Sermon Tone Analysis

*SERMON NOTES*

* *

*Subject: “But, If Not”*

*Speaker:               Dr. A. Burge Troxel*

*Date:                      November 12, 2006*

*Scripture:             Daniel 3:1-30*

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*Introduction:*

* *

*God can rescue you, BUT IF NOT, what will you do?*

 

I’m concerned that we have heard so many messages about God’s: Miracle working power, Healing power, Providing power, Delivering power

 

That sometimes we just take for granted that God will: Heal every sickness, Meet every financial need, Open every prison door, Put back together every broken marriage

 

But, sometimes God does not heal!

Sometimes God does not perform a miracle!

Sometimes God does not repair the broken home!

Sometimes God does not provide financial relief!

WHAT WILL YOU DO IF THE ANSWER IS NO? DOES NOT DELIVER?

DOES NOT HEAL?

 

Sometimes we become so conditioned to the fact that God will say yes that we don’t know what to do when He says no!

 

 I know God CAN heal, I know God CAN put my home back together, I know God CAN provide my financial need,

 

BUT IF NOT:, I’ll still love Him!, I’ll still trust Him! I’ll still serve Him!

I KNOW GOD CAN, BUT IF HE DOESN’T I’LL STILL SERVE HIM!

* *

*God can rescue me, BUT IF NOT, I will serve Him no matter what knowing that He will be with me until the end!*

 

WE are going to see this morning – Three Teens in Babylon

1. Have Biblical Convictions

2. Have Biblical Confidence

* *

* *

3. Experience Biblical Comfort

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*I.

Do you have Biblical Convictions like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego?** - Dan. 3:1-15*

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*“Biblical Convictions are basic biblical principles which we purpose to follow, no matter what the cost!”*

!  

! Daniel 3:5

!! “As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.”

!!  

Image – 1x10 – Platform

Plains of Dura – 6mi SE of Babylon

Where’s Daniel?

 

! Daniel 3:6

!! “Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.”

!  

! Daniel 3:12

!! “But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon— Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego —who pay no attention to you, O king.

They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.”

!!  

! Daniel 3:15b

!! “. . .

But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace.

Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?”

* *

Summary~/Transition

The teens not only had Biblical Convictions, but they had Biblical Confidence

* *

*II.

Do you have Biblical Confidence like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego?**

– Dan.

3:16-18*

* *

*“Biblical Confidence is faith in God’s sovereignty and goodness without demanding a particular outcome.”*

!

They said:

We know that God is able to deliver us out of the fiery furnace

We know that God can send angels from heaven to bear us up and out of this crowd

We know that God could kill each and every one of our persecutors if He so chose

We know that the same God that opened up the depths of the Red Sea so our forefathers could walk through on dry ground can also keep us from a measly furnace!

We know that our God is able to deliver us, Oh king,

 

BUT IF NOT, WE STILL TRUST HIM!

 

And, this statement was made BEFORE they knew what the outcome would be!

For all they knew, they were speaking their final words!

For all they knew, they were writing their own death sentences!

For all they knew, they would wake up in glory!

But, it’s as if these men were saying:

 

Oh king, just in case we die in this furnace and don’t get a chance to tell you again, let us make ourselves crystal clear:

 

We will never bow down to a graven image!

We will never serve your gods

We will never forsake our experience!

We will never turn our backs on God!

We don’t know what’s going to happen in 5 minutes, but let us just say right now that we know God is able, BUT IF NOT we still worship HIM!

 

! Daniel 3:17

!! “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king.”

!!  

! Daniel 3:18

!! “But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

!!  

! Job 13:15a

!! “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; . .

.”

!!  

! Matthew 26:39

!! Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me.

Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

!!  

! 1 John 5:14

!! “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”

* *

Illustrate

I wish somebody in this place would just stand up right now and say: \\ \\ • I don’t know what tomorrow holds!

\\ • I don’t know if God’s going to heal me or not! \\ • I don’t know if God’s going to deliver me or not! \\ • I don’t know if God’s going to meet my financial need or not! \\ \\ But, devil, just in case I don’t get another chance to tell you this let me say it one more time: \\ \\ I KNOW GOD’S ABLE, BUT IF HE DOESN’T I STILL WORSHIP HIM! \\ I KNOW GOD CAN, BUT IF NOT, I STILL SERVE HIM! \\ \\

If I die in the furnace, that’s okay, because I’ll just wake up shouting on the hills of glory, so just in case let me tell you one more time: \\ \\ I WILL TRUST HIM NO MATTER WHAT TOMORROW HOLDS!

* *

* *

Summary~/Transition

Because the teens had Biblical Convictions and Biblical Courage, they experienced Biblical Comfort

* *

*III.

Do you have Biblical Comfort like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego?** - Dan. 3:19-30*

* *

*“Biblical Comfort is the certain knowledge that Jesus will be with you in the midst of your ‘fiery furnace.’”*

!  

*The fourth man* (3:24–30)

1. /The discovery/ (3:24–25): Looking into the fire, an amazed Nebuchadnezzar sees two incredible things:

a.

The three men are still alive (3:24–25a).

b.Another man has joined them, and he looks like a divine being (3:25b).

2. /The deliverance/ (3:26–28): At the king’s urging, the three men walk out of the fire, not even smelling of smoke.

3. /The decree/ (3:29–30): Nebuchadnezzar imposes the death sentence upon anyone who speaks against God, and the three men are promoted to higher positions.

! Daniel 3:24

!! Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?”

They replied, “Certainly, O king.”

!!  

! Daniel 3:25

!!

He said, “Look!

I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”

!!  

! Daniel 3:27b

!! . . .

“They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.”

!!  

!  

! Matthew 28:19-20