Live Life Like Daniel

LIVE LIFE LIKE DANIEL

DANIEL 1:3-7

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—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 those who were chosen 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.

DANIEL

17 years old
lineage of David
Forced to live in Babylon due to Jerusalem being seized

JERUSALEM

Its people forced into exile
kingdom completely opposed to God
nation that sought vengeance and ignored mercy
Loved war and hated peace
worshipped idols and disgraced God

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.

DANIEL 1:5

"Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king.”

DANIEL 1:8

EATING THIS FOOD WOULD BREAK THE PROMISE HE MADE TO GOD.

IF YOU, LIKE DANIEL, WANT TO BE STRONG IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY, THEN YOU WILL NEED TO FOSTER SOME OF THE CHARACTER TRAITS OF DANIEL IN BABYLON.

SAY NO TO THE WRONG THINGS

JUST LIKE DANIEL, WE MUST SET OURSELVES UP FOR SUCCESS IN A CULTURE THAT DEMANDS EXCESS.

DISHONESTY, LUST, GREED, HATRED, AND ARROGANCE.

VICTORY IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF DISCIPLINE.

SAY NO, THEN GO AWAY.

SAY YES TO THE RIGHT THINGS

HE FOCUSED ON THE POSITIVE RESULTS THAT CAME FROM HIS REFUSAL.

REJECTING THE FOOD WAS ONLY HALF THE BATTLE.

"Please test your servants... Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink"

DANIEL 1:12

THE CULTURAL CONTEXT IS SIGNIFICANT

SHORT-TERM SACRIFICE MAKES WAY FOR LONG-TERM SUCCESS.

IT'S A LOT EASIER TO SAY NO TO SOMETHING WHEN YOU'RE ALSO SAYING YES TO SOMETHING ELSE.

WHENEVER GOD WANTS YOU TO SAY NO TO SOMETHING, IT'S BECAUSE HE HAS SOMETHING BETTER IN MIND.

When you say no to addictive substances, you are saying yes to health. When you say no to hatred, you are saying yes to love. When you say no to gossip, you say yes to respect. When you say no to vengeance, you are saying yes to grace.

Keep walking forward with focus.

GOD'S PATH MAY BE HARDER, BUT IT'S ALWAYS HEADING SOMEPLACE BETTER.