Taking a Stand for God

COLERAINE EVANGELICAL CHURCH

SERMON NOTES SUNDAY 24 AUGUST 2025 – MR TOMMY ANDERSON

DANIEL CHAPTER 3

Things are changing fast in our world. People who once stood strong as believers have weakened on many things. I have come to the conclusion that if you slip on something that is small you will slip on something bigger. The devil will make sure that if you err on one thing he will get you on something more. There was no one more hard line than Jesus and Daniel. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were facing something that they never faced before and we would not probably face in our lifetimes. They had been taken captive into the land of Babylon. They were living in a land of strange gods. The people were idolaters and idol worshippers. They have tremendous potential. Nebuchadnezzar asked for really good men. Men he wanted to train to help him rule his country. They are taught to become politicians. They were not long in this country until it began to change. The Babylonians didn’t like them. They had taken a high position in the government in Babylon, a role they wanted themselves. Nebuchadnezzar moves into the next realm of pressure. He puts up an idol, a statue of 90 feet tall and 9 feet wide. This is a massive idol representing him. He makes a decree. When the music plays everyone will worship the idol. These young men are brought under tremendous pressure. What will they do? Daniel 1 verse 8. They would not defile themselves. These Hebrew boys asked for vegetables rather than meat. The servants said “no, if you get weak I will be in terrible trouble.” They persuaded the servants to allow them to try it for several days. After a period of time they were healthier than any of the rest.  “They purposed in their heart”. The pressure was on when this music plays – what will they do? They were in the government, in a seat of authority, had a good salary, a good position in society. They had climbed the social ladder quickly. Suddenly they were in a good position, had great wealth and power then comes the idol. Everyone has to worship it. Whenever the music plays everyone as instructed bows except these 3 Hebrew men. They were under tremendous pressure. They had already committed the situation to God and said “we will not bow”. They were prepared already. It was a “bow and burn” situation. What are you going to do? Sure we could save the situation. We are only asked to sacrifice our conscience for a moment. We could bow down but in our heart, not really doing anything to keep out of the danger we are in. “Lord you know our situation, I am not turning my back on you God.”  Maybe there are those who say “God I know this is wrong but I am not really bowing down in the eyes of the world.” The pressure was real, the orchestra was loud, thousands were bowing, all the top notch people were there. Everyone was there of importance and 3 boys say “we are not bowing”. Imagine what it must have been like among all those people. You couldn’t have missed them. The pressure was great because there were those who were watching. The Babylonians and Chaldeans were waiting for the moment to pounce. The world is watching you and I. If we make one wrong step they will pounce. Someone might turn and say to us “I never expected you to be here.” As soon as the Chaldeans seen them they went straight to Nebuchadnezzar. They flattered the king – “live for ever, you are one of the best we have ever had.” Verse 9. He loved it all. He loves control and money. It hasn’t changed today. Often we have seen it when one leader steps down and we ask ‘who wants the job’? The job brings power and prestige and finance. Sadly it brings compromise too. What are these boys going to do? The men have turned up at the palace and tell the king “you made a decree, when the music plays everyone is to bow down. We don’t really want to have to come and tell you but we thought it right. There are 3 Hebrew boys defiling the order. That got the king angry. He was furious, boiling in anger. He asked for the Hebrew boys to be bought to the palace and they were brought. He looks at the 3 boys and said “is it true what I hear?” He gives them an alternative, a moment of opportunity. This is when the pressure is at its boiling point. They are at the very seat of power. It is either the furnace or compromise. He had a heart for them. He didn’t want them to go to the burning furnace. He didn’t want them to go there. If you bow down you will go free. He was prepared to do that. What would we do? This is life or death. It is not fiction. This is real. Nebuchadnezzar has made a decree and he is not backing down. These Hebrew men are before him. He is being watched. They are waiting. He realises he is also being judged. The pressure is on. The 3 boys, everyone took it as a privilege to give a testimony of what God meant to them. Verses 16, 17 and 18. They turned the situation around. There is another person who controls the power not you. He will deliver us from the fiery furnace and from you. They go on to say 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.” They were not messing around. They knew this was life or death. They were prepared to go to the furnace. They did not care about their position or the power given to them by this man. They simply say “we belong to God, we will not serve your god.” “All who will live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” the New Testament tells us. These men said “we will not bow, our God is able to deliver us, but if it is his will not to live come what may.” That was their privilege. They were taken to the furnace which was heated 7 times hotter. It was so hot that even the soldiers that took the 3 men bound to the furnace were slain. The heat was so intense that men shrivelled up by it. The 3 boys fell into the fire and they find themselves in a new position. Suddenly they are loose and walking about. Even their clothes were not burnt, nor a hair singed. These 3 men had not even a smell of burning. Nothing is destroyed. The position they are. I don’t think Nebuchadnezzar really liked the fact that he was sending these men to the furnace. These were 3 of the best. He didn’t want to do what he did. He was committed to his people. When he looked inside of the furnace he sees 4 men walking about. He calls his counsellors and asks “did we not put in 3 men?” And they said “yes.” The king said there is an extra one in there like the Son of God. God delivered them to the flames. God delivered them in the flames. God delivered them from the flames. What a mighty God we serve. They were walking around free and enjoying fellowship with God. I don’t know what you are going through, whatever the difficulty you are in – God says “I will be with you, I will not forsake you even when ...” This seems difficult and different but this is the moment to shine for him – before your families, your neighbours, your loved ones. To see Jesus in you. These 3 boys came out of the furnace and were given a new position. Nebuchadnezzar said “there is no god like the God of Israel of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. If any of you say anything of them, says anything against the God of these men I will have you thrown into the fire.” He turned the whole thing around. What a mighty God we serve. That is still true today.