But If Not...

The title of today's message is Three Little Words. Three Little Words. Do you know the most famous three-letter words? I've just started, so you're going to have a hard time if you don't like this one. The most famous three-letter words in the world today, according to the internet. Can you guess the first one? I love you, right? You quite often let you be shocked to know that it isn't the first three-letter word. Three little words in America. The internet. OMG happens to be used more often in phrases from Google, Yahoo, in various places. Sounds strange, but I guess you hear OMG or Granema written more than I love you. The internet. There's another one you would all know. Starts with kiss, and I won't go with the other two. It is used. Okay, I see most of you know it. Hopefully you don't use it. But some others. Make it happen. They're the famous, which is positive affirmation, which is really good. Another one, which I thought was very wise. I haven't heard these phrases used, but I could have used this a few times in my life. Say nothing often. Say nothing often.

Finally, two of the others. Take the risk, and stop underestimating yourself. Stop underestimating yourself. Three little words. But I would like to go to today to what I consider the most empowering, powerful three little words in scripture. These words only consist of eight letters, and I hope to make the case today that they are very, very important words. But if not, is actually taken from Daniel chapter 3 and verse 18. Many of you know the story. It comes from Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego, does it not? Right? But it should apply even to us in so many different ways, so many different forms. And I hope today we can look at that, as never before. I want to start with behind the story. If you would, turn with me to chapter 3 of Daniel. I'll be reading from the New King James Version. As we get a little background here, Daniel chapter 3 and verse 1 said, Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold whose height was 90 feet tall. An image 90 feet tall and nine foot wide. That's an odd-looking structure.

He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. Now you have to understand, Babylon itself was a very large city, and it actually had divisions in it, areas, because the actual walls of Babylon were 60 miles in circumference, 15 miles on each side. It's like going from here to the airport in Fort Lauderdale, just one way. 300 feet high and 80 foot thick, went 35 feet below the ground. Incredible walls, incredible city at the time. But on the plain, or the flat area there, it's believed by historians that this image was set up. We can see that the image was made of gold, or at least covered in gold. 90 foot tall, can you imagine? How many floors are on this hotel? Yeah, five. So it's a lot, almost twice as tall as this building. And only nine foot wide, from me to you, nine foot wide, you would be able to see this image from miles away. So let's see this. And King Nebuchadnezzar sent word together, together, the sack traps, the administrators, the governors, the councils, the treasures of judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the providence, to come to the dedication of the image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Was it of a god? No. Actually, it is believed, because Daniel had been able to explain this vision a few years before of this dream that Nebuchadnezzar had had, as you all know about, from chapter 2, and said that his head, he was the head which was of gold. Nebuchadnezzar has explained this image and what all these different kingdoms, how they were represented. So it makes sense, as most historians say, that Nebuchadnezzar decided to set up this image that he had seen in his dream. And basically, it was of him.

So, verse 3, so the sack traps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasures, judges, magistrates, and all the officials of the providence gathered together for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. And they stood before the image which Nebuchadnezzar had set up. It was all his. It was his dream.

It was his structure that he had built. And you must understand that Nebuchadnezzar was known as the builder of cities and the conqueror of men, as he's known in history. So, I'm sure this was something he wanted to see built. So, in verse 4, then a herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and language, that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, the flute, the harp, the lyre, the saltry, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar had 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 symphony, and all kinds of music, all the people, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the gold image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

Wonder what it sounded like? Wonder what that music sounded like? I was playing around on the computer the other night and brought up three or four different sounds that asked Mary, what do you think it sounded like this? How does it sound? The only one that she really said, and I kind of agreed, was if you remember that theme of Imperial March when Darth Vader came onto the scene, made me wonder what that sound was because you were to fall down on your knees.

You were to pay homage to this image. And if you didn't, you were to, what? Be put to death. Now, it's interesting during all this building and the building of the city of Babylon, all the walls, all the great structures, you can even go over to Iraq today and you can find some remnants of that, of the building that was done 3,000 years ago or so.

And it's interesting. They had a lot of brick. Most of it was built out of brick where they would put clay in. They would put various things together. And they had these huge ovens that they made all this brick. Huge! As one historian said, gave the dimensions close to the size of this room, is where they built a humongous fire and heated all these brick.

So everyone in that city would know exactly what he was talking about when he said, you're going into the furnace. Because as much building as they did, the millions and millions of brick that they made, most people saw that. They knew about it. So verse 8, therefore, at that certain time, Chaldeans came forward and accused the Jews. They spoke and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, oh king, live forever! Don't we always have people like that? Oh king, live forever! Remember, like the kid in school would bring the apple to the teacher and set it up front, shine it for her.

Right? Or if you remember, leave it to Beaver, the Eddie Haskell character, who would go, you look lovely today, Mrs. Cleaver. Sincere is a snake. Oh king, live forever! You, oh king, have made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, the flute, symphony, all music, shall fall down and worship the gold image. And whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a 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, oh king, have not paid due regard to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image which you have set up. Well, wait a minute. What are these Eddie Haskell characters doing? If they were supposed to be down kneeling and falling down and worshiping, how did they see? No? How did they see the ones you want?

But as you see later, the same type characters came after Daniel to see if he could be thrown into a lion's den. Same type. But they're out there. They're in our world too, aren't they? Verse 13, then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury. He was known to have these, I would say, as they would say today, anger issues.

But in rage and fury, because, hey, everybody thought was bowing. How big an area was this? It was thought at that image that there were around 300,000 people inside the walls at the time. And all of them were called to come and bow down. So this was a lot of people, and I'm sure he was thinking, whoa, look at this. Except now, some of his advisors said, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, you got three men out here that didn't bow down. What? And they actually are leaders and work for you? You put them in this position? How disrespectful!

Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. So they brought these men before him. But notice, there's not rage. There's not rage. Notice this calmness here that comes over him, which is almost scary in itself, because it's kind of nice to know that somebody is, if they're angry, they're angry, but when they're like angry, and then they're nice, and then it's like, you really don't know how to talk or say things. Now 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, sounds so calm and peaceful. Now, if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, the flute, and all the kind of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made? Good! We're all good!

And I can go back to my life of ruling this kingdom without any other thoughts. Right, guys? Oh, it's good, right? But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. And who, nobody, who is the God who will deliver you from my hands?

I guess he forgot that a few years before, when Daniel had interpreted his dream, that he brought Daniel forward and actually fell down in front of Daniel and said, truly your God is the God of gods.

But he forgot.

But he is about to find that there is the God of gods. Verse 16, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, and imagine what boldness. I mean, you have to understand, they were brought in by the king's guards, and this was a very serious matter. And he just, the king actually said, you're going to die immediately. We're going to cast you into that fire in front of all these people. And all these people will learn.

You don't mess with Nebuchadnezzar.

They answered and said, oh Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. Can you imagine the fire he felt inside himself when these men told him that? We don't need to even answer you on this matter. Imagine his face got so red. Imagine he was trying to just, oh, how dare I was even nice to you, and now, but they weren't done. He said, 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, oh King. But then these three little words, but if not, but if not, let it be known to you, oh King, that we will not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up. They did not know. They did not know. They thought God would deliver them, but they said, but if not, you'll know. Let it be known. Our God is still the God of gods.

How about you? Learn that? Have we learned that lesson? It's so interesting because that requires such faith for us to say that, but if not, I'm willing to handle the consequences, right? I can accept it, but if not, I can accept the consequences that God is still in charge, and this is what He requires of me, and I will do it. Imagine that.

It's interesting back in World War II. You might have seen the movie. I haven't seen the movie. I would like to see it. The movie is actually called Dunkirk. Anybody here seen it? It's actually the true story or account of British troops that were caught. Matter of fact, I think there was 360,000, if I remember right, that were actually trapped by the German Panzer Division coming from the land and the German Air Force that was taking them from the air on the beach. So they were actually trapped on this beach and no way out. It's so interesting, as one of the historians wrote, because they were going to have to hold out until something happened, because they were surely going to be wiped out. Even Churchill knew it. But when they asked the commander there as they sent a message back and forth that will try to help, but you may have to hold on. He sent only one small message back to them. It's so interesting because the people then knew exactly what it meant. And he sent three little words. But if not, if they couldn't get to them, they would fight to the end. They would accept it. And everyone in Britain at that time knew exactly, but if not, where it came from and what it meant. I wonder in America today how many people even realize what where that comes from in Scripture. Hopefully we do. Hopefully we'll realize that it becomes part of our life, part of our conversation, part of a very fabric of what we say and how we say it. More popular than I love you, but if not, let's go on. Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fur, and the expression on his face changed. Oh yes, I'll bet it did. Toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Therefore he spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. Do you know to make brick today, the heat has to be around 2,000 degrees. I don't know whether they made them quite that hot then, but even if they made it at half that heat at a thousand degrees, Nebuchadnezzar said, crank it up! I want seven thousand degrees. I want that heat. I want them to burn. Now, you know what's interesting? Seven times hotter only added to the glory of God, didn't it? It only added that, oh, I'm going to heat them up so there's no way. It's going to burn bone and everything. Going to heat them up, kind of reminds you of what Elijah did when he was up on the hill, up on the mountain, and he said, oh, I'm going to call fire down. He said, oh, put water around it. Why? It showed just how powerful his God was.

And he commanded certain mighty men of valor who were in his army to bind Meshach, Shadrach, and cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their coats, their trousers, and their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of this huge burning fire. It was so hot you had to stand so far back.

Therefore, because the king's command was urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego. They were by men, and they were cast to men, but then they fried them.

What a sight to see! And you can imagine, would Nebuchadnezzar had just said, well, why don't I just have a couple of men, and we'll take them out there and let them see this? No, you can bet he wanted everyone out there. You're gonna make an example out of them. You're gonna see, if you go against me and my word, you bet you're gonna, you're gonna, you're not even gonna think about not bowing before me, my image. Then, and these three men, Shadrach, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished, and he rose in haste. He rose in haste. So what was he doing? Do you get it? Can you see from the Scripture? This is a sporting event. Let's go. We're gonna see this. He was watching this like it was, and he rose because all of a sudden he's going, uh-oh, what's going on here? How could this? Whoa, wait a minute. There's my, my greatest and biggest soldiers burnt crisp, and there's something going on.

Have you thought that perhaps the thought came into his mind as he got up from his chair? But if not, well, they should be dead. And he rose in haste and spoke, saying to the counselors, Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? He's probably looking at these. Am I losing my mind? Am I hallucinating? They answered 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. Nothing was burnt on them but one thing, the ropes. Where were the ropes? They were bound. Wait a minute. They should be, should be gone.

Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These were men who worked for him. He knew them by their first name. This was not somebody of just some lower person. These were his leaders, administrators.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out and come here. He not only called them by their name, he called them by their title. How about you? How about you? Are we not supposed to be servants of the Most High God?

Come out. And the satraps, administrators, governors, and kings, counselors gathered together, and they saw these men on whose body the fire had no power. The hair of their head was not singed, nor was the garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them. Four things. Look at this. They had to look, they wanted to look and touch, smell, feel everything about these, about these three men. Because wait a minute, the bodies, they weren't even read. I go out in the sun for 30 minutes and I'm read.

Imagine this. The body, it's not. And the hair, their hair wasn't even burnt. You ever smell burnt hair? Oh, you can smell it. It couldn't smell that, right? The garments, they are flame-retardant. Right? They were the highest equality. Lemon, cotton, silk. They weren't any, they were top-notch.

And they weren't, there wasn't any. And the smell.

No smell of smoke. Someone burns, you really smell the smoke. I can tell when somebody smoked a cigarette and they even, I give them a ride and they get in my car, and I can smell it a day later. Or if I'm standing there waiting, after catching a plane and you're standing there waiting for somebody to come up and they pick you up and then there'll be a smoking area and they have to stand by there and you'll smell that and you're going, why? But there was none of this. It said, Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, Blessed be the God of Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego, who sent his angel and delivered his servants who trusted in him. And they have frustrated the king's words and yielded their bodies that they should not serve nor worship any God except their own gods. Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach and Abednego shall be cut into pieces. Talk about overreacting again, right?

Shall be cut into pieces and their houses shall be made as ash heaps. Oh, burn your house down, too! It's not good enough. So here you talk about extreme personality. Bipolar, good man! Because there is no other God who can deliver like this. But you notice what he didn't say? He didn't say, Let's get rid of all the other gods, then. This is a god, did he? He just says, Yours is just greater!

I forget somebody at the first talk about that because I have my Jamaican pen on today. And somebody came up and said, Well, hey, why don't you put all the seven or eight nations that you have here? I said, because I was afraid somebody would come up and go, Why is Jamaica on top?

But here, he says in verse 30, Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and the Proverbs. So they had a high job. Now they have another one. Brethren, this is such an incredible story because it's all about faith.

It's all about faith because true faith is accepting God's will, not ours.

Can we do it? But if not, we're dead. That's what they said. But if not, we're dead. We can accept that. Most of us have not had to go through that yet. Hopefully, they never will.

But are we willing? But if not, I'm fired. I'm fired from my job. I'm going to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. I'm going to keep the Sabbath. When you keep Sabbath, you're going to be fired.

Talk to many people, some even in this room, who said, But if not, I know my God will not forsake me. He will not leave me.

But if not, I'm not going to have any money left. It requires a great deal of faith, doesn't it? I know that God can heal me, my sickness.

But if not, many of us in this room have faced that same question, haven't we?

Many have, and even more will in the future.

But if not, what incredible saying. Three little words, eight letters, but if not. Brethren, that is faith. That is faith in your God, and I need it. I want it. How about you? You know, it's interesting, those three little words, eight letters, because there's another incredible example laid out for us.

You don't have to turn there. Luke 22 and verse 42. It tells the story of the high priestly prayer, is Jesus Christ.

Is there a night before?

And he talks to God, talks to his Father, just like you and I have. Hopefully we do.

And he didn't want it. Is there another way to get this done? As he was sweating, even the sweat looked like drops of blood, because he knew what he was going to have to go through.

Just like Meshach, Shadr, and Abednego, you think they were standing before that fire, and they weren't sweating? Because no matter, you're still human. And Jesus Christ knew what it was to go through pain.

He lived 33 and a half years. He saw pain, dealt with pain, felt pain. Now he knew there was going to be more pain than any human had ever suffered up to that time. And he could have said, but if not, but he said, not my will. Not my will, but yours, Father.

Because he was saying, but if not, I know you can take me on, but if not, you're still God, and you're still sovereign, and you're still going to look after me.

What a credible example. See, faith is not faith.

Faith is not real faith, unless it's tested, is it? Because you can talk about it all day long, but it's not true faith unless it is tested. How about us?

You came in here today, most of you, and you sat right down on this chair. Because what? You had faith, it was not going to collapse. Right?

Right? Now that's faith, because you're willing to fall flat if it doesn't hold you. Right? You counted that cost, but mostly you had seen, had come in here week after week after week, and you sat in these chairs. How much more should we have faith in God that delivers us day after day after day? All those prayers.

Have faith! Even stand on this chair, right? And it didn't collapse, or it hasn't yet, right? Now, any of you ever had one of those white or whatever color vinyl chairs that you sat outside? Bruce, you have some at your house? Okay. Most of us sit on those chairs, but you know those chairs are rated for 225 to 250 pounds. Right? I've known a few people that they actually collapsed. But you know, that chair is made for you to sit, not to stand on. If you stand on and you get close to one area, what happens? But if you're, because you're stupid enough to stand in one of those chairs, you realize this chance is going to collapse. Okay?

Brethren, you have faith in a chair.

How much more faith should we have in the God of the universe?

Who could deliver three men from 7,000 degree heat?

That can deliver us from what we need.

The definition of faith in the dictionary is, complete trust or confidence in someone or something. Complete trust or confidence, that is faith. I like you to turn to the last scripture, if you will. Last scripture, Hebrews 11, the faith chapter, right?

Hebrews 11 verse 1, now faith is a substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. As New Living Translation says, faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen. It gives us the assurance that things of things we cannot see. As it says, verse 2, for by it the elders obtained a good testimony. Why they'd seen these things? By faith! You know, it's interesting, by faith! By faith! That's why it's called the faith chapter by almost all theologians. Why? Because it mentions by faith 18 times, just in that one chapter. It says, by faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. Things seen are proof of things unseen. As one translator put it, you know what's great about this? There's nothing complicated about faith.

It is so simple! Faith doesn't require a great deal of intellect. It just requires in belief in a higher power. Because what did verse 6 say? But without faith, it is impossible to please God.

That's all it is. Just believe. And we can believe in a chair. How much more? How much more? It's simple as three little words and eight letters. But if not, should it become part of our vocabulary? Should it become part of our prayer? It has for me.

I want to live on. But if not, He's still God, and He controls my destiny, my life.

Brethren, there's a woman by the name of Esther who came to the same point where her uncle said, you need to go and meet with the king. Because if not, all the Jews will be killed. And she said, I can't because I have to be called before the king. And he hasn't called me for a month, and you just don't go up before the king. Otherwise, you'll be put to death. And he said, maybe it's because of this time that you were put where you're put, in other words.

But then she decided and had a but if not moment. The king might see me, but if not, what did she say? If I die, I die. If I perish, I perish.

Faith. Faith.

As the disciples looked around after Christ, had left them after Pentecost, and they were carrying on the work of God in Acts 5. They were brought forth, told to stop doing what they're doing.

They looked and said, but we ought to obey God rather than man.

And they could have easily said, but if not, we're willing to take our beatings. And they did.

Because they weren't going to stop.

So I'd like you this week to think about your walk, your life for the next seven days.

Because it is an incredible saying. But I like, as much as those three little powerful words, I like the seven great words that encompass that, that you get to show this week. Because the line is, but if not, let it be known. Brethren, this week, let it be known.