WEBVTT - Uncommon 0:00:00.240 --> 0:00:02.640 You and your dog are close, like watch each other 0:00:02.680 --> 0:00:04.960 go to the bathroom close, But you could be even 0:00:05.000 --> 0:00:08.880 closer with BarkBox. Every month, BarkBox brings dogs and their 0:00:08.920 --> 0:00:12.639 humans together with original toys and delicious treatment. Sign up 0:00:12.640 --> 0:00:14.880 now at BarkBox dot com. Slash iHeart. 0:00:15.400 --> 0:00:18.119 No one likes to talk about money. Am I saving enough? 0:00:18.200 --> 0:00:20.239 Can I buy a house? Am I paying too much 0:00:20.280 --> 0:00:22.960 in taxes? Will I be able to retire? What if 0:00:23.000 --> 0:00:25.600 you could unlock insights about your finances in less than 0:00:25.600 --> 0:00:28.080 five minutes, with a clear picture of where you stand 0:00:28.080 --> 0:00:30.880 today and where your money can work harder. 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It's time 0:01:00.120 --> 0:01:02.200 to get the recognition you deserve and earn a degree 0:01:02.200 --> 0:01:04.840 you'll be proud of, one that employers will trust and 0:01:04.920 --> 0:01:07.119 respect when you take the next step in your life 0:01:07.120 --> 0:01:10.280 and career. Make it count with Purdue Global produce online 0:01:10.319 --> 0:01:14.920 university for working adults. Start your comeback at Purdueglobal dot edu. 0:01:15.680 --> 0:01:19.240 Welcome to the Jiell Loostine Podcast. Help leu's continue to 0:01:19.280 --> 0:01:22.160 share the message of hope with those all over the world. 0:01:22.680 --> 0:01:26.240 Visit joeloostin dot com slash give hope to give a 0:01:26.240 --> 0:01:34.920 gift today. 0:01:37.720 --> 0:01:40.320 Well, God bless you. It's a joy to come into 0:01:40.360 --> 0:01:43.120 your homes and if you're ever in our area, please 0:01:43.160 --> 0:01:45.880 stop buying. Be a part of one of our services. 0:01:46.000 --> 0:01:48.360 I promise you we'll make it feel right at home. 0:01:48.640 --> 0:01:51.480 But thanks for tuning in today. I like to start 0:01:51.480 --> 0:01:54.320 with something funny, and I heard about this man. He 0:01:54.440 --> 0:01:57.120 called the church office and said, I want to speak 0:01:57.120 --> 0:02:01.520 to the head hog at the trough. The secretary was offended. 0:02:01.880 --> 0:02:04.080 She said, if you mean the pastor, you're going to 0:02:04.160 --> 0:02:06.560 have to call him pastor, but you may not call 0:02:06.640 --> 0:02:09.079 him the head hog at the troth. He said, well, 0:02:09.120 --> 0:02:11.919 find but I was thinking about making a five thousand 0:02:12.000 --> 0:02:15.639 dollars donation to your church. She said, hang on, poor kid, 0:02:15.800 --> 0:02:19.600 just walked in. Say it like you mean it. This 0:02:19.680 --> 0:02:22.200 is my Bible. I am what it says I am. 0:02:22.680 --> 0:02:25.079 I have what it says I have. I can do 0:02:25.160 --> 0:02:27.720 what it says I can do. Today I will be 0:02:27.840 --> 0:02:31.639 taught the word of God. I boldly confess. My mind 0:02:31.720 --> 0:02:35.000 is alert, my heart is receptive. I will never be 0:02:35.120 --> 0:02:39.799 the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you. I want 0:02:39.840 --> 0:02:43.680 to talk to you today about uncommon. It's easy to 0:02:43.720 --> 0:02:47.040 fit in and do what everyone else is doing. Our 0:02:47.040 --> 0:02:51.160 neighbors complain, so we complain. Our coworkers show up late, 0:02:51.280 --> 0:02:54.480 so we show up late. Our relatives have addictions, so 0:02:54.560 --> 0:02:58.919 we have addictions. It's normal. It's common. But God did 0:02:58.960 --> 0:03:02.880 not create you to be common. He didn't breathe his 0:03:03.000 --> 0:03:06.600 life into you so you can do what everyone else does. 0:03:07.240 --> 0:03:11.200 You were created to be uncommon, to live by a 0:03:11.320 --> 0:03:15.280 higher standard, to do what others aren't willing to do, 0:03:15.840 --> 0:03:18.880 to believe for things that others think are too big. 0:03:19.480 --> 0:03:22.840 He created you to stand out in the crowd, to 0:03:22.880 --> 0:03:26.959 be a cut above everyone. At work. May be complaining 0:03:27.160 --> 0:03:31.840 that's common, but that's not you. You're uncommon. Instead of 0:03:31.919 --> 0:03:35.520 joining in, you find something to be grateful for. You 0:03:35.560 --> 0:03:38.680 don't focus on what's wrong. You thank God for what's right. 0:03:39.040 --> 0:03:43.840 Why you're uncommon? People around you may have a small vision. 0:03:44.240 --> 0:03:47.440 They think they've reached their limits. Now they've settled where 0:03:47.440 --> 0:03:50.120 they are, and they're just going through the motions of life. 0:03:50.600 --> 0:03:55.400 That's common, but that's not you. You're passionate about your future. 0:03:55.880 --> 0:03:59.760 You believe for big things. You're expecting new levels. You know, 0:03:59.800 --> 0:04:03.600 the path of the righteous gets brighter and brighter. Or 0:04:03.640 --> 0:04:09.000 maybe everyone around you is compromising. They're not faithful in relationships, 0:04:09.320 --> 0:04:13.080 they're dishonest in business dealings. They do anything to get ahead. 0:04:13.720 --> 0:04:18.520 That's common, but that's not you. You're a person of excellence. 0:04:19.080 --> 0:04:21.360 You do the right thing when no one is looking. 0:04:21.920 --> 0:04:25.279 You keep your word when it costs you something other 0:04:25.360 --> 0:04:29.159 people don't understand. You could have compromised to get ahead, 0:04:29.560 --> 0:04:33.279 nobody would have known. But you live by a higher standard. 0:04:33.720 --> 0:04:38.000 Why is that you're uncommon? That's the kind of people 0:04:38.120 --> 0:04:43.760 God rewards. Complainers are a dime, a dozen compromisers are 0:04:43.800 --> 0:04:48.360 all around naysayers. I can't accomplish my dreams. You'll see 0:04:48.360 --> 0:04:52.240 them every day. That's common. But God is looking for 0:04:52.520 --> 0:04:57.640 uncommon people, people that don't go with the majority, people 0:04:57.680 --> 0:05:01.560 that don't lower their standards, looking for people that go 0:05:01.640 --> 0:05:06.839 against the grain, people that have uncommon faith, that believe 0:05:06.960 --> 0:05:11.640 when it seems impossible, uncommon commitment, that do the right 0:05:11.680 --> 0:05:16.520 thing when it's hard, and uncommon attitude when everyone around 0:05:16.600 --> 0:05:21.440 is negative, bitter, moody, you have a smile, your kind, 0:05:21.720 --> 0:05:25.719 your good nature. When you make this decision to not 0:05:25.880 --> 0:05:29.240 fit in, to not be like everyone else, but to 0:05:29.320 --> 0:05:35.280 be uncommon, then you will see uncommon favor, uncommon opportunities, 0:05:35.480 --> 0:05:40.159 uncommon breakthroughs, uncommon victories. But we are living in a 0:05:40.279 --> 0:05:44.960 day where the standards are being lowered, where it's acceptable 0:05:45.000 --> 0:05:48.600 to compromise, to not have integrity, to take the easy 0:05:48.640 --> 0:05:52.359 way out, and if we're not careful, will adapt to 0:05:52.440 --> 0:05:57.080 our environment, will become like everybody else. But there's nothing 0:05:57.160 --> 0:06:02.679 special about common, nothing signific again about ordinary. God wants 0:06:02.720 --> 0:06:06.120 you to stand out. When people look at us, they 0:06:06.120 --> 0:06:10.679 should say there's something different about them. They're a cut above, 0:06:11.040 --> 0:06:16.000 they're excellent, they're trustworthy, they're committed, they're loyal, they're happy. 0:06:16.200 --> 0:06:21.520 What they're really saying is they're uncommon, Paul said in Romans, 0:06:21.839 --> 0:06:26.560 don't let society squeeze you into its mold. There's a 0:06:26.640 --> 0:06:31.480 constant pressure trying to squeeze us into being common. People 0:06:31.520 --> 0:06:36.240 at work may slack off, waste time playing around, do 0:06:36.360 --> 0:06:40.520 a half hearted job. Don't be squeezed into that mold. 0:06:41.120 --> 0:06:44.080 Don't let that thinking rub off on you. If they 0:06:44.120 --> 0:06:46.880 want to be mediocre, if they want to be common, 0:06:47.440 --> 0:06:50.520 that's their choice. But that's not who you are. You 0:06:50.600 --> 0:06:54.640 are uncommon, stand out in the crowd. Do the right 0:06:54.680 --> 0:06:57.880 thing when the boss is not around. Don't sink down 0:06:57.880 --> 0:07:01.920 to their level. Set a new stand. People around you 0:07:02.240 --> 0:07:05.680 may be giving into temptation, doing things you know are 0:07:05.680 --> 0:07:09.400 not the best. Thoughts will tell you it's okay, it's not 0:07:09.520 --> 0:07:13.400 hurting anything. You only live once. That's the enemy trying 0:07:13.440 --> 0:07:17.360 to deceive you into being common. He knows if you're 0:07:17.440 --> 0:07:21.440 like everyone else, if there's nothing different about you, then 0:07:21.480 --> 0:07:25.480 you won't become all you were created to be. Don't 0:07:25.480 --> 0:07:30.160 fall into that trap. Be uncommon, be different, Live by 0:07:30.200 --> 0:07:35.080 a higher standard. Well, Joel, everyone is doing it, everyone's partying, 0:07:35.200 --> 0:07:40.040 everyone's slacking off, everyone's negative. Here's the key. You're not everyone. 0:07:40.240 --> 0:07:44.840 You're the exception. The scripture says you've been set apart. 0:07:45.640 --> 0:07:49.600 You are a chosen people. That's saying you're not common. 0:07:50.160 --> 0:07:54.600 You're not like everyone else. You've not only been handpicked 0:07:55.040 --> 0:07:57.920 by the most high God. He not only chose you, 0:07:58.520 --> 0:08:02.240 but he has set you apart. He's made you uncommon. 0:08:03.080 --> 0:08:07.080 Could it be the reason you're not seeing favor is 0:08:07.120 --> 0:08:10.480 your being common. The reason you're not going to the 0:08:10.520 --> 0:08:15.080 next level is you've let society squeeze you into its mold, 0:08:15.840 --> 0:08:19.280 and now there's nothing different about you. You're like everyone else. 0:08:19.720 --> 0:08:22.520 It's time to break out of that mold. That is 0:08:22.560 --> 0:08:26.160 not who you are. You may be surrounded by people 0:08:26.200 --> 0:08:31.400 that are lazy, indifferent, not going anywhere. Don't be squeezed 0:08:31.480 --> 0:08:35.040 into that mold. Don't let that keep you from your destiny. 0:08:35.480 --> 0:08:39.360 You've been set apart. You're not common. Now do your 0:08:39.440 --> 0:08:43.720 part and don't live common. This is what Daniel did 0:08:43.800 --> 0:08:48.040 in the scripture. He was a Hebrew teenager that was 0:08:48.080 --> 0:08:51.720 brought out of Judah into Babylon to be trained to 0:08:51.800 --> 0:08:55.839 serve the king. But the Babylonians had all these customs 0:08:56.040 --> 0:08:59.600 that didn't agree with the Jewish faith. They worship many 0:08:59.600 --> 0:09:02.680 different gods, and they wanted Daniel to fit in and 0:09:02.720 --> 0:09:06.520 worship their gods. The first thing they did was change 0:09:06.559 --> 0:09:10.800 his name from Daniel, which means God is my judge, 0:09:10.960 --> 0:09:15.480 to belt a shazar, which means worshiper of Bell. They 0:09:15.520 --> 0:09:18.800 wanted him to forget about the God of Israel and 0:09:18.840 --> 0:09:23.400 start worshiping their idols. Daniel could have accepted it and thought, 0:09:23.559 --> 0:09:27.560 this is what everybody's doing. I'm in their nation, I'm 0:09:27.600 --> 0:09:30.720 surrounded by people that worship idols. I'll just fit in, 0:09:30.920 --> 0:09:35.480 go with the flow. But Daniel understood this principle. He 0:09:35.520 --> 0:09:39.840 didn't let them squeeze him into their mold. He knew 0:09:39.920 --> 0:09:43.000 he had been set apart, that he wasn't supposed to 0:09:43.040 --> 0:09:46.400 be common, and they put all this pressure on Daniel 0:09:46.440 --> 0:09:50.320 to change. But the scripture says Daniel purposed in his 0:09:50.480 --> 0:09:54.760 heart he would not defile himself by eating the king's 0:09:54.800 --> 0:09:59.200 food and drinking the king's wine. He was saying, in effect, 0:09:59.520 --> 0:10:04.080 everyone around me may be compromising, they're taking the easy 0:10:04.120 --> 0:10:07.600 way out, but I am not going to lower my standards. 0:10:07.920 --> 0:10:10.719 I'm not going to fit in and become common. I'm 0:10:10.760 --> 0:10:14.320 going to live by a higher standard. When the person 0:10:14.400 --> 0:10:17.640 in charge saw how determined he was. He said he 0:10:17.640 --> 0:10:20.640 would give Daniel ten days to eat his own food, 0:10:21.160 --> 0:10:24.880 then they see how he was doing. After those ten days, 0:10:25.280 --> 0:10:29.600 Daniel came out stronger and healthier than all the other 0:10:29.720 --> 0:10:33.560 young men that had been eating the king's food. When 0:10:33.600 --> 0:10:38.640 you refuse to compromise, not be squeezed into society's mold, 0:10:39.080 --> 0:10:42.200 God will show you favor and cause you to stand 0:10:42.280 --> 0:10:46.360 out above the rest. But being common does it get 0:10:46.360 --> 0:10:50.840 God's attention being like everyone else, not being different. But 0:10:50.960 --> 0:10:54.040 when you dig your heels in and say, like Daniel, 0:10:54.720 --> 0:10:58.360 I'm not going to be pressured into compromising. I'm not 0:10:58.400 --> 0:11:03.200 going to live like everyone else, complaining, gossiping, giving up 0:11:03.240 --> 0:11:07.000 on dreams. I'm going to be uncommon. I'm going to 0:11:07.080 --> 0:11:09.800 go against the grain. I'm gonna take the high road. 0:11:10.040 --> 0:11:13.559 I'm gonna be a person of excellence. When you make 0:11:13.640 --> 0:11:18.040 this choice to be uncommon, like Daniel, you will see 0:11:18.480 --> 0:11:22.560 uncommon favor. God will make things happen that you couldn't 0:11:22.600 --> 0:11:27.360 make happen. But it takes courage to be different, takes 0:11:27.440 --> 0:11:30.960 courage to not compromise. People will try to make you 0:11:31.040 --> 0:11:35.120 feel weak because you're not going with the majority. Because 0:11:35.120 --> 0:11:38.320 you don't party with everyone, you don't gossip, you don't 0:11:38.320 --> 0:11:42.600 play politics. The truth is you're not weak, you're strong. 0:11:43.600 --> 0:11:46.839 It doesn't take much effort to do what everyone else 0:11:46.920 --> 0:11:50.840 is doing. A dead fish can float downstream. It takes 0:11:50.880 --> 0:11:56.280 a live one to swim upstreamly. It's easy to be common. 0:11:56.840 --> 0:12:01.280 The pressure comes when you decide to be unc when 0:12:01.280 --> 0:12:05.520 everybody around you is compromising. But you rise up and say, 0:12:05.920 --> 0:12:09.079 as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. 0:12:10.360 --> 0:12:13.960 Neighbors will say, you're going to church today on Sunday, 0:12:14.080 --> 0:12:16.640 your day off. Why would you waste time doing that? 0:12:16.960 --> 0:12:21.400 It's because you're uncommon. You live by a higher standard. 0:12:21.600 --> 0:12:28.479 You honor God with your life. Uncommon obedience produces uncommon blessings, 0:12:28.960 --> 0:12:33.800 uncommon favor, and uncommon destiny. You'll go where you couldn't 0:12:33.840 --> 0:12:37.520 go on your own. But there is pressure right now 0:12:37.760 --> 0:12:41.680 trying to squeeze you into being common. Thoughts trying to 0:12:41.720 --> 0:12:45.080 deceive you into not breaking out of the mold. Don't 0:12:45.080 --> 0:12:49.800 believe those lies. Be a Daniel. All that pressure trying 0:12:49.800 --> 0:12:53.000 to get you to conform is a sign that God 0:12:53.080 --> 0:12:56.400 has something amazing in front of you. You have to 0:12:56.440 --> 0:12:59.800 do like him and purpose in your heart. I will 0:12:59.840 --> 0:13:04.120 not defile myself by giving into this temptation, or by 0:13:04.200 --> 0:13:07.880 letting these outside pressures convince me in the lower in 0:13:07.960 --> 0:13:11.880 my standards. The person in charge was so impressed with 0:13:12.000 --> 0:13:15.600 Daniel he took him to see the king. The scripture says, 0:13:16.000 --> 0:13:19.720 the king found no one equal to Daniel. He had 0:13:19.800 --> 0:13:24.280 ten times more wisdom and understanding than the smartest people 0:13:24.360 --> 0:13:28.559 in his kingdom. That wasn't a coincidence. When you make 0:13:28.640 --> 0:13:32.600 this choice to be uncommon, God will shine his favor 0:13:32.679 --> 0:13:39.280 on you. You will have wisdom beyond you years, creativity, ideas, ability, 0:13:39.720 --> 0:13:44.880 God rewards uncommon. The king put Daniel in charge of 0:13:45.000 --> 0:13:48.760 all of Babylon. He went from being a slave to 0:13:48.840 --> 0:13:52.320 being the leader of the whole country. But I wonder 0:13:52.480 --> 0:13:55.680 what would have happened if Daniel would have chosen to 0:13:55.760 --> 0:13:59.760 be common. If he had worshiped their idols, lived by 0:13:59.760 --> 0:14:03.720 their standards, been squeezed into their mold. I don't think 0:14:03.760 --> 0:14:07.600 we would be talking about him today. Another ordinary life 0:14:07.679 --> 0:14:12.880 would have faded off into the sunset. Years after you're gone. 0:14:12.960 --> 0:14:17.000 God wants somebody to be reading about you. Your faith, 0:14:17.520 --> 0:14:22.280 your courage, your victories can inspire others to believe for 0:14:22.320 --> 0:14:25.880 the fullness of their destinies, Joel, I don't think so, 0:14:26.360 --> 0:14:30.160 not with me. I don't have the experience, the influence, 0:14:30.240 --> 0:14:35.400 the training, the education. Daniel was a slave, a teenager 0:14:35.720 --> 0:14:39.240 in a foreign land. All the odds were against him, 0:14:39.600 --> 0:14:44.280 but he made this decision to be uncommon, to stand out, 0:14:44.760 --> 0:14:48.400 to honor God with his life. When you honor God, 0:14:48.680 --> 0:14:52.680 God will always honor you. God opened doors for Daniel 0:14:52.840 --> 0:14:56.680 he never dreamed would open. You may not see it yet, 0:14:56.960 --> 0:15:00.720 but God has something amazing in front of you. He 0:15:00.800 --> 0:15:04.240 has destined you to leave your mark in this generation. 0:15:05.000 --> 0:15:08.200 You're not supposed to live and die and nobody knew 0:15:08.240 --> 0:15:14.720 you were here. God has opportunities, resources, people, wisdom that's 0:15:14.760 --> 0:15:18.800 going to catapult you further than you thought possible. But 0:15:18.880 --> 0:15:23.280 one requirement is you can't be common. You have to 0:15:23.360 --> 0:15:26.960 be willing to do what others won't do, to make 0:15:27.040 --> 0:15:32.160 sacrifices that others won't make, to resist temptation when others 0:15:32.200 --> 0:15:36.840 are giving in the good news. Nothing you're facing is 0:15:36.920 --> 0:15:41.600 too much for you to handle. Every temptation, every struggle, 0:15:41.680 --> 0:15:46.000 every difficulty. God has given you the grace to overcome. 0:15:46.440 --> 0:15:50.480 You have the power to be uncommon, And yes it 0:15:50.560 --> 0:15:55.040 takes discipline, Yes, it's uncomfortable, your flesh will tell you 0:15:55.160 --> 0:15:58.360 give in, do what everyone else is doing. No, your 0:15:58.400 --> 0:16:02.880 destiny is at stake. Don't let a temporary period of 0:16:02.960 --> 0:16:07.560 being uncomfortable keep you from a permanent blessing. It wasn't 0:16:07.600 --> 0:16:11.160 easy for Daniel to go against the grain. I'm sure 0:16:11.280 --> 0:16:15.240 people made fun of him. Thought, this new guy, this teenager, 0:16:15.760 --> 0:16:19.400 he's strange, brought his own food, he was just his 0:16:19.480 --> 0:16:21.960 own God, he's too good to hang out with us. 0:16:22.960 --> 0:16:27.120 Daniel could have given in to the pressure, been intimidated, 0:16:27.400 --> 0:16:30.720 not wanted to stand out, but he was willing to 0:16:30.840 --> 0:16:35.000 take the heat for being different. He was secure enough 0:16:35.040 --> 0:16:38.320 in who he was and confident enough in who his 0:16:38.360 --> 0:16:42.840 God was that he didn't let the opposition, the ridicule, 0:16:43.360 --> 0:16:47.560 the people trying to discredit him to squeeze him into 0:16:47.560 --> 0:16:51.840 their mold. He knew when you're uncommon, there will be 0:16:51.960 --> 0:16:56.480 seasons of difficulties where it's not fair. Seems like others 0:16:56.480 --> 0:16:59.480 are getting the best of you, You're having to swim upstream. 0:17:00.080 --> 0:17:04.440 But God sees what's happening. Your time is coming life 0:17:04.520 --> 0:17:08.640 with Daniel. At some point, God will suddenly turn it around. 0:17:09.160 --> 0:17:14.240 He'll suddenly promote you, suddenly vindicate you. When the people 0:17:14.480 --> 0:17:19.200 saw the favor on Daniel's life, they became jealous. This 0:17:19.280 --> 0:17:22.600 Hebrew slave that they'd been making fun of trying to 0:17:22.640 --> 0:17:26.360 discredit was now their boss. He was over all of them. 0:17:27.320 --> 0:17:31.760 When you're being uncommon taking the highroad, don't be distracted 0:17:31.800 --> 0:17:35.880 by the naysayers and people trying to discredit you. They're 0:17:35.920 --> 0:17:38.840 making fun of you now, but you don't know, like 0:17:38.920 --> 0:17:41.800 with Daniel, one day, they may be working for you. 0:17:42.800 --> 0:17:46.640 These people knew that Daniel wouldn't compromise. They knew how 0:17:46.680 --> 0:17:49.720 committed and faithful he was, so they came up with 0:17:49.760 --> 0:17:53.000 a plan to try to trap him. They went to 0:17:53.040 --> 0:17:57.560 the king and said, King, you're so amazing, you're so incredible, 0:17:58.160 --> 0:18:01.800 you should write a law that for the next thirty days, 0:18:02.280 --> 0:18:06.480 no one can pray to anyone except you. If they do, 0:18:06.520 --> 0:18:10.159 they'll be thrown into a lion's den. The king was 0:18:10.240 --> 0:18:14.399 so flattered, his ego was so inflated. He thought that 0:18:14.520 --> 0:18:18.720 was a good idea. Be careful when people flatter you 0:18:19.200 --> 0:18:22.639 and then ask you for something. When they do, just 0:18:22.760 --> 0:18:26.560 cancel out everything they said first, because even if it 0:18:26.640 --> 0:18:30.120 is true, most likely they said it with the wrong motives. 0:18:30.800 --> 0:18:34.040 Flattery is a tool. If you're not securing who you 0:18:34.119 --> 0:18:36.800 are and you need that to feel good about yourself, 0:18:37.240 --> 0:18:41.600 you'll make decisions that you may regret later on. The 0:18:41.720 --> 0:18:44.960 King loved Daniel, he didn't realize they were doing this 0:18:45.000 --> 0:18:48.359 to trap him. But when Daniel heard about the new law, 0:18:48.640 --> 0:18:52.119 it didn't stop him. The scripture says he went home, 0:18:52.600 --> 0:18:56.399 opened his windows, got on his knees, and prayed like 0:18:56.480 --> 0:19:01.160 he had always done. Now he's in chargee and he's 0:19:01.200 --> 0:19:05.760 still not being squeezed into their mold. Sometimes when people 0:19:05.840 --> 0:19:09.200 get to where they were trying to go, God blesses 0:19:09.240 --> 0:19:13.480 them and opens the door, they forget what got them there. 0:19:14.280 --> 0:19:17.720 It was the fact that they were uncommon, but too often, 0:19:18.000 --> 0:19:22.439 once they reach a goal, they start becoming common. Daniel 0:19:22.480 --> 0:19:25.760 didn't do this. He had made it to the top. 0:19:26.200 --> 0:19:28.840 He had everything to lose. If there was ever a 0:19:28.920 --> 0:19:32.760 time he should have fit in did what the king asked, 0:19:32.880 --> 0:19:36.200 it was now. But Daniel stayed on the high road. 0:19:36.800 --> 0:19:40.840 He didn't let the pressure cause him to compromise. They 0:19:40.920 --> 0:19:43.760 ran back and told the king that Daniel was praying 0:19:43.800 --> 0:19:47.040 to another god. The King felt bad about it, but 0:19:47.160 --> 0:19:49.400 he couldn't go back on his word, and he had 0:19:49.520 --> 0:19:53.480 Daniel thrown into the lions den. The whole night the 0:19:53.600 --> 0:19:58.280 king stayed awake and prayed and fasted for Daniel. Early 0:19:58.320 --> 0:20:00.960 the next morning he ran out to check on him. 0:20:01.320 --> 0:20:04.720 He said, Daniel was the god you serve able to 0:20:04.800 --> 0:20:08.960 rescue you from the lions. Daniel said, yes, I'm still here. 0:20:09.680 --> 0:20:12.840 The king was so overjoyed he had him taken out 0:20:12.920 --> 0:20:15.840 of the lion's den. The scripture says there was not 0:20:16.040 --> 0:20:19.680 one scratch on him and the people that talked him 0:20:19.720 --> 0:20:23.040 into writing the decree that tried to get rid of Daniel. 0:20:23.400 --> 0:20:26.600 The king had them arrested and thrown into the same 0:20:26.680 --> 0:20:31.520 lions den. Not one of them survived. The king wrote 0:20:31.560 --> 0:20:35.800 a new decree. It said everyone in my kingdom should 0:20:35.880 --> 0:20:39.320 worship the God of Daniel. He's the living god. He 0:20:39.400 --> 0:20:44.640 rescues people and does great miraclesure when you're uncommon, when 0:20:44.680 --> 0:20:47.480 you refuse to compromise, when you don't take the easy 0:20:47.520 --> 0:20:51.480 way out, God will do the uncommon. He'll close the 0:20:51.560 --> 0:20:55.040 mouths of lions. When you study the heroes of faith 0:20:55.080 --> 0:20:58.800 people like Daniel, you'll find one common ingredient is they 0:20:58.840 --> 0:21:03.480 were uncommon. A lady in the scripture named Naomi had 0:21:03.520 --> 0:21:07.720 two sons that both died early. Their wives were Ruth 0:21:07.880 --> 0:21:12.040 and Orpah. Naomi was going to move back home to Bethlehem. 0:21:12.680 --> 0:21:15.320 She told both daughters in law that they should go 0:21:15.400 --> 0:21:20.000 back to their country and start a new life. Ruth said, no, Naomi, 0:21:20.240 --> 0:21:22.600 I'm not going to leave you. I'm going to move 0:21:22.680 --> 0:21:26.399 back with you and help take care of you. She said, Ruth, 0:21:26.440 --> 0:21:29.880 I'm an old lady. There's no future for you in Bethlehem. 0:21:30.000 --> 0:21:33.080 Go back to your country. Maybe you'll find somebody new 0:21:33.119 --> 0:21:37.119 to marry there. This is what Orpah did. She left, 0:21:37.160 --> 0:21:41.200 went her own way, did her own thing. Ruth said, Naomi, 0:21:41.760 --> 0:21:44.480 I will go where you go. Your people will be 0:21:44.600 --> 0:21:47.679 my people. Your God will be my God. It was 0:21:47.760 --> 0:21:51.800 in the fields of Bethlehem, picking up wheat every morning, 0:21:52.080 --> 0:21:57.440 barely surviving. That God cost Boaz, the owner of those fields, 0:21:57.480 --> 0:22:01.359 to notice Ruth. He was the wealthiest man in that area. 0:22:01.800 --> 0:22:05.240 They ended up falling in love and were married. Ruth 0:22:05.320 --> 0:22:07.760 no longer had to work in the fields. Now she 0:22:07.920 --> 0:22:13.160 owned the fields. What am I saying? Uncommon commitment brought 0:22:13.359 --> 0:22:18.359 uncommon favor. Ruth was willing to do what Orpah wouldn't do. 0:22:19.240 --> 0:22:22.560 Orpah took the easy way out, but Ruth did the 0:22:22.680 --> 0:22:25.960 right thing when it was hard. She took care of 0:22:26.040 --> 0:22:30.200 someone when she had every right to walk away. Nothing 0:22:30.240 --> 0:22:33.320 against Orpah. She may have lived a good life, but 0:22:33.359 --> 0:22:36.720 you don't read anything more in the scripture about her. 0:22:37.320 --> 0:22:41.520 You don't read much about common people. Not only did 0:22:41.560 --> 0:22:44.919 God bless Ruth with a husband and a son, but 0:22:45.000 --> 0:22:49.360 she became the great grandmother of David. God put her 0:22:49.400 --> 0:22:53.200 in the family line of Jesus. It wouldn't have happened 0:22:53.520 --> 0:22:57.400 if she was common. Are there areas that you're being 0:22:57.440 --> 0:23:01.439 common in doing what everybody else is doing? Taking the 0:23:01.480 --> 0:23:04.880 easy way out? Why don't you be a Ruth? Why 0:23:04.920 --> 0:23:09.080 don't you be a Daniel? God has uncommon favor in 0:23:09.119 --> 0:23:14.879 your future, uncommon opportunities, uncommon relationships. But you have to 0:23:14.960 --> 0:23:19.920 do your part and be uncommon Acts Chapter sixteen, Paul 0:23:19.960 --> 0:23:23.480 and Silas were out helping people when they were falsely 0:23:23.520 --> 0:23:27.120 accused of trying to start a riot. They hadn't committed 0:23:27.200 --> 0:23:30.440 any crime, but they were beaten with rods and put 0:23:30.480 --> 0:23:35.280 in prison. They could have been complaining, bitter God, why 0:23:35.280 --> 0:23:37.920 did you let this happen? That would have been common, 0:23:38.440 --> 0:23:43.640 but they were uncommon. Instead, At midnight in the Dungeon. 0:23:44.200 --> 0:23:48.080 They were singing praises to God. The scripture says the 0:23:48.160 --> 0:23:51.880 other prisoners could hear them. I'm sure they thought, what's 0:23:51.920 --> 0:23:55.919 wrong with these guys. They've been beaten, they were falsely accused, 0:23:56.080 --> 0:24:00.720 and now they're thanking God. That's not normal. Suddenly there 0:24:00.800 --> 0:24:03.840 was a great earthquake. The prison doors flung open, the 0:24:03.920 --> 0:24:08.080 chains came off. They walked out as free men. An 0:24:08.200 --> 0:24:14.400 uncommon attitude led to an uncommon breakthrough. Instead of complaining 0:24:14.440 --> 0:24:17.840 about the people that have done you wrong, being sour 0:24:18.000 --> 0:24:21.080 over the disappointment, why don't you do like them and 0:24:21.160 --> 0:24:25.200 be uncommon God. I don't understand why this has happened, 0:24:25.440 --> 0:24:28.520 but I know you're still on the throne. I want 0:24:28.560 --> 0:24:30.680 to thank you that you have beauty for these ashes. 0:24:30.960 --> 0:24:34.320 That what was meant for harm you turn into my advantage. 0:24:34.480 --> 0:24:41.640 That's what brings uncommon turnarounds, uncommon breakthroughs, uncommon favor. This 0:24:41.720 --> 0:24:45.240 is what happened with David. He was a teenager out 0:24:45.280 --> 0:24:48.280 taking care of his father's sheep. He didn't come from 0:24:48.320 --> 0:24:53.520 an influential family. They were shepherds. Nobody saw anything special 0:24:53.600 --> 0:24:58.120 in David. He looked ordinary like everyone else. But David 0:24:58.280 --> 0:25:02.840 made this decision be uncommon. He was willing to do 0:25:03.240 --> 0:25:07.760 what others wouldn't do. Nobody had the courage to face Goliath. 0:25:08.320 --> 0:25:11.720 They thought he was too big, too strong, too much experience. 0:25:12.320 --> 0:25:16.800 The whole army was afraid and intimidated. But when David 0:25:16.920 --> 0:25:21.600 heard Goliath tauning the Israelites, he said, who is this 0:25:21.800 --> 0:25:26.080 uncircumcised philistine? That he would defy the armies of the 0:25:26.119 --> 0:25:30.520 Living God. When others were shrinking back in fear, David 0:25:30.640 --> 0:25:33.840 rose up in faith. He told King Saul that he 0:25:33.960 --> 0:25:37.800 wanted to fight Goliath. His brothers the other people in 0:25:37.840 --> 0:25:41.359 the army said, who are you. You don't have a chance. 0:25:41.400 --> 0:25:44.800 You're a kid, and a small one at that. They 0:25:44.840 --> 0:25:48.160 were common, and they were trying to convince him into 0:25:48.200 --> 0:25:52.119 being common. When you go against the grain, when you 0:25:52.280 --> 0:25:56.199 take these steps of faith, don't be surprised if common 0:25:56.320 --> 0:25:59.320 people tell you how it's not going to happen. You 0:25:59.359 --> 0:26:03.280 can't get well, he'll never break that addiction. You can't 0:26:03.280 --> 0:26:06.800 start your business, you don't have the experience. Don't believe 0:26:06.880 --> 0:26:11.520 those lies. You have something on you that they cannot see. 0:26:11.560 --> 0:26:16.080 There is a favor, a blessing, an anointing, an ability 0:26:16.400 --> 0:26:21.880 that is not ordinary. Average people would be stuck. Ordinary 0:26:21.960 --> 0:26:25.679 people would settle. Common people would say the giant is 0:26:25.720 --> 0:26:30.159 too big. The good news is you are uncommon. God 0:26:30.240 --> 0:26:33.800 breths his life into you. He's crowned you with favor. 0:26:34.400 --> 0:26:38.159 You have seeds of greatness on the inside. Like David. 0:26:38.520 --> 0:26:41.879 You're going to defeat giants that look bigger. You're going 0:26:41.920 --> 0:26:45.840