Standing Up For Right, Even When Everybody Else Is Doing Wrong

STANDING UP FOR RIGHT EVEN WHEN EVERYBODY ELSE IS DOING WRONG

DANIEL 3:10-15

Intended for Reading on the Lord’s Day June 9, 2013

Delivered By Rev. Kelvin L. Parks

At New Home Baptist Church, Chattanooga, Tennessee

Pastor: Elder Spotts

Youth Day Program

• I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

• My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.

• O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.

• WHY ... Because this is the day, that the LORD has made, so, let’s rejoice and be glad in it

Good Morning New Home Baptist Church... and too, God be the Glory!

What a great day... and great opportunity for me to be here with you on this day. For those of you who do not know me.

I am the eldest son of Theodore and Gloria Parks. Leaving Chattanooga at the age of 18; joining the Navy and traveling to and fro I can truly say without hesitation that Dorothy from the Wiz got it right when she clicked her heels together and said “THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE HOME.”

And I do indeed count it an honor and privilege to be able to come home

This is a very special day for me because out of 19 years of preaching... today marks my mother's 2nd time ever seeing me preach.

She has heard a tape or too along the way, but today marks her second time actually seeing me. So this is a very special day for me as I’m sure it is for her.

I am a proud Dad today as well and she is a proud Grandma because, my oldest daughter, who you all know, Whitney, is being baptized today at Piedmont Church in Marietta, Georgia. And we thank God for what he is doing in her young adult life.

With that, I would like to take a moment to especially thank Pastor Spots for this opportunity to stand behind this desk in proxy for him to preach God’s Word (thank you kind sir).

To Elder Butts, Elder Stokes ... and my other preached brethren on the roster greetings... and I solicit your prayers this morning... are you praying for me.

And there is a Word from the LORD...So let us turn our hearts and our Bibles to Daniel 3:10-15

When you find it, please say Amen. It reads:

(v.10) Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, shall fall down and worship the golden image:

(v.11) And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.

(v.12) There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

(v.13) Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.

(v.14) Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?

(v.15) Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?

You may be seated...

LET US PRAY...

Our text this morning comes from (v.12) (it reads again)

“There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.”

Elder Stokes ... sent me the theme and scripture for this Youth Day. He wrote the theme is:

Training up youth -- who refuse to bow to the gods of this world ... But willing to stand for Christ in the midst of adversity.

Now, I’m going to remain true the scripture and theme, but I want to tag this Sermon this morning with the subject

STANDING UP FOR RIGHT EVEN WHEN EVERYBODY ELSE IS DOING WRONG

New Home ... Have you ever asked the question...“Why Not Me?”

Well ... I’m a firm believer that when things are going good; probably not.