WEBVTT 00:00:04.799 --> 00:00:12.480 This podcast is brought to you by Grand Parkway Baptist Church, helping people to know, enjoy, and glorify God. 00:00:13.039 --> 00:00:18.079 For more information about Grand Parkway, visit GrandParkway.org. 00:00:21.839 --> 00:00:27.600 Lord, this simple phrase is what makes us consequential men and women of God. 00:00:27.760 --> 00:00:32.960 It's what keeps the salt from losing its saltiness in a culture of blandness. 00:00:33.119 --> 00:00:37.920 It's just a simple refrain of yet not I, but Christ in me. 00:00:38.240 --> 00:00:40.960 And so Christ in me is the hope of glory. 00:00:41.119 --> 00:00:43.920 It's the only hope we have of making it to glory. 00:00:44.079 --> 00:00:47.520 And so it's not that I do more good than bad, that's works. 00:00:49.359 --> 00:00:53.520 Unmerited grace is Christ in me, is the hope of glory. 00:00:53.679 --> 00:00:57.600 It's what makes us consequential men and women, as we'll see in the life of Daniel today. 00:00:57.759 --> 00:01:00.079 So, Holy Spirit, lead us into the truth. 00:01:00.320 --> 00:01:07.200 Lord, illuminate the scripture so that we don't just see it in our head, but we feel it in our heart. 00:01:07.920 --> 00:01:20.799 And so, Holy Spirit, we ask you now, lead us into a deeper, more biblical understanding of what it means to be consequential, not to be popular, not to be loud, but to be simply consequential, men and women of God. 00:01:20.959 --> 00:01:21.840 This is our prayer. 00:01:22.000 --> 00:01:24.159 Make it our experience, we pray in Jesus' name. 00:01:24.319 --> 00:01:26.079 And everyone said, Amen. 00:01:26.239 --> 00:01:26.560 Amen. 00:01:26.640 --> 00:01:27.200 You can have a C. 00:01:27.359 --> 00:01:30.079 If you've got a Bible, I invite you to take it, open up to Daniel chapter 2. 00:01:30.159 --> 00:01:31.840 We'll continue going through the book of Daniel. 00:01:31.920 --> 00:01:35.280 And I want to talk to you this morning about the makings of a consequential life. 00:01:35.439 --> 00:01:37.120 The makings of a consequential life. 00:01:37.200 --> 00:01:41.040 And while you're finding Daniel 2, let me just confess some of my sins to you. 00:01:41.439 --> 00:01:44.560 One of my biggest sins is that I do not enjoy TV commercials. 00:01:45.200 --> 00:01:47.920 I think most TV is banal and small. 00:01:48.000 --> 00:01:50.959 Like there's a T there's a show on right now on CBS. 00:01:51.040 --> 00:01:52.719 I saw I was flipping channels last night. 00:01:52.959 --> 00:01:55.040 It's called Love Island or something. 00:01:55.200 --> 00:01:59.599 They have a bunch of single people, and I'm just like, ah, oh, I want to hunt these people. 00:01:59.760 --> 00:02:00.640 God, that's not good. 00:02:01.040 --> 00:02:06.719 But anyway, so anytime I'm watching something and a TV commercial comes on, I'm just flipping channels. 00:02:06.879 --> 00:02:08.000 My wife cannot stand it. 00:02:08.159 --> 00:02:09.919 And here's what's worse than that. 00:02:10.080 --> 00:02:24.479 I flip channels during commercials, but what's worse than that is while I'm flipping channels, if I come across a movie that I really like, there's about five movies that make the list of if I'm flipping channels and I come across them, boom, I'm stopping and I'm watching the entire rest of the movie. 00:02:24.719 --> 00:02:27.680 One of those movies is a movie called Saving Private Ryan. 00:02:27.759 --> 00:02:32.479 And every time, like any Memorial Day, it's on some cable channel or some network somewhere. 00:02:32.719 --> 00:02:34.159 Happened this past Memorial Day. 00:02:34.319 --> 00:02:37.280 My wife, I do not have the emotional energy for this. 00:02:37.520 --> 00:02:38.560 Gets up and walks out of the room. 00:02:38.719 --> 00:02:40.080 I'm like, whoa, what are you doing? 00:02:40.159 --> 00:02:40.879 We were watching TV. 00:02:40.960 --> 00:02:43.360 She goes, I just, I can't, I can't watch that today. 00:02:43.439 --> 00:02:45.439 And I'm like, it's Memorial Day. 00:02:45.520 --> 00:02:47.759 It's your duty as an American to watch this. 00:02:47.919 --> 00:02:50.240 Uh and the movie came out in 1998. 00:02:50.319 --> 00:02:54.159 I can't tell you how many times I've seen it, or bits and parts and pieces of it. 00:02:54.240 --> 00:02:58.479 Uh, but every time I come across it, I'm just like, bingo, we're watching the rest of this. 00:02:58.560 --> 00:03:00.080 Uh, here's the basic tenet of the movie. 00:03:00.159 --> 00:03:04.479 I don't want to ruin it for you, but if you haven't seen it by now, uh, you deserve to have it ruined for you. 00:03:04.639 --> 00:03:07.039 Anyway, there's four brothers that go to the war. 00:03:07.199 --> 00:03:09.680 Three of them get killed in a short span of time. 00:03:10.000 --> 00:03:21.360 One of them, Private Ryan, is still alive, and so they send a small detail of men led by Tom Hanks to find Private Ryan and bring him back to his mother so she doesn't lose all four of her sons in the war. 00:03:21.520 --> 00:03:25.120 They go through all these different experiences, fighting the Germans, this, that, and the other. 00:03:25.280 --> 00:03:27.919 And finally they get Private Ryan, and then they're getting him back. 00:03:28.000 --> 00:03:35.360 And the last kind of climactic scene, they're trying to hold a city, and there's a bridge that they got to blow this bridge and don't let the German tanks get over the bridge. 00:03:35.520 --> 00:03:38.560 Well, spoiler alert, Tom Hanks gets killed. 00:03:38.719 --> 00:03:43.120 And Tom Hanks is set on the bridge dying, and Private Ryan is played by Matt Damon. 00:03:43.280 --> 00:03:48.800 He grabs Matt Damon's character, Private Ryan, and he pulls him to him and he says, earn this. 00:03:49.120 --> 00:03:56.560 And all of a sudden, it's great cinematography because the cameras on Matt Damon's face on the bridge in wartime earn this. 00:03:56.800 --> 00:04:11.680 And then he ages and it fades back out, and he is standing in Arlington National Cemetery at the graveside of a man who sacrificed his life in order to save his life. 00:04:11.919 --> 00:04:12.960 And this is what he says. 00:04:13.120 --> 00:04:15.360 Not that I remember it, but I wrote it down. 00:04:15.759 --> 00:04:20.800 He's talking to the man's grave, the cross that signifies where his body lays. 00:04:21.040 --> 00:04:24.959 And he says, Every day, I think about what you said to me that day on the bridge. 00:04:25.120 --> 00:04:27.680 I've tried to live my life the best I could. 00:04:27.920 --> 00:04:29.519 I hope that was enough. 00:04:29.680 --> 00:04:34.399 I hope that at least in your eyes, I've earned what all of you have done for me. 00:04:34.639 --> 00:04:36.319 And then his wife walks up. 00:04:36.480 --> 00:04:37.920 His family's kind of the background. 00:04:38.079 --> 00:04:43.519 His wife walks up and he turns to his wife and says, Tell me I've led a good life. 00:04:44.319 --> 00:04:46.160 Tell me I'm a good man. 00:04:46.639 --> 00:04:54.399 Now, this is the point of the movie where my wife is not just crying, she's not just sobbing, she is making noise. 00:04:54.959 --> 00:04:56.639 Strangers are passing us tissue. 00:04:56.879 --> 00:04:58.399 I'm like, it's good, it's good, we're good. 00:04:58.480 --> 00:04:59.360 We've got a handful. 00:04:59.439 --> 00:04:59.759 Thank you. 00:04:59.920 --> 00:05:05.439 I mean, it's she can't, you try to hold it in and the dam breaks. 00:05:07.120 --> 00:05:13.360 And I'm like, babe, I mean, the lights are on, they swept up all the power from the dudes at the end of our row. 00:05:13.439 --> 00:05:14.160 I'm like, it's good. 00:05:14.240 --> 00:05:15.199 Well, I'll just leave the broom. 00:05:15.279 --> 00:05:16.480 I'll get this row here, okay? 00:05:16.639 --> 00:05:20.480 Uh and then we she thought, oh, oh, that was so good. 00:05:20.560 --> 00:05:21.680 I'm like, I can tell. 00:05:21.839 --> 00:05:24.160 Anyway, we walk out and we leave. 00:05:24.240 --> 00:05:28.319 But my wife can only have that, she can only go that deep one time with a movie. 00:05:28.399 --> 00:05:30.560 She can't watch it ever, ever again. 00:05:30.720 --> 00:05:32.319 But we had a great conversation after that. 00:05:32.399 --> 00:05:44.800 And she said, Did you realize that many people, especially men in the movie, were kind of a I said, yeah, because deep inside, not just men, but every one of you in this room, you want to be in the context of someone who gave their life for you. 00:05:44.959 --> 00:05:49.600 And you want to understand that, please tell me I've stewarded well the opportunity you gave me. 00:05:49.839 --> 00:05:54.959 Said differently, please tell me my life has been one of consequence and not just comfort. 00:05:55.199 --> 00:05:58.480 And this is what we see in Daniel, in Daniel chapter two. 00:05:58.800 --> 00:06:02.160 I'm gonna read a long section of Daniel unapologetically. 00:06:02.240 --> 00:06:09.279 Uh, and then I was just gonna point out four or five things we see in the life of Daniel that are the makings of a consequential life. 00:06:09.439 --> 00:06:13.759 Daniel chapter two, verse one, in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar. 00:06:13.839 --> 00:06:15.600 Now, if you're a Bible nerd, let me just tell you this. 00:06:15.680 --> 00:06:21.120 It says in the second year, in the last chapter, we talked about how Daniel and his friends were in this three-year indoctrination process. 00:06:21.279 --> 00:06:23.920 And you say, Well, if it's three years, why is this second year? 00:06:24.079 --> 00:06:29.120 Because in the Babylonians, the way they kept records of a king, his first year was called the year of ascension. 00:06:29.279 --> 00:06:30.959 And then they started keeping time. 00:06:31.120 --> 00:06:33.759 So when it says his second year, it was really his third year. 00:06:33.920 --> 00:06:37.040 So Daniel and his friends are through with the indoctrination process. 00:06:37.120 --> 00:06:40.000 They've gone to college in Babylon and they're done. 00:06:40.160 --> 00:06:43.920 In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams. 00:06:44.079 --> 00:06:47.120 His spirit was troubled, and sleep left him. 00:06:47.279 --> 00:06:54.000 Then the king commanded that the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans be summoned to tell the king his dreams. 00:06:54.160 --> 00:07:00.560 So they came in and stood before the king, and the king said to them, I had a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream. 00:07:00.720 --> 00:07:16.319 Then the Chaldeans said to the king in Aramaic, here's the other little Bible nerd fact at this point, the book of Daniel, switches from Hebrew to Aramaic, because it is from now to up to chapter seven, is really directed to the Gentiles, not to God's people who are in captivity, but to the rest of the world. 00:07:16.480 --> 00:07:19.759 God says, Hey, I'm speaking your language, so all you will know. 00:07:19.839 --> 00:07:24.959 And it's written, Daniel writes it in Aramaic, because it was the diplomatic language of the day. 00:07:25.199 --> 00:07:29.040 And so they say to the king in Aramatic, Aramaic, O king, live forever. 00:07:29.199 --> 00:07:32.240 Tell your servants the dream, and we will show you the interpretation. 00:07:32.480 --> 00:07:36.319 The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The word from me is firm. 00:07:36.560 --> 00:07:43.759 If you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you shall be torn limb from limb, and your houses shall be laid in ruins. 00:07:43.839 --> 00:07:50.079 But if you show the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. 00:07:50.240 --> 00:07:53.040 Therefore, show me the dream and its interpretation. 00:07:53.199 --> 00:07:58.560 They answered a second time and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream and will show its interpretation. 00:07:58.720 --> 00:08:05.439 The king answered and said, I know with certainty that you're trying to gain time, because you see that the word from me is firm. 00:08:05.600 --> 00:08:09.600 If you do not make the dream known to me, there is but one sentence for you. 00:08:09.920 --> 00:08:14.160 You have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me till the times change. 00:08:14.319 --> 00:08:18.879 Therefore, tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can show me its interpretation. 00:08:19.040 --> 00:08:24.160 The Chaldeans answered the king and said, There's not a man on earth who can meet the king's demand. 00:08:24.319 --> 00:08:29.279 For no great and powerful king has such a thing of any magician or enchanter or Chaldean. 00:08:29.439 --> 00:08:36.399 The thing that the king asked is difficult, and no one can show it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh. 00:08:36.559 --> 00:08:42.240 Because of this the king was angry and very furious and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed. 00:08:42.399 --> 00:08:45.039 So the decree went out, and the wise men were about to be killed. 00:08:45.279 --> 00:08:47.919 They sought Daniel and his companions to kill them. 00:08:48.080 --> 00:08:56.080 Then Daniel replied with prudence and discretion to Ariok, the captain of the king's guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon. 00:08:56.240 --> 00:09:01.360 And he declared to Ariok, the king's captain, Why is the decree of the king so urgent? 00:09:01.519 --> 00:09:03.519 Then Ariok made the matter known to Daniel. 00:09:03.600 --> 00:09:08.879 And Daniel went in and requested the king to appoint him a time that he might show the interpretation to the king. 00:09:09.039 --> 00:09:22.720 And then Daniel went into his house and made the matter known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, and he told them to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions might not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 00:09:22.879 --> 00:09:25.919 Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. 00:09:26.080 --> 00:09:27.919 Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. 00:09:28.080 --> 00:09:34.159 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. 00:09:34.320 --> 00:09:42.159 He changes times and seasons, he removes kings and sets up kings, he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. 00:09:42.320 --> 00:09:44.080 He reveals deep and hidden things. 00:09:44.320 --> 00:09:47.600 He knows what is in the darkness, and a light dwells with him. 00:09:47.759 --> 00:09:58.480 To you, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for you have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we ask of you, for you have made known to us the king's matter. 00:09:58.639 --> 00:10:03.360 Therefore Daniel went in to Ariok, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon. 00:10:03.519 --> 00:10:07.600 He went and said and said thus to him, Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon. 00:10:07.840 --> 00:10:10.960 Bring me in before the king, and I will show the king the interpretation. 00:10:11.120 --> 00:10:21.039 Then Ariok brought in Daniel before the king in haste and said thus to him, I have found among the exiles from Judah a man who will make known to the king the interpretation. 00:10:22.080 --> 00:10:29.519 The king declared to Daniel, whose name was Belshazzar, Are you able to make known to me the dream that I have seen and its interpretation? 00:10:29.759 --> 00:10:37.679 Daniel answered the king and said, No wise man, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked. 00:10:37.919 --> 00:10:45.279 But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. 00:10:45.440 --> 00:10:49.440 Your dream and the visions of your head as you lay in bed are these. 00:10:49.600 --> 00:10:54.320 To you, O king, as you lay in bed and come thoughts of what would be after this. 00:10:54.480 --> 00:10:57.519 He who reveals mysteries made known to you what is to be. 00:10:57.679 --> 00:11:09.519 But as for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because of any wisdom that I have more than all the living, but in order that the interpretation may be made known to the king and that you may know the thoughts of your mind. 00:11:10.000 --> 00:11:22.320 How would you like it if someone came up to you this morning and said, Hey, by the way, last night when you were laying in bed and that 12 minutes before you drifted off to sleep, here's the things that you thought about, and let me tell you how God's gonna use those in your life. 00:11:22.559 --> 00:11:24.080 Wouldn't that be great? 00:11:24.399 --> 00:11:28.240 If someone came up to you and said, Hey, let me tell you how you're gonna pay for your kids' college. 00:11:28.480 --> 00:11:31.200 And you were like, Speak, I'm listening. 00:11:31.759 --> 00:11:33.440 This is what happens in here. 00:11:33.679 --> 00:11:35.840 Daniel's one of the most consequential people. 00:11:36.000 --> 00:11:40.480 He's just gone through three years of rigorous secular indoctrination. 00:11:40.639 --> 00:11:42.399 And now there's this crisis. 00:11:42.559 --> 00:11:45.919 And Daniel's the most consequential person in the room. 00:11:46.080 --> 00:11:47.919 What makes a consequential life? 00:11:48.159 --> 00:11:52.320 First thing is simply this is that you live such that there's a weight on your words. 00:11:52.559 --> 00:11:54.960 You live such that there is a weight on your words. 00:11:55.039 --> 00:11:56.080 It's verse 16. 00:11:56.240 --> 00:12:02.159 Daniel went in and requested the king to appear, to appoint him a time that he might show the interpretation to the king. 00:12:02.320 --> 00:12:04.799 Now, now you say, Why is that such a big deal? 00:12:04.960 --> 00:12:11.039 Because earlier in like verse 7 and 8, the wise men and the astrologers and the magicians, they're they're stalling for time. 00:12:11.120 --> 00:12:15.440 And the king is like, hey, dude, you you guys are stalling for time, but my decision is firm. 00:12:15.519 --> 00:12:23.840 I'm gonna tear you limb to limb, and I'm gonna take a bulldozer, and I'm gonna demolish your houses if you can't just tell me the dream and the interpretation. 00:12:24.000 --> 00:12:32.399 Because usually what would happen was the king had these four classes of people Chaldeans, magicians, enchanters, but all these spiritual lackeys over here. 00:12:32.480 --> 00:12:35.600 And he would have a dream, call them in and say, I had this dream. 00:12:35.679 --> 00:12:37.360 I'm emotionally dysregulated. 00:12:37.519 --> 00:12:38.399 Tell them the dream. 00:12:38.480 --> 00:12:40.080 And they would consult their little magic books. 00:12:40.159 --> 00:12:44.000 They got at Harry Potter's garage sale and say, Hey, here's what happened here. 00:12:44.080 --> 00:12:45.919 Okay, and they go, Okay, thank you very much. 00:12:46.080 --> 00:12:50.399 But the king ups the Annie here, and the king says, I'm not telling you the dream. 00:12:50.559 --> 00:12:53.039 You're gonna have to tell me the dream and the interpretation. 00:12:53.200 --> 00:12:55.360 They're like, dude, no king has ever asked that. 00:12:55.519 --> 00:12:56.960 No, it's you're being unfair. 00:12:57.120 --> 00:13:01.279 No king has ever asked that, and no person could only ever do that. 00:13:01.519 --> 00:13:03.200 Listen to the king's own confession. 00:13:03.440 --> 00:13:08.879 The only person that can do that is God, and God does not dwell in human flesh. 00:13:10.799 --> 00:13:13.039 And along comes Daniel. 00:13:13.279 --> 00:13:19.679 Goes in in verse 16 and says, Hey, when can I get on your schedule to tell you about this dream and the interpretation? 00:13:19.840 --> 00:13:25.600 Now, all Daniel's heard is you're gonna be killed, dude, because you're part of the wise men that aren't very wise. 00:13:25.759 --> 00:13:40.240 And so Daniel hasn't heard from God, but Daniel so trusts God, there's such weight on Daniel's life and his words that when he speaks, the king recognizes his words and gives Daniel what he didn't give all of these other people that served him. 00:13:40.399 --> 00:13:42.720 And so your life goes before your words. 00:13:42.879 --> 00:13:49.120 And so when you speak, people's response to your words are motivated by their respect for your life. 00:13:49.360 --> 00:13:53.360 Because to listen is to assign value to the person speaking. 00:13:53.600 --> 00:13:55.120 Let me say that last part again. 00:13:55.360 --> 00:13:58.960 To listen is to assign value to the person speaking. 00:13:59.120 --> 00:14:01.679 This is this will not just help you understand the book of Daniel. 00:14:01.840 --> 00:14:03.919 Men, this will change your marriage, okay? 00:14:04.080 --> 00:14:06.639 I used to be a multitasker around my house. 00:14:06.799 --> 00:14:07.679 You say, What do you mean? 00:14:07.840 --> 00:14:08.960 I could multitask. 00:14:09.039 --> 00:14:16.559 I could like watch TV, pet the dog, scroll on my phone, and listen to my wife talk about whatever was heavy on her mind. 00:14:16.720 --> 00:14:19.679 Until one day my wife said, What are you doing? 00:14:19.919 --> 00:14:20.960 And I said, What do you mean? 00:14:21.039 --> 00:14:22.480 She goes, Are you listening to me? 00:14:22.639 --> 00:14:23.360 And I said, Yeah. 00:14:23.440 --> 00:14:28.320 And I regurgitated back to her word for word what she had said over the last seven minutes. 00:14:28.480 --> 00:14:29.759 And she said, You know what? 00:14:29.840 --> 00:14:30.399 Here's the thing. 00:14:30.559 --> 00:14:32.159 She goes, I just see you petting the dog. 00:14:32.240 --> 00:14:35.919 And I then she said, I do not feel valued. 00:14:36.000 --> 00:14:38.960 She goes, I do not want to be one of the things you can do. 00:14:39.120 --> 00:14:43.279 I want to be the only thing going on in your life when I'm talking. 00:14:43.519 --> 00:14:47.919 And I'm looking at her and I just push the dog off the couch like you're being rejected. 00:14:48.799 --> 00:14:52.000 I'm listening, and she's just kind of standing there. 00:14:52.240 --> 00:14:55.120 And so since that day, I no longer multitask. 00:14:55.279 --> 00:15:01.360 When my wife starts talking, I just pause the TV and I look at her and I give her my undivided attention. 00:15:01.519 --> 00:15:01.840 Why? 00:15:02.000 --> 00:15:08.559 It's not about listening and being able to tell the words that she was saying, it's about assigning value to the person speaking. 00:15:08.799 --> 00:15:17.279 Now, what we see here in Daniel is that the king has already assigned value to Daniel's life because he responds differently to him than he does all these other people. 00:15:17.440 --> 00:15:18.000 Why? 00:15:18.159 --> 00:15:21.039 What distinguishes Daniel from all these other men? 00:15:21.200 --> 00:15:22.320 Well, it's back in chapter one. 00:15:22.559 --> 00:15:24.399 Remember, he makes this little small decision. 00:15:24.559 --> 00:15:30.879 He says that Daniel he purposed that he would not defile himself with the king's food or wine. 00:15:31.120 --> 00:15:32.799 And what was the outcome of that? 00:15:33.200 --> 00:15:35.519 Let me just read the last part of chapter one. 00:15:35.840 --> 00:15:38.080 Just I'll start reading in verse 17. 00:15:38.320 --> 00:15:48.480 It says, In God, excuse me, verse 18, at the end of the time when the king had commanded that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar, and the king spoke with them. 00:15:48.639 --> 00:15:53.600 And among all of them, none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 00:15:53.759 --> 00:16:03.600 Therefore they stood before the king, and in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he quizzed them, he put them to the test just to see what they were made out of. 00:16:03.919 --> 00:16:14.159 In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all of his kingdom. 00:16:14.320 --> 00:16:17.919 So this is the Daniel that is now in the presence of the king. 00:16:18.080 --> 00:16:26.480 And the king has put weight on his words because Daniel's life demanded that when he speaks, he's a consequential person. 00:16:26.639 --> 00:16:39.679 There's weight on his words, not because of what he says, not because he scored high on his SAT, not because he got into this college, but because his life, there was a life of consequence behind the words that were coming out of this person's mouth. 00:16:39.840 --> 00:16:42.399 And the king says, Okay, you want you want some time? 00:16:42.559 --> 00:16:43.440 I'll give you time. 00:16:43.600 --> 00:16:46.000 These other people, I'm not gonna give them the time of day. 00:16:46.399 --> 00:16:53.039 The makings of a consequential life involves, first of all, you live such that there's weight on your words. 00:16:53.200 --> 00:16:59.679 John Maxwell says it like this He says, Life is a matter of choices, and every choice you make makes you. 00:17:00.240 --> 00:17:01.519 Let me say that again. 00:17:01.679 --> 00:17:06.640 Life is a matter of choices, and every choice you make makes you. 00:17:07.119 --> 00:17:12.240 That means that you and I right now are making choices even today that are making you. 00:17:12.480 --> 00:17:20.880 Now we can be cognizant and aware and conscious of the choices that we're making, but what you need to think about is what are these choices making you? 00:17:21.119 --> 00:17:27.920 And what are some of the choices that you can make right now that would make you into the person you want to be in the future? 00:17:28.160 --> 00:17:36.240 Second thing we see in the text is simply this be respected by those who disagree with you, be respected by those that disagree with you. 00:17:36.400 --> 00:17:40.799 This was probably the most convicting part of this passage for me, is in verse 14. 00:17:41.039 --> 00:17:42.960 It says, Daniel replied, excuse me. 00:17:43.039 --> 00:17:45.440 I'll start reading verse uh verse 12. 00:17:45.680 --> 00:17:50.799 Because of this the king was angry and very furious and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed. 00:17:50.960 --> 00:17:52.000 Now hear that. 00:17:52.240 --> 00:17:55.359 The king is mad at these people because they're stalling for time. 00:17:55.599 --> 00:17:57.039 And he says, just kill them all. 00:17:57.119 --> 00:17:58.000 We'll start over. 00:17:58.240 --> 00:17:58.880 Verse 13. 00:17:59.039 --> 00:18:04.319 So the decree went out, and the wise men were about to be killed, and they sought Daniel and his companions to kill them. 00:18:04.640 --> 00:18:13.519 Then Daniel replied with prudence and discretion to Ariok, the captain of the king's guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon. 00:18:13.680 --> 00:18:17.680 Now, Ariok is the guy that's come to say, Hey guys, get on the truck. 00:18:17.759 --> 00:18:20.000 We're gonna take you back, and we're gonna kill all of you. 00:18:20.160 --> 00:18:28.960 And Daniel responds, when I say be respected by those who disagree with you, Daniel responds with two words, with prudence and discretion. 00:18:29.599 --> 00:18:31.440 Prudence and discretion. 00:18:31.599 --> 00:18:35.039 Let me let me tell you somebody that on our staff that's really good at that. 00:18:35.200 --> 00:18:37.440 It is our executive pastor, Wade Burgess. 00:18:37.519 --> 00:18:39.279 Okay, uh, this happened not long ago. 00:18:39.440 --> 00:18:41.759 We've had some issues with our ice machine in the kitchen. 00:18:41.839 --> 00:18:45.359 And so the repairman was coming like every week, every every four days. 00:18:45.519 --> 00:18:52.000 And so one day I'm coming out of my office and coming down the hall with this tool bag as a repairman, and I said, Let me guess, it's broke again, right? 00:18:52.160 --> 00:18:54.880 If you fixed it last time, why are you here to fix it again? 00:18:55.039 --> 00:18:56.960 And he's just laughing because I don't know what the deal is. 00:18:57.039 --> 00:18:59.759 I said, I tell you what the deal is, this is costing me. 00:18:59.920 --> 00:19:02.640 I bet this thing would get fixed quicker if it costed you. 00:19:02.799 --> 00:19:04.720 How about today it costs you? 00:19:04.960 --> 00:19:05.599 How about that? 00:19:05.680 --> 00:19:07.119 And I'm walking, he's laughing at it. 00:19:07.200 --> 00:19:08.400 I'm like, I'm being serious. 00:19:08.559 --> 00:19:13.920 How about instead of me paying you this one's free and you just fix it once and for all and it be done? 00:19:14.079 --> 00:19:18.799 Because I don't know why I think this way, but when stuff breaks, I take it as injustice. 00:19:19.680 --> 00:19:21.519 Wade Burgess walks in, Mr. 00:19:21.680 --> 00:19:24.960 Prudence and Discretion, and he goes, Hello, John, nice to see you. 00:19:25.039 --> 00:19:26.880 Would you like a cold bottle of water? 00:19:27.279 --> 00:19:29.359 And I'm like, What? 00:19:29.839 --> 00:19:39.039 And he's like, and open the door, and he says, uh, he turns to me and he goes, Oh, by the way, we have a new ice maker, and this is part of the routine maintenance that came with the price. 00:19:42.720 --> 00:19:45.680 See, I didn't know, John, we got a new ice maker. 00:19:46.480 --> 00:19:50.079 I just ready to fight because I feel like he's stealing from me, John. 00:19:51.279 --> 00:19:58.319 Ask yourself, as you laugh at me, ask yourself this when it comes to disagreement, two things. 00:19:58.480 --> 00:20:01.039 Number one, what is your theology of disagreement? 00:20:02.880 --> 00:20:04.880 And just think about our country right now. 00:20:05.440 --> 00:20:15.279 What would it be like if we had a theology of disagreement that says, I can fundamentally disagree with you and not hate you and not make you totally bad. 00:20:15.599 --> 00:20:21.920 I I told the first service, I might as well tell you, I have a friend I have lunch with on a regular basis, and he says crazy things, and I just look at him. 00:20:22.000 --> 00:20:27.440 If you sat at a table next to us, you would be trying to figure out do those people like each other or hate each other? 00:20:27.599 --> 00:20:29.759 Because I say to him, that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. 00:20:30.000 --> 00:20:31.599 Did you have to think to be that dumb? 00:20:31.759 --> 00:20:33.599 And he just laughs and goes, Oh, you're dead wrong. 00:20:33.680 --> 00:20:34.160 Oh my God. 00:20:34.240 --> 00:20:38.400 And we go back and forth and we agree about stuff and we laugh about stuff and we cry about stuff. 00:20:38.480 --> 00:20:40.880 And at the end, it's like, hey, you bought lunch, you want to walk over and get Starbucks? 00:20:40.960 --> 00:20:41.839 Sure, I'll buy Starbucks. 00:20:41.920 --> 00:20:45.759 And if you were at the table next to us, you'd be like, What just happened? 00:20:46.000 --> 00:20:49.200 Because I have a theology of disagreement that says this. 00:20:49.279 --> 00:20:56.880 It says, I'm not just gonna say, Oh, oh, oh, uh, whatever you said goes because I I want you to like me. 00:20:56.960 --> 00:21:02.000 And see, here's the thing: Jesus did not die to give you a better set of manners. 00:21:03.440 --> 00:21:05.839 And I'm not saying Jesus died to be rude. 00:21:06.400 --> 00:21:10.240 I'm just saying, have an opinion and be able to defend it. 00:21:10.480 --> 00:21:12.000 Have a theology of disagreement. 00:21:12.160 --> 00:21:13.759 Here's the second thing about disagreement. 00:21:13.920 --> 00:21:17.839 When you're in a disagreement, do you bring more light or more heat? 00:21:19.759 --> 00:21:22.160 Because what we need is a balance of both. 00:21:22.400 --> 00:21:23.599 We need light and heat. 00:21:23.680 --> 00:21:28.640 My favorite part of John, the poor ice machine guy, is it, and when Wade said, Oh, by the way, we got a new ice machine. 00:21:28.720 --> 00:21:31.119 This is just part of the routine maintenance, it was part of the pride. 00:21:31.279 --> 00:21:32.319 John's cracked up laughing. 00:21:32.720 --> 00:21:33.920 I'm like, shut up, John. 00:21:34.880 --> 00:21:36.960 Go to my office now and study the Bible. 00:21:38.240 --> 00:21:40.240 B, what makes you consequential? 00:21:40.400 --> 00:21:43.200 This is if you want to just kind of gauge your consequence. 00:21:43.440 --> 00:21:47.359 How do people who fundamentally disagree with you feel about you? 00:21:47.759 --> 00:21:51.759 Ariok, this guy who sent to kill Daniel. 00:21:52.640 --> 00:21:58.559 Daniel practices prudence and discretion, and Ariok basically slows down and explains to Daniel here's what's going on. 00:21:58.799 --> 00:21:59.680 Third thing is he prays. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:01.839 Such that God wants to give you what is his. 00:22:02.319 --> 00:22:04.559 You pray such that God wants to give you what is his. 00:22:04.799 --> 00:22:05.680 Listen very carefully. 00:22:05.759 --> 00:22:08.799 I'm not talking prosperity gospel, name it and claim it nonsense. 00:22:08.880 --> 00:22:12.000 The prosperity gospel is no gospel at all. 00:22:12.319 --> 00:22:12.640 Okay? 00:22:12.880 --> 00:22:15.440 Uh it's verse 17 to 23. 00:22:15.680 --> 00:22:30.319 Daniel went in his house and he made the matter known to Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah, and his companions, and he told them to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions might not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 00:22:30.559 --> 00:22:33.759 Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. 00:22:33.920 --> 00:22:41.839 Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven, and Daniel answered and said, And what follows, the rest of verse 20 down to verse 23, is a hymn of praise. 00:22:42.000 --> 00:22:46.400 It's like Daniel singing his prayer of gratitude and thanksgiving back to God. 00:22:46.559 --> 00:22:47.759 We'll get to that in just a minute. 00:22:47.920 --> 00:22:53.519 When I say pray such that God wants to give you what is his, lest your mind drift away too quickly. 00:22:53.680 --> 00:23:04.799 I just want to point to verse 20, where he says, And Daniel blessed the God of heaven and answered and said, Blessed, blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. 00:23:04.960 --> 00:23:06.720 He changes times and seasons. 00:23:06.880 --> 00:23:08.799 He removes kings and sets up kings. 00:23:08.960 --> 00:23:09.440 Remember that? 00:23:09.519 --> 00:23:10.400 Come November. 00:23:11.359 --> 00:23:15.119 He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. 00:23:15.279 --> 00:23:17.119 He reveals deep and hidden things. 00:23:17.279 --> 00:23:20.400 He knows what is in the darkness, and a light dwells with him. 00:23:20.720 --> 00:23:26.240 To you, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for you have given me wisdom and might. 00:23:26.400 --> 00:23:27.680 This is where this comes from. 00:23:27.839 --> 00:23:28.880 Look at verse 20. 00:23:29.039 --> 00:23:33.359 He begins the prayer by saying, Blessed be the name of God forever and ever. 00:23:33.519 --> 00:23:33.920 Why? 00:23:34.160 --> 00:23:37.200 Because to whom belong wisdom and might. 00:23:37.359 --> 00:23:42.640 And in the middle of verse 23, he says to God, For you have given me wisdom and might. 00:23:42.799 --> 00:23:52.319 I am humbling, I am trembling in gratitude before you, because you, God, have taken that which belongs to you and you bestowed it upon me. 00:23:52.480 --> 00:23:56.400 And it is overwhelmingly humbling to me. 00:23:57.359 --> 00:24:01.200 See, we've made two big mistakes in America when it comes to prayer. 00:24:01.359 --> 00:24:10.240 Number one, we assume that authenticity is what moves the heart of God to prayer, which is why when some people pray, they're just disrespectful. 00:24:10.480 --> 00:24:15.359 Like I'm sitting in an event that I'm speaking at, and guys are backstage praying. 00:24:15.440 --> 00:24:17.920 And I mean, I'm not disparaging the guy. 00:24:18.000 --> 00:24:19.839 He's probably about 23 to 25. 00:24:19.920 --> 00:24:22.559 And we're all holding hands because that makes prayer more effective. 00:24:22.720 --> 00:24:24.160 We're holding hands in a circle. 00:24:24.319 --> 00:24:30.720 And the guy says, and I quote, God, I don't know what you're doing, but this is what we need you to do, and we need you to do it now. 00:24:30.880 --> 00:24:32.720 And I just turn loose to the people's hand around me. 00:24:32.799 --> 00:24:36.720 And the guy over here thought, oh, my hand's sleep, so I grabbed my hand, and I was like, Don't touch me. 00:24:37.039 --> 00:24:38.880 I just I walked out of that. 00:24:39.119 --> 00:24:41.839 And after it's over, they said, Hey, uh, what happened, bro? 00:24:41.920 --> 00:24:42.799 Where'd you go during prayer? 00:24:42.880 --> 00:24:46.240 I didn't want the lightning to get me when God struck that guy over there dead. 00:24:47.759 --> 00:24:49.519 They're like, Oh, it's real fun. 00:24:49.839 --> 00:24:50.880 I'm not kidding. 00:24:51.119 --> 00:24:52.240 Y'all think that's authentic. 00:24:52.480 --> 00:24:53.839 He goes, No, he's just keeping it real, bro. 00:24:53.920 --> 00:24:56.000 I said, that's not authenticity. 00:24:56.160 --> 00:25:02.240 That is, I want to distinguish myself around everybody else in the religious subculture, so you'll think I'm really edgy. 00:25:02.640 --> 00:25:05.039 You're not edgy, you're disrespectful. 00:25:05.200 --> 00:25:07.519 You're a kid who doesn't understand the nature of God. 00:25:07.839 --> 00:25:12.240 God does not confide in a man like that, that talks to God like that. 00:25:13.680 --> 00:25:16.000 Oh man, you ain't gotta get all negative on us, bro. 00:25:16.079 --> 00:25:17.440 We're about to go out and rock it. 00:25:17.599 --> 00:25:19.200 Oh, just stop talking. 00:25:19.519 --> 00:25:21.119 Just, I'm not your bro. 00:25:22.000 --> 00:25:23.200 I'm not your bro. 00:25:23.359 --> 00:25:30.079 I'm just we've confused, we think authenticity, authenticity, our authenticity is what moves the heart of God. 00:25:30.319 --> 00:25:33.759 Here's what moves the heart of God, beloved, our intimacy. 00:25:34.400 --> 00:25:36.160 And here's the way I define intimacy. 00:25:36.559 --> 00:25:42.960 Intimity is simply this it's about what you and God know about each other and what you enjoy about each other. 00:25:43.680 --> 00:25:50.559 Intimacy, spiritual intimacy, like Daniel demonstrates here, it's it's rooted in what you and God know about each other. 00:25:50.720 --> 00:25:52.880 Like there's nothing God doesn't know about you. 00:25:53.039 --> 00:25:59.039 So when you pray, you can stop using borrowed phrases you heard from everybody else you've heard pray before. 00:25:59.359 --> 00:26:01.359 Because God knows this is not your language. 00:26:01.519 --> 00:26:03.119 What are you doing, you poser? 00:26:05.119 --> 00:26:07.680 It's what you and God know about each other. 00:26:08.000 --> 00:26:11.200 You see, Daniel knows things about God. 00:26:11.359 --> 00:26:15.200 We'll get to that in just a minute because it manifests in the way he prays. 00:26:15.599 --> 00:26:17.839 It's what you enjoy about each other. 00:26:18.000 --> 00:26:21.119 You ever ask yourself, hey, what does God enjoy about you? 00:26:22.240 --> 00:26:30.480 The problem with some of you in this room is that you've been taught over the years that God just tolerates you, He never enjoys you. 00:26:32.480 --> 00:26:34.400 Yeah, I just I don't know. 00:26:35.039 --> 00:26:36.559 Easy, that sounds prideful. 00:26:36.720 --> 00:26:38.000 That's not prideful. 00:26:38.160 --> 00:26:41.680 That's sonship, that's being a daughter of God. 00:26:42.000 --> 00:26:44.480 You mean to tell me you don't enjoy your kids? 00:26:44.720 --> 00:26:50.960 You've never any point, I'm not saying you enjoy them all the time, but you've never at any point just thought, man, I'm so glad that kid's in my life. 00:26:51.119 --> 00:26:52.319 I enjoy them. 00:26:54.000 --> 00:26:55.440 So, what do you mean? 00:26:55.519 --> 00:26:59.279 Let me just give you a few practical things about prayer from verses 17 to 23. 00:26:59.359 --> 00:27:02.240 The first one is this is have people in your life who know how to pray. 00:27:02.400 --> 00:27:04.720 I mean, Daniel gets an appointment with the king. 00:27:04.880 --> 00:27:10.960 He doesn't know in verse 16, he doesn't know the dream or the interpretation, but he knows some people that know how to pray. 00:27:11.119 --> 00:27:14.480 They're named Hananiah, Mishel, and Azariah. 00:27:14.640 --> 00:27:17.200 So he he gets an appointment with the king in verse 16. 00:27:17.359 --> 00:27:22.240