Faith in the Fire

Daniel: Living Faithfully  •  Sermon  •  Submitted
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Overview

Daniel 1: Holiness is Risky
Daniel 2: Faith in Crisis
Desired Outcome Driven Faith
Frequently our spiritual rules are governed by our pursuit for a desired outcome
Applying for a job —> at church every Sunday
Need to make a decision on a job—> Agpeya 3x day, FOC, prayer on the altar
Want a relationship to work out—>Pray at night, while walking, looking at my phone, in class, while eating etc.
Terminal Dx —> Prayer and fasting for healing
Someone is in trouble —>
Confusion in life —> Scripture
If the desired outcome is not reached what conclusions are made in the mind of the person?
God was not willing
I did not pray enough - Quantity
I was not faithful / Inadequate faith - Quality
God is against me
There is a better plan
God and I are on a break
Understanding of faith in the midst of our ‘fires’ is very formative in our spiritual lives.
The 3 youth in the furnace serves a great example of faith in the midst of fire

Background

Read Daniel 3:1-7
Ch 2 was the dream of the sculpture with a head of Gold.
Possible that King Neb is bringing it to life and making it all gold
Who was forced to worship: All the appointed officials…King Neb was seeking out solidarity among his leaders
the 3 youth were among those leaders
Why the fiery furnace if found defiant
In order to bake brick and melt Gold, a commercial sized kiln would be needed
It was likely convenient and powerful....options were to bow & Worship or star at the fire your going to be thrown in
Accusation against the 3
Read or Summarize Daniel 3:8-12
Jealousy is prevalent in everyone and every circle...
Type of position can intensify the jealously and the reaction

Surfacing of Faith

Our faith will always be challenged by society.
Remember from Lesson 1: A world that opposes God will naturally oppose those who seek after God
Faith call the 3 to worship God alone (Monotheism was extraordinary at this time)…King Neb desires the worship of the idol
The fire to our faith can come in 3 stages
Summons / Faith comes to the surface
Daniel 3:13
While our faith is person, it will eventually lead us against the grain. Our faith will catch the attention of others.
2. Question of Faith
Daniel 3:14
Daniel 3:14 NASB95
14 Nebuchadnezzar responded and said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up?
KN was astounded that anyone wouldn’t worship the idol…it was also insulting
3. Offer to Change
Daniel 3:15
Daniel 3:15 NASB95
15 “Now if you are ready, at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery and bagpipe and all kinds of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, very well. But if you do not worship, you will immediately be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire; and what god is there who can deliver you out of my hands?”
Change or else
Accept our policies or loose your job
Agree to participate in my preferred social activities or it will cost the relationship
Keep quiet on these moral wrongs or I’ll humiliate you

Responding Faithfully

Recognizing the difference between the ability of God and the action of God
Daniel 3:16–18 NASB95
16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter. 17 “If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 “But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”
They clearly knew and didn’t doubt the ability of God.
God can save us!
What He chooses to do with the fire is a different and bigger discussion
Knowing His ability allows us to remain hopeful to the end
Ex. Story of Susanna
Ephesians 3:20
Ephesians 3:20 NASB95
20 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,
They also knew the promises of God
He will protect those who trust in him...
God delivers us from temptation because He always has a way out...
BOTTOM LINE: “…He will deliver us out of your hand, O king.”
Play out the scenarios
Don’t worship…Fire…survive…Powerful testimony to God then and now
Don’t worship…Fire…Die…Eternal Paradise
Worship…compromised faith…separation from God…guilt/regret/etc.
Only the first two, of not worshiping, will deliver them from the hand of the king. Sovereignty of God
Seeing the next step
Every time we face the fire the situation is complex and convoluted
We play out scenarios in an attempt to justify our desired next step
Sometimes we need challenge ourselves to see ONLY the next step
This is where the correlation between faith and trust is seen.

The hand of God in the Fire

Read Daniel 3:26-30
The tools used to threaten or scare us into uniformity are the very tools that God uses to bring about amazing outcomes
The 3 youth were focused on not defiling themselves with the worship of Idols
They faithfully held on to this belief no matter the cost…which was their life.
Faith in the fire is amazingly powerful
God turns the tides using us when we are faithful in the fire.
Daniel 3:28-29
Daniel 3:28–29 NASB95
28 Nebuchadnezzar responded and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who put their trust in Him, violating the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies so as not to serve or worship any god except their own God. 29 “Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation or tongue that speaks anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego shall be torn limb from limb and their houses reduced to a rubbish heap, inasmuch as there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way.”
When we are in the fire we need to remember...
Identify the next faithful step for you to take
Trust in the promises of God
Believe that faith in the fire is powerful in the hands of God
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