Stand Firm: Face the Fire

Introduction

Daniel 3:1-6, 8-20, 24-25

1) Our Enemy Wants Your Attention on Idol Worship.

The fact that King Nebuchadnezzar had the desire to be worshipped is nothing new.

Since the fall of man, we live in a world that provides plenty of opportunity for us to elevate ourselves or to give our attention away to someone or something that thinks your life is better with them in it.

When our attention is on worthless idols, it is off of the One True God.

When we refuse to cave to societal demands for false idol worship it can get heated.

The more you stand firm, the more heated it can get.

In our broken world, there are consequences for holding firm to faith…but that’s ok because the world and this life only has a short window over our circumstances…

A FIRM FAITH IS FIRM BECAUSE IT IS BUILT WITH ETERNITY IN MIND!

We must not sell out our devotion to Jesus for cheap comforts in a decaying world.

You may find a comfortable couch in the landfill, but is that really where you want to spend your time and energy?

2) When We Stand for God, We Stand Out.

For far too long, church-goers have continued to bow to societal pressures and compromise on social issues, believing they are somehow contributing to social justice.

Real Christians don’t bow to society, they humbly stand before God.

The world sees this as arrogance, and we must be careful to not to be arrogant, but rather to be humble yet firm.

Our confidence must be in God and nothing else, including ourselves.

The statement in vs. 16 does not show disdain for the king, it shows devotion to God.

The tone should be understood as spiteful, but yet humble faithfulness to God.

The more we stand firm in our devotion to God, the more hostile our broken world becomes.

3) In the Middle of the Fire, Jesus Shines.

While we remain faithful in the midst of societal pressure and facing the consequences for standing firm in our faith, Jesus is revealed to those around us.

Jesus didn’t just show up in the flames, He was there the whole time. It was just that the people who didn’t know God couldn’t see him until the faithfulness of God’s people was pressed.

2 Corinthians 4:8–10 ESV

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.

The lost world, with hardened hearts, need to see Jesus and know that He is real.

Jesus tells us that we are being sent as sheep in the midst of wolves, but this ultimately for His glory and His purpose. (Matthew 10)

For Hanniah, Mishael, and Azariah they were spared from the heat of the fire, but more importantly lives were changed through their firm faith and their willingness to humbly face the flames of offended idolatry.

CLOSING

IF THE LOST WORLD IS GOING TO SEE THE REAL JESUS, THEY NEED TO SEE REAL FAITH ON DISPLAY, ESPECIALLY WHILE THINGS ARE HEATING UP AND WE ARE FACING THE FIRES OF A LOST WORLD.