1 00:00:06,040 --> 00:00:08,800 The scripture reading for today comes from Daniel 3. 2 00:00:09,440 --> 00:00:11,720 Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned 3 00:00:11,720 --> 00:00:15,120 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. So these men were brought before 4 00:00:15,120 --> 00:00:18,040 the king, and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, Is it true, 5 00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:21,680 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or 6 00:00:21,680 --> 00:00:23,760 worship the image of gold that I have set up? 7 00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:28,320 Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, 8 00:00:28,320 --> 00:00:31,800 harp, pipe, and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall 9 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:34,240 down and worship the image I made, very good. 10 00:00:34,560 --> 00:00:36,960 But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately 11 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:39,840 into a blazing furnace. Then what God will be able to 12 00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:43,600 rescue you from my hand? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego 13 00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:46,400 replied to him. King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not 14 00:00:46,400 --> 00:00:48,480 need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 15 00:00:48,760 --> 00:00:52,040 If we are, if we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we 16 00:00:52,040 --> 00:00:55,200 serve is able to deliver us from it, and He will deliver us from 17 00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:58,720 Your Majesty's hand. But even if he does not, we want 18 00:00:58,720 --> 00:01:01,640 you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or 19 00:01:01,640 --> 00:01:03,360 worship the image of gold you have set up. 20 00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:12,560 This is the word of the Lord in the centre of Pyongyang, North 21 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:17,480 Korea. 2 enormous bronze statues tower over the city. 22 00:01:17,960 --> 00:01:21,720 Previously gold plated, they depict Kim Illinois Sung and Kim 23 00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:24,400 Jong Illinois, the former rulers of North Korea. 24 00:01:25,040 --> 00:01:30,240 Locals approach in lines and are required to place flowers at 25 00:01:30,240 --> 00:01:34,400 their feet, and also they're told to bow as a group together 26 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:38,080 in unison as solemn music plays around the clock. 27 00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:43,040 So even tourists are instructed to photograph the statues in 28 00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:45,880 their entirety. No close-ups, please. 29 00:01:45,960 --> 00:01:49,560 OK, apparently dictators have a good side and a bad side, just 30 00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:50,520 like us. I get it. 31 00:01:50,520 --> 00:01:53,280 OK. But North Korea became so 32 00:01:53,280 --> 00:01:57,240 skilled at building enormous monuments to its own rulers that 33 00:01:57,240 --> 00:02:00,000 it actually began to export the service to others. 34 00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:04,080 So they would produce, like, heroic bronze versions of 35 00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:07,400 presidents and revolutionaries and strong men, especially 36 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:10,680 across Africa. And so basically, North Korea 37 00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:13,440 has its own Etsy for authoritarians. 38 00:02:13,640 --> 00:02:15,160 You can create your own statue, apparently. 39 00:02:15,160 --> 00:02:19,680 OK. But this is more than just, you 40 00:02:19,680 --> 00:02:22,400 know, respect for two deceased leaders. 41 00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:26,840 North Korea's built an entire system around reverence for the 42 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:29,600 Kim family. The portraits appear throughout 43 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:32,480 public life. Their stories are taught almost 44 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:36,960 like their sacred history, and loyalty to the leader is treated 45 00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:41,240 as loyalty to the nation. This is what authoritarian power 46 00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:45,080 often does. It takes political loyalty, and 47 00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:48,080 it gives it the shape of worship. 48 00:02:48,880 --> 00:02:51,560 It raises an image. It gathers the people, 49 00:02:52,080 --> 00:02:56,160 choreographs the response, and it's all under the banner of 50 00:02:56,160 --> 00:02:59,120 unity. And it makes sure everyone knows 51 00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:01,360 what happens to those who refuse. 52 00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:05,440 So power hungry leaders rise, they demand loyalty and they 53 00:03:05,440 --> 00:03:07,160 present themselves as the answer. 54 00:03:07,640 --> 00:03:09,760 Just follow me. Give me all the power, right? 55 00:03:10,760 --> 00:03:15,560 And often times what they'll do is they'll twist religion or 56 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:20,280 twist tradition in order to garner favour and to secure 57 00:03:20,280 --> 00:03:22,080 control and to villainize those opposed. 58 00:03:22,200 --> 00:03:23,600 We've seen it all throughout history. 59 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:30,120 Now, for us here today, the temptation to submit our 60 00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:33,440 allegiance to the powers is usually a bit more subtle than 61 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:36,080 being forced down to bow down to like, you know, giant bronze 62 00:03:36,080 --> 00:03:40,240 statues in North Korea. But whether you're at work or 63 00:03:40,240 --> 00:03:43,320 with your peers or you're just out and about in our culture, 64 00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:48,520 right, we will eventually feel pressured to a decision point of 65 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:51,680 loyalty. We will eventually be confronted 66 00:03:51,680 --> 00:03:55,960 with the choice to compromise in some way or not. 67 00:03:56,800 --> 00:04:01,160 Have you ever felt that before? It's coming for all of us. 68 00:04:01,160 --> 00:04:04,040 The question for us is not whether the forces of the world 69 00:04:04,040 --> 00:04:08,080 will demand your allegiance. The question is, what will we do 70 00:04:08,160 --> 00:04:13,520 when we're pushed to give in? For example, your boss may 71 00:04:13,520 --> 00:04:17,519 expect you to compromise honesty to hit sales goals or protect 72 00:04:17,519 --> 00:04:20,279 the company. Or maybe it's believing you must 73 00:04:20,279 --> 00:04:23,640 completely identify with one ideological tribe or political 74 00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:28,280 party just to belong. Maybe it's remaining silent 75 00:04:28,280 --> 00:04:31,880 because I don't want to rock the boat or whatever it is, right? 76 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:36,320 We are all faced with these moments of compromise, so how 77 00:04:36,320 --> 00:04:41,760 can we have the moral clarity and personal conviction to 78 00:04:41,760 --> 00:04:45,600 withstand the enormous pressures of resisting compromise in our 79 00:04:45,600 --> 00:04:47,200 fallen world? In other words, let me put it 80 00:04:47,200 --> 00:04:53,000 this way, how can we remain faithful in an unfaithful time? 81 00:04:54,640 --> 00:04:57,840 In Daniel chapter 3, if you want to begin turning there, we see 82 00:04:58,120 --> 00:05:02,200 this same dilemma playing out involving our four young men who 83 00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:06,600 were taken off into exile, their foreign ruler, Nebuchadnezzar. 84 00:05:06,600 --> 00:05:09,960 He raises up an image, gathers the leaders, and then demands 85 00:05:09,960 --> 00:05:12,080 that everyone bow. And the three young friends from 86 00:05:12,080 --> 00:05:16,360 Judah of the royal family, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego 87 00:05:17,040 --> 00:05:20,600 have some choices to make. Now, those are not their real 88 00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:23,600 names, by the way. So I encourage you to check out 89 00:05:23,600 --> 00:05:27,080 our previous sermons on our website as we've gone into 90 00:05:27,080 --> 00:05:29,600 Daniel if you missed the last couple weeks, but we are 91 00:05:29,600 --> 00:05:31,720 continuing on in a Daniel sermon series. 92 00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:34,200 So if you have your physical Bibles, turn to Daniel chapter 93 00:05:34,200 --> 00:05:37,040 3, if you could. We always encourage getting that 94 00:05:37,040 --> 00:05:40,160 physical Bible in front of you. Otherwise it'll be on the 95 00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:42,600 screens as well. Daniel three. 96 00:05:44,200 --> 00:05:47,080 So the context here is that Daniel and his friends have been 97 00:05:47,080 --> 00:05:48,800 taken to a place where they don't belong. 98 00:05:49,560 --> 00:05:52,440 They're living far from Judah, which is their home, and they're 99 00:05:52,440 --> 00:05:58,400 in exile in Mesopotamia around the year 600 BC, so long before 100 00:05:58,400 --> 00:06:01,080 Jesus. They're not in just some random 101 00:06:01,080 --> 00:06:04,200 village. They're in Babylon, which is the 102 00:06:04,200 --> 00:06:09,600 world superpower at the time, and it's also an archetype of 103 00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:13,440 opposition towards righteousness under King Nebuchadnezzar. 104 00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:17,000 It's an archetype of the patterns of what happens with 105 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:21,960 powerful rulers that are wicked. So up into this point, Daniel, 106 00:06:21,960 --> 00:06:24,800 Daniel and his friends have found like really great success 107 00:06:24,800 --> 00:06:28,280 in chapters 1 and 2. They refuse to divide themselves 108 00:06:28,280 --> 00:06:31,720 with Babylon's food and drink, and God gave them supernatural 109 00:06:31,720 --> 00:06:35,000 health and vitality. In chapter 2, Daniel offered 110 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:39,240 divine wisdom to the king when all other forms of man made 111 00:06:39,240 --> 00:06:43,400 knowledge failed. So up until now, they haven't 112 00:06:43,400 --> 00:06:45,800 had any major conflicts. Things have been going pretty 113 00:06:45,800 --> 00:06:50,000 darn well until chapter 3 rolls around. 114 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:53,120 All right, so let's dive in. Chapter 3, verse one. 115 00:06:53,600 --> 00:06:59,640 This is what it says here in the word King Nebuchadnezzar made an 116 00:06:59,640 --> 00:07:03,200 image of gold, 60 cubits high and six cubits wide, and set it 117 00:07:03,200 --> 00:07:06,160 up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 118 00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:09,280 He then summoned the satraps, prefects, governors, advisors, 119 00:07:09,280 --> 00:07:11,840 treasurers, judges and magistrates, and all the other 120 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:16,640 provincial officials to come to the dedication of the image he 121 00:07:16,640 --> 00:07:19,720 had set up. So the satraps, prefects, 122 00:07:19,720 --> 00:07:22,440 governor's advisors, treasures, judges, magistrates, and all the 123 00:07:22,440 --> 00:07:25,840 other provincial officials assembled for the dedication of 124 00:07:25,840 --> 00:07:29,400 the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and 125 00:07:29,400 --> 00:07:32,280 they stood before it. Verse 4. 126 00:07:33,120 --> 00:07:36,200 Then the herald loudly proclaimed nations and people of 127 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:39,360 every language. This is what you are commanded 128 00:07:39,360 --> 00:07:42,200 to do. As soon as you hear the horn 129 00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:45,080 sound of the horn, flute, zither, liar, harp, pipe, and 130 00:07:45,080 --> 00:07:50,040 all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image 131 00:07:50,040 --> 00:07:52,560 of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 132 00:07:53,680 --> 00:07:58,960 Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be 133 00:07:58,960 --> 00:08:05,480 thrown into a blazing furnace. Yikes, the stakes are high. 134 00:08:07,120 --> 00:08:10,840 So here we see that the king has created this really tall image 135 00:08:10,840 --> 00:08:14,160 in the plain of Dura, which would have been like a walled 136 00:08:14,160 --> 00:08:19,240 suburb of the great city. And Nebuchadnezzar is expecting 137 00:08:19,240 --> 00:08:22,880 to have this singular moment of uniform worship from all of his 138 00:08:23,040 --> 00:08:25,440 major officials. And so he creates this sort of 139 00:08:25,440 --> 00:08:29,720 massive obelisk like structure, 90 feet tall, and it's likely 140 00:08:29,720 --> 00:08:34,880 plated with gold. So historically, images like 141 00:08:34,880 --> 00:08:37,919 these weren't uncommon in the ancient Near East. 142 00:08:38,440 --> 00:08:41,240 For instance, ancient societies would often depict their gods 143 00:08:41,240 --> 00:08:43,880 through handmade idols like this. 144 00:08:44,560 --> 00:08:47,640 In fact, ancient Mesopotamians, they would even bathe their 145 00:08:47,640 --> 00:08:51,080 gods, their idols, their images, they would feed them, they would 146 00:08:51,080 --> 00:08:54,160 carry them around and that sort of thing, and they'd have 147 00:08:54,160 --> 00:08:58,000 structures built for them, maybe similar to the Greek Parthenon. 148 00:08:59,040 --> 00:09:02,200 Another example of such a depiction of a statue like this 149 00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:04,520 from ancient history would be if you've ever heard of the 150 00:09:04,520 --> 00:09:06,960 Colossus of Rhodes. Ever heard of that? 151 00:09:06,960 --> 00:09:11,280 There's kind of a depiction of that on the screen, but it was 152 00:09:11,280 --> 00:09:17,000 this massive 108 foot bronze statue of the Greek God Helios, 153 00:09:17,680 --> 00:09:20,200 who apparently is jacked by the way. 154 00:09:20,880 --> 00:09:23,840 Great bod on Helios there. A little bit jealous. 155 00:09:23,840 --> 00:09:27,000 But anyway, it was built on the islands of road and celebrated 156 00:09:27,000 --> 00:09:29,880 like military victory. And it's actually one of the 157 00:09:29,880 --> 00:09:33,320 wonders of the ancient world. Unfortunately, it collapsed in 158 00:09:33,320 --> 00:09:37,240 an earthquake 54 years later. Evidently they just didn't have 159 00:09:37,240 --> 00:09:40,760 the building codes like we do OK, should have called North 160 00:09:40,760 --> 00:09:44,440 Korea for their statue. But anyway, and as we see here 161 00:09:44,440 --> 00:09:49,160 in Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar is having this grand ceremony and 162 00:09:49,160 --> 00:09:54,280 demanding that all of Babylon's officials be represented to 163 00:09:54,280 --> 00:10:00,480 worship the golden image. Now, we don't know exactly what 164 00:10:00,480 --> 00:10:05,920 the image was of, whether it was of Nebuchadnezzar himself, which 165 00:10:06,040 --> 00:10:08,840 could have been possible because the statue of with the gold head 166 00:10:08,840 --> 00:10:10,840 in the previous chapter was of Nebuchadnezzar. 167 00:10:11,640 --> 00:10:15,120 Or it could have been a statue of the gods, like the God 168 00:10:15,120 --> 00:10:19,080 Marduk, since it was less common for Mesopotamian rulers to sort 169 00:10:19,080 --> 00:10:23,240 of deify themselves in that way like we saw in ancient Egypt. 170 00:10:23,920 --> 00:10:27,920 What's more important than discovering what the statue was 171 00:10:28,640 --> 00:10:31,720 is that we discover why it was set up. 172 00:10:32,560 --> 00:10:36,000 Theologian Joyce Baldwin writes this about the grand dedication. 173 00:10:36,000 --> 00:10:41,040 She says the fact that all peoples, nations and languages 174 00:10:41,040 --> 00:10:44,040 were to fall down in worship suggests that Nebuchadnezzar 175 00:10:44,040 --> 00:10:48,680 intended to unite his Kingdom under one religion. 176 00:10:49,960 --> 00:10:52,080 One topical encyclopaedia reiterates this. 177 00:10:52,080 --> 00:10:56,760 It says such images were often used to unify diverse 178 00:10:56,760 --> 00:11:00,680 populations under a common religious or political system. 179 00:11:01,840 --> 00:11:05,320 What's going on here? So Babylon captured and hosted 180 00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:09,480 men and women from all over this region and with so many gods and 181 00:11:09,480 --> 00:11:11,960 religions and allegiances and intentions. 182 00:11:12,160 --> 00:11:16,440 And so the king, he makes use of this religious image to unify 183 00:11:16,440 --> 00:11:20,800 them all under his mighty hand through violence. 184 00:11:21,240 --> 00:11:23,720 You tracking so far? It sort of reminds me of like 185 00:11:23,720 --> 00:11:25,960 the One Ring in Lord of the Rings. 186 00:11:26,160 --> 00:11:32,200 OK, 1 golden image to rule them all, one image to find them one. 187 00:11:32,280 --> 00:11:34,240 OK, I'm I'm not going to do the whole thing, but you get the 188 00:11:34,240 --> 00:11:38,480 point. Daniel 37, verse 7. 189 00:11:38,480 --> 00:11:42,080 Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, flute, 190 00:11:42,080 --> 00:11:45,160 zither, liar, harp, and all kinds of music, all the nations 191 00:11:45,160 --> 00:11:48,520 and people of every language fell down and worshipped the 192 00:11:48,520 --> 00:11:50,600 image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 193 00:11:52,040 --> 00:11:57,680 So for us, we we hear this story and the idea of bowing down and 194 00:11:57,680 --> 00:12:01,200 worshipping a giant statue, I mean, it seems so archaic, 195 00:12:01,200 --> 00:12:03,080 right? Like, we don't even have a 196 00:12:03,080 --> 00:12:05,880 framework in our minds for for such a thing, do we? 197 00:12:06,440 --> 00:12:09,600 I mean, imagine for a moment, OK, imagine for a moment that 198 00:12:09,600 --> 00:12:14,760 this decree went out and all the White House officials had to bow 199 00:12:14,760 --> 00:12:17,320 together to the Statue of Liberty, right? 200 00:12:17,840 --> 00:12:20,000 And imagine they all had to bow in unison to the Statue of 201 00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:22,520 Liberty while like Bruce Springsteen is blaring over the 202 00:12:22,520 --> 00:12:25,920 speakers, like under penalty of death of being thrown into the 203 00:12:25,920 --> 00:12:27,960 New York harbour, right? Like, that would raise a couple 204 00:12:27,960 --> 00:12:29,840 of red flags for us. We don't have a framework for 205 00:12:29,840 --> 00:12:32,000 that. And part of what we appreciate 206 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:35,040 about our culture is that we have the right to choose to 207 00:12:35,040 --> 00:12:38,000 pledge our allegiance to it or not, right, without being 208 00:12:38,280 --> 00:12:42,120 risking being thrown into like a fiery brick kiln like the 209 00:12:42,120 --> 00:12:47,160 Mesopotamians. But for the Babylonians, they 210 00:12:47,160 --> 00:12:51,160 apparently had no trouble bowing down in this moment to this new 211 00:12:51,160 --> 00:12:55,240 image, this new God. Their polytheistic worldview 212 00:12:55,240 --> 00:12:58,400 made it easier for them to bow down and worship the latest 213 00:12:58,400 --> 00:13:02,000 image set up by the powers. After all, when you have so many 214 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:05,480 idols, what's the big deal about slipping one more in? 215 00:13:06,880 --> 00:13:10,920 This is a culture where the king gets what he wants, and if you 216 00:13:10,920 --> 00:13:14,920 want to get ahead in his courts, you play ball and give him what 217 00:13:14,920 --> 00:13:18,920 he wants. And so here, in this moment of 218 00:13:18,920 --> 00:13:22,560 choice, the author of Daniel is intensifying this moment. 219 00:13:23,320 --> 00:13:25,000 Dana Nolan Fellow writes it this way. 220 00:13:25,000 --> 00:13:28,040 Through repetition of the list of officials and instruments, 221 00:13:28,640 --> 00:13:33,360 the narrator creates a scenario in which conformity is normative 222 00:13:33,680 --> 00:13:37,360 and disobedience is unthinkable, right? 223 00:13:37,880 --> 00:13:40,520 It's unthinkable that you wouldn't bow down in this moment 224 00:13:40,520 --> 00:13:42,840 with all of these instruments, all the officials, everything 225 00:13:42,840 --> 00:13:46,000 that's going on, like all of the energy is moving towards 226 00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:47,280 everyone bowing down in this moment. 227 00:13:47,280 --> 00:13:50,480 It's kind of like like if you've ever been to a baseball game and 228 00:13:50,480 --> 00:13:54,120 they start the wave, you know, it's like across the stadium, 229 00:13:54,120 --> 00:13:56,440 you start to see it, right? They're all raising up and 230 00:13:56,440 --> 00:13:59,240 slowly it's intensifying and it's coming around the stadium 231 00:13:59,240 --> 00:14:01,760 towards you, right? And though it's like growing and 232 00:14:01,760 --> 00:14:04,360 everyone's doing it and in that moment you have a choice, right? 233 00:14:04,360 --> 00:14:06,960 And you're almost like compelled, you got to get up and 234 00:14:06,960 --> 00:14:10,080 do this ridiculous motion like those inflatable men that the 235 00:14:10,080 --> 00:14:13,560 used car salesman, right? And like all of the energy is 236 00:14:13,560 --> 00:14:15,480 heading towards that moment, right? 237 00:14:16,120 --> 00:14:19,040 And so here it's kind of like that. 238 00:14:19,040 --> 00:14:21,560 And instead of like a, you know, a wave at a baseball game, 239 00:14:21,560 --> 00:14:23,840 you're, you're bowing down like a demon God in ancient 240 00:14:23,840 --> 00:14:25,360 Mesopotamia. Same energy though, right? 241 00:14:25,360 --> 00:14:29,520 But the point is the same, to not bow down in that moment, to 242 00:14:29,520 --> 00:14:31,720 not bow down in that moment would have been unthinkable 243 00:14:32,920 --> 00:14:39,640 unless you're from Judah, home of the city of David, God's 244 00:14:39,640 --> 00:14:42,000 people. Verse 8. 245 00:14:43,240 --> 00:14:46,440 Here's what happens next. At this time some astrologers 246 00:14:46,440 --> 00:14:49,640 came forward and denounced the Jews or the Judaites. 247 00:14:50,280 --> 00:14:52,600 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, May the king 248 00:14:52,600 --> 00:14:55,960 live forever. Your Majesty has issued A decree 249 00:14:55,960 --> 00:14:58,320 that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, 250 00:14:58,320 --> 00:15:01,280 zither, lyre, harp, and pipe, and all kinds of music, must 251 00:15:01,280 --> 00:15:03,880 fall down and worship the image of gold, and that whoever does 252 00:15:03,880 --> 00:15:05,880 not fall down and worship will be thrown into the blazing 253 00:15:05,880 --> 00:15:08,400 furnace. Verse 12. 254 00:15:08,800 --> 00:15:13,320 But there are some Jews whom you have set up over the affairs of 255 00:15:13,320 --> 00:15:17,960 the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, 256 00:15:18,760 --> 00:15:21,960 who pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. 257 00:15:22,920 --> 00:15:26,520 They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you 258 00:15:27,120 --> 00:15:30,440 have set up. So we discussed this group of 259 00:15:30,440 --> 00:15:34,160 people, these astrologers called the Chaldeans, last week. 260 00:15:34,160 --> 00:15:36,600 These would have been people trained in the books and the 261 00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:40,200 literature and all of the wisdom of divination and omen reading. 262 00:15:41,200 --> 00:15:44,640 And evidently they have a serious bone to pick with these 263 00:15:44,640 --> 00:15:48,360 foreigners, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who have been 264 00:15:48,360 --> 00:15:50,600 elevated at this point to administrators over the 265 00:15:50,600 --> 00:15:53,760 province. And notice they're provoking 266 00:15:53,760 --> 00:15:57,760 language in verse 12 as they address this prideful king, 267 00:15:57,760 --> 00:15:58,640 right? They say. 268 00:15:58,640 --> 00:16:02,080 They say things like the Jews whom you have set up over the 269 00:16:02,080 --> 00:16:04,680 affairs. They pay no attention to you, 270 00:16:05,680 --> 00:16:08,400 your gods, you get the picture. Provoking. 271 00:16:09,280 --> 00:16:12,560 They're intentionally playing to the King's emotions to condemn 272 00:16:12,560 --> 00:16:16,400 their coworkers. And you thought your office 273 00:16:16,400 --> 00:16:18,560 culture was toxic? OK, Like, this is bad. 274 00:16:20,080 --> 00:16:23,560 It reminds me of this scene from the movie Rogue One, one of the 275 00:16:23,560 --> 00:16:24,960 best Star Wars movies of all time. 276 00:16:25,240 --> 00:16:26,440 Yes, I'm going to say that. OK. 277 00:16:26,720 --> 00:16:30,960 And great scene where the the kind of director, the person 278 00:16:30,960 --> 00:16:34,600 who's in charge of building the Death Star or Synchronic, he's 279 00:16:34,600 --> 00:16:39,120 displaying the incredible destructive power of the death * 280 00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:42,400 and he finally is able to kind of showcase it. 281 00:16:42,400 --> 00:16:45,080 And he's hoping his achievement will win him favour and 282 00:16:45,080 --> 00:16:48,640 influence with a powerful Darth Vader and with the Emperor. 283 00:16:48,720 --> 00:16:51,760 But who swoops in to steal his glory? 284 00:16:52,360 --> 00:16:57,040 Who takes command? Grand Moff Tarkin, of course, 285 00:16:57,640 --> 00:16:58,520 betrayal. OK. 286 00:16:59,480 --> 00:17:02,920 And then who kills Krenik with his own creation? 287 00:17:02,960 --> 00:17:06,760 Grand Moff Tarkin? Right now, that's cold even for 288 00:17:06,760 --> 00:17:07,720 the Empire. OK. 289 00:17:08,040 --> 00:17:12,200 And in the similar way, the Chaldeans are out for blood 290 00:17:12,839 --> 00:17:15,839 because these young men don't bow the knee to the King's God. 291 00:17:16,560 --> 00:17:20,640 This is the culture of Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar. 292 00:17:20,640 --> 00:17:26,160 It's backbiting, vying for power, violence, jealousy. 293 00:17:26,800 --> 00:17:30,400 This is the way of the world under those under authoritarian 294 00:17:30,400 --> 00:17:32,960 reign, right? But we also see this played out 295 00:17:33,520 --> 00:17:36,120 on a micro level even in our world today, do we not? 296 00:17:37,320 --> 00:17:39,720 Throwing your Co worker Becky under the bus because she took 297 00:17:39,720 --> 00:17:43,080 too much PTO so you can get the promotion, OK? 298 00:17:43,880 --> 00:17:46,880 Demonizing political opponents rather than engaging them to 299 00:17:46,880 --> 00:17:49,640 rile up your voters, right? We see this play out, this 300 00:17:49,640 --> 00:17:53,760 jealousy and this backbiting for power all over in our world even 301 00:17:53,760 --> 00:17:58,200 today. These three young friends may 302 00:17:58,200 --> 00:18:00,760 have gotten away with bowing down to this image had it not 303 00:18:00,760 --> 00:18:04,960 been for these astrologers, power hungry, grabbing for for 304 00:18:04,960 --> 00:18:07,960 power and influence, and had it not been for Nebuchadnezzar's 305 00:18:07,960 --> 00:18:11,520 pride and his power threatening or our power being threatened. 306 00:18:12,040 --> 00:18:14,360 And so here we see the result of of both of this. 307 00:18:14,360 --> 00:18:20,440 Verse 13. Verse 13, Furious with rage, 308 00:18:21,280 --> 00:18:23,760 Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 309 00:18:24,040 --> 00:18:26,480 So these men were brought before the king, and Nebuchadnezzar 310 00:18:26,480 --> 00:18:29,800 said to them, Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, 311 00:18:29,800 --> 00:18:32,880 that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have 312 00:18:32,880 --> 00:18:36,280 set up? Now when you hear the sound of 313 00:18:36,280 --> 00:18:38,720 the horn, flute, zither, liar, heart, pipe, and all kinds of 314 00:18:38,720 --> 00:18:42,760 music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I 315 00:18:42,760 --> 00:18:48,200 made, very good. But if you do not worship it, 316 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:53,240 you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. 317 00:18:53,920 --> 00:18:56,800 And don't miss this last question, he says. 318 00:18:57,280 --> 00:19:01,800 Then what God will be able to rescue you from my hand? 319 00:19:02,400 --> 00:19:06,720 Oh, so here the young men are given a second chance to make a 320 00:19:06,720 --> 00:19:09,520 choice. Bow or die. 321 00:19:10,520 --> 00:19:12,520 But we. See, this question come from 322 00:19:12,520 --> 00:19:15,640 Nebuchadnezzar, which really sets up the entire theme of this 323 00:19:15,640 --> 00:19:19,280 whole chapter. He asks then, what God will be 324 00:19:19,280 --> 00:19:24,880 able to rescue you from my hand? You see the young men from Judah 325 00:19:24,880 --> 00:19:29,640 had defied the King's God and now the king is defying their 326 00:19:29,640 --> 00:19:34,000 God in chapter 2. Before this we we saw where the 327 00:19:34,000 --> 00:19:39,320 true source of wisdom comes from and now here Nebuchadnezzar is 328 00:19:39,320 --> 00:19:42,560 about to see where the true source of power comes from. 329 00:19:43,200 --> 00:19:44,920 Their response is absolutely incredible. 330 00:19:44,920 --> 00:19:49,760 I love this verse 16 so good. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego 331 00:19:49,760 --> 00:19:52,040 replied to him. King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not 332 00:19:52,040 --> 00:19:55,080 need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 333 00:19:56,280 --> 00:20:00,280 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we 334 00:20:00,280 --> 00:20:05,240 serve is able to deliver us from it, and He will deliver us from 335 00:20:05,240 --> 00:20:08,360 Your Majesty's hand. But. 336 00:20:08,440 --> 00:20:14,400 Even if he does not, we want you to know, your Majesty, that we 337 00:20:14,400 --> 00:20:18,200 will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you 338 00:20:18,200 --> 00:20:20,440 have set up. Wow. 339 00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:27,840 Nebuchadnezzar asks. What God will be able to rescue 340 00:20:27,840 --> 00:20:30,640 you? And what's the men's response? 341 00:20:31,960 --> 00:20:37,880 They gently but confidently say the God we serve is able to 342 00:20:37,880 --> 00:20:39,920 deliver us from it. That's who. 343 00:20:40,960 --> 00:20:43,960 He. Alone has the power to save and 344 00:20:43,960 --> 00:20:49,160 he can deliver us from you to Nebuchadnezzar and check this 345 00:20:49,160 --> 00:20:50,360 out. They don't just stop there. 346 00:20:50,360 --> 00:20:54,640 They say even if he does not, we will not serve your gods or 347 00:20:54,640 --> 00:20:57,920 worship the image who has the power to save us. 348 00:20:57,920 --> 00:21:01,600 They say only Yahweh, only God himself. 349 00:21:01,920 --> 00:21:05,000 Will he do it? We sure hope so. 350 00:21:07,280 --> 00:21:09,960 But. Even if we knew he wouldn't, 351 00:21:10,280 --> 00:21:13,920 even if we knew we wouldn't be spared, we still will not bow a 352 00:21:13,920 --> 00:21:18,640 knee to any other fake God. That's what they're saying here. 353 00:21:19,040 --> 00:21:21,480 We will not serve your gods. Wow. 354 00:21:23,040 --> 00:21:25,160 This is why the men don't try to defend themselves in this 355 00:21:25,160 --> 00:21:27,160 moment. They were technically guilty. 356 00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:30,840 They went against the law and the rule of the day. 357 00:21:30,840 --> 00:21:34,160 And yet, even in the face of the death of death, they make their 358 00:21:34,160 --> 00:21:38,640 position crystal clear. We can't do it. 359 00:21:40,160 --> 00:21:43,360 We won't do it. Why? 360 00:21:45,200 --> 00:21:47,840 What gave them such conviction? Right. 361 00:21:47,840 --> 00:21:51,520 Like, what was it that gave them such moral strength to be able 362 00:21:51,520 --> 00:21:55,520 to make such an impossible choice against opposition? 363 00:21:57,000 --> 00:21:59,960 You see, for these young Jewish men bowing down to a foreign 364 00:21:59,960 --> 00:22:04,000 God, it was completely incompatible with their core 365 00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:07,880 identity, with their core beliefs, and with their story. 366 00:22:09,360 --> 00:22:12,400 Think about it. These young men had grown up in 367 00:22:12,400 --> 00:22:16,880 the noble courts of Judah and would have been well trained in 368 00:22:16,880 --> 00:22:19,520 the accounts of Israelites and Moses and the Exodus right? 369 00:22:19,720 --> 00:22:22,280 The image of gold was a clear violation of the 10 370 00:22:22,280 --> 00:22:24,960 commandments, specifically number one and two, which reads 371 00:22:24,960 --> 00:22:28,040 this from Exodus 20. I am the Lord your God, who 372 00:22:28,040 --> 00:22:30,520 brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 373 00:22:30,520 --> 00:22:33,320 This is what God says. You shall. 374 00:22:33,320 --> 00:22:37,960 Have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself 375 00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:41,480 an image in the form of anything in heaven above, or on the earth 376 00:22:41,480 --> 00:22:45,800 beneath or in the waters below. These men knew that the statue 377 00:22:45,800 --> 00:22:49,080 of Gold wasn't the real God, and they also knew that the real God 378 00:22:49,080 --> 00:22:52,840 didn't need any image made by human hands to represent him, 379 00:22:53,640 --> 00:22:58,840 because the one true God, Yahweh, already had an image to 380 00:22:58,840 --> 00:23:01,840 represent him. The image is the. 381 00:23:01,840 --> 00:23:06,320 Imago Day humanity itself. Humanity the. 382 00:23:06,320 --> 00:23:08,800 Ones Genesis reveals are made in his likeness, right? 383 00:23:08,920 --> 00:23:11,720 His image isn't a golden statue. It's us. 384 00:23:12,200 --> 00:23:15,960 It's his people who live and rule and reign and steward his 385 00:23:15,960 --> 00:23:18,080 creation. So, so get this, check this out 386 00:23:18,080 --> 00:23:21,640 for a moment, In this moment where every single person is 387 00:23:21,640 --> 00:23:23,160 bowing down to this golden image. 388 00:23:24,080 --> 00:23:27,360 It's actually a face off between the gods. 389 00:23:28,080 --> 00:23:31,320 On the one side you have the man made image of a false God or a 390 00:23:31,320 --> 00:23:35,040 ruler, and yet on the other side, facing them, standing up 391 00:23:35,040 --> 00:23:39,560 strong, you have these men made in the image and likeness of the 392 00:23:39,560 --> 00:23:43,400 one true God, Yahweh, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were 393 00:23:43,400 --> 00:23:48,480 representing God himself in that moment as his image bearers. 394 00:23:48,680 --> 00:23:52,040 They knew their identity and they knew their story. 395 00:23:52,040 --> 00:23:54,120 They knew who they were. You catch that? 396 00:23:55,040 --> 00:23:58,880 It's a face off between the image of God and the image of 397 00:23:58,880 --> 00:24:01,480 false gods. The plot thickens as 398 00:24:01,480 --> 00:24:04,960 Nebuchadnezzar is about to mess around and find out where real 399 00:24:04,960 --> 00:24:07,240 power comes from. Here's what it says in verse 19, 400 00:24:07,680 --> 00:24:12,480 Verse 19. Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious 401 00:24:12,480 --> 00:24:16,360 with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in his attitude toward 402 00:24:16,360 --> 00:24:19,480 them changed. In the original language, it's 403 00:24:19,480 --> 00:24:22,480 interesting. And it says his image changed 404 00:24:22,640 --> 00:24:23,240 that. Interesting. 405 00:24:23,680 --> 00:24:27,040 He ordered the furnace heated 7 times hotter than usual and 406 00:24:27,040 --> 00:24:29,480 commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up 407 00:24:29,480 --> 00:24:31,880 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing 408 00:24:31,880 --> 00:24:34,720 furnace. So these men, wearing their 409 00:24:34,720 --> 00:24:38,120 robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and 410 00:24:38,120 --> 00:24:44,320 thrown into the blazing furnace. The King's command was so urgent 411 00:24:44,320 --> 00:24:48,080 and the furnace was so hot that the flames of the fire killed 412 00:24:48,080 --> 00:24:50,720 the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. 413 00:24:51,920 --> 00:24:56,920 And these three. Men firmly tied fell into the 414 00:24:56,920 --> 00:25:01,680 blazing furnace. Notice here how extreme the 415 00:25:01,680 --> 00:25:05,240 King's reaction is when his control is challenged. 416 00:25:05,640 --> 00:25:10,120 Nebuchadnezzar is crashing out. OK, he he is spiraling. 417 00:25:10,120 --> 00:25:14,560 Neb is a mess, all right. Whereas the three boys death 418 00:25:14,920 --> 00:25:17,920 would have brought glory to the God they serve, here we see the 419 00:25:17,920 --> 00:25:19,920 meaningless death of the soldiers at the hand of the 420 00:25:19,920 --> 00:25:21,560 power hungry ruler. It's meaningless. 421 00:25:21,560 --> 00:25:24,320 There's no point. But then something. 422 00:25:24,320 --> 00:25:29,480 Happens verse 24. Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped 423 00:25:29,520 --> 00:25:32,000 to his feet in amazement and asked his advisors. 424 00:25:32,320 --> 00:25:35,880 Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire? 425 00:25:37,200 --> 00:25:39,800 They. Replied certainly, your Majesty, 426 00:25:41,080 --> 00:25:45,560 he said. Look, I see four men walking 427 00:25:45,560 --> 00:25:50,720 around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks 428 00:25:50,720 --> 00:25:55,800 like the son of the gods. Nebuchadnezzar then approached 429 00:25:55,800 --> 00:25:57,560 the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted. 430 00:25:57,720 --> 00:26:01,200 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, 431 00:26:01,200 --> 00:26:02,960 come out. Come here. 432 00:26:03,840 --> 00:26:07,880 So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire, 433 00:26:08,800 --> 00:26:11,400 and the sage traps, prefects, governors and royal advisors 434 00:26:11,400 --> 00:26:15,120 crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not 435 00:26:15,120 --> 00:26:18,760 harmed their bodies. Not not, nor was a hair of their 436 00:26:18,760 --> 00:26:21,360 head singed. Their robes were not scorched, 437 00:26:21,560 --> 00:26:25,440 and there was no smell of fire on them. 438 00:26:26,040 --> 00:26:28,200 Amazing. It's this. 439 00:26:28,200 --> 00:26:32,200 Chapters remarkable climax right where we see these young men 440 00:26:32,200 --> 00:26:35,840 delivered by God from certain death. 441 00:26:37,160 --> 00:26:40,440 Where they once. Were bound, they're now free. 442 00:26:41,400 --> 00:26:45,080 Where they should have been burned, they're now unscathed. 443 00:26:46,880 --> 00:26:49,400 And so. Whether the the person that 4th 444 00:26:49,400 --> 00:26:53,320 man in the fire, whether he was, you know, an Angel of God or 445 00:26:53,320 --> 00:26:57,360 whether he was Jesus himself. We're not quite. 446 00:26:57,360 --> 00:26:59,160 Sure, but what we do know is this. 447 00:27:00,120 --> 00:27:04,200 God. Met them in and delivered them 448 00:27:04,200 --> 00:27:07,360 from the fire. He met them. 449 00:27:07,360 --> 00:27:10,760 In and delivered them from the fire. 450 00:27:12,240 --> 00:27:15,320 Because they were. Willing to stand up for God. 451 00:27:16,440 --> 00:27:18,640 God had, now had. An opportunity to stand up for 452 00:27:18,640 --> 00:27:22,640 them, and even though there was no promise that he'd saved them 453 00:27:22,640 --> 00:27:26,560 from death, God was still with them. 454 00:27:28,280 --> 00:27:30,680 What? Courage from these young Judean 455 00:27:30,680 --> 00:27:33,520 nobles, right? I mean, think about that. 456 00:27:34,360 --> 00:27:37,000 Where do you get such courage and such conviction, right? 457 00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:40,120 And in, in my study this week, I began just like praying and 458 00:27:40,120 --> 00:27:42,160 asking and searching the Scriptures, like where did I 459 00:27:42,280 --> 00:27:44,280 work? How do you get that level of 460 00:27:44,280 --> 00:27:48,800 just moral conviction? And. 461 00:27:48,920 --> 00:27:50,880 You know, I began to do some study and I, you know, thought 462 00:27:50,880 --> 00:27:53,200 back, of course, to the story of the golden cow. 463 00:27:53,200 --> 00:27:55,920 Remember that one where the Israelites, you know, Moses is 464 00:27:55,920 --> 00:27:58,000 gone for like 2 seconds and they're like, we don't know 465 00:27:58,000 --> 00:27:59,600 what's going on. Let's build a cow and worship 466 00:27:59,600 --> 00:28:01,560 it, OK. And there's like, serious 467 00:28:01,560 --> 00:28:03,560 punishment that comes from them. I'm like, yeah, they would have 468 00:28:03,560 --> 00:28:05,560 known that story. These three men. 469 00:28:05,560 --> 00:28:06,520 They would have. They would have known that 470 00:28:06,520 --> 00:28:08,760 story. But I'd like, like, is that it? 471 00:28:09,640 --> 00:28:12,920 Is that enough to, like, really make them have this kind of 472 00:28:12,920 --> 00:28:16,200 moral fiber and this conviction? And then I began to pray 473 00:28:16,200 --> 00:28:19,200 further, and my mind was brought back to a time earlier. 474 00:28:20,520 --> 00:28:23,880 The time. Of of this earlier story from 475 00:28:23,880 --> 00:28:27,120 when the Israelites who are God's people, they're actually 476 00:28:27,120 --> 00:28:31,880 in Egypt and the story of Moses and the Exodus, Exodus and God's 477 00:28:31,880 --> 00:28:35,680 deliverance from power hungry Pharaoh and the gods of Egypt. 478 00:28:36,760 --> 00:28:40,200 Remember that the story of the Passover and how the gods 479 00:28:40,200 --> 00:28:44,680 plagues or the plagues sent by God ruled over or they they 480 00:28:44,680 --> 00:28:48,720 defeated the Egyptian gods. These. 481 00:28:48,880 --> 00:28:52,960 Plagues were a direct counter to Pharaoh's evil rule in God's or 482 00:28:52,960 --> 00:28:55,480 in the Egyptian gods, right? And this was not merely just an 483 00:28:55,480 --> 00:28:59,960 ancient story buried somewhere long ago in Israel's past, right 484 00:28:59,960 --> 00:29:03,200 for for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, the story of the 485 00:29:03,200 --> 00:29:06,600 Passover, right where God delivered them and they put the 486 00:29:06,800 --> 00:29:09,160 the blood on the lamb and the Angel, death passed over them. 487 00:29:09,160 --> 00:29:10,320 They were free. They were set free. 488 00:29:10,480 --> 00:29:14,080 The story of the Passover had actually actually recently been 489 00:29:14,080 --> 00:29:16,080 brought back to the center of national life. 490 00:29:17,000 --> 00:29:20,320 What do I mean? Just one generation earlier, 491 00:29:20,720 --> 00:29:24,040 King Josiah of Judah, that that which is their homeland, had 492 00:29:24,040 --> 00:29:25,800 rediscovered the book of the covenant. 493 00:29:26,920 --> 00:29:30,040 And what he did was he tore down all the idols throughout the 494 00:29:30,040 --> 00:29:35,000 land, and he called the people back to wholehearted worship of 495 00:29:35,000 --> 00:29:37,360 the Lord. And what he did is he gathered 496 00:29:37,360 --> 00:29:40,760 the nation in Jerusalem to remember the God who had once 497 00:29:40,920 --> 00:29:45,680 broken Pharaoh's power, who had once delivered his people from 498 00:29:45,680 --> 00:29:47,680 slavery and from the rule of the gods. 499 00:29:48,280 --> 00:29:51,080 So what followed then in this moment was that the greatest 500 00:29:51,080 --> 00:29:54,920 Passover celebration ever recorded in Israel's history 501 00:29:55,120 --> 00:29:56,720 happened with the reign of King Josiah. 502 00:29:57,240 --> 00:29:58,480 Check it out. This is what it says in Second 503 00:29:58,480 --> 00:30:00,720 Kings. The king gave this order to all 504 00:30:00,720 --> 00:30:03,600 the peoples. Josiah, celebrate the Passover 505 00:30:03,600 --> 00:30:05,720 to the Lord your God as it is written in the book of the 506 00:30:05,720 --> 00:30:08,200 Covenant. Neither in the days of the 507 00:30:08,200 --> 00:30:11,120 judges who led Israel, nor in the days of the kings of Israel 508 00:30:11,120 --> 00:30:16,000 and the kings of Judah had any such Passover been observed. 509 00:30:16,640 --> 00:30:19,440 In other words, we see elsewhere that like they found out, they 510 00:30:19,520 --> 00:30:23,560 they revitalize the Passover and the story, their story of being 511 00:30:23,680 --> 00:30:25,560 delivered out of the hands of Egypt. 512 00:30:25,800 --> 00:30:29,080 And here we see the celebration of Passover like they hadn't 513 00:30:29,160 --> 00:30:32,600 seen for centuries. Here's the point. 514 00:30:33,720 --> 00:30:38,000 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego belonged to the generation born 515 00:30:38,240 --> 00:30:43,000 during Josiah's great revival of the Passover, so they may have 516 00:30:43,000 --> 00:30:45,800 been carried and raised as children into the greatest 517 00:30:45,800 --> 00:30:50,440 Passover celebration Judah had seen in centuries, growing up in 518 00:30:50,440 --> 00:30:54,000 homes where the Passover story was front and center in their 519 00:30:54,000 --> 00:30:56,680 hearts and minds. OK, let me just frame this for 520 00:30:56,680 --> 00:30:58,600 us. Imagine you're like a young 521 00:30:58,600 --> 00:31:01,080 child. You're maybe 2-3, four years 522 00:31:01,080 --> 00:31:02,800 old, whatever. You're a young child and your 523 00:31:02,800 --> 00:31:06,720 parents bring you to the greatest 4th of July celebration 524 00:31:06,920 --> 00:31:09,520 of all time, right? We're talking about professional 525 00:31:09,520 --> 00:31:12,080 fireworks filling the sky for hours. 526 00:31:12,320 --> 00:31:15,840 We're talking about bald eagles somehow flying in formation 527 00:31:15,840 --> 00:31:19,720 together, right? Followed by B2 bombers dropping 528 00:31:19,720 --> 00:31:21,120 red, white and blue smoke in the sky, right? 529 00:31:21,240 --> 00:31:25,480 Hot dogs the size of your arm, all right, Even the toddlers are 530 00:31:25,480 --> 00:31:28,000 waving flags and yelling freedom, right? 531 00:31:28,000 --> 00:31:31,600 Like this is the idea. And you may as a young kid in 532 00:31:31,600 --> 00:31:34,200 this in this party, you may not understand every speech, you 533 00:31:34,200 --> 00:31:37,480 remember every detail, but the message still gets into you. 534 00:31:37,800 --> 00:31:40,280 The message that we were delivered. 535 00:31:40,560 --> 00:31:45,800 We are free and we will never forget who got us here, right? 536 00:31:46,200 --> 00:31:50,960 We would have that baked into US church in the same way. 537 00:31:50,960 --> 00:31:53,480 Check this out. In the same way, during their 538 00:31:53,480 --> 00:31:57,760 most formative years, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego's family 539 00:31:57,760 --> 00:32:02,280 likely experience the same powerful reinstitution and 540 00:32:02,280 --> 00:32:05,600 celebration of the Passover. Under King Josiah, there was a 541 00:32:05,600 --> 00:32:09,920 complete and total resurgence around this singular idea. 542 00:32:10,600 --> 00:32:16,040 God delivered us from the gods and rulers of the day. 543 00:32:18,080 --> 00:32:20,880 For the Judeans growing up during the sweeping 544 00:32:20,880 --> 00:32:24,800 revitalization of the Passover, it was central to their story. 545 00:32:25,400 --> 00:32:29,360 It was baked into their DNA. There was one simple message 546 00:32:29,360 --> 00:32:31,520 embedded deep in their souls, and it was this. 547 00:32:32,960 --> 00:32:34,160 If God. Can deliver then. 548 00:32:35,280 --> 00:32:39,040 He can deliver. Now I'll say it again, if God 549 00:32:39,040 --> 00:32:42,960 can deliver, then, He can deliver now. 550 00:32:44,480 --> 00:32:45,800 That was their. Conviction. 551 00:32:46,720 --> 00:32:50,320 That was their confidence. So where did it come from? 552 00:32:50,320 --> 00:32:55,200 It came from their trust in that their trust in the one true God 553 00:32:55,200 --> 00:32:57,440 over false gods and prideful rulers, right? 554 00:32:57,680 --> 00:33:00,920 And even King Nebuchadnezzar in this moment had to acknowledge 555 00:33:00,920 --> 00:33:05,040 where true power comes from. Verse 28, Nebuchadnezzar said 556 00:33:05,040 --> 00:33:08,400 praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego 557 00:33:08,520 --> 00:33:11,440 who has sent his Angel and rescued his servants. 558 00:33:12,200 --> 00:33:16,960 They trusted him and defied the King's command, and were willing 559 00:33:16,960 --> 00:33:19,680 to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any God 560 00:33:20,040 --> 00:33:23,480 except their own God. Therefore, I decree that the 561 00:33:23,480 --> 00:33:26,600 people of any nation or language who will say anything against 562 00:33:26,600 --> 00:33:29,720 the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be cut into pieces, 563 00:33:29,920 --> 00:33:31,480 and their houses be turned into rubbles. 564 00:33:31,640 --> 00:33:35,440 Check this out, for no other God can save in this way. 565 00:33:36,320 --> 00:33:41,000 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the 566 00:33:41,000 --> 00:33:44,760 province of Babylon. What does Nebuchadnezzar say 567 00:33:44,760 --> 00:33:49,280 here about the three, three men? He says they trusted him. 568 00:33:50,840 --> 00:33:54,400 They trusted in him. Nebuchadnezzar. 569 00:33:54,400 --> 00:33:58,920 In this moment he answers his own question from earlier, which 570 00:33:58,920 --> 00:34:00,520 is the central theme of this chapter. 571 00:34:01,120 --> 00:34:03,880 Check this out. Nebuchadnezzar goes from asking 572 00:34:04,720 --> 00:34:11,280 what God will be able to rescue you to answering no other God 573 00:34:11,280 --> 00:34:14,159 can save in this way. That's the story of this 574 00:34:14,159 --> 00:34:15,560 chapter. Yeah, you can clap for that. 575 00:34:16,120 --> 00:34:18,280 What God will be able to rescue you? 576 00:34:18,280 --> 00:34:20,719 No other God will be able to save in this way. 577 00:34:22,040 --> 00:34:25,000 What? Unshakable faith by these young 578 00:34:25,000 --> 00:34:27,120 men. An incredible story of God's 579 00:34:27,120 --> 00:34:30,600 deliverance. And so for us here. 580 00:34:30,600 --> 00:34:32,239 Today, right? Like I think the question is 581 00:34:32,239 --> 00:34:36,000 like, how can we have the same level of confidence in the Lord? 582 00:34:36,400 --> 00:34:39,320 How do we get that? How do we have? 583 00:34:39,320 --> 00:34:42,560 Unshakable faith during shaky times. 584 00:34:44,639 --> 00:34:47,120 A few quick things. First, let me say this. 585 00:34:47,120 --> 00:34:53,679 First, I think we must honestly identify which idols we are 586 00:34:53,679 --> 00:34:55,960 tempted to both worship and serve in our day. 587 00:34:57,400 --> 00:35:00,080 We have to. Honestly identify like who are 588 00:35:00,080 --> 00:35:03,560 we tempted to serve and worship? What idols are we faced with 589 00:35:03,560 --> 00:35:07,040 here and now? Right, Why did all the other 590 00:35:07,040 --> 00:35:09,400 Babylonians bow down in this moment, right? 591 00:35:09,400 --> 00:35:12,000 It's because they'd already opened opened up their lives to 592 00:35:12,000 --> 00:35:14,360 multiple gods. They'd already opened up their 593 00:35:14,360 --> 00:35:17,000 hearts. They were polytheistic. 594 00:35:17,560 --> 00:35:20,760 They welcomed in all the latest gods and trends and influences, 595 00:35:20,760 --> 00:35:22,800 right? Like whatever the king over me 596 00:35:22,800 --> 00:35:26,640 worships, I worship too. And they lacked knowledge and 597 00:35:26,640 --> 00:35:28,640 belief and conviction in the one true God, right? 598 00:35:28,880 --> 00:35:32,520 So church here today, we have to recognize that by by nature. 599 00:35:33,840 --> 00:35:37,040 By. Nature, our hearts are prone to 600 00:35:37,040 --> 00:35:40,960 welcoming in many idols as well. The hard reality, but it's true. 601 00:35:42,560 --> 00:35:45,200 Meaning. We are constantly being pulled 602 00:35:45,200 --> 00:35:48,920 and seduced to trust created things to bring us joy and 603 00:35:48,920 --> 00:35:51,400 relief. We long for right rather than 604 00:35:51,400 --> 00:35:53,440 trusting in God to give us those things. 605 00:35:54,840 --> 00:35:56,480 John Calvin, he's a famous theologian. 606 00:35:56,480 --> 00:35:59,720 He puts it this way. I love this man's nature, so to 607 00:35:59,720 --> 00:36:03,480 speak, is a perpetual factory of idols. 608 00:36:04,720 --> 00:36:08,080 As in like, like, by nature, you and I, like, we just keep making 609 00:36:08,080 --> 00:36:10,200 up idols to worship. We're like, oh, the idol is 610 00:36:10,200 --> 00:36:11,680 success. Yep, I'm going to create that in 611 00:36:11,680 --> 00:36:13,400 my heart, right? We just keep pumping them out on 612 00:36:13,400 --> 00:36:15,840 the conveyor belt. Philosopher and theologian Paul 613 00:36:15,840 --> 00:36:18,760 Tillich calls this the ultimate concern. 614 00:36:19,240 --> 00:36:26,240 He writes whatever concerns a man ultimately becomes God for 615 00:36:26,240 --> 00:36:28,880 him. Wow. 616 00:36:30,520 --> 00:36:32,280 So what is what is your greatest concern right now? 617 00:36:33,920 --> 00:36:35,760 What's your ultimate concern if you're honest? 618 00:36:37,160 --> 00:36:39,280 Church You. And I have so many different 619 00:36:39,280 --> 00:36:42,240 affections, let's be honest. So many different affections 620 00:36:42,240 --> 00:36:45,600 vying for our attention and trying to make room in our 621 00:36:45,600 --> 00:36:53,640 hearts today, myself included. The perfect life, the perfect 622 00:36:53,640 --> 00:36:57,000 family. The maximized schedule or the 623 00:36:57,000 --> 00:37:03,200 balanced calendar? Comfort, ease, security, the 624 00:37:03,200 --> 00:37:06,480 dream home, the vacation, the career, whatever it is. 625 00:37:06,560 --> 00:37:09,200 Am I speaking to anyone so far? OK, Is it just me? 626 00:37:10,040 --> 00:37:12,480 The show stopping body? Come on. 627 00:37:12,800 --> 00:37:14,000 We all want to look like the sun God. 628 00:37:14,000 --> 00:37:16,760 Helios, right? Still thinking about Helios. 629 00:37:16,760 --> 00:37:18,360 OK, Who's ripped? OK. 630 00:37:19,360 --> 00:37:22,600 How about the desire to have influence, to be known, to go 631 00:37:22,600 --> 00:37:23,400 viral? Whatever. 632 00:37:25,040 --> 00:37:26,320 How about that? Relationship. 633 00:37:27,920 --> 00:37:30,760 To fulfil my. Needs and my desires. 634 00:37:31,440 --> 00:37:35,640 Look, it's not that all of these things are bad in and of 635 00:37:35,640 --> 00:37:39,080 themselves, because they're not. But the. 636 00:37:39,080 --> 00:37:43,360 Danger is that we're tempted to elevate these things to a place 637 00:37:43,360 --> 00:37:45,560 of ultimate concern in our life. Does that make sense? 638 00:37:46,000 --> 00:37:48,760 It's to elevate them to a place higher than God. 639 00:37:49,720 --> 00:37:52,160 So when we do that, God just becomes one more thing in the 640 00:37:52,160 --> 00:37:55,160 frenzy and fray of all of these lesser affections, right? 641 00:37:55,640 --> 00:37:59,080 And so when we promote these lesser gods, these things vying 642 00:37:59,080 --> 00:38:02,160 for our attention, these desires, when we promote them, 643 00:38:02,400 --> 00:38:06,080 we're demoting the prime priority of the one true God. 644 00:38:06,960 --> 00:38:11,400 In other words, when we lift up idols in our hearts, we bring 645 00:38:11,400 --> 00:38:16,840 God down or we attempt to, and the result is that God just 646 00:38:16,840 --> 00:38:19,440 becomes, you know, just one more thing we turn to when we're in 647 00:38:19,440 --> 00:38:22,920 need, when we feel like it. Look, we got to be honest here. 648 00:38:23,520 --> 00:38:27,360 We got to be honest about what's actually vying for our hearts, 649 00:38:27,360 --> 00:38:29,840 desires and attentions. So let me put it this way. 650 00:38:29,840 --> 00:38:34,680 Let me put it this way, Church, who or what sits on the throne 651 00:38:34,680 --> 00:38:39,280 of your heart? If you're really honest, what do 652 00:38:39,280 --> 00:38:42,480 you find yourself being most concerned with day-to-day? 653 00:38:42,760 --> 00:38:46,240 What's grabbing at your attention and what are you 654 00:38:46,240 --> 00:38:48,800 ascribing value and glory in allegiance to? 655 00:38:48,920 --> 00:38:53,680 What are you worshipping? Look church, to remain faithful 656 00:38:53,680 --> 00:38:59,000 and unfaithful times, we must choose to reject lesser idols or 657 00:38:59,000 --> 00:39:02,920 ultimate concerns. Who do you really trust will 658 00:39:02,920 --> 00:39:04,240 save you when you're in a predicament? 659 00:39:06,200 --> 00:39:08,160 Who do you trust to? Liberate you from your anxious 660 00:39:08,160 --> 00:39:10,120 thoughts. Ease your. 661 00:39:10,120 --> 00:39:12,840 Burdened mind or deliver you from your struggles, you just be 662 00:39:12,880 --> 00:39:17,680 honest about it. Maybe for you, for for many, 663 00:39:18,800 --> 00:39:21,160 maybe for you, it's the idol of addiction, right? 664 00:39:21,280 --> 00:39:25,520 Like chasing the next high and hoping that it'll bring you some 665 00:39:25,520 --> 00:39:26,960 kind of relief or comfort, right? 666 00:39:26,960 --> 00:39:30,040 Maybe it's alcohol or it's drugs, or it's sex, or it's 667 00:39:30,040 --> 00:39:32,520 shopping, or it's your phone or whatever, right? 668 00:39:32,720 --> 00:39:35,400 And if that's you today, like we're not here to shame you in 669 00:39:35,400 --> 00:39:39,560 that, that's not the goal. But we are here to tell you that 670 00:39:39,560 --> 00:39:42,480 there is a God who loves you, who has the power to deliver 671 00:39:42,480 --> 00:39:45,120 you. Who wants to? 672 00:39:45,120 --> 00:39:50,160 Deliver you. Do you want that for others of 673 00:39:50,240 --> 00:39:52,080 of you? Maybe it's the power or the idol 674 00:39:52,080 --> 00:39:55,440 of of of power, right? Maybe you feel like me that you 675 00:39:55,440 --> 00:39:57,000 need to have control all the time, right? 676 00:39:57,800 --> 00:40:01,800 Confession time. Maybe it's a climbing higher in 677 00:40:01,800 --> 00:40:04,280 the corporate ladder to make sure you have enough resources. 678 00:40:04,480 --> 00:40:07,200 Maybe it's making yourself more influential so that you'll be 679 00:40:07,200 --> 00:40:09,640 unwoundable by others. Whatever it is, maybe for you 680 00:40:09,640 --> 00:40:11,720 it's power. Or maybe it's. 681 00:40:11,720 --> 00:40:13,880 The the idol of a relationship, right? 682 00:40:13,880 --> 00:40:16,520 Like rather than trusting in God's will, you you're instead 683 00:40:16,520 --> 00:40:20,560 bowing to the will of a spouse or a kid or boss or a neighbor 684 00:40:20,560 --> 00:40:25,520 or whatever in an unhealthy way. Look, whatever it is for you, we 685 00:40:25,520 --> 00:40:27,520 all have them. We all have idols creeping in. 686 00:40:28,480 --> 00:40:29,120 I just. Want us to? 687 00:40:29,120 --> 00:40:33,280 Ask and have you ask the question, who or what is of 688 00:40:33,280 --> 00:40:36,000 ultimate concern to you and your life right now? 689 00:40:37,640 --> 00:40:40,480 Who or what are you? Turning to to fulfil a need that 690 00:40:40,480 --> 00:40:44,680 God himself in his gracious love is eager to fulfill in your 691 00:40:44,680 --> 00:40:47,520 life. Look, regardless of what it is, 692 00:40:47,640 --> 00:40:53,760 all of idol worship comes back to the worship of self, of self. 693 00:40:55,560 --> 00:40:58,200 And what I love about the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and 694 00:40:58,200 --> 00:41:02,280 Abednego is that they weren't just defying the Babylon's God, 695 00:41:03,120 --> 00:41:06,320 but in their humility they were defying the gods of self 696 00:41:06,320 --> 00:41:09,560 preservation. Even if. 697 00:41:09,560 --> 00:41:11,040 He does not. They said. 698 00:41:11,560 --> 00:41:13,760 We will not serve your gods or worship the image. 699 00:41:14,840 --> 00:41:17,760 You see the image of gold, that wasn't the one that had the 700 00:41:17,760 --> 00:41:20,000 power. The image of gold wasn't the 701 00:41:20,000 --> 00:41:22,680 threat. It's the love of self that is 702 00:41:22,680 --> 00:41:25,360 the threat. It leads. 703 00:41:25,360 --> 00:41:28,080 Down 1000 destructive paths when we let it. 704 00:41:29,520 --> 00:41:32,880 And so how do we? Remain faithful and UN faithful 705 00:41:32,880 --> 00:41:35,000 time. Second, we have to fix our eyes 706 00:41:35,000 --> 00:41:40,040 completely on the one true image of God, Jesus Christ his Son. 707 00:41:40,920 --> 00:41:45,160 Colossians 115 puts it this way. The Son is the image of the 708 00:41:45,160 --> 00:41:48,080 invisible God, the first born over all creation. 709 00:41:49,440 --> 00:41:52,680 Look. Nebuchadnezzar saw an saw an 710 00:41:52,680 --> 00:41:56,680 image in the furnace that day, and it wasn't an image of some 711 00:41:56,680 --> 00:41:59,520 golden beast with horns or wings or claws. 712 00:41:59,880 --> 00:42:04,120 It was an image like God himself in human form. 713 00:42:05,200 --> 00:42:08,000 It was an image like Jesus himself. 714 00:42:10,240 --> 00:42:14,160 After Jesus lived, when Peter, his disciple, and the other 715 00:42:14,160 --> 00:42:17,200 apostles were brought before the religious legal courts on the 716 00:42:17,200 --> 00:42:20,640 charges of teaching that Jesus indeed had been crucified for 717 00:42:20,640 --> 00:42:25,200 their sins and indeed had been risen again in the flesh and 718 00:42:25,200 --> 00:42:27,760 under the threat of punishment of death, they boldly proclaimed 719 00:42:27,760 --> 00:42:28,760 this. They said this. 720 00:42:28,760 --> 00:42:33,480 They said we must obey God rather than human beings. 721 00:42:34,640 --> 00:42:36,160 How did they have? Such courage. 722 00:42:37,880 --> 00:42:43,560 They'd been with Jesus, they'd seen Jesus, they'd watched him. 723 00:42:43,840 --> 00:42:48,120 They knew him, they embraced him, and they worshipped Him. 724 00:42:49,360 --> 00:42:52,280 Their. Eyes were fixed on the one true 725 00:42:52,280 --> 00:42:55,680 image of God, Jesus himself, the image of the invisible God. 726 00:42:56,960 --> 00:43:00,920 Like the young Judeans in exile, you and I will have to face many 727 00:43:00,920 --> 00:43:04,560 moments where the powers in the end that be pull at us right 728 00:43:05,720 --> 00:43:07,560 demand our loyalty and invite us to bow. 729 00:43:09,560 --> 00:43:12,800 Finally to. To be a stand up person in a bow 730 00:43:12,800 --> 00:43:14,840 down world, we have to remember our story. 731 00:43:16,520 --> 00:43:20,880 In the Exodus we see that God made a way for his people to be 732 00:43:20,880 --> 00:43:24,320 saved from the gods and rulers of Egypt, and he did it by 733 00:43:24,320 --> 00:43:28,880 demonstrating his power over the false gods of Pharaoh and 734 00:43:28,880 --> 00:43:31,320 rescuing them from death through the blood of the Lamb. 735 00:43:32,760 --> 00:43:35,360 He was with them as he parted the waters and LED them through 736 00:43:35,360 --> 00:43:37,840 on dry ground, and he was with them as they travelled through 737 00:43:37,840 --> 00:43:39,560 the wilderness until the promised land. 738 00:43:39,840 --> 00:43:42,360 In other words, God made a way when there was no way. 739 00:43:42,360 --> 00:43:44,920 That's the story. Notice the. 740 00:43:44,920 --> 00:43:48,840 Language Moses uses to describe this deliverance in Deuteronomy 741 00:43:48,840 --> 00:43:55,600 4 he says But As for you, the Lord took you and brought you 742 00:43:55,600 --> 00:44:00,480 out of the what? Note the language iron smelting 743 00:44:01,160 --> 00:44:05,920 furnace out of Egypt to be the people of his inheritance, as 744 00:44:05,920 --> 00:44:09,240 you now are. He did it in their. 745 00:44:09,240 --> 00:44:14,080 Story and he's done all of this and more in our story through 746 00:44:14,680 --> 00:44:18,720 Jesus. So don't just remember our 747 00:44:18,720 --> 00:44:20,280 story. Remember your story. 748 00:44:21,440 --> 00:44:26,040 Remember what happened? When God met you, remember your 749 00:44:26,040 --> 00:44:29,720 story of how God brought you out from the power of the false gods 750 00:44:29,720 --> 00:44:33,320 and idols and affections. Remember your story, how the 751 00:44:33,320 --> 00:44:39,720 spotless Lamb Jesus rescued you from sin and death and hell by 752 00:44:39,720 --> 00:44:43,200 his blood. How in his perfect love God made 753 00:44:43,200 --> 00:44:47,600 a way for you when death was surrounding you and there was no 754 00:44:47,600 --> 00:44:50,480 other way out. Remember your story, how He 755 00:44:50,480 --> 00:44:55,080 promises to never leave you or forsake you as you make your 756 00:44:55,080 --> 00:44:58,000 pilgrimage through this life into the next? 757 00:44:59,840 --> 00:45:02,320 Church is by. Remembering God's grand story of 758 00:45:02,320 --> 00:45:08,120 redemption that we can remain faithful and an unfaithful time, 759 00:45:16,360 --> 00:45:18,920 grateful in my story that God took me. 760 00:45:20,840 --> 00:45:22,960 Took me from a. Path that was leading towards 761 00:45:22,960 --> 00:45:27,760 destruction and self worship and idol worship and perversion and 762 00:45:27,760 --> 00:45:31,480 all sorts of other mayhem. He took me out of that path, out 763 00:45:31,480 --> 00:45:34,600 of that trajectory. He rescued me from that certain 764 00:45:34,600 --> 00:45:38,240 death, and He led me instead on a path of restoration and 765 00:45:38,240 --> 00:45:39,960 righteousness and goodness and love. 766 00:45:41,840 --> 00:45:45,240 It's not from my own. Doing, I couldn't save myself, 767 00:45:46,200 --> 00:45:50,160 but Jesus did it and he's done it for many of you in the room 768 00:45:50,160 --> 00:45:51,840 as well. And, and if you're in the room 769 00:45:52,920 --> 00:45:55,000 and you're not sure that he has done that for you, if you're not 770 00:45:55,000 --> 00:45:58,360 sure you've been rescued in that way, the invitation for you 771 00:45:58,360 --> 00:46:02,440 today is to simply acknowledge and place your faith in what 772 00:46:02,480 --> 00:46:06,680 Jesus did on the cross for you. You see, we. 773 00:46:06,680 --> 00:46:10,520 Were headed towards certain death and at just the right 774 00:46:10,520 --> 00:46:12,360 time, Jesus came. He lived a perfect life. 775 00:46:12,360 --> 00:46:15,360 He died for you and for me so that we can be reconciled and 776 00:46:15,360 --> 00:46:18,520 reunited back to God. It's by placing our. 777 00:46:18,520 --> 00:46:22,200 Faith by in God that God gives us His grace and we can enter 778 00:46:22,200 --> 00:46:25,840 into His Kingdom, a Kingdom that lasts for all time long beyond 779 00:46:25,840 --> 00:46:29,280 any rulers, long beyond any kingdoms of Babylon or Rome or 780 00:46:29,280 --> 00:46:31,720 whatever. That's the invitation for you 781 00:46:31,720 --> 00:46:33,480 today, and you can make that choice right now in your heart. 782 00:46:35,920 --> 00:46:37,600 You just say God. God rescue me. 783 00:46:38,880 --> 00:46:40,520 I know I'm on a. Path to destruction I don't know 784 00:46:40,520 --> 00:46:51,320 where I'm headed experienced the deliverance from certain fire 785 00:46:51,320 --> 00:46:56,960 and death because of the 4th man in the fire the very presence 786 00:46:56,960 --> 00:46:59,840 and deliverance of God. So if you're here today and 787 00:46:59,840 --> 00:47:03,040 you're feel like you're just like going through it, like you 788 00:47:03,040 --> 00:47:05,760 feel like the, the furnace is at your feet, right? 789 00:47:05,760 --> 00:47:09,560 You feel like you're stuck behind a rock and a hard place 790 00:47:09,560 --> 00:47:13,960 and you don't see a way out. Maybe you're suffering, maybe 791 00:47:13,960 --> 00:47:15,080 you're hurting, maybe you're in pain. 792 00:47:15,080 --> 00:47:17,760 I, I want, I want to invite you to just remember one thing from 793 00:47:17,760 --> 00:47:23,560 this story that God didn't save them from the fire. 794 00:47:24,160 --> 00:47:27,200 He saved them within the fire. Right. 795 00:47:27,920 --> 00:47:30,640 Like he didn't put out the flames. 796 00:47:32,200 --> 00:47:33,840 He went into. The flames with them. 797 00:47:35,440 --> 00:47:37,800 So if you're. In a situation today where 798 00:47:37,800 --> 00:47:41,720 you're just like, I don't know what's going to happen out, I'm 799 00:47:41,720 --> 00:47:43,440 being tempted to compromise in some way. 800 00:47:43,440 --> 00:47:47,880 Would you just would you just remember that that God is with 801 00:47:47,880 --> 00:47:50,800 you. He sees you, He knows you, He 802 00:47:50,800 --> 00:47:56,360 gets it. Look, whatever trial you're in, 803 00:47:56,360 --> 00:47:58,680 right? Like you can call on God's name 804 00:47:58,680 --> 00:48:02,360 now, and you can know with confidence that even if he 805 00:48:02,360 --> 00:48:04,920 doesn't take the suffering and the pain away, there's no 806 00:48:04,920 --> 00:48:07,280 promise of that. He will. 807 00:48:07,280 --> 00:48:09,960 Lead you through it to the other side, you hear me? 808 00:48:10,120 --> 00:48:13,960 He will lead you through it to the other side, no matter what 809 00:48:13,960 --> 00:48:16,280 fire you're in or what ruler is confronting you. 810 00:48:16,280 --> 00:48:20,480 Whether you find yourself confronting a Red Sea or in a 811 00:48:20,480 --> 00:48:24,760 burning desert or a finery furnace or a lion's den or 812 00:48:24,760 --> 00:48:28,640 religious court or jail cell or an addiction or whatever it is, 813 00:48:28,640 --> 00:48:32,880 God will be with you. He'll be with you. 814 00:48:32,880 --> 00:48:34,720 Amen. He'll be with you. 815 00:48:36,840 --> 00:48:39,480 This is how we remain faithful in a faithless age. 816 00:48:39,840 --> 00:48:44,600 Reject idols, remember God's story and fix your eyes on the 817 00:48:44,600 --> 00:48:49,800 true image, the true image who is Jesus himself. 818 00:48:51,400 --> 00:48:54,840 If we do that, we can walk with confidence that no matter what 819 00:48:54,840 --> 00:49:00,720 happens, no matter what happens, God will be present with us.