WEBVTT 00:00:22.239 --> 00:00:25.760 Well, good morning and welcome to Church at the Grove. 00:00:25.839 --> 00:00:28.800 My name is Nathan, and I'm one of the pastors here. 00:00:28.960 --> 00:00:32.079 And we are so excited that you are joining us today. 00:00:32.479 --> 00:00:42.320 I'm normally down at our social circle location, but it's a privilege to be here today through the power of video at our Walnut Grove campus and to be online as well. 00:00:42.479 --> 00:00:50.719 And if you're here physically at the Walnut Grove campus or online, we just want to say thank you so much for coming and spending part of your weekend with us. 00:00:50.880 --> 00:01:00.560 We know you could have spent your weekend in a number of different places, but it means the world to us that you are coming here today to spend time with us today in the church service. 00:01:00.719 --> 00:01:09.760 So if you haven't downloaded our Church at the Grove app yet, we would encourage you to do that because we want to know that you're here and we want to be able to pray for you and for your family. 00:01:09.840 --> 00:01:14.000 And so if you have a moment, download the Church at the Grove app, fill out the encounter card. 00:01:14.159 --> 00:01:20.959 We really do consider it to be one of our greatest privileges and honors to be able to pray over all those requests each and every week. 00:01:21.040 --> 00:01:24.560 And so we would love to be able to pray for you and for your family. 00:01:24.719 --> 00:01:30.079 But if you're just joining us, we are in the middle of a series on the book of Daniel. 00:01:30.239 --> 00:01:42.159 And Daniel is this incredible book where we're really learning how we can thrive in Babylon, how we can thrive in a culture that has really moved further and further away from Jesus. 00:01:42.400 --> 00:01:44.959 How do we continue to remain faithful? 00:01:45.200 --> 00:01:48.560 How do we become faithful in a faithless world? 00:01:48.719 --> 00:01:51.519 That's really what this whole series has been about. 00:01:51.599 --> 00:01:53.439 And it's been incredible so far. 00:01:53.519 --> 00:01:54.560 And we're in week three of this. 00:01:54.719 --> 00:02:11.120 And I would encourage you, if you haven't watched the previous messages or you haven't been here, we would encourage you to go back and watch some of those messages because they really are incredible things for you to hear and for us to really learn during this season in the world and the culture that we have today. 00:02:11.360 --> 00:02:22.960 And so, uh, today, uh, as we jump in, we're really going to talk about this idea that when you are pressured, when you face resistance, that's when true faith is ultimately revealed. 00:02:23.120 --> 00:02:27.039 That true faith is revealed in times of resistance. 00:02:27.280 --> 00:02:29.039 That's what we're talking about this morning. 00:02:29.199 --> 00:02:36.240 And when you think about it, this is so true because in resistance is really when our true faith is revealed. 00:02:36.400 --> 00:02:40.000 Uh, I don't know about you guys, but I love orange juice. 00:02:40.080 --> 00:02:41.759 I love uh simply orange. 00:02:41.919 --> 00:02:44.800 If uh I had to pick an orange juice, it's all about simply orange. 00:02:44.879 --> 00:02:50.000 I know you pay a fortune for it, but it is so worth it because it's like just oranges. 00:02:50.080 --> 00:02:50.879 It's uh that's all it is. 00:02:51.039 --> 00:02:52.400 At least that's how they advertise it. 00:02:52.560 --> 00:02:54.479 And so I love simply orange. 00:02:54.800 --> 00:03:00.479 And uh you buy the cart and you drink it, but then I was thinking, man, I can maybe save some money if I squeeze my own oranges. 00:03:00.560 --> 00:03:10.879 And so I bought some oranges, bought a little, you know, juicer, and I juiced a bunch of oranges, and I found out that it takes a lot of oranges to make just a small cup of orange juice. 00:03:11.039 --> 00:03:21.759 But I learned something in that process that an orange can look really good from the outside, but it's not until you squeeze the orange that you begin to learn really what's on the inside. 00:03:21.919 --> 00:03:39.360 And I thought about how true that is in our lives, that it's when we are squeezed that that ultimately reveals our character, it ultimately shows us what we believe, it shows us what our faith is, it really reveals who we are as a person in times of stress and in times of resistance. 00:03:39.520 --> 00:03:49.599 I mean, when you get the call from the doctor and the doctor tells you that there's some bad news, that's when your faith really is clearly seen. 00:03:50.560 --> 00:04:06.240 If you have a husband or a wife that has stepped out on you and the marriage is ending and crumbling, and that time of resistance, in that pressure, in that time when you're being squeezed, that's ultimately a true measure of your faith. 00:04:06.560 --> 00:04:18.639 If you're facing a loss of a job, man, that's showing how you react in that moment is showing ultimately where your faith lies and if you truly have faith. 00:04:18.800 --> 00:04:23.920 It's in the times of resistance that our faith is truly revealed. 00:04:24.079 --> 00:04:27.680 And that's what we're gonna see this morning as we look into the book of Daniel. 00:04:27.759 --> 00:04:29.680 And Daniel is this incredible book. 00:04:29.839 --> 00:04:35.600 It's found in the Old Testament, and it tells the story of a group of people that were chosen by God. 00:04:35.759 --> 00:04:41.920 God had chosen the Israelites to be his people, and he had given them the land, the land of Israel. 00:04:42.079 --> 00:04:44.240 And there they are, planted in this land. 00:04:44.319 --> 00:04:52.240 They've conquered it, it's now their land, but because of their disobedience, God is going to bring judgment and consequences for their action. 00:04:52.399 --> 00:04:55.279 And he uses a pagan nation called Babylon. 00:04:55.439 --> 00:05:20.720 And Babylon comes in and they're led by a guy named Nebuchadnezzar, and they come into Israel and they capture the nation of Israel, and they actually deport a lot of the young men that were reputable and that they had young characters, they were good in character, they were noble, they were some of them were of the royal family, and they took them out of Israel and they made them make a 700-mile journey to the nation of Babylon. 00:05:20.879 --> 00:05:36.480 And so you've got these guys that are young, that are well to do, they have a good life going for them, but yet here they are forced to leave their homeland and to go to a land that they don't know the language, they don't know the culture, they don't know the religion. 00:05:36.720 --> 00:05:40.720 Everything is now different as they live in Babylon. 00:05:40.959 --> 00:05:50.399 But Daniel and his group of friends that we're going to read about this morning, they begin to show us how you can truly thrive even in a pagan environment. 00:05:50.560 --> 00:05:58.800 And I feel like this is such an important message because we live in a world that is increasingly moving further and further away from God. 00:05:59.040 --> 00:06:13.600 And we have to learn how we can thrive and how we can survive in the nation of Babylon that we live in, and how we can truly live and represent Jesus right where we're at in today's world and in today's society. 00:06:13.759 --> 00:06:18.560 And so that's what we're gonna see this morning as we jump into the book of Daniel in chapter three. 00:06:18.639 --> 00:06:21.040 And if you have a Bible, we would love for you to turn there. 00:06:21.120 --> 00:06:25.759 You can also follow along on our Church at the Grove app, however you want to follow along this morning. 00:06:25.839 --> 00:06:28.639 But in Daniel chapter three, this is how the story goes. 00:06:28.800 --> 00:06:41.199 It says, King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, sixty cubits high, six cubits wide, and set it up on the plain of Dora in the providence of Babylon. 00:06:41.439 --> 00:06:43.759 So this is how Nebuchadnezzar is working. 00:06:43.839 --> 00:06:47.040 Now you've got to remember that Nebuchadnezzar is an evil, evil king. 00:06:47.199 --> 00:06:51.040 I mean, the only thing that we can really relate Nebuchadnezzar to is maybe like Hitler. 00:06:51.199 --> 00:06:57.199 We think of Nazi Germany, like that's similar to maybe how uh Nebuchadnezzar was, is how Hitler acted. 00:06:57.600 --> 00:07:06.720 And so here's Nebuchadnezzar, he's the leader of Babylon, and he had in the previous chapter, he had had this dream, and this dream really concerned him. 00:07:06.800 --> 00:07:13.759 It worried him to the point where he began so worried and so troubled that he was trying to search for an interpretation for this dream. 00:07:14.000 --> 00:07:17.839 No one was able to interpret the dream except for Daniel. 00:07:18.000 --> 00:07:27.439 So Daniel interprets the dream, and the dream goes like this Nebuchadnezzar sees this huge statue, and the statue is made up of four different materials. 00:07:27.680 --> 00:07:33.600 There's gold, there's silver, there's bronze, and then the leg and the feet are made of iron and clay. 00:07:33.680 --> 00:07:36.639 And each one of those represents a different nation. 00:07:36.800 --> 00:07:38.959 So Babylon was the head of gold. 00:07:39.120 --> 00:07:51.759 You had the Medo-Persian, which was the chest and arms, then you had the Greeks that came in, and they were the midsection and the legs, and the legs were and the feet were the uh Roman, uh Roman government. 00:07:51.839 --> 00:07:59.040 And so they come in, and now uh this huge stone comes out in the middle of the dream and it knocks and crumbles over the statue. 00:07:59.199 --> 00:08:05.680 And Daniel gives this interpretation, and he's saying, Listen, you think, Nebuchadnezzar, that your kingdom is going to last forever. 00:08:05.920 --> 00:08:12.079 You think that there's not going to be an end to your kingdom, that you're gonna rule and reign forever, and that Babylon will continue forever. 00:08:12.240 --> 00:08:21.439 But I'm here to tell you there will be other nations that will come, and ultimately God will tear down all nations and his kingdom will last forever. 00:08:21.600 --> 00:08:31.199 Now, when Nebuchadnezzar gets the interpretation of this dream, he immediately begins to praise God because he realizes that the interpretation came from a godly source. 00:08:31.279 --> 00:08:37.840 He recognizes that it doesn't happen without God's wisdom and guidance in the interpretation of this dream. 00:08:38.240 --> 00:08:42.639 So he praises God, but yet his life is really not transformed. 00:08:42.799 --> 00:08:50.320 Because now, here, just a few verses later in chapter three, we read about Nebuchadnezzar building his own statue. 00:08:50.480 --> 00:08:59.840 And this time the statue is not made of four different types of materials to represent the other nations that were to come, but this time the statue is made all of gold. 00:09:00.000 --> 00:09:11.279 So what Nebuchadnezzar is ultimately saying is he's saying that he's going to build a statue that really represents the Babylonian culture, the Babylonian kingdom, that his kingdom is never going to end. 00:09:11.440 --> 00:09:19.519 He knows what the interpretation of the dream says, he knows what Daniel has told him will happen, but yet he's refusing to accept that. 00:09:19.600 --> 00:09:22.000 And he's saying, I'm going to make a statue. 00:09:22.159 --> 00:09:33.120 And my statue is going to be large, it's going to be huge, and it's going to be made all of gold, showing that ultimately my kingdom will never end and that I am ultimately worthy of all worship. 00:09:33.279 --> 00:09:36.960 Now, see, here's the tendency that we live in a spiritual world. 00:09:37.120 --> 00:09:42.559 And in the spiritual world, there are demonic forces that are at work all around us. 00:09:42.799 --> 00:09:52.159 And one of the things that the demonic forces around us uses is power and prestige to lead us away from the things of God. 00:09:52.399 --> 00:09:56.960 And it happened back then in the time of Babylon, but it also happens today. 00:09:57.200 --> 00:10:10.159 Today, all the time, we see incredible men and women that are people of humility and character, but yen, then they're put in places of position and prestige, and they climb the corporate ladder, or they maybe get sent to Washington. 00:10:10.320 --> 00:10:24.000 And because of the power and because of money sometimes that comes into play with that, quickly they're corrupted and their hearts are led astray because power in the wrong hands can oftentimes corrupt our hearts. 00:10:24.159 --> 00:10:33.919 And it can lead to a heart being proud and a heart full of pride that wants to be ultimately worshipped rather than to give glory and honor to God. 00:10:34.080 --> 00:10:36.399 And that's exactly what's happening with Nebuchadnezzar. 00:10:36.559 --> 00:10:46.399 He's fallen under the influence of these demonic forces and the enemies working and using Nebuchadnezzar to the point where he wants to be worshipped. 00:10:46.559 --> 00:10:49.840 He wants everybody to bow down to him. 00:10:50.080 --> 00:10:52.879 And that same spirit is at work still today. 00:10:52.960 --> 00:10:54.639 So he builds this statue. 00:10:54.879 --> 00:11:09.039 Verse 2, it says, He then summoned the setraps, the prefects, the governors, the advisors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the other providential officials to come to the dedication of the image that he had set up. 00:11:09.279 --> 00:11:15.840 So all of these government leaders start to come together, and they're all going to see the dedication of this statue. 00:11:16.000 --> 00:11:19.120 Now, there's a lot of scholars that debate who these people were. 00:11:19.279 --> 00:11:25.840 There's a lot of titles here, and no one can really make sense of all of these titles and all the different positions they play. 00:11:26.000 --> 00:11:31.759 So one thing is true that the government back in Babylon's day is bloated, just like it is today. 00:11:31.919 --> 00:11:34.480 So some things really never ever change. 00:11:34.639 --> 00:11:41.200 But all of these government leaders are coming together, and they're all going to see the dedication of this statue. 00:11:41.360 --> 00:11:44.080 And they're all sitting there in the middle of the field. 00:11:44.240 --> 00:11:45.440 Verse 4, jump down. 00:11:45.600 --> 00:11:53.840 It says, Then the herald loudly proclaimed, Nations and people of every language, this is what you are commanded to do. 00:11:54.080 --> 00:12:05.759 As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 00:12:05.919 --> 00:12:13.120 Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into the blazing furnace. 00:12:13.360 --> 00:12:30.240 Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, and all kinds of music, all the nations and peoples of every language fell down and worshiped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 00:12:30.720 --> 00:12:32.480 So think about this for a second. 00:12:32.639 --> 00:12:34.559 You had all of these government leaders. 00:12:34.720 --> 00:12:50.000 You had, you know, the President, the White House, all of his staff, you had the Congress, House of Representatives, Supreme Court, you had the Senate, you had the governors from each state, and they were all coming together to see the dedication of this statue. 00:12:50.159 --> 00:12:56.480 And when the music played, they were all told that they must bow down to the statue. 00:12:57.600 --> 00:13:04.720 The demonic forces of the day wanted to remove the worship of God and they wanted to put it on something else. 00:13:04.960 --> 00:13:19.759 Now, here's what we have to realize that when it comes to following Jesus and it living in the Babylonian world in which we live, a pagan secular society, God's people will be confronted with the idols of this world. 00:13:20.000 --> 00:13:23.120 God's people will be confronted with the idols of this world. 00:13:23.279 --> 00:13:38.000 Now, it might not be an image, it might not be a golden statue that's set up for everyone to bow down to, but there are still idols in our world today that we actively have to fight against if we're going to thrive in Babylon. 00:13:38.159 --> 00:13:39.600 I mean, just think about it for a second. 00:13:39.840 --> 00:13:44.240 The idols that we see on everyday basis, think about family for a second. 00:13:44.480 --> 00:13:45.600 Family is incredible. 00:13:45.759 --> 00:13:53.759 Family is something that we should invest our lives in and make sure that our kids are being raised in godly homes and that we have healthy marriages and healthy kids. 00:13:53.919 --> 00:13:55.120 Like we want all of that. 00:13:55.360 --> 00:14:11.440 But there's a tendency that we begin to, instead of just train and make sure our kids are being raised in the right home and in the right kind of soil of life, we begin to worship our family, where our whole lives revolve around our kids. 00:14:11.519 --> 00:14:16.480 And we begin to lose our own identity in our children or in our spouse. 00:14:16.720 --> 00:14:22.240 And it's easy to fall into the trap of worshiping our family instead of worshiping God. 00:14:23.519 --> 00:14:26.159 That's a common tendency that we see in today's world. 00:14:26.320 --> 00:14:28.559 Or what about wealth and greed, right? 00:14:28.799 --> 00:14:32.000 Wealth is an easy thing for us to fall into the trap. 00:14:32.639 --> 00:14:35.919 We always have this quest for more and more and more. 00:14:36.320 --> 00:14:41.039 We want bigger bank accounts, we want nicer cars, we want to live in bigger houses. 00:14:41.200 --> 00:14:53.679 And it's so easy for money to grab a hold of our hearts, and suddenly the things that our hearts are supposed to be chasing after, which are the things of God and Jesus Himself, suddenly these idols begin to creep in. 00:14:53.759 --> 00:15:00.399 And money and greed and finances and wealth, they begin to uh suffocate our heart. 00:15:00.559 --> 00:15:06.559 And we begin to chase after those things rather than giving the worship that God is ultimately due. 00:15:06.879 --> 00:15:08.240 Or what about success? 00:15:08.480 --> 00:15:10.320 No one wants to be unsuccessful. 00:15:10.559 --> 00:15:13.200 We all want to climb the ladder. 00:15:13.360 --> 00:15:16.000 We want to do better than we did the year before. 00:15:16.159 --> 00:15:20.879 We want to have success in our lives, but success can quickly become an idol. 00:15:21.039 --> 00:15:27.600 Where we begin to chase after success and having more rather than chasing after Jesus. 00:15:27.840 --> 00:15:29.840 Or maybe it's safety and security. 00:15:30.399 --> 00:15:32.159 Or you want just to be happy. 00:15:32.320 --> 00:15:34.000 You want your life to be comfortable. 00:15:34.159 --> 00:15:38.720 You don't want to have to face any of the hard and difficult things that this world has to offer. 00:15:38.879 --> 00:15:47.679 And so you just do your best to make sure that you're kind of insulated and your family is protected and you're safe and secure and you never have to go through anything difficult. 00:15:48.080 --> 00:15:50.960 It's easy to chase after these idols. 00:15:51.279 --> 00:15:56.159 And just as in the days of Babylon, there was an idol that people were bowing down to. 00:15:56.399 --> 00:16:01.519 So often in our world and in our culture today, we bow down to these idols. 00:16:01.679 --> 00:16:08.960 And instead of giving God all the worship and all the glory that He is due, we bow down to things that are less significant. 00:16:09.200 --> 00:16:15.919 And ultimately, when we misplace our priorities, nothing in our life goes the way that God intended. 00:16:16.240 --> 00:16:25.360 And so here you have this incredible scene that's unfolding where they're bowing down to an idol, but in the same way we do that today as well. 00:16:25.600 --> 00:16:27.519 But listen to how the story continues. 00:16:28.080 --> 00:16:35.279 It says in uh verse eight At this time some astrologers came forward and denounced the Jews. 00:16:35.440 --> 00:16:38.799 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, May the king live forever. 00:16:39.039 --> 00:16:51.600 Your Majesty has issued a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold. 00:16:51.840 --> 00:16:58.159 And that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace. 00:16:58.480 --> 00:17:08.160 But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the providence of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who pay no attention to you. 00:17:08.400 --> 00:17:16.240 Your Majesty, they neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold that you have set up. 00:17:16.640 --> 00:17:23.839 So you see, they're not bowing down to the image, and the other people that were servants of the king took issue with this. 00:17:24.079 --> 00:17:26.240 And so they do what all great kids do. 00:17:26.400 --> 00:17:30.799 They go and tattle to the king and they say, Hey, listen, they're not bowing down. 00:17:30.960 --> 00:17:32.160 What are you going to do about it? 00:17:32.400 --> 00:17:38.880 And this shows us that ultimately, God's people, we will be criticized by the people of this world. 00:17:39.119 --> 00:17:46.000 That if we're truly walking with Jesus, God's people will be criticized by the people of this world. 00:17:46.160 --> 00:17:56.240 It's just a fact, it's just a reality that if we're living and we're walking the way that Jesus has called us to walk, then there will be criticisms that we have to face. 00:17:56.400 --> 00:18:02.640 There will be people that are against us, there will be people that will not like the way that we're living our lives. 00:18:02.880 --> 00:18:05.920 But we still must be faithful even in the midst of that. 00:18:06.240 --> 00:18:08.880 And so here you have the king's men are coming. 00:18:08.960 --> 00:18:12.480 They're telling him, they're tattling on Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 00:18:12.720 --> 00:18:14.240 And imagine this scene for a second. 00:18:14.319 --> 00:18:17.279 There's the huge idol, there's thousands of people. 00:18:17.440 --> 00:18:26.160 Some people say even 30,000 people are standing before this idol, going to uh Truest Park and seeing the Brave Stadium full. 00:18:26.240 --> 00:18:31.359 This is before COVID, and seeing that many people bowing down before this idol. 00:18:31.440 --> 00:18:33.279 And then there's three people. 00:18:33.680 --> 00:18:42.319 There's three men in the midst of the sea of all of these people bowing down that say, We are not going to bow. 00:18:42.559 --> 00:18:44.480 We are going to honor God. 00:18:44.799 --> 00:18:46.480 And this is this is the reality. 00:18:46.559 --> 00:18:51.039 When it comes to us honoring God with our lives, it's not always easy. 00:18:51.599 --> 00:18:53.599 And we're going to stick out sometimes. 00:18:53.680 --> 00:18:56.079 We're going to look a little different. 00:18:56.319 --> 00:18:57.759 But this isn't just a spectacle. 00:18:57.839 --> 00:18:59.519 They weren't just making an outburst. 00:18:59.680 --> 00:19:02.240 This isn't just a quiet, simple disobedience. 00:19:02.400 --> 00:19:08.799 They are look not looking for trouble, but instead, they're standing against the opposition that has been brought upon them. 00:19:09.039 --> 00:19:13.759 And here's what we have to understand that when it comes to following Jesus, it's lonely at times. 00:19:14.240 --> 00:19:16.559 It's lonely following Jesus. 00:19:17.039 --> 00:19:28.000 It's not always easy that if we're obeying God and doing what He has called us to do, then we have to recognize that we're going to be standing alone sometimes. 00:19:28.319 --> 00:19:39.440 When everybody else is going to that party and you know what's going to happen there and you choose to not enter into that environment, you're going to be lonely sometimes. 00:19:39.839 --> 00:19:52.400 You know, when it when it comes to parenting, and you want to parent your kids in such a way that they honor and love the Lord, that means that your kids might not get what all the other kids want. 00:19:52.720 --> 00:19:54.400 And what all the other kids get. 00:19:54.960 --> 00:20:02.079 Their friends might have cell phones and be on social media and have TikToks and all the other things that come along with that. 00:20:02.319 --> 00:20:04.559 But your kids might not. 00:20:05.119 --> 00:20:07.359 They might be different. 00:20:07.599 --> 00:20:08.720 And that's hard. 00:20:09.039 --> 00:20:11.680 That following Jesus is lonely at times. 00:20:12.000 --> 00:20:19.119 Because we have to live our lives in a way that honors God, and that's drastically different than the world that we live in. 00:20:19.279 --> 00:20:25.039 That we believe different, we parent different, we manage our finances different, we have different types of friendship. 00:20:25.200 --> 00:20:30.240 We balance our times in a different way to honor God with our lives. 00:20:30.480 --> 00:20:37.920 But here's the sad reality that I think a lot of times our lives look exactly like everyone else's. 00:20:38.160 --> 00:20:49.920 And so when people look into our lives and they see that we're followers of Jesus, but yet our lives look almost exactly like everyone else's, then we lose the impact that we could potentially have. 00:20:50.160 --> 00:20:55.200 Because in times of resistance, that's when our true faith is ultimately shown. 00:20:55.680 --> 00:20:59.519 And so it's lonely at times sometimes to follow the Lord. 00:20:59.680 --> 00:21:05.200 But God's people must be courageous in the face of danger in this world. 00:21:05.440 --> 00:21:09.200 God's people must be courageous in the face of danger in this world. 00:21:09.279 --> 00:21:13.359 And that's exactly what Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego have here. 00:21:13.519 --> 00:21:14.400 Look in verse 16. 00:21:14.480 --> 00:21:24.640 It says, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the king, saying, King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 00:21:24.880 --> 00:21:25.759 So here they are. 00:21:25.920 --> 00:21:28.160 They've not bowed down, they've been brought to the king. 00:21:28.319 --> 00:21:35.680 The king's angry, he's giving them another chance, but they're saying, No, we're not going to bow down, and we don't even have to answer to you. 00:21:36.240 --> 00:21:45.200 For we, if we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it. 00:21:45.440 --> 00:21:49.279 And he will deliver us from your majesty's hand. 00:21:49.519 --> 00:21:59.759 But even if he does not, we want you to know, your majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold. 00:22:00.480 --> 00:22:01.759 That you have set up. 00:22:02.079 --> 00:22:12.319 So these boys, these young men, that they were so committed to the Lord that they were able to stand before the king. 00:22:12.480 --> 00:22:14.400 I mean, imagine this for a second. 00:22:14.720 --> 00:22:21.839 Imagine young Jewish men going before Hitler in the time of the Holocaust and saying something like this to him. 00:22:22.000 --> 00:22:29.119 I mean, the guts and the courage that they must have had to be able to stand in the king's presence and to speak in such a way. 00:22:29.359 --> 00:22:37.200 It showed that ultimately, because they had bowed down to the king of kings, they were able to stand in front of this earthly king. 00:22:37.359 --> 00:22:40.480 They were able to stand and be courageous in the midst of that. 00:22:40.640 --> 00:22:51.359 That they were not going to question, they were not going to lose their commitment and show allegiance to someone else, but they had decided beforehand who they were going to follow. 00:22:51.519 --> 00:22:55.119 So when the moment came for them to bow, they already knew the answer. 00:22:55.279 --> 00:22:57.599 They didn't have to figure out what they were going to do. 00:22:57.759 --> 00:23:03.119 They knew that they were going to follow God with everything that they have. 00:23:03.279 --> 00:23:05.279 And I love what they say to the king. 00:23:05.440 --> 00:23:07.200 They say that God is able. 00:23:07.359 --> 00:23:11.599 They say that their God is able to rescue them from the fire. 00:23:11.759 --> 00:23:40.480 That this is them saying that we can't forget what who God is, that God ultimately is the King of Kings and He's the Lord of Lords, that He created the world with just His voice, that He's the star-breathing God, that He knows the very hairs on your head, that He is someone that left heaven, came down to earth, lived a perfect, sinless life, died on a cross for you and for me, and then rose again on the third day. 00:23:40.640 --> 00:23:42.960 There is nothing that is outside of his power. 00:23:43.119 --> 00:23:46.480 There is nothing that is outside of his command. 00:23:46.720 --> 00:23:49.279 And we so often, I think, forget that. 00:23:49.839 --> 00:23:53.599 We begin to think that maybe our God isn't capable. 00:23:53.759 --> 00:23:55.680 Maybe that our God isn't able. 00:23:55.759 --> 00:24:00.640 But what these men knew, these men knew that their God was able. 00:24:00.880 --> 00:24:06.559 That their God was able to save them and deliver them from the fire. 00:24:07.039 --> 00:24:09.200 Man, what if we had this type of faith? 00:24:09.359 --> 00:24:26.000 What if we were men and women that were so committed to the Lord, that we were so committed to Jesus, that we believed that even the impossible was possible, that we had a God that was able to deliver us from anything that came up against us. 00:24:26.240 --> 00:24:29.279 That we have a God that is capable of doing that. 00:24:29.599 --> 00:24:30.880 But they don't just stop there. 00:24:31.039 --> 00:24:36.960 They show their faith by saying that God is not only able, but he says that he will deliver them. 00:24:37.200 --> 00:24:39.519 They had a faith statement here. 00:24:39.920 --> 00:24:47.599 They're making this strong statement of faith saying, listen, it's not that God just can, but we're believing that he will. 00:24:48.000 --> 00:24:57.119 This is incredible, hope-filled commitment here, that they're standing on the promises of God that they believe that God is going to come through. 00:24:57.279 --> 00:25:03.759 It's one thing to say that you believe that God can, but it's another thing to say, I believe that God will. 00:25:04.400 --> 00:25:06.319 And I'm so guilty of this. 00:25:06.640 --> 00:25:16.559 In my life, like there are seasons and there are times when I know in my head that God is capable, but at the same time, I just don't know if he will. 00:25:16.960 --> 00:25:18.160 And let's just be honest. 00:25:18.400 --> 00:25:32.079 You might be here this morning and you might be watching online, and the reason that you don't have a race relationship with Jesus, and maybe the reason that you aren't connected in church somewhere is because God hasn't come through for you. 00:25:32.319 --> 00:25:44.880 And when God doesn't come through the way that maybe you wanted him to come through, you think to yourself, either God's not capable, that God doesn't maybe hear you, or maybe that God doesn't love you. 00:25:45.519 --> 00:25:53.359 And I would just say, man, our God is not only capable of rescuing us, but he will rescue us. 00:25:53.599 --> 00:25:59.680 And that rescue might look different than the way that we want, but our God always comes through. 00:25:59.920 --> 00:26:20.000 And these are the men that believe that so confidently that they not only say that God is able and that he will deliver, but they also finish it off and they say, But even if he doesn't, even if he doesn't come through, we still will not bow down to the idol. 00:26:20.240 --> 00:26:40.720 See, their faith was so sure, they were so confident about their beliefs, they believed so heavily in who God was and that his promises were true that they were willing to say, listen, even if God doesn't come through the way we want, even if he doesn't show himself the way that we hope that he will, we will still not bow down. 00:26:40.960 --> 00:26:50.480 We will still not pledge our allegiance to an idol or to any earthly king because our allegiance is to God himself. 00:26:50.880 --> 00:26:53.200 It's to Jesus Christ alone. 00:26:53.359 --> 00:26:55.119 That's who our faith is in. 00:26:55.279 --> 00:27:04.079 That our faith is so sure and so strong that even when God doesn't work the way that we want him to work, we will still believe. 00:27:04.319 --> 00:27:12.079 When the loved one that you prayed for and longed for and hoped would not pass away passes away, our faith can still be strong. 00:27:12.880 --> 00:27:24.240 When you go through the difficult time and there's the cancer diagnosis, man, our God, even though he might not come through the way you want, he's still worthy of all of our worship. 00:27:24.559 --> 00:27:32.160 See, the the demonic forces around us, they want us to bow our knee to a number of different things in the world. 00:27:32.480 --> 00:27:38.000 But what we know is that ultimately God is the one that is worthy of all of our worship. 00:27:38.160 --> 00:27:46.720 And even if he doesn't act, and even though he might not do exactly what we want him to do, he's still God, and he's still worthy of all of our worship. 00:27:46.960 --> 00:28:05.200 What if we, what if you and me, what if we had even if faith, what if we were men and women that said, listen, even if God doesn't come through the way we want it, the way I want him to, I will still believe, I will still trust in him, I will still make my life all about him. 00:28:05.680 --> 00:28:07.440 The apostle Paul got this. 00:28:07.759 --> 00:28:10.160 He had this huge revelation of who Jesus was. 00:28:10.319 --> 00:28:15.759 And in Philippians chapter one, he says, for me to live is Christ and to die is gain. 00:28:15.920 --> 00:28:19.440 He was saying, listen, if I live, then I get to live for Christ. 00:28:19.519 --> 00:28:24.160 And I'll fight, he faced prison, he faced shipwrecks, he was bitten by snakes. 00:28:24.240 --> 00:28:32.079 I mean, he had all of these terrible things that happened to him, and he says, But listen, if I'm still living, if I'm still breathing, then I'm following Jesus. 00:28:32.319 --> 00:28:34.000 That's what my life is going to be about. 00:28:34.079 --> 00:28:36.559 And then if I die, it's gain. 00:28:37.519 --> 00:28:46.720 I have nothing to lose because either I'm living for Jesus here in communion with him, or if I die, then I get to see my Savior face to face. 00:28:46.960 --> 00:29:16.480 This is the type of faith that we need to have if we're gonna thrive in Babylon, this even-if faith, where we say that there's no fear, there's nothing that can come up against us, that we can live in courage and in courageous faith, that we can have boldness in how we live our lives, because we know that there is nothing that the enemy can do, there is nothing that we can be forced to follow through with that is outside of God's power and prestige and honor, and that we can follow him with everything we have. 00:29:16.960 --> 00:29:18.160 And here we go. 00:29:18.799 --> 00:29:21.920 They speak to the king, and he's obviously not happy. 00:29:22.079 --> 00:29:23.440 In fact, he's furious. 00:29:23.680 --> 00:29:27.200 And so the order comes that they're gonna be thrown in the furnace. 00:29:27.440 --> 00:29:31.920 And so the king says, Listen, you're gonna heat the furnace up seven times hotter. 00:29:32.240 --> 00:29:39.039 Now, they think that this furnace was actually used to melt down the gold that was used to make the statue. 00:29:39.359 --> 00:29:43.599 And if that's the case, gold melts at 2,000 degrees. 00:29:43.839 --> 00:29:47.920 And they're telling him to heat it up seven times hotter. 00:29:48.079 --> 00:29:58.400 Like I don't really understand that because I mean just one little fire with wood will be enough to burn them and to kill them, but they want to make sure that they are going to be annihilated. 00:29:58.640 --> 00:30:03.039 They want to make sure that there's not going to be any remnants of who they are left. 00:30:03.279 --> 00:30:11.279 They the fury of Nebuchadnezzar wants to make sure that there's not going to be an end to these Hebrew boys. 00:30:11.680 --> 00:30:20.480 But here's the thing: that God's people, we can be confident that the Lord is with them no matter what happens in this world. 00:30:20.720 --> 00:30:21.599 We can be confident. 00:30:21.680 --> 00:30:28.400 If we're God's children, we can be confident that the Lord is with us no matter what happens in this world. 00:30:28.480 --> 00:30:32.480 And this is exactly what happens here with the Hebrew boys. 00:30:32.640 --> 00:30:37.200 It says this uh down in uh down uh later. 00:30:37.359 --> 00:30:50.480 It says, uh, verse 24, then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisors, weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire? 00:30:50.640 --> 00:30:52.640 They replied, Certainly, your majesty. 00:30:52.720 --> 00:31:03.359 And he said, Look, I see a see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of God. 00:31:03.599 --> 00:31:05.680 So this incredible miracle takes place. 00:31:05.839 --> 00:31:10.720 They're thrown into the fire, and the people that throw them in the fire are killed because of the heat of the fire. 00:31:10.880 --> 00:31:22.160 But yet Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego go in, they're tied up, but yet all of a sudden, as he looks and peers into the fire, there's not two, three people, but there's now four people. 00:31:22.319 --> 00:31:24.559 And one of them looks like the Son of God. 00:31:24.640 --> 00:31:31.759 And people believe that this is Jesus, that this is before Jesus came down to the world as a baby in Bethlehem around Christmas time. 00:31:32.079 --> 00:31:36.960 This is before all of that, but here Jesus is with the three men in the fire. 00:31:37.119 --> 00:31:48.240 And this is what we can be confident in that in the midst of the fire, in the midst of the pain, in the midst of the suffering, in the midst of the persecution, our God is with us. 00:31:48.640 --> 00:31:51.359 You know the time when you're actually closest to God? 00:31:51.519 --> 00:31:55.039 It's when you're going through the hardest times in life. 00:31:55.279 --> 00:31:58.799 That's when God shows up and makes himself real. 00:31:59.200 --> 00:32:06.319 God's people can be confident the Lord is with them no matter what happens in this world. 00:32:06.559 --> 00:32:16.559 That's the truth, that's the reality, and here God is, here Jesus Himself is with the three Hebrew boys in the middle of the fire. 00:32:16.880 --> 00:32:21.200 We have a God that is willing to come down and meet us. 00:32:21.519 --> 00:32:26.000 God's heart and God himself are close to those that are broken. 00:32:26.319 --> 00:32:34.400 God's heart and God's self person is close to us in the pain and the suffering and in the persecution of life. 00:32:34.720 --> 00:32:37.039 That's where our God is. 00:32:37.599 --> 00:32:51.119 As he sees the four running around in verse 26, Nebuchadnezzar then approaches the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, come here. 00:32:51.359 --> 00:32:54.720 So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abedigo come out of the fire. 00:32:54.799 --> 00:32:59.680 The satraps, the prefects, the governors, the royal advisors crowded around him. 00:32:59.920 --> 00:33:03.200 They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies. 00:33:03.440 --> 00:33:18.079 So they were okay physically, their bodies are unharmed, nor was a hair on their head singed, their robes were not scorched, and there was not even a smell of fire on them. 00:33:18.480 --> 00:33:26.640 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abendigo, who sent his angel and rescued his servants. 00:33:26.880 --> 00:33:37.119 They trusted in him and defiled the king's commands, and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any God except their own. 00:33:37.359 --> 00:33:52.160 Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abendigo be cut in pieces, and their houses be turned into piles of rubble. 00:33:52.400 --> 00:33:56.079 For no other God can save in this way. 00:33:57.680 --> 00:34:01.839 We have a God that no other gods can compare to. 00:34:02.079 --> 00:34:06.240 No other God could save the way that our God can save. 00:34:06.480 --> 00:34:09.519 And Nebuchadnezzar recognized that. 00:34:09.760 --> 00:34:18.480 He knew that there was no other way that they could be rescued if it wasn't for the hand of God on their lives. 00:34:18.719 --> 00:34:21.519 And I don't know what you're walking through right now. 00:34:21.679 --> 00:34:25.760 And I don't know the difficulties that maybe you're having to experience. 00:34:26.000 --> 00:34:37.119 And we live in a tumultuous time and we have so much chaos and division and just terrible things all around us that we're bombarded with over and over and over again. 00:34:37.679 --> 00:34:42.159 But one thing I do know is that our God is with us. 00:34:45.360 --> 00:34:52.239 And not only is he with us in the fire, he is a God that can and will rescue us. 00:34:52.480 --> 00:34:57.840 Some people are rescued in the fire, and some people are rescued through the fire. 00:34:58.079 --> 00:35:03.440 But God will rescue us, he will remain faithful to his word. 00:35:03.760 --> 00:35:06.159 That's the God that we serve. 00:35:06.400 --> 00:35:14.000 And our true faith is revealed ultimately when we have times of resistance. 00:35:14.719 --> 00:35:21.199 And so let me ask you, in your when you're squeezed, what comes out? 00:35:21.760 --> 00:35:28.239 When you experience resistance, what is it that is shown to the world around you? 00:35:28.559 --> 00:35:33.599 Is it that you built the foundation of your home on sinking and shifting sand? 00:35:33.920 --> 00:35:40.320 Or is it that you have put your faith squarely and fully in Jesus Christ alone? 00:35:40.960 --> 00:35:44.400 That's the only way that we can truly experience life. 00:35:44.559 --> 00:35:55.199 That's the only way that we can truly thrive in Babylon, is if we build our house, our lives, on the foundation and on the security of who Jesus is. 00:35:55.599 --> 00:35:57.519 That's what our lives have to be about. 00:35:57.679 --> 00:35:59.519 That's what we've got to chase after. 00:35:59.599 --> 00:36:16.719 We've got to be men and women that have incredible faith so that when resistance comes, which it will, that we can stand firm, knowing that our God is with us, that our God is for us, and that even in the fire, God is here. 00:36:17.199 --> 00:36:20.400 God is with us in the midst of the fire. 00:36:20.719 --> 00:36:23.920 It makes me think of Jesus. 00:36:24.639 --> 00:36:43.280 That when Jesus, the same God that was with them in the fiery furnace, is the same God that walked through the fires of hell on our behalf, in order that we too would not have a single cell of our soul singed by the fiery flames that we actually deserve. 00:36:43.599 --> 00:36:55.360 Because of Jesus and because of his sacrifice and because of his death, that he died for us, we don't have to experience the flames of hell. 00:36:55.599 --> 00:36:57.679 Because our God has made a way. 00:36:57.920 --> 00:37:05.360 The biggest need that each and every one of us have is not financial, it's not health-related, it's not a relationship of some kind. 00:37:05.599 --> 00:37:10.639 The biggest need we have is to deal with the sin that we all struggle with. 00:37:10.800 --> 00:37:19.599 And Jesus has made a way on the cross, and he has taken our place so that we don't have to die the deaths that we deserve to die. 00:37:19.760 --> 00:37:26.960 And if we would put our faith and our trust in him, we can experience life and life abundantly. 00:37:27.119 --> 00:37:34.239 That we can spend eternity with him, that our lives can be transformed, that we can be made into a new creation. 00:37:34.719 --> 00:37:38.559 And so let me ask you this morning, what is your faith in? 00:37:38.800 --> 00:37:40.639 What have you built your life upon? 00:37:40.880 --> 00:37:45.519 In times of resistance, what does your life proclaim to the world around you? 00:37:45.679 --> 00:37:48.400 When you are squeezed, what comes out? 00:37:48.639 --> 00:37:51.440 Is it faith like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? 00:37:51.920 --> 00:38:00.400 Or is it that you've built your life on something drastically different that is fading and ultimately ending in destruction? 00:38:00.719 --> 00:38:04.320 We have a God that is worthy of all of our worship. 00:38:04.480 --> 00:38:09.039 And if you don't know him, we would love to be able to introduce you to him this morning. 00:38:09.199 --> 00:38:14.719 We would love for you to be able to text the word, start to follow to 9700. 00:38:15.519 --> 00:38:22.719 If you text that number, we would love to just get with you this week and give you information about how you can follow Jesus and how you can take some next steps. 00:38:23.039 --> 00:38:26.480 But don't push the decision any longer. 00:38:27.039 --> 00:38:33.840 Our world is quickly changing, and we need to be faithful in the midst of the change. 00:38:34.079 --> 00:38:37.599 We need to be people of faith and integrity and character. 00:38:37.760 --> 00:38:45.039 And even when resistance comes, we need to be people that have had our faith fully and completely in Jesus. 00:38:45.360 --> 00:38:46.239 Will you pray with me? 00:38:46.400 --> 00:38:49.760 Lord Jesus, I thank you, Lord, for who you are. 00:38:51.039 --> 00:38:56.400 Lord, I thank you, Lord, that you are a God that is with us in the midst of the fire. 00:38:56.639 --> 00:39:05.440 Lord, in the midst of persecution, in the midst of resistance, in the midst of pain and suffering, God, you are with us in the midst of those things. 00:39:05.920 --> 00:39:13.039 And you're not only with us as we walk through those things, but you will deliver your children from those things. 00:39:13.280 --> 00:39:15.840 And it might not always look the way that we want. 00:39:44.639 --> 00:39:52.000 That our character and our integrity and our faith would be proclaimed even in times of resistance. 00:39:52.239 --> 00:39:56.400 Lord, because we know that you are with us in the midst of the fire. 00:40:03.119 --> 00:40:03.760 Amen.