Faithful in the Fire
Notes
Transcript
Intro
When have you been pressured to do something you did not want to do? Describe the situation and its outcome.
ex: pressured to get a dog
I said kids would not take care of it, Chris would not take care of it. It would poop, pee, and make messes
Outcome: I get stuck taking care of the dog - trying to keep it alive
It ruined my life!
Standing firm under pressure can be hard - especially when we feel pressured by authority figures. There will be times when a boss, coach, or teacher may have expectations on us that go against our convictions. So how do we find the balance between listening to our earthly figures and obeying God as our ultimate authority?
Today we will see how Daniel’s friends faced this same dilema and how heated the situation got. VIDEO
Body
This week, we are looking at Daniel chapter 3. I would encourage you to read it at home! Did anyone read chapter 2 and find out what the dream was about?
Even though we read it as the very next story in Daniel, Daniel 3 takes place about 16 years after the dream.
So the king built this huge statue of gold and commands that everyone bow down and worship it when they hear the theme song played or else they will be thrown into a furnace
As you read vs 1-18 it’s kind of interesting. The king doesn’t catch the 3 amigos not obeying....no…men that hate them go tattle to the king and get him fired up....
Go figure, there is always someone looking to get you in trouble....
So the king confronts them....
15 Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?”
What god will be able to rescue you?
So now the amigos have a decision to make… the king is giving them another chance to comply....
Here is what they say:
16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
A couple things to learn from them:
They were very courageous - talking to the king!
They didn’t beat around the bush - “we don’t need to defend ourselves”…
They were certainly uncertainly certain
God can
but if He doesn’t
He is still God
and you are not - mic drop
So, now the king gets real mad.
Ties them up, orders the furnace to be turned up, throws them in (soldiers die doing so)
But then something catches the kings eye. 1, 2,3, no 4 men WALKING around in the fire!!!!
the 4th guy looked like a son of the gods according to the king.
So the king hollers out, Hey guys, my bad, come on out, you men who serve the “Most High God”
Everyone gathers around to investigate - no burns, clothing is perfect, no singed hair, not even a smell of fire on them
Then the king decrees that no one can talk bad about the Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s God or they will be cut up into pieces and houses torn down - and he promoted them!
Conclusion
As we see in this session, when God’s power is displayed in our lives it can completely change the beliefs of those surrounding us.
Whenever we find ourselves in a difficult situation, we can act in a way that brings others into the knowledge of God.
What we do next just might change everyone around us....
Their situation was downright terrible with no logical good outcome, but then a 4th man showed up.
That 4th man, if you don’t already know, is Jesus.
He wants to be present in your life
Oh yes, God can deliver you from the problem, or the problem can kill you and you go to heaven, but more often than not, Jesus offers to walk with us thru the trials
Making us stronger
Making others see Him
He wants to show up and show off
Salvation call - pray
Group Questions:
Our obedience to God might require risking things like our jobs, our grades, or our popularity. When have you seen someone risk their position of influence (on a sports team, at a job, in a circle of friends, etc.) to obey God and stand firm in their convictions?
In what ways have you had to choose God over a relationship, your reputation, or your popularity? How did it make you feel afterward?
Sadie pointed out that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego exclaimed that God could save them, but even if He didn’t, He was worthy of their devotion anyways. In what ways have you found it easy or difficult to trust God knowing that he can provide a way, but might not?