It’s Cool In the Furnace

Light of the World Sermon #3

Sermon Outline

January 18, 2015

  1. When We Last Saw Daniel:
  1. He revealed and interpreted the king’s dream
  1. Daniel was promoted
  2. He got his three friends promoted
  1. Daniel apparently served in a different place than the three friends
  1. God was at work in Nebuchadnezzar’s heart
  1. He recognized God with his head
  2. But his heart was far from God
  1. Nebuchadnezzar’s Idol
  1. The idol
  1. 90’ High X 9’ Wide (The Statue of Liberty is 305 feet counting the pedestal)
  2. The king had a huge unveiling
  3. All his leaders were FORCED to worship the idol
  4. Anyone who did not worship would be burned to death
  1. Gods and worship
  1. The true God invites outsiders to worship Him
  2. False gods always demand worship
  1. Compulsory
  2. Control
  3. No choice
  1. Gods and evangelism
  1. The true God will winsomely invite others to know Him
  2. The true God will woo people to know Him
  3. False gods will force others to worship
  4. False gods will evangelize out of control, manipulation, and guilt
  1. The Stand
  1. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednigo did not bow
  1. They were the only three who did not bow to the idol
  2. Everyone else, from many different conquered cultures, bowed to the idol
  3. They did not have to make a choice - it was in their DNA
  1. The worship police
  1. Some people tattled on the three Jews
  2. The king was furious (such anger about worship happens when we worship a false god)
  1. The Confrontation
  1. The king had the Jews brought before him
  1. They respectfully declined to bow
  2. The king was furious
  1. The Furnace
  1. The king had the furnace heated 7 times as great as usual
  2. The Jews were bound and thrown in the fire by some of the king’s best men
  3. The guards were consumed before they could even get the Jews into the fire
  4. The only thing burned were the ropes that bound them
  5. A supernatural being joined them in the fire - to comfort them
  6. Everyone watching was amazed!
  1. The King’s Response
  1. He declared God to be the one true god
  2. He still had to work on his brutality
  1. Take Home:
  1. There will always be a war for my worship
  1. Most days, the battle will be inside of me
  2. On some days, the battle will be external - at work, school, and the marketplace
  3. The external battles are won by choosing to worship daily and overcoming internal temptations
  1. My choice to worship God
  1. Can be winsome and attractive
  2. Motivated by a response to grace
  3. Always impacts others profoundly