An Even If

1
Faith in the Wow
(Daniel 31-3) King Nebuchadnezzar made an image
of gold, ninety feet high and nine feet wide, and
set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of
Babylon
Dare

• An Even If

to
be
a
Faith
Daniel
The Point Look here and be amazed!
2
Faith in the Wow
He

• (Daniel 31-3) He then summoned the satraps,
  prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers,
  judges, magistrates and all the other provincial
  officials to come to the dedication of the image
  he had set up

summoned
(Daniel 31-3)
The Point Look here and be amazed!

3
Faith in the Wow

• (Daniel 31-3) So they assembled for the
  dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar
  had set up, and they stood before it.

(Daniel 31-3)
they
stood
The Point Look here and be amazed!
He summonedthey stood
4
Faith in the Wow

• There is a basic assumption in our Culture of
  Entertainment that unless something wows us, it
  is not worth believing in. But
• Faith that is based only on the Fantastic becomes
  easily disillusioned by Trials.

The Point Look here and be amazed!
He summonedthey stood
5
Faith in the Wow

• (Psalms 1068-14) God saved them for His name's
  sake, to make His mighty power known. He rebuked
  the Red Sea, and it dried up He led them through
  the depths as through a desert. Then they
  believed His promises and sang His praise

6
Faith in the Wow

• (Psalms 1068-14) But they soon forgot what He
  had done and did not wait for His counsel. In
  the desert they gave in to their craving in the
  wasteland they put God to the test.

7
Faith in the Wow

• (Luke 813) Those on the rock are the ones who
  receive the Word of God with joy when they hear
  it, but they have no root. They believe for a
  while, but in the time of testing they fall away.

8
Faith in the Wow
the
Wow
Faith
in

• Get away from a Faith
• based on the Wow
• and turn to a Faith
• based on the Word

Furnace
at
9
Faith at the Furnace

• (Daniel 38-13) At this time some astrologers
  came forward and denounced the Jews

Faith at the Furnace
10
Faith at the Furnace

• (Daniel 38-13) They said to King
  Nebuchadnezzar, "O king, live forever! You have
  issued a decree, O king, that everyone who hears
  the sound ofall kinds of music must fall down
  and worship the image of gold

11
Faith at the Furnace

• (Daniel 38-13) and that whoever does not fall
  down and worship will be thrown into a blazing
  furnace

The Point Conform! Or face the heat!
12
Faith at the Furnace

• (Daniel 38-13) But there are some Jews whom
  you have set over the affairs of the province of
  Babylon--Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego--who pay
  no attention to you, O king

there are some
(Daniel 38-13)
who pay no attention
The Point Conform! Or face the heat!

13
Faith at the Furnace

• (Daniel 38-13) They neither serve your gods
  nor worship the image of gold you have set up."

The Point Conform! Or face the heat!
there are somewho pay no attention
14
Faith at the Furnace

• (Daniel 38-13) Furious with rage,
  Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and
  Abednego. So these men were brought before the
  king.

The Point Conform! Or face the heat!
there are somewho pay no attention
15
Faith at the Furnace

• There is an expectation in our Culture of
  Popularity to conform or face rejection, and that
  faith in the face of fire must somehow be
  foolish. But
• Faith that relies on popular opinion is weak
  tasteless in the sight of God.

The Point Conform! Or face the heat!
there are somewho pay no attention
16
Faith at the Furnace

• (Revelation 315-16) I know your deeds, that you
  are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either
  one or the other! So, because you are
  lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to
  spit you out of My mouth.

17
Faith at the Furnace

• (Zephaniah 112) At that time I will search
  Jerusalem with lamps and punish those who are
  complacent, who are like wine left on its dregs,
  who think, 'The LORD will do nothing, either good
  or bad.'

18
Faith at the Furnace
Faith
at the Furnace

• Get away from a Faith thats afraid of the Fire
• and turn to a Faith that is Fired by God

Even If
19
Faith Even If

• (Daniel 316-18) Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
  replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not
  need to defend ourselves before you in this
  matter

Faith Even If
20
Faith Even If

• (Daniel 316-30) 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 316-19)
we
God
serve
will

The Point Trust God, no matter what!
21
Faith Even If

• (Daniel 316-18) 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."

even if
The Point Trust God, no matter what!
we perish
we will serve God
22
Faith Even If

• There is a presumption in the Culture of Rights
  and Fairness that True Faith
• must produce Absolute Protection but
• the essence of True Faith is when we let God be
  God.

The Point Trust God, no matter what!
we perish
we will serve Godeven if
23
Faith Even If

• (Daniel 3 19 -30) Nebuchadnezzar was furious
  with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his
  attitude toward them changed

24
Faith Even If

• (Daniel 3 19 -30) He ordered the furnace heated
  seven times hotter than usual and commanded some
  of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up
  Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them
  into the blazing furnace

25
Faith Even If

• (Daniel 3 19 -30) 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, and these three
  men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace...

26
Faith Even If

• (Daniel 3 19 -30) Then King Nebuchadnezzar
  leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his
  advisers

27
Faith Even If

• (Daniel 3 19 -30) "Weren't there three men that
  we tied up and threw into the fire?"

28
Faith Even If

• (Daniel 3 19 -30) They replied, "Certainly, O
  king." 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."

29
Faith Even If

• (Daniel 3 19 -30) 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!"

30
Faith Even If

• (Daniel 3 19 -30) So Shadrach, Meshach and
  Abednego came out of the fire, and the satraps,
  prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded
  around them

31
Faith Even If

• (Daniel 3 19 -30) 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

32
Faith Even If

• (Daniel 3 19 -30) Then Nebuchadnezzar said,
  "Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and
  Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued His
  servants!...

33
Faith Even If

• (Daniel 3 19 -30) 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

34
Faith Even If

• (Daniel 3 19 -30) Therefore I decree that the
  people of any nation or language who say anything
  against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
  be cut into pieces and their houses be turned
  into piles of rubble, for no other god can save
  in this way."

35
Faith Even If

• (Daniel 3 19 -30) Then the king promoted
  Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of
  Babylon.

36
Faith Even If

• Get away from a Faith that views God as a Vending
  Machine
• and turn to a Faith that simply says, God, I
  trust Youno matter what.