4.3.29 6.17.2018 Daniel 3 Not Gonna Bow to Your Idol
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Culture Wars
Culture Wars
▾ Start:
Entice: As someone who is "opposition-ally inclined" it has sometimes been hard for me to admit that fighting the culture wars has not always been done is such a way that it advanced the cause of Christ.
• Entice: As someone who is "opposition-ally inclined" it has sometimes been hard for me to admit that fighting the culture wars has not always been done is such a
Winning arguments does not always "win souls". Sometimes it is is in defeat that Christ conquers. It is in our weakness that He is strong.
way that it advanced the cause of Christ. Winning arguments does not always "win souls". Sometimes it is is in defeat that Christ conquers.
Engage: Let me read one of the most famous stories in the Bible. It makes for a great Bible-drama at camp. It is likely that you know some version of it.
▾ Engage: This is one of the most famous stories in the Bible. It makes for a great Bible-drama at camp. It is likely that you know some version of it.
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.
8 Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and maliciously accused the Jews.
9 They declared to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever!
10 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.
11 And whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into a burning fiery furnace.
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.”
13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. So they brought these men before the king.
14 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, “Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up?
15 Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?”
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.
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.”
19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated.
20 And he ordered some of the mighty men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.
21 Then these men were bound in their cloaks, their tunics, their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the burning fiery furnace.
22 Because the king’s order was urgent and the furnace overheated, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace.
24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.”
25 He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”
26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire.
27 And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them.
28 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God.
29 Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.”
30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.
Explore: There are many ways to approach this text. The most obvious is to discuss the miraculous, delivering power of God. While that specific miracle dictates the ultimate outcome of this text, the story is driven, the plot is thickened by the faith-dynamic of the three Hebrew Youts, and that is not dependent on God's miraculous intervention.
•
Explore: There are many ways to approach this text. The most obvious is to speak about the miraculous, delivering power of God. While that specific miracle dictates the ultimate outcome of this text, the story is driven, the plot is thickened by the faith-dynamic of the three Hebrew Youts, and that is not dependent on God's miraculous intervention.
• Explore: There are many ways to approach this text. The most obvious is to speak about the miraculous, delivering power of God. While that power dictates the
ultimate outcome of this text, the story is driven by the faith-dynamic of the three hebrew boys, and that is not dependent on God's miraculous intervention.
Excite:
• Excite: Outcomes are up to God. Obligations & opportunities, clarity in the midst of confusion, consistently when tempted to become collapse…that's all in your
Outcomes are up to God.
Outcomes are up to God.
Obligations & opportunities, clarity in the midst of confusion, consistency when tempted to collapse…that's all in your control. And that's what these boys show us.
control. And that's what the boys show us.
Explore:
• Explore: Whether the outcome is death or deliverance how will your faith stand the testing of fire?
Whether the outcome is death or deliverance how will your faith stand the testing of fire?
Whether the outcome is death or deliverance how will your faith stand the testing of fire?
Explain: There are 3 traits you can take into the furnace that, whether in death or deliverance will bring honor to God.
• Explain: Three traits you can take into the fire whether in death or deliverance that bring honor to God.
Three traits you can take into the fire whether in death or deliverance that bring honor to God.
Three traits you can take into the fire whether in death or deliverance that bring honor to God.
▾ Body of Sermon:
1 Your Reputation.
1 Your Reputation.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.
▾ 1 Your Reputation.
1.1 No answer was needed: Nebuchadnezzar knew these guys…Their reputation proceeded them.
• 1.1 No answer was needed: Nebuchadnezzar knew these guys…Their reputation proceeded them.
1.2 They were consistent, confident, polite, deferential & determined.
▾ 1.2 They were consistent, confident, polite, deferential & determined.
When jealous people act maliciously it is not the time for us to become angry.
• 1.2.1 When jealous people act maliciously it is not the time for us to become angry.
When good people act rashly it is not the time for us to act blindly.
• 1.2.2 When good people act rashly it is not the time for us to act blindly.
When the world is going mad that is the time to keep your head
• 1.2.3 When the world is going mad that is the time to keep your head
When society become fickle that is the time to be faithful.
• 1.2.4 When society become fickle that is the time to be faithful.
1.3 The Key to chapter 3…Shadrach, Meschach and Abed-nego were the same guys in verse 30 that they were in verse 1.
• 1.3 The Key to chapter 3…Shadrach, Meschach and Abed-nego were the same guys in verse 30 that they were in verse 1.
2 Your Resolve.
2 Your Resolve.
▾ 2 Your Resolve. Our God is able 3.17
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.
Daniel 3.17
(Our God is able)
2.1 Resolve injects action into our assent.
• 2.1 Resolve injects action into our assent.
2.2 Resolve does not confuse God's abilities with our agenda.
• 2.2 Resolve does not confuse God's abilities with our agenda.
3 Your Response.
3 Your Response.
▾ 3 Your Response. (regardless of what happens we will not bow)
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.”
3.1 Respect God's sovereignty. (But if not…)
• 3.1 Acknowledge God's sovereignty.
3.2 Respond directly. (Be it know to you O King)
• 3.2 Respond directly.
3.3 Reply clearly. (We will not bow down)
• 3.3 Respond specifically.
The Heat is on...
The Heat is on...
▸ Shut Down:
Yes, the world can be hostile. More so for Christians elsewhere in the world but there is an increasing disconnect between the Church and our evolving culture. We can see that as an opportunity or a threat.
Some of us will be faced with jealous “Chaldeans” who will try to cause us to deny our faith in the very act of defending it. RESIST that temptation. The cause of Christ has been advanced by those who have defended the faith wisely and fairly and embarrassed by those tho not only learned the language of Babylon but the dirty tricks as well.
Your reputation…Your resolve…Your response. If these are formed by Christ…He will walk through fire and flood with you and you will bring honor to His cause.