THE ELEVATION AFTER THE TRIAL
Daniel 3
PRIDE ,THE
TOOL OF SATAN
V:1 King
Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, ninety feet high and nine feet wide, and
set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 2 He then summoned
the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and
all the other provincial officials to come to the dedication of the image he
had set up. 3 So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers,
judges, magistrates, and all the other provincial officials assembled for the
dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood
before it.
A. When we began to think of ourselves
better than others, we lose sight
Of our plan and purpose and
become selfish and the tool of Satan.
1. Our thinking becomes foolish and
logic becomes destructive.
2. We lose fellowship with the Lord.
B. King Nebuchadnezzar was commissioned
by God to destroy Jerusalem
And take the Israelites
captive for 70 years as chastisement.
Jeremiah 25:8-11
1. Nebuchadnezzar was made steward of
the Israelites while in
Captivity.
2. His pride was elevated with the
building of a 90 feet tall
Statue of himself
3. He became an advocate of idol worship
when he commanded
Everyone to bow down and
worship his statue at the sound of
Musical instruments.
C. God uses our ignorance and evil plans
to bring Himself glory.
1. God allows the foolish to survive to
call attention to their
Foolishness.
2. God allows evil to call attention to
His righteousness
UNGODLY
COMMAND
V:4 Then the
herald loudly proclaimed, "This is what you are commanded to do, O
peoples, nations and men of every language: 5 As soon as you hear the sound of
the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, you must
fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6
Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a
blazing furnace."
7 Therefore,
as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all
kinds of music, all the peoples, nations and men of every language fell down
and worshiped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
A. Those who don’t know the Lord are
slaves to the world’s ideas.
1. Those who don’t know the Lord follow
blindly after the commands
Of men.
2. When you don’t know the Lord, your
thoughts become the standards
You live by.
3. Without God, your thoughts lead to
destruction.
B. Those who are placed in leadership
positions can corrupt whole
Nations by their evil decisions.
1. Nebuchadnezzar a servant of God,
forgot his position.
2. He sought to be served and esteemed
in his position.
3. His act of pride put nations in jeopardy
of being destroyed
Or chastised By God.
4. Our acts of pride can adversely
affect our families.
FOLLOW
GOD NOT MAN
V:8 At this
time some astrologers came forward and denounced the Jews. 9 They said to King
Nebuchadnezzar, "O king, live forever! 10 You have issued a decree, O
king, that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp,
pipes and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold, 11
and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing
furnace. 12 But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the
province of Babylon-Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego — who pay no attention to
you, O king. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you
have set up."
A. When you follow God, you can expect
Satan and his demons to
Plan to destroy you.
1. Ungodly leaders enact all kinds of laws
that go against the will
Of God.
2. As Christians, our job is to ignore any
command that goes
Against the commands of
God.
3. It takes courage to stand for God
when the whole crowd is
Going in a different
direction.
4. When you follow God, you will stand out
like a sore thumb.
5. Agents of Satan will seek you out for
destruction.
B. When you take a stand for God, He has
already elevated your
Mind to a heavenly level.
1. When you stand against the devil, you
are a role model for
All who believe in God.
2. God has placed you on a platform to point
to His glory.
3. When agents of the devil point you out, stand
firm and watch
God works.
MEN RAGE
AT BEING REJECTED
V:13 Furious
with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men
were brought before the king, 14 and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, "Is it
true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship
the image of gold I have set up? 15 Now when you hear the sound of the horn,
flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, if you are ready to
fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship
it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will
be able to rescue you from my hand?"
A. When you are in a rage, logical
thinking goes out the window.
1. You are no longer in your right mind.
2. Nebuchadnezzar failed to realize that
he had been select by
God to be His servant.
3. The king forgot that the men he was
scolding for not worshipping His statue, had served him faithfully.
4. The king forgot that these Hebrew men
were proven 10 times smarter
Than any Babylonian.
B. His pride overruled common logic.
1. King Nebuchadnezzar held himself more
powerful than the living
God.
2. When you stand for God, threats from
the devil are just that “threats”.
3. You cannot let Satan get into your
head under pressure.
4.
FAITH IN
ACTION
V:16
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we
do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown
into the blazing furnace, the God we serve can save us from it, and he will
rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 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."
A. When you have experienced the glory of God in your life,
you know
What He did yesterday, He can do today.
1. When God is in control of your mind,
you say what needs to be said
Proclaiming your faith in God so others will understand.
2. God is your defense against the army
of kings.
3. It is up to you to claim victory in
the Lord before the enemy.
B, You must realize that when you stand for God, He may allow
you
to die so his plan
of redemption is realized through your sacrifice.
1. God did not give us commands to
ignore when we are troubled.
2. God is able to protect us under any
circumstance.
3. We must let the enemy know, that we
are willing to sacrifice ourselves to obey God’s commands.
4. We can follow leaders as long as they
follow God.
5. When leaders ask us to disobey God,
that is where we draw the Line in the sand.
WITH GOD
WE CAN STAND THE TEST OF FIRE
V. 19 Then
Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his
attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter
than usual 20 and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie
up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. 21
So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were
bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. 22 The king's command was so urgent
and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took
up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, 23 and these three men, firmly tied, fell
into the blazing furnace.
A. The devil and his demons are no match for
God.
1.
Men controlled by Satan will go to extraordinary measures to
Fight against the will of God.
2,
To show his power and authority, Nebuchadnezzar heated the
Furnace seven times hotter than normal and used his
strongest
men to Bound and Throw Shadrack,
Meshach, and Abednego
into the fire.
C. God's power and authority showed up
immediately.
1. The king’s men died throwing the Hebrew men into the fire
2. Nothing happened to the servants of
God.
3. God can protect you in ways you cannot
imagine.
4. The Hebrew men feared God more than
the fire.
5. When this life ends, God has another
that is glorious.
6. Faith faces death with joy and
confidence.
THE GLORY
OF GOD
V:24 Then
King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers,
"Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?"
They
replied, "Certainly, O king."
25 He said,
"Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed,
and the fourth looks like a son of the gods."
26 Nebuchadnezzar
then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, "Shadrach,
Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!"
So Shadrach,
Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, 27 and the satraps, prefects,
governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had
not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were
not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.
A. God has angels surrounding those who
serve Him.
1. God can create an air conditioner in
the middle of the fire.
2. Notice the angel was walking in the
furnace with the
The three servants of
God.
B. When you serve God He releases you
from the powers of the
World.
1. When you serve God, He frees you from
all unrighteousness
2. When you serve God. You become the
storm in the middle
Of the fire.
3. When you serve God you become the
stage that world
Observes.
4. When you serve God you become the
testimony that encourages others.
5. Think about all the other Israelites
families that were
Given hope because of the
decision of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to trust God with their lives.
THE
PRAISE OF GOD
V: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 king's command and were willing to give up their lives rather
than serve or worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I decree that
the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach,
Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles
of rubble, for no other god can save in this way."
A. The enemy became a believer in God
because three men stood against
his ungodly command.
1. Whole nations came to know the God of
the Israelites in
Captivity.
2. God allows us to go through trials so
others are drawn to Him.
B. Notice God turned the hate of the
enemy to praise.
1. The king declared the praise of God
to all the nations he controlled.
2. Notice, the faith of Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego in the living God
Save their lives.
3. The king amazed at the miracle of
God, humbled himself before the all-powerful living God
4. In every situation, you can trust God
to work in your favor.
ELEVATION
AFTER THE TRIAL
V:30 Then
the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.
Trials come
before elevation.
Those who persevere
will reap a reward.
Rev. M.
Mitchell
Asst. Pastor
of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church
5510 West
Sam Houston Parkway North
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