The Fiery Furnace (05/21/2000)

The Burden of a Mentor’s Illness and the Need for Prayer

Well, I've made an announcement Wednesday night, and I want to Make it again today just for those of you who are not there. Maybe haven't heard From anyone else in our church, but dr. Rocky Freeman who is my mentor most of you know that and I've Known dr. Freeman since 1978 the year.

I was saved. He was the first preacher that I heard preach after after being saved and Most of you've been around for a while know how much he means to me. And he means a lot to a lot of you who have known him for a long time.

Some of you got to hear him fairly recently when he was here doing a Study on the tabernacle and the pictures and types in the tabernacle not too long ago anyway. He had been ill since November on and off and and then Just never seemed to get better finally he ended up in the hospital about three weeks ago and almost died with pneumonia and While there they discovered that back in 1987 when he had open-heart surgery the blood that he received had HIV in it and so he's HIV positive and Very very ill in fact.

I got a call From Pat yesterday morning, and when he woke up he couldn't breathe in every time he breathed in it was painful and She had called the doctor and so I said we'll call him you know on Saturday.

You can't ever find him. I said we'll call the answering service and say it's an emergency and you know I need to talk to him quickly. And so they did finally call and they took him to hospital did x-rays, and he had a collapsed lung.

So he's back in the hospital now with a tube in his side to try to correct that so he just it's just one thing after another and I just want you to know that if you Ran across me last week and my countenance was not like some you know kind of down.

That's why I'm just My family and I are pretty devastated by this and having a real hard time with it and Yet God is teaching us things through it and this man has traveled across the country's preached in every state of the Union and every free nation in the world and one of the few international preachers who take stands on issues and He's preached all over the world against immorality and Homosexuality and all these things and now he has the disease that that they brought.

So it's it's ironic but it's Something that has happened and so it's something we're going through together. And so this message this morning is going to be aimed at. Actually, it was a Bible study that I did for myself.

So, I hope it'll be a benefit for you and I know that someday it will if not today. There will come a day when it will be a benefit and I know it's helped me a lot. So Let's go the Lord in prayer and we'll begin father.

We Asked that you would Teach us during this time as we look into your beautiful word. That your Holy Spirit Who gave it to us would teach us the sense of every verse that we look at this morning and bring out your mind and heart and voice to us today that it might be a help in time of need that would strengthen us and That make us more like the Lord Jesus Christ and give us the ability to see him even more clearly by faith.

Spiritual Warfare and the Evil Day in Ephesians 6

We ask it in Jesus name. Amen. The message is really in Daniel chapter 3, but I wanted to read this passage out of Ephesians chapter 6 Starting with verse 11 Put on the whole armor of God. That you may be able to stand against the wiles and that word means the strategies of the devil.

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities against powers. Against the rulers of darkness of this world against the spiritual wickedness in high places. One reason I wanted to read this passage is that this passage every time I read it.

I think of dr. Freeman because he Is one of the foremost authorities in this country on spiritual warfare. In fact, he's written books on that topic. He preached in Bible conferences with men like Merrill F Unger who wrote Unger's Bible dictionary.

Dr. Unger wrote a book early in his life about demonology where he claimed that demons could not affect a born-again Christian and then later in his life as an older man, he wrote a book and refuted his first book and His second book on practical demonology is now a classic and is used in every seminary in the country.

But in his second book He refuted what he said in the earlier book as a young man and he said as a matter of fact demons can affect born-again people and We need and he would go into passages such as this.

Well, dr. Freeman Spoke with him while he was still alive and meetings and so forth. He spoke with people like Feinberg who was one of the editors of the New Scofield Bible he spoke with people like Pentecost who wrote the great book things to come about the end times and.

So he's been around but I I think of spiritual warfare when I think of dr. Freeman's teaching and There are very few people left alive on this earth who are really authorities on that subject. And he is one of them and he's talked to me many times about this passage right here, but let's look at Verse 13.

Wherefore taken to you the whole armor of God. That you may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand. So I want to talk to you a little bit about the evil day this morning if you haven't had that yet, you will it comes to us all and Sometimes it comes many times there are more than one evil days that can come into the life to our lives.

You remember how Jesus said don't worry about tomorrow. There's enough evil in today and. But this evil day that is spoken of in Ephesians chapter 6 is the day when you think everything has collapsed.

It's the day when you're brought to even question the very doctrine that you've always taught and believed. It's the day when an experience comes into your life that shatters everything and makes you rethink everything and makes you ask questions and make makes you ask the Lord and what are you teaching me and Someone this week.

I believe it was miss Riddle told me a quote from J. Vernon McGee. He said that he's he learned Through these experiences in his life never to ask God why? But to ask God what are you teaching and. And that's hard to do because we're curious creatures, aren't we we want to know why?

Sometimes. Five years into the future ten years in the future. We can look back and see the wise but I'm convinced there are some things that will happen. We won't see the wise even until we get to heaven and then there are even some things about God.

I think we'll never know. Because he is God and we are not. But God does give us much in the scriptures to help us. I think it was interesting the discussion we had in Sunday school this morning about whether God gives a list of What was it bad things that can happen and Greg said well one thing about it.

I think he does give a list of Solutions and I like that answer. It's not really a list. I don't think Greg said list, but the solutions are there the Word of God speaks to every issue of life and This morning.

I want us to go into Daniel chapter 3. We're actually going to start with the end of verse 2 chapter 2 I mean so look at Daniel chapter 2 in verse 47 and I want to speak to you this morning. Kind of the subtitle is the evil day, but the actual title is the proper position of God's children.

The Enemy’s Plan: Compromise, Worship, and Fear

What position should we take what stand? Should we take when that evil day hits and I think this passage will give us a lot of information. All right, let's look starting with verse 47 at the end of chapter 2.

The King answered unto Daniel and said of a truth. It is that your God is a God of God's. I want you to notice the word a Doesn't say the should say thee, but it says a the King Was careful in his choice of words of a truth that your God is a God of God's and a Lord of Kings and a revealer of secrets.

Seeing thou couldst reveal this secret. It's always very important to Be careful when the enemy puts a thought in our mind or speaks as He did to Eve in the garden. Often he'll give mostly truth and just a little bit of leaven.

And it's interesting in verse 47. If you don't read it carefully you think that this King who in my view typifies or pictures the enemy today. He is a type of Satan in some ways. But notice how carefully he chooses his word of a truth.

Your God is a God of God's. And then look at verse 48 then the king made Daniel a great man and gave him many great gifts and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and Chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon.

Then Daniel requested that the king of the king and he said Shadrach Meshach and Abednego over the affairs of the province of Babylon. But Daniel sat in the gate of the king. I Want us to notice a couple of things here before we move on.

First of all there is a plan that the enemy has and the enemy's plan and I speak of Satan and He uses his imps the demons to as a hierarchy to aid in this plan. But he has a plan to gain worship from people from anywhere he can get it.

He will attempt to gain worship in the book of Revelation as you read about that in the end days. He will attempt to gain worship but he has a plan to gain worship and you're gonna see that many times it's through compromise and sometimes it includes a threat of death or great fear of death.

But you're gonna notice the compromise as we go through this passage and the compromise is this the king is willing for Daniel. And the three Hebrew children or young men we should call them. The king is perfectly willing for them to worship their God.

Who he calls a God? But he is putting before them a compromise that I want you to worship me a little bit, too. And as long as you'll do that you can worship your God and you'll be fine and He presents this compromise very early on.

Notice that the enemy recognized God as a God of gods a Lord of kings and a revealer of secrets, but he's not the God of the universe. Because the enemy likes to conceive of himself as higher than the Most High God.

Second thing we notice is the enemy set Daniel and the three Hebrew young men up as leaders and Sometimes I think what that can teach us is sometimes the the enemy would like it if we could be found in a state of Prosperity if we could be found in a state where all the things are going well in our lives.

And because human nature is such that when things are going great when things are going well when everything's perfect. We think of God less we pray less we walk with God less that's human nature. The third thing that I see about this and let's look at verse 1 here in chapter 3.

We'll see the third point. Is that the enemy allowed recognition of God? But he decreed worship of himself along with this recognition. Look at verse 1. Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold whose height was three score cubits and the breadth thereof six cubits.

He set it up in the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes the governors the captains the judges the treasures. The counselors the sheriffs and all the rulers of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image.

Which he had set up in verse 3 then the princes the governors the captains the judges the treasures. Counselors the sheriffs. Why do you think the Bible lists these twice like this? Well, it's interesting to look at history the history of the world.

It is a common practice for rulers to use religion. To be a unifying factor in their nation. What Nebuchadnezzar is attempting to do is bring together all of these other leaders that are under him. Bring them together and get them having a common focus in a common religion so that they'll stay under him.

It's a common practice. We know Constantine did this and in the Roman Empire and he made Christianity quote Christianity that Common quote religion that would pull his whole kingdom together under him.

And we know that's when the Roman Church was perverted and became the Roman Catholic Church of today. We know from Revelation 13 11 through 15 and Revelation 19 20 and other verses that the Antichrist will do the same thing.

He will attempt to unite the whole world through the worship and through a false religion. So we see that he's bringing all these powerful people the captains the treasures the counselors the sheriffs and all the rulers of the Provinces to come to the dedication of the image which he had set up.

Now he gathered them all together and I'm in the middle of verse 3 now He gathered them together and to the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar The king had set up and they stood before the image that he had set up.

Then an herald cried aloud to you it is commanded old people nations and languages. That at what time you hear the sound of the cornet the flute the harp the sack. But the psaltery the dulcimer and all kinds of music you fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up and Whosoever falleth not down and worshipeth.

Shall the same hour be cast in the midst of a burning fiery furnace. Therefore at that time when all the people heard the sound of the cornet the flute the harp the sack. But the psaltery and all kinds of music all the people the nations and the languages fell down and worshiped The golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

Now we see that the enemy is allowing the Hebrews to worship God as long as they'll worship him as well. Now we see an interesting thing happened here. That is also repeated throughout human history. Let's look at verse 8.

Wherefore at that time certain called in this came near and accused the Jews now There are some reasons why they might do this. Can you think of one reason they might want to get these Jews in trouble who can think of a reason?

Excuse me. Yeah, and they didn't like it. Do you think maybe they were a little jealous? Why did you put these Hebrews in power over the whole nation when you have perfectly good counselors who are called in.

So we see some jealousy here. And so they come near and they accused the Jews they spake and said to King Nebuchadnezzar Oh King live forever. Thou O King has made a decree that every man that shall hear the sound of these instruments I won't read them again shall fall down and worship the golden image and Whosoever falleth not down and worship it that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.

They remind him of his own law. There are certain Jews whom thou has set over the affairs of the province of Babylon Shadrach Meshach and Abednego. These men O King have not regarded thee. They serve not thy gods nor worship the golden image which thou has set up.

Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach Meshach and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king. So we see that the enemies of the children of God and the enemies of God are accusers.

They always are. We find in Revelation chapter 12 and verse 10 that the Bible calls Satan himself the accuser of our brethren. Any place you see the word devil used in the Bibles in the Gospels where you see the word devil.

It is the word Diabolos, which means slanderer. So one of the true natures of Satan is that he would accuse you he would slander you and He will try to bring that forth both to your own mind, but also before God read the first chapter of the book of Job and you see the actual mechanics of how this works and.

So here we see the enemy portrayed as the accuser. These men that came to me would picture demons who are working for the king who is Satan and They come and they accuse and they try to bring calamity upon these people of God.

Now it's interesting in verses 14 and 15 that the king here Offers a compromise. He offers a compromise in the face of fear. He uses a horrible death by fire in the fiery furnace as fear fear of death.

And tries to use this fear of death to bring about compromise now. Look at verse 14. Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them. Is it true? Oh Shadrach Meshach and Abednego. Do not ye serve my gods nor worship the golden image, which I have set up.

He's not concerned about the fact that they worship their own God. He's simply concerned about the fact that they won't share that allegiance and worship him also. And He now gives them an opportunity to save their lives.

He gives them an opportunity to compromise. He offers a compromise. He says in verse 15 now if you be ready. That at what time you hear the sound of the cornet flute harp Sackbutt psaltery and dulcimer and all kinds of music.

If you will fall down and worship the image Which I have made then well, in other words, it'll be well with you. But if you worship not. You shall be cast the same hour into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

And who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands is the question Satan would ask. Young people is going to come a time when Satan's gonna ask you. Who is your God? He doesn't seem to be powerful enough to save you or that loved one.

Who is he? Maybe you should worship me. Maybe you should worship me by questioning God's motives. Maybe you should worship me by questioning whether or not God is sovereign and In control of all events, maybe you should worship beat me by questioning whether God is good.

Whether God is all-powerful. Whether he has your best interest in mind. And if you'll do that, then maybe I'll deliver you. As Satan would say. So we see this awful compromise that Satan offers in the face of a the fear of horrible death now.

We've spent some time now speaking about the plan of the enemy. What is his plan? Make sure we've got it before we move on. What is his plan? Compromise. He wants you to compromise. He doesn't want you to stop worshiping God just want you to worship him a little bit, too.

What will he often use to get you to do it. Fear fear of what in particular? The fear of death. Now, let's move on. Let's talk we talked about the Plan of Satan. Now, let's talk about the proper position of the believer.

The Believer’s Response: Readiness, Faith, and Refusal to Bow

Look at verses 16 and 17. This is awesome. I love their answer. Powerful. Shadrach Meshach and Abednego answered. Now the king had just told them I'm gonna kill you in the same hour if you don't kneel the knee to this false God.

And Shadrach Meshach and Abednego answered and said to the king Oh Nebuchadnezzar. We are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If 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 but if not Be it known unto thee O King that we will not serve thy gods nor worship the golden image which thou has set up. We see some interesting information in this.

First of all in verse 16, they said they're not careful to answer in the Hebrew. It doesn't read that way. In fact in the Hebrew, it's not telling us what they were not going to do. It's telling us what they were going to do is put in the positive sense.

And this word ready is from the Chaldean word kashach which means a sense of readiness and it comes from a root word kush which means to hurry. To be eager with excitement or enjoyment to haste and to be made ready.

So we get this sense. This evil King says now look if you will just worship me a little bit. It will be well with you. But if you don't in the same hour that you refuse me that worship you'll be cast into a fiery furnace and They came back without hesitation and they said O King We are ready with excitement enjoyment and haste To answer you in this matter.

That's what the Hebrew says. We are ready with excitement to answer you. We're ready with haste. We don't have to think about it in fact We enjoy the answer. We're about to give you and they said our God is Able to save us.

In fact, he might save us, but if he doesn't save us, we're still not gonna worship your God. Now, how do you think that made him feel? Well, it would make Satan feel like fleeing. In verse 19 we see how it made Nebuchadnezzar feel.

Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury and The form of his visage changed his countenance changed. Can you imagine how he must have looked probably had a big smile on his face now? I offer you this when you hear the music.

I Don't want any harm to come to you. Just fall down on your knees and worship my God. And they give him this answer. We're ready. In fact, we're happy and excited to tell you this. We don't care what you do with us because our God can save us and even if he doesn't we're not worshiping you.

And all of a sudden that King, can you imagine that King's countenance? He didn't live in a democracy. He was not used to anybody talking back to him and his visage was changed against Shadrach Meshach and Abednego therefore he spake and Commanded that they should heat the furnace one Seven times more than it was want to be heated make it seven times hotter than it's even built to endure and He commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind.

Now these represent the demons. And he commands them to bind God's children. Now don't tell me that can't happen. Because it's pictured right here. He commanded them to bind and in fact, they did bind these young men.

They tied them up so fast that they couldn't move. He commanded them to bind Shadrach Meshach and Abednego and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Now let's stop a moment and and think about what's happened here.

First of all, these young men were not careful to give an answer. They were ready to give an answer first Peter 3 15 says we're supposed to Always be ready to give an answer to every man that asked the reason why we believe the way we do.

Second Timothy 2 15 says we're to study to show ourselves approved unto God so that when the evil day comes we have the armor and We can stand. When they said we are not careful in the Hebrew language It means we are ready to make haste to give an answer.

You cannot be ready Instantly to give an answer if you hadn't been in the word. You can't be ready instantly if the evil day hits if you haven't been in prayer. You can't be ready if you hadn't been walking with God already.

I Remember one time very vividly in my life when this happened and I wasn't ready. In fact, I wasn't even saved yet but I Remember when my grandmother was In the hospital dying she lived for three days and We didn't know what was going on exactly.

I'm sure we all thought she would get over it and come home, but she didn't. But I remember during those three days. I wanted to pray for her. But I couldn't. For one reason I wasn't saved. But the other reason was and I kept telling myself this well you hadn't walked with God up until now.

You don't know God. You've never walked with him before. Why would he listen to you now? Now I was telling myself that but maybe the enemy was accusing me at the same time. I don't know. But I know one thing I didn't pray.

And I know another thing she went to be with the Lord about three days later and not too long after that I got saved. Now don't ever get caught in the place where the evil day hits and you haven't already been with God so these young men were ready to give answer and notice.

That one of the key attributes they had was faith in God's ability. Look at verse 17 very carefully. He says our God can deliver us. In fact, he may deliver us. If you go over to Daniel 6 if you go a couple of pages Forward in Daniel 6 verse 23 you see the same concept.

Then was the king exceeding glad for him. This was when Daniel had been cast into the lion's den. When he came out of the lion's den the king said I'm exceedingly glad for you. I don't know about this king to you.

Throws him in the lion's den. He's glad when he comes out. But he he and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den and no manner of hurt was found upon him because he believed in his God you see.

Believing that God is able. Is the whole key to what made these three Hebrew children successful and what made Daniel successful? And they say well, he may save us if not. We are not going to base our allegiance to our God.

Upon whether he always grants our requests or not. Did you hear that because that's not modern. Today We live in a day where the mindset is if God does not answer my prayer then I no longer give him my allegiance.

But these young men said our God can't answer this prayer. Our God can save us. But if he doesn't we still won't bow down to you. That's not a common attitude in this day. Because we've been taught that God is a genie in a bottle and when we rub the bottle He comes out and we say go do this and this for me.

That's what all the TV preaching and radio preaching is all about is successful Christian living. We haven't realized that sometimes we get cast into a fiery furnace and we don't know if we're gonna come out or not.

In fact, we probably think we're not. So then we pray and say God take me out of this fiery furnace and while we're praying it we're thinking. But if you don't I'm starting to kind of doubt you but you're supposed to answer all my prayers.

And yet these young men knew God better than that didn't they. They knew God well enough that they had faith in his ability. But they were not basing their allegiance to him on whether he answered their prayer or not.

So we see that the enemy has a plan it's to bring us to a place of compromise and normally he'll use fear and often fear of death to do this and secondly the proper position of the believer is That I know my God is all-powerful and can do anything and can deliver me.

But even if he doesn't I'll not worship the enemy. Now the third thing we can see this morning is the power of God to deliver. Look at in Verses 19 through 21. We've already read this but we see the fury of the enemy.

God’s Sovereignty in Suffering and His Power to Deliver

Let's look at verse 21 then these men were bound in their coats their hose their hats and Their other garments and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace the fury of the enemy. Satan uses his demons as a tool.

But in reality they were a tool of God. Now that's something that's hard to learn and something modern people don't believe anymore either. People don't believe God is sovereign. What does that mean? He's in control of everything.

Do you realize that there's no way these young men could be cast in that furnace if God had not decreed it. But I will say this he didn't cast them in there the demons did tools of God. God uses tools to accomplish his will.

Satan and his demons are a tool of God to accomplish his will however. At the same time they are responsible and held responsible for touching God's anointed. Now I want you to get this this morning. Because this is comforting.

Look forward again to Daniel chapter 6 in verse 24. This is something that human logic wouldn't bring only divine revelation and the scriptures would bring this to us and That is that all things happen according to God's will.

He's not God if that's not true. But that he uses tools to accomplish his will and sometimes he uses Satan and his demons. But what's interesting about it is when the enemy comes and attacks you or your family or your loved ones God will hold the enemy responsible.

Daniel. Daniel 6 24. And the king commanded and they brought those men Which had accused Daniel the ones that got him cast into the lion's den. The king now commands that they bring them and they cast them into the lion's den.

Them and their children and their wives and the Lions had the mastery of them and break all their bones and pieces. Before ever they came at the bottom of the den. Throughout history if we look in Jeremiah chapter 46 in verse 25 in verse 28 We see that this great nation called Egypt that was used as a tool in God's hand to mold his own people and Sometimes to judge his own people.

Yet Egypt was held responsible it says in Jeremiah 46 25. And by the way, Egypt is a type of the world system. The Lord of hosts the God of Israel saith behold I will punish the multitude of no and Pharaoh and Egypt with their gods and their kings.

Even Pharaoh and all them that trust in him. Fear thou not Oh Jacob my servant saith the Lord for I am with thee. For I will make a full end of all nations. Whether I have driven thee every nation that God ever used to chastise Israel was then punished because they did so.

Isn't that an amazing truth? God is sovereign and God called these evil nations out To chastise his children to fulfill his purposes to mold his children and make them be what God Intended for them to be and as soon as the nation's were through chasing Israel God Destroyed those nations.

Go to Egypt sometime and see what kind of nation it is now. It's one of the most backward nations in the world. And at this time it was the United States. What does that tell you about the United States.

And then in Jeremiah 48 42 Moab was judged by God after they had been used to Chastise Israel. And then in Jeremiah 49 6 Amman was judged by God. And then in Jeremiah 49 15 Edom was judged and then in 49 27 Damascus was judged and then in Jeremiah 50 Babylon itself was judged and let's look at Jeremiah 50 17 if you can find it quickly.

It says Israel. Jeremiah 5017 Israel is a scattered sheep. The lions have driven him away. First the king of Assyria hath devoured him and last this Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon hath broken his bones.

Now. Here is a type of Satan a symbol of Satan this very king we're studying about. Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel behold I will punish the king of Babylon and his land and I have punished the king of Assyria and Then in verse 24, it says I have laid a snare for thee and thou art also Taken Oh Babylon, and thou was not aware.

Thou art found and also caught because thou hast driven against the Lord. The Lord hath opened his armory and hath brought forth the weapons of his Indignation for this is the work of the Lord God of hosts in the land of the called in.

I don't think this is a fascinating thing that the sovereign God moves Evil leaders around like chessmen on a chessboard and places them in position to accomplish his will and sometimes that will involves Bringing tribulation to God's children so that God's children can learn the ways of God.

So God's children can be moved out of prosperity in a place of agnosticism into a place where they have to fall down and know God or perish and he uses these as tools and yet he turns right around and judges them for it and says because you Have gone against the hand of the Lord.

It's amazing. They did it because of God's sovereignty and then God turned and judged him and said you've gone against me because you've touched my children. Let me tell you there's gonna come a day ladies and gentlemen when Satan is going to be cast into the place that was made for him and He's going to be bound with chains and he ain't gonna come out of there.

Now he'll be loosed for a small season at the end of the kingdom the thousand-year millennial period and Then Jesus Christ himself will put him down and he'll be cast into hell forever and ever and ever.

And The Bible says as you go on out into that next age that God is going to erase our memories of all of that. And so here you will have this enemy who is pictured so well by Nebuchadnezzar. Who is cast into hell forever and forgotten, but he'll always be there.

But he'll be forgotten. He won't be one. We will remember. The enemy will not be one will ever even think about again. All he was used for is a tool during this dispensation. To bring God's people into the image of the Lord Jesus Christ through suffering and so that's not so bad.

Seems bad as we go through it. I'm sure it seemed pretty bad when these young men were facing that fiery furnace. Don't you think and Then let's look at verse 23 well. Before we do that though Let me show you this in verse 22 because it makes the point of the fact that God judges the tools that he uses.