Stand Firm
Daniel 1.1-8
vv. 4-5, Daniel and his friends got a three-year crash course in the ways of the Chaldeans.
--New Teachings, new language, pagan religion
--They were faced with adversity in their education—they would be taught things that went totally against their beliefs.
--They would be tempted with new foods and wine that were forbidden in their homeland.
What did Daniel and his friends do? When he was faced with adversity, He stood firm. Verse 8 says that he purposed in his heart. He made up his mind ahead of time that no matter what, he was going to stand firm in his faith and his belief in God.
Do Christians stand firm today? For those who are graduating high school and are going on to college or are in college, they will face or are facing things very similar to what Daniel and his friends faced thousands of years ago.
I want to ask the graduates and those that are already in college or still in high school a question—Are you standing firm in your beliefs in spite of the secular and tainted education that you have or will receive.
Do you stand up for what is right or do you bow down?
The Hebrew children stood up for what was right. They never backed down. Now I am not advocating defying everything presented to our children in school today.
Sometimes we have to learn about certain things in order to know what we face.
We have to know other beliefs and theories in order to be able to combat them spiritually.
Paul tells us in 2 Cor 10.3, For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh.
Again in Eph 6.12, For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
This tells me that just as Daniel and His friends faced the forces of Satan in their education we face the same forces today.
The taking of prayer out of the schools, the taking of the ten commandments out of the schools, the teaching of evolution and the moral decay in our society that has infiltrated the schools of today.
The teaching of evolution and the removal of prayer from our schools are not man made. They are Satan made.
Satan is known as the father of lies and we can see these lies permeating our society, homes and schools.
We may not be able to accomplish much against these false teachings in our schools, but we can combat them in our homes, our church and our Sunday School.
We can combat these things through our prayer lives as well.
I do disagree with the teaching of evil-ution and acceptance of homosexuality to our young children.
Young children who are easily persuaded and confused and who look up to the authority figure of the teacher.
A part of a $24 billion educational initiative started a few years ago, pushed for the hiring of homosexual teachers and assistants.
It also pushed teaching homosexual practices in our schools.
Folks, as parents we need to be intricately involved in the education of our children. We need to insure that the proper values are taught to our children especially in the primary and elementary years.
These are the years when they are most impressionable. In middle and high school, years if we have taught our children correctly they should be able and ready for any values that go against their Christian upbringing.
We may not agree with all the material that is being taught in the school, but we can present our children with the truth to help them.
Let your child’s teacher know where you stand on these issues. Many times the teacher has no choice but to teach what they are told, but it never hurts to let them know where you stand.
They may have to face tests where they have to answer the questions the way the school requires, but with your guidance in the early years and up, they will know right from wrong.
We can teach them Biblical truths. We need to teach our children the truths upon which to stand firm.
What was God’s response to Daniel’s stance? Let us read Dan 1.17.
He blessed them. He gave them knowledge and skill in ALL learning and wisdom.
We see that God blessed them with the ability to learn and excel at everything they were taught.
The old saying is knowledge is power. Let us look at what God’s blessing did for these four young men.
It comes to graduation time; 1.18-19.
The king found none like them. They had stood firm in the face of adversity and were blessed. They did not allow these new and false doctrines to sway their faith in God.
No matter how good it may have looked, no matter the temptation they had stood firm and God blessed them.
Such strong faith and such young men. How many of us need to follow this example of faith?
Just how good did God bless them? 1.20.
In ALL matters, they were ten times better. They knew everything there was to know about this pagan society and its government.
I believe they knew the ins and outs of all their religious rituals and the laws of Babylon.
I believe they knew every false god and its history. But you know what?
They were not swayed. There faith was in the God of gods. The one true God. They stood firm in the face of temptation.
Now we all know the story of the king’s dream in 1.48-49. Because of God’s blessing of Daniel, He and his three friends were set over all Babylon and given great wealth and power.
They were given everything that money could buy. In the eyes of the morally bankrupt society they were in, they had it made.
Do you see a parallel with today’s society? Focus is on the material, status and position. Knowledge is power and power is money.
Satan uses wealth and power to try to destroy a relationship with the Lord.
People today sell their souls for the Almighty dollar.
They compromise their beliefs and morals. They will do anything to get that raise, or promotion, even to the point of turning their backs on family, friends and God.
Let us look at what Daniels three friends did—we all know the story of the fiery furnace.
God delivered the three Hebrew children because they stood firm. They never once wavered in their belief. People who waver in their beliefs are not blessed by God.
There are many Christians today that are swayed by everything. The latest fad full of falsehood is enough to sway those who really don’t know what they believe.
Read 3.18. These young men did not turn their backs on God—even in the face of death.
The king who made them powerful was now demanding compromise. How often do we as Christians come face to face with our boss and compromise our beliefs out of fear?
When we do this, we make our boss and our job more powerful than God.
We allow our teachers and professors to be more powerful than God. We should stand firm in our faith.
No it won’t make us win a popularity contest, but it will please the Maker and the Ruler of the Universe.
What happened to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, because they stood firm? 3.30.
God blessed them again. They were promoted even further In the kingdom.
They passed their test. Do we pass our tests of faith? How many blessings have we missed out on because we compromise?
How many of us face true life or death situation as a test of our faith? Now I know that many Christians in other parts of the world face death because of their faith.
What I am saying though is this, do we in America face death over our faith?
How many of you have ever been told by your boss or anyone else that unless you renounce God you will die?
Let me ask it this way...Do you live your life in such a way that someone could ask you to renounce God or face death?
Do they know by your actions that you serve Jesus Christ? Are you ready to stand for God?
In the country of Sudan, an entire village was killed because they had accepted Christ as their Savior.
What if the government in America changed suddenly overnight? And Christians found themselves hunted down and killed for acknowledging Christ as Lord and Savior.
Christians are being killed by the thousands everyday for their faith in Jesus.
Would you stand firm? Examine your faith right now where you stand! Will you stand for Jesus?
Are you strong enough? No! none of us are strong enough on our own. We need Jesus. We need to be closer to Him.
Do you want to stand firm but find you are scared? If so you need to get to know God just as good as Daniel and the Hebrew children.
How do you do that, How do you get to know Him better?
Sunday School, Worship Service, Evening Service and Wednesday Services.
Read your Bible Daily! Have some quiet time with the one who saved your soul from hell.
Ask the Holy Spirit to help you in your Bible Study so that you will have the strength to stand firm in your faith.
Your faith can grow strong this way. You can have the strength it takes to stand firm.
You must work on your relationship with Jesus Christ in order to make it grow.
How many of you would like to be more like Jesus? How many of you believe there ought to be more people in the church like Jesus?
Through Bible Study, church attendance, prayer and TRUE commitment that stands firm, we can have More people More like Jesus.
