We can have many different attitudes in life, but I want us to look at two opposite attitudes.
As Christians, we must be on guard against these two attitudes.
These two attitudes are complacency and despair.
Complacency works in different directions.
There are Christians who are complacent about the world.
You could talk to them about the chaotic world in which we live, but they are not concerned.
In fact, they might even say to us, "Stop looking at the bad side, just look on the bright side."
There are Christians who are complacent about the church.
They see no need for the church to repent of their sins.
They see no need for revival.
They would say that the church is holding its own, and we should feel good about that.
Their attitude is just to be "at ease in Zion".
Also there are Christians who are complacent about themselves.
Their attitude is, "I don't claim to be a saint, but at least I'm making a satisfactory show of it.
I reckon I am adequate to meet most of the demands that life can make upon me."
Let us look at three dimensions of a complacent Christian.
The complacent Christian does not see that the church desperately needs a baptism of fire
and the power of the Holy Spirit.
The complacent Christian does not see that his walk with Christ has barely begun
its journey towards "the measure of the stature of the fullest of Christ."
There is another terrible attitude, and that opposite attitude is despair.
Despair works in various directions.
And there are Christians who despair about the world.
They do not see how they can make any difference in the world with all the injustice,
crime, drugs, and a whole range of sins in the world.
Then, there are Christians who despair of the church.
They'll tell you frankly that they do not see how anything as divided as the church is going to make it.
They do not see how such a gigantic credibility gap between practice and profession
can enable the church to be the church that Christ needs it to be in this sinful world.
The question might be, "Son of man, can these bones live?"
Then, there are Christians who despair about themselves.
They would say, "It is understandable for Paul and John to talk about overcoming the world,
and being more than conquerors; but I am not like that.
I am tired of trying.
It's not worth the effort and the heartache, so I just quit trying."
We see this twofold back ground of complacency and despair in the days of Daniel.
That experience is just as evident today as it was in Daniel.
The three factors are Nebuchadnezzar, the image, and the furnace.
These factors are all contemporary.
First, look at Nebuchadnezzar.
He has the spirit of a militant materialistic, secularism who is glorying in its success
all over the world.
Then, there is the image to be worshiped.
We also have this in the subtle way in which secularism can disguise itself as a religion.
They offer the most alluring, incredible gifts, and something to fill the spiritual vacuum
in their lives.
Then, there is the burning fiery furnace.
We also have that in the ultimate threat to all who refuse to conform to the spirit of the age.
Conform or be destroyed.
Look now at the three friends of Daniel
They are Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
These three friends are caught in a tragic situation as they stand condemned
before Nebuchadnezzar, the image and the furnace.
Let us notice two things about them.
First, whatever else they were, they were certainly not complacent.
They had no illusions about the world, the church, or themselves.
They had no illusions about the world.
They knew that the world in which they live was focused around Nebuchadnezzar.
They also knew that there was something demonic about that.
And they recognized his power, and his genius.
But the price they were to pay was the enslaving of their conscience, their freedom of thought,
speech, and action -- all these would be gone.
Nebuchadnezzar was a man wanting to be a god, and in attempting to do so,
he was a demonic, evil man.
They had no illusions about Nebuchadnezzar or about the world he represented.
They had no illusions about the church.
The church in this case was considered to be the people of Israel.
Israel was in captivity, and was in captivity because of her sins.
The might of Babylon was powerful and the people of God were puny.
These three Hebrew children had no illusions about themselves.
The fact that this crucial issue being focused on them was dreadful.
They wondered in their minds who they were to be called to stand in God's great hour.
"Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail."
That's how they saw themselves.
What if they break at this crucial hour?
What if they lose their nerve?
What if they give in?
They were certainly not complacent.
The first lesson that we should learn about this is that all of us must cast off our complacency.
It is time that we stopped having illusions about the world and the power of darkness.
As Paul said: "We wrestle not against flesh and blood,
we wrestle against more subtle unseen foes."
I believe that if Paul were to come back today and look out at this demon-possessed world,
he would say that again -- even more urgently!
Of course, a secularist society can deny God, and still do mighty and wonderful works on earth.
The materialistic philosophy can achieve marvels on the technological level.
It can even produce a certain pseudo-idealism, and attract the aspirations of multitudes.
But what can we say when a God-denying way of life dominates our cities and our world.
We must stop having illusions that things will get better in our world with our politics,
our governments, and the leaders of our society.
We can be sure that many of our present troubles are in some sense,
the judgments of God on the church for all the things we have left undone.
We must also have no illusions about ourselves.
Who am I to bear the Christian name before the world?
Whom am I to be an example of what the power of God can do in a person's life?
How dreadfully disappointed, God must be in us.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were not complacent.
That is one thing.
But they also were not dispairing.
They might have decided that they were caught between Nebuchadnezzar,
the image and the furnace, and just determine that that was the end of them.
It was certainly unjust for them, and they could have had the attitude this is just hopeless.
They could have, but they didn't.
Instead, they defied Nebuchadnezzar.
They said: "Oh king, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter
-- we're not going to mince words.
Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace,
and He will deliver us out of thy hand, O king!"
And then, they said this amazing thing.
They said, "Our God can and will deliver us, but if not..."
Those three words are like a hammer breaking large rocks into pieces
and shattering the might of Babylon.
"But if not, if we are not to be delivered, be it known to thee, O king, we will not serve
thy gods or worship the golden image."
Isn't that amazing?
The secret of their victory can also enable us to be victorious.
What was their secret?
What was it that enabled lease three men to utter those magnificent three words, "But if not."?
Their secret can also be said in three words -- Providence, Prayer, and the Presence.
First, there is the despair of the world.
How could they despair with providence of God?
Then, there is the despair of the church?
How could they despair with their practice of prayer?
Then, how could they despair of themselves?
How could they despair with their experience of the unseen Presence.
And this is where the old story comes straight out of the Bible to you and me.
First, there is Providence.
These three men had a profound insight into history.
They had a profound insight into God's providential rule of His universe.
They saw that if you gave the powers of darkness just a little bit of rope,
that the end of that rope was in the hand of God.
They saw that God could use even what was pagan as the agent of His judgment,
and would also purify His people.
They saw that even the empire of Nebuchadnezzar was an instrument in the hand of God.
They also saw that in God's own time He would destroy the rule, the power
and the kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar.
They believed that just as Pharaoh had been defeated many years ago,
he would also be defeated -- and he was!
They knew that the hand of God was controlling history.
We need to know that, and never forget it!
Knowing that, they said, "He can and will deliver us; but if not,
-- we defy you Nebuchadnezzar and we give glory to God in the highest."
Providence is the first secret to have a conquering faith.
Here we have a deep insight into history.
We see the sovereignty of God.
The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof.
And if the world sometimes seems to be controlled by the devil and evil,
we must remember that God still controls all history.
God holds the world in His hand.
And whatever comes to us, He can and will deliver us, but if not,
even if the worst happens to us, we will still praise Him.
The second wonderful secret was prayer.
These three men were men of prayer.
In fact, the entire Book of Daniel is steeped in prayer.
In this story we see the tumult, and the shouting of the captains and the kings,
and we also see the calm in the secret place of the Most High.
Remember when Daniel was facing almost certain death with the lions,
he prayed three times a day on his knees.
These three Hebrew children were men of prayer.
Today, it seems we have lost that need of prayer.
I'm not sure that many Christians really believe in prayer as Jesus believed in it.
By prayer, Jesus defeated the demons of the desert.
By prayer, the apostles shook the throne of Nero.
By prayer, dead bones came to life again.
By real, concentrated, believing prayer, we can experience the power of God in our lives.
The real sin of the church today is prayerlessness.
The final secret that we will see here is the Presence.
The unseen Presence, that wonderful companionship.
This was what even the pagan Nebuchadnezzar came to see.
For when Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego was cast into the furnace of fire,
Nebuchadnezzar looked into the furnace of fire and cried out,
"Look (with terror in his voice) did we not cast three men into the furnace?
Why are there four? And why is the fourth like a Son of God?"
We know the answer to that question.
Nothing can separate us from Christ?
Not the furnace of life, and not the savagery of death; not chaos nor ruin nor a world in flames.
"When thou passeth through the waters, I will be with thee; when thou walkest through the fire,
the flame shall not kindle upon thee."
We can rejoice with the great words of Wesley:
"We have through fire and water gone,
But saw Thee on the floods appear,
But felt Thee present in the flame,
And shouted our deliverer's name!"
Can we expect to be delivered in the day of trial?
You can be sure, if it is the Father's will. But if not -- then -- "Though I walk to the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil;
for Thou art with me."
It has been said that when Savonarola was being marched to his death,
the watching crowd saw that the martyr was repeating something over and over to himself,
and it was these words:
"They may kill me if they choose, but they will never, never tear the living Christ from my heart!"
This is the victory?
"From over hill and plain there comes the signal strain,
'Tis loyalty, loyalty, loyalty to Christ;
Its music rolls along, the hills take up the song,
Of loyalty, loyalty, yes, loyalty to Christ.
"On to victory! On to victory!"
Cries our great Commander, "On!"
We'll move at His command,
We'll soon possess the land,
Through loyalty, loyalty,
Yes, loyalty to Christ.
O hear, ye brave, the sound that moves the earth around,
'Tis loyalty, loyalty, loyalty to Christ;
Arise to dare and do, ring out the watchword true,
Of loyalty, loyalty, yes, loyalty to Christ.
Come, join our loyal throng, we'll rout the giant wrong,
'Tis loyalty, loyalty, loyalty to Christ;
Where Satan's banners float we'll send the bugle note,
Of loyalty, loyalty, yes, loyalty to Christ.
The strength of youth we lay at Jesus' feet today,
'Tis loyalty, loyalty, loyalty to Christ;
His Gospel we'll proclaim, throughout the world's domain,
Of loyalty, loyalty, yes, loyalty to Christ.
On to victory! On to victory!"
Cries our great Commander, "On!"
We'll move at His command,
We'll soon possess the land,
Through loyalty, loyalty,
Yes, loyalty to Christ."
Sermon was adapted from several sources by Dr. Harold L. White
