GAME CHANGER: HOW TO IMPACT YOUR WORLD

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Corey Ford
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1 GAME CHANGER: HOW TO IMPACT YOUR WORLD 64

2 You can make an impact. Get in the game. You never know what life is going to bring your way. I spent my first nine years of life in southern California. After my dad had a heart attack, we moved over 300 miles away. That was a game changer: new environment, new school, and new friends. A few years later, my mom had major surgery, and I had to go live with my sister for a year of high school. Another game changer. Again, a new school, new surroundings, and new friends. While living with my sister for that year, I visited Immanuel Baptist Church and gave my life to Jesus. That was the ultimate game changer! I went to school to be a teacher and a coach, but God called me to ministry. That was really a game changer. Then I got married yet another game changer. You get the point. Now, imagine being a young person, and you re suddenly taken from your family, friends, and country to a foreign land. You re taken not by choice, but as a captive. That certainly would be a game changer! That was what Daniel and some other Jewish young men experienced. For the next six weeks, we ll see how God used those four Hebrews to witness, speak to, and impact a pagan culture. God used Daniel and his friends in a tremendous way, just as God can use us to impact and change our world today. As we study the Book of Daniel, may God speak to us and encourage us to get in the game to be game changers. Rob Zinn Rob Zinn came to Christ through the ministry of Immanuel Baptist Church in Highland, California. He has served on the church s staff since 1971 and is currently the senior pastor. He and his wife, Jacque, have 6 children and 15 grandchildren. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 65

3 HOW TO IMPACT YOUR WORLD Session 1 Develop Conviction Daniel 1:3-5,8-13,17-19 Session 2 Pray Fervently Daniel 2:13-21,26-28a Session 3 Stand Courageously Daniel 3:13-18,26-28 Session 4 Live Humbly Daniel 4:28-35 Session 5 Confront Sin Daniel 5:17-28 Session 6 Act Faithfully Daniel 6:6-10,13-16,

4 SESSION 1 DEVELOP CONVICTION When have you felt like you were going against the flow? QUESTION #1 #BSFLgamechanger BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 67

THE POINT Live your life with uncompromising conviction. THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE Ever notice how your behavior changes depending on where you are? You re expected to cheer and yell at a football game.

5 THE POINT Live your life with uncompromising conviction. THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE Ever notice how your behavior changes depending on where you are? You re expected to cheer and yell at a football game. People will think you re bored or strange if you just sit on your hands when the home team scores a touchdown. But if you cheer and yell at an art museum, someone will probably call security. The setting, the culture around us, often defines our behavior. But what do we do when that culture calls for us to act in ways that are just not right? In this study, we ll look at four young men four teenagers who were forced to answer that question. These teens were taken against their will to a new city, a new country, and a new culture. They were expected to embrace their new reality in every way. In some ways, they did conform to the culture around them. Yet in the most important ways, they refused to compromise what they knew to be right. And that s how they became game changers. 68 SESSION 1

6 WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY? Daniel 1:3-5,8-13,17-19 (NIV) 3 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility 4 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. 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. 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 to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, 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. Babylonians (v. 4) A general term for the people who lived in Babylonia during the time of Daniel and a specific term for a category of wise men in Babylonia (see 2:2). Defile (v. 8) To make someone or something morally impure or unclean. The Hebrew word refers to something soiled, stained, or polluted. 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 At the end of the time set by the king to bring them into his service, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king s service. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 69

7 THE POINT Live your life with uncompromising conviction. Daniel 1:3-5 It s not always easy for teenagers when their parents move them to a new town. But what modern teens may fuss about is mild compared with what Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah experienced. They were among the Judean nobility carried into exile by the Babylonians. King Nebuchadnezzar placed them in a special program designed to prepare them for his service a program that included assimilating them into the Babylonian culture. Part of this assimilation included learning about Babylonian (Chaldean) language and literature (v. 4). More personally, it also included changing their names (see v. 7). It appears the youths didn t fight these changes. In fact, Daniel continued to refer to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah by their new names: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They learned the culture and language, and they went on to serve. We assimilate to changing culture all the time: food, fashion, technology, and so on. Missionaries learn new languages and adopt cultural elements in order to build a bridge to people for Christ. Churches learn the interests and lifestyles of those in their community so they can build relationships. These forms of assimilation are at the heart of Paul s missionary passion: To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God s law but am under Christ s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some (1 Cor. 9:20-22). Still, we need to know when it s okay to adapt to the culture and when it s not. We ll see that distinction more clearly as we continue with the story. What are some of the defining values of our community and culture? QUESTION #2 70 SESSION 1

8 SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE? The following activities are accepted in modern culture to one degree or another but are they acceptable for followers of Christ? Circle any of the activities you believe to be permissable for Christians. Watching R-rated movies Smoking cigarettes Speeding Drinking alcohol Watching pornography Using credit cards Using legalized marijuana Buying a luxury car Evading taxes What spiritual disciplines or practices help you understand what is right and wrong in today s society? "Labor to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire called conscience." GEORGE WASHINGTON BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 71

9 THE POINT Live your life with uncompromising conviction. Daniel 1:8-13 These verses reveal another area in which these young men were expected to assimilate: their diet. The king s officials planned to give the young Jewish men daily amount of food and wine from the king s table (v. 5). This meant rich fare that likely included pork, horse meat, and other foods forbidden by the law (see Lev. 11:3-47). Furthermore, the king s food and wine were likely offered to their pagan gods before arriving at the king s table. This is where Daniel drew a line in the sand. To eat foods prohibited in the law was to act in direct disobedience to God. To eat meat offered to idols was to acknowledge the Babylonian gods. Daniel and his friends were unwilling to do either. How do we know when it s time to take a stand? QUESTION #3 When our convictions are put to the test, how should we respond? We can take several cues from Daniel: He made a compelling appeal. He didn t refuse, throw a fit, or demand his rights like people often do today. Instead, he appealed reasonably yet firmly. He was determined. He was committed. His decision was do-or-die. We yield when we re not committed or our convictions are not strong. The best way to beat compromise is to get committed before you are challenged. He was confident. Daniel and his friends would eat as the Lord had directed and trust God for the results. After 10 days, the young Jews looked healthier and better (v. 15) than the others who had eaten the king s food. How can we stand by our convictions without condemning others? Like Daniel and his friends, we will be challenged to compromise our Christian convictions. Yet we can meet those challenges by choosing to stand before authority figures, friends, and peers in a loving way that glorifies Christ. QUESTION #4 72 SESSION 1

10 Daniel 1:17-19 God gave these four young men abilities that were highly prized in Babylon particularly the ability to interpret dreams. The Babylonians strongly believed their gods spoke through dreams and visions; consequently, they placed a high value on Daniel. After three years of preparation, all the young men stood before King Nebuchadnezzar. None could equal Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. All four had valued their walk with God more than anything else, and now they were stationed in positions of influence with the king himself. Was there a direct connection between Daniel s uncompromising convictions and the abilities God gave him? In other words, did God give wisdom and ability to Daniel because he had been obedient? The passage itself does not make a direct correlation, but elsewhere in Scripture obedience and wisdom are tied together (see Ps. 1:1-3; Prov. 2:6-7). What s certain is that Daniel s uncompromising life became a strong witness to the power of God. He lived as a testimony to the God of Israel before every king he served. Daniel served in this capacity until the first year of King Cyrus (v. 21), which was around 539 B.C. And since the events we ve been studying occurred in 605 B.C., we re talking about 66 years of service! From youth to old age, Daniel stood faithfully in uncompromising, unwavering godliness. How can we support one another when it s necessary to stand against the culture? QUESTION #5 BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 73

THE POINT Live your life with uncompromising conviction. LIVE IT OUT You will have opportunities even this week to demonstrate uncompromising conviction.

11 THE POINT Live your life with uncompromising conviction. LIVE IT OUT You will have opportunities even this week to demonstrate uncompromising conviction. Consider the following suggestions for taking advantage of those opportunities: Evaluate. While we continually adapt to our culture, we need to discern what s OK and what s not OK. Spend time asking God to reveal any areas of your life in which you ve compromised on His standards. Memorize. Memorize Bible verses that address specific temptations you often face. For example: fear (John 16:33), lust (Gal. 5:16), and anger (Eph. 4:26). Seek support. Even Daniel needed the support of friends like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Make an effort to build relationships that offer mutual support and encouragement as you seek to live uncompromising lives. Our culture is always changing, which means you will be continually confronted by the temptation to compromise what you know is right. Choose to stand strong. You may be going against the flow, but you won t be going alone. 74 SESSION 1

GAME CHANGER How to Impact Your World 2015 LifeWay 64 GAME CHANGER

GAME CHANGER How to Impact Your World 2015 LifeWay 64 GAME CHANGER 64 game CHANGER You can make an impact. Get in the game. You never know what life is going to bring your way. I spent my first nine years of life in Southern California. After my dad had a heart attack,