Standing Up When Others Fall

We are making our way through the Old Testament book of Daniel, and in the history of God’s redemption plan, what we read here is about three thousand five hundred years after God created the heavens and the earth, and about five or six hundred years before Jesus was bon in Bethlehem.

The entire Bible, all 66 books are one story. Many diiferent men that the Holy Spirit inspired to write the words, but the entire Bible ultimately is about one story. And that story is God’s redemption of his creation…man.

In Genesis 3 God was separated from his creation because of sin. Something, someone had to bring back man and God into fellowship again. That someone was Jesus. And when he came, and did the Fathers will on the cross and rose again three days later, he made a way for man, if he followed, to come back to God. This coming back, returning to Gods original purpose is known as being redeemed.

Throughout the Old Testament, before the Messiah would come, there were prophets sent to continue to remind them of his coming and calling them to serve the one true God. One of those prophets was Daniel.

We’ve talked about how Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, all Jewish people, ended up in a gentile place, Babylon. But even though they were captured, they were trusted by King Nebuchadnezzar and were added to his wise men and advisors.

But today, in Daniel chapter 3 we see probably the most famous story from the Book of Daniel. And we will see that these men stood up in their faith, while other fell down. When others compromised, they did not. This morning I want YOU to be encouraged and I hope you will Stand Up When Others Fall.

***CBC Creed***

Now before we begin Daniel 3, I want to show you something from the last part of Daniel Chapter 2 that is important for what we will see today. At the end of Daniel interpreting the kings dream about the Great Image, look what the King did to these four Jewish men.

Daniel 2:48–49 ESV

48 Then the king gave Daniel high honors and many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon. 49 Daniel made a request of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the affairs of the province of Babylon. But Daniel remained at the king’s court.

After Daniel interpreted the dream, the King gave them more responsability. Daniel: ruler over the entire area of Babaloyn, and the others he put over the daily tasks of Babylon.

Now, lets get to Daniel 3.

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READ Daniel 3:1-7

Daniel 3:1–7 ESV

1 King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its breadth six cubits. He set it up on the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. 2 Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent to gather the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 3 Then the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. And they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 4 And the herald proclaimed aloud, “You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, 5 that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 And whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace.” 7 Therefore, as soon as all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, all the peoples, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

Once again, King Nebuchadnezzar is still the King at this point in time. It is believed that now King Nebuchadnezzar is in his 17th or 18th year of his reign as King. So if you will remember from Chapter 2 last week, the Golden Head of the Great Image (Babylon) was still in power and the armies of Medio-Persia had not yet taken over his Kingdom.

So maybe King Nebuchadnezzar is remembering back 15 years ago and thinks, “I don’t just wanted to be a golden head, I want someone that is all gold. So he built this image that was nine stories tall. Maybe it was his image, or the image of one of his “small g” gods, but whatever it was it was big, and he want everyone to do one thing…worship this image.

He called everyone together and had some declare…

READ Daniel 3:4-6

Daniel 3:4–6 (ESV)

4 And the herald proclaimed aloud, “You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, 5 that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 And whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace.”

Everyone is the whole nation heard what to do: When the music plays…fall down and worship this golden image.

When I read about King Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image it reminds me of another golden image. In Exodus 32, the people were waiting for Moses to come down from Mount Sinai, they were fearing what God had done to Moses, So Aaron decided to build a cow of gold so they could worship the cow. Moses came down and he was not happy. God was not happy. SO he called all of those from tribe of Levi and he told them…

Exodus 32:27 (ESV)

27 And he said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘Put your sword on your side each of you, and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each of you kill his brother and his companion and his neighbor.’ ”

3000 men fell. 3000. Why? Because they didn’t trust God and they began to worship a gold cow…a false God, not the ONE TRUE GOD.

And now in the country of Babylon there are about three hundred Jewish people who serve the one true God, what will they do?

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Read Daniel 3:8-12.

The people of Babylon were not happy that these men that the King trusted would not bow before the Golden Image. So they came to the King to let him know. And the King wasn’t happy.

Read Daniel 3:13-15

The King said, you bow or your burn. It’s simple. Bow or burn. What would these three men do? Bow, keep their lives, but go against their God. Or stand firm on what they believe, no matter what may come.

Read Daniel 3:16-18

What! The most powerful King anywhere who with one word could end someones life, and they look at him and say, we will not bow. No matter what happens, no matter where you throw us, we will not serve and worship your gods.

Can we just take a moment and put ourself in that situation. In a moment, death could come. Everything you know about living here on earth. Your family, friends, and the life you have, all could be gone, unless you did one thing, take your eyes off of the God that has given you eternal life. That’s all you have to due, and maybe you can live to be an old woman or an old man with many children and a happy life.

Or, you could stand up for the God that made you. saved you, and has prepared a place for you, and say I will not do that, even if I die.

That is what Shadrach, Meshuch, and Abednego were facing. Bow and live. Stand-up and possibly die.

Verse 18 shows their decision…we will not serve or worship your “small g” gods.

How did they get to this? How did they become so bold in their belief?

It was who they were. Did you see who those who told the king about them described Shadrach, Meshuch, and Abednego? Daniel 3:12

Daniel 3:12 (ESV)

12 There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, pay no attention to you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

They had set in their minds and in their hearts that they would serve no one except the one true God. The God that had been preserving his people though Egypt, into the promised land, and now as captives in a foreign land. He was still faithful. He was still in control. He was still sovereign, and they knew that. Followers of the one true God was who they were and they were not going to change.

What about you? When you are faced with a something that would be much easier if you would only do this one small wrong thing, and do this thing that does not honor God. How will respond? Because how you respond in that moment will be decided long before that happens. You see, like an athlete who trains to perform on the field, he is ready long before the match begins. His preparation is what makes his good.

What about you. Are you prepared to stand when everyone else around you is falling to what your culture says?

For you to stand when others want you to fall, it is only by your being ready, knowing who you are as his child that will prepare you for that moment. Standing up to do the right thing can only happen when it is who you are.

But also, their belief and boldness were possible because…

2. It was who He is.

There is no way they could have been bold enough to withstand the great King Nebuchadnezzar. They were small men compared to this Big King. But no matter how big he was, God was bigger. Remember last week, he is the God of the impossible. Through all of the danger, trails, and battles that the Israelites faced in the Old Testament, Moses reminded them of something:

Deuteronomy 31:8 ESV

8 It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

These three men knew whom they served. They had confidence that when they stood for Him, he would stand for them.

What about you? When you are faced with something that is impossible or faced with something that will make you take a stand for your faith, will you stand strong because you have confidence is who he is?

How were these men bold in their belief? It was who they were. It was also because of who HE is, but I want you to see something that these three men said to the KING. Look at Daniel 3:17-18

Daniel 3:17–18 (ESV)

17 If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

These are important three words…. BUT IF NOT.

Three simple words. Small words, eight letters all together. Three words that if you separate them, don’t mean much…but when they are put together…for the believer in the one true God they are the very foundation for our belief. What do they mean?

TWO SLIDES

BUT IF NOT = FAITH

You know what this is….FAITH. It’s faith.

They said, we know he can deliver us from the fire. He has the ability. If its his will. But even if he doesn’t….WE WILL NOT BOW.

That is faith.

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We need to have a BUT IF NOT faith that says Lord, you are in control. What you want, I want. What you desire. I desire. What determine to happen, let it be.

I have told you before what I pray every time I fly on an airplane. Before we take off I pray that God will protect us and give us a safe journey. I ask that he would give wisdom to those who are flying the plane. And then I end my prayer with this: “But God, I pray they your will be done.”

Would I be happy if the airplane crashed and I died. No. I would miss you people and miss my children who are grown up. But, what I really want in life, is for HIS will to be done.

Do you have that faith? Do you have the BUT IF NOT faith? Because the stand that Shadrach, Meshuch, and Abednego made was by BUT IF NOT faith. Whatever happened, whatever the circumstance, they would not turn their back on their GOD, be cause they knew he had no turned his back on them.

I’m sure you know the rest of the story. They refused. They were thrown into a fiery furnace that was so hot that the men who put them there died instantly. But then, look what the King saw:

READ Daniel 3:25

Well, he was almost right. He wasn’t “LIKE a son of the gods” he was the Son of God…Jesus. This is what is called a theophany. This is when the Lord Jesus Christ appeared before his coming in the manager in the flesh. This wasn’t the first, when three men came to Abraham in Genesis 18, the Bible says that two of them were angels, and one was THE LORD. Another happened with Joshua in Joshua 5 when the Commander of the Lord’s Army is identified as THE LORD. There are times when God sends an angel, but there are time when he sent Jesus before he was born.

Listen, you may never be faced with a fiery furnace. You may never be told to bow your knee before a golden statue. But everyday, you have to make a decision. Are you going to do bow down to what your culture says is ok? Are you going to do what your friends say you should do? Or will you say no. I will stand up for what I believe. I will pit When you are in the middle of a trail, a hard situation where you have to stand up for God rather than kneel down to the enemy, even if you can’t see him, God is there. Trust in him. Have faith that he is with you.