Compromise? No, It’s Time To Stand Up!

COMPROMISE? NO, IT’S TIME TO STAND UP!

Dan. 1:3-20

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR

1. One hot summer day, a man was filling up his black pickup truck at the local gas station. He wasn't very careful, and he got gasoline all over his jacket's left sleeve.

2. He ignored it, and left the station after paying for the gas. As he was driving down the highway, the heat of the sun on his truck's black paint was enough to ignite his jacket sleeve.

3. He drove faster, waving his arm out the window in an attempt to extinguish the flames, but they just burned hotter!

4. As he speed down the highway, a state trooper saw the situation and pulled him over. He jerked the man out of the truck and rolled him on the ground until the fire was extinguished.

5. As the man dusted himself, he thanked his rescuer. He watched as the officer began writing him a ticket!

6. Confused, he asked, "You're writing me a ticket!? What for?" The officer replied, "Possession of an illegal fire arm."

B. TEXT

3 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz…to bring ….4 young men…showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. 5 The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service. 7 The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego. 8 But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. 9 Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel, 10 but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.” 11 Daniel then said…12 “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.” 14 So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days. 15 At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. 16 So the guard…gave them vegetables instead. 17 To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds. 18 [After 3 years] the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The king…found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. 20 In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.

C. THESIS

1. COMPROMISE: The difference between its verb and noun form is amazing.

a. COMPROMISE (noun). Define: “agreement.” Synonyms: accommodation, adjustment, bargain, concession, fifty-fifty, happy medium, middle ground, settlement, trade-off.

b. COMPROMISE (verb). Define: “put in jeopardy.” Synonyms: cop out, dishonor, embarrass, endanger, give in, hazard, imperil, jeopardize, menace, ruin, sell out, weaken.

c. IF WE MAKE A COMPROMISE WITH THE WORLD, WE IMPERIL OUR STANDING WITH GOD!

2. Has God changed? "Be ye holy, for I am holy." For Daniel and his friends to not obey God about food, was to leave the separated life. That separation was what made them special.

3. "Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord, “and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you" 2 Cor. 6:17.

4. In today's passage, we're going to observe how 4 young men's courage changed the course of their lives.

5. The title of this message is, "COMPROMISE? NO, ITS TIME TO STAND UP!"

I. CULTURAL BRAINWASHING

A. WAYS THEY TRIED TO BRAINWASH THEM

Babylon was an ancient seat of civilization, dating back to Gen. 11 and the tower of Babel. It was a center of learning, wealth, hedonism, and idolatry. Nebuchadnezzar wanted the neophytes reprogrammed, brainwashed to become Babylonians. He did it three ways:

1. SEPARATION FROM THEIR FAMILIES/countries. Cults do this and so do fascist/totalitarian governments to gain control over the youth.

2. CHANGED HIS VERY NAME to make them forget their heritage and God. He changed their identity.

a. Daniel = "God is my Judge."