Fellowship In The Fire

                                                                           

Scripture Reading:                                                                                                          Daniel 3: 1-30 (King James Version) Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages, That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up: And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of musick, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused the Jews. They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever. Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, shall fall down and worship the golden image: And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.  If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.  But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated. And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flames of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire. And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them. Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God. Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort. Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon. My text for today is Verse 25.   I will be speaking on the subject Fellowship in the Fire. We have here the story of 3 Hebrew men who refused to worship anyone else or anything else...other than the true God of Heaven... 3 men who remained upright among a bending and compromising people.   A trap was set for these 3 loyal Hebrews who loved their god and kept his commandments.  This king and his cord were in effect saying, "let's see the godly people suffer and see how much faith they really have." There is nothing the devil and the world like better than to back a Christian...a true man or woman of God into a corner and hammer and challenge their faith and dedication to God.   They tried these 3 Hebrews and they will try you and I. But, praise God we serve a God  that has ways of opening doors in blank walls  and making a way of escape where there is no way.   There is no doubt that our God is able to deliver us.   He can - and He will deliver us from trials, temptations, troubles, afflictions, hard places.   These 3 Hebrew men boldly declared the ability and power of their God.  They said, "if He does not ....they will still not bow down to any other Gods."   And... into the fiery furnace they went....their dream of deliverance seemingly unfulfilled. Have you ever desperately trusted God for deliverance "from" a certain trial or hard place?  Instead of God delivering you from it, did He go "through it" with you?  Perhaps many times God sees the need of introducing us to the Fellowship of the Fire.     "I see 4 in the fire, one is like the Son of God." God is able to deliver us through the fire!  Too often we limit God deliverance.....to just deliverance "from" the fire.  We prefer to have faith for escape rather than faith to endure.  But, these 3 Hebrews found out that when the fire became their lot - they were not without the Lords fellowship.  They were not without His freedom.  They were loose....walking in the fire.  Many times God receives greater glory and honor and we get greater good by being delivered from the fire rather than out of it. God is able to protect us by the fire!   Through the flames God brought these 3 Hebrews to a place where they were beyond the reach of their enemies.  The very flames that consumed the kings men that threw them in the fires, formed a protecting wall around the 3 Hebrews.  God can use our troubles and hard places as a barrier from the enemy to place us beyond reach. God is able to liberate us even in the fire!   In the midst of a world that is constantly mouthing "FREEDOM", it is wonderful to realize that God's people have liberty and freedom even in the furnace of trails and troubles. Walking in Fellowship with The Son of God.... they found liberty from bondage.  (loose) they found liberty from pain (no hurt) they found liberty from fear (the Son of God with them). God is able to cleanse and purify us through the fire!   When the 3 Hebrews came out of the furnace there was no smell of smoke on them.  Too often we come out of a fiery trial bearing the smell of smoke.  Our lives and experiences leave us smelling with the smoke of bitterness, questioning and complaining.  But, we can come through without a singe - without the smell of smoke.  We can and should come through our trials praising God for what He brought us through.                                             God is able to convince with the fire! The fire did not touch the 3 Hebrews but, let me tell you, it touched the onlookers!   None would have seemed harder to reach for God than King Nebuchadnezzar, but just listen to Him after he witnesses the Fellowship of the Fire that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego experienced.  He was convinced by the fire!  He said, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshack and Abendego....  There is no other God who can deliver after their sort." So, the result of the fiery furnace was not three believers less but one believe more. When the world sees faith that will not diminish when troubles and hard places come, they are convinced that truly there is a God that is able to deliver.  Praise God! He may very well deliver you from the furnace but remember this Child of God......if He doesn't, He will Fellowship with you in the furnace.  He has promised "Lo, I am with you always".  With His Fellowship will come freedom that only He can give.   If the Son of Man set you free, you are free indeed!