Download Faith Under Siege: The Uncompromising Conviction of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and more Essays (university) Theology in PDF only on Docsity!
SENIOR SERMON
PLEASING GOD THROUGH FAITH
DANIEL 3:13- 18
➢ Good morning and Praise the Lord. ➢ I would like to start with the words used by Esther Ahn Kim in Her book “If I Perish” ➢ she says “ I knew it would be impossible for me to keep my faith in my own power. God would have to work through me if I was to stand firm.” , Esther Ahn Sook or Ai Sook, was a devout Korean Christian who refused to bow at Shinto shrines and pray to Japanese gods during World War II when Japan took control of Korea. Later, she was imprisoned for six years in a Japanese prison for her faith. ➢ This example of "suffering and hardship as a good soldier for Christ" mirrors with the background of the read scripture portion (the life of Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego) ➢ Respected Chair, President (in absentia), Principal, My Mentor Rev. T G James sir, distinguished faculty members, dedicated non-teaching staff, and to all my colleagues, ➢ I greet you all in the matchless name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. ➢ It is an honour to stand before such a dedicated group of people and speak from the unchanging word of God. ➢ For today’s meditation, the passage is taken from the book of Daniel 3:13-
➢ The Book of Daniel features some of the best-known stories in the Bible. Together the stories of four Judean Captives and the visions of the future events weaves a masterful portrayal of God’s sovereignty over all the earth. ➢ The book of Daniel is considered to be one of the four Major prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel.
➢ And the book of Daniel is the only Apocalyptic book in the Old Testament. ➢ However, in the Hebrew Canon, it is not included with the prophets, but is in the collection of writings. ➢ While the English/Greek canon draws attention to Daniel’s prophetic role, he was not a typical prophet. ➢ Daniel better fits the model of a biblical wise man than a prophet. ➢ The Stories in Daniel 1-6 fit loosely in the genre of ancient Near Eastern court stories, where foreign captives are proven innocent after being unjustly accused. ➢ Neither Daniel nor his friends are the central character of the book of Daniel. ➢ That position belongs to God, and the intent of every court story is to show his superiority over the gods of exile. ➢ The traditional view of the authorship is that Daniel himself wrote the entire book while he was in exile in Babylon during the sixth century BCE. ➢ His audience consisted of the Jews living in the diaspora and ➢ his purpose for writing was to encourage them to live as faithful followers of YHWH no matter what it might cost them. ➢ The structure of the book: ➢ Chapter 1 is the prologue which is written in Hebrew ➢ Chapter 2- 7 contains the stories about the Jews in Gentile Nations which is written in Aramaic ➢ Chapter 8 - 12 is the prophecies about Jews back in the Land which again is written in Hebrew ➢ Immediate Context: ➢ In chapter 2 we read of an image which Nebuchadnezzar saw in vision. ➢ And in chapter 3, our attention is directed to an actual image which the monarch erected in honour of his god. ➢ This image “was set up in the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.”
➢ 1. Faith Under Siege: The King’s Challenge to Uncompromised Conviction ➢ Now we understand from v.13 that Nebuchadnezzar was in Rage and Fury and he summoned Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. ➢ The Aramaic term used for rage is regaz (reg-az') which means “violent anger” and the term used for fury is chema' (Aramaic) (khem-aw') which comes from chemah (khay-maw') which means anger, hot displeasure, furious, rage, wrath etc. ➢ Nebuchadnezzar, one of the great world rulers, may have conquered the world but he has not conquered himself ➢ How little was it the honour of this mighty prince that he had rule over so many nations when at the same time he had no rule over his own spirit. ➢ What triggered this rage? ➢ It stemmed primarily from the Chaldeans' accusations against the Jews. ➢ They accused the Jews of three major offenses: disregarding the king’s authority, refusing to serve the king’s gods, and refusing to bow to the golden statue. ➢ Now we must understand that, Nebuchadnezzar had gone to great lengths to organize this event. ➢ And he had prepared with the burning furnace for the possibility of non- compliance, but did not really expect it to happen. ➢ When the three devout Jews defied his expectations, they were promptly brought before the king to be questioned about the accusations. ➢ When we read verse 14, notice that Nebuchadnezzar dropped the first accusation made in verse 12 ➢ —that they disregard the king—likely because he knew it wasn't true. ➢ Instead, he focused on the remaining charges, ➢ asking, "Is it true that you don't worship my gods and refuse to bow down to the golden image?"
➢ For some reason Nebuchadnezzar was willing to grant these young men an opportunity to change their minds. ➢ It is notable that Nebuchadnezzar did not immediately order the execution of these men, ➢ unlike the magicians who failed to interpret his dream. ➢ The king, having appointed these men to high positions, likely valued their service. ➢ Recognizing that his reputation was at stake, he gave them another chance ➢ The king even offered to have the orchestra play just for them. ➢ This was an even greater test for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. ➢ It is one thing to make a stand for God. ➢ But it is a greater thing to stick to our stands when pointedly asked, “Is it true?” ➢ Peter could stand up for Jesus after His arrest, but he denied Jesus when asked, “Is it true?” ➢ The king was determined that if they continued to refuse, they would be thrown into the fiery furnace without even a moment's delay." ➢ The choice before them was simple: turn, or be burned. ➢ In his arrogance, Nebuchadnezzar mocked their faith by challenging, ➢ "And who is that God who can deliver you out of my hands?" ➢ He had forgotten that he once acknowledged their God as the God of gods and the Lord of kings. ➢ By asking what god could rescue them from his hand, Nebuchadnezzar claimed absolute authority over both political and religious matters, ➢ suggesting he saw himself as greater than even Yahweh. ➢ This statement turned the situation into a direct confrontation between Nebuchadnezzar and the Almighty God, declaring a war against God Himself. ➢ Now, let us come back a little bit and take heed to one very important aspect
➢ While we might initially resist, the pressure can increase with suggestions like "everyone else is doing it" or promises of immediate benefits. ➢ This is the enemy's way of tempting us again. However, let me warn all of you, yielding to these temptations will never please God. ➢ Resisting once does not end the battle; the enemy will continue to test our resolve. ➢ Notice that what you "bow" to will eventually be what you are "bound" to, ➢ for it will become your master and you will be a slave to it. ➢ So, how can we remain victorious in these situations? ➢ What was the response of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? ➢ This leads us to examine the strong and unwavering faith of these three men of God, whose example shows us how to stand firm in the face of repeated temptations. ‘Steadfast Conviction: The Uncompromised Response of Faith.’ ➢ 2. Steadfast Conviction: The Uncompromised Response of Faith ➢ The response of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in verses 16-18 to the king’s challenge is their only recorded speech in the narrative. ➢ The three Jews are flat character in literary terms, they do not stand out as individuals ➢ The three act as a group and their single quality or trait is the defiant faithfulness to their God ➢ The famous response of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego forms the heart of the narrative ➢ It is a salient and dispreferred response. The three men resist the king’s demand and profess their unwavering commitment to their God. ➢ Adversity often presents opportunities to profess our unwavering commitment to God, especially during persecution for faith.
➢ The three brave Jews focused solely on obeying God and bearing witness, unshaken by the king’s fury. ➢ Faith is a living, daring confidence in God's grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times."- Martin Luther ➢ Their attitude was respectful, and their words were measured. ➢ While thousands bowed, they stood firm. ➢ These three, the “Champions,” the “Holy Children,” the “Trusting Trio,” displayed a powerful pledge of Loyalty. ➢ How were these three young men able to resist the temptation to bow to the image and compromise their integrity and their witness? ➢ Ultimately, they were enabled to stand by the all-sufficient grace of God which is magnified in our times of weakness ➢ Man's extremity is God's "opportunity" to show Himself mighty!
➢ Why did Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refuse to bow
down?
➢ They Knew God's Code of Conduct:
The "Ten Commandments" (Exodus 20:1-6) were given as the
code of behavior for Israel after their redemption from Egypt.
➢ They Knew God's Character:
Exodus 34:14 reveals that the Lord’s name is Jealous (qanna). His jealousy is righteous and just because He is holy and distinct from all that is profane.
➢ They Knew God's Command:
Exodus 20:5 clearly forbids worshiping other gods or idols.
➢ And these 3 Hebrews knew God’s Word and because they knew His Word, they had conviction which enabled them to be strong and courageous. ➢ And that is why they refused to bow down to any other god. ➢ They were probably trusting in Is.43:2, ➢ “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
➢ These men had genuine courage and faith in God and his
capabilities.
➢ The example they set for us is priceless!
➢ These men loved God and could not even be intimidated into
doing something they knew was evil!
➢ God help us to stand
➢ even when the world, the flesh and the devil
➢ all start to growl at us and threaten us with harm.
➢ We are the Lord's and He will see to us!
➢ The first part of their faith tells us to have the kind of faith
that take us through our trials, we have to be aware of what God can
do!
➢ we have to start with knowing who God is and what He can do.
➢ And the second part of their faith, just as important as the first.
➢ It's not just knowing what God can do,
➢ but it's learning to step back and let God do what He wants, and
acknowledge it as right.
➢ True faith isn't frightened by threats, impressed by crowds, or
swayed by superstitious ceremonies.
➢ True faith obeys the Lord and trusts Him to work out the
consequence.
➢ "Faith is not the belief that God will do what you want. It is
the belief that God will do what is right." — Max Lucado
➢ The essence of Faith is the willingness to serve God without
a guarantee.
CONCLUSION
➢ As we come to the close of this powerful narrative in Daniel 3
➢ we celebrate the miraculous deliverance of Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego.
➢ God’s intervention was a visible, undeniable display of His
power and His protection over those who are faithful to Him.
➢ When King Nebuchadnezzar confronted these three faithful
men, he was ultimately defeated by the very power he sought
to challenge.
➢ The furnace, intended to be a tool of execution, became a stage
for a miraculous demonstration of God's sovereignty.
➢ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego emerged unharmed, not
even smelling of smoke.
➢ But let me challenge you to ponder something deeper:
➢ What if God had chosen not to deliver them?
➢ What if, instead of walking out of the furnace untouched, they
were consumed by the fire?
➢ Would their faith have been in vain?
➢ Their willingness to face death rather than compromise show
their loyalty to God
➢ was a faith that truly pleased Him, whether or not deliverance
came.
➢ The father and his sons were trapped, and the car was set
ablaze.
➢ The situation they were in was no less than the fiery furnace.
➢ But There was no miraculous intervention that night—
➢ no angel to shut the mouths of the flames,
➢ no divine hand to rescue them.
➢ There was no 4th^ person seen with them inside the car
➢ Yes, as you all would have guessed.
➢ Its Graham Staines and his sons Philip and Timothy who were
just 10 and 6 years old perished in that fire.
➢ But does that mean God was absent? Does that mean their faith
was in vain?
➢ Absolutely not, we must recognize that God's ways are higher
than our ways, and His thoughts higher than our thoughts
(Isaiah 55:8-9).
➢ Graham Staines' martyrdom had a profound impact on the
Christian community and beyond.
➢ His death, along with his sons, brought international attention
to the plight of Christians in India.
➢ More importantly, it led to the gospelizing of more souls as
people were moved by the story of his sacrifice and the
message he carried.
➢ Gladys Staines, wife of Graham Staines, displayed
extraordinary forgiveness,
➢ stating, "I have forgiven those who killed my husband and
children."
➢ Her forgiveness became a powerful testimony of Christ's love
and forgiveness, leading many to explore the Christian faith.
➢ In the economy of God, martyrdom is not a defeat but a
powerful testimony
➢ The whole Staines’ family embodied a faith that pleased God.
➢ As we reflect on these stories, we must understand that we
cannot please God through our faith if we try to escape from
the trials of life,
➢ but we can please God by trusting God through these trials.
➢ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were delivered from the
flames,
➢ but Graham Staines and his sons were not.
➢ Yet in both cases, God was glorified, and His purposes were
fulfilled.
➢ In a world that is increasingly hostile to the gospel, will you
have the faith that pleases God—a faith that says, "Even if He
does not"?
➢ Will you stand firm in your commitment to Christ, even when
it costs you everything?
➢ Let us face it, there are times when we are faced with the fire!
➢ Sometimes, if we were honest, we would have to admit that we
backed down instead of facing the flame.
➢ Maybe that describes us…us mere humans!
