CHILDREN’S SERMON – Shadrach, Meshach, & Abednego
OPEN: I read an interesting article this week in Christianity Today. The title was “Was It Worth It?” and it tried to address the tragedy that’s going on now in Afghanistan. Their opening comment was this: “(Christianity Today) surveyed 15 (religious) leaders on what they are lamenting about the American withdrawal and Taliban takeover; how they’re praying for Afghanistan’s future; what they think American Christians can learn from the war; how they see the long-term impact on the mission field; and whether the decades of investment by Americans troops and foreign Christian workers were worthwhile or wasted.”
What I found interesting was that much of what I read from “Religious Leaders” did not seem to focus on whether it was worth it for Christian workers to have expended so much effort talking to the Afghans about Christ. Most of the answers seemed to say things like this: “I lament lost lives, lost freedoms, rampant injustice, the victory of tyranny and terror. The bad guys won. We live in a world where a coalition of the richest and most powerful nations in history collectively persuaded themselves that they were powerless to stop the descent of a nation into anarchy and barbarism….”
Another one said “it is hard not to feel like all our efforts were turned to ash this week by the Taliban’s victory, aided and abetted by the US government’s decision to abandon our allies, betray our purpose, and make vain the sacrifice and hardship of countless thousands who worked and served there.” (https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2021/august-web-only/afghanistan-christians-prayer-lament-united-states-taliban.html?utm_source=CT+Pastors+Newsletter&utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_term=237992&utm_content=6609&utm_campaign=email)
When I first read that I thought: “I understand what you’re saying!” But what troubled me was that – in this Christian magazine these (and others) seemed to focus a lot more on the emptiness of the political decisions our nation made in Afghanistan.
But, what about the efforts of the CHRISTIAN WORKERS in that nation? Was that in vain? Was It Worth It? Knowing that Christians in Afghanistan were going to be hunted down, imprisoned, and tortured and killed. Was all their effort in reaching some of the Afghans for Christ… was it WORTH IT? (to be fair - there were answers to that question in the article, it just didn’t seem to be the main focus of the article).
In our text today, the writer of Hebrews addresses that very question. The question? Is there ever a time when being a Christian is NOT worth it?
All through Hebrews 11, we read about the great men and women of Faith. The writer has been building toward this climax for several verses and then we read: “And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets — who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection.” Hebrews 11:32-35a
YEAH!!!!! THAT’S WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT! That’s the kind of Christianity I signed up for! I picture myself like a white knight riding into battle - Conquering kingdoms; stopping the mouths of lions; quenching the power of fire; being made mighty in war… and putting foreign armies to flight. That’s the kind of Christianity I can sink my teeth into.
But then… Hebrews turns from focusing on victory and power, and turns to sorrow and loss: “Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated — of whom the world was not worthy — wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.” Hebrews 11:35b-38
Now, you would think that this would be a turn-off. A poison pill to faith. I mean, who would want a religion that promises abuse, prison and even death? Well… not many. That’s why the “Health and Wealth” preachers do so well. One person noted that “The health and wealth gospel basically says: God wants you to be healthy and wealthy, and if you just had enough faith, you would be blessed by God with health and wealth.”
ILLUS: An example of this foolishness, can be seen in this meme of one of the primary preachers of this heresy - a guy by the name of Joel Osteen. Apparently he once said: “You’ve got to give God permission to increase you. Stretch your faith. The only thing that limits Him is your ability to receive.”
Really??? Since when does God need my permission? What God wants from us is NOT permission (from me) to do MY will, but submission (by me) to do HIS will. The difference between submission and permission is all about who is in charge. Is God in charge… or am I?
You see, the Bible has always been honest with us about the potential costs of discipleship. Paul wrote: “Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.” II Corinthians 11:24-27
Oh Paul… if you’d just given God PERMISSION to bless you that wouldn’t have happened.
But Peter wrote: “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.” 1 Peter 4:12-16
And Jesus said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross (an instrument of torture and death) and follow me.” Matthew 16:24
And so, here in Hebrews 11, God is telling us THAT truth again. He’s saying: there have been many great men/women of faith who’ve been mistreated, tortured, imprisoned… and even put to death because they held true to their faith. And that has always been true for God’s people.
You see, we have an enemy. He’s called Satan, and Satan’s desire is to destroy anything that belongs to God.
Did you ever stop to think that Jesus and all of His disciples (except John) were martyred? And ever since (as an early church named Jerome noted) “The Church of Christ has been founded by shedding its own blood, not that of others; by enduring outrage, not by inflicting it. Persecutions have made it grow; martyrdoms have crowned it.”
Satan’s intent has always been to destroy God’s people… and yet every government that has ever tried to destroy the church has ultimately failed. Whether it be Rome, or the leaders of the French Revolution, or Nazi Germany, or the nations of Islam, or any Communist country that has ever existed. They’ve all tried and failed to wipe out or silence Christianity.
The stories of Christians who’ve been persecuted or killed for their faith have made many of those Martyrs an inspiration for others who have risen to take their place.
An early church leader named Tertullian noted “The blood of the Martyrs is the seed of the Church.”
But why? Why would people be willing to do that? Well… two reasons
1st – they know God is paying attention. Right in the midst of this section of Hebrews 11 (where we’re told of all the pain and suffering and death that great people have faith have endured) we find this statement telling us that these people were those: “of whom the world was not worthy” Hebrews 11:38
Notice, God used that phrase for the ones who endured hardship, and persecution. These were the ones that God praised!
Do you remember these words from Jesus? “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:11-12
GOD PAYS ATTENTION when you suffer because of you stand for Jesus. God notices, and He blesses you.
ILLUS: And this is especially true for those who have died for their faith. Acts tells us that when Jesus ascended to heaven that He SAT DOWN at the right hand of the Father. But then, in Acts 7 we read of Christian named Stephen who preached such a powerful sermon that it angered the Jews and they stoned him to death. As he was dying, Stephen “looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and JESUS STANDING at the right hand of God.” Jesus stood up for Stephen. It was as if He was giving this man a standing ovation. It was like Jesus was standing in honor of a man who had gladly given his life in Christ’s service. If you’d asked Stephen if it was “worth it” he’d have “YES”. And – in that Christianity Today article I talked about that’s what one of the leaders said. A Mark Morris noted: “Our Afghan followers of Jesus tell me that it was worth it.”
ILLUS: I heard recently that many of the Christians in Afghanistan are marking their papers Christian. They’re even marking their bodies with the word “CHRISTIAN!” Why? Because – if they die – they want it to be known that they died for Christ. They are those of whom the world is NOT worthy! We’re …not even worthy of them. I’m NOT WORTHY of them.
Those who belong to Christ in Afghanistan, Thailand, Burma, China, India… those who have been martyred for their faith. GOD NOTICES, and He says “They are those of whom the world is NOT worthy!”
So 1st – those who suffer for their faith know God notices. And 2ndly – they are willing to suffer for Christ – they know this world is NOT all there is. Hebrews tells us: “Some (of the Old Testament greats) were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life.” Hebrews 11:35
ILLUS: A man named Randy Smith once wrote: “death for the Christian is the greatest event possible because only death has the ability to break the seal and usher you into inexpressible glory. So the worst the enemy can do is send me to paradise!”
As an early Christian named Justyn Martyr said “You can kill us, but you cannot harm us.”
Why? Because we know we serve a risen Savior. And even if we die for Him we will RISE to be with Him!
CLOSE: I want to close with this thought - at the end of Hebrews 11 is almost an obscure comment. “And all these (the great men and women of faith in the Old Testament), though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.” Hebrews 11:39-40
WHOA!!! What do you mean they didn’t receive what was promised? What was it that was promised that they didn’t get? Well, we find out in Hebrews 9:15 “Therefore (Jesus) is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the PROMISED eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.”
In other words, until Jesus died for THEIR SIN, all those great men and women of faith in Old Testament didn’t receive the promise - the promise of forgiveness of sins. If Jesus had not died on the cross THEY (and WE) would have no hope of heaven. There would be no “eternal inheritance.”
So what is the author of Hebrews trying to tell us? He’s trying to tell us that IF THEY (who had not received that promise yet) were willing to die for that which they hadn’t yet received, how much more should WE who have received that promise be willing to suffer and die for He’s done for us.
The next 3 verses – found in Hebrews 12:1-3 continue this thought “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses (those Old Testament heroes who didn’t have what you have), let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.”
CLOSE: They say that when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead he became a changed man (obviously). And after the resurrection of Christ, Lazarus became a Christian and a major leader in the early church.
The story is told that when Lazarus grew older he stood before a ruler, and that ruler demanded Lazarus renounce his faith or face death. And Lazarus began to laugh. The governor became incensed and demanded that Lazarus quit laughing take this seriously – “Don’t you realize I have the power to have you executed.” But Lazarus laughed all the harder. Finally, the Governor exploded in a rage demanding to know why Lazarus was laughing. Lazarus looked up at the ruler and replied: “I’ve already died once. I no longer fear death.”
INVITATION
