GYC WEST 2019: Let These Stand

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GYC West

Dee Casper

How to Stand at the end of Time

God in heaven, thank you for this privilege to pray.

Thank you that we can come into your presence, and I thank you that you long to bless us more than we've had the courage to ask.

And so sweet Jesus, I'm praying in this place, in this moment, that you would bless us, that you would speak to us, that you would give us practical information as we prepare for a crisis that's coming upon this earth that is like nothing this world has ever seen.

So in Daniel chapter 3, they're referred to in prophets and kings as the Hebrew worthies.

I kind of prefer to call them Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, they're non-Babylonian names, because that's what their mom called them.

But you can call them Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, because Daniel 3 calls them that, for whatever reason.

I can ask Daniel and say, hey bruh, what's the deal?

Why do you get to be called Daniel, but they get called other names?

I'm actually not dogmatic about it, but it's just a little strange.

But if you want to turn to Daniel 3, we're going to kind of be dancing around there for a little bit this evening, in a sanctified way, of course.

So the context for Daniel chapter 3 actually begins in Daniel chapter 1.

In Daniel chapter 1, Hananiah, Meshel, and Azariah and Daniel are given a charge.

They're actually supplied food from the king's table and they decline and refuse to eat this food because it was not going to be in their best interest.

And they take a stand out of principle at the very beginning.

The interesting thing about this is they seemed to be the only people who made this decision and there were other Israelites in Babylon when this took place.

But by taking this stand of principle in Daniel chapter 1 it became evident to the king that these people were different.

The way that they lived was different and the fruit that it bore was different and they are immediately brought into the favor of their captors.

Then we get to Daniel chapter 2 and King Nebuchadnezzar has this dream that just really rocks this guy.

He doesn't remember what the dream was and he doesn't know what it means, he just knows it's important.

And so he goes to his charmers, his you know the Chaldean sorcerers and says, hey help me I need to know the dream and I need to know the interpretation.

Tell us what you saw and we can tell you what it means.

I think it means it's going to be bad weather tomorrow.

If you don't give me an answer, it's curtains for you.

And then they basically tell him that's dumb.

And then they say the gods whose dwelling is not with men.

Now, I think this is fascinating for 1 reason, many reasons, but 1 of the big ones is, the pagan view of God is that you have to do stuff to get the gods to recognize you and to even care about you, right?

You need to throw the virgin in the volcano.

You need to bury your firstborn in the foundation of your home.

You need to offer other sacrifices to get the gods' attention.

And their belief is the gods have no dwelling with men.

But John chapter 1 of verse 14 says, the word became flesh and dwelt among us, amen.

We serve a God who longs to come close to the people, to dwell amongst the people and to minister to our deepest needs.

In fact, Revelation chapter 21 goes so far as to say that that very same God is coming down to planet Earth to wipe every tear from your eyes.

So, the Babylonian view of God is not an appealing view of God, and it isn't God at all, really, at this stage.

All that being said, in Daniel chapter 2, the king says, no, you're just trying to buy time and I'm not having it.

And so now the decree goes out and they start killing wise men and Daniel and his 3 Hebrew friends are lumped in the same category of people, those servants who are ministering to the king.

And they get a knock at the door, I'm here to kill you, I'm sorry, what was that?

And he starts asking questions, well hey, let me go talk to the king.

In Daniel chapter 2 he says, you're just trying to buy time, no way, from his own people.

And yet these emasculated foreigners who have been humiliated and are servants, no, no, no, I'll give him time.

Because they took a stand from the very beginning of their ministry, of their captivity even, They saw that they were different.

It rocks the king and the king of the known world falls on his face before a humiliated servant and says, your God is the guy.

I don't know why I'm expecting there to be a poster of a statue right here where I can point to it.

Anyway, envision in your mind the blonde girl.

So imagine that there's a statue and it's gold and that's gonna be King Nebuchadnezzar And in the kingdom of Babylon you have silver then you have bronze and you have iron then the feet you have iron and clay mingled 1 with another and He says you O King are this head of gold, but then he says another kingdom Inferior to yours, right?

They The metals decrease in value, but they increase in strength as they go down.

But he says, a kingdom inferior to yours is going to come along after you.

Now, if you're the king of the known world, you feel pretty boss, right?

And then they're gonna say that somebody inferior to you is gonna take over after you.

And so anyway, Nebuchadnezzar falls on his face and says, your God is the guy.

But then we get to Daniel chapter 3 and we see that that didn't really go over all that well after he slept on it.

After some time went by and says, now I have a better idea.

We're gonna make an entire statue made out of gold and he doesn't stop there.

Then he makes a decree for all the known world to come and worship this image.

This is where things start to get interesting.

So the decree is made, and they say, when you hear the sound of the music, bow down.

So the music goes dooby dooby doo, and everyone falls down on the ground, and they worship except for these 3 obdurate weeds.

They don't pretend to tie their shoe, but not fully bow.

They don't think, oh, I just need to use the bathroom.

They stand in front of everybody and it's not gonna go over well.

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How to Stand at the end of Time

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