Sermon Structure
Die Trusting God Last week, we looked at the dream God gave to King Nebuchadnezzar — the dream of the four kingdoms, beginning with the head of gold and ending with the eternal Kingdom established by Jesus Christ. We saw how this dream revealed God’s complete control over history, showing that every earthly kingdom would rise and fall, but God’s Kingdom would stand forever. The head of gold represented Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian Empire. However, instead of responding with humility, the king’s pride caused him to misunderstand the message. Rather than seeing himself as a servant under God’s authority, he exalted himself. This pride led him to build a massive statue made entirely of gold, declaring his kingdom supreme. At the dedication of this statue, all the people in the kingdom were commanded to bow down and worship it. This moment revealed a clear choice: obey the command of man, or remain faithful to the living God. Today, we continue the narrative from the book of Daniel. We move from prophecy to practice — from a dream about kingdoms to a real-life test of faith. This is where trusting God is no longer theory, but costly, visible, and courageous. Let us read about three men of God who defied the king..
Dan 3.13 Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. So they brought these men before the king. 14Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed- Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up? 15Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?” 16Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. 18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up. ” 19Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. 20 And he commanded certain mighty men of valor who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, and cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 21Then these men were bound in their coats, their trousers, their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 22Therefore, because the king’s command was urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. 23And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 24Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king. ” 25“Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. ” 26Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here. ” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire. 27And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together, and they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them.
28Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God! 29 Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this. ”] What Can you understand, learn and put into practice Two Types of Idols 1. The Idols of the World. Here we see the people of God being put to the test by the ruler of that age. Nebuchadnezzar used his authority to enforce the worship of a man-made idol, demanding total conformity from everyone in the kingdom. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego responded with one of the clearest statements of faith found in Scripture: “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.
They could have pretended to worship in order to appease the ruling powers. They could have justified compromise by saying, “Everyone else is doing it, ” or “God knows our hearts. ” But they chose instead to take a stand. To put to practice what they believed. Their faith was not based on the outcome, but on obedience. Whether God rescued them or not, they would not bow. This was a stand of principle — trusting God even when the cost was their lives. We must grow in this kind of boldness to do the same if the time comes. 2. The Idols of the Heart Not all idols are made of gold. Some are hidden much deeper — in the heart. Personal idols can take many forms, often appearing as ordinary. In today’s society, idols take many shapes and forms like mobile devices, addiction, fear, worry, finances, toxic relationships or the main one being “Lovers of Self”. Anything that takes God’s place, competes for our trust, or draws our dependence away from Him can become an idol. These idols may not demand public worship, but they quietly shape our decisions and affections, often leading us to become distant from God without realising it. The silent killers, the invisible idols of the heart.
Just as the people of God were tested publicly in Babylon, we are tested privately in our hearts — called daily to choose whether we will trust God fully or bow to the pressures around us. We are Given This Insight in [ Ezekiel 14.1] Now some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat before me. 2And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 3“Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts, and put before them that which causes them to stumble into iniquity. Should I let Myself be inquired of at all by them? 4“Therefore speak to them, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Everyone of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, and puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I the Lord will answer him who comes, according to the multitude of his idols, 5that I may seize the house of Israel by What Can We Do? – Removing Idols from the Heart 1. Be honest before God – identify the idol The first step is honesty. We must allow the Holy Spirit to search our hearts and show us anything we have placed before God. Anything that affects our relationship with Him, hinders our growth, or takes first place in our affections has become an idol. We cannot remove what we refuse to recognise. Listen, make notes and write a list. Be proactive.
2. Repent and turn away – cut it off Once an idol is identified, it must be dealt with. Scripture does not call us to manage idols, but to turn from them. This may mean setting boundaries, changing habits, or cutting off access. If it is our mobile devices, it may mean limiting time or removing distractions. If it is fear, finances, relationships, or self, it requires surrender and repentance — a deliberate turning back to God. The thing is to be proactive. Show God we are trying to remove the stumbling block and He will help us 3. Re-establish God’s rightful place – trust and obey We must replace the idol with renewed trust in God. An empty space will always be filled by something, so God must be restored to the centre of the heart. This happens through prayer, obedience, time in the Word, and daily dependence on Him. When God is first, idols lose their power. Get involved in God business. To Close God is not looking for perfect people, but for surrendered hearts. When idols are removed, fellowship is restored, and we are reconciled to Him.
Like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego , we must also declare: our God is able to deliver us. But even if He does not, we will not bow, we will not compromise, and we will not serve the idols of this world. This is what it means to die trusting God — dying to self, dying to idols, and choosing to live our lives here in faithfulness. For some of you it would be helpful to find an accountability partner or coach to help you get started. Remember failing to plan is planning to fail. Take it seriously, God does We can just end with the words of Christ Luke 9.23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. 24 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. 25For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?