Recap Daniel 2- Nebuchadnezzar had dreams about 4 kingdoms, Daniel told the king what his dream was and then interpreted the dreams. Daniel gave God the credit and Nebuchadnezzar praised God and promoted Daniel over Babylon. Daniel promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to administrators over Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar's heart was stirred but his heart was not changed.
Daniel 3:1-7 (ESV) "King Nebuchadnezzar made and image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its breadth six cubits. He set it up on the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent to gather the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasures, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Then the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasures, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. And they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. And the stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. And the herald proclaimed aloud, 'You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. And whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace.' Therefore, as soon as all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, all the peoples, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up."
Babylon was located where the tower of Babel was erected. Now Nebuchadnezzar is building a golden image of the king. The kings heart was not changed and he wanted to be worshiped.
Daniel 3:8-12 (ESV) "Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and maliciously accused the Jews. They declared to King Nebuchadnezzar, 'O king, live forever! You, O king, have made a decree, that every man who hears the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image. And whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into a burning fiery furnace. There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, pay no attention to you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.'"
Were Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego set up to get rid of them? They would not bow before the golden image and worship the king. They were following what they had been taught to worship only God.
Exodus 20:4-5 (ESV) "You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me,"
It is a clear cut distinction between Christians and those not in Christ.
Luke 16:10 (ESV) "One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much."
I. Real Faith Stands Out
1 Timothy 4:12 (ESV) "Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity."
We ought to be an example.
1 Peter 2:12 (ESV) "Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation."
John 15:8 (ESV) "By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples."
If you were put on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you? Does your life show the world that you are a believer.
Daniel 3:13-15 (ESV) "Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. So they brought these men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, 'Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship the image that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?'"
Nebuchadnezzar had a short memory. He began to hate believers in God.
II. Real Faith Brings Out the Contempt of the Wicked
2 Timothy 3:12 (ESV) "Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,"
John 15:18 (ESV) "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you."
John 3:19-20 (ESV) "And this is the judgement: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed."
The wicked hate the righteous because it show where they lack. We need to love the haters. When you are mocked, rejoice that you are worthy to suffer.
Proverbs 16:18 (ESV) "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall."
III. Real Faith = Submission
Luke 6:46 (ESV) "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you?"
IV. Real Faith Produces Confidence
Daniel 3:16-18 (ESV) "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, 'O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.'"
These young men were talking to the king and believed that God would deliver them one way or another. They were not afraid. Protestant work ethic is/was a thing if we work hard and do what is right God will bless us.
1 John 5:14 (ESV) "And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us."
Galatians 6:9 (ESV) "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up."
Colossians 3:23-24 (ESV) "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ."
Sometimes God uses normal things, means and people. God can bless this life and we should use those that He gives us. When we honor God we should believe that God will bless us and we should give glory for those things.
Hee Haw song "Gloom despair and agony on me. Deep dark depression, excessive misery. If it weren't for bad luck I'd have no luck at all. Gloom despair and agony on me."
Charismatics vs Traditional.... Don't put your faith in faith...We trust that God can and often he will, BUT even if he doesn't we still serve the Lord.
V. Real Faith Yields to God's Will
Even if God doesn't deliver us we know He is still good and He still has a plan. Faith is not a rabbits foot or a vending machine. God doesn't always give you what you "want", but we should serve Him. God will deliver us in the end. Sometimes God delivers in this life, sometimes He doesn't, but He always COMPLETELY delivers His people.
Peter was in prison (Acts 12) and God delivered him and he was free, but Peter still died a martyrs death. God is good in both situations.
Paul was delivered multiple times and yet he had a "thorn in his flesh" throughout his life. It kept him humble.
2 Corinthians 12:9 (ESV) "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'"
Hebrews 11:32-38 (ESV) "And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets- who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated- of whom the world was not worthy- wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth."
God loves both the good and the bad. God is good in both groups. There is reward for the sufferers.
Daniel 3:19-25 (ESV) "Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated. And he ordered some of the mighty men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their cloaks, their tunics, their hats, and their other garments, and they were known into the burning fiery furnace. Because the king's order was urgent and the furnace overheated, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace. Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, 'Did we not cast three men bound into the fire? They answered and said to the king, 'True, O king.' He answered and said, 'But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.'"
Who is the 4th man? Was it an Angel? Some say it was Jesus. No matter who it was (I believe it was Jesus) these young men were saved from the fire. They didn't even smell like smoke!
Daniel 3:26-27 (ESV) "Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, 'Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!' Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king's counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them."
VI. Real Faith Saves
This is a picture of how God saves us COMPLETELY!
Romans 8:1 (ESV) "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."
Ephesians 2:8 (ESV) "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,"
Romans 4:7-8 (ESV) "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin."
Psalms 32:1-2 (ESV) "Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit."
When we are saved - we are COMPLETELY SAVED!
It is a miracle when a soul is saved, only God can do that! Once you are saved, God doesn't see the unrighteous, He sees the righteous.
Closing Scripture:
Psalms 91:1-4 (ESV) "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, 'My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.' For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler."
