Latest / Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast / #20241204 - What Kind Of Faith Do You Have - Daniel 3:1-25

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#20241204 - What Kind Of Faith Do You Have - Daniel 3:1-25 · Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast

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Welcome to the study of God's Word recorded live at Calvary
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Church in Aurora, Co. To learn more about the many
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resources available through Abounding Grace Media or to tune
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dot Church or download our free Calvary Church app.
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Now let's open our Bibles and study God's Word.
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Amen. All right, so if you would open
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up with me and Daniel chapter 3, Daniel chapter 3, this is a
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message I entitled What kind of faith do you have?
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So as I alluded to earlier, you know, the Lord's just been kind
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of speaking to me about what does faith really look like in
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my life? Is it a little bit of faith?
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Is it genuine faith? Is it no faith at all?
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For some of us, we're in this room and we're just holding on
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to just a little bit of what we have already.
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But but I would encourage you, you know, as we jump into the
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book of Daniel, there's going to be a few things that we draw out
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so that we would come to, to know that through the testing of
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our faith that we would, you know, know that that we have
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this genuine faith and that we can have about this living hope,
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as the Bible reminds us, found through Jesus Christ.
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And so life can often feel like a difficult journey filled with
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unexpected challenges and moments of doubt.
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Each of us navigates the path differently, facing our own
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unique set of obstacles and opportunities for growth.
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It's during these tough times that we are tested.
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The journey can be overwhelming and it's natural to question our
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strength and endurance. However, in the midst of
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struggles, there are lies. There lies a promise of
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transformation. Again, a living hope we have the
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privilege to come to know through Jesus Christ as we
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explore this theme tonight. As we explore it, we will dive
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into the importance of faith and the ways it can shape our
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experiences, guiding us through trials and into seasons of
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renewal, even when things feel overwhelming.
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We then come to find out if we have this genuine faith.
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And so in the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, for a lot
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of you, you've learned it in Sunday school.
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For a lot of you, you know, maybe in your devo time as
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you're reading the Bible, for some of us getting ready in
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January to to start the Bible again and go through that.
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But I really wanted to draw out that even though it's a familiar
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passage, the Lord's word reminds us that that his word never
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returns void. And and one thing that we would
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be able to come and to know is that our faith will be tested in
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life. But Jesus always reminds us
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that, you know, to take courage. We will go through trials and
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tribulation, but to take courage because I have overcome the
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world. And so here, the children of
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Israel, the children of Israel, just for some context, just to
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set the tone and where we're at, Israel kind of lives through
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this cycle. Israel lives through this cycle
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where where Israel serves the Lord.
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Israel then falls into sin and idolatry.
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Israel is oppressed by an enemy and then Israel cries out to the
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Lord and the Lord raises up someone to deliver Israel and so
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on it repeats and and so on and so forth.
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And so here we are with context. The king, the king of of this
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time is King Nebuchadnezzar from Babylon.
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And so if you pick up with me here in Daniel chapter 3,
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starting in verse one, it says Nebuchadnezzar the king made an
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image of gold whose whose height was 60 cubits and its width 6
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cubits. He set it up in the plain of
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Dura in the province of Babylon. And King Nebuchadnezzar sent
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word to gather together the SAT traps, the administrators, the
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governor's, the counselors, the treasurer's, the judges, the
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magistrates, and the officials of the provinces to come to our
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come to the dedication of the image which King Nebuchadnezzar
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had set up. So the SAT traps the
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administrators, the governor's, the counselors, the treasurer's,
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the judges, magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces
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gathered together for the dedication of the image that
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King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Then he heard then.
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Then a herald cried aloud to you.
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It is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, that at
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the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and
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sultry and Symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall
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down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set
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up. And whoever does not fall down
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and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of
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the burning fiery furnace. And so, and So what do we have
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here? We have a wicked king.
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And he set up this image. And if you don't bow down to it,
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then then you're done. Then he, he sets you on fire or
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he, you know, he kills you. And so King Nebuchadnezzar is it
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is a known king not only in the Bible, but he's also known in
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world history. King Nebuchadnezzar is
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referenced as one of the kings that was just most, most
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ruthless, gruesome. You know, some historians have
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said that that when Neet King Nebuchadnezzar, he would come to
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Jerusalem and, and, you know, take the city, they, they burned
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down the temple and they taken those that were captive.
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So they So what they were doing was they were there in a moment,
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they were there in a moment where they were receiving those
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captives, some that were high priests or some that were in
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high regards to to their, to their status in life.
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And So what they would do is that the Babylonian Empire would
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brainwash these people. And So what brainwashing would
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look like is something kind of what we see in the culture.
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The culture tends to tell us, hey, this is the way in which
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you should live. This is the way in which you
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need to abide by things like that.
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And so and So what we see here is that King Nebuchadnezzar is
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someone that I kind of portray as has anyone here seen the
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movie The Hunger Games, The Hunger Games, Right.
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And so as you see the movie The Hunger Games, you know,
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presidents know, right? Presidents know he's in The
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Hunger Games. He does anything at all costs to
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to do whatever he wants. And so this is kind of a picture
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of what King Nebuchadnezzar was. Again, we're trying to paint
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this picture that he's ruthless. He's a guy that, you know,
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whatever says goes. And and so now he's made this
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image in which if you don't bow down to it, then you would be
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killed on the spot. And so with that, as I was
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talking about, you know, the brainwashing that they would do
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again, they would they would receive the captives and, and
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for those main characters in this story that we have
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Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So those changes came to be.
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If you've read Daniel before, Daniel references them as so
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Hananiah. Hananiah, his name was changed
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to Shadrach, but Hananiah means God is gracious Shadrach.
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Now his name in the Babylonian Empire means commander of the
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moon God. And so Mishael, which is who is
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Meshach in the story Mishael in the in the in Jerusalem, his
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name or in Hebrew his name is who is like God.
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And so Meshach in the Babylonian empire, his name means who is
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like the moon God. Next we have Azariah, which we
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know in the story Abednego. Azariah means God has helped and
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Abednego means servant of the God Nebu.
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And so these three guys are going to go against, as we see
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here, the King's commands, the King's commands in which that
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he's, they're being told, hey, you need to bow down.
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What it is that you or sorry, you need to bow down to the gold
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image that had set before you. And so tonight I want to
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encourage the believer. I want to encourage the
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believer. What kind of faith do you have
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when you're tested? Is it real faith?
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Is it little faith, or is it no faith at all?
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And so if you pick up with me in verse 8, it says.
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Therefore, at the time certain Chaldeans came forward and
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accused the Jews, they spoke and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, O
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king, live forever. You, O king, have made a decree
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that everyone who hears the sound of the horn flew harp,
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lyre, sultry, and Symphony with all kinds of music shall fall
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down and worship the gold image. And whoever does not fall down
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and worship shall cast into the midst of the burning fiery
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furnace. There are certain Jews whom you
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have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach,
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Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, have not paid
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due regard to you. They do not serve your gods or
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worship the gold image which you have set up.
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Verse 13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in rage and fury gave the command
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to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
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So they brought these men before the king Nebuchadnezzar spoke,
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saying to them, Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
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that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image?
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What I which I have set up? Now if you are ready at the
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time, you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, flyer, sultry
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and Symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and
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worship the image which I have made good.
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But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately in the
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midst of the burning fiery furnace.
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And who is the God who will deliver you from my hands?
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So this story stirs up hope. And so if you're taking notes
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tonight, point number one is real faith is counter cultural.
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So how are we doing here in this culture?
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We see time and time again in the news.
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We see time and time again in politics and all these things
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that you know, are just in front of us, social media, you name
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it. And we see that the world is
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evil, but it's something that we don't it, it's not new to us, as
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the Bible reminds us that in the last days, good would be called
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evil and evil would be called good.
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And so again, how are we doing as a as a culture, as a
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believer, you know, in this faith or it's sorry in this
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life. And, and one thing that really,
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you know, strikes us, believe it or not, when we see here in the
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verse where it talks about, you know, that music or when the
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music is played that you would, you would bow down.
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And, and that's something that that really comes and it's a
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personal thing in our lives. So for me growing up, you know,
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I would listen to a whole bunch of music, things like that, some
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music that was fine, some music that once you actually read the
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lyrics, it was probably something you shouldn't be
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playing out loud. But again, music has always been
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a part of our culture. I always think it's really cool
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that that as, as we have a worship team or as we have, you
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know, those that are gifted in this type of area that we are
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designed to worship. But for some of us, we have been
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worshipping or we've been bowing down to things in our lives
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again, like music that fills us with things that we shouldn't
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really be listening to. It's not that I'm trying to get
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legalistic, but I'm trying to tell you that garbage in means
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garbage out. Has anyone here heard of the
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song Panda Panda? I think you guys know, right?
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And if you don't, I'll sing the song for you.
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It goes Panda, panda, panda, panda, panda, panda Panda.
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And that's really it from what I understand.
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But when But when you when you think about it, it's a song that
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you would hear on, you know, the Super Bowl commercials, a song
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you would hear on the radio or whatever you're passing by
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through. But when you really think about
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it, music tends to play a big part in our lives.
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Music is a way that we express ourselves.
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Music is a way that we get to, you know, listen and and kind
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of, you know, whatever it is that what mood we're in, things
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like that. But again, going back to this
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song Panda, for some of us were were naive to think that music
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doesn't affect us music in this way.
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When you really think about it. I looked up the lyrics and I'm
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not going to read them fully fully, but but what we can get
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from the song Panda is that it says that it's talking about
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drugs, it's talking about selling drugs.
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It's saying, Hey, let's go abuse women for sport.
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And if you're not about that, then forget you in a nice term.
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And so again, what I'm trying to draw out is that that garbage in
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is garbage out. And so we have to be counter
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cultural. And so many times I see it, you
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know, not only with I have the privilege of of serving the high
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school kids here at the church. I see it with the high school
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kids or, or again, even in our BC days with listening to music.
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I didn't know that I knew Psalm 23 before I even became a
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believer. You know, as I walked through
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the valley of the shadow of death, I remember that song
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playing. But again, trying to draw us
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back to that, that we would be countercultural to the things
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that that are in this life. And so again, Jesus tells us
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that, you know, we are in this world, but we're not of this
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world. Again, I'm not, I'm not saying
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that, hey, all music is super bad things like that, but I'm
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just saying what it is that you're feeling yourself with is
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what's going to eventually come out.
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And so and so we see that with the guys being countercultural
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where they're saying, Hey, I'm not listening or I'm not going
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to. I only obey to the true God that
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I know in my heart. And so and so as Christ
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followers, we stand out. And so if you pick up, if you
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pick up with me here in verse 16 it says Shadrach, Meshach, and
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Abednego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we
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have no need to answer you in this matter.
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If this is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver
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us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us
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from your hand, O King. But if not, let it be known to
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you, O King, that we do not serve your gods, nor we will
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worship the gold image which you have set up.
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And so point #2 tonight, point #2 is a real faith, is
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uncompromising. So the world is going to tell
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you how to live. The world is going to tell you
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what to do. But if you're standing here and
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you're standing firm, then you notice that you tend to get
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pushed. The world is going to try and
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bully you. It's going to try and make you
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do things that aren't right in the side, in the side of God's
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eyes. And so you have the choice to
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obey. One thing that hits home, you
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know, for some is you know what? What is a little bit of
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drinking? You know, for me, that's
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something that the Lord took out of my life right away.
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Again, alcohol is not a sin, but many times our pastor reminds us
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that if you don't take the first drink, then you won't get drunk.
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And so and so it just reminds me, right, that for some of us,
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you know, could be drinking, could be smoking, you know, it
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could be something we're looking at on our phones or whatever it
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may be. You fill in the blank.
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But again, it's, it's a uncompromising faith.
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We know that we know that now that we are in Jesus that we
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don't, it's not that we we sin or that we're sinless, but
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again, we're reminded that we begin to sin less knowing that
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that we would be able to to to have our trust, knowing that God
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is walking with us. And so you might be thinking
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too, well, what is a little bit of compromise?
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What is a little bit, you know, the, and what's a little bit of,
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you know, just doing it a little bit of that.
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And it just reminds me of Romans chapter 6 where it says, you
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know, shall we sin so that grace may abound even more?
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But the Bible says certainly not.
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It says certainly not. And so that we would have this
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mindset that we wouldn't choose to do it because again, we're
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reminded that Jesus was also tempted, you know, when the
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devil told him, hey, well, if you're really hungry, turn this
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bread or turn this rock into bread, right?
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It's not that temptation was the sin.
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It's that if we act upon the sin, if we, if we do it, for
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example, if you're not supposed to be seeing something on your
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phone, you know, the temptation may have been there, but you
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acting upon it is the sinful nature of watching what it is.
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Or for some, again, you know, smoking or drinking.
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And so a careless attitude towards the spiritual thing will
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end in sudden destruction. And so if you pick up with me in
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verse 19, it says then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury,
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and the expression on his face changed towards Shadrach,
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Meshach, and Abednego. He spoke and commanded that they
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heat the furnace 7 times more than it was usually heated.
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And he commanded certain mighty men of valor, who were in his
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army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and cast them into
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the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in
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their coats, their trousers, trousers, their turbans, and
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their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the
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burning fiery furnace. Therefore, because the kings
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commanded command was urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot,
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the flame of the fire killed those men who took of Shadrach,
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Meshach, and Abednego. And these three men, Shadrach,
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Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the
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burning fiery furnace. Verse 24.
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Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished as he rose in haste
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and spoke, saying to his counsellors, Did we not cast
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three men bound into the midst of the fire?
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They answered and said to the King, True, true, O king. 25
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Look, he answered, I see four men loose walking in the midst
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of the fire, and they are not hurt in form.
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And the form of the 4th is like the Son of God.
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And so so point #3 is having real faith, having real faith
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around critics. So people take an interest of
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your faith. Jesus told us that they would
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mock the Christian making jokes, making fun of you for some of
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you that you might be experiencing that at work, at
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school, you know, wherever they may be, it may be a family
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member, you know, where is your God that you talk about.
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But but when you see when you see that that we are are.
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Excuse me, As we see that that we are around these critics,
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they tend to look at your life. They tend to see, you know,
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well, how are they handling it? Because the world tells us that,
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hey, you deserve to be happy. But as a believer, we know that
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that it is joy that we find in the Lord and it's joy that we
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find, you know, even through the heartache, even through the
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harshness of life. And so whatever is meant to hurt
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you, to harm you, you know God understands.
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But God is still on, is still in control of what is in front of
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us. And so and so when we see that,
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we'll pick up again with with verse 26, it says.
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Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery
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furnace and spoke, saying, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
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servants of the Most High God, come out and come here.
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Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came from the midst of
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the fire, and the SAT traps, administrators, governors, and
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the King's counselors gathered together, and they saw these men
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on whose bodies the fire had no power.
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The hair of their head was not singed, nor were their garments
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affected, and the smell of fire was not even on them.
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Verse 28. Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying,
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Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who sent
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his Angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him and
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have fresh, and they have frustrated the King's word and
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yielded their bodies. They should not serve nor
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worship any God except their own God.
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Therefore, I make a decree that any people, any nation or
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language which speaks anything amiss against the God of
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Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces in their
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houses, shall be made in ash heap, because there are no other
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God that can deliver like this. And so and so point #4 is real
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faith in God. When we are cast in the fire, we
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don't always know if we will survive.
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We know God is able, but there is no guarantee He will get us
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out of the fire. Even still, we are required to
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endure the fires of life. If we are thrown into the
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blazing furnace, God who we serve is able to save us.
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He will rescue us from the power that we see in this world or the
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circumstance, even to the point of death.
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And so it says in Matthew 28. In verse 20 in the NLT, it says,
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surely I'm with you always to the very end of the age.
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And then it goes on to say in first Peter 5 chapter 5 verse
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10, and the God of grace, who called you to His eternal glory
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in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will
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himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
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And so again there might be some non believers tonight.
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And so I would come to ask you, just like in King
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Nebuchadnezzar, who had his faith in his gold image, who had
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his faith changing his mind always.
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And, and so I'd ask you, who do you surround yourself with?
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What truly matters in your life? What are those things that
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you're putting your faith in? Are you putting your faith in
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money? Are you putting your faith in
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success? Are you putting your faith in
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relationship greed? Are you manipulating people?
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Is it a sense of pride that that is holding you back?
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You know, in Matthew 6, 19 through 21, it says, don't soar
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up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust
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destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal.
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Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot
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destroy and thieves do not break in and steal.
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Wherever your treasure is, there the desire of your heart will be
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also. And so we think too that just
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like the crowd worshippers, right, they just, they didn't
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know any better. They just heard the music and
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would bow down. But sometimes that's what our
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life looks like, you know, before we came to Christ or for
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some of us that don't know Christ, that we, we tend to do
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whatever the world tells us to do again, we tend to focus on
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the things that hey, you deserve this, Hey, you deserve that.
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Hey, you, you should be, you know, way better off if if you
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try this or do that. But then it reminds us again, if
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we put our hope, if we put our faith, if we put our treasure in
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those things, those things won't last.
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They will be eaten like the moths it says here, or the dust
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that they would rust and destroy them.
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And so and so you may be thinking, you know, well, what
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if I bow down? But then I just, you know, kind
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of live like a, like a undercover Christian.
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I mean, that's not going to work right there.
25:23
That's, that's something that, hey, we would have our faith to,
25:27
to, to be able to express fully. When I was working in the in the
25:31
high school district down the street, it was always awesome to
25:36
see just like the student involvement and, and, but it was
25:40
always sad to see that anytime the Christian kids ever did
25:43
anything that it was frowned upon in the school.
25:46
And so again, you know, I, I say that to say that, you know,
25:50
whatever it is that you know, God is with us and that you're
25:54
able to do these things, express yourself fully and pray with
25:58
those around you. But we would, you know, be
26:01
counter cultural again. And what it is just like these
26:04
guys drawing out that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, because
26:09
even as it says in verse 18, it says, but if not, let it be
26:13
known to you, right? If God was not going to save
26:17
them in the in the fire, let it be known to you.
26:20
If not, let it be known, you know that they were still
26:23
trusting in him. And so no matter if you put your
26:27
faith in God or something else, your faith is going to be
26:30
tested. If you have faith, you don't
26:33
use, do you really have faith? So I stand here to tell you that
26:42
as a believer in Christ, as someone that has, you know, gone
26:44
through some hardship, things like that, you know, I was also
26:48
too tested in my faith. So my wife and I, you know, we
26:53
were expecting a little boy. And and so we're getting ready.
26:58
We're making all these plans where we're, you know, doing
27:01
these procedures like, hey, you know, we're getting close.
27:03
Like, you know, here we are. And, and now it's, you know,
27:07
we're meeting every two weeks now, one week.
27:09
And, you know, the baby set for this day to come and whatever it
27:12
is, you know, so we had this routine procedure.
27:16
And so here we are, we're at the hospital and, and the doctor is
27:21
saying, OK, hey, we if we want to do this procedure, we got to
27:24
put your wife with some special type of medicine and epidural,
27:28
things like that. And so with the epidural, the
27:31
nurses, the doctors are working on her back, things like that.
27:35
But then as a dad, you're kind of just there, right?
27:38
You're there, you're watching the screen, There's the little
27:40
baby monitor, then the mom monitor, things like that.
27:44
But as they're working on my wife's back, I, I noticed, you
27:48
know, some lines I'm like, that doesn't look good.
27:51
And so and so then you start to see the nurses kind of not freak
27:55
out, but they're like, Oh, we got to, we got to figure
27:57
something out. And you see the doctor there,
28:01
he's like, OK, you know, and what you start seeing the
28:04
machines freaking out. And what I start to see is that
28:07
the baby's heart rate is dropping.
28:10
Mom's heart rate is dropping. And so then the doctor is
28:14
saying, OK, we're going to have to do an emergency C-section or
28:18
we're going to have to take them to the other room.
28:21
And so as my wife is being wheeled out here, I am feeling
28:26
helpless. Here I am knowing God, what is
28:30
going on? My world is right there in front
28:32
of me with my wife and my little baby boys soon to be born.
28:36
And so then you know that she gets wheeled out.
28:39
She gets wheeled out and I'm like, well, I want to go.
28:43
I, I'm, I'm going, I'm the dad. And so then the nurse tells me,
28:47
no, stay here, stay here. And, and I'm like, well, why
28:50
can't I go? And the doctor says we might
28:52
again have to perform emergency C-section if we're going to save
28:56
this baby. And so, and it's hard because no
29:00
one wants to hear that. No one wants to hear mom's, you
29:03
know, heart rates going down, that she might not make it.
29:06
You know, that baby, you know, might not make it.
29:09
And so they go and they close the door.
29:12
And what do I do? I fall down to my knees and
29:15
start to pray. I start to pray.
29:19
And I just ask God, God, please be with me, right?
29:23
As this feels like I'm also in a fiery furnace as it feels like
29:26
there's no control, as it feels like the world is coming down.
29:30
I start to pray and well, it was probably 2 minutes, seem like 2
29:34
hours, right? And then you get a knock on the
29:36
door. You get a knock on the door and
29:39
you don't even want to really open the door because you don't
29:41
know what they're going to say. And so then, you know, they come
29:44
in and they say, hey, baby's good, mom is good.
29:50
And so we didn't and we didn't have to do an emergency
29:53
C-section. And so all that to say is that
29:57
sometimes we go through life and sometimes we go through things
30:01
in our lives that that we don't have control over, that we don't
30:06
experience in a way that we would want to experience them.
30:10
And, and one thing we, we should stop saying is that many times
30:15
we say, hey, this is a blessing in disguise when really when you
30:20
turn that around and rethink that, it's actually God's
30:23
revelation. And so even though we went
30:26
through that trial, even though it felt like, you know, I was
30:30
going to lose, you know, my family, you know, God gave us
30:33
revelation in that time, because after that, it was something
30:38
that we started to know that this medicine was not so great
30:41
for my wife. And so a week later, you know,
30:44
we're here, we're preparing. But through that hardship,
30:47
through that revelation, through the testing of our faith, we
30:50
were able to find out, you know, the the measurement in which
30:53
medication would work. And then come to find out now,
30:57
you know, we have a baby that's here.
30:59
And you guys probably seen him running around, you know, he
31:03
pray for us because he's turning to, you know, And so, you know,
31:08
a pastor once told me he said, Hey, he's at the age where, you
31:11
know, I got things to do and people to see.
31:13
So get out of my way, you know, But but it reminds us, it
31:17
reminds us of just God's faithfulness, you know, but
31:20
there might be some of you here tonight that may not have the
31:23
same story that, you know, you may have lost a loved 1, you may
31:27
have lost someone. But but I'm here to encourage
31:31
you to that no matter what, it's not out of God's control.
31:36
It's not out of God's reach, you know, because even if that were
31:39
to be, even though, if that were to be my situation, I had to
31:44
come and find out that I still needed to be OK and still needed
31:49
to have faith, even if things didn't go my way.
31:54
Because as we see in verse 18, it says.
31:57
But if not, let it be known. Let it be known that God is
32:01
still the God that I'm going to worship, the God that, you know,
32:06
just like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
32:09
I didn't ask for my son Kiki and my wife to go through these
32:13
things. But again, it was God's
32:15
revelation. It was again, that verse comes
32:18
to life where it says he uses all things for our good.
32:21
And so and so I'm here to tell you, just like Job in the book
32:26
of Job, Job is someone that lost everything.
32:29
Job is someone that you know, you read the story and it's kind
32:32
of gets you sad, like depressed, like man, I couldn't do that,
32:35
you know, But then towards the end, as he's receiving counsel
32:38
from friends and then he comes to, you know, speak to God.
32:42
Excuse me. In verse 8, it says in Job 23,
32:47
verse 8, it says, look, I go forward, but he is not there and
32:52
backward. But I cannot perceive him when
32:55
he works on the left hand. I cannot behold him when he
32:59
turns to the right hand. I cannot see him, but he knows
33:03
the way that I take. When he has tested me, I shall
33:08
come forth as gold. My foot has held fast to his
33:12
steps. I have kept his way and not
33:14
turned aside. I have not departed from the
33:17
commandment of his lips. I have treasured the words of
33:21
his mouth more than my necessary food.
33:27
God is in control in this life and the next.
33:31
And one thing that I have in my Bible by this verse and Job is
33:35
that the pressures of life equal gold and no, And anytime we see
33:40
that, we see again that our faith in our faith is to build
33:46
perseverance, to build endurance.
33:49
And, and you could say, you know, hey, as I'm walking
33:53
through the fires of life, you know, as I see, you know, these
33:57
things that are happening to me, remember the story in which
34:00
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, when the when the king said,
34:04
Hey, look, I see a fourth person in there and he's like the Son
34:10
of God. And so when you, when you think
34:12
about that, that's a foretelling or that's, that's Jesus on the
34:15
scene, as many would say, you know, but, but I think it's
34:19
awesome because when you think of that story, you think about
34:21
the things that were bounded them or that bounded them,
34:24
right? Those were the things that were,
34:26
that were burned off. Those were the things that
34:29
could, because it says they were loose, they were moving.
34:32
If you remember, they, they heated up the fiery furnace 7
34:36
times hotter. And, and even the, the guards
34:39
that were walking them, they ended up dying.
34:42
And so, and so again, as we go through the these fires of life,
34:47
we, we tend to see that, you know, no matter through the
34:50
hardest times our lives, we, we can come and trust God even
34:56
through it all. And so even though it seems like
35:02
we are walking and the fire is happening, you know, as it says
35:06
in Psalm 23, verse four, that for I walk through the valley of
35:09
the shadow of death, I will fear no evil because you are with me,
35:13
your rod and your staff, they come for me.
35:15
You know, it reminds me of just, you know, just like the music
35:19
that was being played for for those around in the Babylonian
35:23
Empire and those those that met Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
35:28
We're hearing and some of the some of the worship music that
35:31
you listen to now or some of the music that kind of encourages
35:34
you and the Lord. You know, it says in Psalm 40,
35:38
in verse 3, because a lot of us here tonight, you know, we've
35:42
experienced a lot of the heaviness.
35:43
We've experienced these things that, you know, bring us down,
35:47
but we've also experienced joy. We've also experienced that no
35:50
matter what the enemy meant for evil, God can use it for good.
35:55
And it says in Psalm 40, chapter 3, he has put a new song in my
35:59
mouth. And so when I think about that,
36:02
it reminds me of a worship song that says this.
36:06
I won't bow down to idols. I'll stand strong and worship
36:10
you. And if it puts me in the fire,
36:13
I'll rejoice because you're there too.
36:16
I won't be formed by feelings. I hold fast to what is true.
36:20
If the cross brings transformation, then I'll be
36:23
crucified with you because death just has.
36:28
Excuse me, Because death is just the doorway into resurrection
36:31
life. And if I join you in your
36:34
suffering, then I'll join you when you rise and when you
36:38
return in glory with all the angels and the Saints, my heart
36:43
will still be singing, my song will still be the same.
36:49
And in Luke 18, eight, it reminds us, and this is Jesus
36:53
speaking, that in this life again, we will go through trials
36:57
and tribulations. Our faith will be tested.
37:00
I ask you again, what kind of faith do you have?
37:03
Because in because in Luke 18, eight, it says, I tell you that
37:08
he will avenge them speedingly. Nevertheless, when the Son of
37:12
Man comes, will he really find faith on earth?
37:18
And so as I invite the worship team back up, you know, there
37:23
might be some of you here tonight that you don't have this
37:26
relationship with God. And I'm not saying a religion.
37:30
I'm not saying if you're religious, I'm saying a
37:32
relationship because I too used to think that religion was
37:37
something that I needed to hold on to, that religion was
37:40
something that if I do this, God will do that.
37:44
I really love what Pastor Andy said over the weekend about not
37:47
having this vending machine type of faith.
37:50
And I really, I like those moments where I'm like, that's,
37:53
that's so easy, but it's so profound, you know, but I, but I
37:57
really enjoyed what he said because it's not, if I do this,
38:00
it's, it's, I have faith because the Bible tells us that by, by
38:05
faith, through grace, we have been saved.
38:09
And, and so there might be some of you here tonight, you know,
38:13
that something's holding you back, you know, having this real
38:16
type of faith or happening, having a relationship with God.
38:20
And you know what it is? I don't, but the Holy Spirit may
38:23
be putting a finger on your heart.
38:26
You know, again, your treasures are found in the world.
38:29
Your treasures are found in things that are not of the Lord.
38:32
But again, God is saying, hey, don't resist me.
38:36
I have all this love for you because many times we look for
38:40
love in the wrong places. Many times.
38:42
I know for me in the BC days was looking into, you know, drugs,
38:47
things that would fill your flesh, you know, but you might
38:50
be here tonight and you're just saying, you know what?
38:52
I'm just tired of that because the Bible reminds us that
38:57
there's a hole in our heart that only God can fill.
39:01
And so I ask you tonight, the Bible is very clear that today
39:06
is the day of salvation. And if you don't have a
39:09
relationship with, with Jesus, if you don't have a relationship
39:13
with, with our awesome God, I would ask you to look within
39:19
yourself to, to really ask these questions.
39:22
What is holding me back? Because God is saying like a
39:25
loving Father that he is, I have open arms for you.
39:29
And so if that is you tonight, I would ask you, you know, it's
39:34
not the prayer that saves you, but it's you doing business with
39:37
the Lord saying, Hey, you know, I've, I've gone through the
39:41
fires of, of, of life. I've gone through all these
39:44
things. I've gone through, you know,
39:46
whatever fills my flesh, but I'm just, I'm never made whole and
39:50
I'm made whole in you God. And so I would ask you, if
39:53
that's you tonight, I would ask you to stand up so I can pray
39:56
with you. I would ask you to stand up and
39:59
pray again, acknowledging that we are all sinners, that we've
40:05
all fallen short of the glory of God, that we all know that we've
40:09
sinned against the righteous and holy God.
40:11
But Jesus, who knew no sin became sin so that we would have
40:16
eternal life. And so I really love that
40:19
picture of God didn't say, hey, you need to clean yourself up
40:22
before you come to me. No, God is saying.
40:26
God is saying come to me no matter what.
40:29
Come to me because I love you. Come to me because you've been
40:32
carrying this heavyweight for far too long.
40:35
Come to me because because I am. I am a loving Father.
40:40
And so and so and so, even even on the radio, if you're hearing
40:45
this on the radio or a future study or whatever it may be,
40:49
I'll just go ahead and lead you in that prayer and you can say
40:52
something like this. Dear God, I admit that I'm a
40:56
Sinner. I acknowledge my sin before you,
40:59
a holy and righteous God. I ask you to forgive me of my
41:03
sin. I accept the free gift of
41:06
salvation through your Son Jesus Christ.
41:09
And I believe in my heart. I confess with my mouth that
41:13
Jesus lived, you died, and you rose again to save me of my sin.
41:19
I give you my life from this day forward by the Lord's grace
41:23
through faith, you have been saved.
41:26
And so Father, I thank you Lord, for tonight.
41:28
Lord, I thank you for the privilege.
41:30
It is again to to just read your word, Lord, and encourage those
41:35
and challenge those. But God, we, we know, Lord, that
41:38
you use all things to draw us near to you.
41:42
And so we pray God that you would go before each and
41:44
everyone here tonight, Lord, as we're getting ready to end a
41:48
year, Lord, and, and, and start a new one.
41:51
And even though the years change and even though we change, Lord,
41:54
we know you don't change, Lord. And even though we don't know
41:57
what the future holds, we know who holds the future.
42:00
And so, God, we pray that you would go before us.
42:03
We pray for each individual, hear those on the radio and
42:07
those again, Lord, part of our families and friends, Lord, that
42:11
we've been praying for for a while.
42:14
And we pray, God, that we would just continue to find this rest.
42:18
Lord, we pray that you would continue to be with us, Lord,
42:21
that even when our faith is tested, Lord, we know that that
42:25
we choose to have a faith, Lord, that that would honor you.
42:30
Lord, we know we choose to have a faith that would be just
42:35
glorifying you, God. And so we thank you and we
42:38
praise you in Jesus mighty name, Amen.
42:42
We pray that you've been encouraged by this Bible study,
42:45
delivered live from the sanctuary of Calvary Church.
42:48
For prayer, call us at 87730 Grace that's 877-304-7223.
42:57
To listen to this message in its integrity or to join us for our
43:01
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43:06
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43:09
Be blessed as you worship Jesus this week.