COURAGE UNDER FIRE
Theme: STEADFASTNESS
Theme Scripture — 1 Corinthians 15:58 (KJV)
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”
Main Text — Daniel 3:16–18 (KJV)
“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.”
Central Thought
COURAGE IS NOT THE ABSENCE OF FIRE.
COURAGE IS REFUSING TO BOW BECAUSE OF THE FIRE.
INTRODUCTION — YOU DON'T KNOW YOUR COURAGE UNTIL YOU'RE UNDER FIRE
It is easy to talk about courage when there is no fire.
It is easy to say:
“I trust God!”
when everything is going well.
It is easy to say:
“I won't be moved!”
when nobody is pushing you.
It is easy to say:
“I'll stand for God!”
when everybody around you is standing too.
But courage is proven when:
The pressure increases.
The opposition gets stronger.
The consequences become real.
And standing for God starts costing you something.
That's:
COURAGE UNDER FIRE.
Fire has a way of revealing what something is made of.
Some materials melt under fire.
Some materials burn in fire.
But other materials become stronger through fire.
And sometimes God allows us to go through fiery situations, not because He has abandoned us, but because there are things about our faith that can only be demonstrated:
UNDER FIRE.
THE BACKGROUND
Nebuchadnezzar built a golden image.
Daniel 3:5–6 says that when the music played, everybody was commanded to:
BOW.
And whoever refused would be:
“…cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.”
Imagine the pressure.
Thousands may have been bowing.
Government officials were bowing.
Leaders were bowing.
Everybody around them was bowing.
But three Hebrew men remained:
STANDING.
Shadrach.
Meshach.
Abednego.
Their attitude was:
“Everybody else may bow—but we won't.”
That is 1 Corinthians 15:58 in action:
STEDFAST.
UNMOVEABLE.
So what can we learn about having:
COURAGE UNDER FIRE?
1. COURAGE KNOWS WHAT IT BELIEVES BEFORE THE FIRE COMES
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego didn't decide what they believed when they saw the furnace.
Their convictions had already been established.
They knew God's command:
Exodus 20:3
“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”
And:
Exodus 20:5
“Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them…”
So when Nebuchadnezzar said:
“BOW!”
they had already decided:
“NO!”
Steadfast people don't wait until pressure comes to decide their convictions.
Some things need to be settled beforehand.
I will serve God.
I will obey His Word.
I will remain faithful.
I will not compromise my convictions to fit in.
Illustration — The Anchor
You don't wait until the storm has carried the ship away to drop the anchor.
The anchor must be ready:
BEFORE THE STORM.
Settle some things in your heart before temptation comes.
COURAGE STARTS WITH CONVICTION.
2. COURAGE STANDS WHEN EVERYBODY ELSE BOWS
Imagine the scene.
The music plays.
Thousands bow.
But three men remain standing.
Sometimes courage means being willing to be:
DIFFERENT.
Romans 12:2
“And be not conformed to this world…”
It takes courage to live for God when everybody around you is moving in another direction.
It takes courage to say:
“I won't do it just because everybody else is doing it.”
Noah stood when his generation was wicked.
Joshua said:
“As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
Daniel prayed when prayer became illegal.
And these three Hebrew men stood when everybody else bowed.
Short Illustration — The Dead Fish
A dead fish floats with the current.
But a living fish can swim against it.
Anybody can follow the crowd.
It takes spiritual life to say:
“I'M GOING GOD'S WAY EVEN IF THE CROWD IS GOING THE OTHER WAY.”
3. COURAGE DOESN'T LET THE FIRE MAKE THE DECISION
Nebuchadnezzar gave them another opportunity.
Essentially:
“I'll play the music again. This time, bow.”
Then he asked:
Daniel 3:15
“…and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?”
He increased the pressure.
But their answer was:
Daniel 3:16
“We are not careful to answer thee in this matter.”
In other words:
“WE DON'T NEED ANOTHER MEETING.”
“WE DON'T NEED MORE TIME.”
“OUR MINDS ARE ALREADY MADE UP.”
Some decisions should not be renegotiated every time pressure increases.
If God said it yesterday—
it's still right today.
Illustration — The Price Tag
Suppose you walk into a store and something has a sign:
NOT FOR SALE.
It doesn't matter how much somebody offers.
The answer remains:
“IT'S NOT FOR SALE.”
Somebody needs to put a sign on your convictions:
NOT FOR SALE!
My faith is not for sale.
My worship is not for sale.
My integrity is not for sale.
My relationship with God is not for sale.
PRESSURE DOESN'T GET TO SET MY PRICE.
4. COURAGE BELIEVES GOD IS ABLE
Daniel 3:17
“Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace…”
Before they entered the furnace, they declared:
“OUR GOD IS ABLE!”
They didn't know exactly what God would do.
But they knew what God:
COULD DO.
Ephesians 3:20
“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think…”
When you're under fire, remind yourself:
GOD IS ABLE.
Able to heal.
Able to provide.
Able to restore.
Able to open doors.
Able to make a way.
Able to keep you.
Able to bring you through.
Short Story — David
When David faced Goliath, he remembered the lion and the bear.
Yesterday's victories gave him courage for today's giant.
Sometimes when you're under fire, you need to look back and remember:
“THIS ISN'T THE FIRST TIME GOD HAS BROUGHT ME THROUGH!”
5. COURAGE TRUSTS GOD EVEN WHEN THE ANSWER IS “BUT IF NOT”
This may be the strongest part of the entire story.
Daniel 3:18
“But if not…we will not serve thy gods…”
They said:
God can deliver us.
But then they said:
“BUT IF NOT…”
That's mature faith.
Immature faith says:
“I'll serve God if He does what I want.”
Mature faith says:
“I'LL SERVE GOD BECAUSE HE IS GOD.”
Job said:
Job 13:15
“Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him…”
This is where steadfastness becomes real.
If God opens the door—I'll praise Him.
But if not—I'll still praise Him.
If He changes the situation—I'll trust Him.
But if not—I'll still trust Him.
If He brings me out immediately—I'll serve Him.
“BUT IF NOT—I'M STILL NOT BOWING!”
Illustration — Wedding Vows
Marriage vows aren't supposed to say:
“For better only.”
They say:
“For better, for worse…”
Commitment is demonstrated when conditions aren't ideal.
Our commitment to God cannot depend entirely upon comfortable conditions.
6. SOMETIMES GOD DOESN'T KEEP YOU FROM THE FIRE—HE MEETS YOU IN IT
They stood for God.
Yet they were still thrown into the furnace.
That teaches us something important.
Faithfulness does not guarantee:
NO FIRE.
Sometimes faithfulness takes you:
THROUGH THE FIRE.
Daniel 3:24–25
Nebuchadnezzar looked into the furnace and said:
“Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?”
They answered:
“True, O king.”
Then he said:
“Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt…”
They put:
THREE IN.
Nebuchadnezzar saw:
FOUR WALKING AROUND!
The fire didn't cause God to abandon them.
THE FIRE REVEALED THAT THEY WERE NOT ALONE.
Isaiah 43:2
“…when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.”
Illustration — The Teacher During the Test
During a classroom test, the teacher may be quiet.
But quiet doesn't mean the teacher left the room.
Somebody may be in a season where God seems quiet.
Don't mistake God's silence for God's absence.
HE IS STILL THE
