FAITH IN THE MIDST OF THE FIRE
Daniel 3:1-30
INTRODUCTION:
The Babylonians invaded Palestine in 605 BC and carried away Jewish captives back to Babylon.
They selected the educated, prominent and choice men and boys.
Among this group was Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednigo
I want us this morning to look quickly at the entire third Chapter of Daniel and see how we can be like Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednigo and be able to stand with “Faith in the midst of the fire”
Pray
1.- CIRCUMSTANCES – 3:1-3- King Nebuchadnezzar sets up an image of gold 90’ high and 9’ wide … over 9 stories tall.
He commands that, when the band begins to play, everyone will fall down and worship the statue … probably of himself.
2.- COMMAND – 3:4-5 – To defy the command of the King was a serious thing.
Satan puts pressure on us every day … life is filled with conflicts … there’s a spiritual battle going on.
3.- COST – 3:6 – Anyone who refused to worship this image would be cast into the fiery furnace. There’s always a COST involved, if you want to follow God.
4.- CHOICE – 3:7 – When the band began to play, the people fell down and worshipped the image.
That was a CHOICE they had. You & I are faced everyday with CHOICES.
We can do what we know is right in God’s eyes … or we can disobey God and do what WE want to do. It’s our CHOICE.
You have a CHOICE … to look good in the eyes of man … or in the eyes of God.
Joshua had the same decision to make.
Joshua 24:15 – “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
They had a CHOICE … whether or not to take a stand.
5.- CONTROL – 3:8-12 – Nebuchadnezzar wanted complete CONTROL of his subjects.
There were some in his court who were jealous of these 3 Hebrews, and they wanted them exposed for their infidelity to the King.
They point them out to Nebuchadnezzar … because they wanted to be in a place of CONTROL of the kingdom.
The spiritual battle we are in, is a battle for CONTROL.
Who are you going to let CONTROL your life?
Your friends … your boss … your own wants and desires … peer-pressure … or GOD? It’s a matter of CONTROL.
What’s happening to these 3 Hebrews is out of their CONTROL.
They hadn’t done anything wrong. God wasn’t punishing them for something they had done.
SOMETIMES, things happen to us which is beyond our CONTROL. It’s not our fault.
What we need to remember is, God is in CONTROL. He knows what’s going on. He never allows anything into our lives that He’s not in CONTROL of.
6.- CHALLENGE - 3:13-15 – The King CHALLENGES them to change their mind … he gives them a 2nd chance.
Nebuchadnezzar apparently thought very highly of them, and didn’t want to have to have them thrown into the furnace.
“Opportunity may knock only once … but temptation will knock again and again.”
The CHALLENGE here is whether to put GOD first … or THEMSELVES.
NOTICE 3:15b – Nebuchadnezzar even CHALLENGES the power of God. He says, “Even your God won’t be able to keep you out of the furnace, if I decide to put you there.”
He not only CHALLENGED God when he set up the image for all to worship him … he CHALLENGED God for His ability to do anything about it.
Nebuchadnezzar is on dangerous grounds.
7.- CONFIDENCE – 3:16-18 – They didn’t even have to think about it! (3:16 – “we do not need to defend ourselves before you.”).
It wasn’t even debatable in their minds. It wasn’t even a temptation. They had to answer to a much higher authority than the King.
NOTICE their CONFIDENCE in God. They know that God can deliver them from the fiery furnace.
God could change Nebuchadnezzar’s mind. That’s easy for God to do … if He wants to. HOWEVER … if He wants them in the fiery furnace and be burned up … that’s OK too!
It’s a win/win situation. God is in charge. If they die in the fire, then they are home with Him for eternity.
How can they lose! God is in control. His will is best.
Either way, they won’t fall down and worship the idol.
8.- COMPROMISE – They could have COMPROMISED their faith … and justified it to themselves with excuses like…
• Everybody else is doing it … I’ll just go along with the crowd.
• It won’t hurt if I do it just this 1 time.
• What harm will it do … as long as it doesn’t hurt anybody else.
• I’ll do it in secret … no one will know.
• God put me in this position … surely He doesn’t want me to lose it … evil men will take my place.
• How can I be a witness if I turn everybody against me?
• I’ll do it now … and ask forgiveness later.
• I’ll go through the motions, but not really worship God in my heart … God knows my heart.
• When in Rome, do as the Romans.
Have you ever used any of these excuses … to COMPROMISE your faith?
What about:
You and I are pressured every day to COMPROMISE our faith … to make up EXCUSES for not obeying God … to JUSTIFY our disobedience to God.
Everybody is watching these 3 Hebrews … Everybody is watching YOU!
9.- CONFORM – 3:19-23 – They did “fall down” (3:23) … BUT … not before the golden image.
They could have CONFORMED to everybody around them … and do what everybody else was doing. What does the Bible tell us about this?
Romans 12:1-2 – all turn.
The Bible tells us that we ARE to CONFORM … BUT … not to the world…but to the image of God’s Son
Romans 8:29 – “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”
The world is trying to shape you into its image … shape you into its mold.
We aren’t to be shaped by OUTSIDE forces … BUT … by the INSIDE force of the Holy Spirit.
Question: Which force will win?
The force that has the most pressure … the greater force.
The more of Christ you allow to control your life, the greater the force to CONFORM to Him.
10.- COMPANIONSHIP - 3:24-25 – Jesus, God the Son, was with them in the fiery furnace.
God didn’t protect them FROM the fire … He protected them IN the fire.
God’s not always going to protect you from trials, troubles and tribulations.
1 Peter 4:12-13 – all turn.
If we are faithful to Him IN the fiery trial, it will be worth it someday when we see Him face to face.
It may not be pleasant in the fiery furnace that we are in, but we can be assured that Jesus is there with us, “walking in the midst of the fire” (3:25).
11.- COMFORTABLE - 3:26-28 – They didn’t even smell like smoke! They probably didn’t want to leave!
Why were these 3 Hebrews COMFORTABLE in the fire? BECAUSE … they were walking with Jesus!
He’s always there to give you COMFORT, strength, hope, and peace in life’s fiery trials.
12.- CREDIT - 3:28-30 – NOTICE who Nebuchadnezzar gives CREDIT to … the God of the 3 Hebrews.
The King promoted them…God honored their faithfulness to Him.
God gets the CREDIT … God gets the glory, when you’re faithful to Him.
Nebuchadnezzar stood in awe at the power and glory of God.
As you walk through the fires, you never know who is looking at you and seeing how you react.
God may have you going through the fire so that others can see Him in the midst of it and give Him the credit
Nebuchednezzar in vs 29 “There is no other god who can rescue like this”
CONCLUSION:
As Christians, we need to take a stand for God. It’s not always easy.
GOOD TIMES – When things are going right - We get complacent … take God for granted … ignore Him … think we deserve His blessing … forget to praise & worship Him.
BAD TIMES – When everything seems to be going wrong – We get discouraged … think God is nowhere to be found … blame God … look to ourselves for the solutions.
God had a PURPOSE for this fiery furnace experience … just like God has a PURPOSE for your fiery furnace experiences.
What is that PURPOSE? 1 Peter 1:5-7 – all turn.
He may not save you OUT of the fire … BUT … He’ll always be there for you IN the fire.
AMEN!
