The Gods we Erect

Have you ever been accused of something?

Have you every been called out for something that you did or didn’t do? Yeah we all have. If you grew up with brothers or sisters, you most definitely did.

I grew up with all girls in the house. My Mom, my sisters and me.

I can still hear it to this day, “CHRIS DIDN’T TAKE THE TRASH OUT!” “CHRIS DIDN’T MAKE HIS BED.” “CHRIS ATE ALL THE MACARONI AND CHEESE!” (AND YEAH I DID…)

Have you ever been accused of something or called out in order for the focus to be taken off of another.

Work - When a project wasn’t finished, were you blamed even though you did everything you could?

Relationship - Were you every told you didn’t do enough in a relationship, and that is why it failed?

We live in a world that is full of selfishness, greed, and hatred. If you don’t believe me, drive on the 101 or the I-10 for five minutes.

We are made in God’s image, created by the maker to worship him. If we are not worshipping God, we are going to direct our attention to something else. For the most part, it ends up being mostly ourselves.

we have seen time and time again in history, how man can be a light for hope, or a vice of hatred towards one another.

There have been political beliefs and countries that have torn down other countries, killing thousands, and millions, for their own power and gain.

There have been religious ideals that have killed others in the name of their gods.

We have seen crazy wars and historical disasters by men that have shown us the worst of humanity.

Now we live in a culture that hates one another because we don’t agree with one another in the name of tolerance. And is getting worse.

That one and two-year old mentality of “MINE MINE MINE” becomes a world of people who say “It’s all about ME, ME, ME.”

Without knowing Christ, we become lost in our own ideals, wants, needs, desires and pleasures.

If we are not careful, the when the fires comes, we may not know what to do.

Last week, we got to dive into the Daniel’s interpretation of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. Pastor Jeff shared some very important insights into the fact that the things of the world, like the countries described in Daniel’s interpretation, will not last, but God’s Kingdom does. We saw the reaction of King Nebuchadnezzar, giving praise to God, and giving favor to Daniel for his act, and his obedience to God that showed King Nebuchadnezzar a glimpse into who God is. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego also were given position as well. All is well at the end of chapter two, until… the beginning of chapter three.

Let’s read Daniel Chapter 3:

Daniel 3:1–13 ESV

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. 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. 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. And the herald proclaimed aloud, “You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, 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. And whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace.” 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. Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and maliciously accused the Jews. They declared to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever! You, O king, have made a decree, that every man who hears the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image. And whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into a burning fiery furnace. 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.” Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. So they brought these men before the king.

We are going to stop right there, because there is a lot to take a look at here just in this first part.

King Nebuchadnezzar’s Worldly King Act: His show of Lordship

The King builds an idol - It would have stood about 90 feet tall.

King Nebuchadnezzar builds the idol for one reason and one reason only: to show his dominance and lordship.

The Officials and all the Great Leaders (The important people)

In effort to show dominance, position and power, they move in to deliver King Nebuchadnezzar’s proclamation.

The Proclamation is you obey or you pay.

As soon as your hear the instruments, you bow. No explanation, no talking about it, no sharing feelings or thoughts… you do as your told, or you don’t grow old.

3. The Chaldean's (Magi, Magicians… yeah those guys again)

a. Weren’t these the guys that were chastised by the King as failures?

b. Now they stand shmoozing, and accusing. V. 12

Daniel 3:12 “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.””

I can hear them really saying, “I know you were mad at us for our failure, but at least we LOVE YOU! At least we obey you and stand with you! Not like these Jews who refuse to worship as you command. We aren’t as bad as these guys.”

4. The Rage of King Nebuchadnezzar

A. Even though he knows who they serve, and has seen God’s power, his selfishness and desire to be God clouds his memory.

Daniel 3:13 “Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. So they brought these men before the king.”

5. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego are called to the court.

a. They have stood up for God, however, in a fallen world, standing up for your faith has consequence.

This story in chapter 3 is the ultimate peer pressure story.

The pressure to conform to what the leaders demand us to be

The pressure to perform exactly as they would want so as not to anger or disappoint.

The fear of the repercussions of not doing what the world calls os to do and be

The accusations that come when we live according to what we believe, rather that what others want want us to be

The reality of the tests, the fires that lie ahead for living out your faith.

This is really a story of intolerance. We live in a very intolerant world. Always have always will.

Today tolerance has a different meaning. It use to mean, “we recognize and respect other people’s beliefs and values without agreeing or sharing them.

Today tolerance is more defined as “everyone’s values, belief systems, and lifestyles should and must be accepted, and ALL truth claims are to be valid and equal.

This story exemplifies the difference between living through faith and living in a fallen world.

Men without God want to be Gods - King Nebuchadnezzar’s idol displayed his own Lordship.

Man will conform to what others are commanding to avoid being hurt, even if it is against their morals or beliefs. Today’s world is no different.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refuse to bow down to anything, and as we can see, is a very dangerous move.

Sometimes, our faith is challenged when we are pulled away from what we know and walk in foreign territory.

These three men are not in their own land. They are exiled in Babylon.

The world they live in is different from their faith, their customs, beliefs and traditions.

Living in a world you don’t belong can have severe challenges.

We are in the world, but this is not our permanent residence.

Our faith will always be questioned and tested. The world is ready to put you on the spot.

We live in a world and in a culture in which God is rejected.

The King has ultimate power in this story, what good can a believer in God do in this situation?

The culture says to conform. For your safety.

Accusers are always around the corner.

What are the takeaways from Daniel 3:1-13?

These things I share are NOT NEW. But it is important this morning that we examine them, because we must work to stand together, as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego did. We don’t stand alone.

Without God, man wants to be worshipped, adored and honored. But only God is deserving.

We learn this in Deuteronomy 6:13–15 “It is the Lord your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear. You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are around you— for the Lord your God in your midst is a jealous God—lest the anger of the Lord your God be kindled against you, and he destroy you from off the face of the earth.”

Jesus reemphasized this truth as Satan tempted him in the Desert. We read in Matthew 4:10 “Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “ ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’ ””

2. Without God, men will conform to whatever gives them the best overall chance of survival.

The officials gathered to help Nebuchadnezzar’s order. How many of these leaders said to themselves, :It’s a living!” or “Sometimes you have to do what you have to do.” “ I Don’t agree with this, but I am not in charge.” Or even, “I am just working to survive.”

2. WITH GOD, we know we will be accused, and the world will not understanding the thoughts and actions of our faith.

a. King Nebuchadnezzar saw God’s display through Daniel, yet, he was still shocked when he heard that these Jewish men refused to bow down.

b. The magicians are quick to call these men out, who as we learned last week were given favor, as the magicians were chastised for their lack of ability.

c. The true test has begun.

AND SOMETIMES THE IDOLS ARE NOT ERECTED BY OTHERS, THEY CAN BE ERECTED BY US.

Today we may not have the same circumstances of a King erecting idols, or live in the same circumstances, but we deal with the temptations of idolatry and living for the world and what the world offers rather than living for God.

I AM NOT SAYING that the things that we work for, work on and take care of in our lives are not important, what I am saying is that if these things begin to consume our time, effort and adoration, than we must examine it’s impact on our lives, and in our faith.

Some examples of things that we must be careful not to make an idol in our lives are things such as:

Our identity

Money/Consumerism

Entertainment or Technology

Comfort

Relationships and pleasure.

- Again an idol is simply anything that you have in your life that is above importance to God.

It says in 1 John 2:15–17 “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”

- If our theology is correct, and if Biblical foundation starts with the worship of God, and he is above all things, we cannot have “socially-acceptable” idols.

There is no such thing as a Jesus + _____________ lifestyle

Jesus + enough comfort to be happy lifestyle

Jesus + money to be comfortable lifestyle

Jesus + my political party so I fit in with my peers lifestyle

Jesus + a high ranking title at work where I feel significant

It says in Philippians 3:8–9 “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—”

HOW TO EXAMINE OUR OWN LIVES AND WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT:

I want us to take a moment to just listen. Listen deep inside. Listen to our hearts, to our minds, and to our spirit.

As I as you these next few questions, take a moment to reflect your answer. Be honest with yourself, and with the Holy Spirit to guide you in this self examination. If you need to close your eyes as you do this, please obedient in doing so.

Question 1: Where do you spend your time?

Question 2; Where do you spend your money?

Question 3: Where do you get your joy?

Question 4: Where do you find pleasure?

Question 5: What’s always on your mind?

Again, NONE of these things I am talking about in these questions are bad. They can be very good, very important, and a great example of blessings in our lives. However; for many they become what identifies us instead of God.

WORSHIP TEAM PLEASE COME UP

Invite to come up and respond NOW.

Alters are open to respond.

PRAY