Good morning to the Lord’s beloved!
Many people don’t know this, but Julius Caesar was once a rebellious Roman. He first became a champion of the people by leading the Roman military towards the conquest of great foreign lands. He advocated for reforms of an aging Senate and, fearing his uprising, they demanded that he relinquish his army.
But Caesar refused, which marked the beginning of his civil war against Pompey. On the way, he had to cross the Rubicon river. No army had crossed the Rubicon with the intention to invade Rome in centuries. The Rubicon was not a large river. It was a border. Crossing the border with his troops meant that Caesar was breaking the law. It meant treason. It meant war.
But Caesar and his army still walked through the river. After he crossed, Caesar told his generals to burn the bridge down immediately. There was no way out but forward. Caesar said, “Lacta alea Est, which means “the die is cast or there is no turning back. In other words, Caesar said “We are past the point of no return. Rome would be our next stop.”
When you burn a bridge, you also burn Plan B, Plan C, etc. – anything that opens the door for you to go back. When you a burn bridge, you have decided that only one thing matters, whatever that one thing is. When you a burn bridge, you are drawing a line in the sand that you will not cross. For a Christian, the line must be faith in God and in what His Word declares. “It is written” must be the beat of your heart.
In Hebrews 11, we read about the faith of Old Testament believers who burned bridges to their old life and, as a result, endured persecution and even death because they were unwilling to go back by renouncing their faith in God.
Hebrews 11: 32-39, 1-2, 6
(32) And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:
(33) Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
(34) Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
(35) Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:
(36) And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:
(37) They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword:
they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
(38) (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
(39) And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
I want to go back to verse 35 because there is a phrase that I want to draw your attention to.
“Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured … (The next phrase is what I want you to focus on and I want you to read it out loud.) …. NOT ACCEPTING DELIVERANCE; that they might obtain a better resurrection.“
Ladies and gentlemen, these people made a deliberate decision not to try to get out of what was coming. They made the choice to say I am going to go through this even though I can get out. I like the way the Amplified Bible renders this verse.
“[Some] women received again their dead by a resurrection. Others were tortured to death with clubs, refusing to accept release [offered on the terms of denying their faith], so that they might be resurrected to a better life.”
Ladies and gentlemen, there are many in the church today who have accepted an offer that is causing them to deny their faith based on what they say and what they do. And if you ask them are they denying their faith, they will tell you no. They don’t think that at all.
Verse 37 says, “They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted … [The Amplified says “they were lured with tempting offers (to renounce their faith)”… were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented.”
The life of a Christian only has two options: are you going to live for God or are you not going to live for God? Those are our only options. And when we chose to live for God, you have to know that some people are not going to be happy, including some Christians.
Instead of voiding or ending their torture by renouncing their belief and trust in God, these believers chose death. They believed that God would keep His promise to them of a better resurrection.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are already guaranteed a better resurrection. We’re sons and daughters. Why is it then, if we are already guaranteed a better resurrection that we are not willing to stand up and say who our God is?
Go back to verse one because we read how they made the decisions that they made in faith.
(1) Now faith is the substance (Faith is the foundation. Faith is what we build everything on.) … Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen
(2) For by it the elders obtained a good report.
Everyone that we read about in Hebrews 11 had a good report. From whom did they have the good report? Go down to verse 6.
“But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.”
When the Bible says that we “must believe that He is,” it’s saying that we must believe that He exists, that He is who He says He is and we believe it. The verse also says “He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” God keeps His promises.
I want to read verses one and two from the Amplified.
(1) Now FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for …
When you buy a house, what do they give you? A deed, a title deed. What does that communicate? It communicates that you own the house. Verse one says, “Now FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for.” In other words, you own them! You may not see it right now, but you own it because you have faith.
Now FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].
Faith says, I may not see it, but I have it.
(2) For by [faith-trust and holy fervor born of faith] the men of old had divine testimony born to them and obtained a good report.
By faith, these men and women burned any bridge that offered them a way out of torture and death if they renounced their faith in God.
Believers who burned bridges because of their faith in God
#1 – Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
Daniel 3:1-18
(1) Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.
(2) Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
Now, I want you to see who the king invited to this announcement. He invited the people who had the authority to enforce what he wanted done. Are you following me. You don’t see every day people.
(3) Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
(4) Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages,
(5) That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:
(6) And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
So, you see what Nebuchadnezzar is telling the people with authority. “You go back home and when the music starts and if you see someone who is not bowing, bring that person to me and that person will be burned to death.”
This may seem unthinkable today, but we did experience something that was somewhat similar in execution. Do you remember COVID-19? Federal and state officials had many people in full panic mode. Who can forget the “Stay at Home Orders” where we had to stay at home and practice physical distancing even in our homes.
Punishment included civil penalties like fines, orders to suspend business operations and, in some cases, businesses having their licenses revoked – all because of not abiding by the restrictions related to COVID-19. Criminal penalties included arrest and possible imprisonment.
Ladies and gentlemen, these penalties were federally and state mandated. How was that any different than the mandate that Nebuchadnezzar gave to worship the idol he had set up? It’s not. It’s the same thing. In Wisconsin, for example, the punishment for violating the stay at home order was up to 30 days in prison or up to a $250 fine, or both. With this in mind, let’s read verse six again.
(6) And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
Ladies and gentlemen, we were prisoners in our own country. Sometimes we read the Bible and say this is outlandish. It could never happen. It did! Let’s continue.
(7) Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of musick, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
(8) Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused the Jews.
(9) They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever.
(10) Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, shall fall down and worship the golden image:
(11) And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
(12) There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
(13) Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.
(14) Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship (bow down and prostrate) the golden image which I have set up?
Remember that we read in Hebrews 11 that the men and women who died for their faith were given a way out, but they refused to accept it?
(15) Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?
Ladies and gentlemen, that is a question that many Christians cannot answer. They don’t know the God who saved them. They don’t know the God who loves them. They have an image of God in their head that fits the profile of the god that they want to serve.
(16) Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
Let’s read the last part of the verse from the Amplified Bible.
“… it is not necessary for us to answer you on this point.”
Do you know why they said this? That bridge had been burnt. They burned it a long time ago. I love this. They said, “Our minds are made up. We will not renounce our God even if it means dying for Him.”
Oftentimes when we talk about faith, when we talk about what God can do with faith, sometimes we fall to realize that faith is not about what God does, faith is about who we trust with our lives. And we see this in the three Hebrews response in verse 17 and 18.
(17) If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
Verse 18, ladies and gentlemen, is the faith verse.
(18) But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego said “God will deliver us, but if He doesn’t, the next time we open our eyes we will see Him.” They had burned that bridge.
What was the bridge that they burned? A life that did not include wholeheartedly and without reservation serving of God and worshiping God.
#2 – Peter and John
Turn to Acts 3. We’re going to begin with verse one.
(1) Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.
(2) And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;
(3) Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.
(4) And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
(5) And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.
Verse six, ladies and gentlemen, is you. You may not realize it yet, but verse six is you.
(6) Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
Verse six is you. Such as you have. You have the exact same thing that Peter and John had – the new birth, the new spirit and the power that goes along with it that connects you with heaven. When you are connected to heaven, you can access heaven for the people who need the access.
“… such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.” Peter accessed heaven. Heaven took care of the man. Ladies and gentlemen, that’s you. That same power is inside of you. That is who you are. Don’t be ashamed of that. The world needs to know who you are. The world needs for you to access heaven for them. You have family members who need you to access heaven for them.
(7) And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
(8) And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.
(9) And all the people saw him walking and praising God:
(10) And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.
Turn to Acts 4. After healing the lame man, Peter and John begin to preach salvation through Jesus Christ, and not the Law and this didn’t sit well with the religious leaders. We’re going to begin with verse one.
(1) And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them,
(2) Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
(3) And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide.
(4) Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.
(5) And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes,
(6) And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.
(7) And when they had set them in the midst (The religious leaders sat in a circle surrounding Peter and John) they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?
Jesus faced the same questions from this same religious body. Turn to Matthew 21. We’re going to read verse 23.
“And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?”
(8) Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,
I want to remind you of something, ladies and gentlemen, that Jesus said in Matthew chapter ten and verses 18 and 19.
(18) And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.
(19) But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.
Always remember that, ladies and gentlemen. When you are standing for the Lord in a situation where a response is required, the right response will be there. Verse nine.
(9) If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole;
What we are reading here is the result of what happened in Acts 3:1-6 and the rest of the chapter.
(10) Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified (Peter didn’t say whom the Romans crucified. He said who the religious leaders crucified.), whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
Peter says, “Do you want to know who gave us the authority? It’s the same person that you questioned when you were getting ready to crucify him. He’s the person who gave us the power and authority.
(11) This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
Peter says, “Jesus is the corner stone that you rejected, that you wanted no part of. This man, who was lame from birth and is now standing here holding on to us is because of the One you rejected!” Can you say bridges have been burned?
(12) Neither is there salvation in any other (There is no salvation in the law. Drop the mic!): for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
After hearing Peter and John’s response and looking at the man who had been healed, the religious leaders couldn’t punish them because they knew the people would be outraged. So, they threaten them and command them not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus. Let’s jump down to verse 19.
(19) But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.
I love this. Peter says, “If you think we should bow to your will and not God’s will, think what you want. But let me tell you something.”
(20) For we cannot (a double negative) but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
When it comes to standing for Jesus, when it comes to recognizing who He is as God’s son, you will have to burn bridges in terms of anyone trying to bring you off of the knowledge of who Jesus is and what He means to you.
What bridge did Peter and John burn: The willingness to preach anything other than Jesus and His gospel.
#3 – Stephen
We have one more. Turn to Acts 6. Let’s begin with verse one.
(1) And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.
(2) Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.
The twelve said that to minister to the needs of the people in this way is not what God called us to do. They were not saying that serving tables was not needed. They were not saying that serving tables was not the right thing to do. They were not saying that serving tables was beneath them. They’re saying that God had called them to spend time in prayer and in studying the scriptures so that they can feed them from the Lord’s table!
(3) Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.
(4) But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.
(5) And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch:
(6) Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.
(7) And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.
(8) And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.
The verse says Stephen was full of faith and power. The word power is dunamis in the Greek and it means he had access to power that resided in heaven. Ladies and gentlemen, I am repeating myself. That is you! That is you, if you believe that.
(9) Then there arose certain of the synagogue (Where is the persecution coming from? The Church.), which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen.
(10) And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.
Why could they not resist? They saw the miracles that he did. How do you argue with a miracle?
(11) Then they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God.
(12) And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the council,
(13) And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law:
(14) For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us. (Liars, liars robes on fire!)
(15) And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.
In Acts 7, Stephen reminds the religious leaders of Israel’s history and how they were constantly bumping heads with God through His prophets. But it is what he says in verses 51 through 53 that causes them to lose their minds.
(51) Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
(52) Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
(53) Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.
(54) When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
(55) But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
Ladies and gentlemen, when you stand for God, heaven may not open so that you can see it but trust me when I tell you this: Jesus will be standing with you!
(56) And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
This is the only time a human calls Jesus THE SON OF MAN after His ascension. Stephen was reminding the religious leaders of the very words that Jesus had spoken to them during his mock trial, which is recorded in Matthew 26:62-65.
(57) Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,
What bridge did Stephen burn: The willingness to not stand boldly and without compromise for Jesus.
What is a bridge in your life that needs to be burned?
? Certain TV programs (content)
? Facebook/YouTube/Instagram (content)
? Personal habits – A willingness to let a day pass without spending time with Jesus
? Thoughts/attitudes toward people (If your first desire is not for the person to know
Jesus, then God will have a problem with you. Thoughts and attitudes are some of the hardest bridges to burn because they are tied to our emotions making it a stronghold. You have to work at ridding yourself of strongholds.)
What determines our willingness to burn bridges for our faith?
Our willingness to burn bridges, to be at odds with the world and some Christians, comes down to our faith, which is seen in our love for Jesus. John 14:15, 21.
(15) If ye love me, keep my commandments.
(21) He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
After his opening salutation to the Church at Rome, the first thing the Apostle Paul does is talk about their faith and the impact that it is having. Romans 1:8 – First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.
Do you think it’s important that people know you as a person of faith first? If your faith is not first, you will not be burning many bridges.
In verses 16 and 17, we see the answer to the question that introduced this section: “What determines our willingness to burn bridges for our faith?” Turn to Romans chapter one.
(16) For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
(17) For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Ephesians 4:32 says, “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.”
Continue with chapter five verse one.
(1) Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;
(2) And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
We are going to end with Philippians 3:7-14.
(7) But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
(8) Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things (How did he suffer the loss of all things? He burned the bridges that needed to be burned.), and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
(9) And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
(10) That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
(11) If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
(12) Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
(13) Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind (burning the bridges that keep him from reaching forth), and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
(14) I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Ladies and gentlemen, the men and women who are not ashamed of the gospel, who are willing to proclaim the name of Jesus, and who are willing to say no to the ungodliness that we are seeing in the world today – they are the ones who truly love Jesus. And when we truly love Jesus, we will imitate Him, and we will be willing to burn the bridges that need burning because of our faith in Him and His word!
Oftentimes when you hear the phrase “burning bridges,” it deals with burning bridges with people. Ladies and gentlemen, never ever burn a bridge with a person. Why? Because you are already a son or daughter of God and if you burn a bridge with a person who is not, that person may not have a chance to know God without you. So, you are not burning bridges with people, but any thought, idea, or teaching that disagrees with the book. You are burning bridges to any way of living other than with the standards of the bible. Never burn bridges with people.
