Paint Bucket Baunan

I've thought long about the kind of parent that produces a child like the one in this picture. I imagine the difficulties they face just to survive on a day to day basis. And yet, there is a certain quality of spirit that makes a parent look at an empty can of paint and see its potential this way. It's rare but still recognizable: This spirit causes one to pick up a discarded can, wash it multiple times, then decide - decide just lke that - that it is now a lunchbox. It is now a suitable container for lunch for the son who goes to school, lunch that he too sometimes lacks.

It is a spirit of confidence. Not pride, but confidence. Well, it has to be. If a parent can convince a child to bring to school this invention, and for that child not to cower in fear and intimidation from the sure bullying that it invites (children can be very mean), and for that child to sit among his peers with his rice and fish, and for that child to recognize the sheer cruelty of life, and for him to roll with it, and make something of it, and maybe laugh at the silliness of it... that parent has clear influence on that child. Influence lies at the very core of parenting.

 

I do not make light of this poverty. This is horrible. We who have more cannot glorify the plight of those who have much less. I only say that this quality of parenting can only be forged from extreme need. It is a quality of parenting that produces a certain quality of children. Like the ones many of us were.

A core memory of mine is to have walked with my mother under the hot sun along Pagsabungan. I was maybe 10 years old. Back then we had much less. My mother had just stumbled upon a beauty product which she sold door to door to wealthy madams eager to turn back the hands of time. It was hot, so my mother had an umbrella in one hand, a bag of her products in the other, and me trying to catch the umbrella's shadow as we quickly navigated the roads full of traysikols. She just closed a sale, so she was in a good mood. I remember being happy too.

Every parent makes sacrifices. You lose much of yourself to raise new lives. No parent is perfect of course. No matter what you do, your good intentions can only go so far. But intentions are powerful. It is what transforms paint cans into various other things. It makes a child see things for what they can be, not for what it just is. It changes futures.

Psalm 90:17

May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us;

    establish the work of our hands for us—

    yes, establish the work of our hands.

The Lord's Supper: A Remembrance

The Bible tells us that the Lord's Supper is a remembrance of our Lord Jesus Christ. Remembrance is starting to lose its meaning in our modern world. When someone goes away for a long time in a long distance journey, for example, we can always get in touch with them through the internet. With social media, we are always connected. But maybe because it is not hard to remember any more, it is actually easier to forget.

In the past, remembrance was a bigger thing. The Cebuano word for remembrance is handumanan. When I was younger, I remember there was a popular drama show over the radio called "Handumanan sa Usa Ka Awit" - remembrance of a song. The show dramatized stories from letter senders and would end with a song that would remind them of a loved one or a friend.

In 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, the apostle Paul tells us that Jesus gave us a remembrance - or  a “handumanan” -  of another kind:

23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Jesus did not want to be remembered in the form of a song, or a dance, or a picture. He chose - by His divine wisdom - to leave with us a remembrance of a meal - "Handumanan sa Usa Ka Panihapon" if you will.

A meal is an excellent way to remember. The first Lord's Supper was a Passover meal. Imagine what it would have been like for the disciples to be there.

They would have remembered the feel of the table and the utensils. They would have remembered the delicious smell and taste of food on the table - bitter herbs, roasted lamb, wine, maybe some sweets. They would have remembered how Jesus took the bread - very likely matzo, the Jewish unleavened bread.

When Jesus said this was his body, they would have remembered how the matzo looked pierced and scarred as did Jesus' own body was in the events that followed. There is much singing during the Passover meal. And they would have remembered the hymns they had sung together. These songs could still have been in their ears as they walked quietly with Jesus after that meal, towards the Mount of Olives.

Long after Jesus died on the cross, buried and raised again, it would have been very difficult to forget Him every time the disciples came together and shared a meal. It's as if Jesus was making sure that when they remember Him, they remember Him together.

It is this idea of coming together that is at the heart of the remembrance of the Lord's Supper. In fact, a few verses back, Paul writes the purpose of why he wrote to the Corinthians about the correct observance of the Lord's Supper. Verses 20-21 says:

20 So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, 21 for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers. As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk.

Paul was very concerned that the Corinthians were losing the meaning of the remembrance. It was not enough that eating was observed. Equally important was that it be done together, with high regard to each other: no one having more, no one having less. A picture of a family of believers celebrating Jesus together.

Paul felt very strongly about this, so he continues his letter in verses 27-34:

27 So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. 29 For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. 30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31 But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment. 32 Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.

33 So then, my brothers and sisters, when you gather to eat, you should all eat together. 34 Anyone who is hungry should eat something at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment.

This morning, as we come together and partake the Lord's Supper. Let us first heed the warning of Paul. Let us examine ourselves. Let us come to the Lord and be reconciled with Him. Let us allow Him to bring to light any sins we harbor in our heart that may get in the way of making this remembrance even more meaningful. Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the things that are getting in between us and our loved ones, friends and fellow believers, that is hindering us from remembering Jesus together.

Let us spend a few minutes of quiet reflection.

If you are joining us for the first time or unsure of what we are doing, you may prefer not to partake of the Lord's Supper. For those that do, you would have been handed the bread and juice as you came in. In case you don't have them, please raise your hands, and keep them hands raised so our ushers can go to you and give you the communion elements.

Let us pray for the bread. Lord Jesus, we thank you for your sacrifice on the cross. As you have instructed us on the night you were betrayed, Lord, we remember you together through this communion. We remember the ultimate sacrifice that you had to make to pave the way for sinners like us to have a lasting relationship with God. Today we give you all the honor you deserve as we partake of the bread, a symbol of your body broken for us. In your name we pray, Amen.

Let us partake of the bread together.

You know I mentioned that the Cebuano word for remembrance is handumanan. Deep within the word handumanan is another word "handum". Handum is an expression of hoping, of longing, of eagerly expecting a time of reuniting with the longed for - ang gihinumdom. My friends, let us not forget easily. May our remembrance spur us on to long for Jesus' coming. May it be the desire of our hearts.

Let us pray for the cup. Lord Jesus, we take this cup as a symbol of your blood that cleanses us from all sin. And even as we remember your death, your burial and your joyful resurrection, Lord, we are ever hopeful for the time when we shall be together again. Come Lord Jesus, in your name we pray. Amen.

Let us partake of the juice together.

Let us pray. Lord Jesus, we thank you for this moment of remembering you and looking forward to your coming. We thank you especially that we get to remember you with each other. Please bless the rest of our time in this service. In your name we pray. Amen.

Wasn’t that such a sweet, blessed time? Why don’t you smile to your seatmates and tell them, it was a joy remembering Jesus with you.

The ushers will be going around to collect the wrappers. Let us now join CCF Main via livestream.

God bless you!

Church, Be United!

Tonight is extra special, because the prayer that we will be highlighting is one that was said by no less than Jesus Himself. In many Bible translations, this prayer is considered “Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer.” Let’s read together John 17:20-23:

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

The title of tonight’s message is “Church, be perfected in Unity!”. First, it is important to understand what we mean when we say unity. You see unity in itself is not a virtue like love, hope, charity or peace. Unity is a neutral word. It could either be for the good or for the bad. One of the earliest examples of unity in the Bible is found in the Genesis 11 when all the people united to build the Tower of Babel. Of course, we know the real reason for their unity, it is to make a name for themselves. We know also that God was not happy with their unity. He literally put a stop to it and introduced disunity among the peoples of the earth by giving all of us different languages.

Another bad example of unity in the Bible can be found in the gospels. We learned that just before Jesus was crucified in the cross, He had to fall in the hands of two men – Herod and Pilate. Luke tells us that both of them were enemies, but they had united to become friends as they mocked and humiliated Jesus. This is a unity straight from the pits of hell.

It is important therefore to clarify what we mean by unity. In the prayer of Jesus which we just read, He qualifies this unity by comparing it to the unity that He enjoys with God the father – that they may be one just as You and I are one. And so here is our example of a good kind of unity we should follow. The unity that can be found in the Trinity.  A beautiful verse that captures this unity was recorded in John 16:13-15:

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.

Here we see the there persons in the Trinity – the Holy Spirit, Jesus and God the Father. Here we see how they exist in perfect love and perfect submission to one another. Here we see how the three persons in the unity are in complete alignment in the goal to “guide us all into all the truth”. There is no competition in this unity, there is no selfishness and pride, there is only love.

We’ve always been told God is love. But have you ever wondered, who was God loving before he made man? Well, in the context of the Trinity it makes perfect sense. God in Himself is complete – a perfect community of three persons. It is no wonder therefore why Jesus would so desperately want all His followers to experience for themselves this supernatural state of unity.

As we dig deeper into Jesus’ priestly prayer, we learn three things: Our Christian unity:

1. Convinces others of the message of Christ
2. Roots us back to a shared glory with Christ
3. perfects us in the love of Christ

Let’s explore the first point.

Convinces others of the message of Christ

In verse 20, Jesus said that the unity of the believers has a purpose. When we are united, the world may believe that Jesus was sent by God. In other words, when an unbelieving world see Christians come together and unite, the message of Jesus Christ is made clear. CS Lewis describes simply that the message of Christ can be summarized as:

The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us. (CS Lewis)

It is a message of hope for sinners like you and me. It is a picture of a group of men and women from different backgrounds and professions but the same in the sense that none of them is good. The Christian band Switchfoot has an excellent line in their song “A Beautiful Letdown” that says: A church of the losers, the sinners, the dropouts, the failures and the fools.

In the Sunday Events, we have a way of capturing this open invitation to all people to come and experience Jesus:

 Come As You Are

By saying “Come As You Are” we are opening our doors to all of society including the worst among us. We are open to the hopeless, the desperate the lost. I know this because just like them, I came too when I heard the invitation.

Our Unity will show the world the message of Christ in full action! We prove Jesus’ point. The world will see us and understand that something that was made possible for us is surely possible for them too. That the God of Heaven can love them too. And He does!

Roots us back to a shared glory with Christ

The next thing we learn from Jesus’ priestly prayer is that our Unity roots us back to a shared glory with Christ. Jesus talks about this in verses 22 and 23.

I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

Here, again, we need to be clear what is meant by “glory”. John MacArthur clarifies for us what this means:

This refers to our participation, as believers, in all of the attributes and essence of God through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in us. (John MacArthur)

Therefore, it is Jesus’ indwelling in us that moves us to become what we can be – and participate in the very essence of God. Pastor Peter last Sunday says it simply: God wants you to come as you are, but because He loves you, he does not want you to remain as you are.

As we look at each other therefore, we must see us as God sees us. Last Sunday, Pastor Peter shared with us this verse from 1 Corinthians:

Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

We cannot remain sinners, but we must live out our new identity. We are now Saints, no longer Sinners. We are now Good Samaritans, no longer Good Samarites!

The glory that Jesus was talking about can be experienced when turn away from our sins, live lives of genuine repentance and experience what it means to be truly sanctified by Jesus. When we do something amazing happens. We become united as a church. The result is a unity not around our common sinfulness, but around our common hope – Jesus.

A few days ago, this picture was shared among our D12. Do you realize that in July 1, just a few days back, we have celebrated 5 years since we worshipped in North Drive. I still remember that service very well. Everyone was so excited because finally we get to have a place to call our own. I’m sure you will remember how you felt the first time you have been here. Indeed God is good.

Well, a few years after we had the pandemic. We reopened the Sunday services last year in March of 2022. In that service around 1,000 worshippers came. We also had very few volunteers back then. But we kept on going. Everyone was clear about the goal: The Church must be open for anyone who wants to come and hear the Gospel. We faced challenges after challenges. But we were united.

Just last Sunday, June 25th – we reached a milestone in our Sunday Service Ministry with the highest number of worshippers since the pandemic. These worshippers are being channeled as new members into the more than 300 DGroups available. We praise God for His faithfulness!

But you see, these are just numbers. It is the stories that always give me goosebumps. Every time we ask someone to share his or her testimony in front, they always share consistent stories of men and women going up to them and telling them, “I was just like you” or “Someone I love is going through the same thing” or “Thank you because I am going through the same thing right now.” People we have never met before walk into the worship service and come out feeling seen, and understood, and convicted, and by God’s grace feeling a little bit more hopeful.

We have also heard stories from the volunteers telling us that they know of people who started as worshippers in Sunday, who subsequently joined a DGroup, and then become DGroup Leaders themselves and serving in the ministry. This is the Discipleship Journey that we are always learning in GLC. Only it’s real. It’s not theory any more, these things are happening everyday!

I am also encouraged by all the events happening in Church – the NXTGen and Sports Ministry Sports Camp, the Women to Women conference, and the Couples Retreat being planned. These are the results of DGroups and volunteers who are so convinced by the message of Christ that they are doing whatever it takes to share it to as many people as possible.

But here is the takeaway here. And I want you to listen carefully. Not one of us is able to do this alone. We can only live out the glory of Jesus if we work with each other and unite to offer Jesus’ message to an unbelieving world.

Perfects us in the love of Christ

Third, our unity perfects us in the love of Christ.

The first identifying mark of our Christianity is that we are loved by God. The second identifying mark is this: that we manifest the love of God. A manifest is different from a manifesto. A manifesto is simply words. To manifest is to completely embody the love that we experienced from God.

I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

In verse 23, Jesus underscores once more the love that He experiences with His father. And here he gives us the distinct quality of the Christian unity we have been talking about. It is one that is founded in love.

I am going to share with you tonight something that is true. To some it may come as a surprise. But to others not so. Here it is: Church is messy.

Church is messy because it is made up of imperfect people. Just like a family, and no family is perfect. 

But also, just like a family, you do not cease to be a family member. You continue to be one because family is family. As Pastor Peter said: I am stuck with you. It is funny, but it is also a declaration of commitment. Remaining in church shows our commitment to love imperfect people. But do not just remain! Lean in, participate, join the mess! Join a ministry.

Remember, people are always bound to disappoint us. It is how we react in the face of disappointment that can either make us bitter, or grow our love better.

In all my years in church I have seen many brothers and sisters face conflicts with each other. One of these conflicts I will never forget. They were among two brothers, both of whom I love very much. But their conflict was rooted in a misunderstanding. However, a long time has passed since both have spoken, and so whatever small misunderstanding there was became a big misunderstanding. I told them that they needed to reconcile. They said they wanted me to mediate.

Well, that shocked me. Because for the life of me, I did not know how to mediate between these two men. Should I convene a peace conference? What questions do I ask? What food do I serve? Should there be beer?

By God’s grace, I found my way to a book by Ken Sande called “The Peacemaker”. In that book, he shares a diagram that has always remained with me and have been very useful.

This is the Slippery Slope. This diagram captures the different kinds of responses people have in the face of conflict. On the left-hand side are the “Escape Responses”. In the face of conflict, many will choose to deny that there is a problem. Some will choose to leave. The extreme form of this is suicide. But there is no peace that happens when we escape. There is only Peace-faking.

On the other end of the spectrum are the Attack Responses. Faced with conflict, some would lash out and assault. Some will litigate and haul fellow believers to court. The worst form of this is murder. Here, there is no Peace, there is Peace-breaking.

The path to real Peace-making lies at the center. It is here where we take pains to build the relationship through negotiations, mediations, arbitrations. Here, parties may agree to overlook the offense, or some accountability may be extracted. But whatever it is, we can all agree that this is the more difficult path. It is difficult because it is loving. And no one ever said loving is easy.

So what is our take home? Tonight as we pray, let God remind you of any conflict you may be facing. Maybe there are some you have denied it for a while now. Let us examine our hearts and discover how our natural inclinations may be going in the way of real peace.

You see I myself have been involved in a number of conflicts here in church too. But like many of you, I too have been shown grace and love and forgiveness by brothers and sisters who have lived out their sainthoods. There are very few feelings that are better than the feeling of being forgiven. It is love that holds our unity together.

In summary, our unity:

1. Convinces others of the message of Christ
2. Roots us back to a shared glory with Christ
3. perfects us in the love of Christ

Let us pray.

Daniel: An Identity Anchored On God (Change Makers Series)

Are we, as Christians, truly embracing our roles as individuals chosen by God? Or are we succumbing to the temptations of a sinful world, losing sight of our true selves? It's not too late to make a change! By consistently performing small acts of obedience to honor God, we are taking part in His grand plans in our lives, our community and our nation.

Good morning. We are still in the series called “Change Makers” here in church where we look into the Bible and rediscover great men and women who serve as examples of lives changed by God. Ptr Ricky in one of the sermons he delivered for this series was careful to remind us that sometimes we listen to a sermon such as this and think of it as a way to learn how to improve ourselves in order to make a lasting change in our lives and our society. But that is not the point of this series. Instead, we need to understand that in every character we study, the message is that there is a Change-Making God who is able to turn the lives of otherwise ordinary men and women for His Glory.

Today, we will look at the character of Daniel. The title of today’s message is Daniel: An Identity Anchored in God. The book of Daniel in the old testament is made up of 12 chapters, and a good amount of which are dedicated to the mysterious visions that God has allowed Daniel to witness. We will not cover all of the book of Daniel, but we will certainly look at the beginning of Daniel’s life, and an incident that happened when Daniel was already at a ripe old age. However, in every chapter of Daniel it is quite clear that there is a consistent character trait that is most evident in the life of Daniel: His identity was certainly rooted in God’s.

Identity is a big word. The Webster dictionary defines it as “the distinguishing character or personality of an individual”. 

What’s In a Name?

The first distinguishing aspect of our identity is our name. My wife and I had a pandemic baby - our third child Emma was born on April 3 years ago. We were all in lockdowns then. We really took our time with giving Emma her name. Just recently I researched on what memorable names people gave their babies who were born at the height of the COVID lockdowns. Well, I’m happy to share some with you. Please meet:

• Covid Rose from Sultan Kudarat

• Covid Bryant from Metro Manila

• Also from Manila - Coviduvidapdap Santos

Throughout history, philosophers have long debated the nature of identity. Kwame Anthony Appiah, a British-American philosopher talks about the collectivist nature of identity: "Identity is collective insofar as it is given to us by others, and our social and cultural environment. It is not something we simply decide for ourselves, but is shaped by the groups we belong to, the language we speak, the culture we are a part of, and the historical and political context in which we live."

On the other hand, others believe that identity is shaped by the individual himself. Jean Paul Sarte, a French Philosopher puts it this way: “Man is not only that which he conceives himself to be, but also that which he wills himself to be, and since he conceives of himself only after he exists, just as he wills himself to be after being thrown into existence, man is nothing other than what he makes of himself."

But perhaps nothing appeals more to our modern sentiments about identity than the words of another philosopher by the name of Lady Gaga. “Rejoice and love yourself today

'Cause, baby, you were born this way.” Here, Lady Gaga tells us that identity is something you were born with and there is nothing you can do about it. This has always bothered me because I have always known I have an in-born fear of public speaking. And yet, here I am.

Let us pray. Father, I thank you for the privilege of being able to worship you in this place. We give honor and praise to you for even allowing us today the freedom to open our Bibles and read from your word. Lord, today we ask that as we study the life of Daniel, you give us open minds and soft hearts to hear from you. I pray that you use me Lord, however imperfect I am, to deliver the words that come from you alone. In Jesus name, amen.

POINT 1: I AM WHO GOD SAYS I AM

As we study the life of Daniel, we will hopefully learn three big things. The first one is:

1. I am who God says I am

2. 
   
3. 
   

We begin the story from the beginning of the book of Daniel. 

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 delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in Babylonia and put in the treasure house of his god.

Tower of Babel

To understand the context of the story, let’s turn the pages of history back to a time long ago right after the great flood that covered the whole earth. The Bible says that after the waters receded, the family of Noah repopulated the earth. A group of people decided to build what we know to be the Tower of Babel.

11 Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2 As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar[b] and settled there.

3 They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”

It is interesting to note that the main reason why they wanted to do so was to make a name for themselves. In other words, they wanted to create an identity that they can be proud of. But God saw what was in their hearts.

5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. 6 The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”

8 So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why it was called Babel[c]—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

You can just imagine the scene. One time, this proud race of people were speaking one language, dead set to create this tower that will literally put them on the map, and then suddenly they could no longer understand each other. Some were speaking in Spanish, some in Chinese, some in English, some in Bisaya. Some were probably even speaking in English with a thick Bisaya accent (show Manny Pacquiao’s picture).

The Call of Abraham - A Nation Set Apart

The place that was called Babel is what will later be called Babylon that is a region of what we now know to be the nation of Iraq. A little over 200 kilometers from the site of the tower of Babel is the area of Ur. Here, a man by the name Abram is called by God.

Genesis 12:1-3
The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

2 “I will make you into a great nation,

    and I will bless you;

I will make your name great,

    and you will be a blessing.[a]

3 I will bless those who bless you,

    and whoever curses you I will curse;

and all peoples on earth

    will be blessed through you.”

Of course we now know this great nation that descended from Abraham as the nation of Israel. By God’s own design and divine wisdom, He has decided to set this nation apart from the rest of the world as his special people in order that all peoples on earth will be blessed through them. That means he has given this unique nation a special kind of identity. One that is set apart. Holy as unto the Lord. The identity of this nation is that it is holy - set apart for God.

Last week, Pastor Peter shared with us the story of Gideon. And certainly we knew from there that Israel as a nation was rather sinful, just like us. They fell in love with the many idols of foreign nations. After Joshua officially ushered the whole nation of Israel into the promised land, it entered a period of Judges for around 350 years. After that, it entered into the period of successive Kings for 150 years. They had to endure years and years of God’s judgment under the hands of colonizers. 

Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians

During the time of Daniel, the people of Babylon would have established themselves as a strong and mighty military power in the region, enough to colonize the nation of Israel in 597 BC. 

3 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility— 4 young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians.[b] 5 The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service.

The Babylonians as a people were as proud as the time they built the tower of Babel, and certainly their king Nebuchadnezzar is the proudest among them. History tells us that he built the famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon to make sure his wife does not miss the beautiful plants from her home country. She was the original plant tita.  

A change of identity

It was into this culture where we meet Daniel and his friends.

6 Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 7 The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.

Here is the first test of Daniel’s identity. You can just imagine the scene. Daniel and his friends would have arrived in this University of Babylon and someone would have asked them about their name and their culture. Someone would have asked what Daniel’s name meant, he would have said “God is my judge”. Hananiah would have said his name meant “God is gracious”. Mishael “God is mighty”. Azariah “God has helped”. 

Contrast that to their “new” names whose meanings centered on several false Babylonian gods: Beltashazzar – Bel will protect; Shadrach – inspired of Aku; Meshach – belonging to Aku; Abednego – servant of Nego.

Since birth, these boys would have known who they are based on their collectivist culture, but out here in Babylon, will they be able to sustain their identity?

Lion King

This brings to mind one of the most famous Disney movies ever created. When it was released in 1994, it was the highest grossing animated movie of all time. When they remade the movie in 2019, it broke its own record and itself became the highest grossing animated movie. The movie is Lion King. Now I am a father of 3, so I am very used to telling stories. So if you have seen the movie, forgive me for retelling it to you.

We all know the story of Simba. After he was convinced by his evil uncle that he murdered his own father, he left his family and forsaken his own identity. He met two friends along the way, the warthog Pumba and the meerkat Timon. In all the years he spent with them, he just about forgot what it meant to be a lion. A famous scene in the movie had Pumba and Timon teaching Simba to eat nothing but bugs. Biologically, this cannot be possible. There is simply not enough calories in bugs to make a lion live - he would have starved to death. But this did not worry him - hakuna matata.

A pivotal scene in the movie is when finally the hear voice of reason - the baboon Rafiki. Rafiki finds Simba. He asked the question to the young lion that would set the tone for what was about to happen next: “Who are you?”. Of course Simba did not have an answer, he has lived on too long not wanting to be a lion, he can hardly remember who he was or what he was supposed to do. Rafiki then led Simba to gaze upon the stars. And there, he heard from his father, Mufasa.

Do you still remember what Mufasa told him? He said, “Simba, you have forgotten me.” The young lion cried, no father, I have not forgotten you. And the wise old king said, “You have forgotten who you are, and so you have forgotten me.” It was the very thing Simba needed to hear at that point, he needed to remember who he was.

Imagine yourself if you were in the place of Daniel. You are far away from the land of your birth, away from your people and way of life. You have been given a new name and are expected to behave so differently from who you are. How do you even begin to have motivation to remain a lion when everywhere around you are Timons and Pumbas subsisting in bugs and insects? Will Daniel and his friends be able to maintain their identity as set apart for God?

Daniel Remembers Who He Is

We shall see in the following verses:

8 But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. 9 Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel, 10 but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your[c] food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.”

11 Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, 12 “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.” 14 So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.

Notice how Daniel very respectfully appealed to the authority. He was not being proud, but instead gave a reasonable appeal for a controlled test.

15 At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. 16 So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.

17 To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.

I think this is a reminder for you and me. We live in a world that values many false gods. Is it money? Is it the need to accumulate more and more things? Is it ambition? Is it the never ending need to perform in order to gain the approval of people? In the wise words of the Tagalogs, if you can’t perform, japorm! Put up appearances and fake it.

I speak to the young people in the audience. When you have been raised by Christian parents and suddenly find yourselves in a new school which expects you to be anyone else but a Christian. I have been there, you know. I went to a particularly adventurous school where during our freshmen orientation to different clubs and orgs, we were told to explore and experiment with worldviews and even with our own sexuality. I am sure today it is worse, and I empathize with your struggles. I pray that you remember who you are.

Who are you?

So who does God say that we are? These are just some verses from the Bible to remind us:

A Christian boyfriend/girlfriend - My body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who dwells in me.

Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you (1 Corinthians 6:19)?

A Christian spouse
Ephesians 5:22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her

A Christian worker

Colossians 3:22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

A Christian boss
Ephesians 6:9 And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.

It is important that we first see ourselves from the perspective of God and not from the perspective of the world that wants us to conform to it. Like Daniel, the world wants to rename us and have us fall into the trap of worshiping the idols of this world - money, sex, power, pride. But in order for lasting change to happen, we begin with identity.

James Clear

James Clear, the author of atomic habits, has an excellent way of illustrating this. He notices that the reason why many of us do not have lasting habits is because we focus too much on the results. For example, if we want to lose weight, we set big goals such as - I have to lose 20 lbs within six months. Once we have set the goal, we then kill ourselves with ridiculous exercise routines that we will inevitably burn out of. Instead, he recommends that we focus on identity:

Most people (myself included) will want to become better this year. Many of us, however, will set performance- and appearance-based goals in hopes that they will drive us to do things differently.

If you're looking to make a change, then I say stop worrying about results and start worrying about your identity. Become the type of person who can achieve the things you want to achieve. Build identity-based habits now. The results can come later.

I think this is also true in our Christian life. If we are more concerned about our identity in Christ, we live our lives with an audience of one - God. This identity-based obedience in the end is what will sustain us even in the most difficult moments of our lives.

POINT 2: I DO WHAT GOD SAYS I DO

The second thing that we learn from the example of Daniel is this:

1. I am who God says I am

2. I do what God says I do

3. 
   

Now that we have established our identity in Christ, we now look into our behavior as Christians. It is important that we first establish that our identity dictates our behavior. Let me say that again, it is our identity that dictates our behavior.

But did Daniel’s identity in fact sustain him to be set apart the whole time he was in Babylon? Was it enough to make a real and lasting change in the circumstances he was in?

Let us move forward in time and look at an incident in Daniel’s life when he was perhaps 80 years old. Note that at this point, Daniel would have already served under Nebuchadnezzar, his son Belshazzar, and now Darius. In chapter 6, we read the familiar story of him and the lions.

3 Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. 4 At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. 5 Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”

6 So these administrators and satraps went as a group to the king and said: “May King Darius live forever! 7 The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions’ den. 8 Now, Your Majesty, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.” 9 So King Darius put the decree in writing.

Note also that after all those years, his name remains Daniel. But how do we get there? How do we follow the example of Daniel to be so beyond reproach that not even our enemies can find any fault in us? 

Athletes and Boredom

James Clear in his book gives us an excellent illustration that I think we can all learn from.

He interviewed the coaches of athletes, some of whom were Olympians. He asked them one question: “What do the really successful athletes do that most don’t?” Of course many of these factors include genetics, luck or talent. But there is one particular trait of successful athletes: they persevere even if they don’t feel like it. 

Whether it’s business or sports or art, you hear people say things like, “It all comes down to passion.” Or, “You have to really want it.” As a result, many of us get depressed when we lose focus or motivation because we think that successful people have some bottomless reserve of passion. But this coach was saying that really successful people feel the same lack of motivation as everyone else. The difference is that they still find a way to show up despite the feelings of boredom.

Many of us want to honor God in our lives. But can I be honest with you? Many of us do not want to put in the effort committing to the daily disciplines of obedience to God. We look at a person such as Daniel and we are so amazed at the things God has done in his life, but we do not see the daily, quiet little atomic habits that Daniel committed himself to in order to become the person that he is. 

The Building Blocks to Change: The Atomic Habits of Daniel

What are the atomic habits of Daniel’s life? One clear example of this is Daniel’s prayer life. 

10 Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. 11 Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help.

During this extraordinary life and death crisis, Daniel is prepared to face it because he has had the habit of prayer just as he had always done. How about us? Last week Pastor Peter made a statement that still stayed with me: Do we wait for the time we get cancer to pray for God? It is a sobering reminder. Prayer is a day to day habit.

Second, we know that Daniel formed around him a group of men that prayed for him. In an earlier chapter: 

Daniel 2: 14 When Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, had gone out to put to death the wise men of Babylon, Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact. 15 He asked the king’s officer, “Why did the king issue such a harsh decree?” Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel. 16 At this, Daniel went in to the king and asked for time, so that he might interpret the dream for him.

17 Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 18 He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

Here, we see that Daniel had a DGroup! His friends from Judah remained to be his close friends. How about us? Do we belong in a DGroup that we can be accountable to? Or for some of us, are we already leading a DGroup? Many people tell me that they are not ready to start a DGroup yet because they feel they are not knowledgeable enough, or not caring enough, or not loving enough. In short, they think they are not perfect. But I always encourage them to begin with the smallest habit of showing up during the time of meeting, even when there is only one person there. If we want to obey God in the big things, we must first put in the effort to obey God in the small things. The results will follow.

In the same way, if we want a healthy body, we begin with the smallest habit of waking up in the morning and deciding to put our shoes on to exercise. If we want to be more financially secure, we begin with the smallest habit of not going to Shoppee when we are bored. If we want change to really happen, we commit to the discipline of forming habits.

Jerylle

This reminds me of a DGroup member of mine who, upon hearing Ptr Joseph Bayawa speak here on stage, shocked his wife with an important life decision. Ptr Joseph was sharing with us his many church planting initiatives for the church in Mindanao. He made a joke saying, “If you really want to be close to God, you should come with me to Marawi. With all the shooting there, you will really feel you will see God very soon.” Of course it was a joke, but my friend was so moved by this that he became so fired up. He decided he must take the leap of faith and go to Mindanao and be a missionary.

We processed this together of course. I told him that what he is thinking of is a big life change, not just for him but his whole family. I encouraged him that as he prays he looks at his circumstances now, while he is here in Cebu City, and see opportunities to share God to others in his workplace and family. You see, being able to trust God in big things requires us first and foremost to be faithful to Him in the small things. Years after the conversation I had with my friend, I realize God has used him mightily in his workplace to share God, he has parented his children Biblically, and he and his wife are now even DGroup Leaders here in church serving the couples that God has placed under their care. We do not need the big bombastic things to show our faith in God. Today, right now, wherever God has placed you in - there are small ordinary things to obey. So we obey.

Luke16: 10 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.

Let us continue with our story:

13 Then they said to the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, Your Majesty, or to the decree you put in writing. He still prays three times a day.” 14 When the king heard this, he was greatly distressed; he was determined to rescue Daniel and made every effort until sundown to save him.

15 Then the men went as a group to King Darius and said to him, “Remember, Your Majesty, that according to the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or edict that the king issues can be changed.”

16 So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!”

17 A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed. 

The seal of the den of lions carries the signet ring of the king and the nobles. This means that if someone were to break that seal and rescue Daniel, even if it was the King, he will still need the rings all the nobles in order to cover his tracks. It’s the ancient version of multi-factor authentication. This den is more secure than anything!

18 Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep.

The story continues:

19 At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. 20 When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?”

21 Daniel answered, “May the king live forever! 22 My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.”

What an amazing thing! Just like Simba, suddenly all these lions forgot what they were.

23 The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

There it is. No wound was found on him because he had trusted in his God. Pastor Peter reminded us last week, you will not trust anyone you do not know. Daniel trusted his God because he knew God. And he knew God not through some bombastic way, but from the daily atomic obedience he has done. It was the trust that saved Him and it was because of the years of habit and discipline in obeying God.

Which leads us to third and final point:

POINT 3: I WILL TRUST IN GOD’S PLANS

1. I am who God says I am

2. I do what God says I do

3. I will trust in God’s plans

When I read Daniel’s experience in the lion’s den as an 80 year old man, I often wondered what was going on inside of Daniel’s head. He was all alone in a dark cave, he would have heard all the lions around him making animal sounds. We know of course he would probably have been praying, as is his habit, but how would it have felt to be so painfully, utterly alone.

Friends, do you find yourself in a similar situation? I have invited a couple to share with us their testimony on trusting God in the most difficult circumstances. Please welcome Bong and Mabel Paredes.

Testimony

When I asked Bong and Mabel to serve in church as ushers, they were very hesitant. I remember the day very well. Mabel said that she was afraid that she does not feel qualified because of all the things that happened. I said, she is the perfect usher, because in this church, we want to make everyone feel welcome just as they are. I always think whenever I see both of them serving the Lord in their own DGroup and here in church that they are a showcase of God’s love for everyone to witness.

I praise God for the lives of Bong and Mabel. I invite you to pray for them with me.

CONCLUSION

What have we learned so far?

1. I am who God says I am; and because I am who God says I am - 

2. I do what God says I do in the small things; and at the point of deep encouragement - 

3. I will trust in God’s plans

Like Bong and Mabel, we need to be reminded of who we are. And when we do, we face crises of obedience to honor God in the small things that will usher in the change that we want to see in our marriage, our professional life, and even our community and nation. As we form habits of obedience, we will trust in the Lord knowing full well that in the darkest of times, he is there with us.

A plan that includes you

Now I know we already had a testimony sharer with us, but I have a special treat for you. We have another testimony sharer which I invited today. Do you want to know who he is? It took me a long time to book him for this message and it is such an honor to present him to you. Ladies and gentlemen, no less than the boss of Daniel himself - King Darius.

Just kidding, but of course we know King Darius’ testimony too. At the end of Chapter 6, we read his own words:

25 Then King Darius wrote to all the nations and peoples of every language in all the earth:

“May you prosper greatly!

26 “I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel.

“For he is the living God

    and he endures forever;

his kingdom will not be destroyed,

    his dominion will never end.

27 He rescues and he saves;

    he performs signs and wonders

    in the heavens and on the earth.

He has rescued Daniel

    from the power of the lions.”

My friends, here is an amazing fact, and I don’t want you to miss this. It has always been the plan of God that these pagan kings will revere him. God with all the power of the universe could have fulfilled this plan all on his own. But out of his wisdom, out of his divine love, he has chosen that Daniel will be part of that plan. God made himself known to the most powerful man on earth during that time his power with the cooperation of his junior partner - Daniel.

In fact, we read this:

Daniel 9:20 While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and making my request to the Lord my God for his holy hill— 21 while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice. 22 He instructed me and said to me, “Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. 23 As soon as you began to pray, a word went out, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed.

This verse teaches us how much God loves Daniel - he is highly esteemed. In other translations, he is greatly loved or precious in the eyes of God. How is it possible that the God of history who holds the world in his hands would so esteem someone like Daniel enough to care about his thoughts and prayers for a nation he loves?

Friends, do you know that is who you are to God too? I know you and I look around us and we crave for the change that will truly be lasting. Like Daniel, our hearts also break for our nation. Do you know God wants to listen to you pray? I believe the Lord has a plan for our nation. And I believe that plan includes you and me.

But it all begins with the single most important question you will have to answer in your life: Who are you?

In John 1, this is what he said:

John 1: 12 Yet to all who did receive Jesus, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

If you receive Him today, that identity is what you will bring with you from hereon. If it is your desire to receive Jesus into your life, let me pray for you.

….may we always remember who we are. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.