FAITH
Daniel 3;8-30
Three men by the names of HANANIAH, MISHAEL, AND AZARIAH – were of great intelligence and upright character and also were prince’s – they were chosen for
Service in the Royal Court of the King
They were placed in training for a period of three
Years, to be taught
The Language, Customs, And learning of the Chaldeans
In general
The King Nebuchadnezzar re – named these great guys
SHADRACH, MESHACH AND ABEDNEGO
Among the privileges these guys had during their
Training was a supply of food right from the
Kings own table….Which consisted of meats along with alcoholic beverages and so forth…
They had a friend named Daniel which was
also with them in the training and felt that they
shouldn’t eat the meats or drink the intoxicating wines and asked for the plain vegetarian food and water..
after about ten days or so they found that they were
fairing better than the others that were eating the meats
and so forth from the Kings table…
now these guys really advanced very rapidly compared to everyone else and were well prepared for the positions they were being trained for…
their training also consisted of Luxury, Idolatry, and
was filled with
SUPERSTITION AND SORCERY…
But these things never even began to turn their
Hearts from GOD!
Now if you want to talk about faith, these guys had ENORMOUS FAITH in the LORD JESUS CHRIST…
Once they were put into their positions
That they were trained for….they were expected
To obey all the rules of the kingdom…
The King had this silly rule – when you heard
The music you were to bow down and worship the Golden Image which the king had set up for this purpose.
Now this statue was 90 feet high and nine feet square at the bottom and was covered with gold from top to bottom…
This thing was so bright and shiny and tall it could be seen for fifteen miles…
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had been put
In charge of the Affairs of the Province of Babylon – This made the other Prince’s very jealous
Because of Their superior intelligence.
So they told the King that the three didn’t and wasn’t bowing at the sound of the music nor were they
Worshipping the Golden Image which the king had set up for everyone to worship to…
Now obviously this ticked off the King
(Ticked off is Hillbilly for real mad)
So it ticked off the king that they were worshipping GOD
And not his golden image – so he ordered them
To be brought before Him…..
Now you have to realize that this King has little
Or no faith in the Lord…
But praise the lord hi is really setting himself up and
GOD WILL eventually make a believer out of him…
AN OLD INDIAN ONCE SAID;
NO MAN SHOULD CRITICIZE HIS BROTHER UNTIL HE HAS WALKED IN HIS MOCCASINS!
So the king asked Shadrach, Meshach, And Abednego
If they bowed and worshipped his golden image
At the sound of the music
Now this is the part where it starts to get really good..
Use your imagination a little and try to think back
To the place and time this is taking place
Probably around 600 BC
So now the king tells them that if they are not worshipping his golden image that in the same hour, he will have them cast into the burning fiery furnace
And he wants to know who is this GOD that shall deliver you from my hands.
Now this king has no idea of the power of our God, But Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego do
They know That God can do the impossible
But He likes to be asked….
And you can guarantee that they are beginning to ask
Pretty hard at this point…
They offer no answer and further say they have no need to answer at all Their answer is
THEIR GOD IS ABLE TO DELEVER THEM
FROM ANYTHING….
But further if our God don’t deliver us we still ain’t
Gonna worship your Golden Image
Now at this point the King is very furious and orders
The furnace heated seven times hotter than usual…
These men were bound in their coats-leggings, and
Turbans…..
Then they were cast into the Furnace by the strongest men in the Kings army
You can figure Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
Didn’t go peaceably into the FIRE AND THE HEAT
They were probably kicking and praying harder
Than ever before….
And hoping that God is listening this time for sure
The strong men that threw them in the
Furnace were killed from the heat…
Then suddenly the King looked in and was
Astonished! He saw not only the three
he had thrown in but there was a fourth man
and he was the image of THE SON OF GOD
and none of them were hurt
not the least bit
the king asked the counselors – did I not throw
in three men and they said yes O King!
So the king called to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
For them to come to him….
And everyone see’s that when they come out of the
Furnace not a HAIR ON THEIR HEAD WAS SINGED
NOR DO THEY EVEN HAVE THE SMELL
OF FIRE OR SMOKE ON THEM!!!!!
This comes to our whole point tonight and that’s
FAITH
We must have FAITH in GOD and FAITH
That JESUS DIED ON THE CROSS FOR OUR SINS
John 3:16 says
FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON THAT WHOSOEVER
BELIEVETH IN SHALL NOT PERISH BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE……
If we want to go to heaven (AND I’M GOING) we must have this Faith…..
If we pray for a brother or sister for healing or anything
We must have FAITH!!
Further on in chapter 6 of Daniel
We find another man that has enormous faith in the
Lord.
Daniel was very well liked by King Darius but Daniel
Ticked him off as well.
The king got so furious that he threw Daniel in
The lions den…
Now King Darius liked Daniel so well that he paced
All night and never slept a wink because he
Worried about Daniel.
He couldn’t hardly wait until the next morning to
Find that Daniel was also un – harmed by the Lions!!
Is your FAITH THIS STRONG TONIGHT?
The Bible says if you have the Faith of a
Mustard seed you can cast mountains into the ocean!!
Do you know beyond the shadow of a doubt
That you are Right With GOD??
BECAUSE YOU HAVE FAITH IN HIM???
DO YOU WANT TO GO TO HEAVEN TONIGHT??
OR WOULD YOU RATHER SPEND ETERNITY
IN THE DEPTHS OF A BURNING HELL???
ITS NOT A PRETTY PLACE
I THINK WE ALL HAVE THE CORRECT ANSWERS!!
I’M GOING TO HEAVEN AND IT DON’T MATTER IF ITS BY THE GRAVE OR BY THE RAPTURE….
I LOVE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU AND I
WANT YOU TO BE THERE WITH ME
I DON’T KNOW YOUR PAST OR YOUR WRONGS..
AND I DON’T WANT TO KNOW
BUT I KNOW WHERE YOUR FUTURE CAN BE
IT CAN BE IN HEAVEN WITH JESUS
ISAIAH 26;4 SAYS
TRUST YE IN THE LORD FOR EVER
FOR IN THE LORD JEHOVAH IS EVERLASTING
STRENGTH…
ISAIAH 43;18 SAYS;
REMEMBER YE NOT THE FORMER THINGS
NEITHER CONSIDER THE THINGS OF OLD
GIVE YOUR LIFE TO THE LORD TODAY AND
WITH THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST YOUR
SLATEBOARD OF SINS ARE WASHED CLEAN
AND THEY ARE FORGOTTEN……
THIS FAITH CONVERTED THE OLE KING
NEBUCHADNEZZAR
AND ALSO GOT SHADRACH, MESHACH, AND ABEDNEGO – PROMOTED TO A HIGHER POSITION
IN THE BABYLON KINGDOM
DON’T WAIT ANY LONGER TO SERVE GOD!!
GIVE YOUR LIFE TO THE LORD TONIGHT
HAVE THIS FAITH AND CONTINUE TO HAVE IT
YOU WILL SEE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR LIFE
THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU WILL SEE THIS DIFFERENCE
YOU WILL START SEEING IT TODAY…
THERE IS NO BURDEN TO HEAVY TO PLACE AT
GODS FEET
NO MAN IS TO SINFUL TO PRAY!!
THERE IS NO SIN TO GREAT FOR
GOD TO FORGIVE!
GOD IS FORGIVING AND GOD IS LOVE!!!
WE CAN BE KIND AND LOVING WITH WHO WE
ARE AND WITH WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW!!
