In our text for this morning, King Nebuchadnezzar made a golden giant statue, which was ninety feet tall and nine feet wide. He commanded everyone in his country to kneel and worship that image. If anyone did not follow his decree, they would be immediately thrown into a blazing fire. We remember that Daniel’s friends, along with him, decided not to defile themselves by eating the king’s food, when they were young. The reason for that decision was their attitude toward God since the offered food was ritually associated with idol worship. They wanted to keep their sacred identity as children of God from the influence of a secular environment. When they were told to follow another commandment King Nebuchadnezzar made, they refused to bow and serve a foreign god. The reason for that decision was their faith in God. Since a young age, they would have kept the Ten Commandments that God asked His children to obey on their faith journey. According to the First Commandment, “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). In the Second Commandment, “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything… You shall not bow down to them or worship them…” (Exodus 20:4-5). These first two regulations seem to be closely related. The First Commandment helps us know whom we worship, in other words, glorifying the Lord our God only. The Second Command helps us know how we adore, in other words, not worshipping any human-made religious images or spiritual substitutes before the Lord.

The people in the era of the Old Testament had been tempted to violate those commandments. According to the Bible, they worshipped three primary gods in those days. The first one was called Baal, who would be the god of pleasure. The second was known as Mammon, who would be the god of possession. The third was referred to as Molech, who would be the god of power. Those idols would have been “made of stone, brick, rock, clay, wood or metal.”

Today, we as Christians do not usually believe in gods of the earthly things. We believe in God only. Someone says something like this: “A god can be anything that dominates your life, anything that controls your life.” Likewise, power, pleasure, and possession, which are mentioned earlier, can dominate or control our lives if we don’t put God first in our faith journey. Please understand that these three P items are essential elements for us to live in this world. I believe that we as Christians need to have more power, pleasure, and possession. What I mean by that is if we go to a higher position and have more possession, we may have more influence with our God-given resources to the people around us. The problem is that if we prioritize money, fame, and happiness in our lives, rather than put God first, these items can become gods.

King Nebuchadnezzar was so furious about the response Daniel’s three friends had shown to his decree. He pressured them once more to compromise and do what was considered not right from God’s point of view. At that moment, they said to the king, “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve can deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up” (Daniel 3:17-18). Today, I want us to explore the faith Daniel’s three friends had toward God, observe how they handled when they were in trial, and apply these lessons to our faith journeys.

Firstly, Daniel’s friends did not defend themselves during this test. Instead, they trusted in God who would be with them even in a blazing furnace. Since they had faith in God’s presence regardless of how furious the fire was, they were able to courageously and confidently do what was right before the Lord. Interestingly, King Nebuchadnezzar witnessed the companionship of God through another person walking around in the roaring fire, in addition to those three individuals. According to the king, that fourth person looked like “a son of the gods” (Daniel 3:25). As a matter of fact, the additional character would be referred to as the Son of God, Immanuel, who has been with His people in the past, who is with us at present in this place, and who will be continuously with us in the future.

Secondly, Daniel’s three friends not only believed in God’s presence but also trusted in God’s protection. By faith, they expected God to quench the fire regardless of how intense it was. They placed their complete trust in the Mighty and Merciful God who was able to deliver them from that trial. Surprisingly, when the king called them later to come out of the furnace, none of them were harmed; not even a hair on their heads was touched. Miraculously, there was no smell of fire on any of them (Daniel 3:28).

In the Bible, we can discover numerous promises regarding God’s companionship in our journey of faith. In the Old Testament, the Prophet Isaiah assured the people of Israel of this divine comfort in the following statement: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze… Do not be afraid, for I am with you” (Isaiah 43:3-5). Have you noticed that all the conjunctions in this scripture are described as “When” not “If.” In other words, unexpected things may happen to us whether we like it or not.

Some of you, like me, may appreciate the popular song titled “Bridge over Troubled Water.” This song was sung by Simon and Garfunkel in the early nineteen seventies. When this song was first released it immediately reached number one on the Billboard Music Charts. This song was probably never meant to be “spiritual.” However, it can remind us that in this world there are many people who need bridges over troubled waters. It can also prompt us to think of the Supreme Builder and Supernatural Bridge, Jesus Christ… As the songwriter mentioned trouble waters, we often find ourselves living in spiritually blazing furnaces. They cause us to have disturbed minds. While God wants us to be joyful always, our anxious hearts do not always allow us to fully enjoy our life in His presence. Our weary souls or distressed thoughts can be caused by various fires such as financial difficulty, job security, peer pressure at school or work, relational challenges, physical and/or emotional issues, just to name a few. When we are thrown into these challenges, we may experience fear even though we are called followers of Jesus. We may also feel down and small. Yet, in these moments, we need to remember the steadfast love of Christ on the cross. Even when we feel burnt out in these troubled situations, He will and can lift us up from the fire.

In the Book of Psalms, King David confessed this truth: “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:3-4). In the New Testament, the Lord our Christ echoes this assurance, “Surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Friends, remember that we are not alone. Over and over again, God wants us to pay attention to the unchanging promise: “I will be with you if trust me.” Who are we seeking for deliverance from the deep fires or furnaces? We have the Savior who stands close beside us and understands what is going on in our daily lives. Instead of worrying when the heat is upon us, God encourages us to kneel and pray to Him who has the almighty power to protect us in challenges.

Thirdly, Daniel’s friends had faith in God who would provide them with all they needed. Because of their unshakable belief, King Nebuchadnezzar praised the Lord who was with them in the furnace and rescued all of them from the fire. Consequently, the king promoted each of them into a higher position in his country.

One of the remarkable principles in nature is the reception of abundant blessings after trials. For instance, the Redwood Tree is known as the tallest plant in the world. To propagate this species, it relies on heat or even forest fires. The seeds of the Redwood Tree are typically too hard break open. The plant only takes root in the ground after the heat cracks them open. Whatever we build in life is often tested by fire whether we realize it or not. Sometimes we confront unexpected obstacles. Once again, these can be likened to the waters, the rivers, and the fires we have discussed about today. We often pray, “God, deliver me from pain, discomfort, suffering, or inconvenience. Remove all problems.” I mean, we want to avoid even low-level flames! However, God never promises, “Because you are mine, you will never go through the waters. You will never walk through fire.” Instead, God frequently assures us, “Do not fear… I created you… You belong to me.” The intimate relationship between God and us is repeated again and again throughout the Bible. “I am the Lord your God. You are mine. You are precious and honoured in my sight. I will be with you” (Isaiah 43).

We can find another example of this in the story of Joseph in the Old Testament. As we have learned, Joseph endured many sufferings in his faith journey. He was sold into slavery because of his brothers’ envy. He was put into prison because his master’s wife lied. However, Joseph tried to reveal God’s glory in every place. In the end, God used him to lead Egypt out of severe famine, and he even helped many neighbouring countries by sharing food. One day, Joseph met his brothers who knelt down before him to ask for help. When they discovered that the prime minister was their own brother, whom they had abandoned in the past, they were afraid of being punished. Eventually, they desperately asked him to forgive them.

We remember the well-known response he made at the time. “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Genesis 50:19-20). Did we notice the word “good” in this statement? Even though his brothers intended to harm Joseph, God changed it for good and used it to accomplish His ministry. Could Joseph have understood the concept of the word “good” as he had been through various trials? Not at all! He would not be able to perceive what God had been doing for him. Later, he came to realize that God was the real ruler in his life and confessed that God was in control of every test. Like him, we would not know what good things God would be working for us when we go through challenging situations. The solid faith Joseph had in his Lord is what we really need to have every day no matter where we are thrown.

Some of us may feel discouraged and disappointed when unexpected things occur. Remember that God uses these trials to help us grow to become more and more like Him. The difficult circumstances we may face today appear to be detours to us, but to God, these are not obstructions at all. His ways and thoughts are the best, and He works even now for the good of those who love Him. Our Lord is the Sovereign God who controls every situation. God, Immanuel, is the One who protects and promotes us when we continue to believe in Him and live before Him.

People around us in this world, even fellow believers, might not recognize what we do for God and His ministry, but the Lord sees everything and will reward us abundantly. That is another reason why we need to set our hearts on things above, which is the heavenly reward. God will bless each of us when we wholeheartedly turn to Him, as Daniel’s friends did. We will be rewarded when our spiritual foundation stands firmly during trials.

Before Jesus began His public ministry, He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness and tempted by the devil. One of the temptations Jesus faced once again related to the first two Ten Commandments. The devil took Jesus to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. He said to Jesus, “All this I will give you if you will bow down and worship me” (Matthew 4:9). Do you know how Jesus responded to this test? He said, “Away from me Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only” (Matthew 4:10).

There was a bishop named Polycarp. He was one of the disciples of the Apostle John. For many years, he had served the Lord as the bishop of the church in Smyrna. When persecution took place in the early church, Christians were tortured and thrown to wild animals. One day Polycarp was brought before a Roman official. Like Danie’s friends, he was asked to compromise his faith in Jesus and to accept the Roman emperor as his God. But he held fast to his belief and replied, “For eighty-six years…” When Polycarp was burned to death, he prayed, “I thank you, O Lord…”

Nowadays, we may not face this kind of persecution in our country. If visible enemies stand in front of us, attack us to break the Word of God, and lead our hearts toward other gods, our struggle would be easier. However, the spiritual war we encounter today is invisible. Nobody knows what is going on in our hearts, except for God and us as individuals. To defeat this spiritual war and remain faithful, we need to make a firm decision, like Daniel’s friends. “But even if He does not, we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up” (Daniel 3:18). This can be hard, as we dedicate ourselves earnestly to God. At the same time, we need to remember this. What a great privilege we have since we serve the Almighty Creator. He is the Only God who saves us from the influence of sin and death and guides us to the eternal place known as Heaven.

Friends, where are we feeling the heat today? God calls us to lean on His mighty and merciful presence, seeking His supernatural protection and significant provision in our faith journey and the lives of those we love so much.

*In this sermon, I have incorporated thoughts and materials from various messages inspired by the text from Daniel 3:1-30, as well as the Unshakable sermon series prepared by Rick Warren.