book of Daniel, Daniel chapter
3. Daniel chapter 3, and reading
verses 16 through 18, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered
and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we're not careful to answer thee
in this matter. 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 thine 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. I believe it was two Wednesdays
ago, I brought a message from 1 Samuel chapter two. And in that chapter, God declares
them that honor me, I will honor. And we turn here to look as an
example of that truth, the case of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. God said, them that honor me,
I will honor. And we see that these three men,
they honored God by trusting in him, and God honored them. If you look down to verse 26,
Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery
furnace and spake and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants
of the Most High God, come forth and come hither. Then Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego came forth of the midst of the fire. God
honored them. They honored God and God honored
them. In Hebrews chapter 11, that New
Testament chapter which speaks of many of the Old Testament
saints and what they were enabled to do by faith, we are told that
through faith Through faith, they quench the violence of fire. And then, of course, is speaking
of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. This past week, I've been impressed
to bring my message this morning from these verses. Trusting to
help and encourage all of us, but especially, I have three
targets today. three areas of difficulty that
I was thinking of in preparing this message. And the three areas
of difficulty are, first, in the matter of salvation. In the
matter of salvation, some struggle with the thought, for whatever
reason, that there's no hope for them to be saved. Others
struggle with assurance of salvation and do not enjoy their salvation
like they should. They do not have the joy of salvation. And then a second target is in
the matter of a besetting sin. A besetting sin that a believer
may deal with. It might be anything from anger,
jealousy, covetousness, whatever, but a besetting sin. And then
third, in the area of life's challenges, and we all know as
we go through this world that we will face various challenges. Now let's look at two truths
in the answer of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to the threat of
Nebuchadnezzar. These two truths about God, these
two truths about God will help us in dealing in all three of
those areas that I mentioned. If you notice in verse 16, again,
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king,
O Nebuchadnezzar, we're not careful to answer thee in this matter.
And the reason they were not careful, that is they were not
that concerned to answer him, is first of all, they recognize
the power and the ability of the Lord God Almighty. Notice
in verse 17, if it be so, our God whom we serve is able to
deliver us. They recognize the power and
the ability of the Lord God Almighty. The God of the Bible, not the
God of modern religion, but the God of the Bible, the God of
salvation, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is able,
that is, he is all powerful. He asked Abraham this question,
is anything too hard for the Lord? Is there anything too hard
for the Lord? Let's remember who this God is. He is God Almighty who spoke
the worlds into existence. Our Lord Jesus Christ in speaking
to his disciples in the New Testament about salvation, he said this,
with God, all things are possible. With God, all things are possible.
Now, when God created the heavens and the earth, He created certain
laws, didn't he? The law of gravity. We know if
I were to take this Bible and just let loose of it, it would
go down. It wouldn't go up. It would fall
down. And you know the law of fire
is to burn. It's to burn. But you see, the God of the Bible,
the God that we worship, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, yes, He is the God of creation and He created certain
laws that govern His creation. But let's remember that God is
above His creation. And when He so desires, He can
override the laws of creation. Fire burns. It isn't here. It
didn't hear. And the point is that God is
able, that God has all power. There's nothing too hard for
him. There's nothing impossible for
God. These men were persuaded. Notice
that they said, if it be so, our God whom we serve is able
to deliver us. This is a bedrock truth that
all of us should recognize and lay hold on that the God of the
Bible, the God that we worship, the God that we serve, the God
to whom we have to answer one day, the God before whom each
and every one of us one day will stand, He is God Almighty, that
there is nothing that He is not able to do. As far as the power. We know that's true about God's
power and God's sovereignty. You know, we serve a supernatural
God. And everything about Christianity
is supernatural. Really is. We have a supernatural
revelation. This book, this Bible, it didn't
just evolve because certain men decided they wanted to write
some words down? No, we have a supernatural revelation
from God. This book is God breathed, God
inspired. And we read in this book, this
supernatural book about a supernatural redemption, a redemption. We read that in Revelation at
the beginning of the service in chapter five. He hath redeemed
us under our God by his blood. By his blood. A supernatural
redemption that everyone for whom the Lord Jesus Christ died
is saved, is going to be saved. He gave his life a ransom for
his people. And we have a supernatural experience
when we're saved. It's not just patching up the
old. It's not just putting on a new
coat of paint. It is a new creation. If any
man be in Christ, he is a new creation. All things are passed
away. Behold, all things are become
new. These men recognized and believed
and were sure. that God Almighty is able, that
there's nothing impossible. And the second thing we see here,
they recognize the willingness or the inclination, the inclination,
the disposition of the Lord God Almighty. Notice they said, if
it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the
burning fiery furnace, and he will. The willingness of God. Now how could they have known
of the willingness of God? From the word of God. From the
written word of God. That's how they knew. Remember
when Daniel lived, they were in captivity, of course, in Babylon. Think of how much of the scriptures
had been written. All of the Psalms had been written.
No doubt they knew the psalmist said, call upon me in the day
of trouble and I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorify me. They had that promise. You have
that promise. I have that promise. And I love
the way it reads, call upon me in the day of trouble. You say,
what trouble? You fill in the blank. Right? Whatever trouble it may be, you
fill in the blank. If it's a day of trouble, God
said, call upon me and I will deliver thee. They had the prophecies
of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and I think maybe they had read, I don't
know this for sure, of course, In Isaiah 43, in verse 2, that
wonderful promise. I know someone here this morning
has told me over the years, that's one of my favorite verses in
the Bible. Well, sure it is. When thou passest
through the waters, I will be with thee. And through the rivers,
they shall not overflow thee. Now listen, when thou walkest
through the fire, Thou shall not be burned, neither shall
the flame kindle upon thee. And not only did they have, these
three men, have the part of the word of God, we have all of it.
We have much more than they have, they had rather, that's true.
But they had enough. And not only that, but they had
the experiences of men who had gone before. I think about Elijah. No doubt they had heard about
Elijah when Jezebel, that wicked queen, had determined to end
his life, to kill him. How did that turn out? How did
that turn out? Was she able to accomplish her
will or was God's will accomplished in taking his servant Elijah
into heaven in a chariot of fire? What about David? Surely they
had heard about David, just a strapling, a young man, he goes out with
five smooth stones. And here's this great giant that
had the armies of Israel in, afraid, and they were paralyzed,
the armies were, just by this one man, Goliath. They'd heard about that, and
here this young man goes out and goes against that giant in
the name of the Lord. It wasn't because David was anything
special. It was because David was in God's
hand and God gave him the wherewithal to sling that stone that struck
that giant. And that giant, remember, he
had armor on. There was just a few places that
stone could destroy that giant. But who directed that stone?
Who directed that stone? Think about King Ahab, you know? And when Jehoshaphat go into
war, the two kings, King of Judah and the King of Israel. And the
King of Judah said, let's Let's inquire before we go to battle.
Let's inquire of the Lord. And Ahab had his false prophets,
400 or so false prophets, and they built some horns with metal,
and they said, go up with these horns, with this power, you're
going to conquer. And Jehoshaphat, he said, isn't
there a prophet of God? Let's hear from God. Oh yeah,
there's one, but I don't like him because he always prophesies
bad concerning me. So they go and get him, and sure
enough, he comes and he says, go up. And Ahab said, I told
you he wouldn't prophesy anything good concerning me. But they
took the prophet, remember, sent him back to the city and said,
put him in ward and feed him bread and water until I come
back. And the prophet said, if you
come back, God hasn't spoken by me. And here in that battle,
that one era that God directed that destroyed King Ahab. God's power, and God's willingness. These men knew about these things,
no doubt. Now, with these two truths in
mind, God's power, His ability, and His willingness, let's look
at these three areas. In the matter of salvation, I
want you to turn with me to 1 Corinthians chapter 6. Maybe someone here
this morning, and you just wonder if God will save you. You struggle with that. Maybe
you're too great a sinner, whatever. First Corinthians chapter six
and verse nine, the apostle said, no, you're not. that the unrighteous
shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Now before we read any
further, let's recognize that man inherit the kingdom of God. You don't earn it. You do not
deserve it. You could not purchase it. Have
you ever inherited anything? You inherited something from
your parents or something like that? You didn't buy it. It was a free gift. And that's
what salvation is. That's the first thing you've
got to get a hold of. The wages of sin is death. If God gives you, God pays you,
God pays me, what I've earned is death. Eternal death. But the gift of God, The gift
of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. So that's
the first thing we see here. The apostle says, no you not,
that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Salvation
is a gift. And number two, you see there
that you must have a righteousness, a perfect righteousness. That's
what he says there. The unrighteous, and that's what
we all are by nature, we must have a perfect righteousness
to be saved. And then he goes on, be not deceived,
neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate,
nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous,
nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners shall inherit
the kingdom of God, and such were some of you. Now, such were some of you, but, notice
what he said, such were some of you, but you are washed, but
you are sanctified, but you are justified in the name of the
Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God. To these people who are mentioned
here who were guilty, some of them of all those various things
that are listed there, fornication, idolatry, so forth and so on. Now they needed a righteousness.
They needed a perfect righteousness. Were they going to be able to
manufacture that righteousness on their own? That's what some
people are being taught. You turn over a new leaf. You
join the church. You may go through the baptistry,
whatever. But you began to live differently. You quit your drinking. Oh, they've
got a whole list of things people quit and start up. Is that the
way you're going to manufacture a perfect righteousness? Of course
not. These people who, some of them,
have been thieves and covetous and drunkards and all these things,
such were some of you. They couldn't manufacture a righteousness
on their own that God would accept. But notice these things. But
you're washed, you're sanctified, and you're justified. How? In
the name of Jesus Christ. In other words, through the person
and work of Jesus Christ. You've been washed. In Zechariah, the Old Testament
book, Prophecy of Zechariah, God said, in that day, in that
day, God's going to open up a fountain. And he did. In that day, that
day that the Lord Jesus Christ died on Calvary. and shed his
precious blood. God opened up a fountain. For
what? For sin and uncleanness. That fountain is not just for
show, my friends, it's to be used. Such were some of you. Salvation is the work of Christ
and him alone. He's the power of God, the scripture
says, and he's the wisdom of God. Someone said this, God demands
a righteousness that you do not have. That's true of all of us. He
demands a righteousness that none of us have. He demands a righteousness that
none of us can produce. And he gives a righteousness
to all who believe. Look back just a few pages to
Romans chapter three. Romans chapter three. But now, verse 21 says, but now
the righteousness of God without the law is manifested being witnessed
by the law and the prophets. You say, what does that mean?
It means there's only been one way of salvation during the days
of the prophets and that went before the Old Testament
prophets and the law, the law of God. The Old Testament all witnessed
of a righteousness that we cannot produce, that God himself would
work out, and that's the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ,
even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ. Now look at this. Unto all, amen? Unto all and upon all them that
believe, for there's no difference. There's no difference between
the Jew and the Gentile. There's no difference between
any of us. There's only one way of salvation,
and that righteousness that God requires, that the Lord Jesus
Christ is that righteousness of God, it is unto all and upon
all them that believe. And in the matter of assurance,
I know some people struggle with assurance, some of God's children.
Look with me to 1 John. Keep this in mind, now God's
both able and willing. 1 John, chapter five. Verse 13, John says, These things,
notice that's plural, not just one thing, but these things have
I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God.
You believe on Christ, that's what that means, the name, that
stands for him, his person, you believe. These things have I
written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God,
that you may know that you have eternal life. that you may know
that you have eternal life. And I encourage you, if you struggle
with assurance, read the first epistle of John. Take your concordance,
get you a concordance, if you don't have one, and look up the
word born, B-O-R-N. And look at the characteristics
that John tells us are true of all who are born of God. and
see if these characteristics are true of you. And if they
are, then you know God is able and God is willing that you too
rejoice and know for sure, as John said, that you may know
that you have eternal life. And when you do that, if you
do that, if you look at all the verses, about five or six verses
here in 1 John, they talk about those who've been born again,
You're going to come upon one of them and it's going to scare
you to death. It's going to scare you to death
because it's going to say, whosoever is born of God sinneth not. Oh
boy. That leaves me out. No, not necessarily. If you look back to chapter three,
first John three and verse one, I'm sorry, verse chapter two.
Verse John chapter two. My little children, these things
write I unto you that you sin not. Well, John, you said, whosoever
is born of God sinneth not. And now you say, if you sin,
we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous. What does he mean then when he
writes, whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin? Now,
if you look in the commentators, most of them will say, does not
practice sin. Whoever's born of God does not
practice sin. And that's the truth, but I don't
believe that's what John is saying here. What is born of God? That new nature. That new nature
that is created in righteousness and true holiness cannot sin. Now the old nature that we still
have, it loves sin. And that is the reason a believer
goes through this world always with that war. The spirit lusting
against the flesh and the flesh lusting against the spirit. But
that which is born of God, that new nature, cannot sin. It's
perfect. It's perfect. I trust that those few words
about in the matter of salvation and in the matter of assurance
of salvation will be a help to someone here this morning. Learn, if nothing else, that
salvation is free, that it's a gift, that you can't earn it. He said, well, I just don't feel.
Where did you read anything about feeling? Where'd you see that? I just don't feel. And usually
when people say that, they have heard something, they have imagined
something, and they've got a certain standard, certain feelings that
they feel like they must have. But somebody else has other feelings.
And somebody else has other feelings. No. Remember, there's fact, first
of all. Fact. Believe the facts. Feelings come and feelings go. And feelings are deceiving. Just
remember that. Just believe God. Believe the
word of God. Now, in that second matter of
a besetting sin, Remember the apostle in Hebrews says, laying
aside the sin which doth so easily beset us, let us run with patience
the race that is set before us. Now, most of us, I'm sure, have
an inclination to believe the sin that doth so easily beset
us is unbelief, unbelief, something that all of us are troubled with
from time to time. But I know that over the years,
Many men have believed, many preachers have taught that every
believer has a particular sin. They call it sometimes a constitutional
sin, you know, that especially bothers you. Some people are
never bothered with covetousness. They just come into this world
and they're free. They give anything and everything
away. They're not bothered with covetous.
And other people, they are. They are. And the same thing
goes with other sin, like anger. Some people just have a disposition
that means that they don't get angry like others. They struggle with anger. That's
their personality, if you please, of a setting sin. Turn with me
to the book of Jude, next to the last book in the Bible, Jude. And let's see what Jude tells
us here in verse 24. And I mention this because a lot of the psychology books,
self-help books, are are written in such a way to cause you to
believe in yourself. To believe in yourself. Now that's
a big mistake. That's a big mistake. Unto him,
Jude 1 in verse 24. Now unto him that is able to
keep you from falling. Now who is that? Well that's
Christ, that's not you. No, unto him that is able to
keep you from falling. There again, we see he has the
ability, he has the power to keep you from falling into that
sin, that besetting sin. But how does that work? It works
by looking to Christ, by trusting in him. This is his work. This is his work. He's been ordained. He's been set forth. As him who
is able to keep you from falling, look to Christ. He's been appointed
to keep his children from falling. This is his work, and he's every
way qualified. He's every way qualified to keep
you from falling into that particular sin, being overcome by that sin. But how? By looking unto Jesus,
who is the author and finisher of our fate. Let me just say
a word about life's challenges. As you go through this world,
walking through this world as a pilgrim, as a stranger, you're
going to meet with a number of challenges, and they're going
to test your faith. They're going to test your faith.