"NO SMELL OF FIRE"
Dan. 3:16-27
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: OLD AGE DOUBLE TROUBLE
1. "Man, it’s tough getting old," said Sam to his friend Frank. "If it’s not one problem, then it’s another. As soon as I awoke this morning, I had two shocks, one after the other."
2. "So what happened, Sam?" asked Frank. "When I woke up," replied Sam, "I thought my water bed had broken." "Well had it?" asked Frank. "No, it hadn’t," replied Sam.
3. "Well that was alright then," said Frank. "So what was your second shock?" "I remembered that I didn’t have a water bed," Sam replied.
B. TEXTS
16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us[a] from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” 19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual 20 and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. 22 The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, 23 and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace. 24 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, Your Majesty.” 25 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.” 26 Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, 27 and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them. Daniel 3:16-27 NIV.
6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, I Pet. 1:6-8.
C. THESIS
1. Tonight we’re going to look at the trying of the faith of the 3 Hebrew “worthies” and see how some parts of the narrative are indicative of trials in general.
2. We will look at four aspects:
a. The self-destruction of the enemy;
b. The Loosing of bonds;
c. Closer fellowship with the Lord, and
d. The taste of Total Victory.
3. The title of this message is “Nor smell of smoke.”
I. SELF-DESTRUCTION OF THE ENEMY
A. NOT CONCERNED HOW TO ANSWER
1. How wonderfully above the situation these three men were! With the prospect of the trial, with the threat over their heads, how utterly careless about answering the king! "We have no need to answer in this matter."
2. One version said, “we don’t need to explain to you/ answer you, O King!” Wow! The MSG version says, “Your threat means nothing to us!” Wow!!!
3. There was a settled confidence of heart, the outcome of an integrity of life and walk before God. Their chief concern wasn’t their danger, but that they shouldn’t in any way be found to compromise their relationship to the Most High God.
B. 1ST EFFECT OF OBED.: ENEMIES CONSUMED
1. The first effect of the bringing of these men into that trial justified their confidence, because the soldiers responsible for throwing them into the fire were themselves killed by that fire! What was intended for them actually was reversed!
2. If our lives are in great danger because of our serving the Lord, we don’t need to fear the fire. We’d be wise not to invite the fire; but if the fire comes, we won’t fear it.
3. This is also a solemn warning about creating fiery conditions for the saints: if you do, you yourself may be consumed by it!
II. THE LOOSING OF BONDS
A. 2ND EFFECT OF FIRE: LOOSED
1. Another outcome of the fire is the loosing of bonds. Are you in the fire? Do you have a satisfactory reason for being there?
2. Here is one; it may apply to you; the fire is ordained of God for the very purpose of loosing you from bonds.
3. Yes, the limitations that circumstances and conditions outside of us put upon us, the frustrations of which we are so conscious - they are dealt with in the fire.
B. TRIALS INTENDED TO DO THIS TOO
1. But what about the limitations, the bonds, that are peculiarly ours, within us - the bonds of our makeup, the features of our temperaments? The same is true.
2. Here is a loving God ordaining the fire and allowing the enemy to stoke it to a sevenfold heat, with the purpose, in the heart of God, of loosing us from bonds. Oh, is this happening with us?
3. The fires are being heated to an intensity that we never thought possible for us to endure; are we being liberated by them?
4. Are we coming into the glorious liberty of the children of God? Are we being rid of those things that have so marred our life, our testimony, our ministry?
III. CLOSER FELLOWSHIP WITH THE LORD
A. THE 3 HAD CLOSER FELLOWSHIP
1. Another thing that happened in the fire: these 3 men found themselves in closer fellowship with the Lord than they’d ever known before.
2. How many times have we said, 'I would never have known the Lord in this way but for that! It was in the fire/during the trial that I found Him to be so merciful/patient/ caring/faithful/etc.”
3. “I knew all about those in theory before, but I got hold of the reality there.”
B. NEBUCHADNEZZAR GOT CLOSER TOO
1. The Bible says Nebuchadnezzar saw One "like a son of the gods" - so says Nebuchadnezzar in his ignorance - but, as far as we are concerned, it’s "the Son of God."
2. If the 3 Hebrews hadn’t have taken their stand, they have never seen a theophany of Christ. Further, their trial was the cause of Nebuchadnezzar seeing Christ!
3. So in both camps, the outcome was well worth the trouble of the trial!
IV. THE TASTE OF TOTAL VICTORY - No Smell of Fire, but Joy Unspeakable
A. OUR HOUSE “FIRE”
1. Some time ago my teenage boys got the bright idea – during a cold spell – of lighting a fire in our living room fireplace.
2. The first mistake they made was not telling me before they did it. If they’d called me, I would’ve told them that the chimney flue was closed to cut down the draftiness.
3. With the flue closed, the smoke had nowhere to go but into the house. The smell of smoke was everywhere and all you could think about was the fire.
4. Needless to say, we had to get all our couches and drapes cleaned, our clothes laundered, the carpets shampooed and had to wipe down all the ceiling and walls.
5. It was an ordeal I wouldn’t want to repeat. It’s NOT a good thing to be covered with the smell of smoke. That’s why companies like Servpro exist – to get the smell of smoke out!
B. FIRE, BUT NO SMELL OF SMOKE!
1. The crown of this whole event was that when they came out of the fire, and there was not even the smell of fire upon them.
2. Yes, their guards were consumed; yes, they had a greater knowledge of the Lord; yes, they were liberated from bondage -- but the fire left no smell on them! What is the interpretation of that?
3. Well, I think there is no doubt that one very great effort of the adversary in the fiery furnace (if he cannot stop us getting out and cannot consume us in the fire) is so to leave the marks and smell upon us that for all succeeding days people will associate with us the matter of suffering and trial.
4. Having a smell of burning about us means that the suffering of the trial stays with us after the trial is over. We are marked for the rest of our lives by the difficulty we encountered.
5. But to come out of the most extreme trial “smelling like roses” instead of fire, shows that we overcame the devil so completely that no negative trace of the trial remains – only praise to God for our deliverance.
6. Peter describes this complete victory: “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy” I Pet 1:8.
7. Our fiery trial is followed by "joy unspeakable and full of glory!" Here is the crown of a desperately dark time, of maybe years of suffering, of the testing of our faith - joy beyond speech, full of glory.
8. The enemy ever seeks to rob us of our joy and frustrate the desire of the Lord that we should be radiators of His glory; and by the fiery trial all too often he succeeds.
C. ILLUSTRATION
1. I recently had occasion to see a soldier who was incarcerated for years in one of the big concentration camps.
2. At least 3 times he was trussed head downward over the bough of a tree and thrashed into unconsciousness.
3. The effects of his suffering upon him? That man's faith is undimmed; he became stronger. The outstanding mark was not his suffering, but now he’s full of joy.
D. HUMOR: EXTRA BLESSINGS
1. Benny bumps into his friend Sam and immediately asks, "I’ve just heard that your wife has recently won a lot of money on the Lottery, Sam." "Yes, you’re right," replies Sam.
2. "So do tell me," asks Benny, "what’s the best thing that’s happened since Estelle won all that money?"
Sam replies, "She’s now stopped cooking."
V. GETTING A DIFFERENT SMELL
A. ATTEMPT TO ROB YOU OF YOUR JOY
Now the enemy is making a very big effort to rob us of our joy. If he can’t keep us in the furnace, he will bring us out so smelling of the fire that everywhere we go people will say, “Poor So-and-so! He is having a terrible time; I don't know how he goes through; I don't know what he will do.” You see what the smell of fire is doing - it is drawing attention to ourselves.
B. GOD GIVES FRAGRANCES TO ERASE SMOKE
1. We’re familiar with the Anointings given to the High Priest, the King, and to other servants whom God sets apart.
2. Not only did God prefer the priests not smell like fire, He preferred they smell fragrant and pleasing to Him.
3. This is a type of praise & worship. Yes, it’s necessary that we make sacrifices for our sins. The whole burnt offering burns up everything.
4. But how much sweeter is a sacrifice that has nothing to do with sin, but is just a fragrant freewill offering of incense or of the fat of sacrifices? Burnt toast doesn’t smell good, but bacon does!
5. God wants to substitute beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, garments of praise for the spirit of heaviness! But trials can lock us into a mindset of survival instead of rejoicing. Are you in danger of losing your joy?
6. I was reading of an advertisement that was put in the paper: "Wanted, Christian - cheerful, if possible." Yes, we smile at that, but evidently the advertiser did not think there was much chance!
7. Godliness and glumness often go together. We’ve got to watch, for the enemy is out to rob us and to keep us with the smell of fire upon us.
8. Oh, that we can come through the darkest experiences and end up with "joy unspeakable and full of glory!”
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION: Walking on Bombs Without Harm.
1. At Vimy Ridge in France, is a memorial where Canadians valiantly faced the enemy during World War I.
2. Besides the impressive monument, you find fields of grass, fenced with electric fencing, and decorated with signs bearing grim warnings: “No entry. Undetonated explosives”.
3. They were live remnants of the First World War, still present, still undetected. And in order to protect the innocent tourists, fences and warnings had been placed.
4. There were living creatures wandering around these undetonated mine fields, however: Sheep! Since it would be impossible to cut the grass without putting whoever ran the lawnmower in danger, sheep were placed in these fields, and their sole purpose was to graze to their heart’s content.
5. And God keeps them safe! In life we also walk over potential landmines, things like disease, financial throes, discord, rejection... Is it possible to walk through these unhurt? With God’s help! [Rob Chaffart]
B. THE CALL
1. Altar call & prayer.
2. Dismiss.
[This is a rewrite of T. Austin-Sparks’ : "A Witness and a Testimony" July-August 1949; pages 86,87.]
