1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,820 We're feeling alright, yeah 2 00:00:06,300 --> 00:00:09,020 We're feeling good, we're feeling alright 3 00:00:09,020 --> 00:00:10,900 Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah 4 00:00:11,920 --> 00:00:14,800 We're feeling alright, yeah 5 00:00:17,980 --> 00:00:20,660 We're feeling good, we're feeling alright 6 00:00:20,660 --> 00:00:22,480 Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah 7 00:00:25,620 --> 00:00:28,620 Well, it's about that time for us 8 00:00:28,620 --> 00:00:33,620 to look around and meet somebody new. 9 00:00:33,620 --> 00:00:37,620 Well, let's all welcome in familiar faces, 10 00:00:37,620 --> 00:00:44,380 perhaps somebody who has a conflict in their life. 11 00:00:44,380 --> 00:00:44,880 All right. 12 00:00:47,900 --> 00:00:51,900 Tell them you're sorry, but there's ways to change. 13 00:00:51,900 --> 00:00:53,900 They're wrong to right. 14 00:00:53,900 --> 00:00:57,300 See, we can't sit in a distant haze 15 00:00:57,300 --> 00:01:00,100 and watch rain clouds for thoughts of joy. 16 00:01:00,100 --> 00:01:01,780 Welcome to Ocean Water. 17 00:01:01,780 --> 00:01:05,340 We hope you feel refreshed by the living water of Jesus Christ 18 00:01:05,340 --> 00:01:08,860 as we help people receive drinking water from the ocean 19 00:01:08,860 --> 00:01:10,500 for free. 20 00:01:10,500 --> 00:01:12,860 Thanks for joining us for this weekend's message. 21 00:01:12,860 --> 00:01:15,500 And if you enjoy it, please share it with a friend. 22 00:01:21,340 --> 00:01:22,820 I'm Ryan with Ocean Water. 23 00:01:22,820 --> 00:01:25,980 Did you know that 75% of the world's surface 24 00:01:25,980 --> 00:01:29,260 is covered in ocean water, and yet one out of eight people 25 00:01:29,260 --> 00:01:31,820 in the world have a water problem? 26 00:01:31,820 --> 00:01:35,460 It doesn't need to be this way, and we aim to fix that. 27 00:01:35,460 --> 00:01:39,100 I'm here today at the beach where I live in California, 28 00:01:39,100 --> 00:01:41,820 and we work every day on providing 29 00:01:41,820 --> 00:01:45,140 a decentralized free solution to this problem. 30 00:01:45,140 --> 00:01:48,300 It's called small-scale desalinization. 31 00:01:48,300 --> 00:01:50,620 This is where we remove salt from the water that 32 00:01:50,620 --> 00:01:51,940 makes it drinkable. 33 00:01:51,940 --> 00:01:53,620 Why is this important? 34 00:01:53,620 --> 00:01:56,620 Did you know that the one in eight people who also 35 00:01:56,620 --> 00:02:00,660 have the highest cost per person on the planet, that's right. 36 00:02:00,660 --> 00:02:03,500 The people with the worst access and quality 37 00:02:03,500 --> 00:02:06,380 pay the most for it. 38 00:02:06,380 --> 00:02:10,900 This should really make us angry if we follow Jesus, 39 00:02:10,900 --> 00:02:13,820 because Jesus always cares about justice. 40 00:02:13,820 --> 00:02:15,580 In fact, he's going to distribute 41 00:02:15,580 --> 00:02:19,140 all the justice in the world when we get to heaven. 42 00:02:19,140 --> 00:02:21,540 Now, we provide a relatively low-cost solution 43 00:02:21,540 --> 00:02:24,620 in rural and remote coastal areas where these systems are 44 00:02:24,620 --> 00:02:27,220 deployed on really fun trips. 45 00:02:27,220 --> 00:02:29,620 We install these systems and also start a church 46 00:02:29,620 --> 00:02:31,620 and work through the church, because they're 47 00:02:31,620 --> 00:02:35,060 the hands and the feet of Jesus all over the world, 48 00:02:35,060 --> 00:02:37,380 just like they've always been. 49 00:02:37,380 --> 00:02:40,060 Now, we do this at zero cost, because we've 50 00:02:40,060 --> 00:02:43,500 learned that you can start and operate a church from about 2 51 00:02:43,500 --> 00:02:47,620 to 60 people for free using simple, scalable tools. 52 00:02:47,620 --> 00:02:49,420 So that's what we do. 53 00:02:49,420 --> 00:02:51,620 Did you know that church is not a building? 54 00:02:51,620 --> 00:02:53,260 It's just a group of people. 55 00:02:53,260 --> 00:02:54,340 That's all. 56 00:02:54,340 --> 00:02:57,500 So since we started before COVID-19, 57 00:02:57,500 --> 00:03:00,300 it was already in our DNA to meet for free in homes, 58 00:03:00,300 --> 00:03:03,260 in coffee shops, and beaches, because there 59 00:03:03,260 --> 00:03:06,900 are thousands of small, rural coastal areas in the world 60 00:03:06,900 --> 00:03:09,100 with the most beautiful people. 61 00:03:09,100 --> 00:03:12,220 And I believe God is going to use us to become friends 62 00:03:12,220 --> 00:03:16,300 with them and serve them and see more people be in God's 63 00:03:16,300 --> 00:03:17,220 family. 64 00:03:17,220 --> 00:03:22,380 Now, we've been in this series now for eight weeks in Daniel. 65 00:03:22,380 --> 00:03:25,580 Today, we come to the eighth major test in Daniel's life. 66 00:03:25,580 --> 00:03:27,900 Now, at this point, Daniel's an old man. 67 00:03:27,900 --> 00:03:30,340 When he started as a teenager, he was 15. 68 00:03:30,340 --> 00:03:32,820 He was a prisoner of war. 69 00:03:32,820 --> 00:03:34,740 He's passed all these tests. 70 00:03:34,740 --> 00:03:37,620 And now he's in the latter stages of his life. 71 00:03:37,620 --> 00:03:41,180 Some of these tests he passed in his 20s, some in his 30s, 72 00:03:41,180 --> 00:03:42,140 some in his middle years. 73 00:03:42,140 --> 00:03:44,380 Well, now we find himself in his 80s. 74 00:03:44,380 --> 00:03:49,620 And he survived through his third king now. 75 00:03:49,620 --> 00:03:53,500 Two different empires, three kings, 76 00:03:53,500 --> 00:03:55,420 Syrians and the Persians. 77 00:03:55,420 --> 00:03:56,340 This is all history. 78 00:03:56,340 --> 00:03:59,100 They crushed the Babylonian empire. 79 00:03:59,100 --> 00:04:01,700 Daniel was such an amazing man and leader 80 00:04:01,700 --> 00:04:04,820 and a man of integrity that every single leader wanted 81 00:04:04,820 --> 00:04:05,940 to keep him on. 82 00:04:05,940 --> 00:04:08,100 Usually, when you get a new administration, 83 00:04:08,100 --> 00:04:10,220 they sort of clear house. 84 00:04:10,220 --> 00:04:12,100 And all the people who were serving in the previous 85 00:04:12,100 --> 00:04:14,980 administration, they're all gone. 86 00:04:14,980 --> 00:04:17,500 Well, Daniel keeps getting rehired 87 00:04:17,500 --> 00:04:20,100 and actually keeps getting promoted. 88 00:04:20,100 --> 00:04:23,220 And we're going to pick up where we ended up last time 89 00:04:23,220 --> 00:04:28,740 and that he outlasted these kings and now his grandson, who 90 00:04:28,740 --> 00:04:31,220 gets to call him Darius Meade, who's 91 00:04:31,220 --> 00:04:34,620 a general with another guy, Cyrus the Persian, 92 00:04:34,620 --> 00:04:35,620 and Cyrus the Great. 93 00:04:35,620 --> 00:04:40,300 Now, we find Daniel with his eighth test in Daniel 6. 94 00:04:40,300 --> 00:04:43,100 Why did Daniel keep getting promoted? 95 00:04:43,100 --> 00:04:46,380 Well, one, his professional confidence made him stand out. 96 00:04:46,380 --> 00:04:48,300 It says, so Daniel distinguished himself 97 00:04:48,300 --> 00:04:50,900 above all the other governors and administrators 98 00:04:50,900 --> 00:04:53,380 by his exceptional qualities that he 99 00:04:53,380 --> 00:04:56,940 planned to put Daniel in charge of the entire kingdom 100 00:04:56,940 --> 00:04:58,620 in Daniel 6.3. 101 00:04:58,620 --> 00:05:01,020 He was the best at what he did. 102 00:05:01,020 --> 00:05:04,380 His professional confidence made him stand out. 103 00:05:04,380 --> 00:05:07,020 It's clear this guy is a gifted leader. 104 00:05:07,020 --> 00:05:10,260 But more than that, he was a student. 105 00:05:10,260 --> 00:05:12,580 We talked a few weeks ago. 106 00:05:12,580 --> 00:05:13,940 All leaders are learners. 107 00:05:13,940 --> 00:05:17,860 And the moment you stop learning, you stop leading. 108 00:05:17,860 --> 00:05:19,660 He was a student of God's word. 109 00:05:19,660 --> 00:05:21,500 He was a student of people. 110 00:05:21,500 --> 00:05:23,180 He was a student of history. 111 00:05:23,180 --> 00:05:24,980 He was a student of culture. 112 00:05:24,980 --> 00:05:28,100 The Bible says that he spent his entire life learning. 113 00:05:28,100 --> 00:05:31,740 And he just kept getting wiser and wiser and wiser. 114 00:05:31,740 --> 00:05:34,500 Now, if you make wisdom a goal of your life, 115 00:05:34,500 --> 00:05:37,180 there's no end to what you can do. 116 00:05:37,180 --> 00:05:40,700 You just keep getting better and better and better. 117 00:05:40,700 --> 00:05:44,660 There are some careers that peak really early in life. 118 00:05:44,660 --> 00:05:48,660 Did you know that if you want to be an Olympic gymnast, 119 00:05:48,660 --> 00:05:51,980 you basically peak at about age 17? 120 00:05:51,980 --> 00:05:56,020 So you'll be replaced by someone who's like 14, 15, or 16. 121 00:05:56,020 --> 00:05:58,740 Because our bodies just aren't that limber when 122 00:05:58,740 --> 00:06:00,620 you get into your later 20s. 123 00:06:00,620 --> 00:06:03,300 Certainly not into your 30s and 40s. 124 00:06:03,300 --> 00:06:04,900 If you're going to play in the NFL, 125 00:06:04,900 --> 00:06:07,660 you're going to peak at maybe 28 or 29. 126 00:06:07,660 --> 00:06:11,020 Now, in different careers, you peak at a certain level. 127 00:06:11,020 --> 00:06:12,340 And then it's over. 128 00:06:12,340 --> 00:06:15,220 If you decide to be a man or a woman who says, 129 00:06:15,220 --> 00:06:18,340 I want to be wise, well, that's something 130 00:06:18,340 --> 00:06:22,300 that you can get good at your entire life. 131 00:06:22,300 --> 00:06:25,220 At 85 years old, you can be a whole lot wiser 132 00:06:25,220 --> 00:06:28,820 than you were at 80 or 75 or 70. 133 00:06:28,820 --> 00:06:32,060 It's one area that you can just keep growing in. 134 00:06:32,060 --> 00:06:34,500 Now, Daniel kept growing in his confidence. 135 00:06:34,500 --> 00:06:35,540 And he was more skilled. 136 00:06:35,540 --> 00:06:36,900 He was more effective. 137 00:06:36,900 --> 00:06:40,100 The Bible says in Daniel 6.3 that Daniel distinguished 138 00:06:40,100 --> 00:06:42,540 himself above all the others, the governors 139 00:06:42,540 --> 00:06:47,180 and the administrators, by his exceptional qualities 140 00:06:47,180 --> 00:06:49,260 that the king planned to put Daniel 141 00:06:49,260 --> 00:06:51,780 in charge of the entire kingdom. 142 00:06:51,780 --> 00:06:53,540 The Bible tells us in the first verses 143 00:06:53,540 --> 00:06:57,300 before that Darius, when he took over the kingdom, 144 00:06:57,300 --> 00:06:59,300 he reorganized and said, I'm going 145 00:06:59,300 --> 00:07:03,540 to have 120 provinces in the Babylonian Empire, which 146 00:07:03,540 --> 00:07:04,620 I now run. 147 00:07:04,620 --> 00:07:06,620 Now, he was in Babylonian. 148 00:07:06,620 --> 00:07:10,340 In 120, I'll have an administrator over each one. 149 00:07:10,340 --> 00:07:14,780 And I'm going to have three governors over that. 150 00:07:14,780 --> 00:07:20,260 Daniel was one of the three most powerful men in the empire. 151 00:07:20,260 --> 00:07:23,620 He did such a good job that it says 152 00:07:23,620 --> 00:07:29,060 that he distinguished himself above all the other people, 153 00:07:29,060 --> 00:07:32,380 all of the administrators, all of the other leaders, 154 00:07:32,380 --> 00:07:34,900 by his exceptional qualities. 155 00:07:34,900 --> 00:07:37,380 What were those qualities? 156 00:07:37,380 --> 00:07:41,180 When he's into his 80s, he's getting another promotion. 157 00:07:41,180 --> 00:07:45,660 That's a wise leader, professional confidence. 158 00:07:45,660 --> 00:07:48,340 Now, number two reason why he kept getting promoted 159 00:07:48,340 --> 00:07:52,460 was because of his personal character made him stand out. 160 00:07:52,460 --> 00:07:54,580 It says when the administrators heard the news, 161 00:07:54,580 --> 00:07:58,380 they tried to find a reason to undermine Daniel 162 00:07:58,380 --> 00:08:00,540 and accuse them of misconduct. 163 00:08:00,540 --> 00:08:02,380 But they were unable to do so. 164 00:08:02,380 --> 00:08:05,140 They could not find anything to say against him. 165 00:08:05,140 --> 00:08:09,980 He was honest, reliable, hardworking, and incorruptible. 166 00:08:09,980 --> 00:08:14,020 He was never lazy or negligent in any task. 167 00:08:14,020 --> 00:08:16,900 He had more integrity than everybody else. 168 00:08:16,900 --> 00:08:19,180 And the third thing was his public commitment to God 169 00:08:19,180 --> 00:08:20,340 made him stand out. 170 00:08:20,340 --> 00:08:22,660 His coworkers concluded, our only chance 171 00:08:22,660 --> 00:08:25,380 of finding any grounds to get rid of Daniel 172 00:08:25,380 --> 00:08:27,860 would be to find something to accuse 173 00:08:27,860 --> 00:08:31,220 in his religious practices, Daniel 6.5. 174 00:08:31,220 --> 00:08:33,140 So they developed a conspiracy and they were trying 175 00:08:33,140 --> 00:08:34,180 to trap him. 176 00:08:34,180 --> 00:08:37,540 Now, it's a sad fact of life that from time to time, 177 00:08:37,540 --> 00:08:41,340 people will try to trap you and actually work against you. 178 00:08:41,340 --> 00:08:43,900 Now, when that test comes, it's your job, our job, 179 00:08:43,900 --> 00:08:46,900 my job to maintain our integrity. 180 00:08:46,900 --> 00:08:48,620 That's the challenge in the test. 181 00:08:50,540 --> 00:08:52,100 Those are difficult tests. 182 00:08:53,180 --> 00:08:55,340 They're really hard tests. 183 00:08:55,340 --> 00:08:58,060 They're tests that we need prayer and guidance to. 184 00:08:59,660 --> 00:09:03,220 When I face big decisions, I always consult God's word 185 00:09:03,220 --> 00:09:05,620 and I always consult with my wife. 186 00:09:05,620 --> 00:09:09,140 That's 90% of making a good decision. 187 00:09:09,140 --> 00:09:11,420 Now, how did Daniel respond to this new test? 188 00:09:11,420 --> 00:09:14,180 This is when Daniel learned that a new law had been signed, 189 00:09:14,180 --> 00:09:16,500 he went home and knelt down to pray, 190 00:09:16,500 --> 00:09:19,460 as usual in his upstairs room. 191 00:09:19,460 --> 00:09:21,420 It's windows wide open towards Jerusalem. 192 00:09:21,420 --> 00:09:23,500 He prayed three times a day, 193 00:09:23,500 --> 00:09:26,300 just as he had always done his entire life, 194 00:09:26,300 --> 00:09:28,700 thanking and praising God. 195 00:09:28,700 --> 00:09:31,220 So Daniel's enemies went together to Daniel's house 196 00:09:31,220 --> 00:09:34,420 to catch him, praying and asking for God's help. 197 00:09:35,300 --> 00:09:39,900 Why was Daniel unafraid to stand out and speak up for God? 198 00:09:39,900 --> 00:09:44,380 Well, he remembered that God was faithful in the past tests. 199 00:09:44,380 --> 00:09:47,300 He remembered that God had been faithful to him 200 00:09:47,300 --> 00:09:49,500 in every test that had come prior. 201 00:09:49,500 --> 00:09:54,500 Every one of those tests, he didn't back down. 202 00:09:55,580 --> 00:09:56,700 He stands for the truth. 203 00:09:56,700 --> 00:09:58,860 In fact, every single one of these tests 204 00:09:58,860 --> 00:10:02,340 we've looked at before really come down to the question, 205 00:10:02,340 --> 00:10:07,340 will you stand publicly every time for God? 206 00:10:07,860 --> 00:10:09,180 Daniel says, yes, I will. 207 00:10:10,540 --> 00:10:13,180 Now, God took care of him, 208 00:10:15,300 --> 00:10:17,300 and God will take care of us. 209 00:10:17,300 --> 00:10:20,060 God took care of us when they said, 210 00:10:20,060 --> 00:10:23,900 you've got to bow down to the statue of Nebuchadnezzar. 211 00:10:23,900 --> 00:10:25,540 Daniel didn't do that. 212 00:10:25,540 --> 00:10:27,940 God took care of him when he had to deliver bad news 213 00:10:27,940 --> 00:10:31,140 and say, you're actually gonna lose your kingdom 214 00:10:31,140 --> 00:10:32,420 and your mind. 215 00:10:32,420 --> 00:10:34,940 God took care of him through that. 216 00:10:34,940 --> 00:10:38,380 All of these different tests, every single one of them, 217 00:10:38,380 --> 00:10:42,500 he remembers God had been faithful in the past. 218 00:10:43,740 --> 00:10:45,580 So when you start to get fearful, 219 00:10:45,580 --> 00:10:47,180 what will people think about me? 220 00:10:48,540 --> 00:10:51,700 What would people say about me about the things 221 00:10:51,700 --> 00:10:53,900 that I believe in, the things that I value? 222 00:10:54,900 --> 00:10:56,820 Things that I know are right and true. 223 00:10:58,140 --> 00:11:00,940 Remember how God has taken care of you 224 00:11:00,940 --> 00:11:03,180 in every part of your life. 225 00:11:04,380 --> 00:11:06,340 Now, the second reason he was unafraid, 226 00:11:08,660 --> 00:11:10,620 and this is the secret of courage, 227 00:11:10,620 --> 00:11:15,620 he had a conversation with God three times a day. 228 00:11:15,740 --> 00:11:17,980 The more conversation we have with God, 229 00:11:17,980 --> 00:11:20,060 the more courage we get. 230 00:11:20,060 --> 00:11:21,660 He knelt down to pray as usual, 231 00:11:21,660 --> 00:11:25,140 he prayed just as he had always done his entire life. 232 00:11:25,980 --> 00:11:29,860 Ask a question, do you think if you prayed three times a day 233 00:11:29,860 --> 00:11:31,820 and had a conversation with God, 234 00:11:31,820 --> 00:11:33,700 you'd have more courage in your life? 235 00:11:35,100 --> 00:11:37,740 Joshua 1.9 says to be strong and courageous, 236 00:11:37,740 --> 00:11:41,060 I have that in my garage where I do all of my work 237 00:11:41,060 --> 00:11:41,900 when I'm at home. 238 00:11:43,540 --> 00:11:46,700 It helps me be more confident, less insecure. 239 00:11:46,700 --> 00:11:50,340 Helps me to be more immune to the disproval of other people. 240 00:11:50,340 --> 00:11:52,580 Helps me to not fear rejection. 241 00:11:52,580 --> 00:11:56,140 If you don't get anything else, get this. 242 00:11:56,140 --> 00:12:01,140 Because the secret of standing strong is kneeling off. 243 00:12:02,420 --> 00:12:04,820 You know, in the last over a year of time, 244 00:12:04,820 --> 00:12:08,300 I've spent more time praying in my garage by myself 245 00:12:08,300 --> 00:12:12,220 than at any point in my entire life. 246 00:12:12,220 --> 00:12:14,860 And I have found that the more I pray, 247 00:12:14,860 --> 00:12:19,260 the more quietly courageous I feel in my life. 248 00:12:19,260 --> 00:12:21,620 Daniel's not worried about what other people think 249 00:12:21,620 --> 00:12:23,260 or what they'll try to do, 250 00:12:23,260 --> 00:12:25,820 God's been faithful to him in the past. 251 00:12:27,100 --> 00:12:30,060 Now here's the third thing that kept him from being shaken. 252 00:12:30,060 --> 00:12:35,060 He just goes home and done what he's done every time before. 253 00:12:37,220 --> 00:12:42,220 He doesn't even wince about this because he was unshaken. 254 00:12:43,740 --> 00:12:48,620 He knew the rewards were greater than the risk. 255 00:12:48,620 --> 00:12:50,380 Is it risky to break the law? 256 00:12:50,380 --> 00:12:51,460 Well, yeah. 257 00:12:51,460 --> 00:12:52,420 Will there be punishment? 258 00:12:52,420 --> 00:12:53,900 There could be. 259 00:12:53,900 --> 00:12:56,140 Daniel could have even lost his life. 260 00:12:56,140 --> 00:12:58,940 Peter and the apostles before the Sanhedrin said, 261 00:12:58,940 --> 00:13:02,020 we must obey God rather than men. 262 00:13:02,020 --> 00:13:05,580 Now this is important because we get this confused. 263 00:13:07,860 --> 00:13:10,900 We have to learn to follow God, not our culture. 264 00:13:12,220 --> 00:13:13,060 So we have to decide, 265 00:13:13,060 --> 00:13:14,980 am I gonna be like Peter and the apostles? 266 00:13:14,980 --> 00:13:18,340 Am I gonna obey God rather than men? 267 00:13:18,340 --> 00:13:19,740 Now what's Daniel doing here? 268 00:13:19,740 --> 00:13:23,540 Well, he's doing passive civil disobedience. 269 00:13:23,540 --> 00:13:25,380 He's saying, I can't obey that law. 270 00:13:25,380 --> 00:13:27,420 My number one allegiance is to God. 271 00:13:27,420 --> 00:13:30,100 I can't put anything before that. 272 00:13:30,100 --> 00:13:32,460 You should have no other gods before me. 273 00:13:32,460 --> 00:13:35,780 That's passive civil disobedience. 274 00:13:35,780 --> 00:13:37,220 He says, I'm gonna go home. 275 00:13:37,220 --> 00:13:39,100 I'm gonna throw open my windows 276 00:13:39,100 --> 00:13:41,140 and I'm gonna pray in public. 277 00:13:43,780 --> 00:13:45,020 He's not hiding. 278 00:13:45,020 --> 00:13:48,020 He's not going, oh my gosh, I'm gonna get in trouble. 279 00:13:48,020 --> 00:13:49,340 I might get put in jail. 280 00:13:49,340 --> 00:13:51,380 Something bad might happen to me. 281 00:13:51,380 --> 00:13:52,620 I could lose my job. 282 00:13:53,620 --> 00:13:57,020 Somebody might look at me in a way that I don't like. 283 00:13:57,020 --> 00:14:00,100 He knew the rewards of doing the right thing 284 00:14:00,100 --> 00:14:04,380 were greater than the risks of doing the wrong thing. 285 00:14:04,380 --> 00:14:07,180 The wrong thing can be devastating, so he wasn't shaking. 286 00:14:08,420 --> 00:14:10,500 He wanted us to look at a few of the benefits 287 00:14:10,500 --> 00:14:14,820 of standing in our faith with God. 288 00:14:16,900 --> 00:14:20,620 Anytime you wanna defeat fear in your life, 289 00:14:20,620 --> 00:14:25,620 any kind of fear, there's a few things that can help us. 290 00:14:25,620 --> 00:14:28,020 It might be the fear of disapproval 291 00:14:28,020 --> 00:14:29,620 or the fear of telling people, 292 00:14:29,620 --> 00:14:32,300 yeah, I believe in God and I follow Jesus. 293 00:14:32,300 --> 00:14:35,780 Now you need to minimize the negative possibilities 294 00:14:35,780 --> 00:14:39,220 and maximize the benefits of doing the right thing. 295 00:14:40,540 --> 00:14:42,140 We need to get our eyes off of, 296 00:14:42,140 --> 00:14:44,060 well, this could happen or this could happen 297 00:14:44,060 --> 00:14:45,260 or this might happen. 298 00:14:45,260 --> 00:14:47,060 I might lose my job. 299 00:14:47,060 --> 00:14:48,340 I could lose my salary. 300 00:14:48,340 --> 00:14:50,740 I could lose my reputation. 301 00:14:50,740 --> 00:14:54,020 We wanna minimize the negative possibilities 302 00:14:54,020 --> 00:14:56,340 and we wanna see it as an act of faith 303 00:14:56,340 --> 00:14:58,860 that can maximize the benefits of helping others. 304 00:14:59,780 --> 00:15:02,740 So there are a few things that we benefit from 305 00:15:02,740 --> 00:15:04,940 every time we take a stand for God. 306 00:15:04,940 --> 00:15:08,180 One is we get a victory over fear. 307 00:15:08,180 --> 00:15:11,260 Fear is just a feeling and it cannot last. 308 00:15:14,620 --> 00:15:19,140 Whenever you have a feeling, particularly negative ones, 309 00:15:19,140 --> 00:15:20,420 you think you're gonna feel that way 310 00:15:20,420 --> 00:15:22,860 for maybe the rest of the day or the rest of the week 311 00:15:22,860 --> 00:15:24,380 or the rest of your life. 312 00:15:24,380 --> 00:15:26,260 You know, when you're depressed, 313 00:15:26,260 --> 00:15:28,220 you feel I'm gonna be depressed. 314 00:15:28,220 --> 00:15:30,260 This is never gonna end. 315 00:15:30,260 --> 00:15:34,460 Reality is feelings always fade, 316 00:15:34,460 --> 00:15:37,220 both negative and positive. 317 00:15:37,220 --> 00:15:39,060 You know, when you're grieving, 318 00:15:39,060 --> 00:15:40,820 you feel like it's never gonna end. 319 00:15:42,380 --> 00:15:46,300 But our emotions by their very nature don't last, 320 00:15:46,300 --> 00:15:50,180 whether they're good ones or bad ones. 321 00:15:51,340 --> 00:15:52,660 Does fear last? 322 00:15:52,660 --> 00:15:55,380 No, not at all. 323 00:15:56,540 --> 00:15:58,620 No emotion lasts. 324 00:15:58,620 --> 00:16:01,900 Every single one, the good ones and the bad ones, 325 00:16:01,900 --> 00:16:03,420 are just temporary. 326 00:16:03,420 --> 00:16:08,100 They're to be persevered through with a faithful perspective. 327 00:16:08,100 --> 00:16:09,940 So we don't trust in our emotions 328 00:16:09,940 --> 00:16:12,660 because that's not the way that we're gonna feel tomorrow 329 00:16:12,660 --> 00:16:14,540 or even in two days. 330 00:16:14,540 --> 00:16:18,020 Fear is just a feeling that can't last. 331 00:16:18,020 --> 00:16:21,460 Fear is uncomfortable, but it won't kill us. 332 00:16:21,460 --> 00:16:24,140 You know, someone once said that fear is false evidence 333 00:16:24,140 --> 00:16:25,300 of fearing real. 334 00:16:25,300 --> 00:16:26,940 That's fear. 335 00:16:26,940 --> 00:16:27,820 It's not real. 336 00:16:29,060 --> 00:16:30,860 Only Jesus is real. 337 00:16:30,860 --> 00:16:33,500 Doesn't matter how you feel, only Jesus is real. 338 00:16:33,500 --> 00:16:35,300 Fear is just a feeling. 339 00:16:35,300 --> 00:16:38,580 Fear is uncomfortable, yeah, but it won't kill us. 340 00:16:38,580 --> 00:16:42,060 It's something we can lean into and actually grow from. 341 00:16:42,060 --> 00:16:44,700 Now fear grows when I get into it, 342 00:16:44,700 --> 00:16:47,420 but it lessens when I move against it. 343 00:16:47,420 --> 00:16:49,500 So we wanna pray like the first Christians, 344 00:16:49,500 --> 00:16:52,540 Lord, you know the threats of the people, 345 00:16:52,540 --> 00:16:55,300 so make your servants speak your word without fear, 346 00:16:55,300 --> 00:16:56,380 Acts 4.29. 347 00:16:57,540 --> 00:16:58,980 The next thing is standing for God 348 00:16:58,980 --> 00:17:00,620 builds my faith and my character. 349 00:17:02,220 --> 00:17:04,380 We should never be ashamed to tell other people 350 00:17:04,380 --> 00:17:07,780 of our love for Jesus, the strength it gives us, 351 00:17:07,780 --> 00:17:09,980 how we're ready to suffer if necessary, 352 00:17:09,980 --> 00:17:12,020 2 Timothy 1.8. 353 00:17:12,020 --> 00:17:14,460 And the third thing is it gives God an opportunity 354 00:17:15,500 --> 00:17:16,380 to do a miracle. 355 00:17:16,380 --> 00:17:21,060 At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried 356 00:17:21,060 --> 00:17:22,740 to the pit filled with lions. 357 00:17:22,740 --> 00:17:25,940 He got there, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice. 358 00:17:25,940 --> 00:17:27,540 Daniel, the servant of God, 359 00:17:29,180 --> 00:17:31,180 whom you've been serving continually, 360 00:17:31,180 --> 00:17:34,260 has been able to rescue us from the lions. 361 00:17:34,260 --> 00:17:36,820 Daniel answered, oh king, my God. 362 00:17:38,380 --> 00:17:41,620 God sent his angel, shut the mouths of the lions, 363 00:17:41,620 --> 00:17:43,260 and Daniel wasn't hurt at all. 364 00:17:43,260 --> 00:17:46,100 That's a great reminder for us. 365 00:17:47,300 --> 00:17:49,300 Daniel came out of the pit, 366 00:17:49,300 --> 00:17:51,060 Daniel was lifted out of the pit, 367 00:17:51,060 --> 00:17:54,780 there wasn't a single scratch on his body 368 00:17:54,780 --> 00:17:56,620 because he had trusted God. 369 00:17:56,620 --> 00:17:58,460 Daniel 6. 370 00:17:58,460 --> 00:18:02,260 Now it also encourages other believers to stand up. 371 00:18:02,260 --> 00:18:04,340 Paul said, because of what I've been through, 372 00:18:04,340 --> 00:18:07,100 many of the Christians here actually gained confidence 373 00:18:07,100 --> 00:18:09,100 and became more bold in telling other people 374 00:18:09,100 --> 00:18:11,060 about Christ, Philippians 1.14. 375 00:18:11,060 --> 00:18:14,700 Now, how do you stand for God every day? 376 00:18:14,700 --> 00:18:16,300 Well, when you have the confidence 377 00:18:16,300 --> 00:18:18,380 that you get from his word every day, 378 00:18:18,380 --> 00:18:20,140 you get more courage. 379 00:18:20,140 --> 00:18:22,700 We just finished reading the Bible over the last year. 380 00:18:22,700 --> 00:18:24,140 We're gonna start again on August 1st. 381 00:18:24,140 --> 00:18:26,420 We'd love to have you join us. 382 00:18:26,420 --> 00:18:28,700 I believe this is where we get our quiet, 383 00:18:28,700 --> 00:18:31,740 confident courage every single day 384 00:18:31,740 --> 00:18:35,020 when we make God's word a part of our life. 385 00:18:35,020 --> 00:18:36,940 God's word never changes, 386 00:18:36,940 --> 00:18:38,980 so we wanna make sure that we make sure 387 00:18:38,980 --> 00:18:42,300 that we hear from him every single day. 388 00:18:42,300 --> 00:18:45,420 We have a simple tool that we do to use this, 389 00:18:45,420 --> 00:18:47,420 and you can actually just hit play 390 00:18:47,420 --> 00:18:51,420 and it'll speak to you and do that for you in your life. 391 00:18:51,420 --> 00:18:53,780 You know, the average person spends four hours a day 392 00:18:53,780 --> 00:18:57,380 on their phone, surely we have 10 minutes a day 393 00:18:57,380 --> 00:19:01,060 to hear every word from God every day 394 00:19:01,060 --> 00:19:03,180 and every year of our life. 395 00:19:03,180 --> 00:19:05,780 Now, I wanna be clear, this is what I expect. 396 00:19:05,780 --> 00:19:07,780 If you're a disciple of God, 397 00:19:07,780 --> 00:19:10,180 if you're a disciple of Jesus, 398 00:19:10,180 --> 00:19:14,260 I expect you to take Jesus's words to you seriously, 399 00:19:14,260 --> 00:19:16,980 which means that we take time to hear them 400 00:19:16,980 --> 00:19:19,900 and think about them every single day. 401 00:19:19,900 --> 00:19:23,980 This is the most important character trait and discipline 402 00:19:23,980 --> 00:19:26,700 that you can develop in your life, God's word. 403 00:19:28,020 --> 00:19:30,020 Now, the fifth thing is it's a powerful example 404 00:19:30,020 --> 00:19:32,260 that unbelievers, Peter and John, 405 00:19:32,260 --> 00:19:35,100 they knew that they were just ordinary men, 406 00:19:35,100 --> 00:19:36,660 but that they had been with Jesus, 407 00:19:36,660 --> 00:19:39,700 according to Acts 413, what happens? 408 00:19:40,660 --> 00:19:42,500 Well, the king became a believer, 409 00:19:42,500 --> 00:19:45,420 he said, this is the God who rescues and saves us. 410 00:19:45,420 --> 00:19:47,380 18 generations later in Matthew, 411 00:19:47,380 --> 00:19:49,740 we get the lineage of Jesus. 412 00:19:49,740 --> 00:19:51,980 And then the last thing is that we'll be rewarded 413 00:19:51,980 --> 00:19:55,140 in eternity, Jesus said, blessed when people put you down 414 00:19:55,140 --> 00:19:57,380 and speak wise about you because of me, 415 00:19:57,380 --> 00:19:58,980 if that happens, be happy, 416 00:19:58,980 --> 00:20:01,820 knowing that you'll be greatly rewarded in heaven. 417 00:20:01,820 --> 00:20:04,100 And remember, you're in good company, 418 00:20:04,100 --> 00:20:06,660 they did the same to all of my witnesses 419 00:20:07,740 --> 00:20:10,740 who were before you in Matthew 5. 420 00:20:10,740 --> 00:20:14,340 Now, every week we end our time together with a simple prayer 421 00:20:14,340 --> 00:20:16,900 that we would walk with God this week 422 00:20:16,900 --> 00:20:18,100 and follow him in our lives. 423 00:20:18,100 --> 00:20:20,300 Would you pray this simple prayer with me? 424 00:20:21,260 --> 00:20:23,780 Just say, God, thank you for this day, 425 00:20:23,780 --> 00:20:25,500 a new day to follow you. 426 00:20:25,500 --> 00:20:29,220 I repent from my sins, I know I fall short. 427 00:20:29,220 --> 00:20:32,940 Help me to follow you today and this week, 428 00:20:32,940 --> 00:20:35,700 tell me to listen to you each day through your word, 429 00:20:35,700 --> 00:20:39,100 help me to serve you by serving others. 430 00:20:39,100 --> 00:20:42,580 I put my trust in you, take control of my life, 431 00:20:42,580 --> 00:20:44,820 in Jesus' name, amen. 432 00:20:46,180 --> 00:20:49,220 I'd like you to go to oceanwater.com today, 433 00:20:49,220 --> 00:20:53,520 we've been developing our site so you can have the content 434 00:20:53,520 --> 00:20:56,600 that you need to learn and grow and keep moving forward. 435 00:20:56,600 --> 00:20:58,900 You'll find info there on God's Word, 436 00:20:58,900 --> 00:21:02,100 our series of water talks, all of our other beach talks, 437 00:21:02,100 --> 00:21:05,300 upcoming trips, a place to give, 438 00:21:05,300 --> 00:21:07,260 generosity is a part of our worship. 439 00:21:09,940 --> 00:21:11,380 We're most like God when we give. 440 00:21:11,380 --> 00:21:14,540 The Bible says, for God so loved the world that he gave. 441 00:21:14,540 --> 00:21:17,460 Now, in the next year, we're gonna be doing work 442 00:21:17,460 --> 00:21:21,100 in four different countries and four different languages. 443 00:21:21,100 --> 00:21:23,860 God always grows our perspective 444 00:21:23,860 --> 00:21:27,340 until if he comes global, just like he is. 445 00:21:27,340 --> 00:21:28,740 Now, the more we have at Ocean Water, 446 00:21:28,740 --> 00:21:31,060 the more people we can help and serve. 447 00:21:31,060 --> 00:21:33,180 So I'd like you to go online today at Ocean Water. 448 00:21:33,180 --> 00:21:37,620 If we can't give, you can set up a monthly contribution 449 00:21:37,620 --> 00:21:39,860 and you can make it part of your worship. 450 00:21:40,860 --> 00:21:43,940 Thank you for being with us today and have a wonderful week. 451 00:21:45,740 --> 00:21:48,940 You'd like more information about Ocean Water Church, 452 00:21:48,940 --> 00:21:51,140 how to join us on an upcoming trip, 453 00:21:51,140 --> 00:21:53,660 how to be part of one of our Clean Water projects, 454 00:21:53,660 --> 00:21:56,120 how to financially support our movement, 455 00:21:56,120 --> 00:21:59,340 or even information on how you can start 456 00:21:59,340 --> 00:22:01,220 an Ocean Water Church yourself. 457 00:22:01,220 --> 00:22:04,580 Please look us up at OceanWater.com. 458 00:22:04,580 --> 00:22:29,740 We'll see you next time.