Always There
The Writing is on the Wall • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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5-year old Johnny was in the kitchen as his mother made supper. She asked him to go into the pantry and get her a can of tomato soup, but he didn't want to go in alone. "It's dark in there and I'm scared." She asked again, and he persisted. Finally she said, "It's OK--Jesus will be in there with you."
Johnny walked hesitantly to the door and slowly opened it. He peeked inside, saw it was dark, and started to leave when all at once an idea came, and he said: "Jesus, if you're in there, would you hand me that can of tomato soup?"
We laugh and we think that little Johnny is being cute, but in all honesty, that is exactly how we do it too.
We are sacred of the dark spot and we call out...Jesus are you even there? Take me out of this spot!
What we forget is that without the test...there is no testimony.
I am going to do something a little different today.
I want to start today with giving you an overview of what is going on in Daniel Chapter 3.
King Nebuchadnezzar builds a massive golden statue 90 feet tall and 9 feet wide
on the plain of Dura.
He commands all government officials and leaders to gather for its
dedication.
A herald for the king announces that whenever music plays, everyone must bow down and
worship the golden image.
The penalty for refusing to bow is immediate death in a blazing fiery furnace.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—hold high administrative posts in Babylon.
Out of loyalty to God and His commandment against idolatry, they refuse to bow to
the king's statue.
Chaldean officials notice their defiance and report them to King Nebuchadnezzar.
An enraged Nebuchadnezzar confronts the three men and gives them a second
chance to bow.
They boldly reply that their God is able to save them, but even if He does not,
they still will not serve or worship the king's golden image.
Furious, the king orders the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual.
The guards tying them up are instantly killed by the extreme heat, but Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego fall into the fire.
Nebuchadnezzar looks into the fire and is shocked to see four men unbound and walking unharmed in the flames.
The king describes the fourth figure as looking like a "son of the gods".
Nebuchadnezzar calls the men out of the fire.
They emerge completely unhurt, without even the smell of smoke on their
clothes.
The king praises God, acknowledges His supreme power, and issues a decree protecting the Jewish men from harm.
Now, please take the time this week to read the chapter...it is only about 6 minutes long.
But you maybe wondering why would I give you the overview of the chapter and not save it for the message, well, it is because we have heard this story so many times.
There is even a veggie tales cartoon associated with this story.
And rightfully so, it is such a great story, but I don’t want us to miss what this story is truly about, and that is unwavering, uncompromising faith, The Presence of God even in the suffering, and understanding the limits of human power.
Now as we do, I will ask Robert Clark to stand and start this message in prayer.
Unwavering Uncompromising Faith
Maintaining an uncompromising faith in today's society means holding firmly to core spiritual and moral convictions despite cultural pressure to conform.
Modern culture often replaces absolute truth with personal preference, making biblical standards look outdated or intolerant.
Let’s look at our first verse for today and see what our three friends have to say about this.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the king, “Nebuchadnezzar, we don’t need to give you an answer to this question. If the God we serve exists, then he can rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and he can rescue us from the power of you, the king. But even if he does not rescue us, we want you as king to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.”
Can you imagine the pressure these three guys were under at this moment?
They were facing death, yet, their faith did not waver in the slightest. They never compromised.
They did not say, “Hey king, we will bow down but we really want to keep our Jewish traditions too.”
Believers face subtle or direct pressure to compromise their values at work, school, or online to fit in.
Be alert, stand firm in the faith, be courageous, be strong.
The Message version says stand firm, act like men, and be strong.
Society tends to make cowards out of us...it tends to reduce deep faith to a mere private habit or social routine rather than a life-shaping reality.
not being frightened in any way by your opponents. This is a sign of destruction for them, but of your salvation—and this is from God.
what does it take to have unwavering uncompromising faith?
Decide to fight for your moral boundaries in quiet moments of prayer and scripture study before temptation arrives.
Stand firm on spiritual principles while showing active kindness, mercy, and love toward those who disagree or do not believe.
Connect regularly with fellow believers to renew your spiritual strength and find mutual encouragement.
God’s Presence in the Suffering
Today's fast-paced, secular society often struggles to harmonize the idea of a loving God with the profound reality of human pain.
Many people in modern society prioritize material comfort, digital connection, and instant gratification, making deep-seated pain harder to process or accept.
When tragedy strikes, the visible distance or silence of God often leads individuals in a skeptical culture to question His goodness or power.
I want you to see something in our next verse...
And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego fell, bound, into the furnace of blazing fire.
hey these three guys stood up for their faith...so God stopped them from being thrown into the fire right?
No the fire was still there...they were still in the fire.
One of the most well known verses tell us that we still have things we will sometimes have to go through.
Even when I go through the darkest valley,
I fear no danger,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff—they comfort me.
We live in a time that when a so called Christian stubs their toes, “oh God why do you hate me so!”
We scream out to the Lord that we want to see numbers of lost people grow like the early church, but those Christians faced death and persecution that we will never know.
The reason we do not see the numbers the early church saw (even though the worlds populations is about triple) is because we live in a faith that cost us nothing.
These three guys were like God may save us, but if not I am willing to die for my faith. They knew God was there and it was His decision, their faith was squarely in His will.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God.
Some of you know, I have had to have 4 knee surgeries on my left knee.
The first three was because I fell at work onto concrete with my knee.
But my family endured that, and I will be honest, there were many a night where I screamed out “why Lord!”
I got through it and my knee was healed miraculously, to a point where I was able to ride a bicycle for 150 miles per week.
I was even able to ride a 105 miles in one day for a charity ride.
Then one day, I was walking to my truck while at work, and stepped into a hole and dislocated my left knee to a point where the patella ligament snapped in two places.
Same story...different chapter.
I was like why lord! Why this again.
have you ever been through something and knew God was in it after the fact.
Well, if I was not injured I would not have started teaching at First Baptist Eunice, I would not have been called to come and pulpit supply here, and I would have never became the pastor here.
Do i wish God would have done it in a easier way...absolutely! i am not one who goes looking for suffering. I want things to go easy and smooth, but there are times when we must trust even when we are bound and falling into the fire.
When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you
and the rivers will not overwhelm you,
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be scorched
and the flame will not burn you.
God’s presence is in it all...we just have to look pass our own nose sometimes.
Limitations on Human Power
Today's society constantly pursues limitless progress through technology and self-reliance, yet the Bible teaches that human power is inherently fragile and strictly limited compared to God's omnipotence.
When the satraps, prefects, governors, and the king’s advisers gathered around, they saw that the fire had no effect on the bodies of these men: not a hair of their heads was singed, their robes were unaffected, and there was no smell of fire on them.
Society measures power through wealth, influence, and independence, often marginalizing the need for spiritual reliance.
Modern culture treats science and artificial intelligence as tools to conquer death, time, and nature, echoing the ancient ambition of the Tower of Babel.
Despite vast material advancements, modern individuals still face exhaustion, anxiety, and mortality, proving that human endurance has a hard ceiling.
Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us—
We have limitations. God’s power is limitless.
According to scripture, human limits—such as physical weariness, the need for sleep, and mortal lifespans—are not design flaws, but gentle reminders that we are creatures rather than creators.
Earthly rulers and societal power structures are strictly temporary and fully accountable to divine sovereignty
“My kingdom is not of this world,” said Jesus. “If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight, so that I wouldn’t be handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.”
Accepting human limits allows people to lean into divine grace rather than burning out under the pressure of trying to control every outcome.
We see limits as a bad thing, but time has taught me that it is easier to lean into God’s power rather leaning on my limited view and strength.
End with the dumb bell illustration.
