Good morning.
It's good to see all of you here.
It's a pleasure and a joy and an honor to be with you every time that we have the opportunity to do so.
We're grateful for our visitors that are with us today.
We appreciate your presence and we hope that you will come back and see us again every opportunity that you have.
This morning, I wanna spend some time discussing a tested faith.
In the Old Testament we find an example of three young individuals who their faith was tested.
Their willingness to obey God instead of obeying men was tested.
Take your Bibles, if you will, and open them to Daniel chapter 3.
The background of Daniel chapter 3 could be stated like this.
There were four young men, Daniel, Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael, or Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, as their Babylonian names were given to them, who were captured along with
many of the other young people from the families of royalty and those who were educated out of the southern kingdom of Judah and Jerusalem.
They were captured by Nebuchadnezzar.
and carried away into captivity because the alternative was Nebuchadnezzar destroying the nation.
And so Nebuchadnezzar carried them away into captivity to be taught and trained in the ways of the Babylonians, to serve in his courts, to serve in his house, and they were
placed in that role.
They were taught, they were trained, they were educated over a period of years and
These three individuals, Hananiah, Azariah, Michiel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Bendigo, were those who excelled above all the others, even of their own countrymen, in that they did
not waver from the commands of God.
But as a result of being faithful to the commands of God, were blessed and prospered in their roles.
They were advanced into roles of leadership within the nation, as we find in Daniel chapter two, occurs to Daniel and the other three as well.
In Daniel chapter three, you find an event where Nebuchadnezzar, the king of the Babylonians, has called together a great number of the leaders in the nation.
Daniel chapter three opens with these words.
Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold whose height was 60 cubits and its width six cubits.
He set it up in the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.
And King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to gather together the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the
officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
The idea here that is being described is Nebuchadnezzar used most likely the bounty carried away from these other nations to erect this great image made of gold.
This image that stood 60 cubits high, it six cubits wide.
This image that described in its actions, the making of it and the work of it.
the skills of Nebuchadnezzar's nation, but also the glory and the power that existed in the person of Nebuchadnezzar.
Some have suggested that the image itself was an image of Nebuchadnezzar.
The text doesn't say.
But Nebuchadnezzar calls the leaders of the provinces, the leaders of the regions that are around Babylon, because as Babylon would take over a region, as they would take over a
land, their practice was to carry the people away, to put other people in that land on some occasions, and then to install a ruler over that land.
And Nebuchadnezzar's going to bring those rulers, those
significant people, those judges, those treasurers into Babylon, into the plain of Dura to observe this great thing that he has erected.
But then consider as well, we read verse 3, so the sate traps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the
officials of the provinces gathered together for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
And then a herald cried aloud, to you it is commanded, O peoples, nations and languages.
Notice that all those gathered together weren't all Babylonians.
They weren't all originally from the nation that they're being brought there to point out we're in charge.
We're ruling over you and look at and glory in our greatness.
So he says, it is commanded, O peoples, nations and languages, that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre and sultry in symphony with all kinds of music,
you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.
And whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
So at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the horn, the flute, the harp, the lyre and symphony with all kinds of music, all the people, nations and languages fell down
and worshiped the gold image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
The herald comes forth from the king with the instructions.
This is how this is going to occur.
This is how this event is going to proceed.
When you hear the music, you're going to fall down and you're going to worship the image.
But notice that the conveyance of the message was not, you're going to fall down and worship this God.
Did you notice that?
You're going to fall down and worship this image which Nebuchadnezzar has created.
This was to make clear that their allegiance, their worship, their submission was to be to Nebuchadnezzar.
That their obeisance was to Nebuchadnezzar, for he was the creator.
of the image.
He was the one with the power to demand their presence and to demand their worship.
So when the sultries and the harps and the flutes and the lyres begin to play in symphony and all kinds of music with it, what do the people do?
They bow down and they worship the image which Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
But then we read verse eight.
Verse eight says, therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and accused
the Jews.
They spoke and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, King, live forever.
You, O King, have made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, the flute, the harp, the lyre, and the psaltery, and symphony, with all kinds of music, shall fall
down and worship the gold image.
And whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast in the midst of burning fiery furnace."
There are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
These men, O King, have not paid due regard to you.
They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image which you have set up.
There are those from the nation, those from the Chaldeans, these are the people
who were part of the Babylonian nation to begin with.
These were the individuals whose ancestors were part of this nation that came out of the uh subservience to uh the Assyrian Empire and has overthrown the Assyrian Empire and now
as they've been inundated with all these other people.
They point out that there's this group, this nationality, these Jews...
that when you gave the command, they didn't obey.
You you remember from childhood, especially young childhood, there would be times where a group of children were all told to do something.
And as they're told to do something, there's one child that doesn't do it.
And they might have gotten by with it, except little Tommy over there, he's a rule follower.
And he looks and sees Susie didn't do it.
And he's not about to keep it to himself.
After all, little Susie made him mad just the other day.
Teacher, teacher, teacher!
Did you see that little Suzy, she didn't do what you said?
The Chaldeans.
If you follow through the text of the book of Daniel, we're not at all happy with these young Jewish men being brought out of captivity and being placed in positions of authority
or power.
So when they observe that these three individuals, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, did not fall down and worship as the king commanded, they not only brought
it.
But they brought word of it so as to make it incredibly clear to Nebuchadnezzar, these people haven't done it and this is an affront to you.
But you see here in verses 1-12
that faith stands firm even under threat of death.
when it is a tried, tested, and healthy faith.
when the command came from the king.
It didn't come with exclusions.
It didn't come with cutouts.
It didn't come with a if everybody's agreeable.
It didn't come with a we understand there may be some of you with personal thoughts and opinions or different ideas about what you should do, but
We encourage you, no, it came with, you will do this, or you know that furnace of fire that we use to melt all this gold so as to be able to cast this great image?
Guess what, it's still here, it's still lit, and it's ready.
And if you don't obey, that's where you're headed.
the Chaldeans, when they inform on these three Jews, they are sure to point out.
There was a consequence for not obeying your command.
and that is that you would be thrown into the fiery furnace.
And yet, we observe that for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, they did not misunderstand the command.
There was no point at which they were uncertain of what they were being told to do.
They were not oblivious to the consequences.
You know, it's one thing if you're not quite sure how it's going to go, you're not quite certain if everyone's serious, you don't know for sure if they're going to carry out the
consequences.
I mean, all you've got to do is look at the justice system in Memphis and discover that not all the time are judgments actually carried out.
But Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were not of the opinion that Nebuchadnezzar was bluffing or that they would somehow skirt aside from the consequences of their decision.
Rather, their faith demanded of them that no matter the cost, they would be faithful to God.
The challenge to us is to look at this example and to realize that this example didn't happen in a vacuum.
This example didn't happen just by circumstance.
That this was already their practice in life.
When you go back to Daniel chapter one,
You're first introduced to these individuals.
Verse 6, now from among those of the uh sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Michiel, and Azariah.
To them the chiefs of the eunuchs gave names.
He gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar, to Hananiah Shadrach, to Michiel Meshach, and to Azariah Abednego.
But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with a portion of the king's delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank.
Therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.
Now God had brought Daniel into the favor and goodwill of the chief of the eunuchs.
And the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, I fear my lord the king who has appointed your food and your drink, for why should he see your faces looking worse than those young
men who are your
then you will endanger my head before the king.' So Daniel said to the steward, whom the chief of the eunuchs had said over Daniel, Hananiah, Michiel, and Azariah,
Please test your servants for 10 days and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink.
Then let our appearance be examined before you and appearance of the young men who eat the portion of the King's delicacies as you see fit.
So deal with your servants so he consented with them in this matter and tested them 10 days and at the end of 10 days their features appeared better and fatter in flesh than all
the young men who ate the portion of the King's delicacies.
back when they first arrived in the land, when they were first put into these positions in training, they were given a portion of the king's food and they were told to eat it,
except it did not accord with the commands of the law of Moses.
And so they asked for permission to not eat it, but rather to be fed something different, and the one who they asked said, do you know you are endangering my life?
This chief of the eunuchs makes it clear to these young Jews, if this goes wrong, I'm dead.
He knew Nebuchadnezzar.
He knew the consequence of violating the king's command and what could come from it.
Over in Daniel chapter 2,
when you find the king has had a vision and he desires to know what the vision means.
He calls upon his Chaldeans to tell him what it means and to tell him what the vision was and they cannot do it.
And you'll notice down in verse 14, after Daniel has told the king that he will declare to the king these things, then with counsel and wisdom, Daniel answered Ariok, the captain of
the king's guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon.
He answered and said to Ariok, the king's captain, why is the decree from the king so urgent?
Then Ariak made the decision known to Daniel, so Daniel went in and asked the king to give him time, that he might tell the king the interpretation.
Then Daniel went to his house and made the decision known to Hananiah, Michiel, and Azariah, his companions, that they might seek mercies from God, the God of heaven,
concerning this secret, so that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision, so Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
You see, these events didn't transpire in a vacuum.
Rather, this was the character of these three young men.
That their determination from day one in Babylon was they were going to be faithful to God.
That they were going to be reliant upon God.
And there was nothing the king could do, no threat of death.
that He could issue no possibility of their demise that would change their heart and mind from faithfulness to God.
A tested faith does not begin when someone has to choose whether or not to give up their life for what they believe.
It begins every day when they choose to live for what they believe.
but their faith stood firm even under threat of death.
But then consider verses 13 through verse 18.
You learn that when it comes to attested faith, obedience to God outweighs loyalty to men.
In verse 12 of chapter 3, we read concerning those who came and said, there are certain Jews whom you have said over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego.
These men, O king, have not paid due regard to you.
They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image which you have set up.
Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
So they brought these men before the king.
Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up?
Now, if you are ready at the time,
You hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and sultry in symphony with all kinds of music and fall down and worship the image which I have made good.
But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
And who is the God who will deliver you from my hands?
Nebuchadnezzar in his rage, in his fury, when he hears concerning what has occurred, that someone has dared to defy his authority and power.
calls them into his presence.
And if I could sum it up this way, he says, I'll give you one last chance.
You fix it now.
You do it right this time.
And we'll forget the first thing ever occurred.
But if you don't.
then you better believe that I was serious, that I meant what I said.
And there's not a God that can save you out of my hand.
so they give the command.
and you'll notice verse 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.
Now these individuals are the individuals who have their position because the king gave it to them.
They have their authority because the king gave it to them.
They have their rights and they have their opportunities because the king gave it to them.
They're still alive because he kept them alive.
And yet they have the audacity to say, we have no need to answer you in this matter.
to act and to believe that they have no responsibility to Nebuchadnezzar at all?
Actually, that's not what they said, is it?
They said in this matter, they didn't say, Nebuchadnezzar, we don't recognize your rule over the land of Israel.
We don't recognize your authority as King of Babylon.
They didn't say any of that.
They said in this matter, we have no need to answer you.
But notice what they did say.
They said, if it is the case, or sorry, if that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace and he will deliver us from your hand, O
King.
But if not, let it be known to you, O King, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answer the king in clearness.
And they make it a point to say...
We actually do serve a God who can deliver us from your judgment.
We actually do serve a God who can deliver us out of your hand.
And he will.
Now, it's clear from the text that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did not know for certain that they would not die that day.
For they say in verse 18, but if not...
but they also readily understood that if God chose not to deliver them, it wasn't because He was incapable.
It wasn't because He was not able to deliver them out of Nebuchadnezzar's hands as Nebuchadnezzar had claimed.
but rather that it didn't matter.
rather that they should know and that Nebuchadnezzar should know that there's exactly one God who you ought to worship.
And it is the one.
who Nebuchadnezzar should have been worshipping.
It is the one that he should have been following, that he should have recognized, and the one who could deliver them out of the fiery furnace.
as we consider attested faith.
We understand and we should realize.
that all the relationships that we have in this world.
don't amount to anything in comparison to our relationship to God.
that if we are willing to trade our relationship with God for our relationship with any person on this earth.
You know, Shadrach, Nishan, and Bendigo could have said, well, King, we do understand that we're only in this position of power and glory and greatness and authority over the very
region of Babylon where we are brought as captives.
We're only in this position because of you.
And you know what?
In honor of you, we'll do it your way.
in recognition and gratefulness to you, realizing that you could have just as easily killed us the day we got here and instead you've put us in this position of authority.
King, you know what?
We'll do it.
Now, just to be clear, we don't agree with it, but we'll do it.
No, that's not what they said.
They were not willing to follow men to do evil.
They were not willing to bow the knee to the demands of someone who said they could do this without offending their God.
The challenge that we have sometimes is the question of whether or not we will just say nothing so we don't cause a scene.
We'll just say nothing so that we don't disrupt other people in their beliefs, so that we don't get looked upon by others as, yeah, there's those Christians again.
But that wasn't Shadrach, Nishek, and Abednego.
they would not disobey.
Now, did Chad, Rack, Meshach, and Obendigo run up to the musicians and try and stop them from playing?
No.
Did they try to disrupt the entire event so that it never transpired?
No.
they simply refuse to comply.
and accepted the consequence.
one of the challenges that we often face.
is that we want the stance of being faithful to God without the consequences of being faithful to God.
We want to make sure everybody's still okay with it while still being faithful to God.
Jesus would point out to his disciples that as he departed from this earth, as he would leave them with their mission to carry out the opening of the kingdom, he says, the world
hated me and they'll hate you too.
For my sake.
Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego knew before they ever arrived at Babylon, before they ever arrived and were put in this scenario, that they weren't walking into a friendly
environment, that they weren't walking into a situation where everyone would be thrilled about the commands and the ordinances and the statutes of their God.
But guess what?
That's the same situation they were leaving.
For the very reason why Nebuchadnezzar was being allowed by God to overthrow Jerusalem and Judah is because the nation that they came from also no longer followed the will of God.
They no longer worshiped the God of heaven.
they no longer bow down exclusively to the God who actually exists.
So whether they were in Judah or whether they were in Babylon didn't matter.
They were going to be surrounded by those who would pressure them to not be faithful to God.
They had determined that their obedience to God would never be outweighed by their loyalty to men.
but then you see number three.
you see that God honors those who refuse to compromise.
The politicians of the world will tell you that politics is the art of compromise.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were very bad politicians.
They didn't believe in compromise.
Not when it came to matters of God.
Consider verse 19, then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated.
You know, there's a temperature at which you need to melt gold, and it's sufficient to kill humans.
But Nebuchadnezzar was not satisfied with that temperature setting.
Nebuchadnezzar said, you take that and you exceed it seven times.
So he commanded certain men of valor.
who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and cast them into the burning fiery furnace.
Then these men were bound in their coats and their trousers, their turbans and their garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
Therefore, because the king's command was urgent and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell downbound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
The heat was so exceedingly hot, the lack of care and concern concerning this command was so urgent, it was so immediate that even those who were putting them into the fiery
furnace were killed.
And so they fall down, bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished.
And he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?
They answered and said to the king, True, O King.
Look, he answered, I see four men, loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt.
and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
Nebuchadnezzar is not sufficed with killing these men.
He wants to watch them die.
So he's staring into the furnace.
He's looking to see their corpses burning.
He is enraged with these men.
And yet, as he stares into the furnace, he finds something he was not at all expecting.
Not three corpses burning to a crisp.
but four men standing up, walking around, seemingly entirely unfazed by the fire.
And Nebuchadnezzar says there's one of them that doesn't look like the others.
He looks like the offspring of God.
Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out and come here.
Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came from the midst of the fire.
And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the kings, counselors gathered together.
They saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power.
The hair of their head was not singed, nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them.
When they observed these men, when they witnessed them coming out of the fire and out of the furnace, they didn't smell like smoke.
They weren't singed.
They were entirely untouched by the fire whatsoever.
When you see the behind the scenes from the movies where they light someone on fire, you see the precision and the care of those who know they have a certain number of seconds to
film.
before they've got to put that fire out or that person's going to be burned.
I would suggest that there was no timeline upon which Nebuchadnezzar could have waited and been satisfied with having killed these men.
There was no point at which the power of God would have run out and they finally would have been consumed.
But Nebuchadnezzar, having witnessed the power of God, did an immediate about face in his decision-making process.
He calls for them to come out.
As they come out, the people witness that they're entirely untouched.
Then Nebuchadnezzar spoke, verse 28, saying, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who sent his angel and delivered his servants who trusted in him.
And they have frustrated the king's word and have yielded their bodies that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own.
Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be cut in pieces and their houses
shall be made an ash heap because there is no other God who can deliver like this.
Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babel.
And God honors those who refuse to compromise.
You say, Aaron, ah that's great, but if I'm ever tested in my faith to the point of death, I'm pretty sure that God is not showing up to keep me from burning in the fire.
to which you will not hear any disagreements from me.
but I encourage you to turn to Romans chapter 6.
Sorry, Revelation chapter 6, I said Romans.
Revelation chapter 6.
You have pictured those who are dying.
for the cause of Christ.
They're Christians.
They're faithful to God, and they will not bow the knee to Caesar.
They will not bow the knee to Rome.
They will not worship the gods that these individuals proclaim.
And they're dying.
But you read in Revelation chapter 6,
And in verse 9, when he opened the fifth seal, saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held.
And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, until you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?
But notice verse 11.
Then a white robe was given to each of them, and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren
who would be killed as they were was completed.
as John sees the vision.
And God presents to John this vision of those who are willing to die for the testimony of the Word of God, who are uncompromising in their faith, whose faith was tested and stood
firm even if it meant their life.
We see the picture of them standing beneath the altar, crying out to God and them being told, it's time for you to rest.
Your trials are over.
But there's others who still have to follow you.
In Revelation chapter two,
to the church at Smyrna.
The angel of the church in Smyrna, verse 8, writes, These things says the first and the last, who was dead and came to life.
I know your works, tribulation, and poverty, but you are rich.
And I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer.
Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days.
Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life." Jesus, as he writes through John to the church, informs the church at Smyrna, some of you are going to die for
the testimony of God and the Word.
But don't worry.
Do not fear.
As Jesus had already taught His disciples, do not fear those who can kill the body, but rather fear Him who can destroy both body and soul in hell.
As we examine our lives and as we examine our faith, let us learn what a tested faith really is.
It is not a faith that just shows up one day and begins and is tested.
It is a faith that is tested every single day and determines every single day not to depart from God.
not to turn away from Him, but to speak the truth, to stand for the truth, to never bow the knee to falsehood, to be diligent in service, knowing that someday that may cost us
our life.
But until that day, our life will be used up in praise, honor, and glory to God.
But that we never outweigh our allegiance to men over our allegiance to God.
And that there is honor due to those who will not turn back against God.
But in order for you to have a tested faith, you first must have an obedient faith.
It was not enough.
for Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to say, believe in God.
They had to keep His commandments.
If you're here this morning and you're outside the body of Christ, you're outside of a relationship with God.
The world does not hate those who do not oppose the world.
but God does not offer salvation to those who will not obey His commandments.
You're here this morning and you're outside the body of Christ.
Why not change that today?
Why not be among those who the world will hate?
And Jesus says, and count the cost before you make the decision.
If you're here this morning and you're outside the body of Christ, you can change that by hearing the word of God and believing that Jesus Christ is the son of God.
By repenting of your sins and confessing the name of Christ and being immersed in water, dying to yourself to be resurrected to Christ.
And having the blood of Christ wash away your sins in the water and grave of baptism rising
in newness of life, knowing that this life is not all there is and that someday if you make that commitment it may cost you everything.
If you're here this morning you have need of that opportunity, it's available to you.
If you're a member of the body of Christ and you say, you know what, my faith has been tested and has been found wanting.
It's failed the test.
It's time to change.
You don't wait until it will cost you your life to be faithful to God.
You, as Revelation 2 verse 10 says, be faithful up to and including death.
The cost that God requires isn't your death, it is your life.
If you've departed from God, why not come back, repent, and be faithful to Him?
If you have need of the invitation, why not come forward now as we stand and as we sing?