15 1st Peter chapter 3 verse 15 1st Peter 3 verse 15 it says
here but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and be ready always
to give an answer to to every man that asketh you a reason
of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear. Be ready to
give an answer always to every man that asketh you a reason
of the hope that is in you. We think of that word hope, and
we think, oh, I hope this happens, or oh, maybe I don't hope this
happens. But that's not what this word
in our text means. Here, hope is translated as a
joyful and confident expectation, something that you know, something
that you will joyfully and confidently know will happen. And if we're
to give an answer to what the hope is within us, I think there's
three questions that we first need to answer. The first one,
why do I need a hope? The second one, who or what is
my hope? And then the third one, what's
the result of this hope? So why do I need a hope? Who
or what is my hope? And then what's the result? And
we'll find the answers to these questions in God's word. Romans
15 verse four says this, for whatsoever things were written
aforetime, were written for our learning, that we through patience
and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Might have hope. So our text this morning is gonna
come from Daniel chapter three. Daniel chapter three. And here at Daniel 3, we have
a well-known account. It's of Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego. And Daniel chapter 3 is a written
record of something that actually happened. It's not a made-up
story. It's a true and it's a factual
account. And we know that because it's
recorded in God's Word. inspiration of God. And this
account is given to show us how God saves sinners. So my first
question, why do I need a hook? Let's start reading here in Daniel
chapter three, verse one. It says, Nebuchadnezzar the king
made an image of gold whose height was threescore cubits and the
breadth thereof six cubits. That's 90 feet tall and 10 feet
wide. It says, and he set it up in
the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 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 of
the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. Everybody
and anybody who was somebody Nebuchadnezzar invited to come
to the dedication of this huge golden image. Verse three says,
then the princes, the governors, the captains, the judges, the
treasurers, the counselors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers
of the provinces were gathered together under the dedication
of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. And they
stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up and then in herald,
an official messenger cried aloud, to you it is commanded, Notice
how this isn't a request. Nebuchadnezzar is the almighty
king. To you it is commanded. He's
not asking him to do anything. This is the law. It says, to
you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages, that
at what time you hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sacrament,
psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship
the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. and whoso
falleth not down and worshipeth shall at the same hour be cast
in the midst of a burning, fiery furnace." Here we see the punishment
for breaking the king's law. And imagine that, in our day,
if you break the law, maybe you get a speeding ticket or you
go to court or maybe you go to jail, but in this day, the punishment
for breaking the law was to be cast in that same hour into a
burning, fiery furnace. Let's read on here. Verse seven
said, therefore, at that time, when all the people heard the
sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackcloth, psaltery, and all
kinds of music, all the people and the nations and the languages
fell down and worshiped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the
king had set up. Verse eight, wherefore, at that
time, certain Chaldeans came near and accused the Jews, and
they spake and said unto the king, O king, live forever. Now, O king, it is made a decree,
that every man that shall hear the sounds of the cornet, flute,
harp, saxophone, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music,
shall fall down and worship the golden image. And whoso falls
not down and worshipeth, that he should be cast into the midst
of a burning, fiery furnace. There are certain Jews whom thou
hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, have not regarded
thee, they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image
which thou hast set up. So here we see these three men,
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that didn't obey the king's law.
They broke the king's law. And as a result, they will face
harsh consequences. The punishment, as said, was
to be cast into the burning, fiery furnace. These men need
a hope. Can you see the picture here?
My first question, why do I need a hope? Consider God's law. Unlike
Nebuchadnezzar's law, which was foolish, God's law is holy. And
his commandment is just. And God's law not only requires
outward obedience, but inward perfection. Absolute perfection. To approach unto God by the law,
you have to be as perfect as God himself. And men and women
that think they can do that, how foolish. Think about the
course of your lives. When in your life, even for a
moment, have you been absolutely perfect? That's foolish, no,
none of us can do that. Turn with me to Romans chapter
three. Romans chapter three, starting
in verse 10, says, As it is written, there is none
righteous. No, not one. There is none that
understandeth. There is none that seeketh after
God. They are all gone out of the way. They are together become
unprofitable. There is none that doeth good.
No, not one. Who is it that doeth good? No,
not one. Verse 13, their throat is an
open sepulcher. With their tongues they have
used to seat. The poison of asps is under their lips, whose mouth
is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed
blood. Destruction and misery are in their ways. In the way
of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before
their eyes. Now we know that what thing soever
the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law that every
mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before
God. All the world. That includes
all of us here. All the world may become guilty
before God. Look just a few verses down in
verse 23 of Romans chapter three. It says, for all have sinned
and come short of the glory of God. All have sinned. Not some, not most. All have
sinned. Ask again, why do I need a hope?
All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. We have
broken God's law and the punishment for which is eternal death and
damnation. Look here, Romans 6, 23 says,
for the wages of sin is death. Ezekiel 18, verse 20 says, the
soul that sinneth, it shall die. Not it might die, it shall die. And we need to hope because we
have broken God's law and the punishment for which is eternal
death and damnation. My second question, who or what
is my hope? Turn back with me to Daniel chapter
three. Who or what is my hope? We'll pick up here in verse 13.
It says, then Nebuchadnezzar in
his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego And then they brought these men before the king, and
Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, is it true, O Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego, do you serve not my gods, nor worship
the golden image which I have set up? Now, if ye be ready,
that at the time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp,
sacred, psalter, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall
down and worship the image which I have made, Well, it'll be good
for you if you do that. He gives him a second chance
here. But if you worship not, you shall be cast the same hour
into the midst of a burning, fiery furnace. And who is that
God that shall deliver you out of my hands? Who is that God
that shall deliver you out of my hands? Nebuchadnezzar said,
what hope could you possibly have of being delivered out of
my hands? Let's read on here. Daniel 3
verse 16, it says, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered
and said unto the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer
thee in this matter. What that means is they said,
O king, we don't need time to think about our answer. Some
might have thought, you know, with the consequences, Sirius
is being cast into a fiery furnace, that maybe these men would have
wanted some time to think about this, but they said, no, King,
we don't need time to consider your offer. Let's read on here.
It says, if it be so, our God, whom we serve, is able to deliver
us from the burning, fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of
thy hand, O King. But if not, be it known unto
thee, O King, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the
golden image which thou hast set up. O for this kind of faith,
these men said, Our hope is in God, and if it be so, He is able
to deliver us. It says, These three men's hope
was in God for protection, for provision, and for deliverance
from the hand of King Nebuchadnezzar. They said, God is able. Scripture says, Who shall lay
anything to the charge of God's elect? Who is he that condemneth? Yea, it's Christ that died. They
said, Lord, if thou wilt, thou art able to save us. It says,
but if not, if that's not your will, Lord, it says he will deliver
us out of thy hand. Okay, scripture says this. Fear
not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the
soul, but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul
and bodies in hell. They feared almighty God who
has power over all things. And just as these three men need
deliverance, We also need deliverance. When we consider our condition
of sin in the sight of Almighty God who is holy, who said he
will punish sin, what hope could we possibly have? Who or what
is our hope that can deliver us from this eternal death to
come? Turn with me to Galatians chapter
four. Who or what is my hope? Galatians chapter four. Start here in verse four. Galatians
chapter four, verse four says this. But when the fullness of
the time was come, God sent forth his son, made of a woman, made
under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that
we might receive the adoption of sons. And because you are
sons, God has sent forth his spirit of his son into your hearts,
crying out, Father, wherefore thou art no more a servant, but
a son. And if a son, then an heir of
God through Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ, he is
our hope. In Isaiah 36 verse 15, it says
this, it says, the Lord will surely deliver us. Turn with
me over a few pages to Ephesians chapter two. Ephesians chapter two, we'll
look here at these first four verses. It says, and you, happy Quicken,
who were dead in trespasses and sins, wherein in time past you
walked according to the course of this world, according to the
prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh on
the children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our
conversation in times past, and the lust of our flesh, fulfilling
the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature
the children of wrath, even as others. rich in mercy, for his great
love, wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins,
have quickened us together with Christ. For by grace are you
saved. That word saved there translates
to delivered. By God's grace, you are delivered. Listen to a couple of these scriptures
here. In Psalms 71 verse 5, David knew something about this hope.
He says, for thou art my hope, O Lord God, thou art my trust
from my youth. In Psalms 18, he says this, the
Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my
strength in whom I will trust. Just like Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego, the believer's hope, is in the Lord, the Lord
God Almighty for deliverance. And then lastly, my third question,
what's the result? So let's go back to our text
in Daniel chapter three. Daniel chapter three, we'll pick
up here in verse 19. It says, then was Nebuchadnezzar
full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And therefore he spake and commanded
that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it
was wont to be heated." The old writers say when these men, when
they heated the furnace seven times what it was, they said
that the flame arose out of that furnace 75 feet up into the air. Think about how hot that must
have been. Ben and Sam, we had that fire
yesterday, and it was five or six feet off the ground. You
couldn't hardly get around that thing without being hot. This
was 75 feet in the air. Over seven basketball rings up
in the air. What a huge flame. Let's read
on here. And he commanded the most mighty
men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. And then these
men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats,
and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of a
burning fiery furnace. Therefore, because the king's
commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame
of the fire slew those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego." That fire was so hot that it even burned up the men
that just threw them in the fire. And it says, and these three
men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst
of the burning, fiery furnace. And if the story just ended here,
it wouldn't be a whole lot of comfort and assurance in this,
but it doesn't. With man, this deliverance was
Impossible. How could these men be delivered
from a fire so hot that it slew the men who even threw them into
the fire? But aren't we thankful that scripture
says with God, all things, all things are possible. Let's read
on here in verse 24. It says, then Nebuchadnezzar
the king was astonished and he rose up in haste and he spake
and he said unto his counselors, did we not cast three men bound
into the midst of the fire. And they answered and said unto
the king, true of the king. And he answered and said, lo,
I see four men, loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and
they have no herd. And the form of the fourth is
like unto the Son of God. A few things to point out here.
He said, I see four men loose. Those things, those ropes that
bound them, they burn off. Those men that accused them,
they were burned up in the fire. The only thing that the fire
destroyed was those men that accused them and those chains
that bound them. We sing that song, when through
fiery trials thy pathway shall lie, my grace all sufficient
shall be thy supply. The flame shall not hurt thee.
I only design thy dross to consume and my gold to refine. It says
they were walking in the midst of the fire. I never really thought
about this before, but four men walking. Look, Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego, in that furnace, they walked with God. Think about
that. They walked with God. Like Enoch
mentioned way back in the Old Testament, they walked with God.
And it says, and they have no hurt. And the form of the fourth
is like unto the sun. of God. The Lord wouldn't appear
on this earth for a thousand years yet, but yet Nebuchadnezzar
says the form of the fourth is like unto the Son of God. How
could he have possibly known that? Scripture says this in
Proverbs 16 verse 1, it says the answer of the tongue is from
the Lord. Even a king, even King Nebuchadnezzar,
his answer came from the Lord. Philippians 2 verse 11 says this,
and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Every tongue, even King
Nebuchadnezzar. Let's read on here, verse 26.
It says, then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the
burning fire and furnace and spake, and he said, Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the Most High God, come forth
and come hither, Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came forth
out of the midst of the fire. that never really occurred to
me before. And this has been a blessing to me. It says that
Nebuchadnezzar saw four men in the fire, but only three men
came out of the fire. And that's because one stayed
in. The Lord Jesus Christ stayed
in the fire so that those three men could go free. The Son of
God came to bear the wrath and the fiery furnace for his chosen
people. Jason, you read this in your
scripture reading, but he was wounded for our transgression.
He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace
is upon him, and with his stripes we are healed. Because of that
fourth man in the fire, who bore the wrath of the furnace, we're
healed. Not because of our faith. Some
would use this scripture to point out, oh, the faith of Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego. You know, their faith, that's
what delivered them. And while it would be good for
all of us to have that same faith as these three men, that's not
what delivered them. It wasn't their faith. It wasn't
their works. What could they possibly do?
They were about to be burned up in a furnace. What good are
your works then? It's not by faith, not by works,
but because of the fourth man who was in the furnace with them. Scripture says this, when thou
walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned, neither
shall the flame kindle upon thee. If you read the book of Revelation,
there's proof of this. John had a lot of things to say
about the Lord Jesus Christ. But one thing he pointed out
was his feet. And let's turn over there real
quick to Revelations chapter one. Revelations chapter one. Look
here, starting in verse 13. It says, in the midst of the
seven candlesticks, one like unto the son of man, clothed
with the garment down to the foot, and gird about the path
with a golden girder. His head and his hairs were white
like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were as a flame
of fire. And his feet, like on the fine brass, as if they had
burned in a furnace. And his voice is the sound of
many waters. His feet, as if they had been
burned in a furnace. He was actually in the furnace
with these three men. God the Father sent God the Son
to bear the fire and wrath of the furnace for his chosen people. Notice when we opened up the
text, it said that all the nations bowed down except for three men. God's mercy, and it's not for
everyone. It wasn't for all the people
that bowed down, but it was for his three chosen people. and he sent God the Son to bear
the fire of wrath for those three men. Romans 8 verse 32 says this,
he that spared not his son, but delivered him up for us all.
The Lord bore the punishment of wrath, do these men. Because
of that, we go free. Let's go back to our text and
finish this account. We'll pick up in Daniel chapter
three verse 27. It says, and the princes, and
the governors, the captains, and the king's counselors, being
gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire
had no power, nor was a hair of their head singed, neither
were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed
upon them. Verse 28, then Nebuchadnezzar
spake and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego, who hath sent his angel and delivered his servants that
trusted in him, and have changed the king's word and yielded their
bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any other God except
their own God. Therefore I make a decree that
every people, nation, and language which speak anything amiss against
the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut down
in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunhill, because there
is no other God that can deliver after this sword. Then the king
promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon. In the elect sinner's salvation,
God is glorified, and sinners are blessed. He delivered these
three men and he will deliver us. Listen to just a few of these
scriptures. Matthew 1 verse 21 says this,
and she shall bring forth a son and thou shalt call his name
Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. Isaiah
45 verse 22 says this, look unto me and be ye saved, all the ends
of the earth, for I am God and there is none else. Hebrews 7.25
says this, wherefore, he is able to save them to the uttermost
that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession
for them. Turn with me over to Psalms 130.
Psalms 130. What is the result of this hope? Psalms 130, starting with verse
seven. What's the result of our hope?
It says, let Israel hope in the Lord, for with the Lord there
is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. Verse eight, and
he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities. What's our result? He shall redeem Israel from all
his iniquities. Turn with me just a few more
scriptures over to Lamentations chapter three. Lamentations chapter three. Start here in verse 21. It says, this I recall to my mind
Therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord's mercies that
we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They
are new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness. The
Lord is my portion, sayeth myself. Therefore will I hope in him.
The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that
seeketh him. It is good that a man should
both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. What's
the result of our hope? It's of the Lord's mercies we're
not concerned. His compassions fail not. The Lord's our portion. The Lord is good unto them that
wait for him. And one last scripture, Psalms
146, verse five. Psalms 146 verse 5, David here
says, happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose
hope is in the Lord. What's the result of this hope?
Happy is he, happy is the man. So my three questions again,
why do I need a hope? Because I've sinned against Almighty
God, and the punishment for that sin is eternal death, Number
two, who or what is my hope? Just like these three men we
read about today, the Lord Jesus Christ, he's the sinner's hope. And number three, what's the
result? Deliverance for his people. Believe on him, trust in him,
hope in the Lord. Hope that's been a help.