Introduction to Daniel

Do you ever feel like a stranger in this world? In particular, do you sense that the values you had growing up are nearly extinct in the generations coming up today? I think many of us, myself included, can relate to that feeling. I’m only 40 years old, but this is already a very different world than I grew up in.

This morning I will begin a new series in the book of Daniel. One of the many reasons I believe the Lord has led me to preach through this book is because I believe faithfulness to Christ is going to become increasingly difficult in the years ahead.

As it pertains to the book of Daniel, let me give you some brief context. The book of Daniel chronicles his experience in the Babylonian captivity around 605 B.C. The book itself opens after King Nebuchadnezzar’s first siege of Judah when he brought Daniel and his friends to Babylon.

Daniel is obviously the author of the book, though some modern liberal scholarship prefers to attribute it to someone else written hundreds of years later, probably because they don’t believe in its prophetic witness.

Here’s the main idea (quoted from Danny Akin): "Even in times of great trial and opposition, Christians must remain faithful to God and his gospel, imitating Christ’s own steadfastness as he endured persecution and death for our sakes.”

Therefore, “When we find our feet forcibly planted in the soil of an anti-God, anti-Christian culture, it is absolutely imperative that our hearts be drawn to heaven and our minds be immersed in the Word of God.”

Let’s begin by reading how the book begins.

Daniel 1:1–7

 ESV

1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God. And he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god. 3 Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility, 4 youths without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king’s palace, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. 5 The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate, and of the wine that he drank. They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king. 6 Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah of the tribe of Judah. 7 And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego.

God Works Through Hardship

First of all, let’s point this out. The Babylonian captivity is first and foremost a result of the Lord’s judgment on his people for their disobedience. We are told this in Leviticus 26:33.

Leviticus 26:33

 ESV

33 And I will scatter you among the nations, and I will unsheathe the sword after you, and your land shall be a desolation, and your cities shall be a waste.

God does not tolerate disobedience, and he is willing to scatter his people through judgment should they choose to defy him. The truth is that the same thing can still happen today, resulting in extreme hardships. Yet, even though that is true, you must understand that for Daniel and his friends, and for us as well, that hardship and judgment does not mean that God is not at work in your life.

Dale Davis says in commentary on the book of Daniel, “Sometimes God may allow hardship to reach us because he wants his mercy to reach beyond us.” God’s purpose in hardship is not to crush you. God’s purpose in hardship here was not to crush Daniel and his friends. Rather, God’s purpose in hardship is to refine you and to make himself known.

Sometimes God allows us to go through hardship because it is only through hardship that we realize that the grace of God is sufficient for us.

So, Daniel and his friends are taken by the king. They are uprooted from their homeland and placed under the indoctrination of the Babylonian Empire.

Look at the second verse to see how this happened.

Daniel 1:2

 ESV

2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God. And he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god.

In other words, King Nebuchadnezzar and his men plundered Judah, took the vessels of the house of God and brought them back to put on display. What was the purpose of this? The purpose was to put on display before Daniel that King Nebuchadnezzar was more powerful than Daniel’s God. It’s to show Nebuchadnezzar’s power, strength, and victory over Israel. It’s to intimidate Daniel and his friends.

Nebuchadnezzar is doing the exact same thing. It’s a way of silencing anyone who dissents from the ways of the Babylonians. Here’s the truth, and this still applies today in our culture and in our society:

When godless people take over a nation (like Nebuchadnezzar did to Judah), the only way forward for godless leaders is for them to silence dissent and punish those whose religious views don’t go along with their agenda, and the result of such godlessness is always indoctrination.

We’ll see that here in this text and in this story, and we can easily point it out in our own society. The key to all of this will be learning how to faithfully follow Jesus when it’s hard. We have to learn how to thrive in Babylon.

This is what happens to Daniel. Let me show you the four steps taken by King Nebuchadnezzar intended to brainwash Daniel. And these 4 steps are happening to us right now as well.

Number 1...

Isolation (Verse 3)

This was the first step in this entire process. Look at verse 3:

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Daniel 1:3

 ESV

3 Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility,

In other words, what the king did was isolate Daniel and his friends and others from their people. These were young men as the text says. They were taken from their homeland, from their family, and from their friends and placed within the wicked system of the Babylonians.

They were sent off away from the familiar and into the unknown. They were isolated without a support structure to help them endure. You likely have a sense of this now. Have you ever felt isolated in your values and beliefs? Daniel sure would have.

Secondly...

Indoctrination (Verse 4)

Upon being isolated from their friends, the king sought quickly to indoctrinate them.

Daniel 1:4 (ESV)

4 ...to stand in the king’s palace, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans.

In other words, the king wanted them to learn his ways. He wasn’t bringing them their to feed them and educate them and give them a loving place during their captivity. The king wasn’t trying to make them comfortable. No. Not at all. His intention was to change them by indoctrinating them.

He would force them to read and study the literature and language of the Chaldeans. They would be immersed in the polytheistic array of deities of the ancient Near Eastern world. This was the king’s way of brainwashing them. He wanted to turn them into Babylonians.

Third...

Assimilation (Verse 5)

Once they were isolated and indoctrinated, the next step had to be assimilation.

Daniel 1:5

 ESV

5 The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate, and of the wine that he drank. They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king.

Not only did the king want to forcibly indoctrinate them, he wanted to fully assimilate them into the Babylon lifestyle. He assigned them new food to eat, new wine to drink, and new ways of living that would make them indistinguishable from the other Babylonians.

And finally, confusion...

Confusion (verses 6-7)

How did he do this? He changed their names. He sought to change their identity. This is where we are introduced to Daniel and his friends, Hannaniah, Mishael, and Azariah.

Now understand this, the king changed their names. In the ancient world, the meaning attached to a name was a big deal. Daniel mean as “Elohim is my judge.” Hananiah means “Yahweh is gracious.” Mishael means “Who is like Elohim?” And Azariah means “Yahweh helps.”

So what did the king do? He gave them new names. Daniel and his friends now have their names changed to Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, all in honor of the Babylonian gods.

You see how this change happens? Do you see how godless people can take over a society? The king tried to isolate, indoctrinate, assimilate, and confuse Daniel and his friends. They stood strong, but when the same happens to you, will you be able to stand strong?

This is what happens when godless people take over. It is the only way for godless people to take over godly people. The intended purpose is to silence the voice of the one true God.

Indoctrination Today

The big question before us is this: is this same thing happening today in our own culture? The answer is yes. It is happening now.

Here’s how this happens in our own culture - and you have to be willing to see this.

When you disagree with the mainstream culture and its ideology, then you will find yourself quickly isolated, indoctrinated, assimilated, and ultimately confused. When you go along to get along, you quickly find yourself left behind. The ideology of the world is not interested in compromise. The ideology of the world is not interested in religious freedom. The ideology of the world is taking a torch and burning down every bit of orthodox Christianity it can find.

But your response is likely this: “This is America. There’s no so such thing as silencing free speech or my religious freedom. Nobody can take that away.” You might not believe me that you will need to be more like Daniel in Babylon than yourself in America. But here me out -

The problem is this - and I have a feeling my generation knows this more than other generations - the levers of power throughout society, particularly when it comes to the distribution of information and religious freedom, those levers of power now lie more within the tech giants at Google, Facebook, Twitter, and Amazon than they do within the government, and the government has little power to stop them.

The culture doesn’t need the government to do its bidding, and the government has seemingly less and less interest in protecting religious freedom. Social media controls what you see and what information you have access to. Say the wrong thing and you will quickly find yourself on the receiving end of their anger.

Find yourself on the wrong side of their ideological opinions, and you will find yourself quickly banned from the very place where most speech takes place. And not ironically, the culture, big tech, and government policies always take aim at the Christian views of the world because it is specifically the Christian worldview that threatens the advance of secularism at large.

If you don’t believe me, hear me out for a moment. Let me give you a few examples because you need to know that you will soon need to be more like Daniel in Babylon than yourself here in America.

Ryan Anderson, a fantastic theologian and historian, has had one of his major books banned from Amazon because they didn’t like his Christian views on transgenderism. Why is that a big deal? Amazon controls about 80% of the book market, so do you think any publishing companies are going to get behind an author whose books are banned from 80% of the market? The tech giants can quickly isolate Christians who disagrees with their agenda. Starting to sound like Daniel and his friends being isolated, right?

Emilee Carpenter of Maine is a photographer who, because of her faith in God, refused to photograph a homosexual wedding and lost her lawsuit and had to pay fines of over $100,000. Emilee Carpenter was forced by the government to fall in line or shut down.

Again, regardless of the legitimacy of the claim, the effect is the same - get in line with the secular agenda or pay a price that’s good and likely to cost you your livelihood.

Chris Routson of Ohio was fired for sharing his faith with a co-worker on his personal time off because the co-worker complained to management that sharing faith was inappropriate and invasive. Chris Routson was isolated because of his faith. He lost his job for doing evangelism off the clock.

Kevin Cochran, the former Fire Chief in the city of Atlanta, was fired for writing a book that disagreed with the homosexual agenda. He’s a Christian man who wrote a book on his own time as a private citizen, and he was fired for it. He eventually won a $1.2 million dollar settlement against the city, but the message is clear: disagree with the agenda of the world, and you’re going to pay a price for it.

Not everyone has the time, money, or resources to fight these issues in court, so most people will fall in line instead of risking their livelihoods.

And what about children? Secular views of the world dominate - absolutely dominate - the school systems and especially the university. Christian beliefs about the world, gender, and personhood are shut down, and if they aren’t shut down, the vast majority of other students will quickly withdraw themselves from Christians who dare speak their minds, leaving many children isolated. Do we really expect children to have the strength to stand up to the world when they might be one of a few in their class or school with similar Christian values?

Again, you might disagree with some of the claims on a legal basis, and that is perfectly fine. But, you cannot disagree with me that the impact of all these types of cases has a chilling effect on Christians who fear speaking up because of what it might cost them. The tech giants can quickly brainwash the world with the click of a button.

When the tech giants control what you see, they can manipulate what you believe to be true about the world. When the tech giants control what you see, they can manipulate what you believe to be true. And when they can manipulate the secular society at large, the secular society will quickly turn on you like Nebuchadnezzar laying siege to Judah.

They can isolate Christian views about the world. And this happens all the time. And on and on it goes.

And the sad reality for many believers today is that it’s easier to fall in line and assimilate to this new culture than it is to stand out and stand up for what is right. Those who do stand often find themselves isolated and confused.

I do want to be clear - I don’t have a persecution complex where I believe every little encroachment on religious freedom warrants some sort of public outcry. I am not one prone to panic or fear. I’m also not prone to hyperbole or exaggeration.

I do think, however, that to ignore these issues is to have your head stuck in the sand. For every example I’ve mentioned, there are a dozen more.

Ignorance is not bliss when livelihoods are destroyed because someone doesn’t fall in line with the demands of a rapidly secularizing society.

If you don’t already, you are going to find out that following Jesus means you’re going to need to be more like Daniel in Babylon than you are yourself in the America you grew up in.

It won’t be a swift sudden change overnight. It will be the slow, day by day, isolation, indoctrination, assimilation, and confusion of the world that will cause Christians to become brainwashed.

This is exactly how King Nebuchadnezzar sought to brainwash Daniel and his friends. Yet, Daniel and and his friends stood strong in the faith. They never surrendered, and God rewarded them.

Listen - Daniel thrived in Babylon. What Nebuchadnezzar meant for harm, God intended to use for good.

And the truth is, whatever harm comes your way because of the world we live in, God can and will use it to make himself known. You, too, can thrive in Babylon. How?

Thriving in Babylon

So, the question is: how do you grow and thrive as a believer in the days ahead? We will explore this more in the weeks ahead, but let me give you these biblical principles now:

1. Look to the Example of Jesus

Understand that it’s not you the world hates. It’s God.

Jesus said - John 15:18.

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John 15:18

 ESV

18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.

Nobody likes to face rejection from the world. I think it’s one of the reasons we are so scared to do evangelism. But, let’s remember the words of Jesus. It’s not us the world hates. It’s God. Jesus told us to expect this. He went on in that same passage to say that if they persecuted him, then they will persecute us also.

2. Recognize Christ’s Presence

Jesus has promised you his presence, so you can endure

Matthew 28:20 (ESV)

20 And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Whatever we endure in this life, we have this promise - that Jesus is with us. We are not on our own. We belong to Christ, and nothing can separate us from his love.

3. Pray for Your Enemies

You know it’s easy to get all up in arms about the ways of the world. We tend to be ready to fight and always have a defensive posture against the world. There’s a time and place for that, but do you also pray for those who seek to do you harm? Remember the words of Jesus here too:

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Matthew 5:44

 ESV

44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

Listen church - right now and in the years ahead, you really will feel more like Daniel in Babylon than yourself in America. I’m not saying America is Babylon. I don’t believe that. I am saying, however, that following Jesus will be more costly in the years ahead than it has been in years past. How will you respond? Your first response must be prayer.

Look to the example of Jesus. Recognize his presence is with you. And pray for those who persecute you. That’s how you thrive in Babylon. Daniel and his friends will face many more challenges, and we have much to learn from them. Faithfulness to Christ is our goal regardless of what the world says or does. Church, I don’t fear the future. I’m not afraid of the rising tide of secularism, and you shouldn’t be either. After all, light shines brightest in the darkness, and the light of Christ in you will be what draws the world out of darkness! Go and be light this week.

Good morning church family!

I have chosen to once again write a devotional instead of record a video. We did not know we would need to cancel church until late Thursday afternoon. I could record the sermon I prepared for Sunday, but I have to believe that recordings simply do not carry the weight of preaching live in person. Also, this sermon coming up is so good that I was getting fired up about it in my office on Thursday and began preaching it out loud to myself, HA! That sermon is just going to have to wait until a live church service.

Assuming we are in the building next week, we will also do communion. If you are watching on Facebook right now, please feel free to come by the church and pick up communion supplies, and you can participate at home. We are happy to deliver them as well. Please feel free to let us know if we can help you with that!

WORSHIP

God Omniscient, God All Knowing by Matt Boswell

Christ our Hope in Life and Death by Keith and Kristyn Getty

If interested, please watch the video about the writing of Christ our Hope in Life and Death. I am thankful for people today who are still writing new hymns with doctrinal depth that are rooted in Scripture.

Behind the Song: Christ Our Hope in Life and Death

GIVING

You can tithe online at FBC Giving.

DEVOTION

I have to admit that I was a little frustrated at the need to cancel church today. I knew this day would come when a few people may have Covid, and it would be better to cancel than to risk exposing more people, especially when the vaccine is becoming readily available to so many people. However, I woke up this morning with Psalm 118:24 on my mind:

"This is the day that the Lord has made,

Let us rejoice and be glad in it."

That's an incredibly simple statement, but it is also an incredibly powerful statement. Many of us live with various frustrations these days. You might be frustrated with politics (aren't we all?). We are all frustrated with Covid policies and Covid in general. You might be frustrated with a family member or friend. The list could go on. The truth is that all of us deal with life's frustrations, and these days seem to provide plenty of opportunity for frustration.

Yet, I wonder how often we stop and consider this one simple verse. As a preacher, I enjoy breaking down longer passages and digging into the original languages, but oftentimes, simple can be better.

So, let's break this passage down for just a moment.

First, the Psalm says this is the day that the Lord has made. This should focus your attention on what is before you today, not yesterday or tomorrow. Jesus said not to worry about tomorrow (or the day before, for that matter). Your focus as a believer in Christ is to realize that what is before you today is exactly what the Lord had planned. Live in the light of knowing that today is where you must focus your heart for Christian living.

Secondly, the Psalm says that this is the day that the Lord has made. Why is it that you should focus your attention on today? Well, for one thing, you can't do anything to change it. More importantly, today is the day the Lord has made. I love science and the laws that God created that govern the universe, but, without God, the sun would not rise today. The rain would not fall. You aren't promised tomorrow. You are only promised what is put in front of you today, and today is the day that the Lord has made. Frustrations may abound, but today is the Lord's day!

Third, let us rejoice and be glad in it. Rejoice? "But...but...this world seems so hopeless, and you don't know what my life is like." Yes, I still say, "rejoice." It seems counterintuitive, but the truth about how you feel is more determined by how you act than it is how you feel. Feelings follow actions, not the other way around. You don't have to "feel" a certain way in order to act a certain way. Feelings are not a very good guide for your actions. What if we approached each day with reasons to rejoice instead of reasons to be frustrated? Yes, life is messy and the world has gone mad, but this is still the day that the Lord has made, and we should all rejoice!

"But, I don't have to be happy about it, right?"

Wrong.

Fourth, this is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it." I think there was a reason David put this statement last. If all we do is focus on what there is to be frustrated about, we will never get to the point where we can be glad in whatever the day may bring. Here's the deal though - if you want to be glad in whatever today might bring, you cannot skip over the first three things above. You must recognize that today is the day that is before right now. You must recognize that today is the day that the Lord has made, and because it is His day, then you have reason to rejoice. If you get your heart and mind around those three things, then I bet you can begin to be glad in whatever today may bring.

As the hymn says:

When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed

When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost

Count your many blessings, name them one by one

And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Once again:

This is the day that the Lord has made,

Let us rejoice and be glad in it!

There is always something to be frustrated about, but today is the day that the Lord has made. Rejoice and be glad in it!

I hope you have a wonderful day! It is my hope that we will be back in the building again next week!

Sincerely,

Pastor Jon

PRAYER REQUESTS

I would encourage you at some point today to take some time and pray for the following individuals:

Charles & Doris Davis

Gene and Linda Woody

Donna Barnette

Kitty Ham (she is home from the hospital)

Lorraine Gooding

Terry Gooding's son and grandson

Megan Lynch

Mary Alice Beaman

Martha Poythress

Good morning church family!

I certainly wish we were able to meet at church today, but I do believe it is best that we take at least one week off to make sure there is no spread of COVID within the church. Again, if you were exposed to COVID and develop any symptoms, please let us know so that we can make a quick and wise decision about church services on Sunday, January 31st.

I have decided to write a Sunday morning devotion that you can do by yourself or with your family. I want to save the sermon I prepared for this week for when we meet at church again. It's an important sermon in this series in Galatians, and I believe it will better serve more of our church to preach it live.

WORSHIP THROUGH SONG

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

Christ Our Hope in Life and Death

WORSHIP THROUGH GIVING

Tithes and Offerings

DEVOTION

My encourage to you is to work through the following passages in your Bible. Don't use a phone or a tablet. Get out your Bible and read through it by yourself or with your family!

Read:

Hebrews 4:12

Matthew 4:4

2 Timothy 3:16-17

John 1:1-14

These passages focus on the Word of God, and the passage in John focuses on Jesus being the eternal Word of God who came to the earth to save you from sin!

There is a very real sense in which I believe Christians must renew their commitment to the authority of God's word - the Bible. Everything in our culture screams at us to trust other sources and worldly philosophies that clash with the Bible. This is to be expected in a post-Christian society that would rather "go along to get along." It's easier for a fish to swim downstream than it is against the current. Likewise, it will be far more difficult for Christians to remain faithful in the years and decades to come. This should not come as a surprise.

However, if you are to remain faithful, what is it that you are to remain faithful to? The answer to that is obviously the teachings of the Bible. If you are going to take your faith seriously, you must take the Bible seriously, and that means that you must have a rock-solid faith in what it teaches and proclaims.

The passage in Hebrews says that the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword. It discerns your motives, intentions, and thoughts.

Matthew 4:4 states that you cannot live on bread alone, rather you will need every word that comes from the mouth of God. Of course, Jesus knew that people must have food to physically survive. That was not his point. He knew that spiritual survival was far more important than physical survival. There's an interesting point to make here. The hungrier you get, the more food you need to sustain life. Likewise, the more the world starves you of truth, the more you will need the word of God to survive. If anything is true right now, it is the fact that truth is elusive. Many people have lost their grip on reality. I believe it is because they are starved for truth and are searching for it in all sorts of places except the one place they can ALWAYS find it - in the Bible. Unfortunately, this can be true for many Christians, too. You need the Word of God to survive spiritually just like your body needs food to survive physically. If you've lost your desire to feed on the Word of God, then I encourage you this morning to pray that God will renew in you a hunger for the Word of God.

The passage in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 also serves as a reminder that the Word of God is perfect. In fact, the text there says that it was "breathed out by God." This means that God used human authors to write down exactly what he wanted them to have. This is why it says that is useful for correction and reproof. The Bible is not just a good book with some good moral suggestions. It is the Word of God, and you must yield to it in every aspect of life and faith.

Finally, the passage in John reveals to us that God didn't just give us words. He gave us his Son, Jesus Christ, the eternal Word. How amazing is it that God stepped into history to save you from your sin?

If you've lost your passion for the Word of God, then this morning is a perfect time to renew It and to commit yourself again to trusting the Bible as a reliable source of spiritual nourishment and truth!

You can do that by using the following prayer as a model for yourself or your family:

Dear God, thank you for speaking to me through the Bible. In a world gone crazy, please help me and my family to trust your Word. Please renew in me a desire to read, study, and apply the Word of God to every aspect of my life. It is my desire to follow you, and I know that faithfulness to you requires that I follow your Word. Please convict of sin and apathy, and renew in me a desire to follow you all the days of my life. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

As they say, "if you fail to plan, plan to fail." What's my point? You need to develop a plan to read the Bible on a regular basis. Devotionals are great, and I encourage you to use them. New Morning Mercies by Paul Tripp and I highly recommend it to you. However, devotionals must be secondary to Bible study and reading. Below are a few plans you can use to study the Bible on a regular basis.

Read Scripture - This is my personal favorite for daily Bible reading and study. It's an app you can download, but I encourage using your actual Bible to read the Scripture.

Ligonier Ministries Bible Reading Plans - Here is a helpful roundup of Bible reading plans for 2021.

In any case, whatever you do to read the Word of God, make sure you do it regularly! I have always been told that you will develop an appetite for what you are fed. If you fill your life full of worldly ideas, then expect to find yourself craving for more of the world. However, if you continually feed on the Word of God, you will find yourself desiring to know God more and more!

All this talk about food and hunger has me quite hungry already! So, like any good Baptist after church, it's time to eat!

Have a blessed and restful Sunday afternoon!

Pastor Jon

How Great Thou Art #10

Verse 1

O Lord my God

When I in awesome wonder

Consider all the worlds

Thy hands have made

I see the stars

I hear the rolling thunder

Thy power throughout

The universe displayed

Chorus

Then sings my soul

My Savior God to Thee

How great Thou art

How great Thou art

Then sings my soul

My Savior God to Thee

How great Thou art

How great Thou art

Verse 4

When Christ shall come

With shout of acclamation

And take me home

What joy shall fill my heart

Then I shall bow

In humble adoration

And there proclaim

My God how great Thou art

Glorify Thy Name #249

Verse 1

Father we love You

We worship and adore You

Glorify Thy name in all the earth

Glorify Thy name

Glorify Thy name

Glorify Thy name in all the earth

Verse 2

Jesus we love You

We worship and adore You

Glorify Thy name in all the earth

Glorify Thy name

Glorify Thy name

Glorify Thy name in all the earth

Verse 3

Spirit we love You

We worship and adore You

Glorify Thy name in all the earth

Glorify Thy name

Glorify Thy name

Glorify Thy name in all the earth

Majesty #215

Chorus

Majesty worship His majesty

Unto Jesus be all glory

Honor and praise

Majesty kingdom authority

Flow from His throne

Unto His own His anthem raise

So exalt lift up on high

The name of Jesus

Magnify come glorify

Christ Jesus the King

Majesty worship His majesty

Jesus who died now glorified

King of all kings

All Creatures Of Our God And King #27

Verse 1

All creatures of our God and King

Lift up your voice and with us sing

O praise Him alleluia

Thou burning sun with golden beam

Thou silver moon with softer gleam

O praise Him O praise Him

Alleluia alleluia alleluia

Verse 2

Thou rushing wind that art so strong

Ye clouds that sail in Heaven along

O praise Him alleluia

Thou rising moon in praise rejoice

Ye lights of evening find a voice

O praise Him O praise Him

Alleluia alleluia alleluia

Verse 4

Let all things their Creator bless

And worship Him in humbleness

O praise Him alleluia

Praise praise the Father praise the Son

And praise the Spirit three in One

O praise Him O praise Him

Alleluia alleluia alleluia

God Our Father We Adore Thee #248

Verse 1

God our Father we adore Thee

We Thy children bless Thy name

Chosen in the Christ before Thee

We are holy without blame

We adore Thee we adore Thee

Abba's praises we proclaim

We adore Thee we adore Thee

Abba's praises we proclaim

Verse 2

Son Eternal we adore Thee

Lamb upon the throne on high

Lamb of God we bow before Thee

Thou hast bro't Thy people nigh

We adore Thee we adore Thee

Son of God who came to die

We adore Thee we adore Thee

Son of God who came to die

Verse 4

Father Son and Holy Spirit

Three in One we give Thee praise

For the riches we inherit

Heart and voice to Thee we raise

We adore Thee we adore Thee

Thee we bless thro; endless days

We adore Thee we adore Thee

Thee we bless thro; endless days

Breathe On Me #238

Verse 1

Holy Spirit breathe on me

Until my heart is clean

Let sunshine fill its inmost part

With not a cloud between

Chorus

Breathe on me breathe on me

Holy Spirit breathe on me

Take Thou my heart cleanse every part

Holy Spirit breathe on me

Verse 4

Holy Spirit breathe on me

Till I am all Thine own

Until my will is lost in Thine

To live for Thee alone

Come Thou Almighty King

Verse 1

Come Thou Almighty King

Help us Thy name to sing

Help us to praise

Father all glorious

Over all victorious

Come and reign over us

Ancient of Days

Verse 2

Come Thou Incarnate Word

Gird on Thy mighty sword

Our prayer attend

Come and Thy people bless

And give Thy Word success

Spirit of holiness

On us descend

Verse 4

To Thee great One in Three

Eternal praises be

Hence evermore

Thy sovereign majesty

May we in glory see

And to eternity

Love and adore

Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing

Verse 1

Come Thou fount of every blessing

Tune my heart to sing Thy grace

Streams of mercy never ceasing

Call for songs of loudest praise

Teach me some melodious sonnet

Sung by flaming tongues above

Praise the mount I'm fixed upon it

Mount of Thy redeeming love

Verse 2

Here I raise mine Ebenezer

Hither by Thy help I'm come

And I hope by Thy good pleasure

Safely to arrive at home

Jesus sought me when a stranger

Wandering from the fold of God

He to rescue me from danger

Interposed His precious blood

Verse 3

O to grace how great a debtor

Daily I'm constrained to be

Let Thy grace Lord like a fetter

Bind my wandering heart to Thee

Prone to wander Lord I feel it

Prone to leave the God I love

Here's my heart Lord take and seal it

Seal it for Thy courts above

Blessed Assurance

Verse 1

Blessed assurance Jesus is mine

O what a foretaste of glory divine

Heir of salvation purchase of God

Born of His Spirit washed in His blood

Chorus

This is my story this is my song

Praising my Savior all the day long

This is my story this is my song

Praising my Savior all the day long

Verse 2

Perfect submission perfect delight

Visions of rapture now burst on my sight

Angels descending bring from above

Echoes of mercy whispers of love

Verse 3

Perfect submission all is at rest

I in my Savior am happy and blest

Watching and waiting looking above

Filled with His goodness lost in His love

Holy Spirit

Verse 1

Holy Spirit living Breath of God

Breathe new life into my willing soul

Let the presence of the risen Lord

Come renew my heart and make me whole

Cause Your word to come alive in me

Give me faith for what I cannot see

Give me passion for Your purity

Holy Spirit breathe new life in me

Verse 2

Holy Spirit come abide within

May Your joy be seen in all I do

Love enough to cover every sin

In each thought and deed and attitude

Kindness to the greatest and the least

Gentleness that sows the path of peace

Turn my strivings into works of grace

Breath of God show Christ in all I do

Verse 3

Holy Spirit from creation's birth

Giving life to all that God has made

Show Your power once again on earth

Cause Your church to hunger for Your ways

Let the fragrance of our prayers arise

Lead us on the road of sacrifice

That in unity the face of Christ

May be clear for all the world to see

Brethren We Have Met To Worship

Verse 1

Brethren we have met to worship

And adore the Lord our God

Will you pray with all your power

While we try to preach the Word

All is vain unless the Spirit

Of the Holy One comes down

Brethren pray and holy manna

Will be showered all around

Verse 2

Brethren see poor sinners round you

Slumbering on the brink of woe

Death is coming hell is moving

Can you bear to let them go

See our fathers and our mothers

And our children sinking down

Brethren pray and holy manna

Will be showered all around

Verse 4

Let us love our God supremely

Let us love each other too

Let us love and pray for sinners

Till our God makes all things new

Then He'll call us home to heaven

At His table we'll sit down

Christ will gird Himself and serve us

With sweet manna all around

I Surrender All

Verse 1

All to Jesus I surrender

All to Him I freely give

I will ever love and trust Him

In His presence daily live

Chorus

I surrender all

I surrender all

All to Thee my blessed Savior

I surrender all

Verse 4

All to Jesus I surrender

Lord I give myself to Thee

Fill me with Thy love and power

Let Thy blessing fall on me

O Worship the King

1. O worship the King, all glorious above,

And gratefully sing His wonderful love;

Our Shield and Defender, the Ancient of Days,

Pavilioned in splendor, and girded with praise.

2. O tell of His might, O sing of His grace,

Whose robe is the light, whose canopy space!

His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form,

And dark is His path on the wings of the storm.

4. Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,

In Thee do we trust, nor find Thee to fail:

Thy mercies how tender, how firm to the end,

Our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend.

Holy, Holy ,Holy

1. Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!

Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;

Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!

God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

4. Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!

All Thy works shall praise Thy name, in earth, and sky, and sea;

Holy, holy, holy; merciful and mighty!

God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

Crown Him with Many Crowns

1. Crown Him with many crowns,

The Lamb upon His throne,

Hark! how the heavnly anthem drowns

All music but its own;

Awake, my soul, and sing

Of Him who died for thee,

And hail Him as thy matchless King

Through all eternity.

2. Crown Him the Lord of life,

Who triumphed o'er the grave,

and rose victorious in the strife

For those He came to save;

His glories now we sing

Who died, and rose on high,

Who died eternal life to bring,

And lives that death may die.

4. Crown Him the Lord of love;

Behold his hands and side,

Those wounds, yet visible above,

In beauty glorified:

All hail, Redeemer, hail!

For Thou hast died for me:

Thy praise and glory shall not fail

Thro-out eternity.

What A Friend We Have in Jesus

1. What a friend we have in Jesus,

All our sins and griefs to bear!

What a privilege to carry

Evrything to God in prayer!

Oh, what peace we often forfeit,

Oh, what needless pain we bear,

All because we do not carry

Evrything to God in prayer!

2. Have we trials and temptations?

Is there trouble anywhere?

We should never be discouraged,

Take it to the Lord in prayer:

Can we find a friend so faithful

Who will all our sorrows share?

Jesus knows our evry weakness,

Take it to the Lord in prayer!

3. Are we weak and heavy laden,

Cumbered with a load of care?

Precious Savior, still our refuge;

Take it to the Lord in prayer:

Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?

Take it to the Lord in prayer;

In His arms He'll take and shield thee;

Thou wilt find a solace there.

O Church Arise

Verse 1

O church arise and put your armour on

Hear the call of Christ our Captain

For now the weak can say that they are strong

In the strength that God has given

With shield of faith and belt of truth

We'll stand against the devil's lies

An army bold whose battle cry is Love

Reaching out to those in darkness

Verse 2

Our call to war to love the captive soul

But to rage against the captor

And with the sword that makes the wounded whole

We will fight with faith and valour

When faced with trials on every side

We know the outcome is secure

And Christ will have the prize for which He died

An inheritance of nations

Verse 3

Come see the cross where love and mercy meet

As the Son of God is stricken

Then see His foes lie crushed beneath His feet

For the Conqueror has risen

And as the stone is rolled away

And Christ emerges from the grave

This victory march continues till the day

Every eye and heart shall see Him

Verse 4

So Spirit come put strength in every stride

Give grace for every hurdle

That we may run with faith to win the prize

Of a servant good and faithful

As saints of old still line the way

Retelling triumphs of His grace

We hear their calls and hunger for the day

When with Christ we stand in glory

I Have Decided to Follow Jesus

1. I have decided to follow Jesus;

I have decided to follow Jesus;

I have decided to follow Jesus;

No turning back, no turning back.

2. Tho none go with me, I still will follow;

Tho none go with me, I still will follow;

Tho none go with me, I still will follow;

No turning back, no turning back.

4. The world behind me, the cross before me;

The world behind me, the cross before me;

The world behind me, the cross before me;

No turning back, no turning back.

10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)

Chorus

Bless the Lord O my soul

O my soul

Worship His holy name

Sing like never before

O my soul

I'll worship Your holy name

Verse 1

The sun comes up it's a new day dawning

It's time to sing Your song again

Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me

Let me be singing when the evening comes

Chorus

Bless the Lord O my soul

O my soul

Worship His holy name

Sing like never before

O my soul

I'll worship Your holy name

Verse 2

You're rich in love and You're slow to anger

Your name is great and Your heart is kind

For all Your goodness I will keep on singing

Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find

Chorus

Bless the Lord O my soul

O my soul

Worship His holy name

Sing like never before

O my soul

I'll worship Your holy name

Verse 3

And on that day when my strength is failing

The end draws near and my time has come

Still my soul will sing Your praise unending

Ten thousand years and then forevermore

Chorus

Bless the Lord O my soul

O my soul

Worship His holy name

Sing like never before

O my soul

I'll worship Your holy name

Bless the Lord O my soul

O my soul

Worship His holy name

Sing like never before

O my soul

I'll worship Your holy name

Ending

Worship Your holy name

Lord I'll worship Your holy name

Nothing But The Blood

Verse 1

What can wash away my sin

Nothing but the blood of Jesus

What can make me whole again

Nothing but the blood of Jesus

Chorus

O precious is the flow

That makes me white as snow

No other fount I know

Nothing but the blood of Jesus

Verse 4

This is all my hope and peace

Nothing but the blood of Jesus

This is all my righteousness

Nothing but the blood of Jesus

Chorus

O precious is the flow

That makes me white as snow

No other fount I know

Nothing but the blood of Jesus

There Is A Fountain

Verse 1

There is a fountain filled with blood

Drawn from Immanuel's veins

And sinners plunged beneath that flood

Lose all their guilty stains

Lose all their guilty stains

Lose all their guilty stains

And sinners plunged beneath that flood

Lose all their guilty stains

Verse 4

E'er since by faith I saw the stream

Thy flowing wounds supply

Redeeming love has been my theme

And shall be till I die

And shall be till I die

And shall be till I die

Redeeming love has been my theme

And shall be till I die

To God Be The Glory

Verse 1

To God be the glory great things He has done

So loved He the world that He gave us His Son

Who yielded His life an atonement for sin

And opened the life gate that all may go in

Chorus

Praise the Lord praise the Lord

Let the earth hear His voice

Praise the Lord praise the Lord

Let the people rejoice

O come to the Father through Jesus the Son

And give Him the glory great things He has done

Verse 2

O perfect redemption the purchase of blood

To every believer the promise of God

The vilest offender who truly believes

That moment from Jesus a pardon receives

Chorus

Verse 3

Great things He has taught us

Great things He has done

And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son

But purer and higher and greater will be

Our wonder our transport when Jesus we see

Chorus

O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing

Verse 1

O for a thousand tongues to sing

My great Redeemer's praise

The glories of my God and King

The triumphs of His grace

Verse 2

My gracious Master and my God

Assist me to proclaim

To spread thru all the earth abroad

The honors of Thy name

Verse 3

Jesus the name that charms our fears

That bids our sorrows cease

Tis music in the sinner's ears

Tis life and health and peace

Verse 4

He breaks the pow'r of canceled sin

He sets the pris'ner free

His blood can make the foulest clean

His blood availed for me

Turn Your Eyes

Verse 1

Turn your eyes upon Jesus

Look full in His wonderful face

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim

In the light of His glory and grace

Verse 2

Turn your eyes to the hillside

Where justice and mercy embrace

There the Son of God gave His life for us

And our measureless debt was erased

Chorus

Jesus to You we lift our eyes

Jesus our glory and our prize

We adore You behold You our Savior ever true

Oh Jesus we turn our eyes to You

Verse 3

Turn your eyes to the morning

And see Christ the lion awake

What a glorious dawn fear of death is gone

For we carry His life in our veins

Chorus

Jesus to You we lift our eyes

Jesus our glory and our prize

We adore You behold You our Savior ever true

Oh Jesus we turn our eyes to You

Verse 4

Turn your eyes to the heavens

Our King will return for His own

Every knee will bow every tongue will shout

All glory to Jesus alone

Chorus

Jesus to You we lift our eyes

Jesus our glory and our prize

We adore You behold You our Savior ever true

Oh Jesus we turn our eyes to You

Jesus to You we lift our eyes

Jesus our glory and our prize

We adore You behold You our Savior ever true

Oh Jesus we turn our eyes to You

Oh Jesus We Turn Our Eyes to You

Sunday, May 10th, 2020

First Baptist Church

As I thought through a sermon for today, I wasn’t quite sure what to preach on or what the mood of everyone would be like. I knew that I did not want to continue this week in the series that I have been preaching through online. 

I’m honestly not sure I would even call this a sermon. Rather, what I want to be brief and speak with you about what I think we must learn from this pandemic.

When all of this started, I wrote a short article I posted online which detailed 3 hopes I had following the coronavirus outbreak. I want to return to that this morning. I’d like to update it, and then I want to give you some additional commitments I think every single person in church should make as we reopen our economy and our churches. 

A GREATER PASSION FOR GOD’S WORD

The first thing I hope for is a greater passion for God’s Word. It’s been an interesting couple of months for me. Week after week, I receive comments on email or through social media from people looking for hope or for a greater understanding of the Bible. 

When all this started, there was a tremendous amount of fear in every corner of society. I saw reports online of Bibles selling out at Walmart. Curious to know if it was true, I went to our Walmart in Kinston, and sure enough, their Bible section was low on Bibles. At Walmart. 

At the same time, hopelessness was on the rise. Suicide prevention hotlines were frequently reporting a twice as many calls as usual with the average call lasting twice as long. And this is still happening even now - hopelessness is on the rise.

In other words, what all this revealed is that people need an anchor that can latch onto a foundation that will hold them secure when the waves of life feel more like an approaching tsunami.

The Bible says in Hebrews 10:23 that we must hold fast to the hope that we profess. That hope is the gospel of Jesus Christ that we read about in the Bible. It’s so easy to let other things fill the void and tell us they are more worthy of our time and attention. But, they’re not. God’s Word is an anchor that will hold tight when everything else seems to fail. 

We must be people and a church who proclaim and believe that God’s Word is an anchor that is far stronger than anything the world has to offer. So I hope and I pray that we would grow in our love for God’s Word. 

When the world began to fall apart and so much was unsure, people went in search of hope. They went to the Bible section at Walmart, and yet we have many Bibles in our homes collecting dust. Let us return to the Word of God. 

Secondly, I pray for a GREATER PASSION FOR CHURCH ATTENDANCE

The second thing I hope for is a greater desire for church attendance and in-person gatherings. 

ZOOM is great. I am thankful for that kind of technology, but it has its limitations. The fact of the matter is that we were created for community. We were created for a relationship with God and with other people. We are relational beings, and when you remove that relationship, something isn’t right. 

And the truth is that this is a highly theological point. The reason we are relational beings is because God is a relational God and we are created in his image. 

In John 1, in Matthew 3, in 1 Corinthians 6, and in 2 Corinthians 12, we see this relationship of the Father, Son, Holy Spirit all together. The Trinity was present before creation and there was a relationship there within the Trinity itself. God is a relational God and if we are created in his image, then we are relational people, and that means that being together in-person with one another matters greatly. 

So my hope following all of this is that we would be reminded of the importance of faithful church attendance. I pray that many would be brought back to church, and that many would realize how important it is that we have one another. The gathered church matters because of relationships and that truth is rooted in who God is and who he made us to be. 

My third hope is for a GREATER PASSION FOR EVANGELISM

This point is somewhat related to the first. As we saw the sharp rise in hopelessness, it should cause a sharp rise in the desire for evangelism. If nothing else, the coronavirus should teach us that life is brief. It should teach us that we aren’t as secure as we think we are. And it should teach us that we must be a people who consistently and faithfully share the hope we have within us. 

1 Peter 3:15 says that we should always be ready to give an answer for the hope that is in us. In the days ahead, people are going to return to work fearfully. It’s likely that many won’t go into a crowd for quite some time. That’s ok. But as believers, when we have the opportunity, let us be the kind of people who are hopeful even in the midst of times that are uncertain. 

It is in those moments that people often listen and need to see in us that Jesus Christ is our rock and our foundation. 

In the months ahead, it will be increasingly important that we anchor ourselves to the Word of God. It will be increasingly important that we realize the importance of gathering as a church. And it will be even more important that as things open back up, we are ready to share the hope that each of us has in Jesus Christ. 

Finally, I hope and pray that these last couple of months will cause us to value the humanity in each and every person. 

One of the most difficult and parts of all of this, at least for me, is when I’m in a grocery store and there seems to be a common fear between people. You keep your distance of 6 feet, but other people look at you and you can tell that they avoid close contact because you might have the virus. I get it. People don’t want to get sick.

But there’s something not right when everyone is afraid of each other and they don’t even want to look you in the eye. We live in a highly polarized society where deep distrust exists among people. This virus is going to cause that polarization to be even greater. 

What I hope for is that no matter how you feel about all of this - my hope is that we learn to value the image of God in all people, and that we might turn away from the polarization that exists all around us to see the shared humanity that we all have because of the image of God in us. 

When you go out to the grocery store or to work, be safe, but look people in the eye and say, “hello, it’s good to see you.” As more and more things open up, some people are going to have a deep distrust of others. As Christians, we must be the light of the world. We must exude hope. And, now more than ever, we must see other people as people created in the image of God. 

In closing, I want to read from Romans 8. I know many people are fearful and have great heaviness in their hearts. This passage is a tremendous reminder of God’s love for us. Romans 8 beginning in verse 31.

 Romans 8:31-39

31  What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 

32  He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him 

graciously give us all things? 

33  Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 

34  Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 

35  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 

36  As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 

37  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 

38  For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 

39  nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Have a blessed day!