The Power Of Your 'something'

The Power Of Your ‘Something’

Dan. 3:19-27

Intro.

· Did I ever tell you about PJ’s first job? PJ was having a hard time finding a job, but one day he saw an add in the paper. The OKC Zoo was hiring an actor to play a gorilla.

PJ said, ‘I could do that’, so he arranged an interview. You see, the zoo had spent too much money renovating the grounds and improving the habitat that they can’t afford a real gorilla. So, until they can get more funding, they’ve decided to use an actor in a gorilla suit. Needing the money, PJ took the job.

At first, he felt not only dishonest by fooling the customers, but also undignified in the ape suit, But after a few days on the job, he begins to be amused by all the attention and started to put on a show for the spectators - hanging upside-down from the branches, swinging on vines, climbing up cage walls and roaring beating his chest.

Soon, PJ was drawing a huge crowd.

One day, when PJ was swinging on a vine to show off to some children, his hand slips and he goes flying over the wall into the lion’s den. He panicked. There was a huge lion not twenty feet away, and it looked very hungry.

PJ jumped up and started screaming, "Help, help! Get me out of here! I’m not really a gorilla! I’m a man in a gorilla suit! Heeellp!" The lion quickly pounced on the man, held him down and said, "Will you SHUT UP! You’re going to get both of us fired!!!"

· That’s the way it is with some Christians. They’ve put on a costume of being an Overcomer…. A costume of being a Conqueror….A costume of being something that they’re not!

· Then, while showing off for other people, they slipped and fell into the cage where ‘Something’ lives!

o Sometimes ‘Something’ lives near your checkbook!

o Sometimes ‘Something’ lives near your relationships!

o Sometimes ‘Something’ lives near your

o Sometimes ‘Something’ lives near your

I. Your ‘Something’ Has The Power To Consume You, 19-22

A. When You Respond Out Of Anger, 19 & 21

i. Eph. 4:26-27 ‘26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil.

ii. When we respond out of Anger

1. We separate ourselves from reason

2. We separate ourselves from effect

3. We separate ourselves from backlash

B. When You Respond Out Of Impatience, 22

i. Impatience in our sickness, like Naaman (wanted to be healed his way)

ii. Impatience in our service, like Martha (towards Mary, when she sat at the feet of Jesus, instead of serving in the kitchen)

iii. Impatience in our ministry, like the disciples (toward the Syrophenician woman’s cry for demonic daughter)

§ Ill.: ‘No Statue Of A Critic’ A young musician play a concert that was not well received by the local music critics. One of his peers, comforted him with these words, ‘Remember that no museum has ever erected a stature of a critic!’

§ Christians, it’s easy to criticize someone else for the condition they’re in. But, there is no place in heaven or the kingdom with a statue of a Critic!

II. Your ‘Something’ Has The Power To Confuse You, 24

A. Sometimes Things Don’t Go Like You Plan, 24a

i. Notice, his plans were made without God,

ii. Notice, his plans were made against God, 3:1

iii. Notice, his plans were made

B. Sometimes What You See Is What You Get, 24b

i. Christians are sometimes guilty of denying reality

ii. Christians are sometimes guilty of rebuking

C. Sometimes God Steps In, To Stop What You Started, 25

i. Because what you started wasn’t of Him

ii. Because what you started doesn’t honor Him

I Cor. 14:33 “For God is NOT the author of confusion…”

III. Your ‘Something’ Has The Power To Confirm You, 27 & 17

§ Confirm means 1) to make strong, 2) to establish the truth

§ The words that we speak…

· Will judge us as being real or fake

· Will establish us as speaking the truth or lies

A. God wants to Confirm Your Service, 17a ‘our God whom we serve’

i. Ill.: Minister who won’t quit, did quit.

ii.

B. God wants to Confirm Your Faith, 17b ‘is able to deliver’

i. ‘Faith without works is dead’

ii. You have said you have faith that God will deliver you, now you’re in heap-boo-coup of ‘Something’ and need to be delivered. Where’s your faith, now?

C. God wants to Confirm Your Commitment, 18 ‘that we will not serve…’

i. The people and things thrown into the fire, were confirmed by the fire!

1. The 3 Hebrew boys went in, and came out