Editions and workers good morning and very good to see all of you and if you're watching online thank you for being a part of our service if you have your Bibles turn with me to the Book of Daniel chapter one a huge money-making industry is the diet industry and there is a long list of diets that books have been written lots of money has been made off diets you know how many of you remember Susan powder remember that that diet fat makes you fat if you'll stop eating any fats you'll lose weight then Atkins came out fat doesn't make you fat carbs make you fat ketogenic diet the cabbage soup diet also known as the stinky gas diet the paleo diet the macrobiotic diet the master cleanse diet that one's just diarrhea and uh South Beach Diet five to two diet the werewolf died on and on and on I should write a diet book to make money so you first of all you can relax this uh if you are a Dieter I'm not going to be taking shots at you okay we came back from quarantine I'm wearing the same suits because there's only a couple that fit anymore after my quarantine 15 but so you can relax but uh even in Christian circles there are numerous diets one of these there's a book that came out it was called the Daniel diet and supposedly this is based on the food guidelines that we're going to find in Daniel chapter 1. I have bad news for you if you are into the Daniel diet the food guidelines we're going to read in this scripture actually have nothing to do with weight loss they have nothing to do with health physically but actually the Daniel diet is about preserving your relationship with God and preserving your purpose for God and so we're going to look this morning at the Daniel diet in Daniel chapter 1 let's start reading in verse 1 we'll read the first eight verses the third year the reign of jehoiakim king of Judah Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it and the lord gave jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand some of the Articles of the house of God which he carried into the land of shinar to the house of his God and he brought the Articles into the Treasure House of his God then the king instructed ashpin as the master of his eunuchs to bring some of the children of Israel and some of the king's descendants and some of the Nobles young men in whom there was no blemish but good-looking gifted in all wisdom possessing knowledge and quick to understand who had ability to serve in the king's Palace and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king's Delicacies that means food of the wine which he drank and three years of training for them so that at the end of that time they might serve before the king now among those of the sons of Judah were Daniel hananiah Michelle and Azariah to them the chief of the eunuchs gave names he gave Daniel the name belty shazar to hananiah Shadrach to Michelle Meshach and to Azariah Abednego but Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's Delicacies nor with the wine which he drank therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself the Daniel diet let's look as we begin at the uh the thought of transformation the Jewish people the nation of Israel or at Judah as we read in this scripture they were God's people they were actually a patterned people and they were a pattern of relationship with God they were to enjoy relationship with God and by enjoying relationship with God they were to become a pattern for the entire world uh to so everyone could see what difference it makes when you have relationship with God our scripture begins in verse one the nation was conquered and some of God's people were taken far from Israel to Babylon the vast majority of the nation were killed very few people were left alive and young people primarily were taking taken away to Babylon so think about this the enemy's strategy is not always to kill you that's what happened here the majority of the nation they died in battle out of this they were slaughtered but we see in the scripture here that the enemy is still fighting you even if he is not able to kill you and that's very very important you understand that what we just read in a few verses is the strategy of Hell to transform us to change us from who we are and who we're supposed to be into what the enemy wants our scripture says here that what he the king intended is I want these young Jewish men they were teenagers I want them to speak to act to think like Babylonians the Babylonians were the enemies of God he says I want you to change them from being children of God referencing of God no I want them to become something very different I want them to become Babylonian the two main strategies he uses here number one he wants to change our identity this scripture says the king of Babylon had ashpin as if his servant changed their names verse 7 ashbanazid gave them Babylonian names each of these young men their names were Godly names they when their name was said it reminded them of the Living God and so the first step is to change their identity Daniel his name means God is my judge his name is changed to beltis shazar which means the god Baal favors referencing a demon god hananiah means beloved of the Lord now his name becomes Shadrach illuminated by the sun god Michelle means god is without equal and now his name becomes Meshach who is like unto Venice which was another demon god and Azariah God is my helper he becomes ebednego which means the servant of Nebo each of these is now referencing who are you you are now connected to a false demon god that is a strategy of hell to change your identity you may claim to be in relationship with living God but the enemy wants to change your identity or literally who do you reference off of I see people through the years and they come in with a complete new look and I'm not talking about just a hair color they come and I often wonder where did you get that identity from an unsaved person a family member somebody you work with go to school with wow you look just like that guy on TV who's a perverse Godless individual you look just like that ungodly singer this is a strategy of hell is to change your identity who do I take my reference points from that is your identity second strategy is to change your values verse 4 he was to teach them the language and the writings of the Babylonians they underwent a three-year educational or we could say a re-educational program think about this they they literally it would be as though they were given a free education to the best universities in Babylon education is a good thing there are some of you here you have educated yourself it has helped your career it's helped your life in many ways but I note that some people's salvation and relationship of God doesn't survive schooling because they go to school and now they are indoctrinated or their beliefs in God are challenged and attacked that is a strategy it's an ancient one thousands of years old and our generation there are people that they the values that are drummed into us in American society money is the most important thing in all of the world sexuality is the most important thing in all of the world your looks your image those are the most important things in all the world having other people's approval so what happens if is what that the enemy wants to change your values to make you just like the enemies of God a mental patient walked up to the new doctor in a mental hospital and he said we sure like you a lot better than we did the last guy the new doctor said well thank you and he said why do you like me better than the last guy the mental patient said because you seem just like one of us that's not a compliment how many know that and if you have ungodly people who are looking at you saying gee you're just like us that is not a compliment that's a strategy from hell see these people had been taken away from Israel when they lived in Israel or Judah as we read there that region of Israel every day they would no doubt perhaps see the temple they would they would be reminded of the true and the Living God but now they are far from Israel and what they see every day this is the strategy of hell is to get them to focus on the here and the now to get them to focus on what they can see every day all they could see were things that were Babylonian they saw Babylonian images they heard Babylonian music they saw or received Babylonian teaching and what happens over time is you begin to assume that your life is all about only what you can see the Babylon rules the king of Babylon says the only way the enemy can get you to change your identity is if he can make you forget your true king so listen because you can't see God with your eyes doesn't mean that he's not an active part of your life and so this is the mistake that people make they get caught up and slowly the enemy is changing their identity changing their values as they forget who they truly belong to let's talk secondly about the Daniel diet our scripture tells us something and that is the key to your entire life is internal the key to your entire life is not where you live who you're married to what you own or what you know the key to your life is what you have inside of you verse 8 but Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself very simply Daniel understood something what I have inside will determine the outside proverbs 4 23 puts it this way guard your heart Above All Else for your heart determines the course of your life so here they're trying to change his name they're trying to teach him a new language they're trying to teach him new values but Daniel makes a decision I don't want to be Babylonian I am not Babylonian and so here he makes a decision that says I want to protect my heart I don't want my heart to change until one day an inmate in the Asylum says you're just like us but that is what's inside the essence of Daniel's Devotion to God and His desire to protect his heart is found in his diet verse 8 he purposed that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's Delicacies or food nor with the wine which he drank therefore he requested the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself Daniel understood he said there is a danger here and the danger is what I ingest what I put inside of me has the power to change me for evil and not for good again if you are taking this and you want to use that is that he has a wonderful diet program that has nothing to do with diet he was a teenager it's very unlikely he even needed to okay it wasn't his health he was protecting it was his heart he says I don't want to take things inside of me that will the word that is used is defile me the word defile here it literally means I don't want to take something inside that will stain me inside that will soil or contaminate me on the inside so the issue here Daniel diet they want to tell you vegetables are the key to health that's my idea of Hell actually Jesus Take Me Now personally but that's me you you can have whatever you want the issue here was Babylonian food and Babylonian wine before you partook of it they dedicated it to idols they would literally pray over it and offer it to demon gods and then after offering it to demon gods then they brought it to you so Daniel is not objecting to meat he is objecting to taking something ungodly inside of himself that will sustain him that is the possibility for every believer this is a story thousands of years old and yet for many people this is the essence of whether your heart is protected or whether you become like the world around you it matters what you take in you can watch things on the internet they're not helping your salvation they're defiling you movies and television watching ungodly language and and Rebellion sexuality and witchcraft these are things that defile we've had for many years in our church have standards for Ministry and what we want people to not take in in that way but let's be honest do you really have to have a rule to tell you that watching people having sex is not good for your salvation is that the only thing that's going to keep you from defiling yourself because Daniel said think about this what I eat and what I drink those are small things but this is the truth about life is sometimes you can begin to take in things that they're not good for you one man said there's a choice you have to make in everything you do you must always keep in mind the choice you make it makes you our scripture shows us something and that is your appetites will determine your future I've seen through the years people that their salvation did not survive their appetites because they had an appetite for ungodliness and they consistently took it in and no wonder over time it defiled their salvation to where they no longer have relationship with God appetites will determine your children's salvation think about that Daniel and the three Hebrew children here they were teenagers they were children but by their names we know that love and respect for God was put into them by their parents so that at a later point in time probably their parents were killed in the battle they're no longer there but their parents had put something inside that even in a foreign land and culture they could stand and they could say I do not want to become like the enemies of God Parents let me ask you what is it that you're putting into your children is that going to help them stand strong over time or are you going to be the cause of their downfall has to do with your destiny and your purpose in God your appetites will determine your destiny second Timothy 2 20 and 21 the new century version says in a large house there are not only things made of gold and silver but also things made of wood and Clay some are used for special purposes others are made for ordinary jobs all who make themselves clean from Evil will be used for special purposes they will be made wholly useful to the master ready to do any good work there are young people here that you feel a call of God on your life God has revealed that he has a plan and a purpose for your life I want to tell you something you do not have to be the most talented you do not have to be the most educated the most uh skilled in life but our scripture says Destiny is determined by holiness you make a decision to live in a different way if you have a purpose of God it's not a rule that will keep you on track it is the fact I have a purpose Joseph is living in Egypt all by himself a woman is offering to sleep with him and he says how can I sin against God he knew that he had dreams God had shown him he has a plan for his life so he says I will live differently why because I have a purpose and I want to fulfill that purpose listen to me disciple make up your mind if you want to be used by God your life may look differently than the people around you there may be things that other people are doing but if you want to do the will of God you're gonna have to make different decisions see Daniel understood the power of appetites they bring Babylonian food and Babylonian wine and Daniel says uh-uh I'm not having any part of that you know what he understood what you feed you increase your craving for isn't that right little babies you start giving them food and it's you know pureed green beans smashed up broccoli but oh one day you give them sugar and I've never seen a child yet that says no candy thanks more brussels sprouts why because you have created if you feed your flesh that's true of you it's not a baby issue it's you if you feed your flesh guess what your flesh is going to want more and more and more this is true parents your children some of you I fear you are creating appetites in your children what do you think one day they're just going to go oh no thanks no they're going to want more and more and more Reynold III he was a 14th century Duke in what is now Belgium Reynold was enormously obese his younger brother Edward led a revolt against him he captured his brother but he didn't kill him instead with bricks he had a room built around Reynold it had Windows it had a door there were no locks there were no bars but the door was narrow and he said you can have your title and your property back as soon as you're able to fit through that door the problem was his size to get out of that room he needed to lose weight but his brother knew his appetites and so every day Edward sent Reynold a variety of delicious foods and desserts and instead of dieting his way out of prison Renault grew fatter and fatter they accused Duke Edward of Cruelty he said my brother's not a prisoner he can leave whenever he Wills Reynolds stayed there 10 years he never got out they had to break the wall down to get him out only after Edward died in battle but by then his health was so ruined he died within a year Reynold was a prisoner of his own appetites because appetites will determine your future let's look finally at the impact of Daniel's diet the choice he made to protect his heart it had impact and the first of those is other people could tell if we skipped down he says a test he says we don't want to eat Babylonian food that's dedicated to demon gods and he says man you're going to get me in trouble if you if they see you looking sick then I'm gonna I'm gonna get killed here and he said just try it for 10 days 10 days he tries this diet and basically it wasn't a health issue it was honoring God for 10 days we're going to honor God and not defile ourselves the end of ten days when the man comes to examine them and says that they looked better than everybody else who was partaking of the food offered to demon Gods let me tell you something what you take inside of you over time people can tell you often can see this negatively right there are men that ladies say he gives me the creeps you know why he gives you the creeps what he's taking inside but on the other hand people who make a choice I'm going to honor God in all my decisions I'm going to honor God in my appetites you know what over time in the same way people will tell because it brings a dimension of God in your life secondly he influenced Daniel influenced other believers to make right decisions for God when Daniel makes a stand his three friends they'd join him in this diet that is all about honoring God and protecting their heart as a matter of fact if you read the book of Daniel they wound up making their own stands without Daniel in Chapter 3 The God of gold the idol that they're supposed to bow down to they make a stand and they tell the king we will not bow down we will not serve your Gods we will not worship the gold image which you've set up but you know what Daniel gave them the courage to do that there are people in your life it may be that you can influence them when they see what you do you can influence them for good that they will make right decisions because of something they saw in you Daniel's impact goes on as he influenced unbelievers to believe in God chapter 119 the king said there was none found like Daniel hananiah Michelle Azariah chapter 3 28 Nebuchadnezzar the king said praise the god of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego 4 37 I Nebuchadnezzar give praise and honor and glory to the king of Heaven in chapters 6 26 I make a new law this is King Darius now all of you must fear and respect the god of Daniel listen we are called upon to be a patterned people to show the world who God is the world will not be influenced by Christians who are just like the inmates in the Asylum around them they made an impact why because they said we want to honor God we want to be different the record of Daniel is that Daniel pleased God you know anything that God writes down is for us isn't it he had it written down so thousands of years later we would read it God is actually voting here he says I like this what Daniel and these three young teenagers did that pleases me when people decide to honor God Matthew 25 21 as lord said to him well done good and faithful servant you were Faithful over a few things I'll make you ruler over many things enter into the joy of your lord every believer in Jesus Christ Pastor Jesse began an excellent Series today he's talking about this we are headed for eternity we'll stand before God this this Parable gives the possibility that we could stand before God and he could look at the decisions we've made with our lives to honor him to not defile ourselves and he could say Well done what you've done pleases me the Columbine shooting in 1999 you know this there was a 17 year old girl named Cassie Bernal two teenagers with guns rampaged through the school shooting people and when they confronted Cassie Bernal pointed their guns at her one of them asked her do you believe in God and she looked him in the eye and she said yes and he shot Cassie and killed her instantly and instantly she was with God to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord don't you think God said to her well done Cassie looking at a gun said no I'm not defiling myself I'm standing for God honoring but you know that that's not just us waiting for some psycho gunman that principle is true for all of us you know we could all stand before God in a moment whether that is through an accident a sickness or whether that is through the Rapture at any moment we could be absent from this body and present with the Lord that is what kept Daniel and these young men making right decisions they said we're here right now yes I'm looking at what you want me to do but I understand I have a higher Authority there is one that I want to please in every area of my life so that I can do what he wants me to do so that I could influence my family people around me for God so that I can fulfill my purpose and one day I will stand before him and may he look at the record of our lives and say Well done and that is the truth of the Daniel diet I want you to Bow your heads if you would all across this place just while people have their heads bowed their eyes closed if you're watching online you do that as well out of respect for God there may be people that are here this morning I have spoken to you about the truth we are going to stand before God for some of you perhaps this morning that is not good news because you know if you were to stand before God and he was to look at the way you've been living he would not be pleased with the way you're living because the Bible says we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God the wages of sin is death it separates it ruins and destroys and yet here is the love of God he loves you so much that he made a plan to come out of Heaven live as a man the perfect life that we have no hope of ever living and died on the cross to take the punishment that we deserved why because he wants you in his family and he wants you one day to be in heaven with him if you're here this morning and you are not right with God you know that God would not be pleased with the way that you're living you can fix that before you leave what you need to do is pray with an honest heart I'm challenging now how many of you you are not right with God and you want to get right you want to turn from your sin if that's what you want to do I want you to do this lift up your hand say Pastor Greg I need Jesus I want to turn from my sin I want to pray and surrender my life to Jesus Christ amen there's a hand there God bless you how many others you want to join this one thank you you can put your hand down I appreciate your honesty how many backsliders you were saved in the past but you turned your back on God God has not turned his back on you backslider you want to come back home lift up your hand I want to get right with God backslide I lift up your hand God loves you he wants to help you thank you people are responding in honesty others you need Jesus join these that are making decisions right now you as well need to make your own decision anybody else quickly we're going to move on to some other things if you need Jesus to save you lift up your hand amen that I want only those that lifted their hands nobody else I want you to look up at me if you lifted your hand did you mean that yes come here I want to pray for you come here I'm going to say pray with you don't be shy you come God bless you thank you God bless you just kneel down right here I want somebody to pray with her thank God God bless you man I appreciate that I want a man to pray with him thank God you lead them in a sinner's prayer and there might be somebody near you that doesn't know Jesus then I want you to gently invite them to pray in a moment when we stand there may be people online that you're watching I cannot see you but the God who sees everything he does and while I was pulling in that altar call maybe you need to make your own decision to pray I want to help you to pray if you're watching online if you want to turn from your sin I want you to repeat this out loud after me I want to say God in heaven I believe in Jesus Christ that he died on the cross to pay for my sin I admit I am a sinner and I ask you to forgive me come into my heart help me to live a new life for you in Jesus name amen God those that pray online I need you to touch them where they are let the power of the Holy Ghost come down take residence give them power to live for you From This Moment On In The Name of Jesus Christ amen I want you all to stand up to your feet we're going to open the altars God spoke to some of you about your identity your values about the diet of what you take in you know make your decision that you're going to honor God that you're going to preserve your purpose in God come and speak to God about that they're going to sing while people are coming and praying [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] exalted on high creation will praise him he says [Music] he is exalted he is exalties [Music] hey creation [Music] he is exalted saying again [Music] thank you wish I will praise him he says [Music] exalted let's worship God together right now father God we thank you Hallelujah Lord God I praise you for salvation thank you