Open—Bernie Roossinck
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They appreciate it, Brother Richard. Your thoughts?
And care for the young people.
Some of the things we've had this morning.
Before us in regard to living a life that is pleasing and honoring to the Lord.
Kind of struck me.
And.
I know I'm not a young person anymore, but I'm not that far removed from it.
And I want you to know your young people, how valuable you are.
How much the Lord loves you.
How much we love you.
And I would like to bring out a few things from Daniel, one that I hope will be an encouragement to you.
So let's read a little bit here.
Annual one Verse One. In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, came Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon.
Under Jerusalem and besieged it.
And the Lord gave Jehoiakim, king of Judah, into his hand with part of the vessels of the House of God, which he carried into the land of Shinar to the House of his God, and brought the vessels into the treasure House of his God. And the king spake unto Espines, the master of his eunuchs.
That he should bring certain of the children of Israel and of the King's seed, and of the Princess children in whom was no blemish.
But well favored and skillful, you know, wisdom and cunning and knowledge and understanding science, and such as that ability in them to stand in the King's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and tongue of the Chaldeans.
And the king appointed them a daily provision of the King's meat, and of the wine which he drank, so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king.
Stuff right there for a minute.
Daniel was a young person, don't know how old he was.
Maybe 16 or 17 years old, maybe a little older, maybe a little younger. But I think that we have a lot of young people here in this room that fit this age group. And Daniel lived at a time when things were broken and shattered in Israel.
And here the king of Nebuchadnezzar comes into the land.
And God had been warning his people for a long time to repent and to.
Love him, and follow him and serve him. And they didn't do it. And finally the judgment of God fell, and Nebuchadnezzar came and carried away captive.
Pack the children in Judah.
And the king of Nebuchadnezzar said to his generals, if you will, I want you to pick out the good ones, the ones that I can make useful to me, and I want you to bring them back.
And look what he look what he says. He wanted the ones that were had no blemish, but were well favored and skillful and so on. Dear young people, many of you have been raised in Christian homes.
I was raised in a Christian home and I'm a very, extremely thankful for that. Many of you are well favored. Many of you know the word of God.
And here Daniel was carried away, a young man and perhaps a teenager.
I don't know quite how far it is, 6 or 700 miles maybe.
Brought into a heathen culture.
And the desire of the king was to teach them.
Their language make them forget who they belong to. And now you, dear young people, don't forget who you belong to. And we've had and we will have in our chapter in the reading. Don't you know you're not your own? You're bought with a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body, your spirit, and in your body with your gods.
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Well, this king wanted to make him forget who they belong to and teach them a different language.
And take away their customs.
Wanted to make him useful in his Kingdom.
Your young people.
The enemy would like to take you that are well favored and say I'd like to use you too.
But you know the enemy.
Of your soul he doesn't have your good and blessing in mind he doesn't, it says in John 10. The thief cometh but the for to kill, the steal, and to kill and to destroy.
And it may seem attractive, some of the things that the world can put before you and say, look at this, how can this be wrong? Do this, do that, go here, go there. And yet he wants to make you forget who you belong to. The Lord says, if you're, if you're saved, the Lord says, you belong to me.
I love you, I want your good and blessing.
And then this king who wants to change what they're eating.
You know, and the appoints in this food.
Read from verse six. Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Michelle, and Nazariah, unto whom the Prince of the eunuchs gave names, where he gave unto Daniel the name Belts, Belteshazzer to Hananiah, of Shadrach to Michelle of Meshach.
To Azariah of Abednego. Well, he wanted to change their names.
Young people.
I know that it is a day of difficulty for you.
Especially those of you that are in high school and university.
I have not very long been removed from that myself. I have a daughter that's a university.
The world would like to take you.
Say man, you're one of the choice ones. I could really. I want that person and to draw you away from the Lord the Savior. Be careful, be careful. Once He wants to change their names, make them forget who they belong to.
You belong to the Lord Jesus. It's worth it to serve Him and to love Him.
Now look at verse 8.
Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the King's meat, nor with the wine which he drank. Therefore he requested of the Prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.
While that word purpose really means, he decided.
You know Daniel and his friends here, and it seems like this is Daniel's exercise, but.
It's nice that he had three friends with him that were willing to go along and encourage each other in the Lord to walk in faithfulness.
Daniel decided that he wasn't going to defile himself. You know, I, I think all of us in this room know that the day in which we live.
Is a day of.
Living for yourself. It's a day of.
Seeking for satisfaction and whatever, wherever you can find it. You know the I think of the the motto of Nike, just do it.
That's the thinking of the world today. Just do it.
Young people, be careful.
Be careful.
Seek to honor and follow the Lord. And so Daniel decided in his heart that he wouldn't defile himself. How easy it would have been for Daniel to say, Why should I bother? Everything is shattered and broken.
All of the heritage that I have is gone.
The home that I came from gone. The influences gone. Here I am surrounded here, you might as well say.
If you can't beat them, join them. Kind of. But Daniel said he decided I'm not going to do that. And so he purposed in his heart not to defile himself. You know, we had this morning.
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A little bit about things being lawful, but not expedient. You know, Daniel could have said, all right, I I guess I'll just eat the meat and drink the wine.
I'm actually a captive of this man. What can I do? I have no choice. But he didn't, he said.
I decided to honor the Lord, you know, it says in Samuel. Those that honor me, I will honor.
I'm going to put the Lord first in your life.
The Lord will honor that.
They that them that honor me, I will honor.
You know, I also wonder, did Daniel have a verse for what he what his purpose was? I think he did. You know, it's good young people to know the Scripture and to have spiritual discernment about how to decide something, a fork in the path.
Something is before you. You have to choose something. Do I go this way or do I go that way? And to know what the Word of God says and teaches, so important.
You know, I think Daniel, maybe he could turn to those verses in Leviticus about clean food and and unclean food.
I'm sure he knew about that and to say, Lord, maybe they were serving Portia's, I don't know, bacon and eggs or whatever with two things I happen to like. But to the Jewish young man, he couldn't do that. So they bring in his food and he says, I, I can't do it. It's not honoring to God.
And so he purposes in his heart.
The wine which they drank, you know.
I think we remember what the Angel said to Samson's mother about him being set apart. We had a little bit this morning about being sanctified and Samson was to be set apart.
As a Nazarite which means separated to God and he wasn't to drink, strong drink and I wonder if Daniel had that on his heart as a young person at 15 or 16 year old person.
To say Lord.
I want to be set apart in this hard circumstance. I want to be faithful to you.
And therefore he has this request not to defile himself.
And you know, I think it's interesting in verse nine, God brought Daniel into favor with the Prince of the eunuchs. I think that Daniel and his friends, when they wanted to honor the Lord, the Lord allowed it so that they could do that. And he made a way for it to be possible. There is a path, young people, that it is possible to follow the Lord today.
In today's world, that is so against Christianity and against Christ and against.
The things that we love and hold dear, God will honor a desire to walk in faithfulness.
And so we have this little test that they do? Daniel asked the.
The Prince of the eunuchs there. Let's see here.
Verse 12 proved thy servants, I beseech thee 10 days, and let them give us pulse to eat and water to drink.
Then let our countenances be looked upon before they, and the countenance of the children that eat the portion of the King's meat, as thou seest deal with thy servants, so we can send it to them in this manner. Prove them 10 days. Well, what was the result?
God blessed the exercise and the desire of these four young people to honor him and to.
Obey Him and to be separated and to live their lives in a way that was pleasing and honoring to the Lord.
The temptation is to say, why bother?
Everybody else is doing it.
But young people, it's worth being separated to the Lord it is.
You know we're reading Galatians he that I better turn to it. Galatians 6.
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This has to do with the sewing and reaping. You know, I see, Doug, that you're here because the fields are too wet to farm, right?
Partly, I'm glad, you said partly, brother.
I think you're here because you love the Lords people mostly.
You know, I told my wife and the kids that unless it rains all week, we're not going.
The Lord let it rain all week, so I'm kind of glad it rained because otherwise I'd be in the field too. Well, when we put our seed in the ground, brother, we're going to get what we sow, aren't we? So let's, young people, this is an important principle in your life.
Galatians 6.
We'll start with verse 7. Be not deceived. God is not mocked or whatsoever a man. So with that shall he also reap. He that soweth to his flesh shall let the flesh reap corruption, but he that soweth to the Spirit, so of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary and well doing and so on. Well, I just want to encourage you young people.
You reap what you sow.
And the world around you, your friends.
Certainly the enemy of your soul would say.
Why bother trying to be faithful to the Word of God?
Do what you want.
You know, if you're saved, you can't lose your salvation.
Grace of God will cover you. It's dangerous young people I know, friends of mine.
Dear young people that I grew up with that have sown to the flesh, and I tell you young people, they're reaping is bitter and hard and real.
I've had to do some of that reaping in my own life.
It's real. So we're not our own. We're not at liberty to do what we want. If you belong to the Lord Jesus, dear young people.
You're bought with a price, you're not your own and I'm not trying to say that negatively. So to the spirit.
Be an encouragement.
Honor the Lord in your decisions, in your friends.
Where you go, what you listen to, what you see.
What you talk about, what you think about the word will honor that and you will reap a harvest that is a blessing and an encouragement and is rich. And so I just want you young people to know, especially for most of us that are older, we love you. We love you.
Our desire is and more than our desire, the Lord's desire is that you would grow in grace and go on in the path of faith and.
Fill your heart with the word of God. You know the Lord Jesus is such a lovely Lord.
Beautiful.
Master.
I'm just going to close with a little bursome Colossians that I often have shared with the young people in their own assembly.
This is what our desire is for you, young people.
Colossians 1.
Verse 9.
For this 'cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you.
And to desire that you might be filled with the knowledge of His will.
In all wisdom and spirits will understanding.
That you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work.
And increasing in the knowledge of God.
Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power.
Unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness.
So that's our desire for you young people.
Might be filled with the knowledge of His will. They might walk worthy of the Lord. It's worth it.
It's worth it.
Oh the mercy.
Already seed.
All weekend.
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Thy people, thou in the.
Daily morning.
Display.
Exodus chapter 12.
And verse 24.
And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons forever.
And it shall come to pass, when you become to the land which the Lord will give you accordingness, He hath promised that you keep this service. And it shall come to pass when your children shall say unto you, What meanie by this service that ye shall say It is the sacrifice of the Lord's Passover passed over the houses of His the children of Israel in Egypt.
When he smoked the Egyptians and delivered our houses.
And the people bowed the head, worshipped.
Over to the Gospel of Luke, the 22nd of Luke.
Luke 2720 Second. Second chapter of Luke in the seventh verse.
Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be killed.
And he sent Peter and John saying, Go and prepare us the Passover that we may eat.
And they said unto him.
Where will thou that we prepare?
And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you.
Bearing a pitcher of water, follow him into the house where he entereth in. You shall say unto the Goodman of the host. The Master saith unto thee, Where is the guest chamber, where I shall leave the Passover with my disciples?
And he shall show you a large upper room furnished there. Make ready.
And they went and found as he had said unto them, and they made ready the Passover.
And when the hour was come, he sat down.
And the 12 apostles with it.
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And he said unto them with desire, I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.
Lord Jesus.
On the way to the cross, his words to us.
With desire, I have desire to eat this Passover with you.
Before I suffer.
He's asked us to remember him.
We've had in this meeting this afternoon.
Concern for the young people.
How do we know where it is the Lord wants us to be?
The Lord said to his disciples, Go and prepare. They said, Where wilt thou that we?
Gave them clear instruction.
They went.
They found and they made ready when the hour was come.
Sat down.
One last portion.
Book of Ruth verse that was read to us already. Just part of a verse, Chapter 2.
Verse 9. Perhaps we read the whole verse. Let thine eyes be on the field, that they do reap. Go thou after them. Have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee?
This is the part I was particularly thinking of. And when thou art a first go into the vessels and.
Drink of that which the young men have drawn.
Think of that which the young men have drawn.
Young men, we have a responsibility.
To drive the things with the Word of God, to enjoy them in our souls, and to be able to share them.
So we have the instruction for the young man to draw out the word and Boaz's word to Ruth Drink.
That which the young men strong.
Understood.