Sermon Tone Analysis

Today I’m going to pick up where we left off last week.

We’ve *been teaching on* *God turning your situation around*.

*All* of us *face adversity* *in our lives* *and there will be* *storm and situations* *that will arise* *in the future*.

*But we* *don’t have* *to go down in* *failure*.

*For those that have truly placed their* *faith and trust* *in God*, *God will* *turn* your *situation around*.

*I) **We may not be perfect*, and *we think*, “*How can God work through me and turn my situation around*?”

*A) **None* of us *are* *perfect*, and *God* is *not looking for* *those* that *have it all together*.

*1) **He is just* *simply* *looking for* *those* *that will* *put* *their* *trust and confidence in Him*.

*2) **If you look* *at* *Peter*, *he was a* *harsh man*, *always* *shooting* his *mouth off*.

*3 times* he *denied* the *Lord* *in public*.

*(a) **Yet God transformed him* *into a tower of strength* who *preached* *powerful sermons* *and* *worked mighty miracles*.

*(b) **If God can turn Peter’s life around*, *then He can turn our life around*.

*(c) **If you’re serving the Lord*, *God’s hand is upon you*.

*B) **Turn* with me to *DEUT 30:2-6* (*V 3* from the *NIV* says, “*I will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you*.”)

*1) **Whatever your situation is*, *no matter how hopeless* it *may seem* *in the natural*, *if you will turn to the Lord* *and trust Him* *in the mist of that situation* *God will turn it around*.

*(a) **God is a master of turning hopeless situation into victorious ones*.

*II) **Turn* with me to a very *familiar passage* in *DAN 3:8-12*

*A) **This passage* is probably *1 of my* *favorite* Bible *stories*.

*1) **It shows God’s mighty power* *to turn a crisis* *into a victory*.

*B) *As the *story begins*, *certain* *Chaldeans* were *jealous* *over* the *position* that *Shadrach*, *Meshach*, and *Abednego* *were in*.

*1) *The *king* *set them* *over* *all the affairs of* *Babylon*.

*2) *The *Chaldeans* *informed* *King* *Nebuchadnezzar* that *these* 3 *men* have *failed to comply* *with the* *law* *of the land*, *which requires* them to *worship* the *golden image*.

*(a) *This is a *serious offence*, *punishable by death*.

*C) **DAN 3:13-18*

 

*1) **Notice* the *pride* and *arrogance* *of* *King* *Nebuchadnezzar*.

He *became enraged* to *think* that *anyone*, *even his most trusted officials*, would *dare* to *defy* *his decree*.

*2) **He demanded* *them* to be *brought to him* *and* *demands to know* *what kind of God* they think the*y serve* *who can save them* *from his hands*.

*(a) **You might be facing* the *same* *type of* *situation*.

*(b) **Perhaps* the *prince of this world* is *screaming at you* and *saying*, “*WHERE IS YOUR GOD*? *What makes you think that He can change what the bank*, *mortgage company*, *or* *the medical profession* *has decreed*?”

*(i) **The Devil* *loves to scream at people*.

He says *things like*, *“Where is your God?* *Where is the Lord that you trust so much now that you need Him**?* *Where is He when the doctors declare you incurable**?*

*Where is He now that your bank account is in the red and the rent is due**?*

*WHO IS THAT GOD THAT WILL DELIVER YOU OUT OF MY HANDS?”*

*3) **Shadrach*, *Meshach*, and *Abednego* were *not impressed* *or* *intimidated* *by* the *king’s questions* *and* *accusations*.

*(a) **They knew* *exactly where their God was* *and* *were convinced* that *He knew their situation*.

*(b) *They were *convinced* *that God would deliver them*.

*(i) **That’s why they could exercise* *such boldness* *in answering the king*, *“If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us form the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us.”*

*D) **Anyone can say*, “*Our God is able*.”

*1) **But* it’s a *whole new dimension* *to say and believe* that “*OUR GOD WILL DELIVER US*.”

*2) **When* the 3 *Hebrew children* *told the king* all *these things*, it *made him furious*.

*(a) **Satan becomes furious* *when we stand up against him*.

*That’s why things* sometimes *get* *worst* *when* we *1st* *come against him*.

*III) *Let’s go on reading here in *DAN 3:19-23*

*A) **These 3 men* were *thrown into the* fiery *furnace* *and* *they were* *totally helpless*.

*1) **In the natural*, there was *no hope* for them.

*(a) *There was *absolutely no way* in the natural *for these men to be freed* *from* *this* fiery *furnace*.

*(i) **Maybe* *if* they were *NOT BOUND* *HAND and FOOT* they *might* *have been able to* *fight their way out* *of this situation*.

*(b) **But* *there was not even the slightest chance* *for them* to get out of this *in the natural*.

*(i) **No human effort* was *going to get them out of this*.

They were *totally and completely helpless*.

*2) *That *might be your situation* today.

*The medical profession* *may have told you* that *there is no way out* of your situation, that *you are bound and hopeless*.

*(a) *A *financial adviser* *may have told* you that *you are bound to your debt* and that there is *no way out*.

*It’s hopeless*.

*3) **WELL*.

*LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING*; *AS LONG AS JESUS IS LORD*, *AS LONG AS HE IS STILL ON THE THRONE*, *THERE IS A WAY*, *THERE IS ALWAYS A WAY*. *JESUS IS THE WAY*!

*B) *Look at *DAN 3:24-25*

*1) **Not only did the king see 4 men* *in the* fiery *furnace*, but he *also saw* that these *men were loose*.

*2) **Notice* that *these 3 men*, *now 4*, *were loose and walking about*, *in no apparent hurry to get out* of the furnace.

*(a) *King *Nebuchadnezzar* *had to* come near the mouth of the fire and *call them out*.

*DAN 3:26*

*(b) **What were they doing in that furnace*?

*I think that they were having a Holy Ghost came meeting*.

*(i) **When ever Jesus shows up on the scene* *it’s time for church*.

*(ii) **He’s always showing up on the scene*.

*(iii) **He was the 4th man in this fiery furnace*.

*He was there in Daniel’s lion’s den*.

*He was there for Moses at the parting of the Red Sea*.

*He was there for Joshua when the sun and the moon stood still*.

*He was there for Elijah at the parting of the Jordan River*.

*He was there for Paul and Silas when they were thrown into prison and there was a great earthquake and everyone was freed*.

*(iv) **If He was there for them, He’ll be there for you*.

*C) **I know* *1 thing* that *these 3 Hebrew children* *kept there eyes on Jesus*.

*1) **It doesn’t matter* *if you’re going through a storm* *or a fiery furnace* *if your eyes are on* the Lord *Jesus* *the natural things* in this world *will not affect you*.

*(a) **You may go through the storm*, *but you will not drown*.

*You may go through a fiery trial*, *but will not be burned*.

*(b) **As the song goes,* *“Come on and walk in faith and victory*, *for the Lord thy God is with you.” *

*2) **If these 3 men* *could be totally confident* *that God would deliver them* out of this furnace.

It furnace that was *heated* *7 times hotter* *than it has ever* *been heated*.

*(a) **Then surly you* *and* I can *stand against the Devil* *and* *declare to him*, “*I will not bow to your threats* *and I will not be burned or overcome*, *for the Lord is with me* *and I will walk on in faith and victory*.”

*D) *Look at *DAN 3:27*

*1) **Even though you might be going through a storm* *or* a *fiery trial*, *when you come out of it there will no sign of the battle that you went through*.

*(a) **In this V* *it says* *when they saw these men*, they saw that the *fire had no power over their bodies*, (*no burn marks*), *the hair* of their head was *not singed*, *neither* were their *coats changed*, *nor* the *smell of fire* had passed on them.

*(b) **There was no sign that they ever went through a fiery furnace*.

*(i) **The only sign* that was *evident*, *was 1 of victory*.

*IV) *Turn with to *DAN 11:32*

 

*A) **These 3 Hebrew children* *were living and operating* *under* the *Old Covenant*.

*1) **The book of Hebrews* *tells us* in (*HEB 8:6*) that *we have a better covenant based on better promises*.

*2) **If these men could be bold* *and* *do EXPLOITS* *under the Old Covenant*

*3) **Then surly you and I can do it under the New Covenant*.

*B) **If you keep your eyes on Jesus* *and have faith in Him*, *you too are going to do exploits*.

*1) **You’re going to see the power of God work in your life* *and* *turn your situation into victory* *for the Glory of God*.

WOLCC Sunday 5~/18~/1997