Even If He Doesn't

Confidence Rooted in Conviction

Want to go ahead and just introduce myself for those of you who who don't know me. My name is is Josh shader had the privilege of being friends with Josh and and with Jake and with the Rices ever since I was 12.

Moved out to Prairie Grove in seventh grade and me and Jake Rice started a feud early on. It started with me wearing a Packers jacket and Jake wearing a 49ers jacket. And and so thus started our feud and now fast-forward 30 years almost.

For some reason we we still have have a friendship and and because of that acquaintance I got to know Josh got to know Lanny got to go know Kathy. Got to know their sisters basically lived over at their house all through high school and all through college.

We we still hang out and connect even now so I counted an honor and I counted a privilege. One just to have been invited by Josh, you know as him being the pastor here at Covenant, you know I I don't take it lightly that when another pastor invites Someone who doesn't attend the church here to to be able to come and bring forth the word I counted a huge honor a huge blessing and a huge responsibility.

So thank you all so much for for inviting me inviting my family. This is my family up here. It's my wife Amy my oldest daughter and Elise. She is driving. So so there's that stress that comes with that.

She's doing great doing great actually started her first job this summer. So we're excited for her and we have Avalyn. So she's our middle child. She's gonna be 13 14. That's right. Goodness. You're gonna be 14 this year.

And then we have Adelaide over here. She's 9. She's gonna be 10. Coming up in February. So we're excited to be here. Thank you all so much. Great time of worship this morning and Want to just kind of give some some introduction to what we're gonna be talking about this morning we're gonna be looking at the book of Daniel chapter 3 and I know this could be a Book and even just a chapter that that we touched on for four weeks, right?

And so I'm trying to just cram pack in here one thing that God has really shared with me from this passage of Scripture. It's one that even growing up in church, whether that be in a Sunday school or being taught as a kid it's one of those first stories that you learn about with Shadrach Meshach and Abednego being thrown into a fiery furnace, but I think There's there's a good message that comes from this that has really just stuck out to me as of late.

That I believe is something that we all really need to hear especially in this day and time one of the things I really love to do is is watch movies and I really like watching those movies where The odds are stacked against the hero right wherever there's this hero or this group of heroes.

It could be a war type movie. It could be something like gladiator. It could be something like master and commander where there's like this hero this group of good people who are fighting a fight. And then all of a sudden this great opposition comes against them and then all hope seems lost.

But then at the very last minute something happens and then all of a sudden they're over they're able to overcome that oppression. They're able to overcome that threat. One of my favorite movie series that I think really depicts this is is the movie series of Rocky and you have Rocky Balboa especially in that first that first movie where he's going up against Apollo Creed and there's this one line from the movie that that always Really sticks out to me and and I told myself I wasn't going to give my Rocky Impersonation, but I have to write this may be the last time I'm asked to come and speak here.

So I got to go ahead and get all my quirks out. All right, so so Rocky. He's actually talking to his wife Adrian and and this is what he says. So here we go. Goodness we're gonna do this. It really don't matter if I lose this fight.

It really don't matter if the guy opens my head because all I want to do is go the distance. If that bell rings and I'm still standing I'm gonna know for the first time in my life that I wasn't just another bum from the neighborhood.

That's good, right? That's pretty good. Yeah. Yeah. And so one of the the lines from that movie where it talks about he's he's willing to go the distance and his main goal Is not necessarily winning that particular fight.

The main thing that he is saying is I'm going to remain Standing no matter what even if my eye gets gashed open I'm gonna remain standing and then I and I believe as I'm looking at Daniel chapter 3 and looking at these three Hebrew men.

That this was kind of that same Mentality that they went through when faced from an opposition from the king to be able to bow down to a golden image. Their main focus was you know what? I'm going to remain standing despite what happens despite what I'm told to do.

Despite what threat is thrown at me? I'm going to remain standing and we're going to talk about that in Hebrews 12 chapter 1. It's not our main passage of Scripture, but I think it sets the stage for us today.

It says let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Fixing our eyes on Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. So we are all as Christians called to run this race with perseverance.

We go through life. We face Consequences we face opposition we face threats. We face, you know all types of adversity in our life. But what is it that helps us to be able to persevere and what was it in Daniel chapter 3 that we're gonna look here that allowed Shadrach and Meshach and Abednego to persevere through that opposition and I believe it is confidence that only comes from the Lord and So what we're gonna be looking at in this passage of Scripture are some things that really just stick out.

When it comes to having confidence not in ourselves not in our abilities, but in confidence of the Lord. We're gonna be looking at that and finding out what is that confidence? How does it come from the Lord?

How do we gain that confidence whenever we're running this good race and fighting this good fight in our life? You see I know that we all face an enemy that knows that if he can cause us to lose confidence.

Then we will be ones that will easily give up before that opening bell rings. We will be a people that cower. We will be a people that just just fall away and the people that will just step aside and let whatever Happen in our world happen in our world.

But one of the key questions we have to ask ourselves is where does that confidence come from and unfortunately in the world? We live in today a lot of people place confidence in money paste their confidence and possessions.

Some will place their confidence in others and other people. Some are concerned with their reputation and and even with their own strength and their own abilities. But as many of us in this room probably know all those things will fail us at some point in life.

In Daniel chapter 3 we see three Hebrew men standing up against a powerful King and their fight seemed Unwinnable and based off their response. They I believe knew that too. But they were unwilling to waver in their faith in God and they were confident that they were serving the one true God and they Were not going to cower because of that.

Even if he didn't deliver them from the furnace, they were going to remain confident in him in our lives. We're all going to experience those pressures of life. We'll all go through trials that will will test our faith that will be mounting pressure.

For us to throw in the towel for us to give up for us to tuck tail and run for us to conform. But we must remain confident in our fight, even if things don't turn out like we hoped. Even if God doesn't deliver us from this affliction.

We have to be willing to remain hopeful in him. Staying confident when all hope seems lost is tough to do. But today we're going to look at five different aspects in Daniel chapter 3 that I believe will help us develop that same level of confidence that we witness from Shadrach Meshach and Abednego.

And Our prayer today is going to be that the Holy Spirit will empower us and will help us give us that level of confidence that We need to stand in our fight no matter what it is that we experience. We're going to hold on to that truth that we find in 2nd Timothy chapter 1 verse 7 where we are promised that God has not given us a spirit of fear.

But one that is of power and is of a sound mind. For us to have power and a sound mind when facing anything in this life is what we want. We want to be strong in our faith and our confidence in the Lord.

We want to have a heart that is confident in him. So let's go ahead and just jump into Daniel chapter 3. We're gonna read verses 1 through 18 at first. We're gonna we're gonna go through the whole chapter.

I know this is gonna be a lot of reading but we're gonna go through the whole chapter and so starting with Daniel chapter 3 if you'll follow with me verses 1 through 18 and It says King Nebuchadnezzar Made a gold statue 90 feet tall and 9 feet wide and set it up on the plain of Dura the province of Babylon.

Then he sent messages to the high officers the officials the governor's advisors treasurers judges Magistrates and all the provincial officials to come to the dedication of the statue he had set up. So all these officials came and stood before the king.

Before the statue King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Then a herald shouted out people of all races and nations and languages. Listen to the king's command. When you hear the sound of the horn the flute the zither the leer Harps pipes and other musical instruments bow to the ground to worship King Nebuchadnezzar's golden statue.

This is where the threat comes into play. Verse 6 anyone who refuses to obey will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace. So at the sound of the musical instruments all the people whatever their race or nation or language bowed To the ground and worshipped the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

But some of the astrologers went to the king and informed on the Jews. They said to King Nebuchadnezzar long live the king you issued a decree requiring all the people to bow down and Worship the golden statue when they hear the sound of the horn the flute Zither leer harps pipes and other musical instruments that decree also states that those who refuse to obey must be thrown into a blazing furnace.

But there are some Jews Shadrach Meshach and Abednego whom you have put in charge of the province of Babylon. They pay no attention to you your majesty. They refuse to serve your gods and do not worship the golden statue you have set up.

The Nebuchadnezzar flew into a rage in order that Shadrach Meshach and Abednego be brought before him. When they were brought in 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. 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.

Get the response from Shadrach Meshach and Abednego. They replied Oh Nebuchadnezzar hear the confidence. We do not need to defend ourselves. Before you 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. 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. What type of confidence we see from these three men that when faced with death.

Even if God weren't to deliver them, they were willing to go into the furnace and be burned up. That's how confident they were in the God that they served. That's how much they knew that they were not willing to conform to what the king was asking them to do.

And I Myself I want that level of confidence. I look at my life and I think of my past and I even think up to this point. When faced with not the opposition of death, but even with something simple as as being viewed differently by someone I look at the my past and I look at those decisions I've made and and honestly, I'm there's a regret there.

There's an embarrassment there because I'm standing here being honest and transparent with you. That there have been times when I should have taken a firmer stance for the Lord. But I failed to do so my confidence wavered my faith.

I allowed it to waver and my faith that I placed in God Wasn't strong enough for me to be able to take that stance that I needed to take. So I want that level of confidence that only can come from the Lord.

It can't come from anything I do. But there is things that I must do in order for God to be able to work through me. I must put forth some of that work and some of that effort so the first thing that I find from this passage of Scripture when it comes to godly confidence and Having that confidence no matter what happens even if that confidence must be rooted in conviction.

That's where it must start. It must be rooted in conviction, you know all of us we feel that pressure in life and sometimes if we're not rooted in what we firmly believe in we Oftentimes will falter just like others do and just like the rest of the people in the crowd did they will fall and they will Bow down, but why didn't Shadrach Meshach and Abednego hesitate?

It was because their minds before the decision even came their way their minds were already made up. They had already decided who their God was. They had known who their God was and they already decided that no matter what happens.

I'm not going to falter. I'm not going to waver in that. You know, sometimes I have a hard time making decisions. Are any of you like that you have a hard time making a decision? I'm one that I have to get all of the information.

I have to get all of the facts before I even make a formal decision and Sometimes my wife it'll it'll kind of drive her crazy a little bit because sometimes I'll stretch it out a little bit. You know instead of like this should be a decision that we should be able to make right now.

Sometimes I have to do a little bit more research. I have to put a budget together. I have to figure out like well, okay, what is this going to cost me, you know? Okay, this is gonna be so much time that I have to put into it.

We're already comfortable now. Why why take all that work and all that effort energy and put into something like this so it delays the decision-making process. But we see here that before Shadrach and Meshach and Abednego were even faced with the decision.

They had already decided they had already made up their mind. Their convictions were already settled. They didn't have to go off into the corner and say, you know what? Well, okay, let's weigh out the cost here if we bow down it's gonna spare our life.

But what's that gonna do with our relationship with God if we if we don't say anything? We just kind of get back here in the corner and kind of hide ourselves, you know, no, no. No, they had already made up their mind and no matter what happens.

They were gonna take a stand for their God. Their convictions were settled before the crisis even came. They didn't wait until the crisis came before they started to search for the truth. There was there was no debate to be had they would not bow down to other idols.

No matter what because that's what God's law said to do and they were gonna remain obedient to their God. They knew who they were and there was nothing that could jeopardize that without that conviction.

We see their confidence would have easily wavered and they would have bowed down just like everyone else did. We can know who we are and we can develop our own convictions by being rooted in God's truth.

You see Alexander Alexander Hamilton once said that if you don't believe in something you'll fall for anything. So if our faith in our in our belief is so shallow that whenever storms of life or whenever opposition comes against us, it's just like the Gentleman who built his house upon the sand when the when there is no strong foundation and those storms come our way.

We're easily going to be cast away. We're easily going to falter. We're easily going to crumble and fall to any opposition that comes our way. But if we look at the psalmist whenever he says when we're talking about our confidence It can be rooted just like a tree planted by the waters.

And we know that if our faith is firmly rooted We too shall not be moved. That faith and confidence only comes from putting it in the Lord. This comes by being prepared when we're talking about fighting this good fight.

We find in 2nd Timothy chapter 4 verse 1 through 7. We see in verse 2 where it says preach the Word of God and be prepared. Whether the time is favorable or not patiently correct rebuke and encourage your people with good teaching for a time is coming when people will no longer listen to Sound and wholesome teaching.

They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths, but you should keep a clear mind in every situation.

Do not be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the good news and fully carry out the ministry that God has given you. And this is Paul saying as for me my life has already been poured out as an offering to God.

The time of my death is near. I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race and I have remained Faithful so it begins with preparation it may and where's that preparation start? It starts with being firmly rooted in God's truth firmly rooted in God's Word if we as a believer as a body of believers are Sinking our teeth into God's Word and we're not working to apply that to our life.

Whenever we hear somebody else say something or whenever we hear something on the news or whenever we see something on Facebook. It's going to easily cause us to waver and go that direction. Because we ourselves have not taken the time to root ourselves in God's Word.

Having those godly convictions admits that our minds and our hearts and our desires. They all become his. Everything that we have and everything that we own it all Belongs to him and this is us not conforming to the world, but it's conforming our life to his ways.

True confidence cannot exist unless we are truly rooted in God's Word. There's where we begin the second thing we find when it comes to a level of confidence when has that confidence from the Lord and we look at the Example set forward by Shadrach Meshach and Abednego as we find that confidence comes From knowing who.

God is not just hearing about God, but we've actually experienced God. We've seen God at work. You see Shadrach Meshach and Abednego were not confident just because they were brave. They were confident because they knew that God was able.

They knew that he was sovereign. They knew that he was powerful. They knew that he was capable of doing because he had already proven it before. You see I I think of my daughter Avalyn and and so I remember whenever she was younger and she's still that today.

But when she was younger many of you who have younger kids, you know how fearless kids can be so much so they'll like walk to the edge of anything whether it's the end of a couch or the end of the bed or the end of the counter or even setting her up on top of the refrigerator and She'll just have this level of confidence knowing that I'm going to jump off this thing.

And when I jump off this thing, I'm so confident because I'm not gonna fall. I'm not gonna hurt myself because my dad is going to be there to catch me. Because that was something that we had done ever since that she was little to build that level of confidence in her.

We would just have fun and she would go to the edge of something and she'd hold her arms out and Expect me to be there whenever she would just fall or just jump. I was there to catch her. It's that level of confidence that why I want to have with my father with my heavenly father knowing that no matter what I face In this life.

He is always going to be there anything that I've ever faced. He's already gone before and prepared a way for my life that no matter what opposition I face in this life. No matter what affliction I face.

He is there with me the more we know God the more our confidence grows and this only comes through spending time with him and and Making sure that everything that we have in our life that he gets the credit for all of it.

Everything that we have an experience. It's all because of his goodness all because of his grace all because of his love. Knowing God ultimately builds our confidence because our trust is not ultimately placed in us.

It's placed in God and I struggle with that folks. I'm one who likes to fix problems who likes to be in control of all things and told to be in a situation. To where I have to completely let go. I sometimes struggle with that.

But I want that level of confidence in my life to where I'm just buckling in. I'm saying God here we go. Here we go. Whatever happens God, whatever I have to go through whatever I need to do in your name God I'm gonna do it because I know that you're there and it's that same level of confidence that we see David whenever he faced Goliath how he boldly charged into battle.

It wasn't because he was brave. No, it's because he knew who was fighting his battles for him. So how do we do this? We can't wait to get to know God only when things aren't going the way you want them to our Life has to be one of prayer and of worship.

We have to daily seek his guidance in all things. We have to be Faithful and obedient even in the good times and the bad times. This is what Shadrach Meshach and Abednego did they spent time with God and in prayer?

We have to know that he is loved that he is justice that he is mercy. That he is faithful and that he is unchanging. We have to know the God that we serve. We read that he is Jehovah Jireh that he is our provider.

That he is Jehovah Rapha that he is our healer. That he is Jehovah Nisi our banner Jehovah Ra our shepherd. That he is Jehovah Shalom. He is our peace. That he is El Shaddai God Almighty. We have to spend time with the Lord building that relationship with him through prayer.

We have to experience the confidence that can only come by knowing who God is. The third thing that we find through this passage of scripture in Daniel chapter 3 verse 17 through 18. We find that we have to have and want a level of confidence in God that trust him even if.

That level of confidence and trust that says God I'm going to trust you even if Daniel chapter 3 17 through 18 said 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, 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. You see their obedience to God wasn't conditional.

They were not bargaining with God. They didn't serve God just because of what he could do. They served him because of who he is. You see the deepest level of trust that we can have in the Lord is when our faith in him doesn't demand certain outcomes.

Real confidence says I trust you even when I don't understand. Even if I don't get what I think I want real confidence helps us answer the question around Who do we trust? Even if the situation results in loss or death.

Even if you lose everything. Even if there's oppression even if it results in losing a job. Even as we see in the rest of this scripture if the fire is heated up seven times hotter regardless of that I'm confident that I'm going to remain obedient to the Lord and Oftentimes this involves us letting go and for me.

That's the hardest thing to do. Sometimes is letting go and saying God it's all yours. How do I actually cast all my cares on him? Because that's what we're supposed to do, right? And then he'll give us rest.

But how do I how do I actually give all of that to God? I start by focusing on God's faithfulness. I Look in past times of my life where where God is Faithful and has been faithful. I look at all the times and give him all the credit and all the glory and all the honor for the things that he has Brought me through the times when I did take a stand for him and how he came through in those situations.

I have to realize that even though in this world. I need money. I have to take care of my family. I need to remain strong. I'm a man I've got to do that even despite all of that in the risk of losing all that I have to be willing and saying God is My faithfulness and is my hope found in this or is it found in you and I have to make that conscious choice of saying?

God I want you. I choose you for my life to lead my life to direct my life. God you've called me and I'm choosing to reject all of this and follow after you follow after your ways taking up my cross and Following in your footsteps.

It focuses on his unchanging character. We see that God is the same yesterday as he is today and as he will forever be. God is an unchanging God. God loves his people. He chooses to follow after his people to chase after his people and to give his people the things that they need.

To be able to fight this good fight. So even if things don't work out the way I want them to. Will I still choose to be obedient to him? Even if the fire burns and even if I were to burn up will I still Choose to be faithful to him.

That was the decision that Shadrach Meshach and Abednego had already made up. Because their confidence had already been placed in him. So I want that level of confidence. I want to take to heart the charge that I find in James 4 where he instructs us to ask of the Lord with the Proper motives not with selfish selfish motives.

It's God. It's not what's in it for me God. It's what's in it for you. How do you want to advance your kingdom? How do you want to reveal yourself to the people I'm surrounding myself with the people that I'm facing oppression from.

How do you? Want to use my life in this moment in this matter for your glory to be seen for your will to be done. But I don't want to seek after what's best in it for my life. I want to seek after what's best for him in All things.

I want to seek his will even if that affects our temporal. Even if that means I have to do without in this world or do with less or face oppression or face fear. I want to know that God my confidence is in you and in you alone.

Confidence Strengthened in the Fire

The fourth thing we find when it comes to Daniel chapter 3 is that we find confidence is Strengthened in the fire and now a little bit more about me. I'm a I'm a pastor at a an assembly of God Church and when we're preaching Daniel chapter 3.

This is this is one area where we really go hard in the paint talking about how God will be there with you in The midst of the storm in the midst of the fire. But when we're looking at Daniel chapter 3 starting with verses 19, we're gonna read on all the way through the end of the chapter.

Verse 30.

But I think there's some really cool things that we can kind of caps capture from the end of this passage. It says in verse 19. It says. Nebuchadnezzar was so furious with Shadrach Meshach and Abednego that his face became distorted with rage.

He commanded that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual. Then he ordered some of the strongest men of his army to bind Shadrach Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace.

So they tied them up and threw them into the furnace fully dressed in their pants turbans robes and other garments and Because the king in his anger had demanded such a hot fire in the furnace. The flames killed the soldiers as they threw the three men in.

So Shadrach Meshach and Abednego securely tied fell into the roaring flames. But suddenly Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in amazement and exclaimed to his advisors Didn't we tie up three men and throw them into the furnace?

Yes, your majesty. We certainly did they replied. Look Nebuchadnezzar shouted I see four men Unbound walking around in the fire unharmed and the fourth looks like a god. Then Nebuchadnezzar came as close as he could to the door of the flaming furnace and shouted Shadrach Meshach and Abednego servants of the Most High God come out here come here.

So Shadrach Meshach and Abednego stepped out of the fire. Then the high officers officials governors and advisors Crowded around them and saw that the fire had not touched them. Not a hair on their heads was singed and their clothing was not scorched.

They didn't even smell of smoke. Then Nebuchadnezzar said praise to the God of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego. He sent his angel to rescue his servants who trusted in him. They defied the Kings and command.

They defied the Kings command and were willing to die rather than serve or worship any God except their own God. 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 burned into heaps of rubble. There is no other God who can rescue like this. Then the king promoted Shadrach Meshach and Abednego to even higher positions in the province of Babylon.

So as we're reading as we finished out this chapter We see that God Didn't just save them from the fire. He actually showed up in the fire. That God was there with them in the midst of what they were going through in the midst of that threat.

God was present. It makes me think of that type of confidence that that comes from from having just that consistency. It makes me think of my daughter Annalise now. Annalise loves to sing competes in All types of choir competitions as part of a an all-state choir loves loves to sing for the Lord.

But I remember early on whenever she would first start to sing and especially going up in front of someone who was going to be Evaluating her you could see that her level of confidence wasn't quite there her nerves would get the best of her so much so that there would be times where she would be shaking and times where tears would start to flow because she was so nervous and It even came to the point to where it was almost Debilitating but now fast forward five years six years.

She's still doing the same process but now when she goes in front of someone who's Evaluating her the level of confidence that she has knowing that she's taken the time. She's prepared her heart. She's prepared her voice.

She's ready for whatever critique may come her way doesn't necessarily the mean the nerves aren't there. But she has a level of confidence that she didn't have. When she first started, you know, whenever we faced opposition or face oppression or face any type of trial in our life we know that there's going to be times where It's a little fearful and there's times where that fear can begin to sink in and cause debilitation.

But when Shadrach Meshach and Abednego facing that fear knowing that the furnace had been heated up seven times hotter. Knowing that whatever they had faced and whatever they had gone through they knew where their confidence lied.

They knew that they weren't going to have to face this alone. They knew that God was able and that God was willing and that if he was if it was part of his will and part Of his plan they were going to come out of that furnace, but they were willing to be thrown into it.

Even if.

They didn't come out. Their confidence did not waver their faith did not waver. Instead of looking at the fire and saying God I can't do this is just too much pressure. God. I'm willing to go through that if you so will it God.

I'm willing to go through that fire in your name because I know God you will be there with us and even if not. Even if I get burned up on the other side of glory God, I know we're going to be there with you.

So they didn't fear those trials those trials caused them to be actually become stronger in the Lord. Instead of looking at that fire. They looked at God and saying God I know that you can give me strength God that you are there with me that God you are there to fight with me to Fight for me.

You see the fire didn't burn them up. In fact, it actually freed them. If there was one part of the scripture that you didn't catch there was actually one thing that did burn up in the fire and it was the ropes that had the mound and You see whenever you go through that fire only the ropes that were tied that in their hands that were burned.

The enemy knows God's power. And what the enemy wants to do more than anything when we're facing opposition is he wants to keep us bound. He wants to keep us silent. He knows that if he can get our eyes focused on the opposition and cause us to be silenced.

We know that that's something that he's achieving and working to do in our life. But we must choose that in Opposition what is the thing that we must do when facing opposition is we must remain having a heart of worship.

Making sure that our heart is one to where we're focusing on God that we're worshiping him that we're speaking truth that we're speaking his name. That even though that the tactic of the storm of the fire of the opposition is to get us to be silenced.