Living For God will go Against the Conventional Wisdom

"So at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, harp, and lyre, in symphony with all kinds of music, all the people, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the gold image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up." - Daniel 3:7

"There are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego; these men, O king, have not paid due regard to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image which you have set up.” - Daniel 3:12

Living for God

"Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its width six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon." - Daniel 3:1

God Gives of His Nature to Those Who Seek Him

"He reveals deep and secret things;
He knows what is in the darkness,
And light dwells with Him.

“I thank You and praise You,
O God of my fathers;
You have given me wisdom and might,
And have now made known to me what we asked of You,
For You have made known to us the king’s demand.” - Daniel 2:22-23

God Overrules the Rules of Nature and Men

"And He changes the times and the seasons;
He removes kings and raises up kings;
He gives wisdom to the wise
And knowledge to those who have understanding." - Daniel 2:21

We are concluding the series from the Book of Galatians
entitled THE GOSPEL OF FREEDOM. In the last message entitled YOU WHO
ARE SPIRITUAL ARE RESPONSIBLE, we examined Galatians 6:1-10. In
that message we saw if we examined the responsibilities of those who
are spiritual. Spiritual people are responsible to:
 BEAR BURDENS (Galatians 6:1-5)
 SOW TO THE SPIRIT (Galatians 6:6-8)
 DO GOOD (Galatians 6:9, 10)
Our text today begins with an interesting remark by the Apostle…

11  See with what large letters I have written to you with my own hand!
Galatians 6:11

Paul’s preferred method of letter writing was by dictation. He would
speak, and one of his friends would write it all down. In the last
paragraph of Galatians, Paul himself picks up the pen, if you will,
and writes down his final thoughts. This is so important that he
doesn’t want them to miss the point.

November 8, 2020 AM Galatians Sermon 8

3
Until this point, Paul has effectively explained the distinctions
between the believer living under grace and the one living under law.
They are diametrically opposed. This is not simply a matter of different
doctrinal opinions; it is a matter of two ways of life. What were the
choices presented to the Galatians as they debated Grace and Law?
 Would they choose bondage or freedom (Galatians 5:1-12)?
 Would they choose the flesh or the Spirit (Galatians 5:13-26)?
 Would they live for themselves or would they live for others
(Galatians 6:1-10)?
Our text presents one more idea that Paul wants to present. It is
such an important thought that Paul writes it in his own hand, in large
letters. The thought is this: Will the Galatians live for the praise of
men or for the glory of God (Galatians 6:11-18)? Now Paul is hitting
on the most important part of why we do things: Motive. A good work
can be spoiled by a bad motive. This is a chance for those in Galatia
(and all the church) to check their own hearts.
In verse seventeen, we see Paul declaring that he is a man who
bears in his body the marks of our Lord Jesus Christ. While the word “marks” in Greek is “stigmata” it is not referring to the cultish examples found today in people who seem to bleed from their hands,
feet, and other parts of the body mimicking Christ. He is referring to the scars he gained through intense persecution as a result of preaching Christ and Him crucified.
These final words of Paul to the Galatians present three
groups/people who were MARKED. A mark or a brand will distinguish
you. God placed a mark upon Cain that no one would kill him (see
Genesis 4:15). The antichrist will one day require his followers to take
a mark in order to buy or sell (see Revelation 13:17). But God also sets
a mark upon those who belong to Him (see Ezekiel 9:4-6). Let’s
examine those whom Paul is referring to as being marked.

Daniel's Thanksgiving Prayer

God Speaks When We Are In Need

"Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. So Daniel blessed the God of heaven.

Daniel answered and said:

“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
For wisdom and might are His." - Daniel 2:19-20

He Was Empowered

"As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.

Now at the end of the days, when the king had said that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. Then the king interviewed them, and among them all none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; therefore they served before the king. And in all matters of wisdom and understanding about which the king examined them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm." - Daniel 1:17-20

He Was Purposed

"Now from among those of the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. To them the chief of the eunuchs gave names: he gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abed-Nego.

But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself." - Daniel 1:6-8

He Was Prepared

"Then the king instructed Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring some of the children of Israel and some of the king’s descendants and some of the nobles, young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans. And the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king’s delicacies and of the wine which he drank, and three years of training for them, so that at the end of that time they might serve before the king." - Daniel 1:3-5

Living Above Your Circumstances

"Thus Daniel continued until the first year of King Cyrus." - Daniel 1:21