“Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, ‘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.  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.’”

A child draws a line on the ground and dares another child to cross the line and he does.  So he draws another line in the sand, giving the other child another chance not to cross the line and this time saying, “I really mean it,” but the other child crosses the line.  He draws a third line in the sand and reiterates if you cross this line you will be sorry.

Adam and Ashley were telling us a story about a mother whose daughter was not behaving on the plane and the mother said, ‘If you don’t behave you are going to get a swat.’

Think about it, what was the mother doing?  She's drawing a line in the sand. She basically said, “I dare you to cross that line.”

Guess what, the child crossed that line.  Did the mother administer the consequences?  Nope!  She drew another line in the sand with the same promise.  Did the girl listen and behave?  Nope!

Have you ever played this game with God?

Absolutely. The truth is we have all played this game with God.   Maybe not at first, but when we experience one trial after another, after another and our life begins to reflect the life of Job, we say, “OK God, enough is enough.”

Then we begin to negotiate with God.  If that doesn’t work we will try to seek a compromise.

When you pray do you put yourself at God’s mercy OR do you put God at your demand?

Are you willing to take a stand for God whether it results in deliverance or not? Are you willing to take a stand even if it is going to cost you...

Are you willing to lay down your life, for God?

At one point you have to admire Nebuchadnezzar because he built the statue hoping to unite the nation and solidify his power by centralizing worship. However, what we worship makes a world of difference.  Nebuchadnezzar’s edict to bow before the ninety foot gold statue revealed that he neither feared nor obeyed God.

Nebuchadnezzar drew the line in the sand.  Everyone bow to this statue or be thrown into a fiery furnace.  We are not talking some out of control backyard barbeque size fire.  This was no doubt an industrial size oven, most likely used for the baking of brick.  The fire ranging inside was shooting through the top. The fire was so hot that some of the laborers fueling the fire became fuel for the fire.

With this fire clearly in view Shadrach, Mishach and Abednego refused to bow down.

WHY, why did the three men NOT worship the statue?

They could have bowed down and confessed their sins to God later on.  They could have just gone through the motions, bowing down without truly meaning it.  But then you would have to question how much their faith in God meant to them, if they were willing to go along with the crowd.  If they were not willing to take a stand for what they believed you would have to wonder if they were just going through the motions with God.  They took a stand because they knew their destiny was in God’s hands, not in Nebuchadnezzar’s hands.

They refused to bow down or worship another god because they had faith in their God who said, “You shall have no other gods before You.  You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.  You shall not bow down to them or worship them…”

They would not break God’s law because they loved the God who gave them that law.  Breaking God’s law would be breaking God’s heart.  They would rather be led away to be executed before they would do such a thing.

Is this what you would do, given the same set of circumstances?  Would you stand up for God if it meant being condemned?  What if it meant losing your job?  Being ridiculed?  Not making a sports team?

Do you trust God enough to take a stand?  Do you love God enough to make a sacrifice for God?  Where do you draw the line?  Where do you say to God, enough is enough?  Where you throw up in God’s face all the things you have done, all the money you have given to the church, all the time you have spent serving the church, and therefore deserve better from God?

When do we say,

Are you willing to march into hell for a heavenly cause?  Are you ready to take a stand for God no matter what?

They took a stand not knowing if they would be delivered from the fire.  All they knew is that they would not fall down and worship an idol.

What would it take for you to take a stand like Shadrach, Mishach and Abednego?  What would it take for you to take a stand like Jesus did, who died on the cross for you?

Are you willing to be true to God no matter what, no matter how difficult the pressure or punishment?

Are you willing to love God more than you need answers, more than you need relief, more than you need miracles?  It is hard work to quiet all your wants and just want God.

I believe the ultimate expression of faith is found in the words, BUT IF NOT. They reveal your willingness to stand firm in your faith in God regardless of the consequences.  God’s protection transcends anything we could imagine. God’s power that was available to Shadrach, Mishach and Abednego is the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead, is the same power God offers to you and me.