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9-19-2021 Weekly Message

Meditation of the Week: Psalm 91:1-16

Text: Daniel 3:14-28

Sermon Title: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego overcame the power of  Babylon Empire by faith

       In the main passage given to us today, through the faith of Shadrach, Meshach, and Avenego, who were captives in Babylon, we must understand once again what the true faith is in the Lord Jesus Christ our God. By keeping true faith, they had glorious meeting with the Son of God, and  overcame the power of Babylon Empire ruling the whole world at that time. Even today, those who truly believe in the Lord Jesus Christ can  overcome the world, and also have chance to see the  Lord  while living in the world.    

        Apostle John clearly testified of the faith:

” Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. 2By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. 3For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. 4For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

6This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.” (1 John 5:1-6).

          Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were the saints who loved God with all their hearts. They did not worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had set up to keep God’s commandments. They did not worship the golden image even knowing to be thrown into the fiery furnace.  Because they believed and trusted only the LORD God, who is the God of Abraham, of  Isaac, and  of Jacob, they decided to be faithful by faith unto death.

        In the words between Nebuchadnezzar and them, we find their faith unto death:

“‘Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands? 16Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.

17If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. 18But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. “(Daniel 3:15-18)

        Nowadays so called Christians confess of Jesus Christ as the Saviour delivering them from sin and death as well as all kinds of temptations. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego also believed in the God as the Saviour saving from all kind of temptations. God allows various temptation for them who are professing to believe on Jesus Christ for them to examine themselves if they are truly trusting in God. Through the temptation allowed by God, they are blessed to see the Saviour  delivering them from the temptation.

         God saw the faith of these three men and allowed a great temptation before them. They believed in God even though he would not save them from the fiery furnace. But God not only rescued them from the fire, but he personally met  with them in the fire even before Christ, the Son of God, appeared to the world. The Bible testifies of this wonderful scene:

” Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

22Therefore because the king’s commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

23And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 24Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God..'” (Daniel 3:21-25).

        At this time King Nebuchadnezzar said, ” Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. ”.” So when they came out of the fire, the fire did not exert any strength on their bodies, and not one of their hairs was scorched. It was not scorched, their clothes did not change, and they did not even smell of burning.

        We can  find a very important fact.  Nebuchadnezzar called these three men “servants of the Most High God.” Nebuchadnezzar, who neither knew nor believed in God serving his own gods acknowledged them as servants of God. Who can be called as the servant of God? He is the one that obey God without any condition wherever he leads him to any situation  good or bad..  When the Apostle Paul introduced himself to the church as a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ.  He confessed saying, “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.“(2Cor. 12:10)

          Anyone who believes in Jesus Christ and accepts Him as the Lord and the Saviour  must acknowledge Himself as a servant of Christ and live a life that rejoices only in Him, whether they live or die, trusting Him in all kinds of trials and tribulations. The millions of Jews who were marching through the wilderness out of Egypt were not able to enter the land of Canaan because of their unbelief. Because they did not have faith as the servants of God, they constantly complained, and all died in the wilderness but two people, Joshua and Caleb.

         Finally, Nebuquetnezzar, king of Babylon, proclaimed to the people and nations living in all the earth the wonderful miracles performed by the God of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego:

“Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.

 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.… I thought it good to shew the signs and wonders that the high God hath wrought toward me.

3How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders! his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation.” (Daniel 3:29-4:2-3).

      Although King Nebuchadnezzar saw the signs that God had done, he exalted God and issued a decree, but he still served his own gods. Likewise, nowadays Christians are exalting , praising,  

and worshiping God the Creator, but not truly serving the Lord Jesus Christ, and still serving other gods without realizing it. Even though they profess to be the servants of Christ, in reality most of them are  living as the servants of  money, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life.

         In the last days, most churches have joined with  WCC, WEA and NCC denying Jesus as only the Christ claiming all other religions can give salvation of life. A Korean pastor  who is the member of  WCC said, “I believe in Jesus also.” , If Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had asked the king of Babylon, “If you worship other gods, God will judge you“, he would have said  “I also believe in the God you believe in.”

          Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are as a type of the remnant of the Jews who keep the faith until the end when the Antichrist uses the false prophet Babylon the Great to make his image and make the mark of the beast during the great tribulation:

“And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. 15And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

16And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: 17And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 18Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.  ” (Revelation 13:14-18)

          The Jews, the Gentiles, and unregenerate religious people who are left behind on the earth because they not believed in the Lord Jesus Christ shall miss the opportunity to be saved if they do not pass this final temptation. Now is the time to repent as sinners and  truly believe in the Lord Jesus Christ to  be born again of the Holy Spirit to become   complete servants of Christ. Now is the time to examine ourselves whether we are serving other gods of the world.

        It is necessary to deeply engrave the words of the Apostle Paul and the Apostle James:

” 5Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?…. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend

of the world is the enemy of God.?

         Only Christians who are servants of Jesus Christ can live a life of submission to the will of God in Christ Jesus:

“Rejoice evermore. 17Pray without ceasing. 18In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.“(1Thess. 5:16-18)

Amen! Hallelujah!