Just last year (March 21, 2012), the Washington Times carried a story about a 3-million dollar strip club being built next to a retirement home for nuns in Chicago’s western suburbs. “On one side of the fence are women in habits and wimples who have taken vows of poverty, chastity and obedience,” says the article. “On the other side of that fence, if a developer gets his way, will be women in G-strings in the business of nudity, dollars and prurience.” Last Spring (2012), the Get It gentleman’s club was on track to open just feet away from the Missionary Sisters of St. Charles Borromeo’s retirement home. Imagine that: a bunch of nuns living next to a porno palace.
Sometimes, as a follower of Christ I feel like those nuns in Chicago’s western suburbs. After all, we are living in a society which is becoming more and more godless, more and more depraved, and even hostile to Christians.
Just this year, we’ve heard reports about: Military members who can be court marshaled if they share their faith while on duty; ObamaCare forcing Christian employers and organizations to fund abortion causing drugs against their deeply held religious beliefs; the IRS targeting conservative and Christian groups for special scrutiny; Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider, given a government grant to promote ObamaCare; and gay marriage becoming legal in more and more states. On Monday, August 12, Governor Jerry Brown signed bill into law allowing transgender students in California to choose which restroom and locker room they use. And just this last Wednesday (August 20, 2013), Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey reported that he would sign a bill banning therapy to turn gay teens straight (Fox News, 8/20/2013). Things that were unthinkable 30 or 40 years ago, are quickly becoming the norm in our society today.
A survey reported in a recent issue of Esquire magazine (May 2010), found that among 10,000 U.S. young women (average age 27.6): The majority do not pray (55%); 89% support gay marriage; and 89% believe in evolution.
How is a follower of Christ supposed to live in such a hostile environment to Christians? How are we as those committed to Christ supposed to engage a post-Christian society which no longer shares our values? How can we as believers in Christ influence a culture which is desperate to influence us in the wrong way?
Well, there is a lot we can learn from the Old Testament character of Daniel. In his teen years, he was jerked from his godly home in Judah and plopped right down in the middle of the wicked city of Babylon. The people around him were hostile to his values and beliefs. And yet Daniel thrived in that culture and was able to influence people at the highest levels of that godless society.
How did he do it? Well, if you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to Daniel 1, Daniel 1, where we meet this young man and learn from him how to influence a godless culture in a godly direction.
Daniel 1:1-7 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in Babylonia and put in the treasure house of his god. Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring in some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility— young men without any physical defect, handsome, 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. 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. Among these were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego. (NIV)
Now, put yourself in Daniel’s shoes. He was stripped of his home. He was kidnapped, taken hostage to keep his own king in line. Then he was stripped of his manhood. Daniel was most likely castrated, because he was to serve in the king’s palace. The king’s officials were called “eunuchs,” which means “those who are castrated” (2 Kings 20:18; Isaiah 39:7).
More than that, Daniel was stripped of his culture. He was to be educated in the ways of the Babylonians, indoctrinated with their language and literature. He was also being asked to give up his own religion. They were going to force him to eat from the king’s table, which was a violation of his faith. Not only did the food from the king’s table violate Jewish dietary laws, it was offered to the Babylonian gods. Thus eating that food meant participating in the worship of those gods.
The Babylonian officials took away Daniel’s home, his manhood, his culture, and even his very identity. They changed his name! They changed everybody’s name. Each of them had names which honored the True and Living God of Israel, but they were given names which honored the false gods of Babylon.
Daniel’s name means “God is my judge.” His name was changed to “Belteshazzar,” which means “May Bel Protect His Life.” Now, Bel was the chief Babylonian god. Hananiah, which means “God has favored,” became “Shadrach” – “the Command of Aku” (Babylonian’s moon god). Mishael, which means “Who Is What God Is,” became Meshack – or “Who is what Aku is.” And Azariah, which means “YHWH Helps,” became Abednego – “The Servant of Nebo” (another Babylonian god).
The Babylonians stripped Daniel and his friends of their home, their manhood, their culture, and even their identity. The Babylonians took away all the outward trappings of Daniel and his friends’ existence, but the Babylonians could not take away who they really were on the inside.
The fact is: instead of being changed by the culture, Daniel and his friends ended up changing the culture itself from the top down. They were in hostile territory, but they found a way to make a real difference in the lives of people who fundamentally disagreed with them.
It reminds me of the story of Dick Winters in the HBO mini-series, Band of Brothers. He leads his soldiers in the Battle of the Bulge where he refused to retreat (show video clip). “I don't like to retreat,” Winters says, and then a series of quick moving scenes closes with a soldier leaving the front line. He pulls winters aside and says ominously, “Looks like you guys are going to be surrounded.” Without hesitation Winters replies, “We're paratroopers, Lieutenant. We're supposed to be surrounded.” (Band of Brothers, Warner Bros. Home Video, 2001, Disc 6, “Who's Who: The Men of Easy Company: Richard Winters”)
My dear friends, “We’re Christians. We’re supposed to be surrounded.” God placed us in hostile territory not to be overrun by it, but to overcome it in His strength and to influence ungodly people to turn to God. Daniel did it in wicked Babylon. We can do it right here in the United States of America even though many of its citizens are hostile to our values and beliefs.
The question is: How? How can we engage a post-Christian society which no longer shares our values? How can we influence a culture which is desperate to influence us in the wrong way?
Well, what did Daniel do? Look again at verse 2. Daniel Himself is writing this, and he says, “The LORD delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand…” The LORD gave Nebuchadnezzar the victory and allowed him to take hostages to Babylon.
Daniel recognized the sovereign hand of God in ALL of his circumstances – even in his own capture and deportation to Babylon. In fact, the sovereignty of God is a major theme of this entire book. David knew that God was behind the scenes orchestrating everything: the rise and fall of nations; the defeat and deportation of God’s people; even his own circumstances. David knew that God had placed him there in the wicked city of Babylon for a reason. And that was the key to his ability to overcome, rather than be overrun by the forces of evil there. My dear friends, if we want to change our world, rather than let it change us, then like Daniel, we need to…
RECOGNIZE THAT GOD IS SOVEREIGN.
We must realize that God has placed us where we are for a reason. We must acknowledge that our circumstances have been orchestrated by the Lord Himself. HE put us where we are to make a difference in the lives of the people around us – Believe it and act on that belief.
It was Christmas, 1944. Corrie Ten Boom’s sister, Betsy, had died, and Corrie herself was in a hospital barracks in Ravensbruck – a German concentration camp – wondering why God had put her there. Here is what she wrote of that experience in her book, Corrie’s Christmas Memories (show picture):
Dark it was in my heart, and darkness was around me (show picture of Ravensbruck prisoners).
There were Christmas trees in the street between the barracks. Why, I don’t know. They were the saddest Christmas trees I ever saw in my life. I am sure it was with the purpose of blaspheming that they had thrown dead bodies of prisoners under the Christmas trees.
I tried to talk to the people around me about Christmas, but they mocked, ridiculed, and sneered at whatever I said. At last I was quiet. It was in the middle of the night that I suddenly heard a child crying and calling, “Mommy! Come to Oelie, Oelie feels so alone.” I went to her and saw a child not so young, but feebleminded.
“Oelie, Mommy cannot come, but do you know who is willing to come to you? That is Jesus.”
The girl was lying on a bed next to the window, not far from my bed. Although Oelie was completely emaciated from lack of food, she had a sweet face, beautiful eyes, and wavy hair. It was so touching to hear her call for her mother. Oelie had been operated on and the incision on her back was covered by a bandage of toilet paper.
That night I told this poor child about Jesus. How He came into the world as a little baby – how He came to save us from our sins.
“The Lord Jesus loves Oelie and has borne her punishment on the cross. Now Oelie may go to heaven, and Jesus is there right now. He is getting a little house ready for Oelie.” Later I asked her what she remembered of what I had told her.
“What is the little house like,” she asked.
“It is very beautiful. There are no wicked people as in Ravensbruck, only good people and angels. And Oelie will see Jesus there.”
Then Oelie folded her hands; together we gave thanks.
Then I knew why I had to spend this Christmas in Ravensbruck – 1944 (Corrie Ten Boom, Corrie’s Christmas Memories)
Corrie Ten Boom knew that GOD had put her in Ravensbruck. It’s what helped her be a light in that very dark place.
And that’s the choice we have: we can complain about our surroundings, or we can accept the fact that GOD has placed us right where we are to be a witness for Him. We can curse the darkness, or we can light a candle.
Sure, there are a lot of things to criticize in our post-Christian society. Instead, I choose to be a witness. I choose to accept the fact that God has placed me here and light a candle in the darkness. If we want to change our world and make a real difference, that’s where it starts. We must 1st recognize that God is sovereign. Then 2nd, we must…
RESOLVE TO OBEY GOD NO MATTER WHAT.
We must be set in our hearts to remain committed to the Lord, and we must be determined not to allow the culture around us to defile us. That’s what Daniel did in Babylon. Look at verse 8.
Daniel 1:8 But Daniel resolved [he was set in his heart; he was determined] not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself in this way. (NIV)
No matter what everybody else was doing, Daniel determined to obey his God.
Imagine the scene. The table is set with the king’s rich food. The servants have placed platters of ham, bowls of cold-boiled shrimp, and dainty servings of caviar at everybody’s place. They have poured the best wines of the kingdom in their glasses, and everybody sits down to eat.
What would you do? What would I do? I could rationalize my faith away and compromise my convictions very easily. After all, it’s perfectly good food. Sure, to eat such food in that context would mean rejecting my God in honor of the Babylonian gods, but everybody else is eating it. I don’t want to look silly; and besides, I might go hungry if I don’t eat it.
Daniel could have easily rationalized his faith away, but he didn’t. Instead, he resolved to obey God no matter what! And that’s what we need to do if we’re going to be a positive influence for God in a negative situation. We need to resolve to obey God no matter what! For you see, we cannot make a difference in our world if we’re no different than the world around us.
Ken Wales, an award-winning TV and film producer, started his Hollywood career as an actor. But early in his career Wales chose to turn down a significant role because it conflicted with his faith in Christ. While he was under contract with MGM, he was cast for a film starring Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, and Shirley MacLaine. At one point in the script, his character enticed a young woman to get drunk so he could take advantage of her. Wales described his decision to decline the role:
I had been speaking to a lot of church groups and conventions around the country on the subject of making right choices. So when I read … the script … I had to meet with the director, Vincente Minnelli, to tell him I couldn't do it. He told me, “You'll do it, or you'll be out of your contract, you'll go on suspension, you'll have no salary for a year, and I'll see that you never work in this town again.” I told him he'd have to find someone else, and he literally threw me out of his office.
I was put on suspension. When the film came out the following year, I was speaking at a youth convention in Denver, to about 600 kids. We took a break at dinner time, and everybody piled out to see a movie and to get pizza. As we started to walk across the street, there was a huge marquee with a sign for the movie I'd turned down. And I thought that was interesting. What if I'd done that film and the kids had gone in and seen it?
Wales went on to say that declining that role propelled him into his current role as a film and TV producer. Since then he has produced award-winning TV series and films, including Christy, East of Eden and the highly-acclaimed movie Amazing Grace. (Marcia Segelstein, “Amazing Grace: Interview with Ken Wales,” Salvo, Summer 2011; www.PreachingToday.com)
If Ken Wales would have compromised his convictions, he would have had nothing to say to those kids or to anybody else about following Christ. It would have taken away any influence he might have had for good.
Like I said before: You cannot make a difference in the world if you are no different than the world around you. Daniel distinguished himself, because he set his heart on obeying God. In fact, verse 19 says there was “none equal to Daniel…”
Do you want to stand out as a light in the darkness? Then Dare to be a Daniel. Dare to stand alone. Dare to have a purpose firm. Dare to make it known (Philip P. Bliss, 1873).
If we want to change our culture and influence people to follow Christ, then 1st, we must recognize that God is sovereign – He placed us here to make a difference in people’s lives. 2nd, we must resolve to obey God no matter what. And finally, if we want to change our world, we must…
RELATE TO THE UNBELIEVERS AROUND US WITH RESPECT.
We must interact with those who don’t share our values with the utmost esteem, not with disdain. We must value people for who they are, as those created in the image of God and as those for whom Christ died. That does not mean we have to agree with them, but we can respectfully disagree agreeably.
That’s how Daniel relates to the unbelievers around him. Look again at verse 8.
Daniel 1:8-10 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. Now God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel, 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.” (NIV)
If some of the hostages looked weak from a lack of food, the one in charge could lose his head. So Daniel suggests a test.
Daniel 1:11-14 Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. 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.” So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days. (NIV)
Daniel doesn’t rant and rave, demanding his rights. He respects the man’s predicament and offers an alternative.
Daniel 1:15-16 At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead. (NIV)
Daniel and his friends actually did better on vegetables and water than the others did on the king’s choice food and wine. Daniel showed the guard respect, so the guard respected Daniel’s request, and God honored him as well.
Daniel 1:17-21 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. At the end of the time set by the king to bring them in, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. 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. And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus. (NIV)
Daniel faithfully served his unbelieving superiors all his life – whether it was his teachers in the Babylonian school or King Nebuchadnezzar himself. He submits to having his name changed. He submits to their education. He submits to serving the king who kidnapped him. Daniel respected the unbelievers God had put around him and over him. As a result, they respected him.
Think about it. I’m sure Daniel was forced to learn about the Babylonian religion in the Babylonian government school. No doubt, they taught him their creation myths as they taught him the language and literature of the Babylonians. Did Daniel shrug it off because he knew those myths were untrue. No! He became their best student. He didn’t have to believe those myths. He just understood them 10 times better than everybody else.
It earned him the right to be heard. He respected his teachers; and as a result, his teachers and those in authority respected him.
In the same way, if we want to earn the respect of the unbelievers God has placed around us, then like Daniel we too must respect them. For the Christian student in our government schools, you don’t have to believe the myth of evolution they teach you there. Just know it 10 times better than anybody else. Then when you can articulate their faith better than they can, maybe they will listen to you when you share your own faith.
You see, our faith should make us the best students ever – even in an anti-Christian, pagan, government school. Our faith should also make us the best employees on the job – even in a totally secular environment. And our faith should make us the best citizens too – even when our government officials refuse to honor God. If we want to influence the unbelievers around us, then we must learn to treat them with respect.
When Laura King and her husband, Chris, brought their three young children to a sophisticated Italian restaurant in Poulsbo, Washington, she was surprised to get this receipt after their meal (show picture). It showed a $4 discount for “well behaved kids.” They had already received free ice cream from an appreciative wait staff.
The owner of the restaurant, Angela Scott, recalls how much easier three polite children made her job that evening. “We see the opposite a lot of time,” Scott said. “Sometimes children are not the most well-behaved. It was nice especially because they are so young.” (Michael Walsh, “Family gets discount on restaurant bill for ‘well behaved kids’”, New York Daily News, February 7, 2013)
It’s amazing what a little respect will do even from young children. Try it in your relationships with unbelievers wherever God has placed you.
How do we engage a post-Christian society which no longer shares our values? How do we influence a culture which is desperate to influence us in the wrong way?
We do it like Daniel did: 1st, Realize that God is sovereign, that HE has placed you where you are to be His light in a dark place. 2nd, Resolve to obey God no matter what. And 3rd, Relate to the unbelievers around you with respect.
I know it is hard sometimes living in a culture which more and more opposes the values we hold dear, but we can with God’s help. We can not only survive and thrive; we can change our world without it changing us.
Jay Kesler talks about two ways of handling pressure. One is illustrated by a bathysphere (show picture), the miniature submarine used to explore the ocean in places so deep that the water pressure would crush a conventional submarine like an aluminum can. Bathyspheres compensate with plate steel several inches thick, which keeps the water out but also makes them heavy and hard to maneuver. Inside they're cramped.
When these craft descend to the ocean floor, however, they find they're not alone. When their lights are turned on and you look through the tiny, thick plate glass windows, what do you see? Fish! (show picture). These fish cope with extreme pressure in an entirely different way. They don't build thick skins: they remain supple and free. They compensate for the outside pressure through equal and opposite pressure inside themselves. (Jay Kesler in Campus Life. Leadership, Vol. 5, no. 2.)
My dear Christian friend, don't be hard and thick skinned. Just appropriate God's power within to equal the pressure without and you will change your world!
