Lessons From The Furnace Pastor Timothy Hinkle September 1, 2013

Lessons From The Lessons From The FurnaceFurnace

Pastor Timothy Hinkle Pastor Timothy Hinkle

September 1, 2013September 1, 2013

Daniel 3:14-18Daniel 3:14-18

14 Nebuchadnezzar spoke, 14 Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, “saying to them, “Is itIs it true, true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, Nego, thatthat you do not serve my you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image gods or worship the gold image which I have set up? 15 Now if which I have set up? 15 Now if you are ready at the time you you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, harp, lyre, andand psaltery, psaltery,


in symphony with all kinds of in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have worship the image which I have made, made, good!good! But if you do not But if you do not worship, you shall be cast worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who burning fiery furnace. And who isis the god who will deliver you from the god who will deliver you from my hands?” my hands?”


16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. need to answer you in this matter. 17 If that 17 If that isis the case,the case, our God whom our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver deliver usus from your hand, from your hand,


O king. 18 But if not, let it be O king. 18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which worship the gold image which you have set up.”you have set up.”

Who Who youyou worshipworship really really mattersmatters

This is a primary concern to the This is a primary concern to the God who loves us and responds God who loves us and responds to our worship. to our worship.

Exodus 20:3 Exodus 20:3 3 “You shall have no other gods 3 “You shall have no other gods

before Me. before Me.

Who Who youyou worshipworship really really mattersmatters

Deuteronomy 4:24 Deuteronomy 4:24 24 For the LORD your God 24 For the LORD your God isis a a

consuming fire, a jealous God. consuming fire, a jealous God.

John 4:24 John 4:24 24 God 24 God isis Spirit, and those who worship Spirit, and those who worship

Him must worship in spirit and truth.”Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

The furnace, which looked The furnace, which looked like the end of life, can turn like the end of life, can turn out to be the place where out to be the place where you you meetmeet God. God. Psalm 11:5 Psalm 11:5

5 The LORD 5 The LORD teststests the the righteous, But the wicked and righteous, But the wicked and the one who loves violence His the one who loves violence His soul hates.soul hates.

God sometimes decides to God sometimes decides to deliver deliver inin the furnace, not the furnace, not fromfrom it. Jesus said to Daniel it. Jesus said to Daniel and his friends what he and his friends what he says to people still, says to people still, " I'll " I'll meet you meet you inin the furnace.” the furnace.”

It’s NOT all about It’s NOT all about YOU! YOU!

John 9:1-3 John 9:1-3

1 Now as 1 Now as JesusJesus passed by, passed by, He saw a man who was blind He saw a man who was blind from birth. 2 And His disciples from birth. 2 And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born parents, that he was born blind?”blind?”

3 Jesus answered, 3 Jesus answered, “Neither “Neither this man nor his parents this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in God should be revealed in him.” him.”


26 Then Nebuchadnezzar went 26 Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace fiery furnace andand spoke, saying, spoke, saying, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High Nego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come God, come out, and come here.here.” ” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire. of the fire.


27 And the satraps, 27 And the satraps, administrators, governors, and administrators, governors, and the king’s counselors gathered the king’s counselors gathered together, and they saw these men together, and they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them. of fire was not on them.


28 Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, 28 Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except not serve nor worship any god except their own God! their own God!

GoingGoing into into the furnace can the furnace can turn out to be the greatest turn out to be the greatest event of your life, becauseevent of your life, because GodGod was there. was there.

When you think of the Hebrew When you think of the Hebrew children, what do you think of? children, what do you think of?

Of course, you think of THIS Of course, you think of THIS story—the GREATEST EVENT story—the GREATEST EVENT OF THEIR LIVES!OF THEIR LIVES!

God calls us to a God calls us to a dangerousdangerous life, as he did Shadrach, life, as he did Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, Meshach, and Abednego, because He has something because He has something betterbetter for us. for us.

Jeremiah 29:11 Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.a future and a hope.

We should We should stopstop asking for a asking for a more more pleasantpleasant life and life and instead ask God to give us instead ask God to give us the opportunity to the opportunity to xperience xperience God’s BestGod’s Best for our life. for our life.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. He shall direct your paths.

We should We should stopstop asking for a asking for a more more pleasantpleasant life and instead ask God to life and instead ask God to give us the give us the opportunity to experience opportunity to experience God’s BestGod’s Best for our life. for our life. 1 Thessalonians 5:17-19 1 Thessalonians 5:17-19 Pray

without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit.

ConclusionsConclusions

1.1. God wants to meet us IN God wants to meet us IN the furnace! the furnace!

2.2. We grow in the difficult We grow in the difficult times in ways that we times in ways that we cannot grow when things cannot grow when things are easier.are easier.

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Lessons From The Furnace Pastor Timothy Hinkle September 1, 2013