A Faith Worth Having

A FAITH WORTH HAVING

DANIEL 3:1-30

INTRO-

*** YOU BEGIN TO TALK ABOUT FAITH AND YOU CAN OPEN A WHOLE CAN OF WORMS.

***SOME PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT HAVING FAITH IN ANYTHING THAT YOU CANNOT SEE IS A CRUTCH FOR THE WEAK.

***WE CAN GO FROM A CRUTCH TO THE OTHER EXTREME OF NAME IT AND CLAIM IT ....JUST HAVE ENOUGH FAITH

***MOST PEOPLE, THOUGH THEY DO NOT HAVE A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD, WILL TELL YOU THEY BELIEVE IN SOMETHING

***THEY CANNOT GIVE YOU A GOOD EXPLANATION OF WHAT THEY BELIEVE, BUT THEY HAVE IT.

ILLUSTRATION-

AUTHOR TIM HANSEL TELLS THE STORY ABOUT THE DAY HE AND HIS SON ZAC WERE OUT IN THE COUNTRY CLIMBING AROUND SOME CLIFFS. HE HEARD A VOICE FROM ABOVE HIM YELL “HEY DAD, CATCH ME” HE TURNED AROUND TO SEE ZAC JUMPING OFF A ROCK STRAIGHT AT HIM. ZAC HAD FIRST JUMPED AND THEN YELLED “HEY DAD”...GIVE ME A GOOD REASON WHY YOU DID THAT SURE YOU’RE MY DAD

***SOCIETY IS LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO BELIEVE IN, WANTING TO FILL A VOID IN THEIR LIFE, AND WANTING TO BELIEVE IN SOMETHING THAT IS BIGGER THAN THEY ARE.

....THAT IS WHY A CHILD PUT HIS TRUST IN THEIR PARENTS

....THAT’S WHY EVEN IF THEY ARE NOT PERFECT, IT IS EASY FOR THEM.

***FAITH IS A FUNNY THING

*SOME SEARCH FOR IT, AND THEY FIND THEY HAD IT ALL ALONG

*SOME COULDN’T IDENTIFY FAITH IF IT HIT THEM IN THE HEAD

DANIEL CHAPTER 31-30 PARAPHRASED BELOW

KING NEBUCHANEZZAR FROM BABYLON, THE SAME KING THAT SADAM HUSEIN THINKS HE IS REINCARNATED FROM AND HAS GOTTEN A VISION FROM.

***TO FULFILL HIS OWN LOVE OF SELF, AND REQUIRING OTHERS TO WORSHIP SOMETHING BIGGER THAN THEMSELVES, HE MAKES A RIDICULOUS MANDATE TO WORSHIP A STATUE OF HIMSELF.

***IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE DIFFERENT, NOT BOWING DOWN TO THE THINGS OF THIS WORLD, THERE WILL BE PEOPLE WHO WILL BE AGGRAVATED AND TEST YOUR PATIENTS, TEST YOUR CHARACTER, TRY TO DESTROY YOUR REPUTATION, EVEN IF THEY HAVE TO LIE TO SUCCEED TO DO IT.

DANIEL 3-V8-15- READ

*** YOU CAN SEE THAT THEY GOT SOME BUSY BODIES TRYING TO KISS UP TO THE KING- O KING LIVE FOREVER YOU HAVE ISSUED A DECREE

V12- BUTT - THERE ARE SOME JEWS WHOM YOU HAVE SET OVER THE AFFAIRS OF THE PROVENCE OF BABYLON SHADRACH, MESHACH, ABEDNEGO-WHO PAY NO ATTENTION TO YOU O KING

THEY NEITHER SERVE YOUR GODS, NOR WORSHIP THE IMAGE OF GOLD YOU HAVE SET UP.

***THEY ARE NOT........LISTENING TO YOU O KING

***YOU NOW HAVE A FURIOUS KING, WHO CONFRONTS THESE JEWS AND ASKS THEM IF THIS IS TRUE.

I AM GOING TO GIVE YOU A CHANCE HERE, IF YOU WILL BOW DOWN AT THE SOUND OF THE MUSIC AND WORSHIP ...THIS WILL GO AWAY

BUT IF YOU DON’T...V15- THEN YOU WILL BE THROWN IMMEDIATELY INTO A BLAZING FURNACE.

***WE KNOW THE 3 ARE CONFRONTED WITH A FACT.

REMAIN TRUE TO THEIR BELIEFS OR DIE IN A BLAZING FURNACE.

V16-18- READ

HADRACH, MESHACH, ABEDNEGO, REPLIED TO THE KING, O NEBUCHANEZZAR, WE DO NOT NEED TO DEFEND OURSELVES BEFORE YOU IN THIS MATTER. IF WE ARE THROWN INTO THE BLAZING FURNACE, THE GOD WE SERVE IS ABLE TO SAVE US FROM IT, AND HE WILL RESCUE US FROM YOUR HAND, O KING BUT EVEN IF HE DOES NOT, WE WANT YOU TO KNOW O KING, THAT WE WILL NOT SERVE YOUR GODS OR WORSHIP THE IMAGE OF GOLD YOU HAVE SET UP.

***WE KNOW THE STORY, THE THREE ARE THROWN IN. THE FURNACE IS FIRED UP, AND THE GUARDS MANNING THE FURNACE ARE BURNED AND KILLED FROM THE HEAT

3 ARE THROWN IN AND THEY SEE 4 PEROPLE WALKING AROUND IN THE FURNACE. ONE MORE THAN WAS THROWN IN.

***WE NEED TO GET A LITTLE EXCITED

NOW LETS LOOK AT FAITH

***ONE- YOU’VE GOT A KING , ALL FULL OF HIMSELF THAT BELIEVES IN MANY GODS, BELIEVES EVERYONE SHOULD BOW DOWN TO A STATUE 90 FEET TALL AND 9 FEET WIDE OF HIMSELF.

YOU GOT A BUNCH OF OFFICIALS WANTING SHADRACH, MESHACH, ABEDNEGO’S JOB AND ARE JEALOUS THAT THEY DON’T HAVE IT,

THEY ARE WILLING TO DO WHAT EVER THEY CAN TO DESTROY OR KILL THEM.

YOU GOT 3 FAITHFUL JEWS THAT LOVE GOD AND ARE DETERMINED TO LOVE GOD NO MATTER WHAT.

***WE ARE GOING TO SEE THAT FAITH IS NOT EASY,

IT IS NOT ALWAYS POPULAR,

AND IT CAN COST YOU AS MUCH AS YOUR LIFE.

***WE DO NOT UNDERSTAND THAT IN THIS COUNTRY YET, BUT WE WILL ONE DAY HAVE TO DECIDE ON OUR FAITH OR OUR LIVES.

***IT HAPPENED IN LITTLETON COLORADO

***IT HAPPENED IN A AMISH SCHOOL IN LANCASTER PA.

ILLUSTRATION-

IN HIS BOOK-WE LET OUR SON DIE, LUCY PARKER RECOUNTED THE TRAGIC STORY OF MISGUIDED FAITH IN PAINFU DETAIL, LARRY AND HIS WIFE PAINT THE PICTURE OF HOW THEY HAD COME TO BELIEVE THAT IS THEY IF THEY JUST HAD ENOUGH FAITH, GOD WOULD HEAL THEIR DIABETIC DON. EVENTUALLY WESLEY NEEDED INSULIN. BELIEVING THAT GOD WOULD HEAL WESLEY, THEY WITHELD THE INSULIN AND PREDICTABLY, WESLEY LAPSED INTO A DIABETIC COMA. THE PARKERS, WARNED BY MANY ABOUT NOT HAVING ENOUGH FAITH, BELIEVED GOD WOULD HEAL