When You Stand Against A Godless Culture!
An Undeniable Experience with God
When God Shows Up!
When You Stand Against A Godless Culture!
Daniel 3:1-30
The entire first message of this short series was an introduction to the series. In that message, I discussed God’s leading for this series, how I struggled with naming this series and some of the differences between Mediterranean culture and American culture—particularly as it relates to dealing with experiences.
In the second message, we began to look at six (6) stories that deal with undeniable experiences with God or six times when God shows up.
The encounter that we explored in the second message was when God showed up in the life of Abraham. He showed up in the life of Abraham when he passed a specific test orchestrated by Jehovah.
In the third message, we explored the encounter that Moses had with Jehovah, through a burning bush. God showed up to call Moses to a mission.
In the fourth message, we explored the encounter that Elijah, the prophets of Baal and the prophets of Asherah experienced. God showed up when Elijah was challenging the nation of Israel to make a godly choice.
Today we move to God showing up at another point in the life of the nation of Israel.
(Please notice with me Exodus Daniel 3:1-30. I’ll read this aloud for us, as you follow along silently.
Let’s talk first about:)
I. The Expectation.
In each of these sermons, I have tried to highlight the fact that first-century circum-Mediterranean people had a different perspective concerning events in life. They believed that every event was attributable to some being. They almost always ask, “Who did this to me,” not “What happened?”
· If there was a drought, they asked, “Who did this?”
· If there was barrenness, they asked, “Who did this?”
· If there was sickness, they asked, “Who did this?”
This is not a perspective that we have! By way of contrast,
· If there is a drought, we ask, “What are the meteorological conditions that led to the drought?”
· If there is barrenness, “We ask the doctor what is medically interfering with our fertility?”
· If there is sickness, “We ask the doctor what germ, bacteria, or other pathogen is leading to the sickness?”
We seldom concern ourselves with God’s interaction in our lives or any other spirit being, i.e. angel or demon!
Consequently, the point is, the people of the Bible had an expectation of God showing up, which we simply do not have!
(We have considered the expectation of the Mediterraneans. Now, let’s consider:)
II. The Environment (Circumstance).
Nebuchadnezzer, the king of Babylon, made an image of gold that was 90 feet high and 9 feet wide. He had this image set up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. We get no information on what kind of image this was, but considering all that we know about the Babylonians and the purpose for which it was used, we can guess that it was an idol. We already know that the Babylonians were heavily influenced by idols and demons.
After setting up the image, Nebuchadnezzer had all the leaders of Babylon gather for the dedication of the image. So, they all gathered and stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzer had set up.
Then Nebuchadnezzer had a herald proclaim that when they heard music, they were to fall down and worship the image that he had set up.
Now the intent is clear. This is about worship! This is about an anti-God, idol worshipping, demonized nation and culture requiring its citizens to bow down and worship an idol god. This is Satan’s plan to steal the worship of Jehovah God for himself. I reiterate: “The warfare between Satan and God is over worship!”
Isn’t it the same today? American culture, which is anti-God, anti-Christ, idolatrous, and demonized is summoning us to fall down and worship before idol gods, when we hear music. The word “culture” represents the ideas, customs, skills, arts, music, etc., of a people or people group, that are transferred, communicated, or passed along, as in or to succeeding generations.[1] I believe that the culture is summoning us to fall down and worship idol gods through its music, i.e. through its literal music and its ideological music. Satan uses the music culture to get many of us to bow down to behavior and values that are anti-God and anti-Christ! We learn many things from the music we listen to, and when we listen to the music of this culture we may be seduced¾even summoned¾to bow down before idol gods and doctrines of demons. An example from my era: “If loving you is wrong, I don’t wanna be right!”
Music is played almost constantly without our awareness, i.e. in the grocery store, in the doctor’s office, in the airport, in restaurants, etc., and that music is having some impact upon us.
Not to mention the impact of MTV, BET, and Rap Videos on our young people. All filling us with more than rhythm!
Someone said something to the effect of, “Let me control a nation’s music and I will control that nation!”
But, we may also be summoned to bow down to the idol gods of this culture through ideological music.
· The world plays its music and we are expected to bow down to its idols and worship.
· Family members play the music of materialism and ask us to bow down before it.
· Our boss plays music of overtime and asks us to bow down and worship before the idol of advancement.
· Our friends play the music of friendship and ask us to fall down and worship before the idol of co-dependency.
Can anybody identify and relate to this summons? The power of music in our culture is far greater than we are often aware of.
(All right, let’s get back to Nebuchadnezzer.)
Nebuchadnezzer’s command was accompanied by a penalty: anyone who did not fall down and worship the image would immediately be cast into a furnace of blazing fire.
It is the same in our culture! Anyone who does not align himself or herself with the culture of this day will be on the hot seat and in hot water with many people who are around him/her. We are expected to worship at the idol of secularism.
Now Nebuchadnezzer was livid. He had the three Hebrew boys brought before him, and questioned them concerning the charge against them. Nebuchadnezzer said something like,
“I hear you boys have not been bowing down before the image, when the worldly music is played. So, I’m going to give you boys another chance. Perhaps you don’t understand our culture, our language, or the instructions. So, I’m going to have them play the music again. This time, when you hear the music, fall down and worship the image or I’m going to have to throw you boys into the fiery furnace. Now, I don’t want to do that!”
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego told Nebuchadnezzer,
“O king, we don’t need your chance. We don’t even need to answer you. If you expect us to fall down and worship in front of your image, you can go ahead and throw us in the furnace now! But, the God that we serve is able to deliver us from the fiery furnace. Their response makes me want to say, “He’s able!”
Now Nebuchadnezzer was really angry. His whole facial expression was altered towards the three boys who had been working for him. So, Nebuchadnezzer said,
“Heat the furnace seven times hotter than it has ever been heated before!”
And he ordered some of his valiant warriors to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego and throw them in. That is just what they did, but the furnace was so hot that it killed those who were carrying the three Hebrew boys, while the boys fell into the midst of the blazing furnace still tied up.
(We have covered the expectation and the environment. Now, let’s look at:)
III. The Experience.
Now the king was astounded, when he looked into the furnace. He was so astounded by what he saw that he had to check what he was seeing with his high officials. He asked them,
“Didn’t we throw in three men, who were tied up? Well, I think I see four men loosed and walking around in the midst of the fire, and the fourth one looks like a divine being!”
This is probably an accurate rendering. Nebuchadnezzer didn’t know anything about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He hadn’t been revealed yet. But, the being he saw probably looked like an angel or some kind of divine being.
Even though Nebuchadnezzer didn’t know about the Son of God, we do. This could be a theophany or Christophany? This could be a pre-Bethlehem appearance of Jesus Christ? I believe it was!
(What are we to learn from the example of these three Hebrew boys?)
IV. The Example (Principle).
God showed up in the fire, with His servants, when they face a godless culture!
Therefore, we can assume that God will show up with us, when we are in the fire, because we have faced and walked differently than the godless culture around us!
Are we willing to stand up against the godless culture of America, even if we get thrown into the fiery furnace!
Has God ever shown up when you were in the fiery furnace?
I have! I have seen Him, while
· In the fiery furnace of establishing this church.
· In the fiery furnace of changing this church’s doctrine.
· In the fiery furnace of putting in new theater seats.
Don’t worry about being cast into Satan’s fiery furnace, because when we are worshipping God we have a covering or protection from Jesus, the Christ. When we are thrown into the fiery furnace for worshipping God, Jesus Christ will be in there with us! And what more could we want on earth, than the company of Jesus Christ!
Nebuchadnezzer was now beginning to understand what was going on! He went near the door of the furnace and called to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego to come to him. Notice what he calls them now,
“…servants of the Most High God.”
Only when we worship God in the face of a godless culture, are thrown into the fiery furnace, and God shows up with us, will people began to recognize us for who we really are: servants of the Most High God!” This is our real identity! We are servants of the Most High God, who have been created to worship God¾come what may!
I have made up my mind to worship God—come what may! I have placed myself in a condition and position for God to show up!
When the three Hebrew boys walked out of the furnace, the high officials all gathered around them and saw that the fire had absolutely no effect upon them:
· Their bodies were not burned;
· Their clothes were not burned;
· Their hair was not singed; and
· There didn’t even smell like smoke.
When we worship God, are thrown into the fire, and are delivered by God, it is a full and miraculous deliverance. There will be no sign or tip-off that we have ever been through a fiery trial. God will give us complete and marvelous deliverance and vindication. David said,
“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies!”
Everyone will know, one day, that God called us and that we have done all of these things¾according to His Word!
This all culminates or climaxes in three ways. First there is:
A. Nebuchadnezzer’s response.
Nebuchadnezzer’s response is a victory for God in the worship warfare between Satan and Jehovah God. First, Nebuchadnezzer blesses or worships the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. This idol-worshipping king, of a idol-worshipping, demonized culture, gave worship to Jehovah God.
God will use the testing of our worship to bring additional worship to Himself. God will use the testing of our worship to cause the unsaved to verbally worship God.
Nebuchadnezzer recounts the story for all to hear. He recounts the facts, as he sees them. God sent His angel and delivered His servants who did three things:
1. Put their trust in Him.
2. Violated the king’s command; and
3. Yielded up their bodies so as not to worship any god except their own God.
When we stand the test of our worship, God will use our perseverance and deliverance to cause the unsaved to tell our stories. One day, if this has not already begun to happen, unsaved people will talk about what God has done at The House of the Lord.
(This brings us to:)
B. Nebuchadnezzer’s regulation.
Because of what God had done, Nebuchadnezzer not only responds but made a decree or regulation. His regulation was that no one was to speak against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. The punishment for breaking this decree or regulation was that they would be torn limb from limb and their house would be reduced to a rubbish heap. And the reason for this decree was that there was no other god who could deliver in the same way that God delivered the three Hebrew boys.
Isn’t this interesting? When the story started, anyone who said anything against the image would be burned in the fiery furnace, but now anyone who would say anything about God would be destroyed. God completely turned the tables around. Everyone knew it was Jehovah God, because
· Who can deliver someone in this way?
· Who can protect His servants from the power of fire?
· Who can walk in the midst of fire?
Nobody, but Jehovah God! Nobody, but Jesus!
God will turn the tables on those around us, where those who once maligned us and our God will no longer be able to do so. This has already started to happen for us!
(We have seen Nebuchadnezzer’s response and his regulation, but now we see:)
C. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego’s rise.
The king, who had tried to destroy them, caused them to prosper or advance; i.e. he promoted them or caused them to rise in the kingdom.
Worshipping God will bring more worship to Jehovah God, have sinners telling our story, close the mouths of detractors, and it will bring personal promotion. There is blessing in worshipping God!
(Now is the Day of Salvation. Come to Jesus, now!)
Invitation
Call to Discipleship
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[1] Webster’s New World Dictionary On Power CD, Version 2.11, Zane Publishing Inc., 1994-1995.