Deciding to be a NONCONFORMIST

Lesson 1

Source: Daniel 1; Romans 12:2; 1 Timothy 4:12; Jeremiah 25:1-14, 29:1-4; 2 Chronicles 36

It’s becoming more and more difficult to be a Christian in America, especially if you embrace the Bible’s teachings on sin and salvation. We live in an era of the “New Tolerance,” which means everything is tolerated except Christianity.

The marketplace is filled with examples of this every day. If you openly state your belief that the Bible identifies certain practices as a sin, it’s labeled as hate speech. If you declare the Bible’s teachings on the sanctity of life, you are considered “anti-woman.” If you believe the Bible teaches that sex should only be experienced in the confines of marriage, you are labeled a prude. If you believe that God assigns your gender, you are labeled a bigot.

This should not alarm us or catch us off guard. Jesus, Peter and Paul warned us that this world will not accept us. It is in the context of opposition that we see the greatest examples of the Gospel flourishing and lives changed. This is why Paul commands us to “not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds” (Romans 12:2).

Later, Paul tells Timothy how a young man can be an example to others in “speech, conduct, love, faith and purity.” The message is clear, we are surrounded by a world system that is anti-God, and God calls us to be “NONCONFORMISTS.”

Setting

Perhaps there is no better example of a NONCONFORMIST, then Daniel. Daniel lived in a time when his culture had turned their backs on God, much like ours has. A quick read of 2 Chronicles 36 and Jeremiah 25 give you a context that the, so called, “people of God” had chosen to disobey God. Their sin resulted in God’s judgment, and God sent the Babylonians to destroy Jerusalem and take His people into captivity.

That’s what sin does. Sin always leads to destruction. When we turn our backs on God, we will reap destruction and death. Jesus told us in John 10:10 that our enemy deceives us and desires to “steal, kill and destroy” us. But God calls us to be NONCONFORMISTS and not give into the sin. Jesus promises those who seek Him and obey Him abundant life.

The book of Daniel opens in this context, the people of God are being taken off into captivity. The king, Nebuchadnezzar, had the custom of taking the best and brightest of the conquered territories back to Babylon. His goal was to make these captives good little Babylonians and then they could help rule the conquered territories.

Daniel and his three friends were among the many taken from Judah to Babylon. Their captivity was like a forced study abroad situation. They were put in the finest schools, they were given nice accommodations, they had the king’s personal food plan, but they also had tests they had to pass. They were given new names too, as a way of reminding them that their homes and gods had been defeated (or at least that’s what the Babylonians thought).

Daniel – “God is my judge” to Belteshazzar – “oh Lady (wife of Bel) protect the king”

Hananiah – “Yahweh is gracious” to Shadrach – “command of Aku (the moon god)”

Mishael – “Who is what God is?” to Meshach – “who is what Aku is?”

Azariah – “Yahweh is a helper” to Abednego – “servant of Nebo”

There were a lot of changes in a foreign culture for these boys. But they did not forget about their God.

The Decision

Being a NONCONFORMIST, means you have to make tough decisions. Each of those decisions will cause you to stand out. The question you have to ask yourself is, “why am I a NONCONFORMIST?” Another question is, “Is my cause worth it?”

For Daniel, it was because of His love for God and commitment to obediently walk with Him wherever he was. Daniel willingly took the classes, he accepted the language change, and he even accepted being called by a different name. But he drew the line when the king’s command violated God’s command.

God’s Law prohibited certain types of meat. It also prohibited the faithful from eating food sacrificed to idols. You see, the Babylonians would prepare their food with a ceremony to honor their pagan God’s. Eating that food was a way to worship the false gods. Daniel and his three friends refused to defile themselves by disobeying God’s Law.

[Just for clarification, God is not opposed to us eating meat. This was a violation because of the pagan rituals. Meat is good.]

“But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself.” Daniel 1:8

Now I am a foodie. I love all kinds of food and who doesn’t love a good BBQ? Here we have four guys between the ages of 13-17 being offered the best BBQ in the world. Their response is, “God is more important than our appetite!” Their love for God was worth the decision to be a NONCONFORMIST.

The Test

Now that Daniel was resolved to do the right thing, as a NONCONFORMIST he had to do something about it. The problem was he was in a foreign and ruthless land. There is a good chance his nonconformity could lead to his own death.

Daniel politely requested the option to skip the king’s food and eat a vegetable diet that would honor God first. Ashpenaz, the guy in charge, was reluctant to grant the request because his own life was on the line. He had to produce quality candidates to the king and if they were not ready he could lose his life.

Daniel came up with a test, a trial run at this new diet. He asked Ashpenaz to give them 10 days and then check in on them. If they were hanging with the crowd then they should be allowed to continue their diet. Ashpenaz agreed to the terms.

Notice in this story that Daniel was the one to resolve in His heart to do the right thing and honor God. Then we see that his three friends joined him. As a NONCONFORMIST, it’s important that you have like-minded friends that you care for. They had a godly friendship that supported each other as they stepped out in faith.

This is why church and youth group are so important. You need to have fellow NONCONFORMISTS in your life, the ones who are not conforming to this world the same as you. Friends who love Jesus more than the appetites of this world. Jesus said that the world will know we are His by our love for each other.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego cared for Daniel and joined him in pursuing God first.

The Results

After 10 days they were tested among all the other captives. Don’t you hate waiting for the results of a test? When that day came, Ashpenaz was surprised to see that the 4 Hebrew boys were far better off than all the others who ate the king’s diet. They were healthier and more alert. Their scores were off the charts.

Daniel and his friends not only allowed their love for God to motivate them into being NONCONFORMISTS, nor only allow their love for each other to take the risk, but they diligently followed through with their decision.

It’s one thing to think the right things, or say you believe something, but the way you live communicates far louder what you believe. Living with integrity communicates to those around you what your true passions are. Are you living in such a way that others around you know that you are a Christ follower? Daniel did.

As we continue, we see that God blessed the obedient Hebrews for their faithfulness. They passed the 10 day test, but even more than that, they completed the course work at the top of the class. But it doesn’t end there. When king Nebuchadnezzar tested them, he found they were wiser and far more understanding then any of his advisers. There faithfulness to communicate their love for God led them to positions to influence the king.

The first chapter of Daniel challenges us to live a NONCONFORMIST life. Don’t allow the present difficulties to deter you from being faithful to God and His Word. There are somethings we can accept about a changing culture, but there are lines we should not cross.

NONCONFORMISTS take stands, but not in an obnoxious way. Daniel didn’t defy Ashpenaz in a rude way, but graciously requested an opportunity to honor God before the king.

Let’s learn to be the Daniel kind of NONCONFORMISTS. That our love for God and our relationships we hold help us to live out what we believe faithfully. We will learn that risking for God is never really a risk to begin with. He is alive, active and He promises to be with us every step of the way.

Is your cause worth nonconformity? Another way to phrase this question, “is Jesus worth it?”