What is the Church? A Body That Can Take the Heat

Pastor: 
Rev Jon Brohn
Date: 
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Sermon Text: 

(Daniel 3:16-28) 16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."

 19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual 20 and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. 21 So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. 22 The king's command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, 23 and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.

 24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, "Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?"
      They replied, "Certainly, O king."

 25 He said, "Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods."

 26 Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!"
      So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, 27 and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.

 28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, "Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king's command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.

My dear friends in Christ,

What is the Church? About six weeks ago we began with our Fall Building Project—the church is built on Jesus as its foundation. Then we learned that the church is the Body of Christ, and that members of the Body serve each other in love. The Body is nourished by Christ. It holds on to the truth. On Mission Festival Sunday we heard that it reaches out with the gospel. Pastor Birkholz reminded us that the body cares for others, and it walks together with others who teach and believe the same things. Today, we’re going to see that the Church is a body that can take the heat.
In 586 B.C., the city of Jerusalem fell under the control of Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian empire. Thousands of people were captured and deported to Babylon. Among them were three men of royal blood. They were given Babylonian names—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Along with a man named Daniel, they rose to prominence in the empire. King Nebuchadnezzar held them in high regard, and assigned them to govern different provinces of the empire.
Nebuchadnezzar was a powerful warrior and ruler. He was also very proud. He commissioned an image of gold, 90 feet high (about 20 feet taller than our sanctuary roof). Once it had been built, he summoned all of the officials of the empire to come for the dedication. He planned to use this occasion to further cement the different nationalities under his rule. He gave them all a simple command: "As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace" (Daniel 3:5-6).
Immediately, every one of those rulers fell down and worshiped the image. All, that is, but three. Some of Nebuchadnezzar’s advisors saw that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow down to the image. So, they informed the king of the three men’s disobedience. Nebuchadnezzar was furious. How could these three men, whom he had shown so much favor, disobey such a simple command? He offered them a second chance to bow down and worship when the music played. Then he said, “But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?" (Daniel 3:15).These three young men faced a serious decision. If they didn’t bow down, they would lose their lives. If they did, they would have to deny their faith in the LORD. There was no question in their minds. They answered, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king" (Daniel 3:16-17).
Notice their respect for the king they served. They didn’t complain that their rights were being violated, or that they didn’t deserve such a fate. They still addressed him with honor and respect as the king the Lord had placed over them.
Did you hear their words of trust? They were ready to take the heat. They must have remembered the words Isaiah had recorded about 200 years earlier: "But now, this is what the Lord says— he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior’" (Isaiah 43:1-3). They trusted that the LORD God of heaven and earth would take care of them!
Their trust in God was amazing, but their final words to Nebuchadnezzar are astounding. "But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up" (Daniel 3:18). Their trust in God would not be shaken if God did not perform some kind of miracle. They were confident that God would do what was best for them!
Can we take the heat? Students in the classroom face it. Should I write my paper to get a good grade from the professor, or do I write what I believe and fail the course? Expectant parents face the heat. The doctor announces that the ultrasound has shown the possibility of serious birth defects. Do they want the child or not? We face the heat when we meet others. We begin a conversation at the traveling team game with another parent. The parent makes a critical comment about Christians. Do we nod and agree silently, or do we admit we’re a Christian and pursue the subject?
How do we take the heat? The apostle Paul offers some questions for us to ponder. "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ" (Galatians 1:10). Whom is it more important to please? The people putting pressure on me to make the wrong choice, or God? Who is stronger? Who is greater? Paul gives us faith’s answer in 2 Timothy 1:12, “Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day." (2 Timothy 1:12). God loved us and sent his Son to take away all our sins, including the times we’ve been afraid and haven’t taken the heat for Jesus. The church is a body that can take the heat because we trust God to forgive and take care of us!
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were pretty confident. Would God come through? Let’s go back to our story. When Nebuchadnezzar heard their answer, he lost control. He demanded that the furnace be heated 7 times hotter than usual. He commanded his strongest, most faithful soldiers to tie up the three men and throw them into the blazing furnace. The soldiers knew better than to disobey the king’s command. They did what he said, and paid for it with their own lives.
Nebuchadnezzar sat back at a safe distance to make sure his orders were carried out, and to see the reaction of all the other leaders as he made an example of the three men. To his amazement, the three men didn’t turn into charcoal and ash. He saw them walking around without the ropes that had bound them, and a fourth man who looked “like a son of the gods” (Daniel 3:25). Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were safe in the middle of a fiery furnace.
Nebuchadnezzar shouted, “‘Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!’ So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them" (Daniel 3:26-27).
The LORD had rescued them in a miraculous way. The fire, blazing so intensely that it was impossible to approach the doorway safely, didn’t touch them. God kept his promise in Psalm 34:7, "The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them."
God still promises to watch over and save us today. I think of a story my sister-in-law shared with me a few weeks ago. Pauline Jacobi, a 92 year old believer, spends time each day reading her Bible. She had gone to Wal-Mart to pick up some groceries. After she loaded them in the back seat of the car, she got in and closed the door. Suddenly, a man opened the passenger side, jumped inside, pointed a gun at her and said, “Give me your money!” Pauline said, “No, I won’t give you my money.” She told him three times that she wouldn’t give it to him. He threatened her again with the gun and she told him, “As soon as you shoot me, I’ll go straight to heaven, and you’ll go straight to hell.” She told him that Jesus was always with her, and he was in the car with her right now. She continued to witness, telling him he needed to repent and believe that Jesus would forgive his sins. The robber told her that he needed to go home and pray tonight. She told him, “You don’t need to wait until tonight. You can pray to him anytime, anywhere.” To her surprise, the would-be robber began to cry. She gave him all the money she had—$10. She told him, “Don’t you go spending that on whiskey.” The robber leaned over, gave her a kiss, and then got out of the car and walked away.
Pauline didn’t need martial arts training, or a can of pepper spray. She simply trusted, just like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that the Lord would help her take the heat, and he did. Pauline could say with the apostle Paul, "He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us" (2 Corinthians 1:10). By faith in our Savior, Jesus, we can say the same.
God will help his people take the heat. Stand strong in the Word, his Truth. Don’t be afraid of someone who might hurt our bodies or lives. They can’t touch the eternal life that God has prepared for everyone who trusts in him! Amen.