RESTORING THE SOUL
Rom 12:1-2
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
(KJV)
4964 suschematizo (soos-khay-mat-id’-zo); comformed
from 4862 and a derivative of 4976; to fashion alike, i.e. conform to the same pattern (figuratively):
KJV-- conform to, fashionself according to.
3339 metamorphoo (met-am-or-fo’-o); transformed
from 3326 and 3445; to transform (literally or figuratively, "metamorphose"):
KJV-- change, transfigure, transform.
342 anakainosis (an-ak-ah’-ee-no-sis); renewing
from 341; renovation:
KJV-- renewing.
*** People say I don’t know why I started letting myself get involved in this.
*** Is it possible to be a perfectly contented individual having that calmness of spirit and having complete fulfillment of every desire, without wandering away from the law of God?
THREE PRINCIPLE THOUGHTS FROM AN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTER DANIEL.
*** It was around 500 B.C. The nation had collapsed, that which they had dreamed for the city of Jerusalem was not to be.
*** God had brought them through the wandering in the wilderness to the land flowing with milk and honey.
*** It was only a journey of a few short weeks, 4 to 6 but God took them the long route around, it is important to know why,
*** He said so you would see your own heart and the wickedness of it, so you would know you man does not live by bread alone, so that you would know that even in the difficulties you face I never let you down.
*** THE PRINCIPLE OF HUMILITY- WHEN THEY SAW THEIR OWN HEART.
*** THE PRINCIPLE OF SPIRITUALITY-man don’t live by bread alone.
*** THE PRINCIPLE OF FAITH-sometimes you cannot be in control of your own life, that there is a God to whom you must submit and trust Him to take care of you.
*** For any nation to be great these principles are intrinsic.
*** But after 1 thousand years of having been established they were not able to learn those principles.
*** Jerusalem was now gone, the temple had now been ravaged, they were in enslavement in Babylon.
*** Do you see the problem? Analogues to our situation today?
*** The decisions that we now make-- as a nation in our courtrooms, in the highest offices of the land.
*** The choices by which we are allowing young people to guide themselves under the pretext that no longer is there a moral center to life, you may live any way you please even the lifestyles of those who stand as the supposed examples to our society.
*** Is this not the same road that we have entered upon, so the timeliness of an individual like Daniel the things that he did as he faced the uncertainty of his time.
LET ME TAKE YOU THROUGH THREE BASIC PRINCIPLES
1ST PRINCIPLE-KNOWING WHERE TO DRAW THE LINE OF RESISTANCE.
*** In the early part of the book of Daniel; Nebuchadnezzar has raped Jerusalem, he has plundered the temple, he has taken the vessels in the temple and brought them into Babylon.
*** Everything that gave the Israeli people their identity had been ravaged.
*** Then he did more he sent a decree to find the best minds in Israel the most intellectually capable either from royal descent or academic capability.
*** Bring them into the palace treat them with lavishness, give them the best of everything I have and train them in Babylonian philosophy.
*** He was taking them the best, and reinsuring a world view so that they would become the best spokesperson for what it is that he himself believed.
*** Daniel was one of these young minds. He made a staggering decision that stands out from the rest of them, and he took three of his friends with him in that decision.
*** I don’t want all that lavish diet that they want me to eat just give me a very ordinary diet.
***At the end of so many days if I don’t look as healthy as the rest we can talk again.
*** I don’t want to eat from the kings banqueting menu.
We are given the privilege by God to train and discipline our passions.
Some want to see how far they can go, others like Dan will see how far they can stay away.
*** If any of our lives have gone wrong, may I suggest to you it was not when you chose to cross the line, but possibly a line that was not drawn well before.
*** Its easier to say no before you have tasted it than to say no after you have tasted it.
*** Like the potato chip commercial…we dare you to stop after taking just one!
2ND PRINCIPLE-KNOWING THE LINE OF DEPENDANCE
*** He knew where knowledge and intellect ended and where trust and faith in God began.
3RD PRINCIPLE-CONFIDENCE THAT GOD ALONE WILL BE MY JUDGE.
Ch 6:4-5 No charge that we can bring against him exeept that he honors the law of God.
*** They set up a scenario where he would have to choose between the law of God and the law of the land.
*** He honored the law of God down to the very core to the point that the king himself realized that this man is too great a man to destroy
*** Daniel-Let God be my judge.
*** Belteshazzer- Prince of Baal.
*** He could be a prince in a palace of a false deity…or be a slave as it were sold out to God and allowing God to be his judge.
*** We are living in times where everything is being ravaged it is going to take a man or woman like Daniel who will take responsibility of my own life.
*** Are you going to allow God to be your judge or be a prince in the world of ideas that are contradicting you.
1. A LINE OF RESISTANCE.
2. A LINE OF DEPENDANCE.
3. A LINE OF CONFIDENCE.
*** Look at what happened as a result.
***3 pagan kings crossed over from their side to his side, and prayed to the God of heaven before it was through.
*** They tried to change his name he ended up changing theirs.
