Standing Strong in a Drifting Culture

Standing Strong in a Drifting Culture
Daniel 1

Society is changing its mind about the Christian way of thinking and living. Christians are increasingly viewed as irrelevant and as extremist.

People do not drift toward holiness. We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; we drift toward superstition and call it faith. We cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation; we slouch toward prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking we have escaped legalism; we slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated. (D. A. Carson)

We no longer live in the midst of a culture that shares our biblical beliefs and convictions.
We have lost the home court advantage.

How are we to stand in a drifting culture?

• Compromise – Tolerance & Political Correctness
• Condone – Acceptance & Adaptation
• Condemn – Protest & Judgment
• Confront – Engage & Share truth in love

1) Difficult Trial (Daniel 1:1-7)

Society’s Conforming Process

• Change your location
• Change your language
• Change your literature
• Change your lifestyle
• Change your loyalty

You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. (James 4:4)

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (1 John 2:15)

Don’t give in…be resistant.

2) Daring Test (Daniel 1:8-16)

Each believer is either a conformer or a transformer.

• Conformers are people whose lives are controlled by pressure from without.
• Transformers are people whose lives are controlled by power from within.

How do we live as transformers in testing times?

• Devotion to a Biblical faith
• Dedication to not defile your body and mind
• Desire to glorify God

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind. (Romans 12:2a)

Don’t give up…be consistent.

3) Divine Triumph (Daniel 1:17-21)

Elements of Daniel’s victorious Christian life.

• Enabled with skills and abilities
• Serve with excellence and endurance

Elements of a victorious Christian life.

• Salvation in Jesus Christ
• Obedience to God’s Word and prayer
• Work of the Holy Spirit

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16)

…let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. (Hebrews 12:1b)

Don’t give out…be persistent.

Practical Steps for Standing Strong in a Drifting Culture

1. Be certain of what you believe
2. Be prepared to share
3. Be sensitive to the Spirit of God
4. Be faithful

Dare To Live Differently - Take the Challenge:
Dare to be a Daniel. Dare to stand strong in a drifting culture. Don’t just exist in our culture but engage it and thrive in it as well.

Reflection Questions:

• What are the areas where you are compromising Biblical truths and values because of the pressure you get from society?

• How will you prepare yourself to make a strong stand and not compromise your faith or give into the pressures of our society?