If God does not!

Then Nebuchadnezzar flew into a rage and ordered that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought before him. When they were brought in,

Nebuchadnezzar said to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you refuse to serve my gods or to worship the gold statue I have set up?

I will give you one more chance to bow down and worship the statue I have made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments. But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?"

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you.

If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty.

But even if He doesn't, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up."

INTRODUCTION

Good Morning Southpointe! We do not always understand the circumstances in which we find ourselves.

There are times when even God seems hidden from our view.

We will begin to ask hard questions and there’s seem to be no answers.

We try to find some kind of answer for all this crazy stuff that is going on but you just can’t put your finger on it.

But if you will remember Jesus said it would be this way.

"In a little while you won't see Me anymore. But a little while after that, you will see Me again."

Some of the disciples asked each other, "What does He mean when He says, 'In a little while you won't see Me, but then you will see Me,' and 'I am going to the Father'?

And what does He mean by 'a little while'? We don't understand."

Now I do understand that He is talking about His death, burial and resurrection. But I would like to extend that out a little bit.

His disciples didn’t understand this at all, What does He mean in a little while, and then what is He talking about we won’t see Him for a little while and then we will see Him.

For each of us there are those “Little whiles” These little whiles are times in our lives that God gives us a glimpse of something that is so powerful and brings purposes to everything that going on.

It is like the veil was pull back and God permit us to see what He is doing and how He is doing it.

When this happens we get so excited and our faith is strengthened. And we are riding on the mountain top.

But then we have those “Little whiles” when these things are hidden:

Like Job, no matter where we look, we cannot seem to find God.

Then Job spoke again:

"My complaint today is still a bitter one, and I try hard not to groan aloud.

If only I knew where to find God, I would go to His court.

I would lay out my case and present my arguments.

Then I would listen to His reply and understand what He says to me.

Would He use His great power to argue with me? No, He would give me a fair hearing.

Honest people can reason with Him, so I would be forever acquitted by my judge.

I go east, but He is not there. I go west, but I cannot find Him.

I do not see Him in the north, for He is hidden. I look to the south, but He is concealed.

Many today are feeling that way, all we are seeing is affliction and adversity.

And they are wondering where is God and we are looking and looking and many are saying I can’t find God in this mess.

But this is also a perfect time where faith has its greatest opportunity.

Faith recognize God’s power.

In our text this morning, it is one of the greatest biblical accounts of faith operating in adversity.

It is a story of God’s deliverance of three young men from a fiery furnace.

I want you to think about this Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and they had found favor with the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar.

Whenever the king consulted them in any matter requiring wisdom and balanced judgment, he found them ten times more capable than any of the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom.

When the training period ordered by the king was completed, the chief of staff brought all the young men to King Nebuchadnezzar.

You see, that Daniel and the three Hebrew children had got on the good side of the King and he depended on them very much.

The king talked with them, and no one impressed him as much as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they entered the royal service.

And as always when God starts to bless you and He start showing you things that He will be bring to pass, then the enemy does not like it and he will start his attack.

Whenever the king consulted them in any matter requiring wisdom and balanced judgment, he found them ten times more capable than any of the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom.

Just like here in our text, Daniel and the three Hebrew Children were in that “Little whiles”, the King had granted favor to them.

And the Babylonians in King Nebuchadnezzar's court became jealous of the privileges these men received and they started looking for a time and place to destroy them.

They found the place and the event that would taken them down.

The perfect plan, they knew that Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego would never break Jehovah’s command. (Thou shalt have no other gods)

And then the jealous Babylonians told the King about the three Hebrews children refusing to bow to his golden image.

King was mad and order to throw them into the furnace, if they don’t bow to his god.

Many times in life we will get put in that place, “a little whiles” where affliction and hardship will come our way. You will be put in a place of exercising your faith, a place where you will be able to stand and win in that dark “little whiles of life.

I want you to notice their response:

If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty.

The three Hebrews children expressed faith in the ability of God to deliver them.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego knew their God was the One who had all things under His control.

Jerm 32:27 "I am the LORD, the God of all the peoples of the world. Is anything too hard for Me?

They knew the same God who promised Abraham a son though he was old, and He delivered on His promise.

And that God would deliver them from this too.

This faith was not merely a belief that God can do anything but rather a belief in His ability to do a particular thing which was a big concern of their.

Do we, in the midst of our own crises believe in God’s ability to what is our biggest concern.

But are you will to trust Him?

But this is also what I want you to notice: Not only did these young men have faith in God’s ability to rescue them, but they also had confidence in His willingness to deliver.

If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty.

Belief in God’s willingness to deliver us is an entirely different thing from believing in His ability to do so.

There are many people who believe God can work miracles who do not necessarily believe He will work on their behalf,

Listen to what the Bible says:

But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

God is love!!

Since the Word of God declares That God is love, because you know Him and you know that He is love, so you can be assured He loves us and will always act in a loving consistent way on our behalf.

Now understand this this does not always mean God will deliver us in the manner we want.

If you look at our story today, it appeared that these three were not going to be delivered at all.

But they stood on their faith in God. They knew that God not only was He able but also He was personally concerned for them and He was willing to act on their behalf.

God delivered them.

Just like today, God can and will perform miracles in response to faith.

Miracles that pierce the hardness of unbelief, Miracles that strengthen the faith of believers and miracles that bring many to Him.

This is the whole point, we are in a mess, and we must believe in the omnipotence of God that He can rescue. But we must also believe in the loving desire of God to give to us what is good.

But do we dare to believe that He will rescue us.

2. Faith confronting the dilemma

But if God doesn’t, What then?

For every person who is healed of cancer there are others who are not.

For every individual who prospers financially, there are those who do not.

For every deliverance from the furnace, there are those who seem to be left in it. What about them.

We must take into consideration what has hindrance this miracle-producing faith, could it be sin in our lives, or unbelief and doubt in our hearts.

Once we examined ourselves then we must look to one more thing.

We must answer the question, If not, what then?

The sovereignty of God.

We must be willing to except the sovereignty of God, He is God and we are not.

Notice the final words of the Hebrew boys to the king.

But even if He doesn't, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up."

These words did not express doubt in God: They revealed faith in His sovereignty.

Even if He did not rescue them as they believed He would, they would still trust Him. That was faith.

Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him

Because this is what I understand:

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.