Preparation for the Fire

Introduction

Main Question:

“How do we prepare for the Fire”

“What made it so Shadrach, Meshech and Abednigo could withstand the fire?”

Commitment reveals the depth of relationship.

Your time is your tell

A “tell” is what someone observes in poker to see if your lying.

How much time do you spend in the word of God?

Commitment = Sacrifice

When you’re committed to something you are more willing to make sacrifices for it.

I give my word, you will get me.

Daniel and the boys sacrificed the “good” food the king ate for the average.

It requires Trust

Identity

They had to trust the identity that God gave them.

Daniel 1:3–7 ESV

Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility, youths without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king’s palace, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate, and of the wine that he drank. They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king. Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah of the tribe of Judah. And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego.

The man who enslaved them is now the man who is giving them a new identity.

This man chose them, enslaved them and brought them back to Babylon. Now he is giving them a new identity.

This mans job was literally to change who they were.

Practical Application

People will label you many things

They had to trust each other but more importantly they had to trust God.

Our world looks to put labels on any and everything.

You are....

a Mom

a Dad

Son, daughter

Student

Soldier

Gay/Straight

Republican/ Democrat

Engineer

Musician

Addict

Failure

Loser

Deadbeat

Alcoholic

We have developed many titles and names that represent our identity but the one every person seeks for, the one every person longs to have and it this.....”YOU ARE MINE”

To stand in the fire, they really had to trust God.

They had to trust his plans, his purposes, his will for their lives.

They knew WHOSE they were.

So when God said in

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

And through the rivers, they will not overflow you.

When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched,

Nor will the flame burn you.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

They had to look at the fire and know “this may be the end”. They had to stand, bound, look death in the face and surrender to God.

gotcha

This wasn’t the first time

Trust is Built in the Trenches

They have looked death in the face before.

Daniel 2:5–6 ESV

The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, “The word from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you shall be torn limb from limb, and your houses shall be laid in ruins. But if you show the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. Therefore show me the dream and its interpretation.”

Daniel 2:5-

It like playing a guessing game where if you lose you die.

Nobody could tell the king anything so the King gets furious and orders that all the wisemen be killed.

Daniel 2:13 ESV

So the decree went out, and the wise men were about to be killed; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them.

Daniel calmly talks with the guard sent to kill him and convinces him to give him some facetime with the King.

These men see the faithfulness of God.

God is preparing them for a greater fire.

It requires Commitment

Commitment reveals the depth of relationship. It reveals the level of trust.

We commit to alot of things for alot of reasons.

Maybe we are a people pleaser.

Maybe we have kids!

Your time is your tell

A “tell” is what someone observes in poker to see if your lying.

How much time do you spend in the word of God?

Commitment = Sacrifice

Whats different about your life now then before you were a Christian.

Typical Response - “I’m happier”, “I feel better”

Recovering Addict - They struggle. They sacrifice.

There is a reorientation of the brain

If alcohol was used before to cope with the issues they faced, now they have to find a new way of coping.

How has your brain changed since coming to Christ.

How has your thinking changes since Christ has been apart of your life?

If your thinking hasn’t changed then when that fire gets hot, your faith WILL faulter.

Can you name a time when God’s will trumped your will?

Can you think of a time when you wanted to do something or engage in a specific activity and the Word of God said no, and you were forced to change?

If there hasn’t been any change then, maybe there hasn’t been any transformation.

When you’re committed to something you are more willing to make sacrifices for it.

Daniel and the boys sacrificed the “good” food the king ate for the average.

Daniel 1:12–16 ESV

“Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the king’s food be observed by you, and deal with your servants according to what you see.” So he listened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days. At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king’s food. So the steward took away their food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.

Daniel and the Boys were able to say no because their minds were transformed.

When the world offered them pleasures and luxury, they saw how it would affect their soul and stood firm and said no.

It requires Community

Mentorship

Daniel is the main character.

These men are not the main character of the story.

Daniel is propped up as the leader, the frontrunner of intelligence, ability and dedication.

Daniel takes a stand and we find out later, these three follow suit.

Daniel 1:8 ESV

But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself.

RESOLVE: Stand Firmly on a decision

When one member of a group stand ups for whats right and has resolve, it creates inspiration.

Inspiration creates action.

The Boys saw this and it inspired them to do the same.

When you see someone else stand, it makes it easier to stand.

They could see beyond the fire

They knew this fire was temporary but there was a greater fire coming.

Little compromises lead to greater compromises

Taking Little Stands lead to great stands.

Jesus took the Stand

Humanity was on a trajectory away from God, a trajectory headed away from his presence and plan. We were on a trajectory to hell.

Jesus stepped in, Jesus took a stand when no one else could.

Jesus resolved to bring about salvation when we were lost in our trespasses and sin and he died for the ungodly.

Jesus was standing with the boys in the fire and he will stand with you in yours.

Will you let Jesus stand with you in the fires.

THE QUESTION: Will we let this gospel inspire you? Will you let it affect you every day. Will we let this good news sink deep into our hearts and affect the way we think, affect the way we make decisions?

Can this gospel drive you to a deeper prayer life, a regimented reading a the scriptures?

Can we let this gospel change our identity from everything the world places on us to the simple reality, WE ARE HIS.

English Standard Version Chapter 1

11 To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, 12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him

Daniel 1:

Relationship