September 13, 2026
Today is the last of our sermon series, Daniel and Friends, where we see Daniel and his three friends make amazing choices! They are very brave with rock solid trust in God!
The first Sunday we talked about how Daniel was forced to leave Israel and march to Babylon (with 10,000 other Jews), forced to learn a new language, given a new name, told to serve the king, and pressured to assimilate. Daniel refused to eat the King’s food because it went against his faith in God! He chose instead to eat vegetables and follow God. Last week we learned how Daniel served the king well, worked hard, and didn’t cheat. The new king told the people, you have to worship and pray only to me. But Daniel refused! He chose to follow God no matter that the punishment was being thrown in a lion’s den! Today we’re talking about Daniel’s friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. They have nerves of steel and don’t give in to fear. I would like to be like them, wouldn’t you?
It’s been 25 years since September 11, when terrorists attacked New York City. There were so many brave people on 911! Betty Ong was a flight attendant on the first plane hijacked that day. From the plane she called American Airlines operations center, calmly stayed on the phone for 23 minutes, reporting everything that had happened: that flight attendants and a passenger were injured, they can’t open the door to the cockpit, there’s mace in first class, and she said, I think we are hijacked! She and another flight attendant gave the seat numbers for the hijackers. Betty was the first person to alert authorities; her report helped them understand what was going on that morning. The last thing Betty said before the call ended was “Pray for us.” Betty wasn’t a machine, she felt fear, but she didn’t let it control her! I don’t know that I could do what she did! I’d be so scared, a mess!
We all face or will face something that scares us badly! Like a diagnosis, maybe it’s public speaking, or a job loss, relationship difficulties, or a disability. How do we make a choice for faith instead of fear? Today’s story from Daniel chapter 3 has an answer.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego have an important job in the kingdom. They are in charge of the province of Babylon. They remain faithful to the God of Israel. They eat vegetables with Daniel instead of eating the King’s food, which is against their religion.
One day a messenger tells the people, listen! As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up, which is a 90-foot-tall statue of him. Daniel 3:6 says, “Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.” Woo! What a terrible way to die!
The Chaldeans are astrologers. They are jealous of the success and importance of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the kingdom of Babylon. They want them gone! They tell the king, “We all love you!” You said everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, must fall down and worship the statue of gold. But the Jews you put over Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, they don’t worship the statue!
King Nebuchadnezzar is furious! He has Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego brought to him. He asks, is it true that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? When you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, you have to fall down and worship the statue! If not you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace! The King asks them, “Then what god will be able to rescue you out of my hand?”
The story speaks to us whenever we’re not in control. How do you live faithfully when you’re told to bow down to something, to assimilate, to change or stop living out your faith?
Meshach, Shadrach and Abednego, face King Nebuchadnezzar standing in front of them! He is a king with a lot of power! He’s not like King Charles. He’s a strong authoritarian king who can kill you! Nebuchadnezzar threatens them with being burned to death!
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego give an incredible response to the king! We’re going to read together what they say in Daniel 3:16-18: 16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
They seem calm and unafraid! Not defensive. Are they afraid? No, they are speaking faith! It makes me think of David, in the story of David and Goliath! Long before he was king, as a youth David visited the front lines of Israel’s army as they face the Phillistines. Goliath was a giant with a booming voice, big muscles, heavy armor and a huge sword! Everyone in Israel’s army would shake in their boots when Goliath came around! But David wasn’t afraid! He said, who is this loser that he defies the army of the living God? And David told King Saul of Israel, in 1 Samuel 17:32 “Let no one lose heart on account of Goliath. I am your servant and I will go and fight him!” King Saul thought there was no way David could defeat Goliath. He said, “You’re just a kid!” But David says, when I watch my father’s sheep, if a lion or bear comes and seizes a sheep, I rescue the sheep and kill the lion or bear with my slingshot! David says in 1 Samuel 17:37 the Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine. And David kills Goliath with just his slingshot! David defeats the Giant, not by talking fear, but by talking faith.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego talk faith. They are sure God will save them. But they know they are not in charge of God, God is free to do what he will. They say in Samuel 3:18, “Even if God doesn’t rescue us, your majesty, we won’t serve your gods or worship your golden image.” To defeat your fear, talk faith. Talk about how great God is, how he has helped you before and he will save you again!
The three men are thrown in the fiery furnace! The soldiers throwing them in die from the fire! But the king watches the furnace and sees that the three of them, plus a fourth “son of god”: an angel, are walking around in the fire. And they walk out of the furnace unharmed!
The King is impressed that they’re alive, and that their God saved them! He praises the power of their God! He makes a decree that no one can say anything bad about Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego’s God, because no other god can save like him!
My challenge for you is to think of some area of your life where you experience fear. Speak faith instead. Tell how good and faithful God is, how He helps you to overcome! Talk faith!
We all will experience fear. In difficult situations we wonder, what should I do? What does God want me to do? Will God help me? Is there hope? Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego faced fear and spoke faith. They were certain God would save them. And even if he didn’t, they said there was no way they would worship a gold statue of a silly king who loves to talk about falling down and worshipping whenever you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music! Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego spoke words of faith. God got them through the fire, and they kept worshipping the God of Israel, the God who saves! Amen.
