Who Are You Part 2
5/28 GNLCC Isaiah 49 :8-17 Acts 3:1-10 Text Daniel 3
In last week’s message, we saw that we need to know who we are for several reasons. The first being that we will know which messages that come to us or for us and which ones are not, the second being that we will know when someone is attempting to change our name, and why, and the third being so that we can determine in advance not to defile ourselves by things that come to us in nice looking packages but are contrary to the will of God.
We saw how four men, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah took a stand for God, and God exalted these foreigners into places of very high position. The Babylonians gave them the names of Beltshazzer, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. The four of them prayed together and God revealed the king’s dream to Daniel so that all of the wise men, magicians, astrologers and enchanters lives were spared by the king. When King Nebuchadnezzar made Daniel the ruler of the province of Babylon, Daniel had asked for his three friends to be appointed over the province of Babylon as well.
Now don’t you think for one moment that everybody was glad to see these guys in their positions. Foreigners had the position that many Babylonians felt were rightfully theirs. What would be the reaction in our own country if all of a sudden the vice-president was black, the speaker of the House was black and the leader of the Senate were Black all from Haitian origin. A lot of people would get a little nervous.
Well the first chance that came along to get rid of those three Hebrews was going to be eagerly seized upon. You better know who you are, because somebody may be looking to replace you when the time comes. You see serving God is going to be an asset at times, but it will be a liability at others if you don’t remember who you are.
Christianity is not lived in a single moment in which you take a stand for Jesus Christ at one point in your life and from there on you are assured of never failing God again. No, Jesus said if anyone would follow me, let him or her pick up his or her cross daily and follow Him.
In a way ,a relationship with Jesus Christ is like getting married. When you say I do, the possibility for a wonderful relationship and life exists, but if you don’t put some hard work and sacrifice into the relationship, you discover that that relationship can go from one of joy to one of frustration and disappointment. No sooner than you have past one test in your life, Satan is coming back at you from another angle. But if you know who you are, you face each struggle knowing that you are a child of God, and your name has been engraved on the palms of Jesus Christ.
Let’s look at Daniel chapter 3 verses 1-7 Dan 3:1 King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, ninety feet high and nine feet wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. He then summoned the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials to come to the dedication of the image he had set up. So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before it.
Then the herald loudly proclaimed, "This is what you are commanded to do, O peoples, nations and men of every language: As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace." Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of music, all the peoples, nations and men of every language fell down and worshipped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
This was a simple religion and everybody could understand it. There is a statue. There is a song or music. When you hear the music bow down and worship the statute. If you do not bow down, you burn up. You either bow or burn. The same rule applied to everybody.
King Nebuchadnezzar represents a type of the world. The world is always building some statue, and then saying bow down and worship this or else. Anytime you are placed in a situation in which others are encouraging you to do something or participate in which you know is against God’s will for you, you’re standing in front of this same statue. Others are telling you, go ahead and bow, it won’t hurt you this one time. On the other hand if you don’t bow, you can’t be one of us, and we’ll have to burn this relationship we have with you. We’re going to cut you out. You’re going to have to stand all alone.
My friends we’ve got to know who we are. If we know that our name is child of God, then we know that we never stand alone, for God said I will never leave nor forsake you. Everyone one of us has a statute in our lives this morning. If we claim oh not me, it’s only because we’ve already bowed down and do not realize that we have compromised our relationship to Jesus Christ. Jesus put it this way, no one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other or love the one and hate the other.
The word of God says, Hear O Isreal, the Lord thy God is one God, and you shall have no other gods before me. What were the people of God in the land of Babylon supposed to do. Was this to be a case, when in Rome do as the Romans do. Surely God didn’t want them to be thrown into the fire.
Do you know that some of the circumstances that come into our lives are for the purpose that we might walk through the fire? Some of us need to be purfied by the fire because our hearts our stuck on all kinds of things. But others of us need to walk through the fire simply to be strengthen and equipped for ministry in greater way. Those who attempt to avoid the flames of life are often avoiding God without recognizing it as such.
No doubt again, many people of God bowed to this image and said to God in their heart, God I’m really bowing down to you and not to this statute. Others would say, "Oh God please forgive me for bowing down, you know I’m weak, but you understand my heart." "Others simply said, "It doesn’t bother me. It’s just a dumb old statue so it’s not like I’m bowing to another God.
"There will always be those who are ready to compromise at the drop of a hat. Stay out of that crowd. They are with you 100% until something is required of them. God hates when we are lukewarm in our relationship to Him. He told the church at Laodicea, either get hot or get cold, but get rid of this maybe I will and maybe I won’t attitude or I will spit you out.
Satan is lying whenever he says everybody else is doing the same thing. Your name is not "everybody else." There will always be those who cannot be bought and will not sell their character because they know who they are in God. There were some Hebrews in the land that would not bow when then heard the music that was playing.
My friends when you do not bow down with the rest of the world, you better believe that somebody is watching you. Sometimes its because they admire you, other times it will be because they can’t stand you. The world does not like people of character and integrity because it puts them to shame. Well who do you think you are Miss goody too shoes. They will come back at you to try to destroy you.
In verse 8 it says that the astrologers came forward and denounced the Jews. They felt they had to refresh the king’s memory. Now King didn’t you give the order to everybody that when the music was played, everybody was to bow down and worship the image of gold that you set up, and that anyone who did not bow down and worship will be thrown into the fiery furnace. Now everybody knew what the law was. They were setting up this thing to make sure that the king was on their side.
Now I guarantee you, those men could have cared less about that statute or who worshipped it. But one thing they did care about was that there were some Jews that had some jobs that they felt were rightfully theirs. The astrologers had been top dog before Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abenego had come on the scene. But after they took a stand for God, the Bible says the king found them to be ten times better than all the magicians, astrologers and wise men. That knocked them out of that top spot they had had.
Now they were smart enough to know that the King’s new law would conflict with the Jews belief. They stood around waiting to see when they could catch Shadrach, Meshach and Abenego . The moment they did, they went after them. The music started to play and Shadrach, Meshach and Abenego knew what their names were. They knew that was not a song that was calling them to dance. They stood as erect as ever. It wasn’t that they wanted to disrespect the king, they simply knew they had a higher calling on their lives.
They quickly told the king in verses 12 -13 But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon--Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego--who pay no attention to you, O king. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up." Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king.
They had the king hot with anger just where they wanted him to be. They played on his pride and his ego. The king never bothered to ask the question, why are these guys so eager to get rid of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. He forgot they were 10 times smarter than everybody else he had around. So he was going to be getting poorer advice if he got rid of them.
I want you to realize just how strong the envy and the jealousy of the astrologers were. The only reason they were alive to make this accusation was because of Daniel, Shadrach, Abednego and Meshach. In chapter 2, King Nebuchadnezzar had ordered that every astrologer be cut into pieces and their houses turned into piles of rubble. But it was Daniel, Shadraich, Meshach and Abednego that had come together to pray and God answered their prayer which allowed all the astrologers who had not been killed to be spared.
My friends don’t be surprised when those you have helped, turn bitterly against you when you take a stand for the Lord. Knowing who you are is going to cause some people to dislike you. Jesus said John 15:18-20 "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: ’No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.
Jesus took a stand for the Father and it got him crucified. Just like the chief priests were angry and asked Jesus the question, "Is it true, are you the son of the Most High" so in verse 3:14 and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? I ask you the question today, "Is it true that you will not deny the God who has saved you." "Is it true that you can be counted upon not to do what everybody else is doing, even if you have to stand alone?"
You know when you decide to take a stand for the Lord. The devil will see to it that you get one more chance to change your mind. King Nebuchadnezzar was going to give them one more chance to save face and make them both look good. Dan 3:15 Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?"
Sometimes if the Devil can just get us to see, oh there’s no reason to be fanatical about your religion. I’m willing to compromise a little if you are. You can still go ahead and worship your God. After all it’s not worth all this. It’s amazing that those who don’t faithfully serve God are the ones who tell us how little it is that God requires of us. Oh it doesn’t take all that. Oh God doesn’t expect you to give that much time to the church. Tithing is too much to do with the way prices are today.
My friends, know who you are so that you will know how to answer people who are trying to tell you how to live for your God. Look at what these three said in Dan 3:16-18 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."
Now I want you to notice, the 3 were not anxious to be thrown into the furnace. They said if we are thrown into the furnace. No doubt they hoped God would do something prior to that time, but God didn’t. Then they said, there’s the possibility that He might come into the furnace and get us out. Then they said, on the other hand we might end up burned up like some of the others. But God can choose which of the 3 ways He wants to do this, but we are not going to serve your god or bow down to that image of gold.
When we have this attitude about God in relationship to our problems, there is nothing that can stop us from doing the will of God. We recognize that we can’t lose. Do you know the only time we lose is when we don’t stand up for truth and for God. Things may not have gone the way we wanted them to go, but when we stand where God wants us to stand, regardless of the outcome, we have win. All victories come at a price.
Dan 3:19-21 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 and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. 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, and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.
It’s amazing what destruction we cause to others when our pride is hurt, and we let our anger and desire for revenge to get out of control. Nebuchadnezzar didn’t just want to have them killed, he thought somehow making the furnace hotter would cause them to suffer even more. But his zeal for revenge cost him the lives of several of his soldiers. He hadn’t expected that to happen.
He truly did not expect what happened in verse 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, O king." 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." 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,
It looked for a moment as though God had forgotten all about these 3 Hebrews, but my friends God never does forget about us. In our Old Testament Reading God asked the question Isa 49:15 "Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!
Even the fire was under the control of God. God told it, don’t burn a thing except the ropes that had them tied up.. Not a thing was singed and there wasn’t even the smell of fire upon them. When God does something God does it right. My friends they knew who they were as they went into the furnace, and you better believe they and everybody else knew who they were when they come out.
God is looking for simple ordinary people who are brave enough to say, I know who I am and I will not bow down before the images, offers, and pleasures of this world. The only way you can experience the kind of miracle that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego is to be willing to give it all up for Jesus Christ and to do it when the moment comes. If you know who you are, you too will say, "If I’m put in this predicament, God is able to deliver me, but even if He doesn’t, I’d make the same decision to do it all over again."
They did not forget who they were. They said, "our God is able to rescue us, but even if He chooses not to, we will not be unfaithful to Him.." Our faith tells us that God is able to come and rescue us out of this situation and put the pieces back together that have fallen apart in our lives. But our convictions and our faithfulness says, even if God does not work this situation out in the manner I would like Him to, I’m still going to serve Him. I know who I am.
My friends God is working for you. Don’t let the circumstances around you keep you discouraged. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. You are a child of God. Your life may not be all that you want it to be, but God is saying, I know about it. Come on back home and we’ll get this thing straightened out.
You may have never taken the kind of stand for Jesus Christ that you should have, but God is saying today is not to late to start. Your character can be rebuilt and your name can be restored. No matter what the world may call you, God calls you the one whom He loves. Jesus calls you the one for whom He died. Answer today, in view of life and of eternity, who are you?
