Daniel - Trial By Fire (notes)

Daniel - Trial By Fire

Daniel

• Is known as one of the most amazing books in the Word of God.
• Has some amazing stories of faith and courage and confidence.
• Mentions Daniel and three of his friends as men of faith who did not compromise.

The King

• Sets up a 90 foot tall image in the province of Babylon. He orders all important leaders in the province, everybody who was anybody, to the dedication ceremony of the statue. When the band strikes it up - fall to your knees and worship the gold statue
• Whoever does not will be cast into the furnace.

Not Everyone

• Obeyed the king’s order. Three young men. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did not obey. They stood when everyone else bowed down to the statue.
• They stood strong in faith.

Courage Demonstrated

Daniel 3:16-18 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar, "Your threat means nothing to us. If you throw us in the fire, the God we serve can rescue us from your roaring furnace and anything else you might cook up, O king. But even if He doesn't, it wouldn't make a bit of difference, O king. We still wouldn't serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up."

Revelation

Trials come and go but people who stand in the midst of trial are the ones who will shine in the darkness.

Trial Lessons

• Trials come to those who believe in Jesus.
• Trials will either make us bitter or better.
• Trials can be the best thing that ever happened to us or the worst.
• Trials are for purification.
• Trials can be part of our transformation.

James 1

Profiting from Trials

2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

NKJV

2 My friends, consider yourselves fortunate when all kinds of trials come your way, 3 for you know that when your faith succeeds in facing such trials, the result is the ability to endure. 4 Make sure that your endurance carries you all the way without failing, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

GNT

2-4 Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.

The Message

Application

Tests will come.

They have a purpose!

Let them run their course.

Don’t give in to the temptation to bolt but stand like the three did.

Daniel 3:24-28

24 Suddenly King Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in alarm and said, "Didn't we throw three men, bound hand and foot, into the fire?" "That's right, O king," they said. 25 "But look!" he said. "I see four men, walking around freely in the fire, completely unharmed! And the fourth man looks like a son of the gods!" 26 Nebuchadnezzar went to the door of the roaring furnace and called in, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the High God, come out here!" Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego walked out of the fire. 27 All the important people, the government leaders and king's counselors, gathered around to examine them and discovered that the fire hadn't so much as touched the three men not a hair singed, not a scorch mark on their clothes, not even the smell of fire on them!

28 Nebuchadnezzar said, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel and rescued his servants who trusted in him! They ignored the king's orders and laid their bodies on the line rather than serve or worship any god but their own.

Daniel 3:29

Daniel saw the deterioration of human civilization. Nebs kingdom was gold while the succeeding kingdoms were increasingly inferior. Silver, brass, iron and finally clay. The world will become

29 "Therefore I issue this decree: Anyone anywhere, of any race, color, or creed, who says anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego will be ripped to pieces, limb from limb, and their houses torn down. There has never been a god who can pull off a rescue like this."

God honors those who stand in the midst of a test of their faith with promotion.

Let’s Learn

From this ancient event in the history of Israel and learn that trials of fire are designed to bring us to a place of total dependence on God.

• Fire burns off impurities.
• Fire changes the nature of the element that is burned.
• Fire transforms.