3 MEN WHO WALKED THROUGH FIRE
Dan. 3:1-30, Msg.
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: CONVERSATION WITH THE TAXI DRIVER
1. People love to visit the Promised Land. Jack visited for the first time and as soon as his plane landed, he got a taxi to take him to his hotel.
2. The taxi driver was very friendly. Jack asked the driver, "Say, is Israel a healthy place?"
3. "Oh, yes, it really is," the driver answered, "When I first came here, I couldn't say even one simple word, I had hardly any hair on my head, I didn't have the energy to walk across a small room and I even had to be helped out of bed every day."
4. "That's a remarkable story, truly amazing," Jack said, "so how long have you been here in Israel?"
5. "I was born here."
B. TEXT
King Nebuchadnezzar built a gold statue, ninety feet high and ....ordered all the important leaders...to the dedication ceremony. A herald then proclaimed, “When you hear the band strike up...fall to your knees and worship the gold statue. Anyone who does not kneel and worship shall be thrown immediately into a roaring furnace.” 4-6 [The King was told], “...there are some Jews here—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—who...won’t worship the gold statue you set up.” 13-15 Furious, King Nebuchadnezzar ordered [them] to be brought in. “I’m giving you a second chance...If you don’t worship it....Who is the god who can rescue you from my power?” 16-18 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar, “Your threat means nothing to us. If you throw us in the fire, the God we serve can rescue us from your roaring furnace and anything else you might cook up, O king. But even if He doesn’t, it wouldn’t make a bit of difference, O king. We still wouldn’t serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.” 19-23 Nebuchadnezzar, his face purple with anger...ordered the furnace fired up seven times hotter than usual....Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, bound hand and foot, fully dressed from head to toe, were pitched into the roaring fire....The furnace was so hot, flames from the furnace killed the men who carried [them] to it. 24 Suddenly King Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in alarm and said, “Didn’t we throw three men, bound hand and foot, into the fire?” 25 “But look!” he said. “I see four men, walking around freely in the fire, completely unharmed! And the fourth man looks like a son of the gods!” 26 “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the High God, come out here!” 27 All the [officials] gathered around...them and discovered that the fire hadn’t so much as touched the three men—not a hair singed, not a scorch mark on their clothes, not even the smell of fire on them! 28 Nebuchadnezzar said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel and rescued his servants who trusted in him! They ignored the king’s orders and laid their bodies on the line rather than serve or worship any god but their own. 29 “Therefore I issue this decree: Anyone...who says anything against [their] God will be ripped to pieces ...and their houses torn down. There has never been a God who could pull off a rescue like this.” 30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon. Dan. 3:1-30, Msg. (abridged)
C. THESIS
1. We’re still in the Burly Series. Today we’re looking at having moral & spiritual Courage.
2. Title: “3 MEN WHO WALKED THROUGH FIRE.”
I. THE GOLDEN IDOL
A. THERE ARE GOLDEN IDOLS IN EVERY GENERATION
1. Then – it was A 90 ft. idol made of gold.
2. Today, there are many issues our Government has made legal which in God calls immoral and wrong. Examples:
a. Abortion, b. No-Fault Divorce,
c. Alcohol/Tobacco/Drug Abuse,
d. Prostitution, e. Euthanasia,
f. Pornography, and g. Sex outside Biblical Marriage.
INSERT HERE IMAGE OF OVERLAPPING CIRCLES https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1792&bih=1045&ei=VzQ5YKObB4iesQWJw62oDQ&q=overlapping+circles&oq=overlapping+circles&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQARgAMgIIADICCAAyAggAMgIIADICCAAyAggAMgIIADICCAAyAggAMgIIADoFCAAQsQM6CAgAELEDEIMBUIoMWIk2YMNNaABwAHgAgAFbiAGuCZIBAjE5mAEAoAEBqgELZ3dzLXdpei1pbWc&sclient=img#imgrc=_7N6ZIVlwg3DvM
GOD’S LAWS GOV’TS LAWS
3. POINT: JUST BECAUSE A GOVERNMENT LEGALIZES SOMETHING DOESN’T MEAN IT’S MORALLY RIGHT! It’s what God thinks about it that really matters. Some laws are immoral and wrong in God’s sight, and wrong behavior, if not repented of, will be judged at the Judgment Seat of God.
4. Evolution & atheism are the central idols we are commanded to bow down to. They are false. All biological life has a design to it; creation is designed by a vast intelligence. It’s orderly and complex. Those two things are not the result of chance, but the results of an Engineer.
5. The way God designed things in the beginning is the way He intends for them to work. Paul termed altering God’s design as going “against nature” (Rom. 1:26, KJV); deviations from it are sinful. The norms taught in the Bible are the pattern for all time. God intends us to live holy lives & obey His Word.
B. A DECISION MUST BE MADE
1. We’re all going to be tested. Character is what you do/are when the pressure’s on. If YOU had been out in that crowd, faced with those alternatives, would you -- Have Bowed? Remained Standing? Tried to find some other way out?
2. COURAGE. We tend to think that courage is only for -- firefighters, soldiers, police, etc. Courage is not just for extreme situations; we have to have courage to say “No” to what our peer group are pressuring us to do.
3. Why do people lie? they're afraid of losing something -- money, a promotion, our reputation, our mate’s trust. We don’t want to face the consequences.
4. APPLICATION. The Devil has an idol he wants you to bow down to -- it may be:
a. Popularity c. Materialism e. Pride
b. Selfishness d. Acceptance f. Sensuality
5. ARE YOU BOWING? The world doesn't like you NOT bowing to its idols!
II. PRESSURE TO CONFORM
A. PEER PRESSURE
1. JOKE: A lady celebrating her 102nd birthday was asked what she enjoyed most about her advanced age. Her answer? "The lack of peer pressure." Almost no matter what your age, peer pressure is a problem. THINK HOW TOUGH:
2. Other Jews were there; they bowed (verse 12). Just because other Christians do it, doesn't make it right!
3. "EVERYBODY ELSE IS DOING IT: MUST I BE AN ODDBALL?" Jesus told us, "Only a few will be saved" Matt. 7:14. If you want to NOT obey God, the enemy will always have plenty of suggestions.
4. FOUR COMPROMISES we might have responded with:
a. "We'll fall down, but not actually worship the idol."
b. "We'll worship just this once, then ask God to forgive."
c. “We're not hurting anyone."
d. “We may lose our influence.” If we get ourselves killed, pagans will take our high positions. They won't help our people in exile, so it's better we keep our positions.
5. I know it's not easy to stand when all your peers are pulling on you and pressure is against you. THAT’S WHEN YOU LEARN TO GROW UP WITH GOD! -- either you become men or women of God, or you wimp out for the devil.
B. DECISION: NO COMPROMISE
1. Dannecker was one of the greatest sculptors Germany ever produced. He made many beautiful sculptures for his country. But then he became a Christian.
2. His great talent was employed to produce a statue of Christ. For eight long years he patiently toiled, much of it on the face of Christ.
3. When he finished, he gave the world a work which almost equaled his Subject. The face he created revealed to strong love and tender compassion of the divine Man of Sorrows.
4. Later, some of his countrymen wanted him to carve a statue of Venus. But he replied, "I can never make a Venus after I have looked upon the face of Christ."
5. TO “STAND” IS DEFINED AS “To remain on one’s feet; to withstand, as in a battle.” The main difference between standing and bowing is BENDING! One bends to the world’s pressure; the other refuses to bend. "We are not trying to please men, but God, who tests our hearts" 1 Thess. 2:4.
6. Verse 16: "We are not careful to answer." They had no decision to make; they made it long before. Like the Moravian Missionaries who went to the Fiji Islands in the 1700s. The captain exclaimed, "Don't you know that those islands are inhabited by cannibals? They will kill you!" The Moravians answered, "We died before we came here!"
7. As the old expression is, "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the flight in the dog." If you give all to Jesus, there's nothing left to give to the devil.
III. FACING THE FIRE
A. COMMITTED TO DO GOD’S WILL
1. Fire 7X hotter. Nebuchadnezzar furious!
2. Description of Clothes (vs. 21) emphasizes the flammable nature of the clothing.
3. The soldiers were killed; this is proof of the fierceness of the heat.
4. Vs. 23 -- "into the midst" -- no possibility of escape from the fire.
5. Nebuchadnezzar's surprise – the LXX says he heard them singing praises... then noticed they were alive!
B. GOD’S DELIVERANCE
1. God Did Not Keep Them From The Furnace;
a. But God went with them into it.
b. And God protected them through it.
2. Isaiah 43:2. God is with his people in their trials.
Emmanuel -- "God is with us."
3. WHO’S THAT FOURTH MAN? Jesus the Savior was in the fire with them!
4. OUR CHARACTER DETERMINES THE CONDUCT OF GOD. God intervened supernaturally because of their stand!
C. THE REVERSAL
1. JEHOVAH VINDICATED: Shown to be the true God.
2. THE 3 HEBREWS RECOGNIZED AS OUTSTANDING
The King knew they were Righteous (God himself delivered them), as people of Loyalty & integrity.
3. He PROMOTED THEM -- verse 30.
4. CHANGE IN ROYAL DECREE. Jehovah honored(vs.29).
CONCLUSION
The three Hebrews wouldn't Bend, Bow, or Burn!
A. ILLUSTRATION
1. During the terrible Boxer Rebellion in China, the insurgents captured a mission station with about 100 students. They blocked all the gates but one, and before this gate they placed a cross, flat on the ground. They announced, "Any of the students who trampled the cross underfoot would be permitted their freedom and life. But any that refused to trampled the cross would be shot to death."
2. Terribly frightened, the first seven students trampled the cross under their feet and were allowed to go free. But the eighth student, a young girl, refused to commit the sacrilegious act. Kneeling beside the cross in prayer for strength, she arose and moved carefully around the cross and went out to face the firing squad.
3. Strengthened by her example, every one of the remaining 92 students follow her to death. Will you set the standard by your life?
B. THE CALL
1. How many of you need more spiritual courage? Slip up your hand.
2. How many of you feel like you’re being pressured to do something you know isn’t right? We want to agree with you in prayer for God’s strength.
3. If we have unconfessed sins, that will short-circuit God’s power in our life. God can’t bless sin. How many of you need to get some area of sin under the blood of Jesus? Let’s pray!
