Daniel Ch 3 In the heat, smoke, and fire of adversity God is with us.

Sermon Thesis: In the heat and smoke and fire of adversity, God is with us. 

INTRO’S

Me: 

In just a minute, we will be reading from Daniel 3 if you’d like to turn there in your Bible.  

This morning, I want to tell you about a time when I really felt the heat.

Burning Hand at Thanksgiving Story – the heat made me pull back my hand. 

#1 SLIDE 

We: 

• We all have a story like this: a time when we felt the heat. 
• You probably felt the heat this week – at least physically, as the heat index was over 100 degrees most of the week. 
• But that’s not what I’m talking about. 
• I’m talking about those times when we’ve felt the heat mentally or emotionally – or maybe even spiritually. 

When we feel the heat, we naturally pull back. It’s just our instinct.

• That’s because fire is not inviting. Nobody likes to touch things that are hot and burning. 
• Nobody drinks scalding hot water. 
• We even have a phrase: “playing with fire.” We use it to talk about doing something risky or dangerous. 
• That’s because we have to be careful around the fire. 
• Get your s’more marshmallow too close to the fire, it gets charred and ruined. 

• Like a kid who puts his hand on the stove.
• #2 SLIDE Like this baby Hibachi video: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/LNG-HaaDpKY
• It’s a natural reaction to pull back from the heat. 

#3 SLIDE

• But we also know that some people make a different choice. 
• Instead of pulling back from the heat, these are the people who go charging straight towards the fire. 
• They run headlong into the fire in order to save lives. 
• And we thank God for those men and women who work in our fire and rescue teams. 

• As I was putting this talk together, I reached out to Paul Darwin and Michael Underwood and asked them about being a firefighter. 
• They’re both members here at Mayfair. 
• Paul is a firefighter here in Madison County and Michael spent many years doing this before he retired from the fire department a few years ago. 
• Here are some of the things they said that stood out to me: 

• They said that whenever you are inside a burning building, usually you cannot see anything. It is completely dark inside. 
• That’s because there is so much smoke. 
• In a burning building filled with smoke, you can really only feel your way around. 
• Obviously, you have to watch out for the fire. 
• But it surprised me to hear Paul and Michael talk about the danger caused by the smoke. 
• They kept talking about how the smoke can be so disorienting and confusing at times. 
• I had never thought of the smoke like that. 
• I had always thought of it like the movies or TV. 
• Smoke makes it hard for us to see. 
• In that smoke, you have to rely on your team. You have to rely on your fellow firefighters who are in there with you. 

• This morning, I want to tell you a story about a time when God made this same kind of choice.
• Instead of pulling back from the heat, God goes straight into the fire. 
• He shows up right there in the middle of the smoke and the fire, proving that He will never leave us and He will never forsake us. 

God: 

Our scripture for today is Daniel 3. Let me give you a little bit of context for this story. 

• The book of Daniel takes place when the Jewish people are captives in Babylon; Nebuchadnezzar is the Babylonian king. 
• Nebuchadnezzar builds a huge golden statue and demands that everyone should bow down and worship it. 
• Whoever refuses to do so will be thrown into the fiery furnace. 
• But three of the Jews – Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego – defy the king’s order. 
• So the king brings them to his court for questioning. 
• And he threatens them again: bow down and worship the golden image or be thrown into the fire. Nebuchadnezzar concludes his threat by saying, And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands? (Daniel 3:15)
• Arrogance of King Nebuchadnezzar
• Here’s how they respond: 

#4 SLIDE 

Text: Daniel 3:16-28 ESV: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated. 20 And he ordered some of the mighty men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 21 Then these men were bound in their cloaks, their tunics, their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the burning fiery furnace. 22 Because the king’s order was urgent and the furnace overheated, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace.

#5 SLIDE 

24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” 25 He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”

#6 SLIDE

26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. 27 And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them. 28 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God.

• This is one of my favorite stories in the Bible. It is a very visual story, and it’s pretty easy to understand. 
• I love that this is a story of comfort and security. 
• This is what you would call a “feel-good” Bible story, a story with a happy ending. In the end, the boys were protected by God. 
• The Lord saved them, and that’s the main focus of the story. 
• But I’m also struck by the fact that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were unwavering in their faith. 
• They say, “Even if we die, we will not bow down.” They know God CAN save them – but they don’t know for sure that God WILL save them. 
• But that’s where this “EVEN IF” faith is so powerful. They trust in God either way. And these three young men stand together in their commitment to God. 
• As Christians, our unity is one of our greatest strengths. 
• We are to love one another and stand beside one another whenever we feel the heat. 
• These three boys were able to rely on each other. They embody that “EVEN IF” faith together as a group. 
• It might have been easy for one of them to fold on their own but together they were able to stand strong in faith. 
• And this is such a biblical example of what Paul and Michael were talking about: whenever the smoke is so thick, you have to rely on your teammates. 
• I think that’s one of the important takeaways for us here – when we face the fire of adversity, we need our brothers and sisters in Christ to go through the fire with us. 
• Today, there is so much division and anger in the world. As Christians, this story should encourage us to fight the fight together. 

But there is another piece of this that we see in Daniel 3. Not only do Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stand by one another when the fire is raging, there is a fourth figure who appears in the fire. Nebuchadnezzar was astonished when he saw this, declaring that this fourth person had the appearance like a son of the gods (Dan. 3:25).

• I believe Nebuchadnezzar was close to the truth here. 
• This fourth person isn’t “like a son of the gods.” No, I believe it was the Son of God Himself.
• I believe Jesus was right there in the fire with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 
• The Bible calls Jesus “Immanuel” – which means, God with us. And I believe He was with these three boys in the fiery furnace that day. 
• SLIDE #7 
• This is a truth we find repeated over and over in the Bible: In the heat and smoke and fire of adversity, God is always with us.
• I was in Houston a few weeks ago, and one thing I heard a minister say is this: The end of human ability is just the start of God’s ability. 
• Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are at the end of their human ability. It’s impossible for them to save themselves.
• I mean, even the soldiers who threw them into the furnace were consumed by the intensity of this fire. 
• But God says, “I am more powerful than any furnace.” He does not forsake His promise to these three boys and He won’t forsake His promises to us either. 
• God runs straight into the fire to save us. 
• In Hebrews 13:5, God says, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” This is a promise you can take to the bank. 
• He will always be with His people, even when the fire is raging and the smoke has us lost and confused. 
• He is right where He said He would be, right there with us in this fight. 
• I love the worship song “Way Maker.” It describes God as a way maker, miracle worker, promise keeper, and (my favorite part) a light in the darkness. 
• God made a way for these three boys. When it seemed impossible, God delivered them from the fire. 
• He worked a miracle to protect them. And He keeps His promise – always. 
• And God was a light in the darkness. I love this image. Throughout the Bible, God is described as a light. This is no coincidence; this ties so well into the image of smoke and fire. 
• Fire produces heat and smoke – but fire also produces light. And God is the light in this story! 
• The fiery furnace was full of smoke and darkness. Just like we talked about earlier. It would have been easy for them to feel alone, abandoned, forsaken. 
• But in that intense moment of weakness when the boys felt all alone, God was right there with them. Can’t see in the smoke – but God is right there. 
• He put his arms around them, and he protected them. 
• So what we can learn is that our God doesn’t pull back whenever we feel the heat. No, He runs straight into the fire to save us. God always keeps his promises. 

You: 

So how is God’s Word speaking to you right now? What are you hearing out of this story today? 

• Are you feeling the heat right now? Are you in the furnace right now? 
• Do you face pressure to conform, pressure to bow down and give your heart and mind to something other than the Lord? What are you bowing down to? 
• Is there some smoke in your life that is keeping you from seeing? Smoke is always disorienting and blinding. Are there some distractions in your life taking your eyes off of Jesus? 
• Is the fire of temptation burning out of control in your life – like the wildfires we sometimes hear about? 
• We all face temptation in life. You’re not alone. You’re going to be tempted – the question is, How do you respond to that temptation? 
• As you face the fire, are you relying on your team? There aren’t many one-man crews in the firefighting community. It takes a team to face the fire. 
• Are you feeling the presence of our God who says, “I will never leave you, nor forsake you.” He will always show up for you. 

We: 

Wherever we might find ourselves this morning, let’s be encouraged by the example of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and their “EVEN IF” faith. 

•  They said, “Even if we die, that’s okay. You can’t change our mind, Nebuchadnezzar. We still believe in our God.” And that’s a powerful example for us today. 
• We have to be willing to stand firm in the smoke and confusion of today’s world. We have to say “even if”. That faith was so powerful that King Nebuchadnezzar said, “We need to praise the God of SMA.” 
• What we can learn from this story is that God is with His people – NO MATTER WHAT.
• This should give us immense security and confidence that our God is with us. He always runs headlong into the fire for us. 
• What would our lives look like if we remembered that in the heat and smoke and fire of adversity, God is with us? (Repeat for emphasis)

I could not imagine being forced to walk into this fiery furnace. Essentially, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were walking to their death. The Babylonians were doing this to make an example of these three boys. But they showed tremendous strength. The three boys said, “No,” even when society around them was saying “Yes.” In today’s world we are being told a lot of things. And a lot of those things going around are lies from the devil. Society today is openly celebrating sin. We have to be the type of people who are going to take a stand against evil, and against sin. That’s what we talked about in the Holy Sexuality conference a couple of years ago. Satan has told us so many lies – which is why we need to be like the three boys and say no to sin, say no to what the world wants us to accept. 

When you’re in the furnace, you’re going to face smoke and heat and fire. Here’s what I mean by that: 

Smoke: Maybe you are starting to see things in your life in your habits that are not from the Lord. Maybe there’s some smoke that’s starting to show up because of some of the lies of the devil or because of some of the temptations in your life. Don’t let that smoke blind you to the truth of God. Don’t let the smoke make you feel like you’re all alone. If you belong to Jesus, then you’re never alone. Ever. He will never leave you and He will never forsake you. That’s a promise you can take to the bank. 

Heat: This is something you can physically feel, you feel yourself getting further away from the Lord and following the devil’s path, or the path the world wants you to follow. Maybe things are starting to get hot because of the presence of some continual sin in your life. In the same way that, “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire,” maybe there’s something here you need to look at. Pay attention to that heat before it’s too late. If you’re feeling some heat, that might be a sign that things are beyond your control and you need to surrender control to Jesus instead. 

Fire: Maybe you are in the middle of the fire, you are fighting the fight and you need Jesus to take control of the battle, I know he is strong enough to fight any battle we have. He is more powerful than the forces of evil that the devil is placing in our lives. If you are tired of being in the fire and you’re ready to say, “No,” to the ways of the devil and the ways of the world, you can do that in a moment. Please I am begging you to not try to do this alone. We are a family and we are supposed to support each other. And we have the single greatest warrior on our side. And His name is Jesus. If you want to accept him today we can make that happen. Remember: Jesus has the power to save. 

If you want to give your life to Jesus in baptism today or if you want to share something with this church that we can be praying about, you can walk down this aisle and share that with us as we sing this next song. 

Ending: 

In the name of Jesus Christ, the Sovereign Lord who makes all things new, he who has ears let him hear. Let’s stand and sing. 

Discussion Questions: 

1. The main theme of today’s message was, “In the heat and smoke and fire of adversity, God is with us.” What does this statement mean to you personally? 
2. Joshua uses the analogy of “feeling the heat” in various ways (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual). Can you share a time when you “felt the heat” in one of these ways? 
3. How does the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego illustrate the central theme of the message? 
4. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego demonstrate “EVEN IF” faith in Daniel 3:16-18. After stating their belief that God would deliver them, they essentially say, “But even if He doesn’t, we still won’t bow down.” In your opinion, what makes this kind of “EVEN IF” faith so powerful? 
5. Where else in the scriptures do you find examples of this “EVEN IF” faith? 
6. The sermon also highlights the importance of relying on “your team” in the smoke and confusion, drawing parallels between firefighters and Christian unity. How has your church family supported you during times of adversity? 
7. Joshua suggested that the fourth figure in the fiery furnace was Jesus. Read Matthew 1:23. How does the idea of Jesus as Immanuel (God with us) impact our understanding of this story? 
8. Read Hebrews 13:5. How does God’s promise bring you security and confidence? 
9. The sermon asks, “Are you feeling the heat right now? Do you find yourself in a fiery furnace of some kind?” How would you answer that question? Are you facing pressure to conform just as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego faced? Is the “smoke” of distraction keeping you from seeing God clearly right now? How do you respond to the fire of temptation in your life? 
10. Close with prayer.