How’s your Faith?

Introduction:
Background on Golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar commanded all the people of the nations bow down and worship:

Read Daniel 3:13-27
13  Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.
14  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? {true: or, of purpose}
15  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? {dulcimer: or, singing: Chaldee, symphony}
16  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
17  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.
18  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.
19 ¶ 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. {full: Chaldee, filled}
20  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. {most...: Chaldee, mighty of strength}
21  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. {coats: or, mantles} {hats: or, turbans}
22  Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. {commandment: Chaldee, word} {flame: or, spark}
23  And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
24  Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, 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. {counsellors: or, governors}
25  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.  {they...: Chaldee, there is no hurt in them}
26  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. {mouth: Chaldee, door}
27  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.
Prayer

Now it took some real faith and desire to serve God to be able to stand up for what is the commandment of the Lord our God.  You see these were real men of God, they did not hesitate to do the will of the Lord.

Where is you faith today.  Would you have chosen to burn as opposed to simply bowing down to an idol?  I hope so…..  This is only one example of needing to follow the commandments of God.  This is a big commandment, it was the first and second of the 10 commandments.  No other gods before me....Thou shall not bow down thyself to them.  What we need is some real fear of God in our souls.  Sometimes I pray for more fear of the Lord,  Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.  Pray that we may all be graced with this Godly wisdom to fear our sovereign Lord.  If we ask for this fear we will get it.

How is your faith today???  Can it move Mountains?  If we will seek his desires, God will give us faith to move mountains.  You must put you heart and soul in to your faith.

Now I am not just talking about faith in God, Like believing in God that he is real, I am talking about faith that God can do anything, not just that you think he can do anything, but that he will do it.

Most of us know many people who need to be saved, WE NEED TO BELEAVE THEY CAN AND WILL SAVED!  Where is you faith at today, is it small and quiet Loud and strong.  Get up my children and pray, pray, pray; the Lord will deliver if we just believe and pray.  HE PROMISES TO ANSWER PRAY.

Have faith in keeping his commandments:
Again I ask How is your faith today????

Illustration:  The Deposition against the Moffia

Lets look at some other examples.  Turn to Genesis 22
2  And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.
3 ¶ And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.
4  Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.
5  And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.
6  And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.
7  And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is  the lamb for a burnt offering? {lamb: or, kid}
8  And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
9  And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.
10  And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
11 ¶ And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
12  And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
13  And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.
14	And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen. {Jehovahjireh: that is, The Lord will see, or, provide}
WE MUST HAVE FAITH, IS YOU TRUST IN THE LORD WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE TONIGHT?

Have faith and do the will of your Lord and savior!  It will bring victory!

We must be stong and have an abondance of faith in God.  We can not be moved.  We can not doubt.

How is your faith today?

Last point….

Hebrews 12
26  Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.
27  And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. {are shaken: or, may be shaken}
28  Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: {let...: or, let us hold fast}
29  For our God is a consuming fire.

When the shaking comes with your faith hold?
We need not be afraid of this earth, only of God.
We must hold strong!!!
Are you on fire for the Lord tonight!  Let you heart burn for more of God….

Unbreakable faith, on the solid rock we stand!!!

In conclusion
How is your faith?
As did Daniel, keep his commandments at any cost and the Lord will see us through.  Do you trust him enough to be thrown in to the fire or would you have bowed down?  Be strong, if you don’t think you could have done what Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego  did, just ask the Lord, he will increase you faith.  Just Pray and put it all on the alter, consecrate it to Him, your Lord.

How is your faith tonight?
Would you sacrifice something very dear to you if it was God’s will for you?  Would you have done as Abraham did and put your most valued possession on the altar?  Just ask the Lord and he will give you the faith you need.  He will not forsake you……

How is your faith in the Lord?