What Kind of Faith Endures Fiery Trials?

Brethren, the last time we were in the book of Daniel was February the 4th, I believe. It's been a while. God willing. Nothing else happens. I'd like to go through that today. Go through some of it today and next time as well. Kind of catch us up a little bit. As I've mentioned in times gone by, regarding the background to the book of Daniel, it's interesting to see the way God has engineered this book, the way He's put the material together.

It is a book of prophecy, but it is front-loaded with a number of very important Christian living principles and ideals. As we went through chapter 1, we saw that the thing, the narrative there, the large story there, was the fact that Daniel and his three companions were men of conviction, men of determination, men who were going to follow God no matter what, even after they've just been conquered, subjugated, they were willing to stand in the face of the powers that be that could have taken their lives and follow God.

In chapter 2, we saw a lot of prophecy in that chapter, but in terms of Christian living, in that chapter and other chapters, we saw where Daniel was a man of tremendous prayer. Now, those two issues or items we see throughout the course of the book, but in chapter 1, we do see the idea of dedication, commitment, chapter 2, the idea of prayer as being the basis for those chapters. Chapter 3 is also an interesting chapter because chapter 3 deals with faith.

And today we're going to take a look just at chapter 3 of the book of Daniel, and we're going to ask a question that many times people ask as they go through life, as you and I go through life as a member of God's church, as a child of God. The question we ask is, what kind of faith endures fiery trials? Now, obviously, this is the chapter that deals with the furnace, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And as we go through just this one chapter, we're going to see a number of lessons to be learned about the kind of faith that endures fiery trials.

What we have is a little bit of background on this chapter. Nebuchadnezzar has a very large, enormous empire. It's an empire that encompasses a number of different types of nations, different types of people, and he wants to bring them all under one umbrella. And he's wondering in his mind how he can do that.

It's a very complex situation. And so what he decided he was going to do is initiate or institute a state religion where everybody under this umbrella could rally around. To help achieve that, he wanted an object that people can look to. And so he erects this statue for the state worship. He remembered the dream he had had prior that we saw there in chapter 2 of the book. And he begins to recreate that particular statue. And he wants people to then bow down to it as a sign of fealty, as a sign of loyalty to him and to the empire.

So with all that as a little bit of a background, let's go over to Daniel chapter 3. And you might want to put a marker there. We will be going to other areas. Daniel chapter 3, verse 1. Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold whose site was 60 cubits and it's with six cubits.

He set it up in the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. Scholars have thought about this verse in terms of the size of the image. Many of the different commentaries I referenced think that the image was actually standing on a fairly large pedestal. The whole thing would go anywhere from eight to ten stories high. Very large. Was all of that the statue? Probably not, according to what most scholars think.

But it was a very huge statue nonetheless on a pedestal in the middle of a plain. I think the idea behind all of this in Nebuchadnezzar's mind is he wanted a lot of people to be able to to see this in the midst of a flat plain that really stood out.

And so here we have this image. It's off from the city of Babylon in this plain of Dura. And now notice verses two and three. There's a political statement that he wants to make here. And he's going to make it very strongly. Verse two. 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 that come to the dedication of the image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. So the satraps, the administrators, the governors, and all these folks came together and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

Now who are these people? You know, you don't need to take lengthy notes on all this, but just note that as I was doing my research, what we see here are a number of different classes of officials that he wanted to make sure he got loyalty pledges from. These are people that helped run the empire in its various areas. The satraps, it is thought, were the chief representatives of the king. The prefects were military commanders. And again, this is something you don't need to write all this down, but you just get a sense of who's there. The governors were civil administrators. The advisors were counselors to those in governmental authority. The treasurers administered the funds of the kingdom. The judges administered the laws. The magistrates passed judgment in keeping with those laws. And the other officials were subordinates to some degree under the satraps. So in other words, you've got all the various people of import politically in the kingdom that are here for this dedication. And Nebuchadnezzar wants them to swear loyalty. He wants them to bow and make sure that he is well supported. You don't get to a position like Nebuchadnezzar as a world-ruling emperor without knowing people, without knowing how to work with people, manipulate people, and realizing kingdoms come and go. He doesn't want to come and go. So he's doing what he feels is best in his mind to solidify his power with these people. Dropping down to verse 4, then a herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, that at a time you hear the sound of the horn, the flute, the harp, the lyre, the salfry, the symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image the king Nebuchadnezzar set up. And whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. Now once again, scholars believe that that burning fiery furnace was just off to the side an easy view of this image. So on one side, they see the image, they can look over, they see the furnace, they realize if we don't fall down and give fealty to the king, our next step is into that furnace. So there's a great visual here that the king wants for the people. Verse 7. 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.

Now if you and I were there observing, somehow observing the whole thing, you see all these people, whoever, thousands perhaps, falling down, kneeling down, all but three. And those three really stood out. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They stood tall, they stood erect, they weren't fumbling around, they knew exactly what they wanted to do. And what they wanted to do is to worship the true God and not give any kind of fealty or loyalty to a false God or to a king who wanted them to do that. And so they stood there. And they stood tall. Now, the last time I gave this sermon, I gave it over in Michigan.

And after the sermon, a couple of people came to me and they asked, okay, so where's Daniel? Where's Daniel? You've got Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They're standing tall. They're standing, you know, everyone else is bowing. Where's Daniel?

Is he bowing? Well, of course not. Where is he? Bible doesn't say. Bible doesn't say.

Expositor's Bible comment here, I'll give you the benefit of their speculation, and I underscore that as speculation. Six different speculatory thoughts. I'll just go through those very rapidly for you. Since Daniel's not mentioned in the chapter, he may have been away on government business. He may not have been in town at all for this dedication. Number two, he may have been in the city of Babylon, not in the plain, conducting government business with various other officials and not actually at that site. Number three, he might have been sick. We saw in Daniel chapter 8 where he was ill, was not able to do some of his duties. Number four, it may have been simply assumed that since he was not in any of those other classifications, that he wasn't required to bow down. Number five is much like one of the previous ones about him being out of the country, so I won't go through that. Number six was thought to be that since he was such an important figure in the government, that the king was not going to ask him to do something that the king may have thought he wouldn't do. But, brethren, we don't know. It's not in the Scripture, so I just give all that to you as supposition. But let's go on with what we do know. Let's take a look now starting in verse 8.

Therefore, at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and accused the Jews.

Little anti-Semitism here. Those three fellows have a pretty prominent position in the government of Babylon. I think that really got under some of the Babylonian skin. They spoke and said, the king never can ask her, O king, live forever. Or, as they would say in Britain, long live the king.

You, O king, have made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, the flute, and all this, and Hoover does, verse 11, who does not fall down in worship shall be cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. So basically, the idea is king. These guys are basically thumbing their nose at you. What are you going to do about that? Verse 12. There are certain Jews who you've 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. Now, these fellows have a very short memory because back earlier, both, you know, the three of them, plus Daniel, had prayed for the intervention that these men would not be killed. Some of the wise men were killed. Some of these other administrators were killed. But these fellows were allowed to live because Daniel coming forward with a understanding of the king's dream. So here we've got the first lesson to be learned about what kind of faith endures fiery trials. Number one, the kind of faith that understands every godly individual will face fiery trials. Everybody goes through them. Nobody is exempt. Nobody gets a free pass.

You know, you've probably gone through your share. I've gone through my share. We will go through more in the future. Every individual in God's church has counted the cost, and there comes a time when all of us pay that full price for counting the cost.

Every individual, sooner or later, will have this kind of an experience. Let's take a look at Acts chapter 5. We put a marker there. There are some corollary things here for us to understand as well. Acts chapter 5.

Something that these three men understood, we understand. Acts chapter 5 and verse 29.

But Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

Obey God rather than men. That's why these three men stood tall. They weren't about to bow down to any image. Regardless of the fact that standing right nearby was that fiery furnace, they were going to do what God wanted them to do. Deuteronomy chapter 6.

These were things that meant more to them, those three men, than whatever King Nebuchadnezzar wanted them to do. Deuteronomy chapter 6 verse 4.

This is what was going through their minds. That was life's number one priority.

Life's number one priority was, no matter the fiery trial, no matter the circumstance, we stay true to God.

I'm sure these men could have done all sorts of things in their mind to justify this oath of loyalty, but they would have none of it. None of it. Last thing we want to go through before we go back to the narrative here, let's go to James chapter 2.

James chapter 2. There's an important principle here that's mentioned three times in the book, three times in the second chapter of James. James chapter 2 verse 17. Thus also, faith by itself, if it doesn't have works, is dead.

Faith, if it doesn't have works, is dead. These men were showing living faith, living faith in their fiery trial. Verse 20. But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead. The second time being repeated. And then lastly, the very last verse of chapter 2 of James, verse 26. For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. Three times for emphasis the idea is brought forward that faith without works is dead. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego didn't have a dead faith. They had a live, vibrant faith. It wasn't going to knuckle under it, regardless of the circumstance there in life. Okay, let's go back now to Daniel chapter 3. We're now in verse 13.

Daniel chapter 3, verse 13. Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury.

Pause for a moment. You're the only three guys standing. Other than Nebuchadnezzar, maybe some people behind him, maybe some of the troops. But it's obvious that everybody is doing what Nebuchadnezzar says, but these three men. The man who has, according to what many people look at it, the man who has their life in his hands, Nebuchadnezzar, he is enraged. He is furious. And he gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. So they brought these men before the king. And, brethren, as we look at the story here, I want you to note the calmness of these three men. They're not jittery. They're not fidgeting. They're not mumbling. They have a very calm demeanor. In their discussions with the king, they were very calm. They knew what they believed. They were men of tremendous faith. Verse 14, Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image I've set up? He knew it was true. He was hoping they would say something that would, you know, placate him. But that wasn't going to happen. Verse 15. Now, if you are ready, if you are ready, what's the king doing here? The king is basically saying, you know, I'm going to give you a second chance. He's dumbfounded. He respects these men, as he respects Daniel. He doesn't want to have them thrown into the burning fiery furnace, but he doesn't want to be made to look like a fool either. So he says, well, you know, maybe you weren't ready before. Maybe he hadn't really thought this out.

Now, if you were ready at the time you hear the sound of the, you know, all these instruments, and you fall down on the worst of the images which I have made, good. But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. And who is the God who will deliver you from my hands? Ooh. He's about to get a real education here. Again, you know, he's gotten an education and time's gone by, but he's about to get another education here. Verse 16.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. Notice the calmness. They're not panicking. They're now fumbling around for words. They're cool. They're calm, collected. You know, faith, brethren, isn't a matter of working up emotions.

Faith is a matter of knowing God, knowing what God says in His word, believing what God says in His word. And then you and I act on what God says in His word. Very calm. These men are very calm here. We don't need to second guess or rethink or what have you. We know exactly where we stand.

Verse 17. 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.

2. Lesson number two about what kind of faith endures fiery trials.

Lesson number two is the kind of faith that calmly looks to God and whatever God's decision is.

Not just calmly looking to God, but whatever. Now, maybe God will make a decision that you and I may not want. But our faith under fiery trials is, no matter what decision God makes, we are okay with that. Because we put our life at His feet and allow His bidding to be done, His will to be done.

That's the kind of faith that endures fiery trials, that calmly looks to God and whatever – and that's the key word, I think, in this phrase – and whatever God's decision is.

They had strong faith. They knew the power of God, that God could deliver them from the burning, fiery furnace. They knew that God loved them. There was no question about that. And they were determined, just like we saw in chapter one. They were dedicated. They were determined. They realized that they were going to follow God no matter what. No matter what the decision is. Let's put a marker here. Let's go to the faith chapter, Hebrews chapter 11. The very end of the faith chapter.

Hebrews chapter 11. Here we see a whole list of people who were faithful to God, whatever the decision God was going to make in their lives.

Hebrews chapter 11. Verse 33, who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouth of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness, remained strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings, encouraging yes and of chains and imprisonment. If that's what God said was going to happen, then so be it. They were going to be faithful in that. They were going to be faithful in that fiery trial. They were not sprung out of jail. They had to go through the imprisonment.

They weren't delivered from the scourgings. They went through the scourgings because, for whatever the reason, that was God's will in their life at that time.

They were stoned. They were sawn in two, perhaps referring to Isaiah. They were tempted. They were slain to the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, and tormented. Again, these are faithful people, fiery trials, calmly accepting whatever God wanted for them. And in these cases, no one lives like this on their own. They were forced to live like this so they could follow God's lead. This is where God was leading them, for whatever the purpose. Verse 38, of whom the world was not worthy, they wandered in deserts and mountains and dens and caves of the earth. And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us. Basically, well, let's turn to Matthew 26. Matthew 26.

Verse 42. Matthew 26, verse 42. Again, a second time, he went away and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup cannot pass away from me unless I drink it, your will be done.

What kind of faith endures fiery trials? The kind of faith that says, regardless of the circumstance, regardless of the outcomes, your will be done. Your will be done. Okay, let's go back now to Daniel 3. We'll pick up the narrative here in verse 19.

Daniel 3, verse 19. Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He spoke and commanded they heat the furnace seven times more than it usually was heated. And he commanded certain mighty men of Valor, who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and cast them into the burning fiery furnace. So here we have the king. Now, his visage is changing. He's upset. He wants to take their life. He wants them to pay horribly. He wants to torture them. He gets his strongest men to bind them, his mighty men. And now we see a third lesson to be learned about the kind of faith that endures fiery trials. Number three, the kind of faith that looks to God's power and not the power of man. They weren't looking at Nebuchadnezzar. They weren't looking at the fiery furnace. They weren't looking at the guys who were binding them. Those were men. They realized they served a great living God of all power. Who were these men in light of that? Who were those men? Again, put a marker here. Let's go to Isaiah 40. Isaiah 40. Isaiah 40, verse 10, Behold, the Lord shall come with a strong hand. His arm shall rule for him, and his reward with him and his work before him. He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will gather the lambs with his arm and carry them in his bosom and gently lead those who are with young.

So here we're seeing a picture of our great God who is gentle and who is loving toward those who fear Him. Verse 12, Who has measured the waters and the hollow of his hand, measured the heavens with a span, and calculated the dust of the earth in a measure, weighed the mountains and scales and the hills in a balance.

What is this? And the God who does this in relation to Nebuchadnezzar? He is nothing! Those soldiers are nothing! That fiery furnace is nothing! And Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego know that. They are not worried about the power of men. Verse 13, Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or as his counselor has taught him? With whom did he take counsel? And who instructed him? It taught him in the path of the Lord.

Who taught him knowledge and showed him the way of understanding? Behold, the nations! Now, forget about just one king, Nebuchadnezzar. Behold, the nations are as a drop in the bucket, and are accounted as a small dust on the scales. Look, he lifts up the isles as a very little thing.

And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor is its beast sufficient for a burnt offering. Get all the animals you want to! That doesn't really impress God.

Verse 17, All nations before Him are as nothing, and they are accounted to Him as less than nothing and worthless. And you can go on through the rest of the chapter. I'm not going to take the time to read the rest of this. All through the balance of the chapter, showing the greatness of God, His tremendous power. And this is what was going through and coursing through the minds of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They were looking to God and His power, and not the power of man.

Okay, let's go back now to Daniel 3. Pick up the story in verse 21. Daniel 3, verse 21.

Then these men were bound in their coats, their trousers, their turbans, and their other garments, and they were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

Therefore, because the kinks of man was urgent and the furnace was exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

You know, it's kind of an interesting thought as a sideline. You follow God, and you can stand the heat. You can stand the heat because God is there with you as you stand the heat. People who aren't with God, who don't follow God, they can't take the heat. They wither. They die.

These men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, you know, just throwing them into that furnace. We had the thought that they were going up part of the way onto the furnace and thrown down. As they were bound, the fall could have killed them. They could have broken their necks. That didn't take place. So here we learn a fourth lesson. A fourth lesson. What kind of faith endures fiery trials? As Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into the furnace, what kind of faith endures fiery trials? The kind of faith that goes the full distance with God. They were going the full distance with God. They weren't going part of the way. They were going the whole way through this trial. They were going to see the whole thing through as ugly as it was. They were going to maintain their walk with God, their feelings toward God, their loyalty toward God, no matter what.

The kind of faith that goes the full distance. Let's go over to Hebrews chapter 10.

Last part of Hebrews chapter 10 is basically viewed as an introduction to Hebrews chapter 11. Let's take a look at the last two verses, 38 and 39, of Hebrews chapter 10. Again, much like an introduction to the material in Hebrews chapter 11. Hebrews chapter 10 verse 38. Now the just shall live by faith, but if anyone draws back, my soul has no pleasure in him.

And so here we see Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, they are living by faith. They're not drawing back, they're not squirming, they're calm, they're collected, they're going to do what they feel they should do in terms of worshiping the great God and following Him. Verse 39, but we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul. If we skip chapter 11, we go to chapter 12. Hebrews chapter 12 verse 1.

Therefore, we also, verse 1, Hebrews 12, 1, therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, this cloud of witnesses, you know, you see the word therefore, it's talking about what has gone before, meaning chapter 11 in this case, therefore, since we're surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, the people there in chapter 11, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance, with endurance. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego went the full distance with God in his fiery trial.

Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. God's not called us to a sprint. Now, there are times in our life when we may have a sprint, we've got a short, a trial of short duration, but we've got a whole life that God gives us to live, and God wants us to go to distance with Him.

Verse 2, Hebrews 12, too, looking unto Jesus, not looking unto Nebuchadnezzar, not looking unto the image, not looking to the burning fiery furnace, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross. As I mentioned on many occasions, the word joy here is very specific. It doesn't say for the happiness. Christ was unhappy when He was being tortured. That wouldn't be the proper word to use, but joy is, because joy is a matter of our relationship with God, regardless of circumstance. Circumstances there were awful, but He realized in joy that what Christ was doing was going to give you and I eternal life.

Our sins will be wiped away. Our names can be written in the Lamb's Book of Life. That gave Christ joy, irrespective of the circumstance.

Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, the spies in the shame, and it sat down on the right hand to the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.

We look to Jesus. He went the distance. He did according to the will of God, and that's what God, the Father, and Jesus Christ, their elder brother, asked for us to do.

Verse 4, you have not yet resisted the bloodshed striving against sin.

Christ did. He went the whole distance.

Let's continue on with chapter 3 of Daniel. Pick up the story in verse 24. Daniel 3, verse 24 and 25.

Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished, and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, Did we not cast three men bound to the midst of the fire? They answered and said to the king, True, O King.

See, the king is seeing something. He doesn't know if he wants to believe what he's seeing. He's astonished. These guys should have been dead. The valiant soldiers had died. One of the last acts that they performed is pushing the guy, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the furnace. Then they had died. But here we see the king being astonished because he sees something. His mind can't wrap itself around. Verse 25.

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.

Now, we don't know how he would have known something like that.

Maybe simply by the inspiration of God, they realize there's a deity there.

But what we see here now is now a fifth fruit, a fifth lesson to be learned about what kind of faith endures fiery trials. And that fifth lesson to be learned is the kind of faith that endures fiery trials is the kind of faith that expects God to stand shoulder to shoulder with us as we go through our fiery trials. He will stand shoulder to shoulder with us. He loves us. He won't desert us.

He won't desert us. Hebrews 13.

That emboldens us to realize we're not alone as we stand facing the trial we're facing. Hebrews 13.5.

Let your conduct be without covenants, be content with such things as you have, for he himself is it. I will never leave you nor forsake you. So we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper. I will not fear. What can man do to me? What can man, what can Nebuchadnezzar do to me?

When you've got the faith that realizes God will stand shoulder to shoulder with you, helping you, encouraging you, bolstering your faith should your faith waver or weaken, which many times it can happen. We're human beings. We're so much clay. But God is there to embolden us, to help us, to strengthen us. Acts 7.

Acts 7 toward the end of the chapter, we've got Stephen about ready to be martyred here.

Acts 7, verse 55. But he, Stephen, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Standing, not sitting. Now, I know this is an image, but I think that's an image that God was giving to Stephen to embolden him, to encourage him. At a moment, he was about ready to die. That Jesus Christ was just not sitting around. Jesus Christ was standing, standing with him, standing for him, giving him the strength to go through this life-ending trial. Verse 56, and he said, Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God. That meant something to him. Then he cried out with a loud voice, stopping their ears and ran in with one accord. And they cast him out of the city, stoned him, and the witnesses laid down their clothes to the feet of a young man named Saul, whom later was changed to Paul. And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, Lord, do not charge them with this sin. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. Very reminiscent of what Jesus Christ himself said. That very power of God was resting on this man. He realized God the Father, Jesus Christ, were standing shoulder to shoulder with him as he went through this fiery trial.

Okay, let's begin to finish up the story here. Let's go back again to Daniel chapter 3.

Daniel chapter 3 verses 26 and 27. Verse 26, 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, the administrators, the governors, the king's counselors, gathered together.

They all were eyeballing this very closely. They gathered together. They saw these men on whose body the fire had no power. The hair of their head was not singed, nor their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not even on them.

Lesson number six, what kind of faith endures fiery trials?

The kind of faith that understands the value of our example as we go through those fiery trials.

So many times, brethren, you and I go through trials. They are for our benefit. They help us, but they help those around us. They help those as you and I successfully go through a trial. They embolden those who watch us and are encouraged by what they see in us.

What they see in us is the power of God resting on us. We don't want people looking at us for our sake.

We want to have them to see God working in us, the power of God, just as the power of God was working in these three men. And so all these government officials were gathering around Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And again, there's going to come a time when these fellows are going to be resurrected, and they're going to remember what God did here. You know, we just recently went through the days of Unleavened Bread. I was not with you on the last day of Unleavened Bread, but typically that's the day we believe that Israel went through the Red Sea.

When you read that narrative, you see where God's talking about how the Egyptians were killed, the soldiers were killed. But as you read the narrative, you also see the mind of God at work, because those those soldiers, those Egyptian soldiers, they came to understand who the real God was. Not those Egyptian gods, but the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

And that is going to help them when they're resurrected in the Great White Throne Judgment period. Their minds are being, the seed is being planted there. As you go through your fiery trials and people watch you, they may not understand why you do what you do or how you do what you do. You understand we do it because of the power of God in our lives. All they know is it worked with you. It worked with you. 2 Corinthians chapter 1. 2 Corinthians chapter 1.

Start here in verse 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that, and why does God comfort us in our tribulation? That we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

Our example of faithfully going through a fiery trial can comfort other people.

We could speak with some authority because we saw how God delivered us, how God strengthened us, how God was there for us. We realize we're nothing, and yet look what God has done in our lives. Verse 5. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. Paul goes on to say much more, but the idea is, you know, we serve a God who comforts, we go through various trials, people see us go through those trials with God's help, and others can be comforted because of that. Okay, let's begin to put the finishing touches on Daniel chapter 3. Let's go back there. We're going to look at the last three verses.

Daniel chapter 3 verse 28.

Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

Quite a change in spirit from the beginning of this chapter. 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 yielded their bodies, that they should not serve or worship any God except their own God. That from Nebuchadnezzar is a mouthful, who delivered his servants, who trusted in him, who didn't trust in Nebuchadnezzar, who didn't trust in the soldiers of Nebuchadnezzar, but they trusted in God, and have frustrated the king's word. The king is eating some humble pie right here. I want to, you know, basically Nebuchadnezzar was thinking, I wanted those guys dead. Dead. I wanted them burned up.

I wanted to scorch Dursphoth on these three men's lives. And yet it says, the true God frustrated my purpose. He obviously is more powerful than me or my God.

And he says, and they yielded their bodies, that they should not serve or worship any God except their own. Verse 29, therefore I make a decree that any people, nation or language, shall speak amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, their houses shall be made like an ash heap, because there's no other God who can deliver it like this.

Don't you just wish the man would live like with this thinking the rest of his life?

But he kept on, you know, going back and not understanding. I guess that's just the way people are. Verse 30, then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

So here, not only were their lives not taken, they were promoted.

Last lesson, lesson number seven. What kind of faith endures fiery trials?

The kind of faith that understands the bottom line. We win. We win. The world might want to put the hurts to us, but we win if we stay faithful to the great God. First Peter chapter five.

First Peter chapter five, verse six and seven.

Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God. Humble ourselves, realizing His great power. He will deliver. And as He does deliver, that when the time is right, and to verse six, that He may exalt you in due time, in the kingdom, when the time is right. Verse seven, cast all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Or as the J.B. Phillips says, words to the effect, give Him all of your anxieties. You are His personal concern. You are His personal concern.

We win. Romans chapter eight, verse 37. Romans chapter eight and verse 37.

Yet in all these things, faith tells us, Romans 8, 37, yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. We're not conquerors because of our strength, or our wisdom, or our ingenuity, or our brightness. No. We are conquerors through Him who loved us.

In faith, we realize that we accomplish because we love our great God, and that commonly have faith in His power. Last scripture for the day is found over here in Psalm 66.

Psalm 66.

Starting here in verse 10. Psalm 66, verse 10.

For you, O God, have tested us. You sent us through the fiery trials. You have refined us as silver is refined. You've gotten rid of all things that shouldn't be there. It takes a fiery trial to do that. You brought us into the net. You laid affliction on our backs. You've caused men to ride over our heads. Some pretty crunching times, right? We went through fire and through water, but you brought us out to rich fulfillment. You brought us out to abundance. You brought us out to your kingdom. You brought us out to eternal life. What kind of faith endures fiery trials? The kind of faith that understands the bottom line. We win. So, brethren, in conclusion, today we've taken a look at Daniel chapter 3, as I was studying this yesterday and putting my thoughts together for the message today. Changed it a little bit since I gave this last year over in Ann Arbor. As I was going through the material, I saw seven different lessons to be learned.

If you missed any of those, I won't go through them now, but if you missed any of those, see me after service. We'll be happy to give you that list.