Even if He Won’t

If you grew up in church, you've heard the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, their refusal to bow to the great statue, and, as a result, being thrown into the fiery furnace. A giant monument to Nebuchadnezzar's greatness is pretty much par for the course for proud rulers. Walking by it each day was part of life in Babylon. But when asked to bow and worship the image, now these men and all their Jewish brother and sisters have a problem---to do so would violate the First and Second Commandments. Every culture and system will create places where it erects monuments and promotes itself, and rejects God. But when those ideas then tell the follower of Jesus that her or she must bow down, lay aside beliefs and conviction, embrace and promote ideas that are opposed to the Gospel, at that point we must stand with Christ and His revelation. In this sermon, we will look at some of the monuments existing in our culture---places where many are already being asked to bow. This story pushes us into a difficult challenge, that for many, is like a razor's edge. We need the Gospel, but we will find that when we are faithful, Christ meets us in the furnace.