Living Courageously for Christ

INTRO:

Wizard of Oz - introduced to 3 characters and their lack of virtues: Scarecrow (brain), TinMan (heart), and Lion (courage).  The last one may be the most peculiar for lions by nature possess superior courage.

Courage (def.) = moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.

There is another creature, like the lion, which is expected to behave with courage.  The Bible states that the new creature in Christ has been equipped with the spirit of power, love and soundness of mind, not fear (II Tim. 1:7).  Yet too often the child of God lives by the principle of fear and not courage (examples?).  The world is becoming increasingly more hostile to God and His people.  And just as we would expect a lion to display courage at the appropriate time, so, too, should be believer in Christ display courage in the face of danger.

There are many opportunities during the course of a week to stand courageously for Christ and let the world around us mark our position and purpose.

PROP:  We need to live courageously for Christ especially in the face of opposition.

KEY WORD:  How

TRANS:  From the example of these 3 Hebrew young men, we observe 3 responses of courage in the face of opposition.

Before developing the proposition, it is important that we understand 3 basic principles regarding the believer and hardship.

            1.         How you respond to hardship reveals the level of your courage.

            2.         As we respond properly to lesser hardships, the challenges and difficulties become more intense.  Note the progression of intensity in the experience of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego:

                CAPTIVITY => DIET => FIERY FURNACE

                        Living our faith in America is relatively free of opposition.  The day IS coming when our need for courage will be more urgent.

            3.         At no time does any one feel he is fully prepared to face the fiery furnace for Christ (e.g. martyrs through the Church Age).  Yet God knows.  And as God knew that these 3 young men were prepared for the fiery furnace, so does He know the degree of our preparedness for trial (I Cor. 10:13).

First response marked by courage:

I.          Refuse to Be Intimidated by the World’s Agenda (Daniel 3:1-15)

            Ought we be concerned about such an agenda? (Rom. 12:2; I John 2:15)  Yes indeed as the world is constantly exerting pressure on the believer to fit its mold.

The world can intimidate the believer via both indirect and direct means.

            A.        Public Pressure (the indirect method of the world)

                        1.         Worldly Philosophy #1 – “Everybody is doing it.”

                                    Dan. 1:6 –“Now among these…” is an indication is that the other Hebrew young men taken captive had capitulated to Babylon's program.

                        2.         Worldly Philosophy #2 – “One time won’t matter.”

            B.        Public Accusation (the direct method)

                        In the case of the Shad, Mesh and Abed, this involved personal confrontation by Babylonian officials.  3 accusations made:

                        1. They do not regard (lit., think highly) our king.

                        2.  They do not adore our gods.

                        3.  They do not worship the king’s image.

            It would have been understandable had these young Jews yielded to either method for they:

                      -were young

                      -were living far from home and the Temple

                      -were at the mercy of the most powerful man on earth at that time

                      -faced a most horrible kind of death.

II.        Resign the Outcome to God’s Hands (3:16-18)

            A.        The 3 have taken their stand with courage, now they must wait on God to do His part.  So do we when confronted by hardships (Isa. 40:31).

The king took all precautions in order to prevent any outcome other than their death.

                        -Could they escape?  Unlikely as they were “bound up”

                        -Would they be rescued by friends?  Unlikely as they were surrounded by “mighty, valiant” soldiers.          

            Observe how they must have meditated and trusted in God’s Word (Rom. 10:17):

                        -They were likely familiar with the writings of the prophet Isaiah (who lived approx. 100 years prior).  READ Isa. 43:2 – “pass through the flames.”  Could this have been the equivalent of Rom. 8:28 for them at this time?

            Their thot: “God may have us escorted to the top of this furnace, but surely he won’t let us fall in, won’t He?  Surely He’ll deliver us at that point, right?”

This leads to the third response we must have in the face of danger:

III.       Recognize the True Significance of Your Life upon Earth (3:28-20)

God chose to deliver Shad, Mesh and Abed, b/c it suited His sovereign purpose.  God does not choose to deliver his saints in every instance, however (e.g. Stephen, William Tyndale, modern day martyrs, Cassie Bernall).  It is, therefore, essential that the child of God recognize the fact that he or she exists for God’s benefit and purpose, and not their own.  Cf. Revelation 4:11

Nebuchadnezzar praised the one true God as a result.  In so doing, the true God was lifted up (“extolled”) above the panoply of gods in Babylon thus creating the opportunity for the citizens to respond in faith.

            ILLUS.  Why the war in Iraq/Afghanistan?  Christian soldiers are there and able to share the good news of salvation with many in a land that has been closed to the Gospel for hundreds of years.