FAITH AND THE FIERY ORDEALS

#1 · May 26, 2009, 11:28 am

Quote from Forum Archives on May 26, 2009, 11:28 am
Posted by: bhfbc <bhfbc@...>
FAITH AND THE FIERY ORDEALS

May 24, 2009

TEXT: Daniel 3:13-18

This weekend, we celebrate Memorial Day. Contrary to Indiana sentiment, it was not really established for the purpose of running the Indy 500, even though that does take center stage in a lot of places. Memorial Day was established to honor United States veterans who have died in wars. This was acknowledged even in Indianapolis in 1998 with the dedication of a new memorial with war veteran and former United States Senator Bob Dole present. The custom of decorating the graves of fallen soldiers began soon after the Civil War. In 1868 General John A. Logan, commander in chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, named May 30^th the day for decorating the graves of Union soldiers. That date may have been chosen because that was the date of discharge of the last Union volunteers following the Civil War.

Over time, Memorial Day has become a day to remember not only our veterans who sacrificed their lives during service to this great nation; we also remember other family members and friends and their significance. The holiday provides an opportunity to remember our past and honor our heritage.

That heritage is one filled with hardships. As men and women left the east to travel west during this nations expansion, the hazards of everyday life grew more hazardous. Many men, women, and children were buried along the trails blazed by early pioneers. In the days when I assisted with middle school field trips, I spent one day in a nearby cemetery. Now theres a field trip, dont you think? I noticed numerous graves of infants and young children dated throughout the 1800s and reflected upon how much higher the mortality rate was in those earlier centuries. How did they endure those hardships associated with the death of children? Well, most of the markers indicated a strong sense of Christian belief by those families.

Faith in God gives us its own Memorial Day testimonies. The Bible is filled with accounts of those who endured tremendous hardships. They were people like us living in times both different and similar to ours. Like us, they tried to cope the best ways they could using what they knew. We are told - and we are to remember - that faith in God is to be our primary source of security in all of our fiery ordeals. The Bible tells the story of three men who went through the most famous fiery ordeal of all time - and all simply because they were committed to worshipping God. In spite of their ordeal, they never lost their faith.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were three young Jewish captives in Babylon. They served King Nebuchadnezzar along with Daniel. The king had a huge statue erected that was ninety feet tall, nine feet wide, and made of gold. Once erected, he required his subjects to worship it. When word got back to the king that three of his captured Jewish subjects refused to worship the statue, he was furious. As a sign of his respect for these young men, he questioned them personally, and he gave them one more opportunity to prove their loyalty to him. If they would only bow down and worship the idol, they could go free - no questions asked. If they refused, they would be thrown into a fiery furnace before the hour was up.

Respectfully and without arrogance they replied: If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up. In their statement to King Nebuchadnezzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego reveal three stages in the development of a growing faith.

The first stage affirms that God is powerful. One of the first faith affirmations we express is that God is the Creator of all that exists. This is a clear demonstration of His power. One cannot be a creator without power. The word used to describe Gods power is omnipotent. It means all-powerful and is applied to God to indicate that He is of infinite power. He is the most powerful, and nothing is more powerful than He. (Peter Angeles, Dictionary of Christian Theology, 1985) Thats the way grown-ups try to understand it all. A childs view is simpler, easier to understand, and usually more meaningful. One childs prayer ended this way: Dear God, before I finish, I want you to take care of mommy, take care of daddy, take care of my sister and my brother and please, God, take care of yourself, because if you don't we're all sunk. Amen! (Bible Illustrator, 3/1987.20)

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego believed in Gods power. They stood in front of their king who, in their day, exercised absolute authority over his kingdom. With a mere word, he could say who would die and who would live. There was no one on earth to whom he answered. He did not have to consult anyone for second opinions. These three young Jewish men knew full well the power, authority, and supremacy of the king they now faced; they knew the rage he barely withheld within him as he offered them a second chance; they knew their very lives hung on the words they chose in response. But they also stood before King Nebuchadnezzar with this knowledge: they knew God, and they knew His power.

As far as the Bible is concerned, Gods power is unrivaled. In addition, Gods power has practical applications. It is not some abstract principle. Some people want to argue about Gods power in nonsensical ways: Can God make a rock so big and heavy that he cant pick it up? Can He make two plus two equal five? Can God make a square circle? If we suggest that God cannot do these things, then skeptics like to mock and declare that Gods power is limited.

The Bible is not concerned with such abstract questions; neither were Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. The biblical concern is solidly focused upon Gods practical ability to rescue His people from whatever oppresses or threatens to overwhelm them. Gods power is not a matter of debate; it is a matter of concrete rescue and deliverance. On Memorial Day, we remember Gods power.

The second stage of faith development goes beyond the first. Not only is God capable of rescuing us; He is also willing to do so. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. To just claim Gods omnipotence is no guarantee that He will be concerned about our situation or suffering. Merely having power does not make any created being a god. Power can be used for good or evil. The same power that focuses microscopic treatment on a cancerous tumor with radiation therapy can also be used to destroy civilization with thermonuclear weapons. In and of itself, power is amoral; that is, neither good nor bad in and of itself.

Consequently, there is little comfort or security in power and brute strength only. The question has nothing to do with whether Gods muscles are bigger than anyone elses. The real issue is this: is God willing to use His strength to help me in my hour of need? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego believed that God knew about their plight and was concerned about them.

The conviction that God cares about His people and helps them in their suffering is one of the most recognized themes in the Bible. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word hesed is translated everlasting mercy and steadfast love. In the New Testament, hesed, Gods everlasting mercy and steadfast love, became incarnate in the life of Jesus. Peter declared to first-century Christians who were facing their own fiery ordeal to cast all your cares upon Him because He cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7)

The Reverend Rodolfo Loyola was a pastor and professor in Cuba. Upon Fidel Castros rise to power, the Cuban government instructed him to either abandon his faith or quit teaching school. They gave him fifteen days to decide. Reverend Loyola said on the spot, "I don't need fifteen days. I don't need fifteen minutes. I will not be back to teach tomorrow." Several days later, in the middle of the night, he was abducted and imprisoned in a Cuban concentration camp for over two years. In part because of his dedication to sharing the gospel with those around him, he was transferred thirteen times to new concentration camps around his country. Finally, he was told by Castro's government that he had thirty days to find two thousand dollars to take his family out of Cuba. Over the weekend, he and his wife prayed for guidance and wrote to family and friends in other countries. Thirty days later, there was two thousand and ten dollars. So with ten dollars in his pocket, Reverend Loyola and his family were sent to Spain where he now joyfully exclaims that he is a missionary to Spain sent by Castro! (Bible Illustrator, 8/1987.1) That is the practical power of God.

When the doctors can do no more; when the counselors advice makes little or no difference; when the months stretch into years since you last heard from a prodigal son or daughter; when your begging or pleading has no impact at all, it is the confidence in Gods love that keeps you from giving up altogether. The God we serve is able to save us from it. On Memorial Day, we remember Gods willingness to use His power to save.

But what if faith is not rewarded the way we expect? What if healing or reconciliation or reunion does not come? What if the king throws us into the fiery furnace? Well, thats the third stage of faith. Here is how Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego responded to it: But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.

This is pure faith! When life gets whittled down, faith does not. It begins by trusting God and ends the same way. It says, God is worthy of my trust, no matter what! We do not have to passively accept whatever happens. When facing persecution, the early Christians took precautions. They met secretly; they created symbols to use so that other believers could know where to go for sanctuary; they even hightailed it out of town on occasion. None of this implied that their faith wavered. Their faith in Christ remained strong and saw them through their darkest days.

In reference to a different time, William Franklin Summerour has written: One of the things that impresses me is that when Abraham Lincoln went off to the Black Hawk War he was a captain and, through no fault of his own, when he returned he was a private. That brought an end to his military career. Then his little shop in a country village winked out as he used to say, marking his failure as a businessman. As a lawyer in Springfield, Illinois, he was too impractical, too unpolished, and too temperamental to be a success. Turning to politics he was defeated in his campaign for the legislature, defeated in his first attempt to be nominated for Congress, defeated in his application to be Commissioner of the General Land Office, defeated in the Senatorial election of 1854, defeated in his aspirations for the Vice Presidency in 1856, defeated again in the Senatorial election of 1858. Then 1861 over 100 years ago, found him in the White House as President of the United States. How did Lincoln interpret this strange succession of failures and frustrations which finally culminated in terrific personal victory? He said, That the Almighty directly intervenes in human affairs is one of the plainest statements in the Bible. I have had so many evidences of His direction, so many instances when I have been controlled by some other power than my own will that I have no doubt that what this power comes from above. God knows what is good for us better than we ourselves. Let us not make the mistake of judging God's overall plan for our lives by that portion which happened to be revealed today. God has all eternity in which to bring His plans to fulfillment for our lives. Think not in terms of today, but in terms of eternity. After all, that's where we'll spend most of our life. (Bible Illustrator)

Abe Lincoln no doubt took to heart what the Apostle Paul wrote to his contemporaries in Romans 8:28: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Look also ten verses down to verse 38 and 39: For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The fiery ordeal of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego resulted in a miraculous testimony. Because of their obedient faith, God was able to reveal Himself in a marvelous, powerful way. The three young men were not only unscathed, but they met with a divine being - an angel or perhaps Jesus Himself - while in the furnace. It certainly cooled King Nebuchadnezzars fury. Turn with me back to Daniel 3:28: Then Nebuchadnezzar said, Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the kings command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.

None of this would have happened without the three stages of faith displayed by these three young men. None of it would have happened without their absolute trust in God. None of it would have happened without their obedience to God instead of to a human king. On Memorial Day, we remember our commitment to God.

God reveals Himself today through men, women, and children who are willing to trust Him in faith in the same way. Oswald Chambers once wrote: "God can achieve his purpose either through the absence of human power and resources, or the abandonment of reliance on them. All through history God has chosen and used nobodies, because their unusual dependence on him make possible the unique display of his power and grace. He chooses and uses somebodies only when they renounce dependence on their natural abilities and resources." (Man's Weakness; God's Strength, Missionary Crusader, December, 1964, p. 7.) Are we ready to stand and say, along with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up? It begins with faith in Jesus Christ as your personal savior and continues with a growing obedience to Him.

Rev. Charles A. Layne

First Baptist Church

PO Box 515

179 W. Broadway

Bunker Hill, IN 46914

765-689-7987

bhfbc@bhfirstbaptist.com

www.bhfirstbaptist.com
-- To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: abesermons-unsubscribe@welovegod.org   

Posted by: bhfbc <bhfbc@...>

May 24, 2009

TEXT: Daniel 3:13-18

This weekend, we celebrate Memorial Day. Contrary to Indiana sentiment, it was not really established for the purpose of running the Indy 500, even though that does take center stage in a lot of places. Memorial Day was established to honor United States veterans who have died in wars. This was acknowledged even in Indianapolis in 1998 with the dedication of a new memorial with war veteran and former United States Senator Bob Dole present. The custom of decorating the graves of fallen soldiers began soon after the Civil War. In 1868 General John A. Logan, commander in chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, named May 30^th the day for decorating the graves of Union soldiers. That date may have been chosen because that was the date of discharge of the last Union volunteers following the Civil War.

Over time, Memorial Day has become a day to remember not only our veterans who sacrificed their lives during service to this great nation; we also remember other family members and friends and their significance. The holiday provides an opportunity to remember our past and honor our heritage.

That heritage is one filled with hardships. As men and women left the east to travel west during this nations expansion, the hazards of everyday life grew more hazardous. Many men, women, and children were buried along the trails blazed by early pioneers. In the days when I assisted with middle school field trips, I spent one day in a nearby cemetery. Now theres a field trip, dont you think? I noticed numerous graves of infants and young children dated throughout the 1800s and reflected upon how much higher the mortality rate was in those earlier centuries. How did they endure those hardships associated with the death of children? Well, most of the markers indicated a strong sense of Christian belief by those families.

Faith in God gives us its own Memorial Day testimonies. The Bible is filled with accounts of those who endured tremendous hardships. They were people like us living in times both different and similar to ours. Like us, they tried to cope the best ways they could using what they knew. We are told - and we are to remember - that faith in God is to be our primary source of security in all of our fiery ordeals. The Bible tells the story of three men who went through the most famous fiery ordeal of all time - and all simply because they were committed to worshipping God. In spite of their ordeal, they never lost their faith.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were three young Jewish captives in Babylon. They served King Nebuchadnezzar along with Daniel. The king had a huge statue erected that was ninety feet tall, nine feet wide, and made of gold. Once erected, he required his subjects to worship it. When word got back to the king that three of his captured Jewish subjects refused to worship the statue, he was furious. As a sign of his respect for these young men, he questioned them personally, and he gave them one more opportunity to prove their loyalty to him. If they would only bow down and worship the idol, they could go free - no questions asked. If they refused, they would be thrown into a fiery furnace before the hour was up.

Respectfully and without arrogance they replied: If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up. In their statement to King Nebuchadnezzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego reveal three stages in the development of a growing faith.

The first stage affirms that God is powerful. One of the first faith affirmations we express is that God is the Creator of all that exists. This is a clear demonstration of His power. One cannot be a creator without power. The word used to describe Gods power is omnipotent. It means all-powerful and is applied to God to indicate that He is of infinite power. He is the most powerful, and nothing is more powerful than He. (Peter Angeles, Dictionary of Christian Theology, 1985) Thats the way grown-ups try to understand it all. A childs view is simpler, easier to understand, and usually more meaningful. One childs prayer ended this way: Dear God, before I finish, I want you to take care of mommy, take care of daddy, take care of my sister and my brother and please, God, take care of yourself, because if you don't we're all sunk. Amen! (Bible Illustrator, 3/1987.20)

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego believed in Gods power. They stood in front of their king who, in their day, exercised absolute authority over his kingdom. With a mere word, he could say who would die and who would live. There was no one on earth to whom he answered. He did not have to consult anyone for second opinions. These three young Jewish men knew full well the power, authority, and supremacy of the king they now faced; they knew the rage he barely withheld within him as he offered them a second chance; they knew their very lives hung on the words they chose in response. But they also stood before King Nebuchadnezzar with this knowledge: they knew God, and they knew His power.

As far as the Bible is concerned, Gods power is unrivaled. In addition, Gods power has practical applications. It is not some abstract principle. Some people want to argue about Gods power in nonsensical ways: Can God make a rock so big and heavy that he cant pick it up? Can He make two plus two equal five? Can God make a square circle? If we suggest that God cannot do these things, then skeptics like to mock and declare that Gods power is limited.

The Bible is not concerned with such abstract questions; neither were Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. The biblical concern is solidly focused upon Gods practical ability to rescue His people from whatever oppresses or threatens to overwhelm them. Gods power is not a matter of debate; it is a matter of concrete rescue and deliverance. On Memorial Day, we remember Gods power.

The second stage of faith development goes beyond the first. Not only is God capable of rescuing us; He is also willing to do so. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. To just claim Gods omnipotence is no guarantee that He will be concerned about our situation or suffering. Merely having power does not make any created being a god. Power can be used for good or evil. The same power that focuses microscopic treatment on a cancerous tumor with radiation therapy can also be used to destroy civilization with thermonuclear weapons. In and of itself, power is amoral; that is, neither good nor bad in and of itself.

Consequently, there is little comfort or security in power and brute strength only. The question has nothing to do with whether Gods muscles are bigger than anyone elses. The real issue is this: is God willing to use His strength to help me in my hour of need? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego believed that God knew about their plight and was concerned about them.

The conviction that God cares about His people and helps them in their suffering is one of the most recognized themes in the Bible. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word hesed is translated everlasting mercy and steadfast love. In the New Testament, hesed, Gods everlasting mercy and steadfast love, became incarnate in the life of Jesus. Peter declared to first-century Christians who were facing their own fiery ordeal to cast all your cares upon Him because He cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7)

The Reverend Rodolfo Loyola was a pastor and professor in Cuba. Upon Fidel Castros rise to power, the Cuban government instructed him to either abandon his faith or quit teaching school. They gave him fifteen days to decide. Reverend Loyola said on the spot, "I don't need fifteen days. I don't need fifteen minutes. I will not be back to teach tomorrow." Several days later, in the middle of the night, he was abducted and imprisoned in a Cuban concentration camp for over two years. In part because of his dedication to sharing the gospel with those around him, he was transferred thirteen times to new concentration camps around his country. Finally, he was told by Castro's government that he had thirty days to find two thousand dollars to take his family out of Cuba. Over the weekend, he and his wife prayed for guidance and wrote to family and friends in other countries. Thirty days later, there was two thousand and ten dollars. So with ten dollars in his pocket, Reverend Loyola and his family were sent to Spain where he now joyfully exclaims that he is a missionary to Spain sent by Castro! (Bible Illustrator, 8/1987.1) That is the practical power of God.

When the doctors can do no more; when the counselors advice makes little or no difference; when the months stretch into years since you last heard from a prodigal son or daughter; when your begging or pleading has no impact at all, it is the confidence in Gods love that keeps you from giving up altogether. The God we serve is able to save us from it. On Memorial Day, we remember Gods willingness to use His power to save.

But what if faith is not rewarded the way we expect? What if healing or reconciliation or reunion does not come? What if the king throws us into the fiery furnace? Well, thats the third stage of faith. Here is how Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego responded to it: But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.

This is pure faith! When life gets whittled down, faith does not. It begins by trusting God and ends the same way. It says, God is worthy of my trust, no matter what! We do not have to passively accept whatever happens. When facing persecution, the early Christians took precautions. They met secretly; they created symbols to use so that other believers could know where to go for sanctuary; they even hightailed it out of town on occasion. None of this implied that their faith wavered. Their faith in Christ remained strong and saw them through their darkest days.

In reference to a different time, William Franklin Summerour has written: One of the things that impresses me is that when Abraham Lincoln went off to the Black Hawk War he was a captain and, through no fault of his own, when he returned he was a private. That brought an end to his military career. Then his little shop in a country village winked out as he used to say, marking his failure as a businessman. As a lawyer in Springfield, Illinois, he was too impractical, too unpolished, and too temperamental to be a success. Turning to politics he was defeated in his campaign for the legislature, defeated in his first attempt to be nominated for Congress, defeated in his application to be Commissioner of the General Land Office, defeated in the Senatorial election of 1854, defeated in his aspirations for the Vice Presidency in 1856, defeated again in the Senatorial election of 1858. Then 1861 over 100 years ago, found him in the White House as President of the United States. How did Lincoln interpret this strange succession of failures and frustrations which finally culminated in terrific personal victory? He said, That the Almighty directly intervenes in human affairs is one of the plainest statements in the Bible. I have had so many evidences of His direction, so many instances when I have been controlled by some other power than my own will that I have no doubt that what this power comes from above. God knows what is good for us better than we ourselves. Let us not make the mistake of judging God's overall plan for our lives by that portion which happened to be revealed today. God has all eternity in which to bring His plans to fulfillment for our lives. Think not in terms of today, but in terms of eternity. After all, that's where we'll spend most of our life. (Bible Illustrator)

Abe Lincoln no doubt took to heart what the Apostle Paul wrote to his contemporaries in Romans 8:28: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Look also ten verses down to verse 38 and 39: For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The fiery ordeal of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego resulted in a miraculous testimony. Because of their obedient faith, God was able to reveal Himself in a marvelous, powerful way. The three young men were not only unscathed, but they met with a divine being - an angel or perhaps Jesus Himself - while in the furnace. It certainly cooled King Nebuchadnezzars fury. Turn with me back to Daniel 3:28: Then Nebuchadnezzar said, Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the kings command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.

None of this would have happened without the three stages of faith displayed by these three young men. None of it would have happened without their absolute trust in God. None of it would have happened without their obedience to God instead of to a human king. On Memorial Day, we remember our commitment to God.

God reveals Himself today through men, women, and children who are willing to trust Him in faith in the same way. Oswald Chambers once wrote: "God can achieve his purpose either through the absence of human power and resources, or the abandonment of reliance on them. All through history God has chosen and used nobodies, because their unusual dependence on him make possible the unique display of his power and grace. He chooses and uses somebodies only when they renounce dependence on their natural abilities and resources." (Man's Weakness; God's Strength, Missionary Crusader, December, 1964, p. 7.) Are we ready to stand and say, along with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up? It begins with faith in Jesus Christ as your personal savior and continues with a growing obedience to Him.

Rev. Charles A. Layne

First Baptist Church

PO Box 515

179 W. Broadway

Bunker Hill, IN 46914

765-689-7987

bhfbc@bhfirstbaptist.com

http://www.bhfirstbaptist.com

-- To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: abesermons-unsubscribe@welovegod.org