Today on the verdict with Pastor John Monroe. In the midst of seemingly overwhelming odds against us, we do not despair. In the darkest of nights, in the fieriest of furnaces, In the deepest of waters, we believe. That our God is able to do the impossible. And that great truth strengthens our hearts.
And it deepens our love for this great God. Welcome to the verdict with Pastor John Monroe. When your prayers are being answered and life is going smoothly, it's easy to trust in God. But what about those moments in life when God doesn't deliver in the way you'd hoped? What happens to your faith in the midst of pain and devastation?
Today, we're exploring these difficult questions as we continue our study in Daniel. Here's Pastor John Monroe to introduce our lesson titled Trusting God in the Fire. Today we continue the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They are Israeli captives living in Babylon. King Nebuchadnezzar has commanded everyone to bow down To a huge image of himself or be thrown into the fiery furnace.
But they refuse. They take a stand for God. They believe that God is able to deliver them. But even if He doesn't, they will not compromise their faith. God's way is perfect.
Therefore, Trust God in all situations. Our great God has done something even greater than deliver us from the fiery furnace. He's given us Jesus Christ as our Savior to deliver us from our sins.
So let's see what happens when these men trust God in the fire. Daniel 3 That's Thirteen. Then Nebuchadnezzar, in furious rage, commanded that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be brought.
So they brought these men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I've set up.
Now, if you are ready. When you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, backpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down. And worship the image that I have made well and good. But if you do not worship You shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the God who will deliver you out of my hands?
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar. We have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, Be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods. or worship the golden image that you have set up.
Tremendous words, aren't they? One has to learn, first of all, this morning. Trust God. Even when you don't know His purposes and plans. Trust God.
Even when you don't know his purposes and his plans. Notice that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Do not question the power of God to deliver them. Verse 17. If this is so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace.
They do not question the power of God to deliver. They know that the true and the living God, the Creator of the universe, is much more powerful than these false gods of Babylon. They don't question his power. But notice Although they don't question God's power They are submissive. God's purposes.
This is key. They don't question God's power But they're submissive to God's purposes. Verses seventeen and eighteen are key. They don't bow to the image, ah, but they do bow. before God.
If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not That's it. But if not, if he doesn't deliver it, we want you to know this, O King, that we still will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you've set up. What a great truth. God has the power to deliver us.
We believe that he will deliver us, but if not We still believe in God. We still believe that God And God alone is sovereign. They are prepared to accept the will of God for their lives, even if that means death. itself. They trust.
In God. What's a lesson for you and me? It is very simple to state, very difficult to accept. In the ups and downs and the fiery trials of life. Trust God.
At all times. and in all situations.
So here is the key question. Are you willing to trust God and depend on God and commit your whole life to God even when His purposes are different from your own desires. No, that's hard, isn't it? That's mature faith. to trust God.
Even when you don't know his purposes. And plants. It is true that sometimes God delivers us from the fire, but at other times He delivers us through the fire. What would you prefer? Of course, to be delivered from the fire.
Who wants to be In the fire. But in either circumstance, God, is able. And in all cases, We must, as our Saviour did in the Garden of Gethsemane, submit to him and say. not my will. But thine.
Be done. Because we know this. That our sovereign God, our all wise God, our all loving God, is working out His purposes in our life. It is true As the Apostle Paul could say, that all things work together for good to those who love God. Psalm 138, verse 8: The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me.
And as I commit my life to Christ, and as you commit your life to Christ, we have this assurance. That even in the midst of the fire, that God is at work and God is miraculously in ways that we don't understand in the enigmas and mysteries and riddles of life and the unexpected situations that come to us so quickly in a split second and can turn our lives upside down in all cases, God. How do you respond? When God chooses not to answer your prayer, You believe that God is able to heal? But if not.
You believe that God is able to turn around a dreadful situation in your life? But if not. You believe that God is able to touch the heart of that special person in your life, but if not. God sometimes, for his own reasons and purposes, does not deliver, does not heal, does not act in the way that we desire. But we must never ever.
Demand that God does something for us. That God must act in a certain way because that's what I want. I remember watching one of these T V preachers On television, and he was saying to the congregation that they should all throw away the hearing aids. That they had. I really should try that sometime, shouldn't I?
You have a hearing aid. Throw it away, God's going to heal you. And I thought, that's amazing. And such preaching, if we could call it that. removes all mysteries.
From her faith. reduces faith to the to a second rate salesman making a pitch. and demonstrating That they believe that they are in charge of their life rather than the lesson that we've learned over and over again in Daniel: that God and God alone is in charge. and that God is sovereign. And that the God who made us has plans and purposes for our lives, and sometimes He graciously reveals them to us, but so often the Christian life and so much of life is a step by step daily trusting on God that that will keep me humble and that will keep me looking to God, who I must acknowledge is.
in charge. And to trust God in these circumstances In a very real sense, is even greater faith. God is able to deliver us out of the fire and take us out of that situation, but what if God? Not. God is able to do anything.
God is able to do the impossible. We understand that. We understand His power. Let us humbly acknowledge that we do not always understand his purposes. and his plans.
But will you today trust God You're in the fire. You've called out to God and He hasn't responded the way you want. You would like to, will you now? Humble yourself. and accept God's will.
and God's purposes for your life. During World War two, an army chaplain wrote Is there such a thing as getting the brakes in prayer? What about a fellow who prays regularly but but gets killed regularly? I wish people would stop writing about the soldiers who pray and have their prayers answered by not getting killed. Why do all of the other soldiers seem to get the wrong answer?
What I want to know is this what sort of an extra special superpowered prayer is needed to make everything turn out the way that you want it? That sounds facetious, almost irreverent, but I'm serious. I really want to know. I'm an Army chaplain, and I could use some special prayers with my men. And heaven knows we need them badly at times because the fact is, There are always more men who pray to come back than there are men who get back, quite a lot more.
What is the deciding factor? The thing for all of us to remember is this: someone else does the answering. What you have in mind may not be what God has in mind. If you ask him something, you must be willing to take what he gives. That's why I'm a bit depressed by the writings of those who try to get other people to pray by telling them that you get what you want.
People must learn to want what they get. When I talk to soldiers about prayer, I try to tell them that they must be adults. God expects us to be men. Only children demand a happy ending to every story. How old must we be before we begin to realize that even prayer can't get us everything we want unless the thing we want is right for us to have?
Who gets the breaks in prayer? Nobody, there's no such thing. We get. What God in His infinite love and foreknowledge sees fit to give. That's not always the same as getting what we want.
But it ought. to be. Here's the Apostle Peter. First Peter 4. Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial.
When it comes upon you to test you as though something strange were happening to you. Do you know the first thing you feel emotionally when some fiery trial comes into your life? Why me? What have I done to deserve this? Don't be surprised, says Peter.
when you find yourself in the File a trial? They're going to come to you. But rejoice in so far as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed. As Martin Luther said, no man ever suffered like Christ. He knew the fiery trial.
Job says, but he knows the way I take. When he's tried me, I shall come out as gold. The purifying process of the fire, when we're in the fire, is very, very difficult. And we We feel like giving up, but God is working and purifying us, says Job, and we come out. as gold.
You may be going through the fire right now. I know some of you are. You say, when's it all going to be over? I d I don't know. I can't answer that question.
There are mysteries. In the Christian life. One of the most frequent Questions I'm asked to the pastor is why, why? And usually I have no answer. There's The simple answer is that we don't know.
We simply don't know. God's purposes often, but we are. to keep trusting our loving heavenly Father. He is in control. He loves you.
He's with you in the fire, in the storm, in the dark night. And that God's purposes, I guarantee, are being worked out in your life. In the midst of the difficulties, illness, economic disaster, problems and relationships. Why? Because when these men were in the fire, As we learned last week, God was with them.
Remember the four figures? Nebuchadnezzar says, I thought we just put three men in. Who's the fourth? Our gods was with them. in the midst Of the fire.
Someone recently sent me a card.
Sometimes God calms the storm. That's what we want, isn't it? Calm the storm, Lord. But at other times he calms. The sailor.
In the midst of the storm, the storm continues. But there is a peace. that comes from knowing that God is still in control. And that storm, however fierce, however strong, will not overwhelm me because Christ is with me in that boat. and gives us his peace.
And his strength. And in all cases, we must trust God with all of our heart. Trust God. Even when his purposes and plans are not understood by you, he's in control. And these are loving.
Now secondly, and very quickly as we conclude, I The second lesson is this. Don't just be impressed by God, trust Him. Read with me from verse twenty eight. The men are delivered as we saw last week. Here's Nebuchadnezzar's conclusion.
Verse twenty eight Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants who trusted in him, and set aside the king's command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any God except their own God. Therefore I make a decree. Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb. And their house is laid in ruins, for there is no other God who is able to rescue in this way. Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in a province.
of Babylon.
Now you say that was really good of Nebuchadnezzar, but think of it this way. Yes, he blesses the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He is certainly tremendously impressed by their God. He unmistakably has seen God at work. But notice this.
And we'll see this in the next chapter. Nebuchadnezzar still does not place His personal trust in this God. Or recognize that the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego is the only true and living God. When we come to Daniel 4, Which we'll look at next week, Lord willing. What do we see in Nebuchadnezzar?
A man of humility, a man whose trust is in the Lord? No, a man of arrogance. a man of great proud. Impressed by God, yes, Nebuchadnezzar was. but no personal faith.
In God. I'm saying to you today, don't Just be impressed by God. Trust them. With all of your heart. The great English Puritan John Owen describes someone travelling and being caught in a violent storm of thunder and rain.
He goes to a house for shelter, But as soon as the storm is over, he goes back to his own way of living. That, says John Owen, is like a man in bondage to sin. The law of God meets him with a storm of lightning and thunder. He's temporarily afraid and changes his course, but only for a time. As soon as the storms of his life are over, he goes back to his own way.
Can you relate to that? Of course you can. We've all done that, haven't we? We have beaten some in Very, very difficult situation. We cried out to God and we said, God, if you get me out of this spot.
I'm going to serve you. I'm going to love you. I'm going to start tithing. That's a good one, isn't it? But the song and the life.
goes over and the the blue sky comes and Our life goes back to normal. And we forget. Forget. what we said in the midst Of the storm. Nebuchadnezzar is like that.
He's like the football coach who had a chaplain on the sidelines. And someone said to the coach, about it.
Well, why have you got a chaplain On the sidelines, when your team is playing, you say, Well, I don't know if there's a God or not, but if there is a God, I want him on my side. Yeah. That's Nebuchadnezzar. Has God got your attention in the past? But you're only temporarily impressed.
You have seen God at work. Ah, but there has been no real deep radical change. within you. You remember King Herod in the New Testament? He enjoyed listening to John the Baptist?
Ah, but he was never converted. Or King Agrippa loved to listen to Paul, who was this brilliant speaker. Impressed? Yes. Change?
No. You've seen God at work in the lives of others. You might even enjoy coming to church. You enjoy listening to the music, perhaps even hearing the word of God, but you're only impacted temporally. Perhaps only at the emotional level, and when the storm goes over, when you get out of the fiery furnace, you go back to your old life, you live, let's face it.
as a practical atheist. You see, when it comes right down to it You have not yet made that personal commitment to Jesus Christ. You still want to be in control of your life. You still want to be in charge. Today I'm saying to you, don't just admire Jesus Christ.
He doesn't want your admiration. He wants your trust. He wants your commitment. He is the only way of salvation. He says, I'm the way, the truth, and the life.
No one comes to the Father apart from me. And the message of Daniel is that there is only one God. Many false gods in Babylon, many false gods in our society today that we worship at, but God and God alone must be acknowledged as sovereign that He is in charge. and in his great love. What has he done?
He sent our Lord Jesus Christ into this world. To do what? to go into the fire and the judgment of God for you. On the cross our Saviour experienced the darkest of hours The fieriest of fires, the deepest of waters, so that your sins and mine, which are so abundant, can be forgiven. Don't trust in yourself.
Don't trust in your gods. Don't bow down to the pressures of this world, whatever they are for you, but open your heart and your life and receive Christ. who will forgive your sins, who will cleanse you, who will give you eternal life, who will give you that power, that supernatural power, to live for him and to be the very person that God has for you, this God who made you. Has plans and purposes for your life? Will you submit yourself to them even in the difficulties, in the fire, in the darkness, and trust him, and love him and serve him with all of your heart?
Yes, we've learned from Daniel 3 that God is able. Therefore, trust him. If he's able to do all things, trust him. Don't just be impressed by him. Don't be a spectator admiring what God is doing in the lives of others.
Don't just envy people of faith. Take a step, yes, you personally today, if you've never done it and commit your life. the Christ. and receive Christ as your personal Saviour and Lord. and trust this God who is able to do all things.
And trust him, yes, when we don't understand his purposes and plans. Trust him. In the midst of the fire. Trust him in the midst of your pain this morning. Trust him in the midst of your confusion, hurt, and devastation, and bereavement.
He has promised to be with us in the middle of life's fiery trials. He's all loving. He cares for you. Cast your burdens on him, and he's working all things for your good and for his glory. If you are in the fire, don't give up.
Don't be bitter against God. Love and serve Him. and trust them. With all of your heart, because God is well able to resolve That difficult situation of yours. But even if he does not We will still.
Trust Him. God is able to deliver. From my weariness and pain. And he will deliver swiftly, if it be for lasting gain. But if not, my heart shall sing, trusting wholly in my King.
God is able to defend me from my foes who throng around me, and he will defend me surely when the rage and hate abound. But if not, I'll bless his name and confess him. Just the same? God is able to supply me with abundance from His store, And He will supply my table, though the wolf be at the door But if not, my heart shall rest in the thought He knoweth best. God is able to save dear ones from the world from the world and self and sin, and He will both save and keep them in His fold, save, gathered in, but if not, He'll hold my hand.
Teaching me. to understand. Trust God. There's God who is able to do the impossible. Trust this God.
even when you don't know his purposes. This is the verdict, featuring the Bible teaching of Pastor John Monroe. There's still more to hear when John returns in just a moment, so stay with us. From matters of truth and identity, to the subjects of love and grace, our world seems more confused than ever. but to find truth and certainty about who we are and find peace, we must turn our attention away from the world and look to the Word of God.
To help you do that, John wrote a booklet titled Eternal Security, Finding Certainty in a Chaotic World. Through this special resource, John shares his personal testimony, along with a careful examination of Scripture, to offer us clarity on matters of eternity. Get your copy today by visiting our website at theverdict.org. While you're there, consider making an investment in this Bible teaching ministry. Whether it's $5, $50, or more, your gift today helps cover the cost of sharing these gospel messages to listeners around the world.
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Now, here's Pastor John Monroe.
Well, what's your verdict? Have you learned to trust God whatever the cost and to leave the consequences to Him? Believe that God is able. He's able to perform that miracle in your life. But will you say as we learn today?
But if not, He will hold my hand, teaching me to understand. Whether he delivers us from the fire or through the fire, God is able. Trust God. even when you don't know his plans.
Next time, we see the pride of King Nebuchadnezzar and learn some amazing lessons. Thanks for joining us today on The Verdict. I'm Michelle Davies. Today's program with Pastor John Monroe was produced and sponsored by Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.
