I am unashamed - what about you?

 

COLERAINE EVANGELICAL CHURCH

SUNDAY 1 JUNE 2025 – MR PHILIP ROBINSON

DANIEL 3 VERSES 1 TO 25

“I am unashamed – what about you?”

Earlier this week Phil Robertson of the Duck Dynasty in America died. I tuned into a lot of his programmes and lately on YouTube. I realised very quickly that these men were born again Christians. Phil spoke his mind and was not ashamed of how he became a Christian. Different people have logged on to social media with their memories, some told of how they were affected by his words. He was an elder for 40 years and was not ashamed to tell people of Christ. He was not ashamed to take a stand against things that were wrong. He made sure he told people about the bible. He had many opportunities to share the gospel.

In Daniel 3 we read of Daniel and his friends who were unafraid to take a stand for God. They were asked to bow down before the king’s image but they refused. Later on we see another episode when they were commanded not to pray and Daniel took his famous stand in praying 3 times a day with his windows open towards Jerusalem. As a result Daniel was thrown into the lions den. As I read of Phil’s death and then read this story in Daniel, I asked myself the question – am I unashamed to tell people of the gospel? To take a stand when the world is getting darker? Last week we heard of a court case in the Supreme Court that would mean school assemblies would no longer just include Christian perspective but other religions should be included. We are living in a day and age when it is all the more important to take a stand against the things we know that are wrong. I would encourage you to read the whole book of Daniel to help in your thinking.

I want to focus on chapter 3 this morning. Daniel was interpreting dreams for the king and had been placed in a position of authority over the land. At the age of 16 he had been taken captive out of his own land and brought into Babylon. He and his 3 friends were living for God in this foreign land. Daniel in particular was a young man on fire for God.

Firstly, Daniel was unashamed to take a stand – verses 1 to 7. Nebuchadnezzar had put up a statue made of gold and told all the people they had to bow down and worship it. This was a huge statue. Nebuchadnezzar wanted all the nations to bow down to this statue. The problem for Daniel and his 3 friends, as children of God, they knew it was wrong to bow down. The second commandment stated that there should be no other gods before God. Daniel would have known this. A challenge to us – would we be prepared to face persecution in order to take a stand for God? Daniel was not ashamed to take a stand, to not bow down to this statue. Everyone else went and worshipped this statue, obeyed the king’s command but Daniel and his friends didn’t do it. They were not afraid to go against the rule, to be different. How often do we follow what everyone else is doing? In universities we see young people attending bars and nightclubs because they want to fit in. They see it as the thing to do. Daniel was not afraid to be different. The world is filled with darkness today. Sometimes we can be ashamed and we do not want to be seen to be different. Do we stand up and take a stand for God? Daniel knew he couldn’t bow down to the statue and was not afraid to say he wouldn’t bow down to it. The devil is good at trying to make the world seem OK, as if you can enjoy yourself. Sin will take you further than you want to go and keep you there. God brings joy in our lives. Many lives are destroyed through sin. The devil wants us to be tripped up, making a mess of things – those are his tactics.

Secondly, unashamed to take a stand in the face of adversity – verses 8 to 12. Daniel and his friends were given another opportunity to do as the king requested or else they would be thrown into the fiery furnace. In the face of adversity they did not bow down. They did not want to bow down to this image of gold because they served the one true God. Remember Abraham as he was about to thrust the knife into his son, God spoke and told him he had provided a substitute. The Chaldeans told Nebuchadnezzar of Daniel’s actions – that they wouldn’t bow down to this idol. Nebuchadnezzar was not pleased when he was told. If you did not obey the king in bible times you faced death or some other punishment. These men were now being faced with the fiery furnace. They took a stand for God. They fully trusted in God that he would deliver them from the furnace. As Christians God is with us no matter what is going on in life. God is always with us – Hebrews 13 verse 5. Many millions around the world have to make the decision Daniel made. To take the stand for the cross. Maybe they are suffering persecution. Many are meeting secretly today with the threat of someone bursting through the door and arresting them. Daniel and his friends were fully sold out for God no matter what it cost them. Are we taking that stand for God in a world of adversity?

Thirdly, unashamed to fully trust in God in adversity – verses 13 to 25.  We see a great source of challenge for us all. Are we fully trusting in our Saviour today? Many people mock us because we are Christians. We will face many trials and temptations – are we trusting in God? Remember Peter and the disciples in the ship. As Peter got out of the ship he kept his eyes on the Saviour but when he took his eyes off Christ he started to sink. 1 Peter 2 verse 9. People will know we are different when our back is against the wall. We know we have a God who is our help in difficult times. Daniel placed his trust in God. The fiery furnace was heated 7 times more than normal. As the men took Daniel and his friends up to the furnace they were struck dead. The king saw a fourth man in the midst of the furnace. God was with Daniel and his friends because they had honoured God. They were prepared at all costs to do that. In 2025 we have to take a stand for the things that are against God. When the king saw the fourth person in the fiery furnace he couldn’t understand it. When they came out of the fiery furnace not one hair of their heads was singed or had any smell of fire on them. Daniel trusted in God to save them and he did it.

Are we unashamed of the gospel? To take a stand for Christ? I pray that this message will be a challenge to you today.