Stronger Part One: Living Beyond The Status Quo

Speaker: Pastor Lee Cummings
Date: January 4, 2020

Stronger is a brand new series that will look at the book of Daniel as the prototype for how to live our lives in the middle of deeply influenced culture.

In week one, Pastor Lee Cummings reveals how to defeat the status quo despite culture trying to shape who you're supposed to be. Don't miss this powerful word as we kick off 2020.

Focus Scripture

Daniel 1:1-16 (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[a] 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. 8 But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. 9 And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs, 10 and the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and your drink; for why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youths who are of your own age? So you would endanger my head with the king.” 11 Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12 “Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the king's food be observed by you, 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 it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king's food. 16 So the steward took away their food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.”

Sermon Highlights

• 2020 doesn't have to be a year of status quo. It can be a year of growing stronger. Press in to what God has for you.

• Realize that things are going to come and test your faith.

• Understand that God is at work - even when we don’t see it.

• He's not always obvious, but He’s always at work.

• Mute the voice that says you can’t - and turn up the voice of the Holy Spirit.

• Daniel was positioning his heart. God was positioning Daniel.

• Culture will demand conformity.

• If you live for the culture - you can’t influence the culture.

• If you live for the approval of men - you can’t be used to make men approved by God.

• He’s called you to be an overcomer - not to be overcome.

• Not making a decision is actually a decision. You must decide who you will serve.

• Culture wants you to:

• Intimidate. Accommodate. Assimilate.

• God has called you to: Premeditate. Infiltrate. Radiate. Replicate. Dominate.

• Patience is a process that when you let run its course, it will produce more strength than when you began.