Daniel 3:13-18: What Trusting in God Really Means

Tomorrow afternoon we are hosting the boffer group once more. The following is the lesson I plan on presenting during our break. Keep in mind the kids vary in age from 6-15, and I think tomorrow we will have about 10-12 rambunctious boys!

Anyhow, this is the lesson:
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I. Prayer

Summarize Daniel 3:1-12

Read Daniel 3:13-18

Ask: Being totally honest…what do you think you would done had you been one of these young men? (Discuss)

It is hard to imagine being in their place, and we may think that we would fail the test…and were we doing it through our own power we would indeed fail. But as Believers, were we to have such an opportunity to bear witness, the Lord would work in you to see you through such a test. In fact, the Lord works NOW in the Believer to prepare you for whatever tests may be in store for you.

Think about it: How often do we face temptation even now…the temptation to bow before an idol of our modern day society.

You know what I mean…the shows that we watch, what we do with our time, the friends with whom we don’t mention Christ ‘cause we are too embarrassed. To fail in these things is to bow before the idol of modern society.

But wait…didn’t I say God would work in us to help us pass this test?

How can we possibly fail then?

The key to all things now as always, is in your walk with God. Can you imagine that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego were just naturally able to withstand the oppression of Persia?

NO!

It was their relationship with God that sustained them…and brothers I tell you now that if you are not in a close relationship with the Lord, you will fail when the time comes. What is scary about all of this is that the Word tells us in Philippians 1:6 that “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” In Romans 8:29 we read that we have been “predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son.”

Now what do those verses mean?

Think about it carefully…if you are a Believer, will you fail to grow and bear fruit? NO!

So then no true Believer can fail! We may be killed, beaten, mocked, but if we are truly His then our walk with God can only get stronger and stronger, and when we face temptations or persecution then we will honor and glorify His name by our submission to His will.

Now please don’t misunderstand me…we cannot be perfect even though we are called to perfection. We will undoubtedly fail and sin and compromise at times…but no true Christian is characterized by this manner. We grow through our experiences, we learn from our mistakes, and the Word teaches us how to grow. The child of God, a title I hope all of you own, will not habitually sin without remorse!

I want us to spend a few moments looking at some of the key phrases in this passage.

Read Daniel 3:14-15

Note what Nebuchadnezzar is doing here: he is placing a temptation before these men of God.

What is that temptation? To betray God! To compromise their standards and their beliefs in exchange for life!

If they bow down, then all is good. They are forgiven and all is forgotten, right? But if they don’t…then a wicked death is in store for them!

Do you see the parallels here?

Have you not had friends or family that have attempted to tell you to live like them or suffer an end to friendship? Have you not been told that living the life of a Christian, obeying the Bible is stupid? That you are uncool?

If not, be patient…the time will come!!

Read Daniel 3:16-18

What a testimony these men bear! NO…they will not bow down! And why not? Because God can save them from the fire!!

And guess what? Here God WILL save them, though they did not know whether He would or not! They did know, however, that He had the power to do so.

What is of utmost importance here is verse 18 (reread it):

Though they were confident that God could save them…that is NOT what they based their hope on!! They understood that for the glory of God they may need to give their lives here…and they were willing to do that!!

Little brothers…God can save you from persecution…He can save you from poverty…He can save you from being mocked by friends and family members.

But He does not have to and He does not promise that He will.

He is the Sovereign God of the Universe and our trust in Him comes from the fact that He is trustworthy! He is the covenant keeper of Genesis 15 (explain)!

To have this kind of faith means that yes we understand that God can save us from anything and everything…but guess what? If we die in His service we lose nothing and gain paradise! We will all die regardless.

But, if you have placed your trust in Christ….if you have turned to Him for forgiveness of your sin…and the Bible in Romans 3:23 says all of us “have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”…then you have already been saved from the punishment you deserve (read Romans 6:23).

Let us serve Him because we love Him…let us turn to His Word because we want to know how to serve and love Him even more. And let us be ready, if that day comes when we are faced with the choice of rejecting Him or dying, let us be ready to say, as did these wonderful men, “our God whom we serve is able to deliver us…but if not…we do not serve your gods.”

Amen?

Before we pray…let me encourage you to be in the Word. Not because I ask it of you, but because you claim to love God. If you love Him truly, then spend time with Him…and little brothers…be certain of your salvation. Be aware that no little prayer will get you into heaven if you don’t mean it…

Paul says in Romans 10:9 that “if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” The key word here is “believe.” You can move your lips all you want…but believing is something that changes the heart.

Let us use as our prayer this confession to God (repeat after me):

I believe in God, the Father Almighty
the Creator of heaven and earth
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:
Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit
born of the Virgin Mary
suffered under Pontius Pilate
was crucified, died, and was buried.

The third day He arose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty
[from where] He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit
the holy church
the communion of saints
the forgiveness of sins
the resurrection of the body
and life everlasting.
Amen.