into the mold, we have to do like Daniel, Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael did. We have to purpose and resolve to stand and to be set apart in whatever way we can. Now, Daniel could not have had his name changed; he didn't have a choice. He didn't get to say, "Nope, my name's Daniel; you will not call me Belteshazzar." He could not stand against the indoctrination and the education that he would receive at Babylon University. There was no way that he could say, "No, I object; I'm not doing that."

He certainly would not have wanted to be castrated, but he didn't really have an option to object, as he might have wanted to. There was nothing he could do in those areas. However, there was one area where he thought, "No, I can make a stand." He resolved in that one area to remain faithful on the inside, even though everything on the outside had changed.

But even this stand required not just an internal change of mind and heart; it required that he would have to go and speak to the one who was over him and request an exemption. He requested the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Even in that, he said, "I don't want to defile myself." To defile yourself? What are you talking about? All this stuff will make me unclean. That took some guts to be able to stand in that way. You can be certain there were other young men of the...

The nobility of Judah did not stand; they went with the flow. However, Daniel, Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael took a stand. We know their names because they chose to be different. There are many other names we do not know. Why? Because those individuals effectively became just Babylonians like everyone else.

As I was thinking about Daniel's stand this week, I was reminded of a verse from the book of Chronicles. In Second Chronicles, chapter 16, verse 9, it says, "The eyes of the Lord look to and fro throughout the whole earth, looking to show Himself mighty on behalf of those whose hearts are loyal to Him." Daniel, Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael found themselves in Babylon, not outside of God's plan or will, but right in the midst of it. There, in the midst of that situation, God was watching. He was looking for someone whose heart was loyal to Him.

Let me tell you, this loyalty was not something that developed in Daniel on the spot as he was in Babylon. It was something that had been built into him by his parents, grandparents, and everyone else around him when he was in Jerusalem. They instilled in his heart and mind the view that he would stand committed to the Lord, no matter the circumstances.

The eyes of the Lord look to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself mighty on behalf of those whose hearts are loyal to Him. With this in mind, we read in Daniel, chapter 1, verse 9, "Now God had brought Daniel into favor and goodwill with the chief of the eunuchs." It was God who gave him favor and goodwill.

Where was God in the midst of all the horror that Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were facing? The eyes of the Lord look to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are loyal to Him. In these four young men, who were probably no older than 14 or 15 years old, God found hearts loyal to Him. Therefore, He gave them favor, goodwill, and grace.

Now, notice that God's grace did not mean that they would be removed from the trial. Sometimes we think that if God is with us, we will be spared from difficulties.

Is really working in this situation that means I won't go through anything difficult. I hate to say it, but there are some people in our nation who falsely teach that in the name of God, and that is not what we find in the Bible. Many times in the Bible, we find that the people of God go through horrendous, horrible, and terrible situations and circumstances. God does not say that my grace upon you means that you will be taken out of that situation. It means that in the midst of this situation, I will strengthen you to endure it.

This becomes a reoccurring theme in the Book of Daniel. We're going to see it in chapter three, and we're going to see it in chapter four. We will see it all throughout the Book of Daniel that God gives them favor to strengthen them in the midst of the trial. Point number four: God's people are not always rescued from the peril but strengthened to endure it.

Paul, in the New Testament book of First Corinthians, chapter 10, says, "No trial has overtaken you except such as is common to man. But God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tested or tried or tempted beyond what you are able. But with the test, with the temptation, will also make a way of escape that you may be able to bear it." You see, a lot of times we think the way of escape means He's going to rescue me out of it, and then I'm not going to go through a tribulation or difficulty. Yet God says, "No, in the midst of it, I'm going to strengthen you so that you will be able to bear it, to endure."

So Daniel went to the chief of the eunuchs, the one who was over him, and said, "I would like an exemption. I don't want to partake of this food that you're giving to me because I do not want to defile myself with it." In verse 10, the chief of the eunuch said to Daniel, "I fear my lord the king who has appointed your food and drink. For why should he see your faces, Daniel, Hananiah, Azariah? Why should he see your faces looking worse than the young men who are your age? Then you would endanger my head before the king."

At first, Ashpenaz denied Daniel's request, even though Daniel had favor and goodwill with the chief of the eunuchs. The chief said no. How did Daniel respond? Did he throw a fit? Was he stubborn? No, he submitted to what the chief of the eunuch said.

In great wisdom, he gives an answer to the chief's concern in verse 11. So Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, "Please test your servants for ten days and let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our appearance be examined before you and the appearance of the young men who eat the portion of the king's delicacies. As you see fit, so deal with your servants." He says they will submit to whatever the decision is, but here is their request: test them for ten days.

The steward consented with them in this matter and tested them for ten days. At the end of the ten days, their features appeared better and fatter in flesh than all the young men who ate the portion of the king's delicacies. Thus, the steward took away their portion of delicacies and the wine that they were to drink and gave them vegetables.

This is instructive. Here they are in circumstances that they had very little control over, in a culture that was totally turned upside down. They said, "We would like to stand in faithfulness to our God, but we submit ourselves entirely to you." They were not stubborn; they were not pig-headed. They were subtle and wise. They were commendable, shrewd stewards. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah resolved to remain loyal to the Lord, probably the only way that they could, but even still, they said, "We submit ourselves to you. You are over us. We will do what you say."

As a result, what happened? Look at verse 17. As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. The eyes of the Lord looked to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are loyal to Him.

At the end of the days, when the king had said that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them—Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah—before Nebuchadnezzar. The king interviewed them, and among them all, none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Therefore, they served before the king. Instead of being dispatched throughout all the different ends of the Babylonian Empire, they became courtiers to the king right there in the court of the king in the palace in Babylon.

Matters verse 20 of wisdom and understanding, about which the king examined them, found them to be ten times better than all of the magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm. As a result, Daniel continued until the first year of King Cyrus. For decades, he continued in his position in the palace of the king. I think this is exactly as it ought to be. God's people ought to be the best that should be found in the world as it relates to wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. Over time, it should become clearer and clearer to those we work with and those we work for that we have more knowledge, wisdom, and understanding than all those around us because God gives us favor and goodwill as we set ourselves to be committed to Him.

Point number five, if you're taking notes: God's people are often placed in positions of power and authority to extend and fulfill God's purposes. God is working in the world at this time to strategically place His people in places of power and authority. This was the case with Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah in Babylon. Though they were placed there by God's decree and His sovereign direction, they still had to resolve to be committed to God for His purposes. As we will see in the coming weeks, they would experience persecution and difficulty. It was not going to be an easy path, but God would be with them.

Daniel was in Babylon, and he was determined that Babylon would not overtake him or be in him. He purposed that he would take a stand. He could not keep himself from being trained and indoctrinated in the language, literature, and culture of the Chaldeans, but he could purpose in his heart that he would not find his home in Babylon. The trappings of Babylon would not entirely affect him. The immersion into the worldview of pagan Babylon would not win his heart and mind. He made a stance: I will not be conformed to this world. So it ought to be with you, and it ought to be with me as well. We ultimately are citizens of Heaven; this is not our ultimate home. Here and now, we pray the prayer that Jesus instructed us to pray: Your kingdom.

Come and Your will be done on Earth as it is in heaven. That's our hope. We look for a city which has foundations, whose Builder and Maker is God. That's what we look forward to. The perspective that we have is that our King and His kingdom will one day come, but it's not here yet.

So, what are we doing here? He has called us to be ambassadors for His Kingdom here and now. He has called us to be salt and light in an increasingly dark and unsavory world. It is not an accident that you are living for such a time as this, in this place in California. God has placed you here to be a bright, shining light to those who are in darkness and in bondage to sin and death.

He has given us a message of reconciliation, forgiveness, and grace that our culture is in desperate need of. It is clearer now than perhaps at any time in my life that the worldview and philosophy of this world brings people into the most horrendous forms of bondage, death, sadness, and depression. You have the word of eternal life, and God has placed you as an ambassador in the office building where you work, on the construction site you are on, or on the campus that you attend. He has placed you there to be an ambassador.

It will not be easy, but you must resolve to not be conformed to this world. If you do, then like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, God will strengthen and give wisdom and grace to you and me.

With that in mind, I think it's fitting that we are going to partake of communion today. In communion, we are reminded that Jesus was crucified and killed by an earthly empire, which Daniel predicted would come and happen. But through that, He rose and became victorious over all the kingdoms of this world and over sin and death. That same Jesus, who was crucified by a worldly empire, is now enthroned as King of kings and Lord of lords on a throne in heaven.

Remembering His body that was broken for us, His blood that was shed for us, we do proclaim the Lord's death until He comes again and brings His kingdom. We say, "Lord Jesus, come, come quickly." We hope that You come quickly, but it might not be today, it might not be next year, and it might not be in ten years. Until then, Lord, help us to be bright, shining lights in a world that has gone mad.

You are enthroned on a Heavenly throne, and through His broken body and shed blood, He has reconciled us to the Father, given us a new relationship with the Father, and given us a message to share with the rest of this world. I’m going to invite Anthony and our worship team to come up; they are going to lead us in a song. If you don't have communion elements already, our ushers will be coming and they'll be distributing them during the song. Hold on to them; we will partake together as we remember Jesus's body that was broken for us and His blood that was shed.

Lord Jesus, we pray that You would help us to stand, having done all to stand, that we would stand therefore in this time and in this place that You have called us to. Lord, help us to recognize that we are not living at this time and in this place by accident, but You have set us to be a bright, shining light. We look to You, Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith, knowing that You are the righteous King of Kings, seated on a throne in heaven that will eventually be a throne here upon this Earth. We rejoice in You today, in Jesus' name.

Lord Jesus, we do praise You today for Your grace and Your forgiveness. We thank You that You came for us, the perfect, sinless sacrifice, to restore us again to a right standing, a right relationship with You, Father. We thank You, Jesus, that You submitted Yourself to death, even the death of the cross, so that You might save us from our sins.

We thank You, Lord, that You have given us a tangible way to remember what You did for us. Jesus, on the night that He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you. Do this in remembrance of Me." Let's partake and remember His body that was broken for us.

In the same manner, He also took the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This is the cup of the New Covenant in My blood. This do as often as you drink it in remembrance of Me." Lord, we proclaim Your death today. We know that You came and died on that Roman cross outside of Jerusalem, not for Your own sins, but for my sins and for the sins of all of those here in this place, and for the sins of all people in all places at all times. Your death deals with our sin, but You did not stay dead. You rose from the dead and are seated on a throne.

We proclaim Your death until You come again. You promised that You would come again. God, help us to have that proper perspective that You are not dead and gone, but You are alive on a throne, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the One who was, and is, and is to come. You ultimately overcome all of the kingdoms of this world. You occupy a throne that is eternal. Of the increase of Your government and peace, there shall be no end—a throne that You will establish with justice and judgment forevermore.

God, You have called us to be ambassadors, lights shining in a dark place. I pray that You would give us boldness to be committed to stand, to resolve to be a light and salt, no matter the context, no matter the circumstances, no matter what may come against us. I pray that You would remind and encourage us of Your great grace through the stories that we find here in the Book of Daniel this summer. God, work in us.

Us, your church, we pray and we praise you. Let's stand together.

Father God, thank you for the calling that you have given to each of us and the places that you have set us in this community and this county. Thank you for the work that you've set before us, that you have equipped us for and gifted us for. Lord, I pray that you would help us to step into those things this week. There are people that we interact with daily who are in desperate need of your forgiveness and your grace. I pray that you would give us opportunities and the words to share with them of who you are and what you've done. Pour out your Spirit upon your church and strengthen us to be bold witnesses for you, we pray.

Now may the Lord bless and keep you. May He make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. May He lift up His countenance upon you and give you His peace. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of His Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.

If you need prayer today, some of our prayer team leaders are going to be here to pray with and for you. I want to encourage you to take some time to fellowship with one another and bless one another. God bless you, and have a wonderful week.

Next week, we're getting into Daniel chapter two, so read ahead. We'll see you then.

Hey, we have some really exciting news about VBS! We had a benefactor step up who is underwriting a good chunk of the cost for VBS. In order to better steward that, we are doing a couple of things. We are postponing VBS until July 24th, so it's going to be the week of the 24th to the 28th. The cost of VBS is going to be $50 per kid, with a cap of $100 per family. Also, if you serve at VBS as an adult, one child will go for free. If you want to be a part of that, that would be fantastic.

If you've already signed up, you've received an email noting these things. If you've already paid, you've received a refund, so check for those things. We're really excited that Stellar is moving to the end of July, and we're hoping that more people can get involved. God bless you guys, and thank you to the generous benefactor who helped us here. What a great thing!

Also coming up on July 8th, save the date! We're having a men's breakfast. You'll hear more about it in the future, but for right now, save the date on your calendar for July 8th.

All right, guys, God bless you!