Okay, well, I want you to turn
with me to the book of Daniel and the third chapter. The book
of Daniel and the third chapter. Now, we see in these pages in
this book of Daniel some of the best known Bible stories of all. The story of the dream that we
had last week in chapter 2, of refusing the king's food in chapter
1. There's more to come yet. There's
the lion's den, of course. These are all very, very well
known. And this story about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, or to
give them their Jewish names, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,
to give them those names, which were their names from Jerusalem,
whereas these were their idolatrous Babylonian God-based names, Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego, they went through this burning, fiery furnace. And immediately, you know, the
skeptical heart of man would say, ah, we're into fable. We're
into just myth and fable. It has the same sort of value
as an ancient Norse fable. It's just a story to tell around
campfires by old men on nights to keep them entertained. And
that's as far as many, many people go with them. And some go a bit
further and say, oh, no, no, no. No, no, no. This is a true
account. This is in the Word of God. So
what can we learn from it? Well, we learn this. Burning
fiery furnaces normally do a great deal of harm to flesh and blood
and clothes. They burn them up so that there's
nothing left, just a pile of ashes. That's true, isn't it?
That's true. But this shows that the God of
heaven is ruler over all things and the God of heaven changed
the laws of science so that the fire did not touch Shadrach,
Meshach and Abednego. And so, I can believe in miracles. Now, isn't that good? And yes,
that is absolutely true. You take that point of view,
and that is absolutely true. If you know the God who rules
all things, and the book of Hebrews tells us in the first two or
three verses that He controls all things by the word of the
power of the Lord Jesus Christ, His Son, the God-Man. If you
believe that, then miracles are no obstacle to you. You know
how they are to so many people? I just can't believe the miracles.
Why not? Why not? If God actively makes things
continue working as they are now, then for his own purposes
it's well within his power to change the laws of nature, the
laws of physics, to accomplish his purposes, and so miracles
are no longer a problem. I don't have a problem, and I
have a scientific training, I don't have the slightest problem with
believing that the God of the universe who declares himself
in this book had the power in that instance to change the laws
of physics so that the fire of the furnace and the temperatures
there had no effect whatsoever on the physical bodies of Shadrach,
Meshach and Abednego and the account is so clear that that
is the case that there was no effect whatsoever and so it isn't
difficult if you believe in the God of the universe then believe
in the God of miracles and don't put any stumbling blocks in your
way but those who know nothing of Christ can get that truth
from it You know, those who believe in an omnipotent sovereign God
can get that truth from it without knowing anything for their soul's
good. Because the things for our soul's good are only in the
Lord Jesus Christ. They're only in Him. You see,
what we need for our soul's good is a knowledge that we're accepted
by God. Is a knowledge that our sin is
not going to justly condemn us to hell. That's what we need.
We need that knowledge. You don't find that knowledge
in believing in the God of miracles, even though He is a God of miracles.
But you do find that knowledge in His Son. Because in His Son,
and in His shed blood, is all the righteousness that His people
need to satisfy the law of God. Is all the sin penalty paid that
they need to show that the account has been wiped clean, that there
is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.
It's in Christ that we have acceptance with God. And these scriptures
are they that speak of Him. So we look for Him in these pages. We must do. We don't just want
to learn about the God who created everything. Of course He created
everything. We don't just want to learn about the God who is
able to do miracles. Of course He is. He's God. He's
the God over all things. But we want to find those things
that are for the good of our eternal sinful souls without
whom we're justly condemned to a lost eternity. Now then, Babylon. This is set in Babylon, as I
said in the first of these messages. And the book of Revelation pictures
the world in which we live through all history, but especially today,
and all the false religion that there is all around us, it pictures
it as Babylon. In the book of Revelation it
talks about Babylon being fallen, it's cast down. Babylon, the
great whore. It speaks of the world and the
God-rejecting world and the religious idolatrous Christ-rejecting world
all around us as Babylon. And Babylon has a philosophy.
This place where these young men had been taken captive, they'd
been taken away from Jerusalem in fulfillment of God's promise
and threats concerning idolatry of the people of Judah. If they
continued in their idolatry, He would judge them and He would
take them away. And so He did. They were taken captive to Babylon. And Babylon had a philosophy.
Its society, its civilization, had a philosophy. It was highly
civilized. Highly civilized. There was order. There was civilization. They
weren't barbaric tribes. There were all sorts of benefits
to living in the Babylonian Empire. There was a single ruler. It
was a united kingdom. It was strong. It was powerful.
It was prosperous. All the people had all that they
needed. The harvest came and went. They had all the material
things they needed. We know this from archaeology.
It was a very, very rich civilization and culture. It had rich literature. It had glorious art. It had wonderful
riches, treasures, treasures beyond belief. And its philosophy
was the same as our world today. That without God, we can make
a society where everybody's happy and no need to worry about anything.
Where everybody can grow old in comfort, and satisfaction
and peace. We'll have this worldwide peace
and nobody need ever fear anything. And it's religion proclaimed
the ability of man in his own strength to prepare for eternity.
No need for grace from God. Man in his own strength has the
ability to prepare for eternity. And is that not the religion
that is all around us today? I don't care whether it calls
itself Islam or Hinduism or Buddhism or Christianity. So much of it. So much of it proclaims the ability
of man in his own strength to do that which is necessary to
be right with God. But the Bible is unique truth. Against all the religion of the
world, the Bible is unique truth. Ah, but you say, don't so many
people interpret the Bible a certain way and they get a completely
different message to you from it? How do I know who is right?
Well, it is true. But note this. This is what the
Bible says. Paul, writing to the Corinthians,
he says, the natural man. 1 Corinthians chapter 2, verse
14. The natural man cannot discern
the things of the Spirit of God. Even though he reads these pages,
he cannot discern the things of the Spirit of God in the strength
of his flesh, in the strength of his human intellect. He can't. Why? Because they're spiritually
discerned. We can only discern these things,
we can only discern the truth of God if the Holy Spirit comes
to us. And God, by His Spirit, reveals
His truth to us, and shows us these things, and writes them
in our hearts, and in our minds, and shows us these things as
His Word has promised, that He will come to His people. This
message of Christ alone, this message that it's in Him, and
in Him alone, this message that He has saved an elect, innumerable
multitude, and that he brings them to Christ by faith through
the preaching of the gospel, the foolishness of the preaching
of the gospel, so that whoever calls upon the name of the Lord
shall be saved, and he will bring every one of them. No man can
come unless the Father brings him, but whoever comes he will
in no wise cast out." That's the message of this book in contrast
to the message of the Babylonian philosophy that we have all around
us. And there are many, many forgeries
of that truth around us. There are what we might call
modern Babylonian forgeries all around us. I mentioned so-called
Christianity. There are so many. They use the
language of Zion. They mouth the doctrines of the
Reformation, but they espouse the principles of Babylon, of
the worldly religion all around us. And these most religious
people have always been, in history, the ones who are most vehement
in their persecution of the truth. in their persecution of Christ's
true people throughout all history and all it is don't be afraid
because all it is is Satan working out what God has told us in Revelation
chapter 12 he's just that dragon trying to devour and to destroy
but note also that in Revelation chapter 12 as we read last week
God puts his church in the wilderness and there he feeds her for a
season he feeds her there for the time He looks after her.
He cares for her. He cares for his people in this
wilderness. But the persecution comes, as
it always will. Think right back to the beginning.
Cain had the religion of Babylon, even though he was way before
the time of Babylon. Cain had the religion of Babylon, and
he persecuted Abel, who had the religion of true faith in the
Lord Jesus Christ. Think, let's leap the entire
Old Testament. We could pick out many examples,
but I haven't time. Think of Saul of Tarsus before
he became Paul the Apostle, before the Lord stopped him. Saul of
Tarsus was a very, very zealous religious man. He was unblameable
as a Pharisee. He was the best of all Pharisees
with the best education and the best credentials. But think what
a vehement, violent persecutor he was of those who held to the
truth of Christ until the Lord stopped him. Think of the zealots
in history. Think of this country. in the
1500s in the time of Henry VIII and Queen Mary. Think of their
zealous religious persecution of those who believed the true
gospel, of the violence, of the murder and the torture that was
undertaken in the name of religion. They sincerely believed they
were doing the will of God. They sincerely believed they
were upholding the church of God and yet they were doing the
will of Satan in persecuting and executing and burning at
the stake those who believe the truth of the gospel. Think about
John Bunyan. Who was it who persecuted John
Bunyan? State-sponsored religious persecutors. State-sponsored
persecutors locked him up in Bedford Jail for 12 years. Always,
always, that religion, that Babylonian religion is the one that persecutes
the truth most strongly. In our day today, come as close. I said there are some very, very
good forgeries. I talked about using the language
of Zion and mouthing the doctrines of the Reformation, but espousing
the principles of Babylon. And in our day, we've got the
followers of that man Andrew Fuller, who lived 200 years ago,
who started what is now called, I've seen it written on so-called
evangelical books, Calvinism for the 21st century. You know
what Calvinism for the 21st century is? It's old-fashioned free will
Arminianism dressed up in the language of Calvinism just to
make it look acceptable. But in actual fact it's the philosophy
of Babylon. It really is the philosophy of
Babylon and it's opposed completely to the revelation of truth that
is here in the scriptures. And all of these oppose and persecute
the true Church of Christ. They get some religion. They
get it in a big dose in some cases and they make an idol. And when they make an idol, oh
what elaborate pomp they put around it. Look at this, you
see Nebuchadnezzar got some religion and he set up his own idol, his
own view of this. And in verse 2, look who gathers
together with him. In verse 2, then Nebuchadnezzar
the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, the
captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counselors, the sheriffs,
and all the rulers of the provinces to come to the dedication." Boy,
everyone that was somebody was there, weren't they? Look at
them. Captains, princes, governors, all of them. And they came, and
they stood before the image. And the herald cried aloud, verse
four, to you it is commanded, O people and nations and languages,
that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, the flute,
the harp, the sackbut, the psaltery, the dulcimer, and all kinds of
music, you fall Do you sense a little bit of mocking here
of the scripture for the pomp and circumstance of worldly Babylonian
religion? You're meant to smile at this.
There's mocking here at the pomp and ceremony of these worldly
things. You know, everybody that was
anybody, dressed in all of their finery were there. And they didn't
just have some kinds of music, they had all kinds of music,
every instrument that they could possibly find, to make such pomp
and circumstance around this idol that they've set up. This
was what drove Nebuchadnezzar. You see, he'd been impressed
with Daniel's dream. He'd been impressed with the
interpretation of it, with the revelation of his dream by Daniel,
is what I meant to say, and the interpretation of it. He'd been
impressed that Daniel must have a line to the God of the universe,
for he's told me all things, the unfolding of world history,
how the different Babylonian and Medo-Persian and Greek and
Roman empires would come and would culminate in the kingdom
of Christ and its supremacy that would fill the world and crush
everything else to dust. He'd seen something. He definitely
had. How quick people often are to
jump to conclusions and they see the merest, merest glimmer
of spiritual light as a total awakening. The merest glimmer. And they make such a fuss of
them and they bow before them and they They put down the red
carpet for them and they give them all of the treatment to
try and make them feel welcome and honored and privileged and
how grateful we are to you for taking the time to come in amongst
us. You see, they make such a thing of it. But Nebuchadnezzar, he'd
seen something, but his heart wasn't changed. There was no
change of heart. And this is a truth that graceless
knowledge and experience What does it do? It just leads to
idolatry. It leads to idolatrous views
of God. Some are more threatening than
others. Some are just the delusion of an individual's mind. But
idolatry is reinforced. And that knowledge that they
have is distorted into an image to be worshipped. And so it was
with Nebuchadnezzar. The knowledge that he had and
the experience that he had was distorted into an image to be
worshipped. This grotesque 90 feet tall,
9 feet wide image that he set up. This huge, great, ridiculous
thing, this image of gold that somehow followed on from him
having this revelation that there was a God in heaven. See, let's
be careful. Let's not assume that every little
twinkling of spiritual light in somebody immediately means
that they're a Christian and know the truth. It isn't the
case. It wasn't with him. But his idolatry led him to complete
intolerance of those who rejected his idol. And so it is. So often, so many people are
totally intolerant of those who reject their idol. At one extreme
in our day, we could say, look at the more extreme elements
of Islam. The more extreme elements of Islam have an idolatrous God,
because he's not the God of Scripture, and he's not the God of salvation
in Christ. So it's an idolatrous God. And yet their view of it
is held so strongly, so strongly that they believe that they have
a mandate, not just permission, a mandate from that God to go
and to kill those who are infidels, to set off bombs in tube trains,
to blow up aeroplanes over the Atlantic, all of these things.
They believe that they have an absolute instruction from their
God, from their idol, to go and do these utterly intolerant things. This idolatrous religion, is
very persecuting of the truth of grace. And here we see in
this account persecution on the march. And this was intended
for the entrapment of these faithful Jews. Now we don't read of Daniel
himself in this chapter. I don't know why. Nobody knows
why. We're not told. All I can speculate is that he
and his three friends on the basis of what had happened in
chapter 2 had been elevated to very, very high-ranking positions
in the Babylonian Empire. You know, they were cabinet members,
they were ambassadors, they were whatever else it was. They held
very, very elevated offices, and it could be that Daniel,
as part of his work, was in another part of the empire on business
at this time. That could be the simple explanation as to why
we only read about Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, because
soon we read about Daniel again in the following chapters. They
had been given very high office because of what had been revealed.
Now then, you get a promotion. Think about it at work. Somebody
gets a promotion. And what's the immediate thoughts
of all the rest? Some will be very congratulatory
and very gracious. There'll be lots of others who'll
be incredibly envious and thinking, I never should have got that
position. Absolutely, totally unsuitable for that position.
Why on earth did they give that job to him? And I imagine that
there were lots of these other rulers in this Babylonian society
who were very jealous, very envious of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
And they were thinking of whatever way they could to entrap them
and to bring them down and to get them the wrong side of Nebuchadnezzar
and have them removed from their positions because they wanted
those positions in their place. They must be removed. They were
filled with envy. And Babylonian society And the
ruling classes had to find a way of ensnaring and destroying them. And so it is, the world and worldly
religion. Worldly religion must find a
way of silencing sovereign grace and particular redemption. And
it does it, how does it do it? It does it by sidelining those
who believe sovereign grace and particular redemption. By making
us out to be extreme. making us out to be contrary
to reasonable human assessment of the situation. We may not
experience physical threats for our faith, but we certainly know
the force of rejection and being ostracized and slandered. And
so, here, the non-conformance of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego,
they wouldn't bow down to this idol, Nor can you. If you've
seen the Lord of Glory, if you've seen the salvation which is in
Jesus Christ, you can't bow down to these things, however religious
they appear. You can't go along with them. You don't want anything
to do with them. You know, I mean, they have so
much credibility. Let me just, a little aside. You know that we have a trying
situation in the family with family illness, very, very close
to us. And it's very trying. we're so grateful to God for
all that he's doing in this situation but you know one thing we don't
want is religious folks coming along and telling Christine's
sister to go to this church or that church that's the last thing
we want and people would say oh surely she should go to a
church at a time like no please don't absolutely not don't don't
go where you hear the truth if you can find it and if you can't
find anywhere that preaches this truth sit at home and use the
internet and get messages off that but don't go to these Babylonian
religious places because they're a lie they're peddling a lie,
they're peddling falsehood we don't live in an ecumenical society
where we're all pals together the truth of grace stands absolutely
separate from them right, that's the aside over but their non-conformance
is reported and they have a gracious and a faithful response to Nebuchadnezzar
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Verse 15, they're given a chance
to conform. Look at this verse. They're given
a chance to conform. Now, come on, I've got you now.
I'm furious. You refuse to bow down to my
idol. You refuse to go along with my
religion. Do you know what I can do to
you? Now, I'll give you one last chance. Now, there's going to
be the all kinds of music is going to go off. And when you
hear it, you will bow down to my idol. And then when you do,
that'll be fine. We'll say no more about it. You
can get on with your business and carry on in your jobs at
the head of the state. That's absolutely fine. But if
not, if you still refuse, burning fiery furnace for you. That's
where you're going. And who is that God which shall
deliver you out of my hands? I'm Nebuchadnezzar. I'm the most
powerful man that has ever been or will ever be in terms of being
a single united ruler of a single united powerful empire. Who's
going to deliver you out of my hand? He almost, having seen
what he saw, he's almost throwing down a challenge to the God of
the universe. Who is the God that shall deliver you out of
my hands? But they set their faces. You know we read in Luke
chapter 9 verse 51 how Jesus set his face steadfastly like
a flint to go to Jerusalem. He had a purpose. He was determined
in that purpose. Nothing was going to cause him
to waver from that purpose. And so it was. They had a purpose. They were determined. They were
not going to waver in this. Why did they do that? Why did
they do that in the face of such life-threatening violence? Why did they do that? It was
because they saw the kingdom that is not of this world. They
saw the kingdom which is eternal. They saw the kingdom of the Lord
Jesus Christ. They saw the kingdom of the people
of God. And on the basis of that, as
the New Testament tells us, it's not these physical things that
you can knock and touch that are the real enduring things.
It's the things that are unseen that are eternal. The unseen
things are eternal. They saw those things. They saw
the truth of righteousness. They saw the truth of judgment.
They saw the truth of sovereignty. They saw the truth of God and
His salvation. And they knew they had a part
in it. And irrespective of what happened in this world, they
knew that their homes were in eternity, in glory with Christ,
which is far better. Whether or not He would save
them physically, it didn't matter. What mattered was the glory of
God. And if He would save them physically, that would be to
God's glory. But if He didn't save them physically, they knew
of a certainty that they would be with Him in paradise, like
that thief on the cross. They knew when he said, Lord,
remember me when you come into your kingdom. This day I tell
you, you shall be with me in paradise. And they knew. They
knew from what they had seen from His Word. They've had promises
in His Word in the book of Isaiah in chapter 43. We'll look at
it in a moment. But on the basis of that promise,
they believed God and by faith what they saw. They refused to
conform. And they said, you can do with
us whatever you want. It makes no difference. Nebuchadnezzar
had set up this furnace, this burning, fiery furnace. Oh, what a weak, pathetic picture
this is. The scriptures use very graphic
language concerning hell and torment. And it's a subject that
we don't like to speak about. It's a subject that I certainly
shrink back from preaching about it. Nobody likes to preach about
it, but it's absolutely true. The Scriptures are clear. God
will punish sin. And the pictures in Scripture
are very graphic about the judgment of God. We have the parable of
the beggar, Lazarus, and the rich man who's died and he's
gone to glory and he's passed through death. It's a parable.
It isn't meant to teach us true, actual things. But in Luke 16,
24, as Jesus tells this story, there is the rich man in torments,
and he says, who will take me out of this tormenting fire?
This flame of torment? As if it's just a place of agony. What it means, I don't know.
It's picture language. But it pictures this terrible,
terrible suffering for rejection of God. And Nebuchadnezzar sets
up his furnace. and the one set against the other
there he is threatening these faithful men with his little
furnace and the God of heaven is saying you and your whole
society are destined for those metaphorical burning flames whatever
it is I don't know I'm not saying it's not literal I'm just saying
I don't know but the judgment of God is absolutely certain
and contrast the two of them contrast the judgment of God
and what is coming for those who reject Christ and his gospel
compared with this pathetic little fiery furnace, however daunting
it must have appeared to them at the time. And so in the 16th
century in England, many saints trod that fearful way through
the fire. They were burned at the stake
because they knew it was a moment of physical suffering compared
with an eternity of bliss. For this day, they would be with
Christ in paradise. How frustrated these persecutors
must be. They all turn out to be totally
frustrated in the face of the faith of God's elect. You see,
I saw a good thing that Robert Hawker had written about this.
He said, men may shut up in prison, men may lock you up in a prison,
but Christ liberates the heart. Prisons can shut men in, but
prisons can't shut Christ out. Christ comes in. So, think of
it, John Bunyan. John Bunyan shut away by those
who would stop him from preaching. He had a little congregation,
I don't know, somewhat bigger than ours, I imagine, in Bedford,
and they would stop him from preaching. The law was against
it, the religious persecutors were against him, and they couldn't
stop him preaching, so they locked him in the prison to shut him
out of his practice of his faith. But they couldn't keep Christ
out of that prison. And whilst he was in the prison, Look how
many generations he's preached to through the books that he
wrote while he was there. Look at that. Look at what God
accomplished. The prison doors couldn't keep
Christ out. They could shut John Bunyan away,
but the prison doors couldn't keep Christ out of his heart.
And so it is. We have Christ's promise. And
these young men, how could they do what they did? Because they
had Christ's promise. You see, you know the story.
I don't need to tell you the story. They came through it.
They were saved. God did choose to save them.
Christ did walk with them. Turn to Isaiah 43. With these
verses I want to finish. Isaiah 43. You see, these young
men, when they went to Babylon, they would have had this scripture
of Isaiah. They would have had these words. They would have
read and known and rejoiced in these words that are here. They
would have known these things. These are the promises that they
had and they apply to us who believe today. Exactly the same. Verse 1, But now, thus saith
the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel. This is speaking of the people
of God. This is the elect of God. This is those who were chosen
in Christ from before the foundation of the world. These are the ones
whom the Father gave to the Son, that innumerable multitude that
no man can number, of every tribe and kindred in all generations.
But His special people, His special people, as the New Testament
calls them, His holy priesthood, His royal priesthood, O Jacob
and He that formed thee, O Israel, fear not. Why should I fear not? For I have redeemed thee. He's
paid for us. He's bought us. He's bought us
back from from that state of lost imprisonment. I have called
thee by thy name. He's given us a name, the people
of God, the children of God. Thou art mine. Do you hear that? Child of God, if you're listening
this morning, you are mine, says the God of the universe. I am
the God of Jacob and you are mine. I've called you by that
name. Jacob and Israel, the sinner Jacob and Israel, the prince
with God. He's turned us into princes with
God. and he makes some promises. When you pass through the waters,
I will be with thee. And through the rivers, they
shall not overflow thee. You see, they may overflow your
physical body and drown you. As the Salway estuary of the
River Eden overflowed those two women in the days of the Scottish
Covenant, as when they were tied up to that stake, hammered into
the into the mud banks of the Solway Firth. And as the tide
came in, the water physically overflowed them and they drowned.
But it didn't overflow their spirits. Not at all. It didn't
overflow their spirits. Their spirits were taken to be
with Christ, which is far better. I will be with thee. Verse 2,
when thou walkest through the fire. Do you hear that? When thou walkest Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego knew this verse. They'd read it. When thou walkest
through the fire thou shalt not be burned. Oh, it may burn your
body and your clothes. They'd said that. It may be that
God will not save us physically, but it wouldn't burn their souls.
It wouldn't damage their souls. Neither shall the flame kindle
upon thee. For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel,
thy Savior. We have a Savior and our Savior
is the God of the universe. we have a Savior for we need
a Savior for without a Savior we're lost and we'll perish but
we have a Savior and He is the Lord God the one who is able
to save to the uttermost those who come to Him by the Lord Jesus
Christ I gave Egypt for thy ransom Ethiopia and Seba for thee since
thou wast precious in my sight His people are precious in His
sight and to you who believe says Peter He is precious also
He is precious to you. Thou hast been honorable and
I have loved thee. Why did He do all of this? For
His great love wherewith He loved us. Therefore will I give men
for thee and people for thy life. Fear not. Fear not. Don't be
afraid. Whatever physical things may
say to you, don't be afraid for I am with you. I will bring thy
seed from the east. He's got people who He's going
to bring. This multitude that no man can number. and gather
thee from the west. I will say to the north, give
up. They'll come from there as well and from the south. Keep
not back. Bring my sons from far and my daughters from the
ends of the earth. Everyone that is called by my
name, He will bring them all and not one of them will be lost.
He will save them all under the preaching of the gospel. He will
call them out under the sound of His word. Whosoever calls
on the name of the Lord shall be saved. And how shall they
call upon the one of whom they have not heard? And how shall
they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless
they are sent? By the preaching of the gospel He will call these
people out from the north, the south, the east, and the west.
And every one of them He will call by His name. He will bring
them to Christ. He will adopt them into His family. They will take upon them His
name. They will be His people. He will be their God. They will
be His people. They're precious in His sight.
They're His sons and His daughters. And He will bring them. And He
says to them, I've created you, I've formed you, I've made you."
And he says to every one of them, don't be afraid. When you go
through these trials, when you go through these persecutions,
don't be afraid, for I will be with you. And Shadrach, Meshach
and Abednego had read these words and faced with it right there
and then. No doubt their hearts were racing. No doubt their skin
was clammy with the fear of the immediate situation. but they
were able by the Spirit of God to see beyond these things to
these promises and to know well if he saves us physically we'll
come out of this but if he doesn't we'll come out of this in glory
that will be our end we're heading for glory and they were confident
in that and they didn't fear they didn't fear for God will
accomplish his purposes and whatever Babylon tries to do whatever
Babylon tries to do in crushing the truth of his gospel in creating
its idols in persuading men and women to bow down and worship
its idols it cannot change the truth of the gospel that remains
absolutely certain the kingdom of Christ will come it is here
now and it will fill this world and it will crush Babylon and
all the kingdoms that come from it and it will grind it to powder
and the wind will blow it away and there'll be nothing left
but the kingdom of Christ will fill all this is the God whom
we believe this is the God who is the same God today as Shadrach,
Meshach and Abednego worshipped and followed and served in these
days two thousand six hundred years ago exactly the same God
so let's be confident let's not be afraid let's stand firm for
the truth however few or however many God deems to give us but
let's stand firm for the truth of the gospel of his sovereign
grace in our Lord Jesus Christ Hmm.