Drawing Your Line In The Sand Series

Drawing Your Line in the Sand

Book of Daniel Series

CCCAG 2-10-2025

Scripture: Daniel 3:8-30

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Introduction:

During the Mexican American war, the citizens of the area now known as Texas wanted to be independent from Mexico, so they started a revolution to gain that independence. Mexico didn’t like that, so they sent troops north to squash this rebellion, leading to the Battle at the Alamo in which a little over 100 Texans defended the Alamo against the 1500 person Mexican Army lead by General Santa Ana.

The battle lasted 14 days.

On March 5th, the last night of the battle, the defenders of the Alamo were completely surrounded and exhausted. Their morale and willingness to fight was at an all time low.

Knowing this, their commanding officer, Colonel William Travis, asked the defenders to come to the courtyard. He knew that the cause was completely hopeless, and that any further attempt at repelling the Mexican Army would fail. Colonel Travis stood before his men, and asked them stand one more time in defense of their freedom. He then drew his saber and drew a line in the sand and asked whoever would stay and help him defend the Alamo, to cross that line and join him.

That is where we get the phrase of “Drawing a line in the sand”

This phrase also came mean that you were giving an ultimatum to an enemy- drawing a line was telling an adversary, “This far, no farther. Cross this line, and see what happens”

Having lines and standards in our lives is a good thing.

We all live under local and national laws which give us all lines we shouldn’t cross. We draw these lines so that we can our lives in ways that everyone can experience safety and freedom.

Many of us have lines, ethics, and codes that we have personally drawn and live by.

This should be true if you call yourself a Christian- you live according to lines drawn in the sand by Jesus, and uphold that standard out of love for HIM.

This morning, we will read about three men who were asked to cross a line that they had drawn in their lives. These men had lines, boundaries, and moral absolutes that they had known since early childhood that were now under attack by their culture.

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Background- Summary of verses 1-7

Nebuchadnezzar builds a statue of pure gold based on the statue he had seen in a dream. The statue he saw in his dream had a head of gold that represented him and the Babylonian Empire. As you went down that statue, different metals were seen that represented several other kingdoms that would come after Babylon fell.

Nebuchadnezzar was rebelling against the idea that his glory and the glory of Babylon would ever fade, so his pride he doubles down and builds a statue where it is all gold, indicating that Babylon will never fall despite that God showing him otherwise.

Not only does he build this statue in defiance to God, but he also forces people to bow down and worship it.

That’s where we are picking up the story in Verse 8.

Because of the length of this narrative, we are going to break it up a bit. Instead of reading the entire scripture first, I’m going to tackle it by sections this morning.

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Daniel 3:8-12

Dan 3:8 Some Chaldeans took this occasion to come forward and maliciously accuse the Jews.

Dan 3:9 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “May the king live forever.

Dan 3:10 You as king have issued a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, drum, and every kind of music must fall down and worship the gold statue.

Dan 3:11 Whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire.

Dan 3:12 There are some Jews you have appointed to manage the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men have ignored you, the king; they do not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”

Prayer- not to bow to culture no matter the price

I hear stories and see it in social media were many people I follow are experiencing what Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are going through.

We have seen this a lot in recent years- God’s people accused of being intolerant of people who are choosing to live in ways that God and HIS Word say are wrong.

What this account in Daniel shows is that this is nothing new.

Throughout history, God's people have been called to stand firm in their faith amid intense opposition. Today, we live in a world that increasingly pressures believers to compromise their convictions. The story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego provides a powerful example of unwavering faith and obedience to God in the face of evil.