September 16-17, 2006 WHAT GOD APPLAUDS! Proverbs 6:16-19, Selected

LIVING WITH INTEGRITY!

*** 2 Tim. 4:7-8 "This is the only race worth running. I've run hard right to the finish, believed all the way. All that's left now is the shouting - God's applause! Depend on it,." [Message Bible]

BY DOING THE RIGHT THINGS and NOT DOING THE WRONG THINGS!

*** Psalm 119:2 "Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart." [New International Version]
*** Proverbs 6:16-19 "There are six things the Lord hates, 7 that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers." [NIV]

WE CAN LIE WITH OUR LIPS AND WITH OUR LIFE!

*** Matthew 15:18 "But evil words come from an evil heart and defile the person who says them." [New Living Translation]

HOW DO WE LIVE WITH INTEGRITY?

*** Daniel 1:3-4 "Then the king ordered the chief officials, to bring in some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility-- young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king's palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians." [NIV]
*** Daniel 1:8 "But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food & wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way." [NIV]
*** Daniel 1:15 "At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food." [NIV]
*** Daniel 1:17-20 "To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds. At the time set by the king to bring them in, the official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king's service. In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom." [NIV]
*** Daniel 4:27 "O king, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue." [NIV]
*** Daniel 5:26-31 "This is what these words mean: Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. [27] Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting. [28] Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians." [29] Then at Belshazzar's command, Daniel was clothed in purple, a gold chain was placed around his neck, and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom. [30] That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain, [31] and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom..." [NIV]
*** Daniel 6:3-5 "Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators...by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. At this, the administrators...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...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." [NIV]
*** 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. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before." [NIV]
*** Daniel 6:16 "The king said to Daniel, "May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!" [NIV]
*** Daniel 6:19-23 "At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions' den. [20] When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?" [21] Daniel answered… [22] My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, O king." [23] The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God." [NIV]
1. INTEGRITY IS A FAITH ISSUE!
*** Psalm 26:1 "... I have acted with integrity; I have trusted in the Lord without wavering." [New Living Translation]

MY WAY OVER YOUR WAY, GOD!
INTEGRITY TRUSTS GOD REGARDLESS OF THE OUTCOME!

*** Ps 25:21 "Integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you."
*** Prov. 2:7b "He is their shield, protecting those who walk with integrity." [NLT]

DO I LOVE GOD AND TRUST GOD ENOUGH TO LIVE WITH INTEGRITY?

2.INTEGRITY IS WHAT YOU ARE NOT WHAT YOU DO!
*** Mark 12:14 "They came to Jesus and said, "Teacher, we know you are a man of integrity. You aren't swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth." [NIV]

IS YOUR INTEGRITY ARMOR OR SKIN?

3. INTEGRITY WILL ALWAYS BE CHALLENGED!
*** Job 2:3 "Then the LORD asked Satan, "Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth - a man of complete integrity. He fears God and will have nothing to do with evil. And he has maintained his integrity, even though you persuaded me to harm him without cause." [New Living Translation]

"I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity." 1 Chron. 29:17 [NIV]