21. Stories From Exile: Faith in the Fire

Heavenly Father, We present these graduates to you, celebrating their achievements and the journey that brought them here. Bless them with wisdom, courage, and resilience as they step into the next chapter of their lives. May they carry the lessons learned, the friendships formed, and the dreams nurtured within them. Guide their steps, illuminate their paths, and fill their hearts with compassion and hope. Empower them to use their talents to glorify you, serve the common good, and impact the world for Christ. In Jesus’s name, we pray. Amen.

Introduction

On August 28, 2016, I was part of a ministry team of 26 people from Pontiac Bible Church that finished up a mission trip to Guatemala with a service where nine people were baptized. The same day, ISIS terrorists in Aleppo, Syria murdered a ministry team of 12 Syrian Christians who planted nine churches in the Middle East.

In 2022, Isabel Vaughan-Spruce was arrested in the UK for silently praying on the sidewalk outside of an abortion facility.

Atlanta Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran was fired after he self-published a book on sexual purity and God’s design for sex and marriage for the men’s Bible study group he led at his church.

Faith in the fire… Teens have shared with me how hard it is to be a Christian at school…

Subject: How do you keep your faith in the fire? How do you stand firm as a Christian in a world that is increasingly opposed to Christianity?

The story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego has a lesson for us this morning.

The Fiery Furnace (Daniel 3 NLT)

Big Idea

From Daniel 3:30 (NLT): “There is no other god who can rescue like this!” There’s no one else who can save like our God!

Applications

Keep your faith in the fire: Remember who you are in Christ.

Exposition w/ Illustrations

Daniel 3:4-7… Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego didn’t worship the statue even though everyone else was doing it.

Daniel 3:15-17… They didn’t have to defend (justify) themselves before the king because they belonged to God.

Application

Romans 8:35-39 (NIV)… You are more than a conqueror in Christ.

Romans 8:35–39 NIV

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Meditation: Gandalf’s new white robe… Visualize a change of clothes that represents your new identity as more than a conqueror in Christ.

Keep your faith in the fire: Remember what you have in Christ.

Exposition: Daniel 3:16-18…

They weren’t going to compromise their faith, even though it would cost them everything—including their very lives.

“I would rather be burned alive than be unfaithful to my God.” When was the last time we had commitment like that?

Why were they willing to make a sacrifice like that? Because they knew who they were: the children of God. And they knew what was their’s: the kingdom of God.

Application

You have the love of God that can never be taken from you (Rom 8).

1 Peter 1:3-6… eternal life, living hope, wonderful joy, a priceless inheritance (aka, the kingdom). What can this world take from you? Nothing.

Meditation: Ask God to remind you of his great love for you.

Keep your faith in the fire: Remember what Christ alone has done for you!

Exposition

Daniel 3:26-29…

1 John 4:9-10…

Application: Words of living water, not the stale, swampy, brackish, stagnant cesspool found in the broken cisterns of our culture.

Who You Are In Christ by Paul Sohn

According to the Bible, you are God’s special possession, you are His child, His handiwork. You are His friend, His temple, His vessel, His co-laborer, and His witness. You are a soldier, an ambassador, a home, and a temple of the Holy Spirit. You’re a minister and an instrument of grace. You’re His chosen, His beloved, His precious jewel, His inheritance, and His heritage.

In Christ, you have been redeemed by blood, set free from sin, set free from Satan, set free from the kingdom of darkness – chosen before the foundation of the world, predestined to be like Jesus, forgiven of all your trespasses, washed in the blood of the Lamb. You’ve been given a sound mind, baptized with the Holy Spirit, adopted into God’s family, and justified freely by His grace. You have been given all things pertaining to life, great and precious promises, the ministry of reconciliation, authority over the enemy, and the wisdom of God.

In Christ, you are complete, totally in Him, free forever from sin’s power. You’re sanctified. You’re fit for the Master’s use. You’re loved eternally. You’re kept eternally in the palm of His hand. You’re kept from falling away, kept by His very power, and not condemned. You’re united with the Lord. You’re on your way to Heaven, quickened by His mighty power, seated in the heavenly realms. You’re the light in darkness. You’re a city set on a hill. You’re the salt of the earth. You are the sheep of His pasture. You are a citizen of Heaven. You’re hidden with Christ in God, protected from the evil one. You’re secure in Christ. You’re set on a rock. You’re more than a conqueror. You’re born again. You’re a victor. You’re healed by His stripes, covered by His blood, sheltered by His wings, and hidden in His secret place.

In Christ, you have access to the Father, you have a home in Heaven waiting for you, you have all things in Christ, you have a living hope, you have an anchor for your soul, you have authority to tread on serpents, you have power to witness, you have the mind of Christ, you have peace with God, and you have faith like a mustard seed that can move mountains.

In Christ you can do all things, you can find mercy, come boldly to His throne, quench the fiery darts of the enemy, resist the devil and he will flee from you. You can declare liberty to the captives, you can pray without ceasing, you can chase a thousand, you can defeat and overcome the enemy, and tread Satan under foot.

The only thing you cannot do in Christ is be separated from God, you cannot perish or be lost, you can never be taken out of your Father’s hand. You can never stop being loved. You will never be charged, no accusation made against you will stand, and you will never condemned before the Throne of God above.

This is what Christ alone has done for you.

Closing Question

In light of what Christ has done for you, what will you do for Christ? Or, better still, who will you be with Christ?