When Life gets Hot!
Am Service October 18th 2009
Daniel 3: 10-18
Introduction
There was a Pastor, who after the usual song service, stood up, walked over to the pulpit and, before he began to preach, he briefly introduced a guest minister who was in service that day. In the introduction, the Pastor told the congregation that the guest minister was one of his dearest childhood friends and that he wanted him to have a few moments to greet the church and share whatever he felt would be appropriate for the service. With that, an elderly man stepped up to the pulpit and began to speak, and he told this story.
A father, His son, and a friend of his were sailing off of the Pacific Coast, when a fast approaching storm blocked any attempt to get back to shore. The waves were so high, that even though the father was an experienced sailor, he could not keep the boat upright and the three were swept into the ocean as the boat capsized.
The old man hesitated for a moment, making eye contact with two teenagers who were, for the first time since the service began, looking somewhat interested in his story. The aged minister continued with his story, "Grabbing a rescue line, the father had to make the most excruciating decision of his life: to which boy he would throw the other end of the lifeline. He only had seconds to make the decision. The father knew that his son was a Christian and he also knew that his son’s friend was not. The agony of his decision could not be matched by the torrent of waves. "As the father yelled out, ‘I love you son!’ He threw out the lifeline to his son’s friend.
By the time the father had pulled the friend back to the capsized boat, his son had disappeared beneath the raging swells into the black of the night. His body was never recovered." By this time, the two teenagers were sitting up straight in the pew, anxiously waiting for the next words to come out of the old minister’s mouth. "The father," he continued knew his son would step into eternity with Jesus and could not bear the thought of his son’s friend stepping into eternity without Jesus.
Therefore, he sacrificed his son to save his son’s friend… With that the old man turned and sat back down in his chair as silence filled the room. The Pastor again walked slowly to the pulpit and delivered a brief sermon… Within minutes after the service ended, the two teenagers were at the old man’s side.
"That was a nice story," stated the boys, "But I don’t think it was realistic for a father to give up his son’s life in hopes that the other boy would become a Christian." "Well, you’ve got a point there," the old man replied glancing down at the worn Bible. A big smile broadened his narrow face, he once again looked up at the boys and said, "It sure isn’t realistic, is it? But I’m standing today to tell you that the story gives me a glimpse of what it must have been like for God to give up His only son for me. You see… I was the father and your Pastor was my son’s friend."
You see that old minister had Faith, He had what all of us as Christians should have and that is an unshakeable faith. As Christians we all have faith, but we don’t all have an unshakeable faith. Our subject for this morning is about "Having Faith when life gets Hot."
When life really gets hot, when it comes down to trusting God or getting bitter and angry and just give up on your faith.
When the hot times come, it is a major test to our faith, and today I want us to learn five things we can do to get through those times when life gets hot.
Read Scriptures: Daniel 3:10-18
I. When Life gets Hot, we need a faith that cannot be threatened or intimidated.
Vs. 16 “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter.”
The king was trying to scare them, intimidate them. They let the king know he didn’t shake their peach tree
This is the same spirit of fear and intimidation Goliath tried to put on David; Sennacherib (king of Assyria) tried to put on Hezekiah.
God has given us victory over this spirit - “God has not given us spirit of fear but of power and love and a sound mind”.
Our young people need a faith that does not bow to the pressures around them, adults need a faith that will cause them to stand for Jesus on the job, on the street, in public
II. When Life gets Hot, we need a faith that can stand up in the face of reality.
Vs. 17 “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace,”
You have the power to cast us into the furnace.
Our faith needs to face the reality that we may go through the fire. Many preachers today want to convince us that nothing bad will ever happen to us, the enemy can’t touch us, everything we have is divinely protected. Many people walk around with their head in the sand believing nothing bad will ever come and when it does their faith isn’t strong enough to overcome it.
Satan was able to afflict Job, these men were cast into the fire and our faith must face reality - bad things will come our way.
It takes a stronger faith to go through the fire and stand strong for God than it does to escape it altogether, many people today have it turned around the other way.
III. When Life gets Hot, we need a faith that is always subject to the Will of God.
Vs. 17 “the God we serve is able to save us from it”
Notice the use of the word “ABLE” - it means “He has the power, He can do it”.
People don’t like to use the words “God CAN” because it sounds doubtful, unbelieving, weak
Our lives are always subject to the divine will of God.
Two pastors in a third world country are threatened with their lives - one is put to death, the other escapes with his life. Why?
Two Christian people are in two separate car accidents - one is killed, the other lives. Why?
Two Christian people are diagnosed with cancer - one dies, the other survives. Why? The outcome of every thing in our life is subject to the divine will of God
These three men knew God was able and we need a faith that knows God is able....but also realizes that our life is subject to God’s divine will and we leave it all in His hands ........... That takes faith.......this is not popular preaching.
IV. When Life gets Hot, we need a faith that knows that God will deliver us from the hand of the enemy.
Vs. 17 “and he will rescue us from your hand, O king.”
There is a difference between the furnace and the hand of the enemy!
They first said “GOD IS ABLE” and then said “GOD WILL”.
They had resolved that if God’s will took them into the furnace, He could deliver them but regardless of whether they survived the furnace or not, they would be delivered from the king.
There is always a faith that gives sweet assurance that regardless of whether God delivers us from life’s fiery furnace we will be delivered from the hand of satan.
Phil 1:20-21 ...Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.... For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
We are winners either way, whether we live or die
Regardless of what life brings our way we are always victorious over satan, more than conquerors.
V. When Life gets Hot, we need a faith that will be committed to God, regardless of the outcome.
Vs. 18 “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."”
There are many people who put conditions on God “I’ll serve you if....., I’ll follow you if...., I’ll live for you if.
“BUT IF NOT” faith says “I’ll serve you regardless..., I’ll follow you regardless..., I’ll live for you regardless.
It takes a strong faith to say “But if not...” It takes complete trust and security in God.
Conclusion
When life gets hot, can your faith stand the test, I want you to notice a couple verses further down in this chapter, because I can’t preach on this fiery furnace story without mentioning this, when we are in the fire, when life gets hot, as a follower of Christ, you need to know you are not alone.
Daniel 3:24-25 “Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers "Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?" They replied, "Certainly, O king." He said, "Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”
