"Even If Faith" Pastor Logan Almore
There was a king in Babylon named Nebuchadnezzar, and they had taken the Jews into captivity. So, some of God’s people were now living in Babylon, three of which were named Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Daniel chapter 3 tells us that this king made a law that at the sound of music, everyone must fall down and worship this golden statue that he had set up. Anyone who didn’t would be thrown into the blazing furnace. These three men refused to worship this statue, they were thrown into the furnace, but they were not burned. That story is so powerful, and so amazing. But what these three men said to the king BEFORE God delivered them from the fire, what they said to him BEFORE they knew what the outcome would be, without knowing how God would respond:
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 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. 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.”
-Daniel 3:16-18
Even if faith are the things in life that COULD test our faith, but could also certainly STRENGTHEN our faith. Even if faith is the opposite of a surface level faith. It’s faith that is thrown to the wayside any time something doesn’t go our way. Because it's easy to praise on the mountaintop, but what about in the valley? It's easy to say "God is good" when the sun is shining, but what about when times are dark?
What “Even If Faith” IS:
I know that God CAN, but even if He does not…I will still serve Him. I will still worship Him. I will still believe He is good.
What “Even If Faith” is NOT:
-It is not the absence of questions.
-It is not the absence of grief.
-It is not the absence of a struggle.
Despite the trouble we face, THIS REMAINS—He is STILL God. He is STILL good. And I will STILL serve Him only.
“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”
-Jeremiah 17:7-8
“But none of these things move me…”
-Acts 20:24a (NKJV)
-It hadn’t been an easy road for Paul. He faced one trial literally, after another. He faced beatings. He faced persecution. He faced prison…all because he was advancing the message of Jesus Christ. It had to have been difficult for Paul, but in the midst of it all he was still able to say…but none of these things MOVE me.
I will not allow moves from the enemy to move my faith.
The enemy is on mission to steal, kill, and destroy. He knows his time is running out and he’s trying to throw everything our way to cause us to move our faith. That’s why it is so important that we remain ROOTED in Christ. So that we can say, to the enemy like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego said to the king in Daniel chapter 3:
“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. 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.”
-Daniel 3:16-18
But how did these boys get to the place where they could say that? How did they get this “Even If Faith”? And what can we learn from them so that we, too, can say to the enemy…I know what the God that I serve can do. And you may throw me into this spiritual fire, but my faith in God will not move…
I think to answer that we need to back up to Daniel chapter 1. We learn here of how the Jews had been taken into captivity in Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar and how he wanted some of the male Israelites to come serve in his palace.
“He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service.”
-Daniel 1:4-5
“Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.”
Daniel 1:6-7
The first thing that jumped out to me in that the King wanted to TEACH them the language and literature of the Babylonians. He wanted to train them for three years on their ways, their customs, their practices. He wanted to take these men of God, who had been raised up in the ways of God, in the culture and customs of God’s people, and he wanted to immerse them and retrain them in the ways of the Babylonians. Did you know that our enemy, the devil, is trying to do the same thing to me, to you, to each and every one of us? Because the Bible tells us in Genesis 1:26:
Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness…”
-Genesis 1:26a
When he delivers a blow to us, he wants that blow to cause us to not only doubt and question our faith, our God, His character…He wants to also replace all that God put within us and all the truth we know or have been taught of Him, with the lies of this world. With the lies of our culture. With the lies of the enemy. King Nebuchadnezzar wanted to train these boys up in his ways, and the enemy is still using the same old tricks today.
The second thing I noticed in verses 4-5…
“He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service.”
-Daniel 1:4-5
is that the king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from HIS table. This king wanted to be the source for their nourishment. He wanted what they NEEDED for their very survival to come from HIM. And guess what? The enemy today desires the same thing…it’s the entire reason he got kicked out of heaven in the first place. (Isaiah chapter 14). HE desires to take the place of God in our lives. He tricks us into thinking anything and everything of this world can be our source instead of our creator. He wants us leaning on accolades to be our source, he wants us leaning on money to be our source, he wants us leaning on substances to be our source. He wants to introduce anything into your life that can ultimately take the place of God, so like King Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel chapter 1, his desire is to feed us from the world’s table and have us dependent on the created, rather than the creator.
And the third thing I noticed…
“Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.”
Daniel 1:6-7
The king had his chief official RENAME these four Hebrew boys. They were each given a Jewish name at birth, and now that they are in captivity in Babylon, they are trying to strip these boys of their Jewish identity and assimilate them into their pagan culture. Let’s take a look at this change:
Daniel means: “God is my judge.”
Belteshazzar means: “protect the king”
Hananiah means: “Yahweh is gracious.”
Shadrach means: “command of Aku” (their moon god)
Mishael means: “Who is like God?”
Meshach means: guest of a king
Azariah means: “Helped by God.”
Abednego means: “servant of Nego” (most likely referred to their god of wisdom)
The purpose that I’m trying to show you is that what they were doing here was taking away their identity in God, and replacing it with idolatry.
He tries to strip us of our purpose.
He tries to strip us of our Source.
He tries to strip us of our identity.
Their response to the king…
“But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.”
-Daniel 1:8
Daniel, and we will see that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did the same, they RESOLVED not to defile themselves.
“But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself…”
-Daniel 1:8a (NKJV)
They PURPOSED IN THEIR HEARTS. They decided, deeply decided, before an outcome ever took place…what they would do and who they would serve. Here’s what this tells me:
I have to decide AHEAD OF TIME that my faith is not dependent on an outcome.
If I’m only serving God because of what He can DO for me…then my faith journey isn’t going to get very far. God desires a faith from us much deeper than that.
Do I praise Him for who He is, or only for what He’s done for me?
I praise God for my blessings, I praise God for what He’s done for me…but does my praise and prayer request list ONLY look like some sort of to-do list for God? Do this, do that, go here, answer this. Yes, we should bring our requests to Him…but we should not dare forget to praise Him for WHO He is. Because:
My circumstances do not dictate His character.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”
-Revelation 1:8
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
-Hebrews 13:8
“…In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
-John 16:33b
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”
-Isaiah 43:2
No matter our circumstances, God still remains.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
-Romans 8:28
If it’s not good, God didn’t cause it. But He did allow it, because He can bring good from it.
“When we cannot trace His hand, we must trust His heart.”
-Not Logan Almore
“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.”
-1 Chronicles 16:34
“How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?
Look on me and answer, Lord my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,
and my enemy will say, ‘I have overcome him,'
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
I will sing the Lord’s praise,
for he has been good to me.”
-Psalm 13:1-6
“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”
-2 Corinthians 4:8-9
“Weeping may endure for a night,But joy comes in the morning.”
-Psalm 30:5
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