Transcription
Come on. Join us down the front. Come on, church. Here we go. Hands up. I like that. Come on. There's joy in the house. Sing it out. Holy. Holy. There is none more holy. Blessing on your glory. Still you call me praise. Send the hill of heaven. Experience your presence. A love that knows your way. Jesus Christ and you, my heart. I want to be as I want to be. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Your life. I say precious blood that cross my. I, yeah. Heat. I'll never be the same. I want to be holy as you're holy. I want to be set apart for you. 'Cause I know that this world has nothing for me. Yeah. Heat. Oh, heat, heat. Amen.
Who's happy to be in church this morning? Show of hands. My people, I just want to read a quick verse over you, church. 1 Chronicles 29. It might come up. It says in verse 10 to 13, David blessed God in full of the entire congregation. That's that's what we just did. We are blessing and praising God in in view of all of us. Blessed are you, God of Israel, our father from old and forever. To you, oh God, belong the greatness and the might, the glory, the victory, the majesty, the splendor, yes, everything. In heaven and on earth, the kingdom is yours. You've raised yourself high over all. Riches and glory come from you. Your ruler over all. You hold enough, uh, you hold strength and power in the palm of your hand to build up and strengthen all. And here we are, oh God, giving thanks. Giving thanks. Amen. Thanks to you, praising your spending name. That's truth. It's in the Bible. He is here. And we are giving thanks to our king. We're giving praise and and and honor to our majesty, King Jesus. So, come on, we're going to worship. And I, I just challenge you to worship the Father this morning, not based on what he's done for us, but because of who he is. He did die on the cross. He is a good Father and he loves us. So, come on. Can we worship together?
Praise you, Lord. Praise you, Lord. Come on, let's sing. You are. You are the radiant King of all glory, light in the darkness. So wonderful. You are the evident love of the Father. Beauty and brilliance his immers. We worship and adore you, Lord. We cast our cross before your throne. Majesty, you are king of hosts. Oh, you are the infinite, Alpha, Omega, beginning and ending, the first and last. You are the reason. Death has been overcome. Holy, mighty one forever. We worship, adore your Lord. We your majesty. You are king. Heat. Heat. You said you are. You are king of. You to the King of Kings. We praise you. We praise you, Jesus. Forever to you and you worthy. Worthy are you to receive all worthy power, Jesus. Forever, forever. Hey, heat. Hey. Yeah. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Yeah. Heat. Heat. Heat. Forever worship, adore you, Lord. We cast our crowns before your throne. Majesty, you are king. We worship and adore you, Lord. From age to age, you stand alone. Majesty, you are king. Majesty, you are king. Majesty, you are king of glory. Praise you, Lord.
Here. And here in your presence, Lord, listening for what you have to say. You have my attention. And oh, how my soul cries out. I need you more than yesterday. Here I am. Surrender. Light a fire in my heart that burns for you. Only for you, Lord. Only for you, Lord. Thank you, Lord Jesus. Thank you, Lord. Thank you for here at your feet again, knowing I'm covered by your grace. I'm hidden in your mercy. Jesus, the name above, highly exalted over all, forever my salvation. Light a fire in my heart that burns for you. Only for you. Only for you. Not a fire like a fire in my heart that burns for you. Only for you. Only for you, my Father. A fire in my heart that burns for you. Only you. Only for you. Only for you. Light a fire in my heart that burns for you. Only for you. Only for you. You can have it. Come on. Sing this. You can have it. You can have my heart. It burns for you. It burns for you. My life. Everything is yours. It's all. It's all. Heat. Heat. Heat up here. Heat up here. Heat up here. Yeah. Heat. Heat up here. A. Yeah. Heat. Heat up here.
To the right. Let's give all all praise to Jesus, Lord. There's nothing like your presence. And Lord, this morning, we don't want a moment to pass us by. Lord, your word says that you're close to all who call on your name. And so this morning, God, I pray as a church, God, we're calling on your name. God, we're magnifying your name. God, we're looking to you this morning. And Lord, I thank you. That's the power of worship. God, it magnifies you. God, it looks to you. God, it focuses on you. And God, this morning, even for those carrying some things this week, God, we're not minimizing those things, but we're just looking to you over and above those things because God, we know who you are and the power that is in you and your name. So God, we speak the name above every name over people in this room, over families in this room, over situations that are going on. God, we speak the name of Jesus. And we declare God, your will, your way be done, God. And we sing one more time. Holy, holy, holy. There is none like you. We declare this this morning. Come on. We sing this out. We call this situation. Heat. Heat. So this morning, God, we come with these prayer requests, God, and we lay them at your feet, God, for needs, not just in my hand, but Lord, needs that are in the hearts of your people, Lord. Those believing for healing, God. Those believing for breakthrough, God. Those believing for restoration where there seems to be no way. God, we speak your name. And God, we thank you. You're the master restorer. God, you're the master, God, of bringing things together even where there seems to be no way. So God, we speak your name, Jesus, over these situations, God. Lord, we speak it over bodies from cold and flu to cancer. We speak the name of Jesus, God. Lord, from those in this room, God, who are facing financial hardship, God, Lord, we ask, God, would the windows of heaven begin to open up over businesses and over families in this room, God. We pray for anxiety to flee in the name of Jesus. And God, we ask for a peace that surpasses understanding. Lord, we thank you that you're working and that you're moving and that you're good and that you're faithful in Jesus mighty name. Corn, if you believe it, would you shout amen this morning, church?
Come on, why don't we give God some praise from the outset of this morning and a huge warm welcome to Hillsong Church. And, uh, what a joy it is to be gathered together and singing and declaring. And I tell you what, no matter if it's your first time or if you've been coming for 40 plus years, we pray that you feel at home. And I just got on my heart today, hey, maybe today you'll make a great friend, not just for a couple of years, but you know, there's been friendships formed in this church that have lasted 40 plus years. And you never know, the person that's sitting behind you, in front of you, beside you, may just be your lifelong friend. So, why don't you turn around, say hi to someone, welcome them. Hey, all the introverts in the room, come on, step out of your comfort zone. Well, church, we love to give. We love to be generous. It's always been who we've been called to be, and we love to put God first in the area of our finances. And this morning, going to welcome up a much loved man of our house, Hayden Nelson, as he comes to share around our giving. Come on, let's make him feel welcome this morning.
Thanks so much, Jesse. I get the wonderful privilege of encouraging us today in our giving and the ways that we give will come up on the screens behind me. Um, Belinda and I, we love giving through the Hillsong giving app because it's just so simple and intuitive and helpful. But whatever way suits you, I think all of us just know it is such a privilege to give back a portion of what God's given us. About 40 years ago now, I went to and traveled to the Australian National University to attend a national Christian student conference. And it was a very pivotal time for me because at that conference, I met a young woman named Belinda who would go on to become my wife. And at the same conference, I met an older lady named Elizabeth who would go on to change my life. Now, Elizabeth's full name is Elizabeth Elliott. She was the widow of Jim Elliot, a cross-cultural missionary who had lost his life seeking to bring the gospel to an unreached people group in the jungles of Ecuador known as the ALA. He along with four colleagues including Nate Saint, who was their pilot with Mission Aviation Fellowship, the MAF, who we as a church partner with and are a part partner in the gospel with. They lost their lives trying to reach the very people, the people who took their lives or the people they were trying to reach. And as Elizabeth related the story of her late husband Jim, I was struck again and again and again how he looked at life through the lens of eternity. That he didn't want to just be successful. He wanted to be significant. He wanted to live a life that mattered eternally beyond just this present age. And in 19, well, it was about seven years, so 1949, seven years prior to his martyrdom, he wrote something in his journal which has now become very famous. I think some in this room, you may be familiar with it. This is what he wrote: "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. For Jim, that meant living for significance more than just success. For Jim, that meant doing on earth something that is approved by heaven. For Jim, that meant living for what matters most. He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. Let's pray. Father, we come before you in the mighty name of Jesus, grateful for the privilege of giving back all a portion of what all that you have given to us. I pray that you guide the leadership of our church as they steward and wisely allocate these resources. And we pray that all of it will bring your you glory and will advance your kingdom. And we pray this in Jesus mighty name. Amen. Let's enjoy giving.
But before we look at the screens, I want to relate to you just quickly another little story. When I was in law enforcement, I decided I wanted to really grow in my faith. So what I did is I enrolled myself in Bible college and I set aside a day a week, and that day started to become the absolute highlight of my life. I still remember to this day, Dr. Allan Chapel blowing my mind as he opened up scripture to me. It was a very similar experience that my eldest son had when he once came to one of our conferences and sat in a class with our global teaching pastor, Robert Ferguson. Because I asked afterward, I said, "Oh, how was the session with Robert?" And Simeon said to me, "Robert melted my face. He melted my face." I've always, for always, remembered that expression. Well, that was my experience of Bible college. And then of course, it opened up a whole new avenue for me as God called me into something new. And I want to encourage you to perhaps consider the possibility of leaning into Bible college and in particular, Hillsong Leadership College. So why don't we look to the screens and enjoy this?
Hillsong College exists to raise up Christian leaders who are going to have an impact all over the globe. And we'd love to invite you to come and be a part of what God is doing through our college, believing that it's going to cause you to grow and become all he's called you to be. Is God doing a new thing in you? Here at Hillsong Leadership College, grow your faith, discover new gifts, and walk boldly into your calling. Through biblical teaching and hands-on practical leadership training alongside our pastors and church builders, we disciple believers and raise leaders to impact the world for Jesus. Whether you feel called to worship ministry, pastoral ministry, church planting or evangelism, college becomes more than a destination. It becomes the place where your faith deepens, your leadership grows alongside lifelong friends. God is doing a new thing. It starts here. Faith isn't a sort of leap in the dark, a wish and a prayer. Faith is confidence, trust in the God who is actually there. There is a quiet revival. There is something happening. God is not just interested in what we're doing. He's much more interested in who we are becoming. Let's just go. We're believing for God to do something and we are not holding back. Amen. Noah was so anointed. A penguin was like, "Now that's the Lord. We got to get on that." If there's a big conversation taking place in our marriage, we go, "Hey, let's wait till there's an adult in the room." Wisdom. Fruitfulness is never meant to come at the expense of health. Wisdom is not about knowing simply what is true. Wisdom is about living what is true. All this brokenness, all this injustice that's going on, the answer to the restoration of this is the church being the church. To the young people, we cannot be united without you. It is time for you to rise up and take your place. To the older generation, we cannot be united without you. It's time for you to dream dreams again. We're not in pursuit of promises. We're in pursuit and we're seeking the God who delivers the promises. Who told you to stop? Who told you to pull back? It's time to rise again and it is time to pray again. And it is time to see again. And maybe today we're here and we're waiting for the details. But Jesus is simply asking, "Will your answer to me be yes?" Have the courage to say, "I'm going to believe that God is with me, and I'm going to believe that God's going to use me, and I'm going to believe that God's spirit is going to work through me because I had the courage to step out and go on an adventure with God."
Hillsong Conference, give us a wave if you were there this year. Yes. And, uh, I can't believe how fast time can go. And before you know it, next year, 2027 will be here. And now is the best time, the most affordable time. And even just the best time to make a decision. I'm not going to miss out next year. I'm going to take time off now. I'm going to put it in my calendar now. I'm going to register now for me and the family to position myself to really be a part of, I believe, such a special and significant, significant gathering for our church. Our church really does lean in from the nation and, and the globe. And, uh, it's here next year, it's here. It could be the last year it's here in this room and across the property. And I know we're expanding. We're going to two Encounter Conferences. And, uh, we, we couldn't really fit this year how many young people wanted to be a part of what God is doing. It's amazing. It's, it's really a testimony of, of, of a faith generation rising up, a Jesus generation rising up. And we're going to make room and space for it. But we just love to encourage you to be at conference next year. Don't miss out. But hey, are you ready for the word this morning? I'm genuinely so excited and expectant for this morning's word because we have Pastor Carly Carrasco bringing the word. And, uh, she has been a part of our church for many, many years. She's been such a faithful leader and has has carried so many different responsibilities here in New South Wales, leading campuses, big part of leading our youth ministry. In fact, she was telling me she's on, been on staff for 20 years this year and carrying things so well. Now, her and her husband Sam are leading and pastoring our campus in LA, Los Angeles in Orange County. And they're on holidays, but they're still willing to pour out and to bless people. And Sam's preaching at another campus and she's here today. I wanted, could we be up standing to honor the woman of God and the word of God as Pastor Carly Carrasco comes to share the word? Come on, Hills campus. Let's give her a warm welcome as she comes.
Thanks, Jesse. Good morning, church. Have you had your coffee? Feeling good? Gosh, I got to tell you, the coffee is so much better in Australia. I miss it. Give someone a high five, a hug, a holy kiss if it's appropriate, and then you can grab your seat. Good morning. Hi to everybody watching online this morning. It is so great to be home. And I say home because this was home for 35 years. And six, almost six years ago, uh, my husband and I and our one-year-old and three-year-old son, uh, moved to Hillsong, Orange County in California. And, um, this is actually our first time back in about five years. We, we came back with a nine-year-old and a six-year-old. And pray for us because we've just hit the pre-teen ages. And I was a youth pastor for a long time. So now, parents, it all makes sense. But it's so nice to be here. We were here for conference and here for church this morning. And honestly, I love home here and I love home there. And your family in California says, "Hi, we love you. We're praying for you." And gosh, I got to tell you, not only is the coffee so good, but it is so nice to be able to walk into a coffee shop and when they ask my name, not to have to say Corly. I sound like a pirate. I have to roll my Rs. And, uh, I hope I still sound Australian. Um, so if I say some words incorrectly, just shout out the right one and remind me where home is. Amen.
Are you ready for the word of God? All right. If you got your Bible, uh, go with me to Daniel chapter 6. If you've got an old school Bible, original Bible, grab it out. If you got a new school Bible, go to Uver, go to Daniel chapter 6. If you didn't bring a Bible, we've got it on the screens for you this morning. But I want to read 14 verses. And this might arguably be one of the most famous passages of scripture retold, especially to the younger generation, and it is Daniel and the lion's den. But I have to tell you this morning that we don't get to the lion's den today. Maybe Robert can preach it in a different week. But we only are looking at the first 14 verses. We're looking at what lands him in the lion's den this morning. So go with me. Daniel chapter 6:es 1-14. "It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom, with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. The satraps were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer loss. 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. 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. 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.' So these administrators and satraps went as a group to the king and said, 'May King Darius live forever. 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 30 days, except to you, your majesty, shall be thrown into the lion's den. 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 the Persians, which cannot be repealed.' And so King Darius, he put the decree in writing. Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. And three times a day he got down on his knees and he prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. We're almost there. Then these men went as a group and they found Daniel praying and asking God for help. And so they went to the king and they spoke to him about his royal decree. 'Did you not publish a decree that during the next 30 days anyone who prays to any god or human being, except to you, your majesty, would be thrown into the lion's den?' The king answered, 'The decree stands in accordance with the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be repealed.' And 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, he still prays three times a day.' And when the king heard this, he was greatly distressed, and he was determined to rescue Daniel and made every effort until sundown to save him."
If you're taking notes this morning, the title of this message is: Distinction Starts With a Decision.
Jesus, thank you so much that we can be here together or online and we can be streaming in. And I pray this morning that as we unpack your word, as we unpack this story in Daniel, that you have so eloquently put in your word of God to remind us of truth. I pray that it would speak to every heart and every life and every mind. That as we leave today, we would be a people reminded that we are set apart for you in Jesus mighty name. If you believe it, say amen. Amen. Amen.
Distinction starts with a decision. I don't know if you've ever noticed the things that you take for granted. You probably don't because when they're working fine, you don't notice them. But when the things that you take for granted stop working, automatically you notice that they're not working right. When we got in the car to come to church this morning, I didn't pray that our car would start. I mean, I prayed for the 10:00 a.m. service, don't get me wrong. I prayed for you, but I did not pray for the car. When my husband got in, he pressed the button. And I just expected it to start. We just expect the things in our world to start tomorrow morning when we wake up at 5:00 a.m. to watch the World Cup final. We expect the internet to work. And let me tell you, there is nothing more frustrating when you see that little circle just loading, knowing that you are missing key parts of the game. We just expect things to work. Sam and I, I mentioned we moved, uh, to California six years ago. And in California, we have Fridays off. And so for Fridays off, our boys were in school. It was the very last Friday before summer vacation. And let me tell you, 14 weeks in America of summer vacation, parents, is a long time. So I was looking forward to my Friday off. And on a Friday off, we do absolutely nothing. I mean, we pastor and we preach. And so we get to Fridays and we maybe try to work out a little bit. We meal prep a little bit, but then we try to do absolutely nothing. And if I'm honest, I just wanted to binge watch TV. So, it came to this Friday a couple of weeks ago, and I began to meal prep a little bit. And then I noticed that my oven clicked on and off. And I thought, "That's odd, but it still warmed." And so, I ate it. And then the microwave, I noticed was flickering in and out. Thought that's odd. We live in an older part that's been renovated. And so I thought, you know, it's not uncommon. Well, I got on the treadmill in our garage just to get my step count out up. And mid-step count, it shuts off. Jolted to a halt. Now, lucky I have great core strength, or I would have fallen. But in that moment, I realized we've just lost power in our whole house. And it's my day off. Great. Good way to start doing absolutely nothing. Well, an email comes through from the, the electricity company. And I'm paraphrasing, but they emailed and said, "I'm so sorry. This was unexplainable. We have no idea what's happening. We don't have crews on the way. We have no time limit for you." I'm like, "Why are you emailing? You're just letting me know that you don't know what's going on and I want to know what's going on." And so, that was the beginning part of the morning, early hours of the morning. I had 100% battery on my iPad and my phone. As the day kept going on, we weren't receiving notifications. We weren't receiving anything to let us know what was happening. And our iPhones were diminishing in battery and our iPads were diminishing. And I thought, man, it's going to be time to pick up the kids soon. Well, at 3:00 p.m., we go and pick up the kids. And they get home. And let me tell you, they're not allowed screens during the week, but Friday they play the Xbox. We watch Friday night baseball. Go Padres. Um, and basically they got home and they couldn't understand why we couldn't just plug it into the wall and turn it on. My six-year-old was like, "Mom, let me show you." I'm like, "No, you don't understand. We've had no power all day." And it was fine while it was light, but something changed the minute it went pitch black in our house. The moment it went dark, every room that I walked into, every room, now remember, I know that the power is off, every room that I walked into, I instinctively went to put my hand out to put the light switch on. I would walk into the kids' bedroom and I would physically tell myself, "The power is off." My hand went out. I was even reminding my hand, "Do not go out." And then I would walk five minutes later into the kitchen, hand went out. Every single room. Every single time. Instinctively, even though I knew we had no power, even though I knew we had no lights, I would walk into a room filled with darkness and instinctively my hand would go out every single time. It was automatic. It was habit. It was baked in. It was routine. It was ingrained. Something built so innate and deep within me into my everyday routine that I couldn't override it. My brain couldn't tell me fast enough not to put my hand out. It was something that would happen in every room I stepped into. And honestly, I wasn't overthinking it. I wasn't even making a conscious decision about it. My hand just went for the switch because that's what it would always do. That's what it had always done. And standing there in the dark with my hand out at a light switch, it clicked. This is what our faith should look like. When everything goes round, everything goes dark around us. When we can't see the light, when we can't see the way forward, when we don't understand our circumstances or what's happening, we reach for the light, the true light that is Jesus Christ. It is not something you and I should have to think about or work ourselves up to. It is not something that requires the right circumstances, conditions or atmosphere or the right amount of light. Actually, I want our prayer and our faith life to be so habitual, so built into who we are. So deeply rooted into our daily life that even when everything goes dark around you, your hand, my hand, still reaches for Jesus every time. And that is Daniel. Actually, when the decree was signed, when darkness fell on his situation, when everything around him said, "This might cost you everything," Daniel went home and he did what he had always done. He reached for the light switch. He opened the windows. He got on his knees. He looked towards Jerusalem. And he began to pray three times a day the same way. He didn't have to think about it. He didn't have to change his actions. He didn't have to carefully weigh his options because his connection to God was so habitual, so consistent, so deeply wired and ingrained that even just the threat. We are not at the lion's den yet. In fact, we won't even get to it today. This is just the threat of the lion's den could not keep his hand from reaching, his eyes from looking towards Jerusalem, his body posture in prayer, his knees from dropping. Why? 'Cause it was built into who he was. And this is what we're talking about today. Not a faith that works when all the power is on, but a faith that works and reaches for God even in the darkness automatically. Distinction starts with a decision.
So, where are we at in the book? In California, we've been doing a teaching series. And so we were up to Daniel chapter 6, but I want to give you a little bit of context. Daniel is one of three leaders and he's directly under a leader named Darius. The Bible says that he shines over the other leaders because he has an excellent spirit. Daniel has a good attitude in his work and his life. And actually, just the attitude and his excellent spirit alone, this is what makes him the object of an attack. Simply, we could say that there are no skeletons in Daniel's closet. They examined his life and they found nothing to attack. So they had to make something up. They knew that they could attack only one thing in Daniel's life: his relationship with God. Now, this isn't to imply that Daniel is without sin because we know he's a man and he's sinful in nature. However, the Bible describes him with great integrity. We could say that Daniel was a man of great integrity, specific to government affairs, to his work, and his personal life. And these men, they know Daniel well. They know that he is committed to God, that he cannot be trapped into evil. And so they know the only thing we can attack is his relationship with God. McLaren, he says, "The world may not know the details of doctrine or the intimacies of worship with God, but they can tell a bad temper, selfishness, conceitedness, or dishonesty when they see it. The world is a very poor critic of my Christianity, but it is a very sufficient one of my conduct." And so probably to flatter the king, these other men, they pretend to make him a god for 30 days. "Oh, we're going to pray to you. We're going to get the whole nation to pray to you." They try to inflate his ego. "We're going to make you a god for 30 days." But actually, that wasn't their desire. That wasn't the goal. The goal was just to trap Daniel. It was to get Daniel, to destroy Daniel. And Daniel's enemies know that the people could be persuaded to do something that they wouldn't usually do if everyone was doing it. You ever encountered that? When everyone's doing it, you feel like this pull and this sway to agree with everybody. But what we realize is that they lied. We know that they lied because the Bible tells us that there's this language, this word, "all." "All of us." "All of the governors." There's three governors and two of them go to the king. So is two "all"? No. They left out Daniel. But I love it because they go to the king and they say, "We all got together. We all had this meeting. We all decided, king, that we should pray to you for the next 30 days. Daniel is not a part of it." So we know that they lied and he was not consulted. And it's an established principle that if a king were to sign a decree in this day and age, that it could not be undone because the king was signing it and saying it on behalf of the gods. The gods. He spoke on behalf of the gods, and the gods are never wrong. Therefore, the king is never wrong. So therefore, it could not be overturned. And Daniel is confronted with a test of loyalties. He's a loyal subject to his king. Yet, he knew that the King of Kings deserved his ultimate loyalty. And others perhaps considered it risky for Daniel to pray, as was his custom, what he had always done. But Daniel knew that the safest thing he could do was to radically obey God. You know, it's not, it's not hard to understand why we can tend to become people pleasers because we think that people have the power to hire and fire us, to break our hearts, to slander us, to make us live generally miserable lives. And yet, the power to obey God and to stand for him comes only from a settled understanding that actually, it is not people in control. It is God in control. And Daniel didn't let the decree change his actions one way or another. He didn't do more praying when the decree was signed. And he didn't do less praying. He just did what he had always done in his excellent prayer life. There was danger in both directions. It would have been compromise to do less, and it would have been pride to do more. So what was Daniel's custom in prayer? He went to his upper room. He opened the windows towards Jerusalem. And what we need to understand is that Jerusalem was the place where he came from. He was an exile from Judah. He looks at Jerusalem. He is in a foreign city with foreign gods, with foreign practices, foreign foods, a different culture. When the culture said to fit in, he opens the heavens towards the place of sacrifice. He bows his knee and he begins to pray three times a day. And he gave thanks. And they found Daniel praying like he always would and they throw him before King Darius. And there's a lot to like about King Darius. Actually, there's this phrase in one of the translations and it says that he was displeased with himself because he knew ultimately he was the one that signed the decree. He was the one that people came together and forced his hand. And it says he was displeased with himself. And the Bible ends in our verse 14 and it says he tried until sundown to change the outcome. When a, when a king would sign a decree, he had until sundown to make the execution happen. Darius worked all day until sundown. In a world that often rewards compromise and punishes integrity, Daniel stands as a towering example of what it looks like to live with such excellence that even your enemies cannot find fault in your life except in one area: your relationship with God.
I have this phrase that I live by and I have been living by it for a while, and it's called "decide once." You can adopt it if you want it to, but I have this phrase and it's to decide once. There have been moments in my life where I have made key decisions and key convictions where I have made a decision and I'm not going to revisit it. I have made that decision once and that is it. I turned 40 last year and, um, it's kind of wild coming back and seeing some of the young people in youth ministry having babies that I was leading. I'm like, "Wow, I've really aged." I turned 40 last year, but my commitment and one of my decide once was: I'm going to be stronger at 40 than I was in my 20s and 30s. And so, some things needed to change because in America, we have In-N-Out and Chick-fil-A directly next to us. And I can't be eating that every day. And so, some things needed to change. I needed to work out more. I needed to eat the right things. I needed to get my, uh, 10,000 steps a day in. And so, do I feel like working out? No, you probably don't either, but I made a decision that I was going to be stronger at 40. So, on the days when the pillow is calling my name and I want to hit reset on my alarm or just switch it off completely, I get up and I work out and I get my 10,000 steps in and I'll throw in some burpees for extra measure. Why? Because I already decided. And so when the little decisions or the little emotions try to pull me in the opposite direction, I come back to my true north, the decision that I've already made.
Another one that I had decided was: I have decided to be planted in our church, Hillsong Church, for the rest of my life. When I was 16 years old, I got saved on one of our summer camps. And I knew from that moment that I was going to be a part of our church, and I was going to pastor in one church for the rest of my life. Like Jesse said, I've been on staff this year for 20 years pastoring. And honestly, can I tell you, do I feel like preaching? No. I'm on vacation. You should be preaching. After 20 years, I can't tell you that every Sunday I feel like getting up and preaching. I made a decision, but let me tell you, there are a lot of feelings and emotions that try to pull me in the opposite direction. Try moving during COVID with a one-year-old and a three-year-old, moving into a house. But in America, they made a law where no one could move out and if you couldn't afford rent, don't worry about paying it. So there were no rentals on the market. Then move into a house where our shipping container was stuck for eight months. Nothing was in stock. We sat on a camping chair for about six months. Did I feel like preaching? No. I have kids in school. And in America, we have 14 weeks. 14 weeks summer vacation. We celebrate everything in America. Every week you got to bring something to school. Valentine's Day, Easter, Fourth of July, teacher appreciation, teacher's birthday, just to thank the teacher. Do you want to come in and read to the class? Don't worry, let's do a class party. Every week there is something and I'm like, exhausted. And then I get to Sunday and it's like, do I feel like preaching? No. But I made a decision once that I was going to be planted in our house, that I was going to pastor for the rest of my life, that I was going to preach the good news of Jesus, that I was going to point people to Jesus. So when the emotions try to pull me astray, it means that comfort doesn't win out. Although it will always try to get back up and take another swing. So even though you've decided once, you have to decide in the smaller decisions and point them to the overarching decision that you have already made. My choices alone determine whether I stay stagnant or steady. Your choices alone determine whether you stay stagnant or steady. And the one decision reveals what, or should I say, who you trust. And I trust when emotions are high, when challenges knock, and when feelings try to dictate. But here's what I've come to understand about decisions: they only hold as long as the conviction behind them does.
Daniel didn't wake up every morning and renegotiate his values over breakfast. When he was carried into Babylon, a foreign kingdom with foreign food, foreign gods, and foreign pleasure, he had already decided who he was. The text, it doesn't record a long internal struggle. Actually, it simply says all the way back in chapter 1 that he purposed in his heart not to defile himself. Decision made, filed away, done. One decision, decided once. So when the den of lions becomes the consequence of his conviction, Daniel didn't suddenly discover a loophole. He didn't pray quietly and draw the curtains closed to reduce the risk. No, he opened the windows because when you've already decided, the cost of the decision doesn't care who's watching. It just reveals how deep your conviction goes. And that is the difference between a feeling and a conviction. Feelings negotiate. Have you met them? They'll wake you up every morning. "Should you really do that today?" "You know what? If you just did this one more time and then maybe do something else." Feelings will negotiate. They'll pull you. Convictions don't. Feelings justify. "Well, just this one last time. Just sleep in. You don't need to go to the 10:00 a.m." "Just sleep. You don't need to show up to work. Just call in sick." Feelings will justify. Convictions will clarify. And honestly, it was not his nationality. It wasn't his education. It wasn't his connections. It was that he had purposed in his heart by himself. He had carried an extraordinary spirit. He lived with uncompromising integrity. He maintained a consistent prayer life. And he refused to take glory that belonged to God. And here's the good news: None of those things are reserved for Daniel.
God today is still looking for people whose lives make a distinct sound. People so set apart, so full of integrity, so consistent in their devotion that the world cannot help but ask, "What is different about that person?" The world is looking to you and I. And God has made you distinct for a reason. In your neighborhood, in your school, in your university, in your family. You are called to make a decision to live distinct, to be set apart for God. That is your calling. That is our distinction. And the bottom line, what made Daniel so distinct? It was not what he did. It is not the prayer formula. It was not what he did. It was who he was when nobody was watching. His public distinction was simply the overflow of his private devotion. Daniel had already decided who he was.
Have you decided who you are? Online, have you decided who you are? In the parenting lounges, have you decided who you are? In the room, have you decided who you are? Because distinction starts with a decision. So what makes Daniel so distinct? Number one, he purposed in his heart. I already mentioned it, but all the way back in chapter 1, verse 8, it says, "But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself." In the NIV, it says, "But Daniel resolved." The very first thing that we learn about Daniel is that he wouldn't, he wouldn't, um, look at the culture around him and be swayed and do everything that the culture was doing. He wouldn't eat what they were eating. He wouldn't drink what they were drinking. He wouldn't worship the gods they were worshiping. And the NIV tells us that he resolved. I love this word. I have had a love affair with this word for a very long time. Resolved. It means to be firmly decided. It's like a holy stubbornness. You know, I think stubbornness is probably not holy, but we can make it wholly stubbornness when we have firmly decided. And it's to be firmly decided. It means that you have made up your mind and nothing is going to change it. And do you notice that nobody told him to do this? There wasn't a mentor that sat down with Daniel and said, "I think you should purpose in your heart." You know, so often we're looking for a mentor or a pastor or a spouse or a leader or a friend to tell us what to do. I know this would never happen in Australia, but it happens, happens in California all the time, where people sit down and they're like, "If you just tell me to come to California, I'll come." And I'm like, "No, you live in Phoenix, stay in Phoenix." You know, there are different places and people. And yet, when we look at this, there is a resolve. Nobody sat down with Daniel and said, "I think you should do this." No mentor, no leader. He didn't get advice. He purposed in his heart and he decided for himself. Daniel made a private decision that became a public distinction. Your distinction tomorrow is being decided by your choices today. What you settle in your heart in private will eventually show up in your life in public. You and I, we can't live one way in secret and expect God to distinguish us in the open. We have to purpose in our heart. Number two, he carried an extraordinary spirit. Daniel didn't just purpose in his heart all the way back in chapter 1, but he carried an extraordinary spirit. Daniel 6:3, it says that he so distinguished himself. I love that the Bible adds in words like, "we don't really need."
So in there. Just Daniel distinguished himself. No, it wants to emphasize, God wants to emphasize that he so distinguished himself by his exceptional qualities. The New King James Version says, "Because an excellent spirit was in him." Scripture tells us that he had an extraordinary spirit.
What's interesting, and we don't have the time to go into it now, but all the way back in chapter 1, it says that he purposed in his heart not to defile himself, and he was actually a young man. You could say he was in youth ministry. He purposed in his heart under King Nebuchadnezzar. That's one ruler. If you jump to chapter 5, there's a different ruler, Beltazar. And then you jump to chapter six, we are under King Darius. So, what is that telling us? It's telling us that he has been around for a really long time. He didn't just purpose in his heart when he was a young person. He didn't just make a decision, but he did decide once, filed it away, continued in his relationship with God. And now in chapter 6, as a 70-year-old man, 70 years, he carried an extraordinary spirit through every season.
Do you know who noticed it? It wasn't his friends. It was his enemies who noticed his extraordinary spirit. It was the kings in every single chapter. All the way back in chapter 1, the first ruler, King Nebuchadnezzar, notices his extraordinary spirit. In chapter 5, King Beltazar, King Beltazar's wife notices. Now, in chapter 6, Darius notices and his enemies notice. Not the people closest to him, but the people in government, the people in authority, his enemies, they notice that he is a man that has an exceptional spirit within him.
In the message in verse three, it says that he is brimming with spirit and intelligence. Do you know that if he went for the job? Imagine if Darius is like, why should I give you this job as one of my rulers? and he says, "Well, I'm actually brimming in spirit and intelligence." I dare you to go to a work interview this week. And when they ask you, "Well, what sets you apart?" You're like, "Well, I'm brimming with spirit and intelligence." They just might give you the job on the spot. But actually, you shouldn't have to announce your distinction.
It should be evident in our lives. We shouldn't have to announce that we have spirit and intelligence and we have an extraordinary spirit. If the spirit is living in you, then you should be living an extraordinary life in every single part of your world. In your neighborhoods, at your dining table, everywhere.
He purposed in his heart. He carried an extraordinary spirit. He was trustworthy and corruption-free. This is big. Daniel 6:4 it says, "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." His enemies launched a full investigation into his life, like a deep dive. Like imagine if someone went deep diving into your life. That's kind of scary. They found nothing in Daniel's life. They could find no corruption in him because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. Integrity is not just about avoiding big sins. It's about the accumulation of small faithful choices over time. And Daniel didn't just have a clean record on the day when people were watching. He had a clean record on every day. Back under King Nebuchadnezzar, back under King uh Beltazar, back under King Darius. He had a clean record for 70 years.
He purposed in his heart. He carried an extraordinary spirit. He was trustworthy and corruption-free. Number four, he had an unbreakable prayer life. He had an unbreakable prayer life in Daniel 6:10. Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem and three times a day he got down on his knees and he prayed giving thanks to his God just just as he had done before. When the decree was signed that no one could pray to any king except King Darius, Daniel went home and he opened his windows and he prayed just as he had done before. His unbreakable prayer life remained the same. He didn't pray louder. He didn't pray differently. He didn't pray dramatically. He didn't wail and ask God for he just did what he had always done. Three times a day, every day towards Jerusalem the same way he had always done it. His courage in the crisis was simply his consistency before the crisis. I'll say it again. His courage in the crisis was simply his consistency before the crisis. Why? He went for the light switch every single time. When darkness was surrounding him, when the decree was signed, he didn't change what he was doing. He didn't say, "All right, I'm going to create a strategy. Let's have a meeting, boys." No, he got on his knees. He opened the windows towards Jerusalem, the place of sacrifice, the place where God was housed, the one true God in a foreign city with foreign gods and foreign foods, where he could easily fit into the culture. He had an unbreakable prayer life that said, "This might be a crisis, but I am consistent because I go for the light switch every single time." He didn't have to figure out what to do in the moment. because he had been doing it for years, 70 years, being faithful, praying three times a day. And the discipline of his prayer life meant that when pressure came, he didn't have to decide. He just had to continue.
He had already decided once as the team come. He purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself in this place. He carried an extraordinary spirit. He was trustworthy and corruption-free. He had an unbreakable prayer life. And finally, he never took credit for his gift. If you read the book of Daniel, and I encourage you to go do it, and you read through every change in leadership, every change in government official, every situation that Daniel finds himself in, he is asked if he can do it. And I love his response in Daniel 2:7 to 28. He's getting asked, "Can you interpret this dreams? I've heard great things about you. I've heard you're awesome. I've heard you can do this." And he responds and he says, "No." No wise man, no enchanter, no magician, no diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about. But but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. Every time that the world looked at his gift, that a leader looked at his gift, he pointed the glory back to God. Every time Daniel was used by God, he deflected the glory. He constantly said, "This is not in me. This is God in me." His humility kept his distinction pure. Pride will disqualify the very gift that was meant to distinguish you. Stay humble. Keep pointing to God. Keep giving God the glory. Because the moment you or I start taking credit for any gift that we have in our life, actually, we begin to lose the very thing that he wanted to to distinguish us in the first place.
Daniel was made distinct because he purposed in his heart as a young man under King Nebuchadnezzar, decide once, filed away. But for 70 years, he carried an extraordinary spirit. He was trustworthy and corruption-free. He had an unbreakable prayer life that when things got dark, he reached for the light switch. He got on his knees. He opened the windows. He lifted his eyes and he began to pray. And every time his gift was pointed out, he gave glory to God. How do you and I become distinct in a world where the culture says fit in? Well, we purpose in our heart. Yeah, we have to make a decision and no one can make it for us. Not a parent, not a spouse, not a leader, not a pastor, not even a church name. Nothing. You have to decide for yourself. You have to purpose in your own heart. And then we get to, and I love this. I don't think we should. I think it's a privilege. We get to carry an extraordinary spirit. You might not like the job you're in right now. Let me tell you, be the greatest person at that job. Carry an extraordinary spirit. Watch the doors open for you. Maybe you don't like being in school and studying right now. Watch what happens if you just be the voice of reason in that classroom. Watch the doors of heaven open. Be trustworthy and corruption-free. Have an unbreakable prayer life. I'm not saying pray 24/7, but have a life that says, "Thank you, God." Let your knees hit the ground. Let your eyes look towards God. Hit the light switch every single time. And then give glory to God every time he uses you. But it all starts with purposing in our heart.
You know, Daniel is just an Old Testament foreshadow of Jesus. I don't have time to go into all of it, especially the second part, him getting into the lion's den and coming up again, Jesus's resurrection. But Daniel was falsely accused. They couldn't find anything wrong. Jesus was falsely accused. There was nothing that he had done. He's even dragged before officials and they say, "I wash my hands. There's nothing in his life." And yet he finds himself in a garden and he prays, "Not my will, but your will." Jesus purposed in his heart and Daniel purposed in his heart.
This morning, I want to pray for everyone online, in the room, in any parenting lounge, if you can hear my voice, this prayer is for you. All across this place, would you close your eyes? Would you bow your head? with no one moving around right where you sit. If you don't have a relationship with Jesus, but you would like to this morning, it's as simple as asking him to come into your heart. In Romans, the Bible says that if you believe in your heart and you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, that he died and rose again, then you will be saved. It's not about ticking a whole lot of religious boxes. It is about believing and confessing. And right now I want to ask if you can hear my voice and you want to say yes to Jesus for the very first time right where you sit. Would you just slip up your hand? Just put it straight up in the air and straight back down. I'm not going to call you out. I'm not going to embarrass you. But I do want to know who I'm praying with and praying for right where you sit there online. If you're making this decision here in the room, just slip up your hand. Beautiful. So many people saying yes to Jesus this morning. I see you. You can put your hands down.
We're going to say this prayer together. Whether you're saying it for the very first time or whether you're recommitting your life to Jesus, you are purposing in your heart that Jesus has died for you that you believe that he is the son of God and you're inviting him into your life. And so all across this place, we're going to pray this prayer. But as a family, as a church community, we are celebrating this moment with you. So you're not on your own. We're all going to repeat these words together after me. Ready? Say, "Jesus." Jesus. Come on. Nice and loud from the front to the back. Even there online as you're watching in your living room. Say, "Jesus, today I choose you. As my Lord, as my savior. I believe that you died. And you rose again. So I could have life. Today I am forgiven. Of all my past mistakes. I believe I'm a Christian. In Jesus name. Would you help me live a life that serves you and honors you?" Amen. Amen. Amen.
Come on. Can we celebrate every person that just made that decision? It is the best decision that you could ever make. And I always tell our team in California and anyone making this decision, I I think there's two great days in your life. Like there's a lot in between, but there's two great days. the day you were born and the day you found out why. And today you if you made that decision, you just found out that you were made and born for a relationship with Jesus Christ. It is the best decision. We're cheering you on. We are celebrating you with you because we have been there. And so, listen, in a minute, Jesse's going to talk to us. We have a gift on behalf of our church. But I want to encourage us to stand for a minute. I want to remind us that distinction starts with a decision. Yes, as Hillong Church, we are called to be distinct. But you are called to be distinct. You personally in your workplace, in your neighborhood. We need people in our world who are set apart for Jesus. And I pray that we would remind ourselves that when we leave this place, we carry an extraordinary spirit that goes with us.
Would you stretch out your hands? Father, I thank you that your hand is upon every single person. Every man and woman and child, everybody that can hear my voice. God, I thank you that this year there would be moments that would mark us. where we would be in conversations that we never thought possible where people would ask what's different on our lives. I pray Lord Jesus for a people who are set apart for you a people who would carry extraordinary spirit into our workplaces where it feels dark. We would reach for the light into our schools and universities where it feels dark. We would reach for the light at our dining table where there's kids away from you and they come home where it feels dark and we would reach for the light where there is marriage uh problems and discussions and there's in a hard situation right now and Lord I pray that you would bring those people together because the light would go on. And so Jesus we remind oursel this morning we stretch out our hands. We bow our knees. We open the windows of heaven and we begin to worship and pray as a life declaration. Come on, church. Would you worship for a minute? Would you lift your eyes? Would you lift your voice? Come on. It's all for you. The songs we sing, the way we live, it's a declaration. All for you. Song. The way we live. An offering to Yeah. Heat. Heat. Heat. Yeah. Heat. Yeah. Heat. Yeah. Heat. Yeah. Heat.
What a beautiful morning in God's house. Can we really thank Carly Carrasco for that word? Distinction starts with a decision. And uh if you made that decision to give your life to Jesus this morning, we want to celebrate you. We want to congratulate you. We want to stand with you because we believe that God has great things for you in your life and he's called you to great things. And so, as a church, we're super committed to you and we'd love to have a conversation, see how we can help give you a gift. It's a it's a yellow book. It's the Good News Guide book. We've put it together to help you learn more about God and more about his plan for your life. And so it would be our greatest honor if you as you leave today would just stop and talk to one of our team wearing one of these lanyards. And we've made them nice and bright uh so they're visible so you can see them. And just stop and say, "Hey, I prayed that prayer. I'd love to get one of those uh good news guide books." And we'd love to have a conversation with you and give you a gift. Come on, one more time. Can we congratulate every single person and pray that prayer? And uh speaking of people making decisions tonight, everyone say tonight we've got baptisms. And I love that. I love that people are making a public declaration that I no longer live for just myself. And tonight we're going to be fully immersing people in water. And I tell you this, we've moved our PM service from 6:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Everyone put a five up. Five up. Yes. 5:00 p.m. We're back here in this room. And it's just going to be a special night. Love for our church to come back. Love for you to be in the house. Love for you, Here's the thing, to cheer on people who are making this public declaration, who have different stories and testimonies. And especially if we've been in church for a while, come tonight and cheer on and celebrate. I just love these nights. It's so powerful to watch people uh go down in the water and come back up. The old is gone and the new is here. And we're just believing for a great night in God's house. And lastly, church, as always, our prayer team will be out the front after the service. If you need prayer, want prayer, we always have a prayer team that come down. We'd love to pray for you, lay hands on you if you're willing, and really believe that God is working in your life. And so, come on, let me pray for you as we leave this morning and uh have a great day. But Lord, bless your people. Lord, may your face shine upon them and be gracious toward them. Lord, I thank you, God, that your hand is upon every single person, family in this room and online. God, I just pray for great opportunities this week. God, may we live lives that are distinctive, God, with an extraordinary spirit. May something be different about us. And may that not be this the testimony of our lives, but what people say about our lives in Jesus mighty name. Amen. Amen. Amen. We love you, church. We'll see you tonight at 5:00 p.m. Have a great week.