Stand Firm in the Fire | Week 5 | Stand

Explore the power of unwavering faith in our latest podcast episode "Stand Firm in the Fire" from the series "Stand." This episode delves into the extraordinary story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, offering insights into how their faith in God helped them survive the fiery furnace and how we can apply these lessons to our modern-day struggles. Tune in for a spiritual journey that strengthens your faith and empowers you to face your own challenges with renewed vigor and faithfulness.

Episode Transcript

Greater Guild Announcer (00:03):
Welcome listeners to another episode of
Stand, where faith meets thefiery trials of life. Today's
episode, Stand Firm in the Fire,takes us deep into the heart of
an ancient furnace alongsideShadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
As they face the flamesunflinchingly, we too will
explore what it means to standfirm in our trials, finding

(00:23):
strength not in ourselves, butin the power of the one who is
ever present. Whether you'refacing your own furnace today or
walking alongside someone whois, this message is for you. So
let's ignite our faith and diveinto the fire together.

Pastor Brandon Holm (00:42):
Welcome brave souls to the final chapter
of our epic journey through thestand series. Today we are going
to venture into the fieryfurnace of life's trials, by the
tale of Shadrach, Meshach, andAbednego, which can be found in
Daniel chapter three. And I saidearlier in the series, you know,
we're gonna jump away fromShadrach, Meshach, Abednego and

(01:05):
come back to them. Well, thattime is now. So in this sermon,
we're gonna find ourselves atthe threshold of a legendary
encounter where ordinary faithfaces extraordinary challenges.
Here in the realm of ourspiritual warfare, the echoes of
ancient truths resonate withclashing of divine and more

(01:28):
mortal wills. So for us asseekers of this, you know,
eternal spiritual plane, we areinvited not to just observe, but
to partake in a narrative thatreveals the essence of steadfast
steadfast faith amidst theflames of adversity. As we

(01:50):
prepare to delve into thisnarrative, let's just don our
honor armor of anticipation andwield the shield of curiosity
for the story we explore todayis not merely one of survival,
but of triumph. It teaches usthat we today, you know, it
teaches us that standing firm isnot a passive stance, but an

(02:11):
active engagement with forcesthat seek to undermine the very
foundations of our faith. Sojoin me as we open the sacred
scrolls to Daniel and to learnfrom those who walked unscathed
through the white pot core oftrial and emerged not just
unburnt but unbound.
So together, let us discover howthese fires meant to consume can

(02:36):
instead refine, revealing thepure gold of a faith tested and
triumphant. In the grandnarrative of life, we often find
ourselves akin to characters ina high fantasy tale where trials
abound and hearts mettle istested. Echoing the words of our
savior Jesus Christ, weforetold, in this world you will

(02:58):
have trouble, but take heart, Ihave overcome the world, we
recognize that our journey isfraught with fires that are
designed not to consume but toforge us. It says in first Peter
chapter one verse seven, it laysbare the essence of these
trials, so that the testedgenuineness of your faith, more

(03:20):
precious than gold that perishesthrough it is tested by fire. It
may be found to result in praiseand glory and honor to the
revelation of Jesus Christ.
Herein lies the heart of thematter. A faith that withstands
fire is a testament to itsdivine craft craftsmanship. It

(03:43):
has proven genuine throughadversity. Now as we consider
the challenges before us, werecall the towering golden
statue of Daniel three of, youknow, a symbol of worldly power
demanding subservience. Sohere's how it played out.
King Nebuchadnezzar made animage of gold whose height was
60 cubits and his breadth wassix cubits. He set it up on the

(04:06):
Plain Of Dura in the province ofBabylon. Then King
Nebuchadnezzar said, togetherthe satraps, the prefects, and
the governors, the counselors,the treasurers, the justices,
the magistrates, and all theofficials of the provinces to
come to the dedication of theimage that King Nebuchadnezzar
had set up. Then the satraps,the prefects, and the governors,

(04:30):
the counselors, the treasurers,the justices, the magistrates,
and all the officials of theprovinces gathered for the
dedication of the image thatKing Nebuchadnezzar had set up,
and they stood before the imagethat Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
And the herald proclaimed aloud,you are commanded, o peoples,
nations, and languages, thatwhen you hear the sound of the

(04:50):
horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp,bagpipe, and every kind of
music, you are to fall down andworship the golden image that
King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.
And whoever does not fall downand worship shall immediately be
cast into a burning fiery ferns.Therefore, as soon as all the

(05:10):
peoples heard the sound of thehorn, pipe, lyre, dragon, harp,
bagpipe, and every kind ofmusic, all of peoples' nations
and languages fell down andworshiped the golden image that
king Nebuchadnezzar had set up.And yet, amidst the scene of
intimidation, come our threeyoung heroes, Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego. They stand asbeacons of defiance. They chose

(05:35):
faithfulness over conformity,courage over capitulation.
The challenge echoes through theages reminding us that true
faith does not bend to the willof tyrants or idols, but stands
firm in the power of the onetrue God. However, the Bible
tells us that Nebuchadnezzar'sofficials actually began the
process of persecution againstcertain Jewish advisers.

(06:00):
Therefore, at that time, certainChaldeans came forward and
maliciously accused the Jews.They declared to king
Nebuchadnezzar, oh, king, liveforever. You, oh, king, who have
made this decree, that every manwho hears the sound of the horn,
pipe lyre, trigon, harp,bagpipe, and every kind of music
shall fall down and worship thegolden image.

(06:21):
And whoever does not fall downand worship shall be cast into a
fire burning fiery furnace.There are certain Jews whom you
have appointed over the affairsof the province of Babylon,
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.These men, o king, pay no
attention to you. They do notserve your gods or worship the
golden image that you have setup. Obviously, king

(06:42):
Nebuchadnezzar is furious.
Then Nebuchadnezzar in furiousrage commanded that Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego bebrought. So they brought these
men before the king.Nebuchadnezzar answered and said
to them, is it true, ohShadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
that you do not serve my gods orworship the golden image that I

(07:05):
have set up? Now if you areready to hear the sound of the
horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp,bagpipe, and every kind of
music, to fall down and worshipthe image that I have made, well
and good. But if you do notworship, I shall immediately you
shall immediately be cast into aburning fiery furnace.

(07:25):
And who is the God who willdeliver you out of my hands?
Yeah. That's a little bit of a,you know, yeah, bring it on kind
of thing to God. Shadrach,Meshach, and Abednego answered
and said to the king, oh,Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need
to answer you in in this matter.For this to be so, our god whom

(07:48):
we serve is able to deliver usfrom the burning fiery furnace,
and he will deliver us out ofyour hand, o king.
But if not, be it known to you,o king, that we will not serve
your gods or worship the goldenimage that you have set up. I
want you to notice how Shadrach,Meshach, and Abednego replied.
Their bold declaration to theearthly king underscores their

(08:12):
faithfulness to God. In thisunified exhortation, our call to

stand is clear (08:18):
stand not merely in defiance of opposition, but
in affirmation of a higher tree,a greater power that guides and
sustains us through every trial.Let this be the creed that
guides our steps as we navigatethe labyrinth of life's
challenges, fortified by theunyielding strength of a faith
forged in divine fire.

(08:41):
And as the narrative of Shavuot,Meshach, and Abednego unfolded,
and yes, we're gonna use theirfull names in all of this, their
faith becomes an active force,an unyielding defiance against
the consuming flames meant todestroy them. This pivotal
moment in their story is notjust about survival. It is it is

(09:01):
a profound demonstration oftrust in divine providence over
human predicament. ThenNebuchadnezzar was filled with
fury, and the expression on hisface was changed against
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.In or he ordered the furnace
heated seven times more than itwas usually heated, and he

(09:24):
ordered some of the mighty menof his army to bind Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego and tocast them into the burning fiery
furnace.
Then these men were bound intheir cloaks, their tunics,
their hats, and their othergarments, and they were thrown
into the burning fiery furnace.Because the king's order was
urgent and the furnaceoverheated, the flame of the
fire killed those men who tookup Shadrach, Meshach, and

(09:46):
Abednego. And these three men,Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego,
fell bound into the burningfiery furnace. So within the
searing heat of the king'sfurnace, these three young
warriors bound in physicalchains and by you know, well,
not in physical chains, but youcan understand the chains are
not like metal that we know.It's basically their clothes and

(10:08):
cloth.
So it enveloped in flames thatthreatened destruction yet
brought no harm as we will see.The furnace, a dreadful pit of
despair for many transformedinto a sanctum of salvation and
testimony. Their presence in thefire, typically a symbol of
finality and defeat, became andset a stage for displaying the
supremacy of their god over thegrace threats of man. The

(10:33):
dramatic scene reaches the den,as a fourth figure appears among
them, described as resemblingthe son of God. Now this
mysterious presence not onlymystifies those who watch from
beyond the fire, but alsocomforts and shields the
faithful thrill from the licksof the flames.
And king Nebuchadnezzar himselfwitnesses this miracle. His

(10:54):
disbelief is given away to awe.Then king Nebuchadnezzar was
astonished and rose up in haste.He declared to his counselors,
we did not cast three men boundin the fire. Good question.
They answered and said to theking, true, O king. He answered
and said, but I see four menunbound walking in the midst of

(11:15):
the fire, and they are not hurt.And the appearance of the fourth
is like a son of the gods. Theshackles that once bound them
are consumed, leaving themunbound, walking freely amidst
the what should have been theirdemise. Then Nebuchadnezzar came
near to the door of the burningfiery furnace.

(11:37):
He declared, Shadrach, Meshach,and Abednego, servants of the
most high God, come out and comehere. Then Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego came out from thefire. And the satraps, prefects,
the governors, and king'scounselors gathered together and
saw that the fire had not notany power over the bodies of
those men. The hair of theirheads was not singed. Their

(11:58):
cloaks were not harmed, and nosmell of fire had come upon
them.
Nebuchadnezzar answered andsaid, what is it be the god of
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednegowho has sent his angel and
delivered his servants, whotrusted in him and set aside the
kingsman and yielded up theirbodies rather than serve and
worship any god except their owngod. Therefore, I decree make a

(12:21):
decree. Any people, nation, orlanguage that speaks anything
other than the god of Shadrach,Meshach, and Abednego shall be
torn limb from limb and theirhouses laid in ruin, for there
is no other God who is able torescue in this way. Then the
king promoted Shadrach, Meshach,and Abednego in the province of
Babylon. This moment ofdeliverance serves as a powerful

(12:45):
metaphor for the spiritualemancipation that faith in God
can provide.
It illustrates that in the midstof our fiercest trials, we are
never alone. The divine walksamong us, turning our battles
into blessings and our testsinto testimonies. The furnace,
rather than a place ofpunishment, becomes a purifying

(13:06):
force that frees us from ourearthly restraints, revealing
the indestructible nature oftrue faith. The deliverance of
Shadrach, Meshach, and Benedictis a testament to a faith that
does not merely endure, butthrives in adversity. It teaches
us that the fires of trial,though daunting, are very
elements that refine us,stripping away all that binds us

(13:29):
to the temporal and elevating usto the eternal.
Their story, we learned thatwhat is meant to harm us can,
under God's sovereign hand,become a means of grace,
revealing his power and glory.And like I said, this is the
last message in our standseries. So as I close out this

(13:50):
this series, let us carryforward the vivid imagery and
profound lesson from the furnacefurnace encounter of Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego. Theirexperience does not merely serve
as a historical recount ofmiraculous survival. Rather, it
stands as a beacon of god'sunfailing presence and power in
the midst of life's most severetrials.

(14:13):
The furnace, feared by many as aplace of final judgment and
destruction, was transformedinto a realm of divine
revelation and rescue. Itdemonstrated unequivocally that
when we are thrust into theflames of trials, whether it be
pain, doubt, or persecution, ourfaith, when anchored in the

(14:33):
divine, does not burn away, butis instead purified and
strengthened. In this sacredspace. What was intended to bind
and destroy was renderedpowerless, and bonds and the
bonds of earthly affliction werebroken by the power of God's
deliverance. This story teachesus that God's faithfulness is

(14:57):
not just a comforting thought,but a dynamic and active force
during our most challengingmoments.
When we stand firm embracing ourfaith amidst the fires of
adversity, we are not consumed.Instead, we emerge not only
unscathed, but also liberatedfrom whatever has bound us with

(15:17):
a testimony that speaks of God'sprotective grace and
transformative power. As wetransition from this message
into our lives, let thisunderstanding mold us. Let the
essence of our worship stem froma profound recognition of God's
omnipresence and omnipotence. Ina very high and stormy gale, our

(15:40):
ankle holds within the veil.
Let us stand firm, not instrength, but in the power of
the one who calls us to befaithful. For a faith tested by
fire is not a faith that merelyendures. It triumphs, ensuring
that our spirits are not justcalm, but invigorating, and not
just surviving, but thriving.Therefore, we conclude here, I

(16:04):
invite you to rise in spirit orin posture and affirm your
commitment to stand firm. Letthis act be your declaration
that regardless of the fires youface, your faith will remain
unshakable.
Embrace the trials that as theycome, not with fear, but with
the courage of those who knowthat they are accompanied by the

(16:26):
divine, whose power is perfectedin our weaknesses. And let us
now, with hearts upheld andspirits, renew, worship
together, celebrating the Godwho stands with us in every
fire, ensuring that we are neveralone and our faith is always
secure.

Greater Guild Announcer (16:46):
Thank you for joining us for Stand
Firm in the Fire. We hopetoday's journey through the
flames has fortified your faithand equipped you to face life's
challenges with divine courageand grace. Remember, like
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,you are not alone in your
trials. God is with you,refining and strengthening your

(17:08):
faith every step of the way. Formore inspiring messages, be sure
to subscribe to our podcast andjoin us next time as we continue
to explore the depths of faith.
Until then, keep standing firmand walking in faith.