GAME CHANGER: HOW TO IMPACT YOUR WORLD

Transcription

1 86 GAME CHANGER: HOW TO IMPACT YOUR WORLD

2 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 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. 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 re going to see how God used these 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. A big change in their circumstances was a game changer for Daniel and his friends, but they turned it around and became game changers to the world and culture around them. As we go through this study in the Book of Daniel, may God speak to us and encourage us to get in the game and be game changers. Rob Zinn Rob 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 the senior pastor. He and his wife, Jacque, have six children and 15 grandchildren. 87

3 Connect to Christ, Com mun ity, and Cul ture As you lead your group in this study, help them to know CHRIST and His gracious work, live as contributing servants in the COMMUNITY of faith, and effectively engage the CULTURE without losing distinction. Note in the group plans the icons (below), which identify activities to help group members connect in specific ways to Christ, Community, and Culture. Christ Community Culture Christ Prayer is a call to seek God and not just what He can do for us. Christ is our ultimate example of remaining steadfast in the face of opposition. Embrace a life of humility even as Jesus did. 88

4 Community We can generously serve with our resources and abilities, no matter what our circumstances or environment may be. It s easier to stand courageously and faithfully when we stand together. God will do great things through us as we humble ourselves under His lordship. Culture The church should stand gracefully but resolutely against sin, even if that stand is not popular. We can unashamedly represent Christ to those around us. We can lovingly engage the culture with the truth. We can build bridges to Christ even in a world that opposes us. We point others to Christ when we serve those who oppose us. Helping you move from where you are to where God wants you to be. This is your passion for your class or group. Yet helping different individuals each take their next step to grow as disciples is challenging. The Transformational Discipleship Assessment (TDA) is a quick and easy tool to help you discover how you and the members of your group are doing in eight essential areas of discipleship. The TDA provides next steps to help your group move from where you are to where God wants you to be. The assessment is online which allows each group participant to complete it in the comfort and privacy of their homes, offices, or even on their mobile devices. Discover more at TDA.LifeWay.com. 89

5 GET INTO THE STUDY 10 minutes GUIDE: Call attention to the contents page (PSG, p. 3). Note that today the group begins a six-session study from the Book of Daniel and will see how God used four Hebrews to witness, speak to, and impact a pagan culture. Review the titles. (ENHANCEMENT: Note the session titles on Pack Item 5: Game Changer. ) GUIDE: Note the picture (PSG, p. 82). DISCUSS: Question #1 (PSG, p. 82): When have you felt like you were going against the flow? GUIDE: Direct attention to The Bible Meets Life (PSG, p. 83). Invite the group to remember a time when nearly all men wore hats. Now, most men don t. That s an example of assimilating to the culture in a harmless way. However, some things our culture wants us to accept run totally against the convictions of those who have determined to follow Christ. SESSION 7 DEVELOP CONVICTION The Point Live your life with uncompromising conviction. The Bible Meets Life We have all assimilated to some degree to the culture we live in. Our understanding, customs, and traditions all grow out of our culture. That s not necessarily bad, but it becomes an issue when those customs and practices conflict with the biblical standards to which God calls us. The Book of Daniel shows us a man who had convictions and lived out those convictions in a culture that called for a different standard. The Passage Daniel 1:3-5,8-13,17-19 The Setting The divided kingdoms of God s people were near their end. The Northern Kingdom (Israel) had already met its demise at the hands of the Assyrians. The Southern Kingdom (Judah) still existed but was quite weakened. Continued disregard for God and His ways had led God to remove His hand of protection from the remaining kingdom. In 605 B.C., nearly 20 years before Judah s final fall, Babylon had laid siege to the land and taken captive some of its best and brightest residents, including Daniel and his friends. 90 Session 7

6 Daniel 1:3-5 3 The king ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his court officials, to bring some of the Israelites from the royal family and from the nobility 4 young men without any physical defect, good-looking, suitable for instruction in all wisdom, knowledgeable, perceptive, and capable of serving in the king s palace and to teach them the Chaldean language and literature. 5 The king assigned them daily provisions from the royal food and from the wine that he drank. They were to be trained for three years, and at the end of that time they were to serve in the king s court. KEY WORD: Chaldean (v. 4) A general term for the people who lived in Babylonia during the time of Daniel, usually called Babylonians, and a specific term for a category of wise men in Babylonia (see 2:2). Culture expects you to assimilate. 1 The opening verses of the Book of Daniel indicate that Nebuchadnezzar [neb yoo kad NEZ uhr], King of Babylon invaded Jerusalem in the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah (v. 1). The destruction of Jerusalem occurred in three stages. First, in 605 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to the city. He plundered the temple and removed ceremonial vessels used for worship and placed them in the house of his god (v. 2) as a display of conquest and power. He also took captive many of the citizens of Jerusalem. The second stage occurred in 597 B.C. when Jehoiachin [jih HOY uh kin], the son of Jehoiakim [jih HOY uh kim], was compelled to surrender (2 Kings 24:11-14). Nebuchadnezzar again took more treasures from the temple and deported to Babylon over 10,000 Hebrew captives including numerous craftsmen and leaders. The third and ultimate stage in the fall of Jerusalem occurred in 586 B.C. when Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Solomon s temple. He took another large population of Hebrews to Babylon and left the city impoverished and in ruins. GUIDE: Introduce The Point (PSG, p. 83): Live your life with uncompromising conviction. Note that God expects His people to live by biblical standards. STUDY THE BIBLE Daniel 1: minutes SUMMARIZE: Use the Bible commentary 1 to establish the historical context for the focal passage. (ENHANCEMENT: Pack Item 6: Jewish Exiles in Babylonia. Note the route of the exiles into Babylonian captivity.) READ: Invite a volunteer to read verses 3-5. SUMMARIZE: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were young men who were among the Judean nobility carried into exile (see v. 6). Nebuchadnezzar placed them in a special program to prepare them for service to the king, which included assimilating them into the Babylonian culture. SUGGESTED USE WEEK OF OCTOBER 18 91

7 THE POINT Live your life with uncompromising conviction. GUIDE: Call attention to the numbered statements on PSG page 84 to note how the young men were to be assimilated. 1. Teach them the native language and literature (v. 4). Their education would have included learning about Babylonian history and culture. 2. Change their names (v. 7). The Jews appeared to accept name changes when they entered a new culture; Joseph did so under Pharaoh (Gen. 41:45). Hadassah is commonly known by her Gentile name: Esther (Esth. 2:7). Emphasize that not all assimilation is bad. Note that Daniel did not appear to resist the name change; he continued to refer to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah by their new names: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They learned the culture and language and went on to serve. 92 Session 7 Verses 3-4. King Nebuchadnezzar was a shrewd and cunning ruler. He practiced a policy of assimilating talented young leaders into service for his government. He promised them a better life in exile than what they had in a war-ravished homeland. He instructed Ashpenaz [ASH peh naz], the chief of his court officials, to bring some of the brightest and best Israelites for training. The king was precise in his expectations and qualifications. The Israelites were to be from the royal family and from the nobility. They were to be young men. The Hebrew term translated young men could refer to children or older youth, but in keeping with Babylonian custom, the age of 14 or 15 was a suitable time to commence training. Furthermore, Nebuchadnezzar wanted the trainees to be without any physical defect, good-looking, and to demonstrate teachability and intellectual acumen so they could suitably represent the king s palace. One of the more challenging aspects of serving in the palace involved learning the Chaldean [kal DEE uhn] language and literature. The term Chaldean was practically synonymous with the term Babylonian. In some instances, Chaldean referred to a professional category of wise men and seers. Babylon was the premier city of the Near East. It was an intellectual center and boasted one of the largest libraries of that era. Hundreds of Babylonian archaeological texts reveal various kinds of religious documents, legal documents, dictionaries of word lists, mathematical and economic texts, and astrological predictions. The language system was a form of Akkadian and was written in cuneiform, which comprised hundreds of edge shaped symbols. Verse 5. The entire learning process required three years. It was designed to reshape the thinking and lifestyle and fully persuade the trainees to embrace Babylonian culture. During these three years the young men from Judah would receive the finest of treatment and training and then serve in the king s court. For the young Hebrews, their daily diet included food and wine from the king s table. The Babylonians only had the best intentions in providing the royal food and drink. They had little or no knowledge of the dietary provisions of the Mosaic law. Consequently, the Babylonian culture was unaware of the possible conflicts with the thinking and values of persons of faith. Among the Hebrew trainees were Daniel, Hananiah [han uh NIGH uh], Mishael [MISH eh uhl], and Azariah

8 [az uh RIGH uh] (v. 6). The phrase among them in verse 6 indicates that more young men were involved than the four mentioned here. The chief official gave these four young men Babylonian names. Daniel was given the name Belteshazzar [bel tih SHAZ uhr]. Whereas, his Hebrew name meant God is my judge, Daniel s new name included a reference to a pagan god, Bel, and it meant Bel protect his life. Daniel s three friends were given the names Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. How can believers today stand in a toxic culture that has abandoned its moral compass? First, like Daniel, we can study and learn about our culture in order to exert a godly influence. If all we do is condemn and criticize our culture without connecting our culture to Christ, then we have neglected our calling. We can sometimes earn the respect of unsaved persons when we listen courteously and reply intelligently to their opinions. Daniel understood the language of his culture and he learned how to connect to it. Second, Daniel demonstrated a profound measure of wisdom and restraint while enduring oppression and humiliation. Indeed, there is a time to speak out and a time to be quiet. Learning that distinction and difference requires a close walk with God. Daniel 1: Daniel determined that he would not defile himself with the king s food or with the wine he drank. So he asked permission from the chief official not to defile himself. 9 God had granted Daniel favor and compassion from the chief official, 10 yet he said to Daniel, My lord the king assigned your food and drink. I m afraid of what would happen if he saw your faces looking thinner than those of the other young men your age. You would endanger my life with the king. 11 So Daniel said to the guard whom the chief official had assigned to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12 Please test your servants for 10 days. Let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. DISCUSS: Question #2 (PSG, p. 86): What are some defining values of our community and culture? (Alternate: As believers, what are the positive aspects of identifying with a culture?) TRANSITION: The culture expects us to assimilate; again, that s not always a bad thing. But we need to know when it s OK to adapt to the culture and when it s not. STUDY THE BIBLE Daniel 1: minutes READ: Read verses GUIDE: Note the third area in which the Hebrews were expected to assimilate (PSG, p. 87): 3. Change their diet. They were to have daily provisions from the royal food and from the wine that he drank (v. 5) rich foods that likely included pork, horsemeat, and other foods forbidden by the law (Lev. 11:3-47). 93

9 THE POINT Live your life with uncompromising conviction. The king s food and wine were likely offered to pagan gods before they were sent to the king s table. Accepting a royal diet meant accepting the idols associated with it. Daniel refused because he wanted to remain faithful to God. NOTE: Clarify that Christians are not restricted by Old Testament dietary laws. Paul told the Corinthian church, which was struggling with the issue of eating meat offered in pagan temples, they were free in the Lord to eat all foods. But their decisions were to be guided by concern for one another refusing to do anything that would cause another believer to stumble. (See 1 Cor. 8; 10:23-31.) SAY: Daniel and his friends were willing to assimilate to the culture up to the point where doing so would violate God s Word. 13 Then examine our appearance and the appearance of the young men who are eating the king s food, and deal with your servants based on what you see. KEY WORD: Defile (v. 8) To make someone or something morally impure or unclean. The Hebrew word refers to something soiled, stained, or polluted. Draw the line where you will not compromise. Verses 8-9. No doubt Daniel had been taught the covenant as a child before being exiled to Babylon. He grew up hearing the Torah and the tenants of the faithful. Seeds of biblical conviction grow best in the warm soil of receptivity long before a need arises for their expression. Although Daniel understood Babylonian culture, he didn t endorse cultural activities that violated his convictions. He drew a line on one issue in particular and would not compromise. A defining moment had arrived. Daniel s conviction would not allow him to indulge in the royal menu of food and drink. What lay behind Daniel s uncompromising conviction? Could his witness and influence have been just as strong if he had compromised and enjoyed the king s diet? Daniel s stand was based on two factors: First, most of the food eaten in a Babylonian palace was considered ritually unclean according to the law of Moses (see Lev. 11). The Babylonians enjoyed meat and other foods that God instructed the Israelites to avoid. Furthermore, even when the meat on the menu was acceptable, the Babylonians saw no need to drain the blood from the meat as prescribed in Leviticus 17: A second reason behind Daniel s conviction was that the meat and the wine were first sacrificed to Babylonian deities before being sent to the king s palace. Accepting a royal diet meant accepting the idols associated with it. Daniel refused because he wanted to remain faithful to God. He would not dilute his belief with a behavior that defied God s standard. In an attempt to honor God and avoid personal defilement, Daniel asked the chief official if he could be exempt from the king s diet. Daniel s request was a bold act of faith, but one he felt compelled to take. He must have known the risks involved. The chief official could have informed the king, and the king could have taken the request as an insult to his 94 Session 7

10 authority. The request could have hindered Daniel s position and advancement in the palace. In addition, Daniel could have faced social alienation from his peers. Verse 10. The conviction Daniel held stands in ironic contrast to that of the chief official. While the official was sympathetic toward Daniel s desire, he was not convinced enough to risk his personal security. He feared that if he honored Daniel s request it would endanger his own life and imperil his future in the royal palace. Fear is a powerful enemy against conviction. As a corrosive emotion, fear can eat away conviction as surely as sulfuric acid can eat away metal. Daniel may have faced a similar fear, but his determination to honor God was stronger than that fear. Daniel accepted the official s reply even if he disagreed with the answer. Strong convictions do not wilt when opposition mounts. Verses Daniel voiced his request to the guard assigned by the chief official. The guard served as a subordinate with a responsibility to care for the development of Daniel and his friends. Daniel proposed a test for 10 days. He asked for a diet of vegetables to eat and water to drink. The Hebrew word translated vegetables was not limited to vegetables, but included fruits, grains, and bread made from grains. Ironically, the guard was willing to accommodate a request that the chief official would not endorse. Perhaps the guard received permission from the chief official. Perhaps the guard acted independently with mixed motives. We can only speculate about the guard, but we can be certain about God. God stirred the guard to grant the request. God motivated Daniel to take a stand. God made a way where one had not previously existed. Daniel s devotion to God and his passion for holiness had prepared him for a defining moment. Conviction doesn t just magically appear. It is born in the hearts of men and women who believe God without reservation. It develops through hundreds of moments of trial and tribulation that prove God s faithfulness. DISCUSS: Question #3 (PSG, p. 87): How can we know when and where to stand against the culture? GUIDE: Stress that we will often be challenged to compromise our Christian convictions, but we can stand before authority figures, friends, and peers in a loving way that glorifies Christ. DISCUSS: Question #4 (PSG, p. 88): How can we stand by our convictions without condemning others? (Alternate: What steps can we take to prepare ourselves before we re asked to compromise our convictions?) DO: Invite volunteers to share their responses to the activity, Conviction Without Condemnation (PSG, p. 88). TRANSITION: God motivated Daniel to take a stand no matter what the culture demanded. We can do the same. 95

11 THE POINT Live your life with uncompromising conviction. STUDY THE BIBLE Daniel 1: minutes READ: Invite a volunteer to read verses SUMMARIZE: At the end of the time (v. 18) all the young men who had gone through the three years of preparation stood before the king. None equaled Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. They valued obedience to God more than anything else, and now they were in positions of influence with the king himself. Daniel was so informed about God s standard that he could correctly evaluate and repudiate Babylonian fallacies and inaccuracies. 96 Session 7 Daniel 1: God gave these four young men knowledge and understanding in every kind of literature and wisdom. Daniel also understood visions and dreams of every kind. 18 At the end of the time that the king had said to present them, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The king interviewed them, and among all of them, no one was found equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they began to serve in the king s court. Serve and stand for the Lord no matter what the culture does. Verse 17. God s expectation of us never lacks His revelation to us. The words God gave underscore the divine education provided to them. God gave Daniel and his friends knowledge and understanding. Hard work and disciplined study habits were important, but their success ultimately was directly attributable to God s provision. They each excelled in the curriculum of Babylon, but Daniel additionally comprehended visions and dreams. Babylonian culture placed a priority on the interpretation of dreams and visions. To serve as a representative in the royal palace, Daniel was exposed to the skills of professional seers and trained in the ancient art of analyzing dreams. God enabled Daniel to gain expertise and provided him with discernment between truth and falsehood. There must have been plenty of dark magic that Daniel disavowed, but he was so informed about God s standard that he could correctly evaluate and repudiate Babylonian fallacies and inaccuracies. This is an important missional principle. Christ-followers today can effectively relate to unbelievers by studying and identifying the compelling ideas in our culture. In order to counter and refute the cultural ideas that conflict with the biblical standards to which God calls us, we need to understand the cultural worldview. If we are going to obey Jesus and be as shrewd as serpents and as harmless as doves (Matt. 10:16), then we need to think biblically, analyze

12 accurately, love faithfully, and present the gospel clearly. Daniel lived in the heart of a pagan culture, but he found a way to express his faith and live by his convictions without stigmatizing his peers. Daniel s God-given ability for understanding visions and dreams later became central in his ascendancy with the Babylonian hierarchy. In chapter 2, Nebuchadnezzar s wise men could not understand his dream. Nebuchadnezzar s frustration resulted in an order of execution of all wise men, including Daniel and his friends. But God had prepared Daniel with the ability to meet the emergency, not only saving the lives of all the wise men, but also bringing himself and his God to the forefront of Nebuchadnezzar s court. Verses The phrase at the end of the time is not a reference to the 10-day test (v. 12), but indicates the completion of the three-year training period designed by King Nebuchadnezzar. At the end of the training period, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar, a crucial test both for the Hebrews and their trainers. If the four Hebrews failed to meet the king s expectations, the Hebrews could have been severely punished, perhaps even executed. Certainly the chief official in charge of Daniel and his friends believed his life was at stake in the outcome of their physical and intellectual training (v. 10). Even King Nebuchadnezzar was impressed as he interviewed them. In fact, no one was found equal. God did not merely give the Judeans satisfactory abilities, He also gave them exceptional standing. Consequently, they began to serve in the king s court. If the story of Daniel and his friends ended there we might be inclined to assume that they never faced any more trials. That would be an erroneous assumption. Jesus explained that believers would always meet the tooth and claw of tribulation and trouble (John 16:33). Our convictions for Christ face assault every day. The pressing question is: How can we live as Jesus ambassadors in a culture that discredits His teaching and dismisses His authority? Just as Daniel and his friends faced many trials, so too believers today often have their faith tested. Jesus calls us to live in the world without conforming to the world (17:15-16). That means we must not retreat into isolationism. We must live with contagious conviction about Jesus so that unbelievers may see the gospel as well as hear it. Also we must rest in the knowledge that God is always at work to perfect His purpose even in dark and dangerous times. When it appears that the ruler of our times is named despair we can take comfort that God rules beyond a temporary dimension of time and He This is an important principle for us if we are to be the light of Christ in the world around us. Christians can effectively relate to unbelievers by studying and identifying the compelling ideas in our culture. In order to counter and refute the cultural ideas that conflict with the biblical standards to which God calls us, we need to understand the cultural worldview. DISCUSS: Question #5 (PSG, p. 90): How can we help each other stand against the culture when it conflicts with our faith? (Alternate: How might others benefit when you stand your ground?) GUIDE: Emphasize that Jesus calls us to live in the world without conforming to the world (John 17:15-16). That means we must not retreat into isolationism. We must live with contagious conviction about Jesus so that unbelievers may see the gospel as well as hear it. 97

13 THE POINT Live your life with uncompromising conviction. SHARING THE GOOD NEWS Living a life of uncompromising conviction and faith in God begins when you realize you can t live such a life until you surrender your will and place your trust in Christ. Each week, make yourself available either before or after the session to speak privately with anyone in your group who wants to know more about becoming a Christian. See the article, Leading Someone to the Greatest Decision of All, on page 2 for guidance in leading a person to Christ. Remind group members that page 2 in the PSG offers guidance in how to become a Christian. Encourage believers to consider using this article as they have opportunities to lead others to Christ. ILLUSTRATOR PHOTO/JAMES MCLEMORE can overrule our despair. Furthermore, when we strive to live as Jesus ambassadors and stand on our convictions we can be catalysts rather than fatalists. We can be evangelists instead of pessimists. We can live with convictions in such a way that we, like Daniel, become known as transformers, not conformers (Rom. 12:2). A segment of the city wall in Jerusalem during the first temple period (1000 B.C. 586 B.C.). The following excerpt is from Jerusalem s Fall to the Babylonians (Fall 2007), which relates to this session and can be purchased at biblicalillustrator. Events on two continents as well as within the capital city itself played a key role in shaping the final 30 years of Jerusalem s preexilic history. As this tragic epoch opened in Jerusalem s history, Assyria was the undisputed superpower of western Asia. A little over a century earlier, in 722 B.C., Assyria had crushed the northern tribes of Israel, culminating its victory with the conquest of the Northern Kingdom and Israel s capital city Samaria (see 2 Kings 17:3-6). Read Feasting Like Royalty (Fall 2015). Previous articles, Life in the Royal Court of Babylon (Sum. 2014), The Spoils of War (Fall 1997), Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego All We Know (Sum. 1995), and The Learning and Wisdom of Chaldea (Fall 1985), relate to this session and can be purchased at biblicalillustrator. Look for Bundles: Bible Studies for Life. Subscribe to Biblical Illustrator at or call Session 7

14 LIVE IT OUT It sometimes may seem that a long life lived with uncompromising conviction hasn t made much difference in the world. Yet God calls us to be faithful no matter how things may seem. Consider which of these applications God is leading you to complete this week. > > Evaluate. Make Psalm 139:23-24 your prayer each day this week. Spend a few moments listening to what God reveals to you. Write down your impressions. At the end of the week, review your notes. Turn from any compromise you have made with the world, and rely on God s strength to obey Him in all things. > > Memorize. Memorize these passages to help you stand strong in your convictions when these temptations come. Underline the one that is especially helpful to you in a current situation. When you are afraid John 16:33 When tempted to focus only on yourself Galatians 5:16 When you feel hurt and want to retaliate Ephesians 4:31-32 > > Stand together. Surround yourself with your own Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Enlist three friends from your group to begin meeting together once a week to pray for and support one another in your effort to live with uncompromising conviction. Make Ephesians 4:31-32 the theme verse for your meetings. LIVE IT OUT 5 minutes DO: Emphasize The Point: Live your life with uncompromising conviction. GUIDE: Review Live It Out (PSG, p. 91; see text to the left). Invite group members to think about which application speaks most to their needs. Emphasize the importance of remaining faithful to God no matter what others may say or do. Wrap It Up GUIDE: Comment that we can live with convictions in such a way that we, like Daniel, become known as transformers of culture rather than conformers to culture. PRAY: Ask God for the strength to remain faithful to His ways no matter what happens. 99