Introduction
Nebuchadnezzar has built a ninety-foot statue of himself made of gold that sat on a twenty-five-foot base (which archaeologists have discovered) in the plain of Dura.
To celebrate his great achievement, he sent word to the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces that he governed to be in attendance. He also invited peoples, nations, and languages. Basically, it is a world-wide invitation.
Now the plain of Dura was a massive plain that could hold several hundred thousand people and most commentaries will tell us that indeed several hundred thousand people attended. The number I want to throw out to you is about 300,000 people in attendance.
Not only were you required to be in attendance but at a certain point in the celebration when the musicians played, you were to fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
Imagine you watching that event that day, you hear the musicians play, you see everybody bow down, but you look around and there are three young men that are standing for some reason. And you hear the people mumbling in the crowd those are the Jewish boys that follow their Jewish God. And you think to yourself, oh my, could that ever happen in my Christian life- can the heat be turned up on me for my belief in Jesus?
And let me tell you the answer. “YES,” especially as we approach the end times. So, we need to look at these three believers to see if we can do what they are about to do. It is my hope in this sermon that you seriously ask yourself, is my faith that strong that I can stand up for Jesus?
Scripture
Daniel 3:8–18 (NKJV)
8 Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and accused the Jews. 9 They spoke and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever! 10 You, O king, have made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the gold image; 11 and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. 12 There are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego; these men, O king, have not paid due regard to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image which you have set up.”
13 Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. So they brought these men before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up? 15 Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?”
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. 18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”
Point #1
Can I stand up for Jesus when I am outnumbered by the crowd around me who is against Jesus?
Do you know that the Bible says in Matthew 12:30 (NKJV)
30 He who is not with Me is against Me...
The Apostle Peter on the night of Jesus’ arrest could not stand up for Jesus in a courtyard filled with people.
The Father of the Jewish nation, Abraham, when there was a drought in the land and went to Egypt to live could not stand up for Jesus and tell the truth to the Egyptians but instead told Sarah to tell them that you are my sister so that I may live. And that is after the great promise God gave Abraham that he would be the father of a great nation.
But here in the midst of 300.000 people these three young men stood strong for Jesus.
Where do you see yourself; do you see yourself more like a Peter or an Abraham or more like these three Jewish men?
Where is your point on that spectrum? If there was a line that is drawn and Peter and Abraham are on one side and the three Jewish men on the other side, where would you fall. You need to ask yourself that question, and if it is closer to Peter and Abraham you need to shore up your faith.
I am glad to tell you after Peter and Abraham fell they shored up their faith and became great men of God.
Point #2
Can I remain silent when the very people who are accusing me are the very ones that I have helped?
Daniel 3:8–9 (NKJV)
8 Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and accused the Jews. 9 They spoke and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever!
Who are his Chaldeans? The very people that Daniel and his friends saved from the death sentence issued by the king by getting the dream and interpretation after going to God in prayer.
And notice that these three men say nothing about them when they are before the king. If it was you and me, we would be yelling and screaming, this is how you pay us back for saving your life? You are throwing us under the bus. You are going to get us killed.
These three men are basically being sold out by the Chaldeans and they say nothing. It reminds me that Jesus was sold out by Judas Iscariot, and He said nothing as He was led to His death.
Just maybe I need to look at my life and I might discover that I am too defensive. I always have an answer for someone who does something to me.
Maybe, I need to overlook other peoples’ offenses more often. Certainly, these three men set that standard.
Point #3
Can I say that if I stood before somebody that controls my future that I would let my Christianity shine rather responding out of fear?
Daniel 3:13–15 (NKJV)
13 Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. So they brought these men before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up? 15 Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?”
Think for a moment it is you who is standing before King Nebuchadnezzar. And the king offers you two alternatives. Bow down to my statue and everything will be OK. But if you don’t then you will be thrown into the fiery furnace. Does your Christianity prevail or does your fear of man prevail.
In the case of these three Jewish men, their Christianity prevail. What about you? If you would say today the fear of man would weigh heavy on your shoulders, you need to shore up your faith.
In the Tribulation, those living during that time will have a similar choice. Confess Christ and not be able to work or eat or take the mark of the beast and work and eat.
Now, is the time to be shoring up our faith.
Point #4
Can you say I will do what is right even though I have not heard directly from God that He will keep me safe as I do what is right?
Daniel 3:16–18 (NKJV)
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. 18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”
Daniel, in Chapter 2, had a vision from God and God revealed the dream and its interpretation. And so, it was easy for God to go before the king and tell him the dream and its interpretation.
These three men before the king have not heard from God. It would have been so much easier for them if God said in a vision “Don’t bow down and I will take care of you. You have nothing to fear.”
All these three men knew was that they were doing the right thing; that God was able to rescue them, but they did not know if He was willing to rescue them. Now that takes a great measure of faith which obviously they had.
Question to Ponder
Are you working to shore up your faith like Shadrach, Meshach and Abed- Nego?
We got to get busy.
