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Don't Let Babylon Rename You

Bishop Henry Fernandez Preached on 5/24/2026Daniel 1:3-7, Daniel 3:16-27

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Summary

Bishop Henry Fernandez challenges believers to resist the world system's attempts to reshape their identity, using the story of Daniel and the three Hebrew boys to show that our true names and purpose come from God alone.

Key points
  • •Babylon represents a world system designed to rewrite a believer's identity through changing their environment, education, and names.
  • •The enemy attacks your identity before he attacks your destiny; if he cannot destroy you physically, he will attempt to redefine you mentally.
  • •Biblical names often had God-centered meanings, while the Babylonian names given to the Hebrew boys (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) were linked to pagan moon gods.
  • •Kingdom culture allows a believer to reside in a system (Babylon) without allowing that system to reside in them.
  • •True spiritual backbone is being able to say, 'Our God is able to deliver us, but even if He doesn't, we will not bow.'
Scripture
Purpose
Spiritual Warfare
Character
Holiness
Faith
Life application

This week, identify one area where social pressure or 'Babylonian' culture is pushing you to compromise your principles. Intentionally choose to respond with kingdom values rather than conforming to the world's expectations, even if it means not getting 'likes' or approval.

Reflection questions
  1. In what ways have you allowed your past mistakes, trauma, or social status to define who you are instead of who God says you are?
  2. Are there 'Babylonian' names or labels people have placed on you that you need to reject today?
  3. The speaker mentioned that not every attraction or opportunity is divine. How can you better practice spiritual discernment in your current relationships and career?
  4. What does it look like for you to 'stand your ground' in your specific workplace or family environment?
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Full transcript
0:00And we're going to go to the book of
0:02Daniel this morning.
0:05Daniel chapter 1.
0:10We'll read just a few verses
0:14and
0:16we will pray
0:18and go into
0:22the continuation of the series we
0:25started
0:26titled I know I am.
0:31>> I know I am.
0:33Who are you?
0:36Do you know who you are?
0:38This is a question each and every one of
0:40us must answer. And in the book of
0:42Daniel,
0:45chapter 1,
0:47beginning at verse three,
0:51then the king ordered Ashpanh,
0:55his chief of staff to bring to the
0:58palace some of the young men of Judah's
1:02royal family and other noble families
1:06who had been brought to Babylon as
1:10captives.
1:12Select only strong and healthy and
1:14good-looking young men, he said. Make
1:18sure that they are well-versed in every
1:22branch of learning, are gifted with
1:25knowledge and good judgment, and are
1:28suited to serve in the royal palace.
1:30Train these young men in the language
1:34and literature of Babylon.
1:38And the king assigned them a daily
1:42ration of food, wine, and of his own
1:47kitchens.
1:48And they were to be trained for three
1:51years, and then they would enter the
1:54royal service.
1:57But Daniel and Anniah, Michelle, and
2:02Azeriah were four of the young men
2:06chosen, all from the tribe of Judah.
2:11Then the chief of staff renamed
2:16them.
2:18Then the chief of staff
2:21renamed them. I have to read that again
2:26>> because I really want you to see where
2:28we're going this morning.
2:30>> Then the chief of staff in a Babylonian
2:34system
2:37>> renamed
2:39them.
2:42>> I know I am.
2:45>> Well, whoever you say you are, is it
2:47your original identity
2:52>> or is it
2:53the definition of somebody else's
2:56identity they placed on you.
2:59>> And so the Bible says Daniel was called
3:03Belazar
3:04if I pronounced that correctly.
3:07Aniah was called Shedrach.
3:12>> Michelle was called Mach. Aariah was
3:16called Abendigo.
3:18WE HAVE ALL HEARD THESE NAMES. SHADRACH,
3:21MEACH, and Abedo. How many of us knew
3:23that that was not
3:26>> their original name? Somebody is walking
3:30around with a name somebody gave you
3:32that God never gave you.
3:36And so this morning as we continue on
3:40the series I know I am I want to use for
3:45a topic and I also have a subtopic this
3:47morning but the topic is don't let
3:51Babylon rename you.
3:56And our subtopic is the enemy's goal is
3:58to change your identity so that you
4:01never fully become who God created you
4:05to be. Father, bless your word today.
4:07Thank you that you're speaking to all of
4:10us. You are inspiring us to become the
4:13best version of ourselves. So I pray
4:16this morning that you would use me in a
4:19mighty way in Jesus' name. Amen. Come
4:22on, let's give him praise one more time
4:25and then you may be seated in the
4:27presence of the Lord.
4:31Now, this is important here
4:34where we're going with this this
4:36morning.
4:37Before I begin, I really want to um
4:42challenge every one of you
4:46to
4:48not ignore what God is trying to say to
4:51you in this series.
4:55Because when you ignore what God is
4:57trying to reveal to you about your
4:59identity, it can cost you your peace,
5:02your purpose, your relationships,
5:05your vision and your destiny.
5:09When you don't know who you are, it will
5:12cost you your destiny.
5:15Because you see, like the Hebrew boys,
5:19they're in a system that is not a part
5:23of their culture. That's why here at the
5:24faith center we talk about kingdom
5:26culture. You can be in another system
5:29but still hold to your kingdom culture.
5:33>> And so many people are struggling not
5:35because they are are untalented
5:39but because they have given or forgotten
5:43I should say who they are. It's not that
5:47you're not talented. It's just that you
5:49don't know who you are.
5:51The reason why you're struggling on the
5:53job, you're struggling in your family,
5:55in your finances, and in all areas of
5:57your life, in fact, even your love life,
5:59is simply because you don't know who you
6:01are. You have allowed a system to define
6:04who you are. So, at the faith center, we
6:08are not called merely to excite people
6:11emotionally.
6:14>> I'm just going to be playing with this.
6:16If you're looking for a church to excite
6:18you, this is not the church.
6:22>> If you're looking for a church where the
6:24preacher influence you in a way where
6:27you start making him or her Lord, this
6:30is not the church.
6:34But if you're looking for a word church,
6:36this is the church
6:38>> because we are designed and we've been
6:42assigned by God to develop people, to
6:45disciple people, and to equip people to
6:47become the best version of who God has
6:50created them to be. After all, that's
6:52what Paul said in Ephesians 4:12.
6:56He says the leadership of the church,
6:59the five-fold ministry of the church
7:02responsibility is to equip God's people
7:05to do his work and to build up his
7:09church.
7:10>> Not to build up preachers,
7:14>> come on now. Not not to build up
7:16preachers. And some of you ought to be
7:18ashamed of yourself because you love the
7:21preacher more than you love God.
7:28And that's WHY YOU WILL SACRIFICE YOUR
7:30DESTINY just to follow a preacher.
7:35>> You see, the enemy's strategy is is
7:39identity theft.
7:43>> It's to steal your identity. Recently, I
7:45spoke with a woman who was heartbroken
7:48over her son. She shared with me that
7:52she raised him in church, taught him
7:55God's word, sent him to Sunday school,
7:58and and and she gave him every
8:01opportunity to grow into a productive
8:05young man. But something happened
8:08somewhere along the way in in the
8:10journey of this young man. Uh he got
8:13into the wrong company and the wrong
8:15company influenced him. The wrong voices
8:19reshaped him. The wrong environment
8:22pulled him away. And she said something
8:25that was painful that maybe a lot of you
8:27parents are dealing with today. She
8:29said, "He is no longer the young man I
8:33raised.
8:35He's no longer the young man I raised."
8:38You say, "Well, preacher, how does that
8:40connect with the text?" You you you you
8:43find these men,
8:46you know, Daniel, Shedra, Meshach, and
8:48Abedneo, WHO WAS BROUGHT UP into a
8:51system. By the way, to give you a
8:53backdrop of the story, here it is that
8:55God permitted God permitted King
8:57Nebuchadnezzar to go into Jerusalem,
9:00capture Jerusalem, captured the people
9:03of Jerusalem, brought them to Babylon as
9:07slaves.
9:09kind of make us look back and say this
9:12is a cycle.
9:15>> Very familiar with this with what's
9:17going on with countries around the world
9:19feeling emboldened that they can just go
9:22into other people's country,
9:24>> other people's sovereignty.
9:28>> Yes, sir.
9:30>> To take from people.
9:32>> Don't be looking at me kind of strange.
9:34You know, this is true.
9:36you know, to go in and dominate and take
9:39from people. It's Bible, its history
9:43repeating itself. And so, uh, King
9:46Nebuchadnezzar brought people from Judah
9:50into this Babylonian system into
9:52Babylon. And he knew, listen to me, he
9:56knew the only way he could get THEM TO
9:59DO WHATEVER HE WANTED TO DO, he had to
10:02retrain their thinking.
10:06That's why parents, I'm telling you, I
10:08don't care what the system is trying to
10:10tell you to do. I don't care how your
10:12kids are are kind of resisting IT. TRAIN
10:15UP A CHILD THE WAY THEY should go.
10:19So when they are older, they will not
10:21depart from it.
10:24And King Nebuchadnezzar knew the only
10:26way he could get these boys to follow
10:29his system. And the people that he took
10:31from uh Jerusalem was to retrain them.
10:35You know what? They're going to have to
10:36dance after our music. They're going to
10:38have to speak our language. And we have
10:41to change their name.
10:44And so we find just like this woman who
10:46was telling me about her son, it's
10:49heartbroken when you know you have done
10:51everything to train your children and
10:54now your children is walking astray and
10:57and and been pulled away uh from the
11:01training that you have given them. And
11:02that reminds me of so many believers
11:05today. So many believers. Some somewhere
11:08along the way, life and culture, pain
11:11and trauma, relationships, social
11:14pressure, and the world system has
11:17attempted to reshape who God originally
11:21created us to be.
11:23>> If you're not careful, the culture of
11:26this world is trying to reshape even
11:29those of us who call ourselves kingdom
11:32citizens. That is exactly what happened
11:35in Babylon. Here are four things. You
11:38have four things I want to remind you
11:40about this text right now. Number one,
11:42Babylon's system was designed to rewrite
11:47the three Hebrew boys
11:49identity. King Nebuchadnezzar conquered
11:52Judah and he took the young Hebrew men
11:55into Babylon. These were not original.
11:59Watch this. These were not original men.
12:02They were chosen. These guys were
12:04gifted. I just read it to you. They were
12:06gifted. They were intelligent. They were
12:08strong people. And they had strong
12:11spiritual foundation. So let me talk to
12:13you parents for a moment. The reason why
12:16your child has been attacked by the
12:19enemy, the enemy knows there's something
12:21in that child. There's something about
12:24your child. HE'S NOT GOING TO GO AFTER
12:28PEOPLE AND CHILDREN who are not gifted.
12:32King Nebuchadnezzar knew that these boys
12:35were gifted. First of all, they were
12:37handsome. Read the text.
12:40>> They were handsome. They were
12:42intelligent.
12:44>> Yes.
12:45>> And it it it is so heartbroken when you
12:48pour into your child and you know your
12:49child has the ability to learn. Your
12:52child is a 3 point something 4 point
12:55something GPA. I mean they're good kids.
12:59and all of a sudden you're finding your
13:00kids in drugs. You're finding your
13:02child, you know, doing in the wrong
13:04company. It it's similar to what took
13:07place. King Nebuchadnezzar knew that the
13:10Bible didn't say he took the worst of
13:12Jerusalem.
13:14IT'S THE BEST.
13:17AND ANYTIME YOU SEE THAT YOUR life or
13:21your children's LIFE ARE BEING ATTACKED
13:23BY THE ENEMY IS BECAUSE HE SEES
13:26SOMETHING THAT YOU ARE NOT SEEING.
13:30>> HE KNOWS THAT GOD HAS CREATED you in a
13:34unique way. AND I WANT EVERY YOUNG MAN
13:37listening to me, whether you're in this
13:38room or you're out there streaming, I
13:41want you to understand this. The reason
13:43why you're feeling the way you're
13:45feeling. The reason why you're under
13:47pressure. The reason why you feel as if
13:50your identity has been tainted is
13:53because you're a target. There's
13:55something on the inside of you the devil
13:58wants to destroy. AND I HOPE TO GOD you
14:00will not allow him to do that.
14:04>> Are you hearing me?
14:07You see, if
14:10I cannot destroy you physically, this is
14:13Satan. Now,
14:14>> I will redefine
14:16you mentally.
14:20>> If I cannot destroy you physically, HE
14:23COULDN'T RESHAPE the boys identity. They
14:27were handsome. They were handsome.
14:29Listen, if you're handsome, you know
14:31you're handsome. You don't have to put
14:33on nothing.
14:36to enhance your look.
14:39>> This is what the society wants us to do.
14:41>> That's right.
14:42>> It wants to reshape us how we look
14:44externally. And that's WHY PEOPLE ARE
14:47KILLING THEMSELVES drinking stuff,
14:50taking stuff
14:53>> inwardly to fix the external.
14:58>> You know you're handsome. You know
15:00you're handsome.
15:02>> You know you're beautiful. you know
15:04you're beautiful. Well, who who gets to
15:06define what beauty looks like?
15:11>> You see, IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE
15:13DEFINITION OF THE world of what beauty
15:15is, THEN OF COURSE YOU'RE GOING TO LOOK
15:17AT the covers of magazines, you're going
15:20to look at people posting their picture
15:21on social media and you're going to
15:24think that is beauty.
15:27>> AND MOST OF IT, IT'S NOT REAL.
15:37I WANT TO TALK TO PEOPLE WHO AIN'T GOT
15:39NOTHING fake about you. EMBRACE
15:43YOUR AUTHENTIC SELF.
15:51>> I better leave that alone. I'm going to
15:52get in trouble with that.
15:56You see the ENEMY SAYS IF I CANNOT
15:59DESTROY THEM PHYSICALLY I WILL redefine
16:01them mentally. So Babylon
16:04used three strategies
16:08to do that. CHANGE THEIR ENVIRONMENT.
16:11TAKE THEM OUT OF JERUSALEM.
16:16Let's take them out OF THEIR HABITAT.
16:18TAKE THEM OUT OF THEIR COUNTRY. I'm not
16:21here to preach on slavery IS EXACTLY
16:26AFRICA'S NAME WAS NOT THAT ORIGINAL
16:28NAME.
16:30>> They changed the name of Africa.
16:33Do your research.
16:36AFRICA WAS NOT NEVER ORIGINALLY NAMED
16:38AFRICA.
16:40SO THEY SAID NOT ONLY WILL WE CHANGE
16:42THEIR REGION, BUT LET'S CHANGE THEM.
16:45TAKE THEM OUT OF THEIR environment
16:49>> and BRING THEM TO FOREIGN lands
16:53and we'll use them as our property. Same
16:56thing in the Bible.
16:58>> Nebuchadnezzar says, "LET'S TAKE THEM
17:01FROM JERUSALEM,
17:03BRING THEM into Babylon, OUR SYSTEM,
17:05THEN LET'S CHANGE THEIR EDUCATION,
17:08RESHAPE their thinking."
17:11It's why we're struggling today, even in
17:13this country, America, with our
17:16educational system, because we're not
17:18paying teachers well and they're leaving
17:21the SCHOOL SYSTEM. AND GOD KNOWS WHO IS
17:24IN THE classroom
17:26>> and the THINGS THAT WE'RE TEACHING our
17:28children. IT'S NOT PREPARING THEM FOR
17:31LIFE. IT IS a system.
17:36AND THE THIRD THING Nebuchadnezzar said
17:39we're going to do is change their names.
17:42Not only their environment, their
17:44education, let's change their names. And
17:47because if if their identity changes,
17:51their behavior will change.
17:55>> IF THEY IF THEY DON'T KNOW WHO THEY ARE,
17:58>> THEN THEY'LL change their behavior.
18:01So ladies and gentlemen, Nebuchadnezzar
18:04changed their names, watch this, to
18:06Babylonian names, Shedrach, Meek, and
18:09Abedo. And all, watch this. I did my
18:11research. All three names related to a
18:16moon god.
18:22>> Their original name
18:25HAD GOD CONNOTATIONS TO IT. It was all
18:29about God. BUT IN A BABYLONIAN SYSTEM,
18:33HE GAVE THEM A name where their name was
18:35now attached to witchcraft. In other
18:38words, spirits. That's why you better be
18:41careful what your name in your children.
18:46It may sounds crazy, but you see, these
18:48boys were given a name where it was
18:52attached to a spirit.
18:56These Babylonian names were linked to
18:58pagan gods.
19:01>> Pagan gods. Nebuchadnezzar's system was
19:05trying to erase their spiritual
19:07identity. Now, here's the lesson we must
19:10all learn. The enemy often attack or
19:14attacks our identity before he attacks
19:17our destiny.
19:18John 10:10 says, "The thief comes only
19:21to steal and to kill and to destroy."
19:26>> You see, he wants to steal our
19:28confidence, our convictions, our purity,
19:32our purpose, our kingdom identity.
19:36Here's the second thing I want you to
19:37understand about this text this morning.
19:40The world will always try to rename you.
19:45will always
19:47>> Babylon still exists today. Not as a
19:52city but as a system.
19:56>> We kingdom citizens, those of us who ARE
19:59FOLLOWERS OF JESUS CHRIST, we're in a
20:01Babylonian system. And this world will
20:05try to label you by your mistakes, your
20:09trauma, your failures, your divorce,
20:13your addiction, your insecurity, and
20:16your social status, your popularity, AND
20:19YOUR PAST.
20:21>> THEY USE ALL THESE THINGS
20:23>> TO redefine who you are. But your
20:26identity is not based on what happened
20:28to you.
20:30These boys were pulled out of Jerusalem
20:33and they did not allow a new location to
20:37change WHO THEY ARE. IN FACT, AS you
20:39read the story, especially in chapter 3,
20:42you find out that even though these boys
20:45were pulled away from their original
20:48place, Jerusalem, WENT TO BABYLON, THEY
20:50STOOD THEIR GROUND.
20:54>> You can stand your ground AT THE
20:56WORKPLACE. YOU CAN STAND YOUR GROUND AT
20:58THAT family dinner when everybody else
21:00is living ungodly. You can stand your
21:02GROUND AND SAY, "I'M A KINGDOM CITIZEN.
21:05I'm not going to behave like that. I'm
21:06not going to SPEAK LIKE THAT. I'M GOD'S
21:09CHILD." Are you hearing me this morning?
21:12>> You see, your identity is based on who
21:15God says you are. 2 Corinthians 5:17
21:18says, "IF ANYONE BELONGS TO CHRIST, THEN
21:21HE IS WHAT? HE'S MADE NEW."
21:24>> HE'S MADE NEW. 1 PETER 2:9. You're a
21:26chosen people. You're a royal
21:28priesthood. Remember, King
21:31Nebuchadnezzar were training these guys
21:35so that they can serve in the royal
21:38family.
21:40Listen to me. This is why you don't get
21:42yourself messed up, man. I know. I know.
21:45We we we look at television. We look in
21:47on social media and we look in in over
21:50in Europe and we see all these princes
21:52and these kings and and right here in
21:54America, folks want to be king and and
21:57queens and and everything like that and
21:59we try to, you know, because the idea is
22:01to get you to worship.
22:04>> The idea, watch this, is for you to
22:07erase your identity.
22:10>> Come down and bow down to King
22:13Nebuchadnezzar.
22:16But the thing I see my culture teaches
22:19me you ain't better than me.
22:22>> We are from the same God.
22:27>> You're not better than me. We're all
22:28from the same God. WE SERVING THE SAME
22:31GOD. AND THESE BOYS STOOD THEIR GROUND
22:34TO SAY, "LOOK, I DON'T CARE WHERE YOU
22:36TAKE US FROM. NO MATTER WHERE WE GO,
22:39we're still God's chosen people."
22:42Somebody ought to give God praise for
22:44that.
22:46The third thing I want you to know is
22:48that Daniel and the Hebrew boys
22:51resided in Babylon while remaining true
22:54to their identity.
22:56>> That is kingdom culture.
22:58They were in Babylon but Babylon was not
23:01in them.
23:04>> You can be in this WORLD BUT NOT OF
23:07>> THE WORLD.
23:09>> Daniel 1 vers8 it says that. Watch this.
23:11And I I got to read this. Please put it
23:13on the screen. And I got to show them
23:14this cuz this is not my words. Daniel
23:18proposed in his heart that he would not
23:22defile himself.
23:25>> CAN YOU IMAGINE IF GOD'S PEOPLE WOULD
23:28WALK AROUND IN A BABYLONIAN SYSTEM and
23:32say, "I will not defile
23:35myself.
23:37I WILL HOLD TRUE TO my kingdom
23:40principles." HE REFUSED TO COMPROMISE.
23:44Cuz you see, you can work in the world,
23:47lead in the world, build in the world,
23:49but never lose your godly distinction.
23:52>> Romans 12:2 says, "Do not be conformed
23:56to the patterns of this world. But be
23:59what? Transformed." It says,
24:01>> It says, "Be transformed by the renewing
24:04of your mind." Number four,
24:07here are four things under number four
24:09that you must guard with all of your
24:13heart
24:14if you are going to not allow the
24:17Babylonian system to rename you. Number
24:21one, and this is very important. Number
24:23one, everybody, especially the younger
24:25generation, please listen to your
24:27pastor. Please listen to me. I'm not
24:30old. I'm 26. Just reverse 62. Let's
24:34switch the numbers around. Just switch
24:35them around. I ain't lying. I'm 26. Just
24:39switch the numbers.
24:42I've been around long enough.
24:45>> Guard your spiritual discernment.
24:51>> IF SOMETHING DOESN'T FEEL RIGHT,
24:58>> it's not right.
25:01WHEN SOMETHING IS SPIRITUALLY OFF, PAY
25:04ATTENTION.
25:06>> NOT EVERY ATTRACTION IS assigned to you.
25:11>> PLEASE HEAR ME. AND THIS GOES FOR ALL OF
25:14US. NOT EVERYTHING THAT IS ATTRACTIVE is
25:16assigned TO YOU.
25:18>> HEY, glory to God.
25:22>> NOT EVERYTHING THAT LOOKS GOOD IS
25:24ASSIGNED TO YOU.
25:26NOT EVERY GUY THAT COMES TO YOU, HE MAY
25:28BE HANDSOME, fit the profile. NOT EVERY
25:31GOODLOOKING DUDE is yours.
25:37>> Not every good-looking woman is yours.
25:42>> Sometimes you got to say pass.
25:48I know. I know some of you are having a
25:50warm time receiving this.
25:53NOT EVERY OPPORTUNITY IS DIVINE.
25:59>> Just because the opportunity looks like,
26:01oh, you can make money out OF IT. NOT
26:04EVERY OPPORTUNITY IS DIVINE.
26:09>> SOME PROPOSITION YOU NEED TO SAY, NOT
26:11ME. NO, not me. Not I won't be a part of
26:14it cuz I don't want to go to jail.
26:20Only 50 people saying amen. But I'm
26:22still going to preach.
26:24NOT EVERY RELATIONSHIP IS HEALTHY FOR
26:27YOU.
26:33>> SO GUARD YOUR SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT.
26:36>> WHEN YOU SEE UNHEALTHY THINGS, WALK
26:39AWAY.
26:42>> Walk away.
26:45>> NUMBER TWO, GUARD YOUR SPIRITUAL
26:47IDENTITY. YOUR IDENTITY, WATCH THIS, IS
26:49NOT IN THE APPLAUSE OF PEOPLE.
26:55>> IF YOU ARE WALKING THIS PLANET WANTING
26:58PEOPLE TO PAT YOU ON THE BACK,
27:02>> got to watch out.
27:04>> YOUR IDENTITY IS NOT IN LIKES.
27:09>> It's not in likes. IT'S NOT IN
27:11FOLLOWERS.
27:12AND WE'RE IN A SOCIETY TODAY WHERE
27:15PEOPLE are passionate about likes.
27:19>> You're making MONEY ON TIK TOK. SO YOU
27:22COMPROMISE YOUR GODLY character
27:26>> for likes.
27:36>> I want likes.
27:38>> IT'S ALL BUT IS GOD PLEASED with you?
27:41That's right.
27:42>> We got we we got to do this for likes
27:44and so forth because WE DO KNOW TRASH
27:47sells more
27:49>> than healthy things.
27:53>> So we put out stuff up there. We want
27:55people to follow us and so forth. Your
27:58identity is not in your appearance.
28:02>> PLEASE, ESPECIALLY THE YOUNGER
28:04GENERATION, STOP killing yourself trying
28:08to look good.
28:10for people to like you.
28:13>> You're going to ruin yourself.
28:16>> You're going to run yourself bankrupt.
28:19>> Right? And and you some of you may not
28:23like this now, but cuz see, I'm telling
28:25you young ladies, let me talk to you
28:26here. Let me talk to you. If you got to
28:31go half naked
28:34>> for a guy to like you, let me talk to
28:37you from a man's perspective.
28:40He's not going to marry somebody who is
28:43flaunting themsself to the world.
28:49Okay. Okay. Okay. All right. Let me
28:51leave that alone. I'm just kind of old
28:53school. So, uh, you you you don't need
28:57to compromise your appearance
29:00>> just for that boy to like first of all,
29:02he ain't got no money. He ain't got no
29:04principle. He's not disciplined. DON'T
29:07LOWER YOUR STANDARDS.
29:11ANYWAY ANYWAY
29:15I see some of you ain't coming back next
29:17week.
29:20>> YOU SEE, THE DAY YOU START LIVING FOR
29:22APPROVAL, you risk losing your true
29:25identity.
29:27>> Galatians 1:10 says, "I am trying to win
29:31people's approval."
29:33>> Am I trying to win people's approval?
29:36God's approval.
29:40>> Is it God's approval? It's It's like a
29:42pastor.
29:44There are some decisions I have made
29:46some people don't like
29:50>> and it will cost me. You see I if if I
29:55start living just to please you
29:58>> then you control me not him
30:04and I promise you for the rest of I
30:07don't care who leave me I'm on the
30:09Lord's side I will forever serve him cuz
30:14you know WHAT WHEN I STARTED THIS CHURCH
30:16IT WAS ONLY two people crowd don't
30:19impress me what impressed me is the word
30:23of God. Are you going to live it?
30:29>> Glory to God, man.
30:33>> SO, REFUSE TO LET CULTURE REWRITE YOUR
30:37PRINCIPLES.
30:39>> The culture may pressure you, but God
30:42uh uh preserve you and he is preparing
30:45you so that you don't compromise
30:49what he has put in you. The Hebrew boys
30:52were commanded to bow.
30:55To bow. But here's what they said. They
30:58said, "Our God." See what I just told
31:01you? You got to have backbone.
31:05>> You got to have backbone. Too many of us
31:08are compromising because we want the
31:14backbone. AND HE SAID, "OUR GOD IS ABLE
31:18to deliver us,
31:20>> BUT EVEN IF HE DOESN'T,
31:27>> IN OTHER WORDS, WHAT THEY WERE SAYING is
31:29we're WE'RE WE'RE GOING TO HONOR OUR GOD
31:32EVEN IF he doesn't give us anything.
31:36Give us what we want." SOME OF US are
31:38only serving God for the fish and the
31:40bread.
31:43What if you never experience another
31:45miracle? Would you still go to church?
31:50>> What if the preacher doesn't preach a
31:52sermon that you like?
31:56>> Like today, I'm preaching some stuff
31:57that's hitting you right between your
31:59eyes. You know you're guilty. You know
32:01the word is slapping you and whipping
32:03you from left to right.
32:07Will you still go go to church even when
32:09the word is whipping you? Because you
32:11see, if you get offended when a preacher
32:13preaches, then your attitude is off.
32:20>> Because the messages we leaders,
32:22spiritual leaders preach is not to make
32:25you feel good.
32:29>> It's to make you be in compliance with
32:31the will of God.
32:35>> You don't tell your children everything
32:37that they want to hear.
32:41You tell them what is right.
32:45>> That's it.
32:46>> AND ALL OF US MUST RECOGNIZE THIS AS A
32:49people that God wants us to be like
32:52these boys. Even if he doesn't deliver
32:54us, we're not going to bow.
32:57>> Number four, never fear the fire.
33:02>> Never fear the fire. Nebuchadnezzar
33:04threw them into the furnace, but the
33:06fire revealed God's presence with them.
33:09Some of you don't like trouble. Not try
33:11to close it. You don't like trouble. You
33:14try to hide away from trouble. I tell
33:17you what, I've lived my life for a long
33:19time. I don't want no drama. I don't
33:20want no trouble. But I'm telling you,
33:22trouble will find you.
33:27>> For some of us, trouble looking for us.
33:30>> Trouble will find you. These boys didn't
33:33didn't ask for this. They were thrown
33:35into the fire. And some of you are in an
33:38emotional fire, financial fire, family
33:40fire. You're in a spiritual warfare
33:42right now. You're in in in a fire of a
33:45form of temptation, a fire of betrayal,
33:49and a state of opposition. So many
33:52things are coming against you. But I'm
33:54telling you, listen to me. If God IS IN
33:57THE FIRE WITH YOU,
34:02>> if God is in the fire with you,
34:07You don't have nothing
34:10>> to worry about.
34:12>> JUST DON'T LET THE Babylonial system
34:17>> rename you,
34:20>> reshape you,
34:23>> cuz it's so easy. We compromise
34:26>> cuz we don't want to get burned. My God,
34:32>> I'll compromise because
34:34that's the only way I can get by on the
34:36job.
34:38We compromise. That's how I get my
34:41family to accept me.
34:44We compromise because that's how I get
34:46the likes.
34:49That's how I get the likes.
34:52What I love about these boys, and I'm
34:55closing. I don't know who this message
34:56was for.
34:58What I love about these boys, man, I was
35:00looking at them and I'm like, they were
35:04taken from their homeland,
35:07>> brought into a foreign country
35:10that has rules that are contrary to how
35:13they were brought up,
35:16>> yet not once
35:19they allowed
35:21their godly character to be compromised.
35:25>> Amen. Amen.
35:26>> Wow.
35:28Not once.
35:30Not once. How many of us are walking
35:33around when the pressure of life hits
35:35us?
35:37When people start criticizing you.
35:40Watch this. Follow me here.
35:44When they make themsel the victim
35:50and make you look like the bad guy.
35:56What happens when your family members
35:58start spreading lies on you?
36:02>> Do you go on social media and blast them
36:04too?
36:04>> No.
36:06>> Do you watch this now? Do you take on
36:09their nature
36:11>> and start working witchcraft against
36:14them?
36:15These boys names were changed
36:19to a Babylonian name that was attached
36:21to God's
36:24>> in Babylon. It was the common practice
36:27for people not to look to the true and
36:30living God for help. These people, it
36:32was common to practice witchcraft.
36:35>> Yes, sir.
36:37>> And there's somebody listening, somebody
36:39in this room,
36:41>> you've been pressured by life.
36:44You are a Christian. Listen to me. You
36:47are a Christian. Born again.
36:50>> My God.
36:51>> And you're in the palm readers store.
36:56>> My God.
36:59>> You are taking money. You don't even
37:01give to the church.
37:03>> God,
37:04>> but you will go to a palm reader
37:09>> to tell you of your future. Jesus,
37:12>> you're wearing jewelry that
37:16>> was already sacrificed to something.
37:21>> You got stuff on your body
37:24>> that represents a pagan system.
37:30>> And the rituals you're performing, the
37:32candles up in your house, DON'T BE
37:34SHOUTING ME DOWN NOW. I'M GOING TO TELL
37:36IT THE WAY I GET IT.
37:40You're burning all these things
37:44and doing all these things cuz you have
37:46compromised. YOU HAVE LOST YOUR
37:49spiritual identity. YOU NO LONGER
37:52BELIEVE THAT GOD CAN DELIVER YOU UNDER
37:56THE PRESSURE WHILE YOU'RE going through
37:58the fire.
38:01So now you chanting stuff,
38:06>> you wearing stuff
38:09>> for your protection
38:13>> cuz you'll become like the Babylonians.
38:17>> You don't even believe like Daniel. Even
38:20if he doesn't,
38:23>> we're still not going to wear it.
38:27>> We're still not going to light it.
38:33Woo. Glory to God.
38:36>> Bow your heads cuz I see some of you
38:37looking at me like this the last Sunday
38:40in this church.
38:43>> Bow your heads with me. Do me a favor if
38:45you don't mind.
38:47>> Hold the person's hand next to you. You
38:49can use hand sanitizer after. I know.
38:54I know some of you can. We we'll give
38:57you hand sanitizer in just a minute, but
39:00hold that neighbor by the hand. Let me
39:02pray with you.
39:05Thank you for a little extra minute this
39:07morning.
39:10But I want to challenge this church.
39:15If you have given up your name
39:19and have now functioned under the system
39:23that is contrary to the word of God,
39:28could you change please?
39:31Could you just ask God to help you
39:35to live in a Babylonian system but yet
39:38hold on to your spiritual identity?
39:40Could you do that? Could you allow him
39:43to
39:45to rewrite your name back to the
39:49original name he gave you? Your holy
39:52royal priesthood.
39:55You are a peculiar people. You're
39:58special. You're gifted. You're not too
40:02young to redeem yourself. You're not too
40:04old to dream again.
40:07Would would you just identify
40:12with what the message was today by
40:15saying, "I'm in the system. You you're
40:17not going to leave Babylon. You're in
40:19it. You're in this world, but you're not
40:21of it." Could you just for one moment
40:23just ask God to help you to identify and
40:27know who you are so that you can become
40:30the best version of yourself? Father, I
40:33have done my best
40:36to make this sermon so plain to your
40:38people
40:40so that they can look at biblical
40:42context
40:44and apply it to their everyday life.
40:48But you're still looking for Shadrach,
40:50Meek, and Abedneo. still looking for men
40:53and women who will stand up in a culture
40:58that is threatening us to compromise.
41:04And if we don't, we're going to be
41:05burned.
41:09Help us
41:11to stand true
41:13and to believe that God, we can still be
41:17the salt and light of the world.
41:21Because you know our name.
41:25You know our name.
41:28The name that you've given us is not
41:31what people have labeled us us to be.
41:34Oh, those crazy people.
41:37Those people make a lot of noise. Those
41:39people who go to church.
41:41Those hypocrites.
41:43Those people who are going to worship
41:45God and worship a man. Oh, they've given
41:48us names. We're crazy. We're this.
41:52We're illiterate. We're poor. We're
41:54black. We're white. We're this. Oh, then
41:57the the label is there.
42:01We're not of that class. We're not
42:03intelligent enough. God, help us to know
42:09that you've given us a name. A name that
42:13no one can erase. And if we embrace whom
42:16you've called us to be that we can
42:19experience your presence in the trials,
42:23your presence in the fire, your presence
42:27in the struggle, your presence in the
42:29lack that we experience every single
42:32day. Holy Spirit,
42:36we surrender it all to you. And we ask
42:39that Lord, this week you'll give us an
42:41incredible week. That we'll go into the
42:44marketplace
42:46this week and we will hold true to our
42:49identity no matter the pressure.
42:52No matter the pressure and we give you
42:55all the praise, the honor, and the glory
42:58in Jesus name. Amen. Come on, let's put
43:01our hands together. Thank God for the
43:03word.
43:04Please stand, everybody. Please stand.
43:08Please stand. I want you to sing that
43:10song. Yes. Please prepare. He knows my
43:13name. That's what we're going to go out
43:15with today. Listen, I want to see all of
43:17you Wednesday. I'll be teaching on
43:19Wednesday. Bible study. Men, we want to
43:22see at the event on Friday. Uh young
43:24adults, you have a worship night here on
43:27Friday. We look forward to seeing you
43:29all. I hope you enjoyed today's service
43:32and the sermon. Amen. Don't let Babylon
43:37rename you. You keep your kingdom
43:40identity. Come on, lift let's lift both
43:42hands and say our confession. Faith in
43:45God will move mountains out of our
43:48lives. God bless you. We'll see you.
43:50Thank you so much. God bless you.