The Audacity of Faith
Daniel 3
http://gbcdecatur.org/sermons/AudacityOfFaith.html
On Tuesday we will inaugurate a new President. It is truly historic, and I don’t mind saying that I’m still proud to be an American, and proud of the progress we have made toward racial equality. I’m not rooting for Obama to fail. I want success, morality, victory, and peace!
Christians should be people of hope. But though I am hoping for the best, I find myself some times fearing the worst. And that’s not good. Because fear is the opposite of faith.
Obama has run on a platform of hope, as you can see in this most popular poster of his [slide]. And I have seen some hopeful things from him so far, not the least of which is that his personal life at least seems a lot better than his party predecessor from Hope, Arkansas [Clinton ‘grope’ slide!] I thought that was pretty funny until I realized how sad it is.
Obama’s book is entitled, “The Audacity of Hope”. But when I sense my hope turning into fear I must look up in faith...and that’s the most audacious quality any of us can possess! You want to talk about ‘change we can believe in’ ... well, you’ll never be more changed than when you believe in the real Messiah, Jesus Christ, and when you have the audacity to place your faith in ‘That One’, well, there’s plenty of hope that will result.
During the campaign we all got used to the “Yes we can” chants at their rallies. But Biblically speaking... “No, we can’t!” Only God can and I hope we stay close to Him at this time! But Christians need to be positive people. We need to be realistic but it wouldn’t hurt us to be optimistic.
We need to be “yes we can” people to a certain extent. Answer me like you are at a rally--Can we obey the Bible’s commands for us to prayerfully support our new president? “Yes, we can!” Can we be above the racial innuendos that some are already spreading around? Can we show ourselves to be more mature than many who are actually hoping for another attack on our soil? Can we accept the result of the election as fitting within God’s will and trust Proverbs that the heart of the leader can be led by God’s hand? “Yes, we can.”
I said we need to be “yes we can” people to a CERTAIN extent. So where do we as believers need to draw the line?
Well, let me ask you—Can we sit quietly by and allow the abortion movement to make great strides over the next 4 years? “No, we can’t!!” Can we ignore the cries of the unborn and accept legislation that stands in stark contrast to God’s Word? Can we allow political correctness to silence us from speaking the truth in regard to homosexuality? Can we trade Biblical morality in for hopes of medical breakthroughs that could result from embryonic stem cell research? Should we join in the chorus of hero worshipers that want to set up a man as being a Savior? Can we give more priority to our wallets than to what is right and pleasing to God? Can we make room for socialism in hopes that we’ll get a stimulus check? Can we bow to peer pressure and give up in the global fight against terrorism, and try to turn into Switzerland? Can we allow our rights under the Constitution to be taken away? “No, we can’t!”
If they are allowed to take our guns away [2nd Amendment, right to bear arms] can we expect them to infringe upon our 1st Amendment right to freedom of religion? “Yes, we can!” There is a danger of the US turning into England again. May I remind you we left there for a reason? There’s also the danger of not existing anymore, nuked into oblivion, or of a social collapse that could turn us into something akin to a 3rd world country.
Let’s inaugurate some Bible truth now. I call your attention today to Daniel 3. We must keep in mind that this story is included in the Aramaic portion of Daniel. It is a part of God’s message to those who rule during the Times of the Gentiles. [including our age today!] It is a stern reminder that no man will circumvent the purposes of God. What He has decreed will come to pass. At the same time, this account is of great comfort to God’s people who must live in a godless world. Frequently in history, the Saints of God have been forced to decide between bowing and burning. Not all have been delivered like Daniel’s three friends were. Many have died for their faith. Yet, the name of God has always been exalted and the faith of God advanced when Christians have chosen to suffer rather than compromise their faith.
Sean Hannity is calling the next 4 years “Conservatism in Exile.” Ironically, God’s people are in exile in our text. For the 3 Hebrew children in our text there was little hope, but a lot of faith!
I. Their Temptation. A new national idol had been set up (vv. 3-5). Man’s unenlightened ingenuity is always setting up some new thing as an object of worship. It is all the more delusive with its grand musical attractions (v. 7). On the king’s part it was but another exhibition of despotism and religious intolerance, another form of “man’s inhumanity to man.” The temptation at this time to Daniel and his three fellow-believers was to-
1. SAVE THEIR SITUATION. They had been “set over the affairs of the province of Babylon” (chap. 2. 49). As government officials they held a high social position, and perhaps received a good salary. Demas forsook Paul when worldly advantage was to be gained (2 Tim. 4. 10). If the economy continues to worsen, whom will you be looking to, Obama or God...hope, or faith?
It was also a temptation to-
2. SACRIFICE THEIR CONSCIENCE. It affected their relationship with God. Of course all that the king demanded was conformity, what all sham religions are satisfied with. They could have rationalized and said, I may be bowing on the outside but not on the inside. But they would be giving away...
II. Their Testimony. “Our God, whom we serve, is able to deliver us... We will not serve thy gods” (vv. 17, 18).
This showed their-
1. FAITH IN THE POWER OF GOD. “If so be our God is able.” Those who are serving God daily are not likely to be cast down suddenly. True hearted service gives stability of character in the time of trial. Will you have the audacity to have faith no matter your circumstances? What if your stocks go down more? What if your home loses value? What if mainstream America continues rejecting God? What if morality continues to plummet? What if we’re call hate mongers? What if Al Franken really becomes a Senator? What if a nuclear briefcase is detonated in a city? Will God still be on the throne or not? Will you keep the faith?
2. SUBMISSION TO THE WILL OF GOD. “But if not...we will not” (v. 18). They would rather burn than turn. Like Job, they could say, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust” (see Acts 4. 19, 20). They were in Babylon, but they were not of it.
III. Their Triumph. They were cast into the furnace because of non-conformity, but “the fire had no power” (vv. 26, 27). The wrath of man is a poor, impotent thing in the presence of the power of God.
Their sufferings brought them-
1. A NEW SENSE OF FREEDOM. “Lo, I see four men loose walking in the midst of the fire” (v. 25). Liberty to walk in a furnace was a new experience for them. They could truly “glory in their affliction.” They were not saved from the fiery furnace, but they were saved in it, which was a much greater deliverance. The peace of God in the heart is an indestructible principle, beyond the reach of any fiery trial. The world cannot take it away. The flames of persecution can actually burn away the cords which bind us. Fire purifies! So, what if you have to lose everything in order to be free from your addiction to entertainment, technology, etc.? Will you have the audacity to keep the faith?
2. A NEW SOURCE OF FELLOWSHIP. There was a form in the fire, “like the Son of God.” In being cast out by men, they were brought into sweeter communion with the Son of God. It was so with Paul and Silas (Acts 16). Conservatism may be in exile, as were the Jews in our text, as was Jesus when He walked the earth, as is God in relation to America today. But Paul wrote about ‘the fellowship of His sufferings.’ We can actually come to relate and understand Jesus more when we actually suffer a little. We are so spoiled and so used to the life we have in America...we don’t really need God as much as we used to. But perhaps something will happen to draw us back to Him! In faith we should draw nigh to Him in fellowship now by choice, rather than in exile by force.
3. A NEW OPPORTUNITY FOR SERVICE. “The king promoted them” (v. 30). Their sphere of usefulness was enlarged after their deeper experience of the power of God. What a testimony they had to give, as men who had passed from death into life; who were dead, but are now living in the power of “a” resurrection. The Captain of our salvation was made perfect through suffering, and the servant is not greater than his Master. By refusing to bow to the image of gold man had set up, the image of God was more firmly set up in their own hearts.
We have fantastic opportunities to serve God today, and the darker our world becomes the brighter our light can shine. Let’s have the audacity of faith no matter the circumstances. It’s ok to hope, wrong to fear, and essential to believe!
http://gbcdecatur.org/sermons/AudacityOfFaith.html
