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The Key to Making Wise Decisions

Follow God's commandments so you can gain wisdom and experience God's best for you.

December 3, 2022

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14 Therefore, thus says the LORD, the God of hosts, ``Because you have spoken this word, Behold, I am making My words in your mouth fire And this people wood, and it will consume them.

15 ``Behold, I am bringing a nation against you from afar, O house of Israel," declares the LORD. ``It is an enduring nation, It is an ancient nation, A nation whose language you do not know, Nor can you understand what they say.

16 ``Their quiver is like an open grave, All of them are mighty men.

17 ``They will devour your harvest and your food; They will devour your sons and your daughters; They will devour your flocks and your herds; They will devour your vines and your fig trees; They will demolish with the sword your fortified cities in which you trust.

18 ``Yet even in those days," declares the LORD, ``I will not make you a complete destruction.

19 ``It shall come about when they say, `Why has the LORD our God done all these things to us?' then you shall say to them, `As you have forsaken Me and served foreign gods in your land, so you will serve strangers in a land that is not yours.'

20 ``Declare this in the house of Jacob And proclaim it in Judah, saying,

21 `Now hear this, O foolish and senseless people, Who have eyes but do not see; Who have ears but do not hear.

22 `Do you not fear Me?' declares the LORD. `Do you not tremble in My presence? For I have placed the sand as a boundary for the sea, An eternal decree, so it cannot cross over it. Though the waves toss, yet they cannot prevail; Though they roar, yet they cannot cross over it.

23 `But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; They have turned aside and departed.

24 `They do not say in their heart, ``Let us now fear the LORD our God, Who gives rain in its season, Both the autumn rain and the spring rain, Who keeps for us The appointed weeks of the harvest."

25 `Your iniquities have turned these away, And your sins have withheld good from you.

26 `For wicked men are found among My people, They watch like fowlers lying in wait; They set a trap, They catch men.

27 `Like a cage full of birds, So their houses are full of deceit; Therefore they have become great and rich.

28 `They are fat, they are sleek, They also excel in deeds of wickedness; They do not plead the cause, The cause of the orphan, that they may prosper; And they do not defend the rights of the poor.

1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.

2 The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along 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 he brought the vessels into the treasury of his god.

3 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his officials, to bring in some of the sons of Israel, including some of the royal family and of the nobles,

4 youths in whom was no defect, who were good-looking, showing intelligence in every branch of wisdom, endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge, and who had ability for serving in the king's court; and he ordered him to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans.

5 The king appointed for them a daily ration from the king's choice food and from the wine which he drank, and appointed that they should be educated three years, at the end of which they were to enter the king's personal service.

6 Now among them from the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.

7 Then the commander of the officials assigned new names to them; and to Daniel he assigned the name Belteshazzar, to Hananiah Shadrach, to Mishael Meshach and to Azariah Abed-nego.

8 But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king's choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself.

9 Now God granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials,

10 and the commander of the officials said to Daniel, ``I am afraid of my lord the king, who has appointed your food and your drink; for why should he see your faces looking more haggard than the youths who are your own age? Then you would make me forfeit my head to the king."

11 But Daniel said to the overseer whom the commander of the officials had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah,

12 ``Please test your servants for ten days, and let us be given some vegetables to eat and water to drink.

13 ``Then let our appearance be observed in your presence and the appearance of the youths who are eating the king's choice food; and deal with your servants according to what you see."

14 So he listened to them in this matter and tested them for ten days.

15 At the end of ten days their appearance seemed better and they were fatter than all the youths who had been eating the king's choice food.

16 So the overseer continued to withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and kept giving them vegetables.

1 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, the height of which was sixty cubits and its width six cubits; he set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.

2 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent word to assemble the satraps, the prefects and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates and all the rulers of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

3 Then the satraps, the prefects and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates and all the rulers of the provinces were assembled for the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

4 Then the herald loudly proclaimed: ``To you the command is given, O peoples, nations and men of every language,

5 that at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, bagpipe and all kinds of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up.

6 ``But whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire."

7 Therefore at that time, when all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, bagpipe and all kinds of music, all the peoples, nations and men of every language fell down and worshiped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

8 For this reason at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and brought charges against the Jews.

9 They responded and said to Nebuchadnezzar the king: ``O king, live forever!

10 ``You, O king, have made a decree that every man who hears the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, and bagpipe and all kinds of music, is to fall down and worship the golden image.

11 ``But whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire.

12 ``There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the administration of the province of Babylon, namely Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. These men, O king, have disregarded you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up."

13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in rage and anger gave orders to bring Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego; then these men were brought before the king.

14 Nebuchadnezzar responded and said to them, ``Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up?

15 ``Now if you are ready, at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery and bagpipe and all kinds of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, very well. But if you do not worship, you will immediately be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire; and what god is there who can deliver you out of my hands?"

16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego replied to the king, ``O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter.

17 ``If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king.

18 ``But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up."

19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with wrath, and his facial expression was altered toward Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. He answered by giving orders to heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated.

20 He commanded certain valiant warriors who were in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego in order to cast them into the furnace of blazing fire.

21 Then these men were tied up in their trousers, their coats, their caps and their other clothes, and were cast into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire.

22 For this reason, because the king's command was urgent and the furnace had been made extremely hot, the flame of the fire slew those men who carried up Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego.

23 But these three men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, fell into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire still tied up.

24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astounded and stood up in haste; he said to his high officials, ``Was it not three men we cast bound into the midst of the fire?" They replied to the king, ``Certainly, O king."

25 He said, ``Look! I see four men loosed and walking about in the midst of the fire without harm, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods!"

26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the furnace of blazing fire; he responded and said, ``Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, come out, you servants of the Most High God, and come here!" Then Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego came out of the midst of the fire.

27 The satraps, the prefects, the governors and the king's high officials gathered around and saw in regard to these men that the fire had no effect on the bodies of these men nor was the hair of their head singed, nor were their trousers damaged, nor had the smell of fire even come upon them.

28 Nebuchadnezzar responded and said, ``Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who put their trust in Him, violating the king's command, and yielded up their bodies so as not to serve or worship any god except their own God.

29 ``Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation or tongue that speaks anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego shall be torn limb from limb and their houses reduced to a rubbish heap, inasmuch as there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way."

30 Then the king caused Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego to prosper in the province of Babylon.

4 ``I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and flourishing in my palace.

5 ``I saw a dream and it made me fearful; and these fantasies as I lay on my bed and the visions in my mind kept alarming me.

6 ``So I gave orders to bring into my presence all the wise men of Babylon, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream.

7 ``Then the magicians, the conjurers, the Chaldeans and the diviners came in and I related the dream to them, but they could not make its interpretation known to me.

8 ``But finally Daniel came in before me, whose name is Belteshazzar according to the name of my god, and in whom is a spirit of the holy gods; and I related the dream to him, saying,

9 `O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, since I know that a spirit of the holy gods is in you and no mystery baffles you, tell me the visions of my dream which I have seen, along with its interpretation.

10 `Now these were the visions in my mind as I lay on my bed: I was looking, and behold, there was a tree in the midst of the earth and its height was great.

11 `The tree grew large and became strong And its height reached to the sky, And it was visible to the end of the whole earth.

12 `Its foliage was beautiful and its fruit abundant, And in it was food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, And the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches, And all living creatures fed themselves from it.

13 `I was looking in the visions in my mind as I lay on my bed, and behold, an angelic watcher, a holy one, descended from heaven.

14 `He shouted out and spoke as follows: ``Chop down the tree and cut off its branches, Strip off its foliage and scatter its fruit; Let the beasts flee from under it And the birds from its branches.

15 ``Yet leave the stump with its roots in the ground, But with a band of iron and bronze around it In the new grass of the field; And let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, And let him share with the beasts in the grass of the earth.

16 ``Let his mind be changed from that of a man And let a beast's mind be given to him, And let seven periods of time pass over him.

17 ``This sentence is by the decree of the angelic watchers And the decision is a command of the holy ones, In order that the living may know That the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, And bestows it on whom He wishes And sets over it the lowliest of men."

18 `This is the dream which I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen. Now you, Belteshazzar, tell me its interpretation, inasmuch as none of the wise men of my kingdom is able to make known to me the interpretation; but you are able, for a spirit of the holy gods is in you.'

19 ``Then Daniel, whose name is Belteshazzar, was appalled for a while as his thoughts alarmed him. The king responded and said, `Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation alarm you.' Belteshazzar replied, `My lord, if only the dream applied to those who hate you and its interpretation to your adversaries!

20 `The tree that you saw, which became large and grew strong, whose height reached to the sky and was visible to all the earth

21 and whose foliage was beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in which was food for all, under which the beasts of the field dwelt and in whose branches the birds of the sky lodged--

22 it is you, O king; for you have become great and grown strong, and your majesty has become great and reached to the sky and your dominion to the end of the earth.

23 `In that the king saw an angelic watcher, a holy one, descending from heaven and saying, ``Chop down the tree and destroy it; yet leave the stump with its roots in the ground, but with a band of iron and bronze around it in the new grass of the field, and let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him share with the beasts of the field until seven periods of time pass over him,"

24 this is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king:

Following God's commandments will lead you along the path of wisdom while assuring you with His peace, protection, and provision. Dr. Stanley shows that pursuing a worldly path leads to disappointment while making wise decisions will reveal God's best as He works everything together for your good.

Sermon Outline

How do you make significant decisions?

Some people simply give in to the desire of the moment. Others carefully consider the pros and cons, then make the choice that seems most beneficial. However, both of these approaches can be based merely on a person’s preference. The best way to make decisions is to rely on the principles found in God’s Word.

Daniel knew how to make choices based on the unchanging truths of Scripture. Although he was under tremendous pressure to live like the Babylonians, he stayed true to the biblical principles he had learned as a young child.
SERMON POINTS

The Historical Setting
Daniel lived in Babylon during the period of Hebrew exile. After conquering Jerusalem, King Nebuchadnezzar selected the brightest and most capable young Jewish men. His plan was to make them act and think like Babylonians. Along with others, Daniel was trained in the culture, literature, religion, and world view of his captors.
Daniel and the other young men cooperated with the king’s plan as long as it didn’t conflict with their faith in God. They knew how to make righteous choices, even in an ungodly setting.
Principle and Preference

There are two fundamental bases for making decisions.

The first is principle—a fixed or predetermined mode of conduct or moral rule based on the Word of God. As Christians, we should live by convictions that are grounded in the Word of God. For example, the Ten Commandments tell us not to steal, lie, cheat, murder, commit adultery, or worship false gods. Issues such as these should be non-negotiable for believers.

The second basis for decisions is preference. These are moral choices based on likes and dislikes—whatever seems best in the moment. A person who operates on this basis asks, “What is going to make me feel good, please me, honor me, or benefit me?” He or she is like someone speeding down a dark highway with no centerline. Without clear boundaries, that person is in great danger.
Daniel’s Example

As part of their regimen, Daniel and the other young Jewish nobles were expected to eat the king’s food—the best the nation had to offer. However, the meat was not kosher; it had not been prepared properly according to Mosaic law. Moreover, it had been offered to idols. That’s why Daniel asked his supervisor if he and his friends could eat only vegetables and water for 10 days. After the trial period, Daniel and his friends not only looked fine, they looked healthier than the other young men. God honored them for keeping their convictions (Dan. 1:1-16).
Daniel lived such an exemplary life that, years later, some of his fellow leaders became jealous. They convinced the king to outlaw prayer to any god or man except himself. Those who disobeyed the law would be thrown into a pit full of lions. Despite this threat, Daniel continued to kneel daily before the Lord. Although he was arrested and thrown to the hungry beasts, God spared his life (Dan. 6:4-24). Not only was Daniel restored to his position of authority, he also had the opportunity to serve as a leader for approximately 70 years under four different kings: Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, Darius, and Cyrus. He had a tremendous influence on the kingdoms they represented. He also wrote some of the most significant prophecies in the Bible.
Areas of Principle
Our choices should be guided by core beliefs such as these:

Jesus is the Son of God and the Savior of the world. He is more than a good man, a prophet, or a healer; Jesus is the only way to God (John 14:6).
The Bible is the inspired Word of God and, as such, is infallible and inerrant (2 Tim. 3:16). We can’t discount certain passages because they are hard to accept.
Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19). Believers should not abuse their bodies with drugs, alcohol, immorality, or other destructive behaviors.
Money is not a god. Accumulating wealth is not our highest priority (Heb. 13:5).
The proper place for sexual relations is within the sanctity of your marriage (1 Thess. 4:3-7).

Living by Preference

Why do people fail to align their lives with the Word of God? Common reasons include:

The fear of rejection: People are afraid that if they go against the crowd, others will not like them.
Greed: Some are willing to be dishonest or unkind to acquire more money or get the promotion they seek.
Compromise: Rationalizing sin is a quick route to bondage to it. For example, many people think, “One drink won’t hurt.” They fail to consider the long-term effects on themselves and others.

Living by Principle

Although the Lord ultimately delivered Daniel and his friends from the fiery furnace, they were willing to die rather than worship a false god (Dan. 3:18). We should have the same commitment to obeying God. Sometimes He will rescue you; other times, He will walk with you through difficulty or persecution.

How can you become a person of conviction?

You must:

Live for a cause greater than yourself. In other words, live for Jesus Christ and His kingdom.
Know what you believe. Some things should be nonnegotiable for you. Don’t even consider choices that are forbidden in God’s Word.
Expect conflict. If you live by godly principles, not everyone will understand. Your high standards may make others so uncomfortable that they reject you.
Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him. Decide to follow His direction without regard to the results of obedience. He is with you no matter what happens.
Remember our Lord is sovereign. He is absolutely in control of all that happens in this world.

RESPONSE

Principle or preference: Which of these words better describes how you make moral decisions?

My prayer is that you will choose to live your life based on the unchanging truths found in God’s Word. His guidelines will save you from many different kinds of heartache.

Will you still experience difficulty? Yes. But obeying Him always results in internal peace and joy. Surrender your preferences to God, and let Him show you how to live by His holy, unchanging principles.

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The Key to Making Wise Decisions

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