Maryland Men of Faith Conference 2022: True to Duty

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Maryland Men of Faith

True to Duty General Sessions

Dee Casper

Keys to Remaining Faithful

This media has been presented to you by the Maryland Men of Faith, where men are challenged and encouraged to form the character of Christ.

For more information, please visit www.mmof.org.

This has been a spirit-filled, message-filled, activity-filled day, but we're thankful for it, and so we just pray that your hand of blessing would be on this last meeting together and that you would help us to learn how to be faithful and true to duty.

Is that 1 still on or is that, okay, we got it.

So in Daniel chapter 3, is what we're gonna look at today.

May dabble a little bit outside of that too.

But the context of Daniel 3 begins in Daniel 1, right?

So Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, that's the name their mama gave them.

I don't know why we call them their Babylonian names.

It's always kind of unique and strange to me because we don't call Daniel his Babylonian name, but we call them their Babylonian names and no 1 asked the question why.

It's in the narrative so it's fine, but anyway, these 4 are brought into Babylon, right?

They sacked, I mean, this is, it's kind of a gnarly story, right?

Like, Jerusalem gets sacked, then these men are literally sexually assaulted and taken to march at nearly hundreds of miles across the desert.

They're prisoners of war and they're refugees.

We really think this through about what these guys went through and the fact that they chose to live lives of integrity and even have mercy and care for the people who did this to them when they were sexually assaulted, they're prisoners of war, and they're refugees.

We hardly talk about that for whatever reason.

But they chose to live lives of integrity, right?

Many Israelites are just completely caving.

They're not living up to principles, we're sure.

And yet in this scenario, these guys chose to stay true to principle or go hungry.

Like they're not gonna eat the king's provisions.

But by them standing for principle in Daniel chapter 1, it sets up a scenario in Daniel chapter 2 where Nebuchadnezzar speaks to his wise men and says, you're just trying to buy time and I'm not having it, right?

If you don't give an answer, you're done.

Well, it's interesting because Daniel walks into the presence of the king and says, hey, can I have some time?

Why is Daniel given time when the other wise men aren't?

It's because of the life that he lived before Daniel 2.

Daniel 1 is also the precursor now to Daniel chapter 3 where there's also grace given to them that other people wouldn't have received.

So a decree is given in Daniel chapter 3.

Daniel chapter 3, remember you're not present if you don't have a Bible y'all, so I'm about to take your gold star off of the board on the wall there.

Daniel chapter 3, so Nebuchadnezzar, he's given a vision in Daniel 2 of an image, right, of a statue of gold, silver, bronze, iron, and then iron and clay.

And at the conclusion of that, he falls on his face before a humiliated servant and declares, your God is the only God, he's the real deal.

And You know, they want to offer sacrifices or whatever you get to Daniel chapter 2 and he kind of doesn't like this idea That there's going to be a kingdom Inferior to his it takes over after him.

He builds an image that's entirely of gold.

We don't lose, we don't lose our rulership.

Don't worry, I edited it a little bit, made some edits and posts, and it's much better now.

So they make a decree and all the known world, the leaders of the known world, are called to be there, right?

Says that he sent word to gather together the satraps, this is verse 2, administrators, governors, counselors, treasurers, and judges and magistrates, all the officials of the provinces to come to the dedication, okay?

So when they come and they all gather together, then there's this command that if you don't fall down and worship at this, at the sound of the music, then you're gonna be thrown into a burning, fiery furnace.

So when you hear these things, This is what you need to do and they all fall down and worship except These 3 obdurate weeds on the plain of Dura right these 3 stubborn men Standing in this whole group of people.

The easy thing is I'm just gonna tie my shoe real quick.

I'm not bowing, I'm just, you know, just gonna do my thing.

And word gets to the king that they aren't going to do this.

There are certain Jews who don't serve your gods.

You put them in high ranking officials, you put them over the affairs of the government, they won't listen to you, King.

They don't serve your gods or worship the gold image which you've set up.

So verse 13, it says, then Nebuchadnezzar in rage and fury gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

So they brought these men before the king.

Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, is it true Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that you don't serve my gods or worship the gold image which I've made.

Now, if you're ready at the time you hear the sound of all these music and fall down what you've made, good.

But if you will not worship, you should be cast immediately in the midst of a burning fiery furnace." And then he says, and who is the God Who will deliver you from my hands now this this should beg some questions, right?

First of all, he's giving him a second chance Why?

The decree was if you don't worship, you die.

Daniel 1, the life of integrity that they lived before Daniel 3 earned respect even of a pagan king.

Remember, we're talking about this idea of being true to duty.

You choosing to be a person of integrity could be a decision that is life or death.

Daniel 2 and in Daniel 3 we see this example that choosing to be true to duty literally saved their lives, at least in the first glance, right, in the first go-around.

Then he makes this statement, who's the God who will deliver you?

And my salty response would be the same God that put you on your face in Daniel 2.

They don't say that, they're a little smarter than I am.

But you just think, like This is the context.

We really don't pay attention to the narrative of Scripture.

We pay attention to prove ourselves right and to make statues and give prophetic presentations.

We don't really pay attention to the people in these narratives.

And when you sit still and pay attention to the context and the narratives of people's stories and emotions and feelings.

Scripture makes the assumption that you understand how humanity works and that you will read the humanity lens into the people in Scripture.

This is why the spirit of prophecy is so powerful and profound.

You get details regarding the humanity, the thought processes, and so forth of people.

And people say, like, I can't believe Ellen White says stuff that's not in the Bible.

It's what it many of the things that she talks about are stuff that is logical when you think about the humans involved in their stories.

Is God Enough?

Anyone else just kind of like love being in a room full of dudes just being manly and talking about manly stuff?

I haven't shaved for a week looking forward to this.

This is a place where no one's gonna give me any hard times for that.

And that's my warning to you, don't give me a hard time about that.

All right, men can shave too though, it's okay.

I got no beard game, so all of you who have beards just know what you have is a gift that I wish I had and I don't.

All right, so I do help to run a discipleship and evangelism school for the Pennsylvania Conference.

For time's sake, I'll just kind of share that it's training young people to own their faith, to find their calling, and to change the world.

The second semester of our CORE program is open to adults.

Mark Finley teaches for us on preaching, David Ashcroft on apologetics, James Rafferty on Daniel, Don McIntosh, Gary Gibbs, our conference president, Rico Hill, Paul Conniff, Nathan Renner, Justin Kim, and many many more.

You can find more information there that covers a whole aspect.

It's a great opportunity for churches to sponsor a young adult to believe in them and to get them proper training to figure out why they're in Adventist, how to see Jesus in the heart of the Adventist message, and how to intelligently and effectively share that with the world around them.

And adults can come to the second semester of our program.

So if you're not in the 18 to 35 demographic, you can still come second semester and you get a majority of our theology classes and you get 5 months of Bible work experience.

And so we're super stoked for that so you can find information there.

All right, so I wanna address a topic this morning that I think is super important.

God, Thank you for this chance to study, to grow, and to hear your voice.

And I pray that you would challenge us today, that you would speak to our hearts and our minds, and that you would give us a lesson that we will not soon forget.

I believe that Jesus is coming soon to claim his bride.

By the way, claiming his bride, November 13th, Spokane, Washington.

RSV closes tomorrow, though, so you do need to do that.

If you're actually that benevolent and you want our registry come talk to me at lunch, I guess that would be amazing But anyway, just pray for us that I don't blow it I've got 40 something days to not blow it between now and then so just pray for me that I Become the man that God longs for me to be I believe Jesus is coming soon to claim his bride.

Scripture tells us though that before this happens a time of great distress will come upon the earth and I believe that what we're going to cover today can prepare us for that.

Some principles that can help us for that.

We're convinced that God is going to ask things of us that we just aren't ready for or at least not yet.

Like, God you can have all of my life except for this 4x4 square right here, maybe later, but right now we need this.

I just can't envision giving all all mostly all maybe all all some of us may struggle with this but listen to this from the upward look we're told our first lesson is to learn the will of God even though we pass through trying circumstances.

And then knowing His will, what are we to do?

To obey unquestioningly, but here's the promise, such obedience will always be rewarded.

So your first role as a man, as a leader in your home, as someone who aspires to be a leader is to find out what is the will of God and then we're told to obey unquestioningly and such obedience will always be rewarded.

Here's the other 1 and I'm apologizing, not apologizing in advance because this one's pretty gnarly.

Ellen White says this in Faith and Works 45.

She says, when God lets man have his own way, it's the darkest hour of his life.

Yo, this will make you crumple over in pain.

How many people can testify to the fact that's true?

Yeah, that lady is an inspired prophet for sure, right?

When God lets man have his own way, It's the darkest hour of his life.

So what we're gonna cover this morning is a contrast looking at the lives of Abraham and Lot.

Because I believe these 2 principles, our first job is to know the will of God and to obey unquestioningly.

And the other is that when God lets man have his own way, it's the darkest hour of his life.

Those 2 principles, I think, are very clearly revealed in the lives of Abraham and Lot.

My students are not actually present in class if a Bible isn't with them, so I hope you got a Bible.

If not, I'm gonna mark you absent, and I'm not sorry.

Genesis chapter 12, beginning of verse 1, speaking of Abraham, or Abram.

Now, the Lord had said to Abram, get out of your country, from your family, from your father's house, to a land that I will show you he doesn't even know where it is yet I will make you a great nation.

I will bless you and make your name great This is in contrast to Genesis 11 where they're trying to make their own names great, building the Tower of Babel.

I will bless those who bless you, I will curse him who curses you, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

Verse 4, so Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him and Lot went with him and Abram was 75 years old when he departed to or from Haran Okay, so some of you may weep over this call Some of you may Rejoice over this call leaving the family and stuff right it can be kind of tricky These are very patriarchal families are very close and yet he chooses to obey what God says Even though he doesn't know where he's going But the promise we're given is such obedience will Always be rewarded.

Well once Abram gets to Canaan doesn't quite look like that at first glance, because when he gets there, there's famine in the land.

Makes life so much easier, 50% more efficient.

But when he gets there, there's famine in the land.

Where you follow the will of God and the first thing you encounter is hardship.

And maybe you're tempted, did I go right?

I moved my family, but then the house sale fell through.

How do you navigate these circumstances where when you go where God leads, initially it doesn't look like it was a good decision.

Then he goes to Egypt, right, and he has this whole struggle.

My fiance's name is Sarah, by the way, so priests pray that I never do what happens next, because he basically traffics his wife.

Like, he basically, she's so beautiful that if everybody sees her, they're going to want her, and he goes through this scenario.

But Lot is his nephew, who basically, he treats as his son.

He raises Lot at this stage as if he's his son, because his brother has died.

And Lot witnesses Abram in this stumbling moment, this kind of losing faith moment in Genesis chapter 12.

They come back from Egypt and they have bounteous livestock.

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Series

True to Duty General Sessions

Is God Enough?

Transcript

Parent Series

Parent Conference

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