Start a Fire in Me - May 17th, 2015 sermon

By Pastor Greg

One winter day, shortly after buying our first wood stove, I came inside after shoveling snow for an hour.  I was chilly, so I thought I would throw a couple extra logs on the fire to warm things up a bit.  As I was reaching into the firebox, my thumb brushed against the top of the stove.  It only took a moment, but it left a nasty looking burn that took weeks to heal.

The temperature inside a modern wood stove varies between 600 and 1,000 degrees.  Considering the price I paid for my little stove, I’d say it only reached the 600-degree mark, if that.  But even 600 degrees is a mighty hot place to put your hand when you are loading wood.  Unfortunately it was not the last time I would burn my hand.  I was not willing to sacrifice the benefits of a hot fire.

Nursing my burn, I began to think about three young Jewish men who were thrown into a fire for not worshiping a golden idol.  I knew what it felt like just to put my hand in the stove for only a moment.  I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to have your entire body thrust inside.  The story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego is an incredible example of faith that will move a mountain.

King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon built a huge golden statue and commanded that everyone in his empire bow down and worship that statue.  However, three Jewish men refused.  Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you refuse to serve my gods or to worship the gold statue I have set up? ¹⁵ I will give you one more chance to bow down and worship the statue I have made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments.  But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?”

¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. ¹⁷ If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. ¹⁸ But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up” (Daniel 3:14-18).

The faith I see demonstrated in these three young men illustrates many of the other examples we’ve seen so far.  They were willing to go into the furnace even while it was hot (like the priests into the Jordan River - Joshua 3:8).  They were willing to speak up in front of the king (like Nehemiah before Artaxerxes – Nehemiah 2:1-6).  But these three men teach us one more important lesson of faith.

This whole incident started because some of their coworkers were jealous.  They knew Rack, Shack, and Benny would be obedient to God’s commands and used that against them (Daniel 3:12).  This infuriated Nebuchadnezzar, so he challenged the three men and even gave them an opportunity to recant.  However, when they didn’t, the king had them thrown into the fire.  They were to be killed because their faith caused them to be obedient to God’s commands.

Once thrown in the fire, God indeed does spare the three Jewish men, and this, of course, catches the attention of the arrogant king (remember how he said, “What god will be able to spare you from my power”).  In a furnace 7 times hotter than normal, the king observes four men walking around inside the flames, and this king is moved to belief.  This mountain of stubbornness and arrogance exclaims, “Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel to rescue his servants who trusted in him. They defied the king’s command and were willing to die rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. ²⁹ Therefore, I make this decree: If any people, whatever their race or nation or language, speak a word against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, they will be torn limb from limb, and their houses will be turned into heaps of rubble. There is no other god who can rescue like this!”  ³⁰ Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to even higher positions in the province of Babylon” (Daniel 3:28-30).

In the face of a tragedy, the obedient faith of these three men becomes significant.  Their obedient faith moves a mountain.

If there is one lesson we need to learn today, it is the lesson of faith demonstrated by Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (the three men we call Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego).  Pressured to compromise their beliefs, these three young men remained steadfast and immovable.  Obedience to God’s commands was greater than even life itself.  They would not compromise.  The Church should be doing the same today.

The Church is under tremendous pressure to compromise its beliefs.  The Church is challenged to remain silent as the World defies the Lord and His commands.  The Church is marginalized and criticized for holding on to outdated teachings that are seen as irrelevant in today’s culture.  Christians are told to keep their views and their faith private – to not publically proclaim the Gospel of Jesus.  Sadly, some have complied.  Some Christians have bowed down and worshipped the Golden idol, thinking in their heart that it’s not that big of a deal.  However, rather than possessing an obedient faith that can move a mountain, Christians that compromise on God’s commands are allowing the mountain to move them.

The world needs Christians who have an obedient faith – a faith that calls them out of their slumber and silence.  The World is living in the darkness of winter.  Hearts are cold.  The people need Christ’s love to warm their souls.  Where then are the Christian who will share the Gospel?  Where are the Christians whose faith causes them to obey God rather than Men (Acts 4:19)?  Where are the men and women who remain steadfast before the rulers of this world and proclaim, “We cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20).

The kind of faith that moves a mountain is a faith that places obedience to God above all else.  It is a faith on fire for God.  This is what the World needs from the Church – obedience, not compliance.  The World needs more Christians who have a fire burning deep within their heart.  “Start a fire in my soul. Fan the flame and make it grow, so there’s no doubt or denying.  Let it burn so brightly that everyone around can see that it’s You, that it’s You that we need.  Start a fire in me” (Start a Fire In Me – by Unspoken.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXHYykW28S).