Cancel Culture

When Queen Elizabeth was crowned in Westminster Abbey, she is said to have sent royal invitations to the lords and the nobles of the aristocracy; to the leaders of science, art, and industry; to government officials; and to selected commoners. To receive an invitation was a high honor. Actually, it was much more than that because the elegant invitations stated, “All excuses easing.…” A royal invitation is a command.

In the land of Babylon the mighty king Nebuchadnezzar, built a statue 90 feet high and 9 feet wide. What a sight that must have been! Situated in the plain of Dura, overlaid in gold, it was visible for miles before you ever drew near. Church, this was not an image of Nebuchadnezzar himself, the proportions are wrong. This was an image or likeness of one of the ancient Babylonian gods.

It was here in this plain on dedication day that the king called all his officers to the site. Everyone who was anyone in Babylon was there (Daniel is believed to have been away on state business). Here the people are commanded to come and to worship this image, worship this king, as often as the band played they were to bow and worship. There were to be no exceptions. There were to be no excuses. Anyone who did not comply would die.

Church, here we are again. Does this not sound like the world we’re living in today?

We are under pressure to bow to the wishes of the delusional today! We just had a man allowed to compete against women athletes and win because he “identifies” as a woman. Guess what, if you say that’s wrong, you’re a sexist. You run the risk of having your life destroyed.

Today if you take a stand against what is culturally accepted you are branded a bigot. Today if you side with God you are “Cancelled”. We are living in a culture of fear! We’re afraid to speak up, because we do not want to come under attack. We are crippled today, afraid to speak up because of what others may “think” or “say” about us.

Guess what, our generation is not the first to face the cancel culture. Nearly 2400 years ago three Hebrew men were faced with choice to conform, to go along with the crowd, or be cancelled. Daniel 3:6

Daniel 3:6 KJV 1900

And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.

Proposition: When the world tells you can’t survive its furnace, remind them: God can.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego took their stand with God. Will you?

Notice how these men stood when everyone else caved. Notice their resolve this morning, they would not...

Bow vv. 1-12

No compromise

There is no middle ground

You can’t be neutral

Don’t be hateful

Don’t ever forget that Jesus died for everyone’s sin

Our goal in taking a stand is not to offend, but to win others to Christ!

You cannot be neutral

You must pick a side.

These men looked around them, they saw the rest of the world bowing to this image

They heard the king’s command, “Bow or burn”,

They understood the consequences of their choice, and they stood firm! there was...

No cowardice

These men would not bow not because they wanted to die, but because they would rather die than betray their God

We’re facing pressure to comply like never before!

This is nothing new!

“Cancel culture” has been around for thousands of years

What we need today more than anything is for godly men and women to stand up, to refuse to bow down to the wishes of this world. I don’t care if every other church in Randolph county gives in. I don’t care if every other pastor in Randolph county bows down. I am going to take my stand with God! Who’s with me?

Listen to me, It’s not enough that we just refuse to bow to the ungodly demands of this world. S,M, and A, not only would they not bow, but they would not...

Budge vv. 12-18

It’s important that we see these men received a:

A Second Chance

These were the king’s men

He knew them

He had appointed them to their position

The king wondered if maybe they didn’t understand the gravity of the situation

He orders them to be brought before him

He couldn’t believe these me “Is it true”?

Maybe they didn’t understand

Maybe if they see the king’s face, hear the words from his mouth, maybe they would bow then...

The king in his “mercy” gave them a second chance, and he recieved...

The Same Response

Daniel 3:16-18 “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.”

they would not give into the king’s demands, they would not buckle under the pressure, no matter what!

Job 13:15 KJV 1900

Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: But I will maintain mine own ways before him.

You cannot wait until the pressure comes to decide what you will do. You MUST decide right now that you will not give in to the evil demands of this world, that you will stand with God, no matter what. For these Hebrew men that meant they would not bow to the world’s wishes, they would not buckle under the world’s pressure. What was the result of their faith? The would not...

Burn vv. 19-25

There is no better word for what took place in Daniel 3 than “Miracle”. In the face of death they refused to give in. Did you notice what Nebuchadnezzar said? Daniel 3:15 “Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?”

Do you know what these faithful men said? Our God can.

Church, there is a tremendous promise we can claim from this passage: No matter what the world throws at us, not matter the threat, no matter the danger, God will be with us, even in the midst of the fire!

I would have loved to have seen the face of Nebuchadnezzar when he looked into that furnace and saw that Fourth Man! What was the result of this? He, the king of Babylon, the one who ordered the world to worship his idol, had to say with his own mouth… “There is no other God that can deliver after this sort.”

One day, listen to me, one day, every knee will bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!

Conclusion

What will it be?

Will you bow to this world’s wishes or will you stand with God?

Will you buckle to this world’s pressure, or will you stand with God?

I wonder today as we bow our heads, would you say, preacher, when the time comes I will not be silent, I will not bow with the world, I will stand with God.

I wonder today before we close, do you know that if you died today you’d be in heaven? Would you raise your hand?

Maybe today you couldn’t raise that hand because you don’t have that assurance. What about right now, right where you are, would you today admit your sin, believe Jesus died for you, confess Him with your mouth?