HE IS ABLE

In the book of Daniel we read a beautiful story, this story is not only beautiful because it tells about three faithful men of God, but it also tells about the faithfulness of God. As we take a look at this story I want you to notice several points of interest to us as Christians:

1^st.    I want you to notice these men stood firm for God.

2^nd.   God was faithful to them.

3^rd.    Because of their faithfulness to God, He was exalted.

4^th.    We see God rewards faithful saints both in our physical life and our spiritual life.

Now our story begins in chapter three of Daniel with King Nebuchadnezzar making a decree that at the sound of music everyone in his kingdom was to fall down and worship a golden image and anyone found not bowing down and worshiping the golden image would be cast into the fiery furnace. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were three young Jewish leaders that was taken into captivity by the king and given good positions over the affairs of the Babylonia Province, but these men loved their God more then their positions, and worshiped not this image. When the king heard about this he had the men brought before him and questioned. In verse 17 of chapter three we read about their answer to the king. In verse 16 they said – “O KING NEBUCHADNEZZAR WE DO NOT NEED TO GIVE YOU AN ANSWER CONCERNING THIS, BUT THEY DID. 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 has set us.”

Praise God, it sounds to me like these men meant business with God. I believe they knew this world was not their home, and that they were only passing through. If only we as Gods children could learn that, God could do a mighty work in us and through us.

Now continuing with the story in verse 22 we see what takes place “therefore because the kings commandant was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.” This furnace is so hot it killed the men who threw them in. Friends it does not pay to stand against a Holy God. Verse 23 says “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 spoke and said unto his counselors, 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.

Praise God for faithful men. The dictionary says faithful, is loyal or reliable. What about you friend, are you faithful to God? Are you loyal to him, or to the world, do you stand when you are persecuted for God. Can God rely on you to stand for Him? These traits of faithfulness need to be apart of every Christian life if they are to be used of God. God cannot use Christians who are not reliable. When your friends laugh at you for living for God are you standing firm? If we expect God to bless our lives we need to be faithful to him. When I first moved to the Philippines I lived in Manila. When traveling I took a jeepny quit often. Most of these jeepneys have signs in them that said. “Lord bless our way.” As we journeyed on down the road I notice they drove on the wrong side of the highway, cutting in front of other drivers, play rock music so loud one could not hear and display their little statue next to a beer can, then they would say Lord! Bless our way. Friends these people need to wake up. Should they really expect God to bless their way? When it is opposite to His way. They are not even going in the same direction as God, why should He bless their way. They live in the world; they seek their enjoyment from the things of this world, not God. God says to go to church and worship Him on Sunday. Honor the Sabbath and keep it holy. On Sunday they are not worshiping God, they are still on the road doing the same things on Sunday they do everyday of the week.

Friends can it be said of you that you are faithful and in God’s house on Sunday. Can it be said that you are faithful through the reading of God’s Word as He command us. Can it be said of you that you would stand for God at all cost, or is your life govern by the way the world goes. If you were to go on trial for being a Christian would you be found guilty? Have you ever been accused of being a religious nut? Are you living a separated life from the world and unto God? Is there any thing between you and God? Dear friend we need to live our lives like these three men if we are to be blessed by Him. We need to say we will serve God at all cost. Let us live our lives for God, lets stand against sin and unrighteous living. It is time we start standing against sin in our country like these three men did. We need to say drinking, smoking, drugs, running around with women is wrong. Dear friend you need to stand up and be counted for Christ.           In the book of Luke, a rich man asked Jesus what he must do to be saved. Jesus said you know what the commandments say He said “all these have I kept from my youth up.” Jesus knew this man’s heart; He knew what was between Him and this man. Jesus said, “Yet lackest thou one thing sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasures in heaven come and follow me.” Friends the Bible said, that this man become very sorrowful; for he was very rich He becomes sorry because his God was money. He had money between him and God. All he had to do was say I don’t need this money My God is able to supply all my needs according to his riches in Glory. Friends God would have bless this mans faithfulness just like he did, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

People could have seen in his life the same thing Nebuchadnezzar seen in the furnace. King Nebuchadnezzar said “Lo, I see four men loose.” And the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” Yes friends God is faithful if we are faithful.

The Jews were faithful in prayer and God delivered them out of Egypt, Joshua was faithful in following God, and God gave him victory overall his enemy and the promise land was theirs. Daniel was faithful and God delivered him from the hungry lions. David stood for God when he told Goliath. “Thou comest to me with a sword and with a spear, and with a shield; but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of host, whom thou hast defied.” This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the car cases of the host of the Philistines this day unto fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Yes friend David never thought about him being a young man and Goliath being a giant, which was more than nine feet tall. All he could think about is Goliath defiling the name of God. David stood for God and God blessed David’s life. He went on to become the king of Israel. God does not always bless us physically but he always blesses. You must be always willing to stand for God at all cost.

I heard a story about when North Korea fell to the communists, all the Christians in a small village were ordered to go at once to their church. The building was plain and the wall. When the soldiers walked in, they took it down and put it on the floor. All who did not want to be shot had to come forward and spit on the picture. The first four people did and were set free. Next came a young girl, she bent down and wiped the spittle from the picture. Then she embraced it tenderly and said, “Jesus, I love you!” She was taken outside and the sound of shots was heard.

The issue for that girl was not the desecration of a sacred object; it was love for the person it represented. To her, spitting on Jesus picture was the same as denying Him. We may never have to make that kind of decision.

Yet we have other choices where the issue is the same saying no to sin, going the extra mile to help a brother, helping the poor and oppressed, and telling people about our Savior Jesus Christ. These are choices you must make eve day of your life. Are you telling your friends and neighbors about the Savior? Are you like David and willing to say I come to you in the name of the Lord.

Friends if the next two points are ever to become a reality, then you must stand for Christ. If you want your friends and love one saved, you must be willing to say, “ Our God is able but if not I will still serve Him.” Friends, though the faithfulness of three men God was exalted. In verse 28 “Nebuchadnezzar spake; and said “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednedo, who hath sent his angel and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the Kings word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, expect their own God. There fore I make a decree, that every people, nation, and language which speak anything 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. Friends when you stand for God, He is exalted. Because of the stand these three men a mighty king and his people come to know about this great God. Friends, eyes are looking at you, do you want people to know your God? Do you want your loved ones to come to Christ? Then you must forsake the world at all cost and let everyone see whom you live for. I wrote to America last week to someone who was concern for a love one who did not know Christ. I told her if she ever wanted to see that love one saved, she must let Christ be seen in her. She needs to have something in her life that would make him want to be like her. Friends if you live your life for Jesus people will know it; if you don’t your life will show it.

Now looking at verse 30 we see God will bless you if you are faithful. “ Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, And Abednego, in the province of Babylon. Yes friends if you are faithful God will be, faithful and bless your life. Your life here on earth will be far greater if you give it totally to God. If you are listening today and never given your life to Christ do it today. Dear friend he is able to deliver you from the bonds of sin if you only will be faithful and repent, turn from those sins and put your trust in Christ to save your soul. He says who so ever shall call on the Lord shall be saved. Won’t you please call on this all-powerful God today? Dear friends, if you are already saved I want to thank God for you. But if you have searched your heart today and found out you have not been faithful to God than ask to forgive and strengthen you so your life will be seen like, king David; who said “I come to you in the name of the Lord.” Or maybe Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego – who said “He is able, but if not “If your life is not like either of these then maybe it will be like the little girl who said “Jesus I love You”. Friends come to Christ today and He will deliver you from sin as He delivered Moses from Pharaoh.