If you are willing

I would like to ask any service members or the spouse of any service members to stand. Memorial Day is a holiday where we take time to honor those who gave their lives for this country. When you stop and think about the willingness of the men and women who gave their lives so we can be free it is amazing.

If people weren’t willing to fight, you and I would be speaking german. Now I know there was a draft and everything but at core level these men and women who sacrificed their lives for us need to be remembered because they demonstrated something we don’t often see in modern culture today. They gave up their lives so that strangers could live theirs. Think about it. Its incredible.

Are you willing today? to give your life for the greatest cause. The cause of Christ. We are going to continue our journey through Babylon. Remember last week when we saw God use Daniel to interpret a dream that God gave king Nebuchadnezzar. Well after Daniel not only spoke the unknown dream, he gave the correct interpretation. Nebuchadnezzer falls before Daniel and begins to praise God.

Daniel 2:46–49 ESV

Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face and paid homage to Daniel, and commanded that an offering and incense be offered up to him. The king answered and said to Daniel, “Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.” Then the king gave Daniel high honors and many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon. Daniel made a request of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the affairs of the province of Babylon. But Daniel remained at the king’s court.

Nebuchadnezzar worships God! Praise God we have one a new convert. Daniel not wins a convert for the kingdom but this convert is a king. Hallelujah! If that didn’t make TBN I don’t what would. In modern America, we would take such a high profile person, and put them on a tour across American Christendom, often failing to recognize that this young believer is an infant and still need to mature. Their ability is not what it will be. but we often expect them to conform instantly, but it doesn’t work that way!

You see Daniel made the brave move to stand and pray to God for Nebuchadnezzar. Which he did, but there was still work to be done. We often expect that people will go from worldly to saint overnight. Oftentimes it is a process. God wasn’t done with Daniel and his friends, he still needed them to fight for Nebuchadnezzar.

Wait! They are Stumbling.

Daniel 3:1–7 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.

Wait one second! This Guy just praised God. How can he be doing this?

Well people make mistakes, and one thing we must guard against is cutting down down weak or struggling Christians. Especially when someone is new to the faith.

Nebuchadnezzar clearly was listening to Daniel and the dream God gave him, but he missed the missed the point. You see God was trying to draw his eyes toward heaven but Nebuchadnezzar s eyes stayed focused on the Golden head of Babylon. He let what God said about Babylon to go straight to his head and he became full of Pride. So instead of bowing to the fact that the kingdom of God was greater than any earthy kingdom, he was seduced into worshiping his own glory.

Notice here, Gods and answer to this treachery is not to kill the king. It not to punish Nebuchadnezzar . It instead is to call on Hananiah, Mischal, and Azariah and ask them to stand against this idolitry.

Gods answer is for His people to stand up for truth!

If you are willing: Stand Up for Truth!

Daniel 3:8–15 ESV

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. 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? 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?”

Once Nebuchadnezzar sets up this Idol, all of these astrologers come forward and begin to accuse the Jews of not worshiping the idol.

So Lets look at this from a kingdom perspective. You have this new believer (Nebuchadnezzer) who is stumbling at the moment. God hasn’t dealt with pride and idolatry yet, Nebuchadnezzer praised God, but he is faltering. and before he totally destroys this new faith, God needs his people to take a stand and be that bulwark that says, King, you are crossing a line here. God who just spoke to you through Daniel needs you to understand, a line is being crossed. WE will not cross it with you.

Daniel 3:16–19 ESV

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 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. 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.” 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.

If you are willing the furnace awaits you

Notice here, God sees Nebuchadnezzer rejecting His messengers, and His answer is I need you men to walk into the furnace.

I understand Nebuchadnezzer is wrong! But in order for Him to see me now, You must walk into the fire.

Then they are thrown into the furnace.

Luke 9:23 ESV

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

If you are willing then Jesus will shine through you!

Daniel 3:24–26 ESV

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.” 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.” 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.

God saw that Nebuchadnezzer was stumbling and He sends His followers into a furnace. Do you want to Follow Jesus now?

The glory of God is not merely found in victory, but is found in the crushing depths of the crucible.

You and I want to be used by God, if its on our terms. If it fits our schedule, but you see when we come to the place where we say my life is not my own, Crush me for your Gospel. That is when Christ shines brightest!

Romans 8:36 ESV

As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

If you are willing then Rise For the Gospel of Christ!

You see Babylon needed more then an upbeat sermon. Nebuchadnezzer had all the positive He could tolerate.