The God Who Deserves Our Allegiance

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "The God Who Deserves Our Allegiance"

Jeremy Warren
6 years ago
Views:

1 Session 2 The God Who Deserves Our Allegiance THEOLOGICAL THEME: God alone deserves our ultimate allegiance. Echoing the apostle Paul (Phil. 1:21), Nate Saint ( ), a martyred missionary among the missionaries to the Huaorani people group, the Auca Indians, wrote: The way I see it, we ought to be willing to die. In the military, we were taught that to obtain our objectives we had to be willing to be expendable. Missionaries must face that same expendability. 1 Not just missionaries, but every follower of the crucified Jesus should have that sense of expendability. Voices from Church History When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie, My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply; The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine. 2 From the hymn How Firm a Foundation Why should followers of Jesus be willing to give their lives for the sake of the gospel? What does this willingness communicate to others? Date of My Bible Study: 2016 LifeWay Christian Resources. Permission granted to reproduce and distribute within the license agreement with purchaser. 19

2 God alone is worthy of our allegiance, devotion, and worship. In the midst of opposition, persecution, and threats to our lives, God will sustain us as we trust the One who is able to deliver. In this session, we see three men during the time of exile who refused to participate in the idolatry of their day. Trusting that God was sovereign and good, they were confident in His protection. One of the ways we display the glory of God today is by obeying Christ even when it is difficult and no matter the consequences. 1. God s people bow down to God alone (Dan. 3:8-12). King Nebuchadnezzar once paid homage and praise to Daniel s God (2:46), but his devotion was shallow and did not last long. In chapter 3, we find him setting up a great statue 60 cubits in height and 6 cubits in breadth (90-by-9 feet), gold-plated from head to toe (3:1). Perhaps it looked like a missile on a launching pad or something like the Washington Monument. In verses 2-6, the expectation is laid out that the government officials of Babylon were to attend the statue s dedication and to worship it! Let s take a look at how the Jewish exiles responded to the king s decree. 8 Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and maliciously accused the Jews. 9 They declared to King Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live forever! 10 You, O king, have made a decree, that every man who hears the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image. 11 And whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into a burning fiery furnace. 12 There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, pay no attention to you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up. Honoring and obeying God is not always popular. Sometimes allegiance to God leads to serious problems and life-threatening situations. While the latter may not often be the experience of Christians in the West, it is a daily reality for many of our brothers and sisters around the world. Simply trying to live a life that is faithful to the God and Savior they love, these believers are criticized, ostracized, and hated. Still, with the apostle Peter, they declare by words and actions, We must obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29). 20 Personal Study Guide

3 In what areas of life are Christians most likely to be criticized for obeying God rather than men? When the time came to bow down and worship the gold statue, three men remained standing no fanfare or outburst of protest, just a quiet act of civil disobedience. Quickly, the enemies of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego sprung into action to maliciously accuse them of failing to give ultimate allegiance to Nebuchadnezzar. The reason the Hebrew men would not bow down was because they knew ultimate allegiance belonged to God alone. So now, it looks like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were in a no-win situation. The critics came out in the open, they carefully Voices from Church History Do you see how difficult these struggles are made; how irresistible the snare; and how deep the [gulf], and a precipice on either hand? But be not afraid. In whatever degree the enemy increases his machinations, so much the more does he display the courage of the young men. 3 John Chrysostom (circa ) called out the king, and now he must do something to save face. The future does not look bright for these Jewish men, these devoted disciples of the God of heaven (2:18,28,37,44). God gave them great favor and wisdom in Daniel 1. The question is What will God do now? How does our decision to worship God and God alone impact our mission? Session 2 21

4 2. God s people trust that God is sovereign and good (Dan. 3:13-23). 13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. So they brought these men before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? 15 Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands? 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up. 19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated. 20 And he ordered some of the mighty men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 21 Then these men were bound in their cloaks, their tunics, their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the burning fiery furnace. 22 Because the king s order was urgent and the furnace overheated, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace. Nebuchadnezzar asked the question that is the key to the entire episode: And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands? (v. 15). It s hard for us to identify with Nebuchadnezzar at this point, but maybe we should. Do we not sometimes exalt ourselves? Do we not often act as if matters of destiny are in our hands and not God s? Do we not draw attention to who we are, whom we know, and what we have done? Is not the same pride in the heart of this king lurking in our own? It s easy to identify with the steadfast Jewish believers, but first, we should ask, Who is the God who will deliver me from my sin, my pride, my arrogance? The three Jews knew the answer to the king s question. They chose not to trust in themselves or the powers of this world, even if it cost them everything (vv ). 22 Personal Study Guide

5 What are some ways humans assert their own sovereignty and righteousness instead of trusting in the sovereignty and goodness of God? Nebuchadnezzar s question is indeed the question of the ages. Who is the God who will deliver? The three Jews were glad he asked. The answer to that question had been settled in their hearts long ago. If challenged to worship the gods of this world and be praised or worship the one true and living God and be burned to a crisp, they would follow God. Next comes one of the greatest affirmations of faith in God in all of the Bible But if [God does not deliver us], be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image you have set up (v. 18). Wow! What faith in God they had! What faith they demonstrated before the nations! This is a missionary declaration to the nations of absolute trust in the one true God. Deliverance and rescue were not the issue but confession and obedience, even if it cost them their lives. 99 Essential Christian Doctrines 84. Church and Kingdom The church and the kingdom of God are closely related, though not identical. When the Bible speaks of the kingdom of God, it is referring to the reign of God in the world. The church is the people of God who live under His loving rule now, in anticipation of the full manifestation of God s kingdom in the future. The church s mission is to witness to God s kingdom, proclaiming God s message of salvation through Christ and demonstrating the power of the gospel through good works so that others may be brought to live under God s reign. What is the significance of these Jewish men s confession of faith when they claimed they would follow God even if He chose not to deliver them? Session 2 23

6 How is their confession a demonstration of trust in God s sovereignty and goodness? 3. God s people trust in God for protection (Dan. 3:24-30). 24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, Did we not cast three men bound into the fire? They answered and said to the king, True, O king. 25 He answered and said, But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods. 26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here! Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. 27 And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king s counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them. 28 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way. 30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon. 24 Personal Study Guide

7 So the three Hebrews were bound and thrown into the burning fiery furnace fully clothed (v. 21). No doubt this would add fuel for the fire. But then something unexpected happened. The king himself was astonished and rose up in haste (v. 24). The men did not die. In fact, they were no longer bound but were walking around as if being in the burning fiery furnace did not harm them. And more importantly, there were four men walking around in the furnace, and the fourth had the appearance like a son of the gods (v. 25). Later in verse 28, Nebuchadnezzar called the fourth person an angel. Theologians have long debated the identity of the fourth individual. Some believe this was a theophany, a manifestation of God s presence. Others call this a Christophany, a pre-incarnate appearance of the Second Person of the Trinity, the Son of God. Regardless, the Lord was there with them. The God who did not deliver them from the fire was the God who met them in the fire and delivered them out of the fire! When has God chosen not to deliver you from a trial but to meet you in the midst of the trial? What is the impact of sensing God s presence when you face opposition? Nebuchadnezzar invited the three Jewish men out of the furnace for all to see that the fire had not had any power over [their] bodies, in fact, the hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them (v. 27). He rightly attributed this to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (v. 28), the God he called the Most High God (v. 26), the One he earlier called God of gods and Lord of kings (2:47). It is this God who quenched the power of fire (Heb. 11:34). It is this God who delivered those who trusted in him, who yielded up their bodies, rather than serve and worship any god except their God (Dan. 3:28; cf. Rom. 12:1-2). In the process of events, the king promoted the three Hebrews in their positions in His kingdom (Dan. 3:30). Session 2 25

How would this account have encouraged the faith of the Jewish people during the time of exile? Conclusion When Nebuchadnezzar looked into the fiery furnace, he saw four men, not three.

8 How would this account have encouraged the faith of the Jewish people during the time of exile? Conclusion When Nebuchadnezzar looked into the fiery furnace, he saw four men, not three. Of the fourth he said, the appearance is like a son of the gods (v. 25). Later he said he was an angel (v. 28). That was not a bad guess for a pagan polytheist. We, however, know better. The fourth person in the furnace was the One we know as Immanuel, God with us. The One who walked with them in and through the fire is also the One who endured the full wrath of God on the cross on our behalf that we too would not have a single cell of our soul singed by the fiery flames of hell we actually deserve. Voices from Church History Beloved, you must go into the furnace if you would have the nearest and dearest dealings with Christ Jesus! 4 Charles Spurgeon ( ) The reason we can have confidence while in the furnace of affliction is because we trust in the power and presence of God. Knowing God is with us brings encouragement, joy, and hope to our souls. May God give us courage in the fire to represent the One who has delivered us from an eternal fire, a fire He endured in our place! CHRIST CONNECTION: The same God who was faithful and present with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the flames will also deliver us through His Son, who is with us in the fiery trial and who saves us from the punishment for our sin. 26 Personal Study Guide

HIS MISSION, YOUR MISSION MISSIONAL APPLICATION: God calls us to embrace a countercultural lifestyle with full confidence in God s power, regardless of

What are some specific ways we as Christians can demonstrate before our community and the world that our ultimate allegiance is in Jesus Christ? 2.

9 HIS MISSION, YOUR MISSION MISSIONAL APPLICATION: God calls us to embrace a countercultural lifestyle with full confidence in God s power, regardless of what the immediate outcome may be. 1. What are some specific ways we as Christians can demonstrate before our community and the world that our ultimate allegiance is in Jesus Christ? 2. How are you challenged to look at your circumstances differently, even missionally, in light of God s sovereignty and goodness? 3. What steps of faith are you now encouraged to take, regardless of the consequences, trusting in the God who can rescue through fire? Session 2 27

About the Writers The Gospel Project Adult Personal Study Guide ESV Volume 5, Number 2 Winter 2016-17 Eric Geiger Vice President, LifeWay Resources Ed Stetzer General Editor Trevin Wax Managing

10 About the Writers The Gospel Project Adult Personal Study Guide ESV Volume 5, Number 2 Winter Eric Geiger Vice President, LifeWay Resources Ed Stetzer General Editor Trevin Wax Managing Editor Daniel Davis Content Editor Josh Hayes Content and Production Editor Ken Braddy Manager, Adult Ongoing Bible Studies Michael Kelley Director, Groups Ministry Send questions/comments to: Managing Editor, The Gospel Project: Adult Personal Study Guide, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN ; or make comments on the Web at Printed in the United States of America The Gospel Project : Adult Personal Study Guide ESV (ISSN ; Item ) is published quarterly by LifeWay Christian Resources, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234, Thom S. Rainer, President LifeWay Christian Resources. For ordering or inquiries, visit or write LifeWay Resources Customer Service, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN For subscriptions or subscription address changes, subscribe@lifeway.com, fax (615) , or write to the above address. For bulk shipments mailed quarterly to one address, orderentry@lifeway.com, fax (615) , or write to the above address. We believe that the Bible has God for its author; salvation for its end; and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter and that all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. To review LifeWay s doctrinal guideline, please visit Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version ), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Unit 1: Daniel Akin (sessions 1-4) is the President of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and also a professor of preaching and theology. He and his wife, Charlotte, have four grown children. Walter R. Strickland II (sessions 5-6) serves as Special Advisor to the President for Diversity and Instructor of Theology at Southeastern Seminary. He and his wife, Stephanie, have three daughters, Hope, Kendra, and Kaiya. Unit 2: Jimmy Scroggins (session 7) is the Lead Pastor of Family Church in West Palm Beach, Florida. He and his wife, Kristin, have eight children, James, Daniel, Jeremiah, Isaac, Stephen, Anna Kate, Mary Claire, and Caleb. Matt Capps (sessions 8-10) is Senior Pastor of Fairview Baptist Church in Apex, North Carolina. Matt and his wife, Laura, have three children, Solomon, Ruby, and Abby. D. A. Horton (session 11) currently serves as a pastor at Reach Fellowship, a church plant in Los Angeles, California. He and his wife, Elicia, have three children, Izabelle, Lola, and D. A. Jr. Robby Gallaty (session 12) serves as the Senior Pastor of Long Hollow Baptist Church and President of Replicate Ministries. He and his wife, Kandi, have two young sons, Rig and Ryder. Special Session Christmas: Rey De Armas serves as one of the campus pastors at Christ Fellowship in Miami, leading the Coral Gables campus. He is married to Lauren, and they have two daughters, Zoe and Lexi. WRITERS

Notes SESSION 1 1. Dale Ralph Davis, The Message of Daniel, in The Bible Speaks Today (Downers Grove: IVP, 2013), 36. 2. Charles R.

11 Notes SESSION 1 1. Dale Ralph Davis, The Message of Daniel, in The Bible Speaks Today (Downers Grove: IVP, 2013), Charles R. Swindoll, Daniel: God s Pattern for the Future (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1986), J. Hudson Taylor, quoted in Expect Great Things: Mission Quotes That Inform and Inspire, comp. Marvin J. Newell (Pasadena, CA: William Carey Library, 2013), David Helm, Daniel for You (Purcellville, VA: The Good Book Company, 2015), Heinrich Bullinger, Daniel the Most Wise Prophet of God, quoted in Ezekiel, Daniel, ed. Carl L. Beckwith, vol. XII in Reformation Commentary on Scripture: Old Testament (Downers Grove: IVP, 2012), 247. SESSION 2 1. Nate Saint, quoted in Introducing World Missions, 2 nd ed., by A. Scott Moreau, Gary R. Corwin, and Gary B. McGee (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2015) [ebook]. 2. How Firm a Foundation, from John Rippon s Selection of Hymns in Baptist Hymnal (Nashville: LifeWay Worship, 2008), John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Statues, 4.8, New Advent [online; cited 21 April 2016]. Available from the Internet: 4. C. H. Spurgeon, Consolation in the Furnace, Spurgeon s Sermons Volume 11: 1865 [online; cited 21 April 2016]. Available from the Internet: SESSION 3 1. Johann Wigand, Commentaries on Daniel, 12, quoted in Ezekiel, Daniel, ed. Carl L. Beckwith, vol. XII in Reformation Commentary on Scripture: Old Testament, Sinclair B. Ferguson, Daniel, vol. 21 in The Preacher s Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1988) [ebook]. SPECIAL SESSION CHRISTMAS 1. C. S. Lewis, in The Quotable Lewis, eds. Wayne Martindale and Jerry Root (Wheaton: Tyndale, 1989), Matt Chandler with Jared Wilson, The Explicit Gospel (Wheaton: Crossway, 2012), Horatius Bonar, Come, Lord, and Tarry Not, in Christ in Song, by Philip Schaff (New York: Anson D. F. Randolph & Company, 1869), Augustine, Sermons, , quoted in Mark, eds. Thomas C. Oden and Christopher A. Hall, vol. II in Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: New Testament (Downers Grove: IVP, 1998), 186. SESSION 4 1. Joel Belz, Dare to Be a Daniel, WORLD [online], 30 March 1996 [cited 2 May 2016]. Available from the Internet: 2. Stephen R. Miller, Daniel, vol. 18 in The New American Commentary (Nashville: B&H, 2003) [WORDsearch]. 3. Tony Evans, No More Excuses, 10th Anniversary Edition (Wheaton: Crossway, 1996), Menno Simons, A Meditation on the Twenty-Fifth Psalm, in Early Anabaptist Spirituality: Selected Writings, ed. Daniel Liechty (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist, 1994), SESSION 5 1. What are thin places? Thin Places [online], 2014 [cited 3 May 2016]. Available from the Internet: 2. Matt Boswell, Doxology and Theology (Nashville: B&H, 2013), Skye Jethani, With (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2011), Mervin Breneman, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, vol. 10 in The New American Commentary (Nashville: B&H, 2003) [WORDsearch]. 5. Mark D. Roberts, Thin Places: A Biblical Investigation, Reflections on Christ, Church, and Culture [online], 2012 [cited 4 May 2016]. Available from the Internet: SESSION 6 1. Saint Augustine, City of God, 1.8, quoted in The City of God: Books I-VII, trans. Demetrius B. Zema and Gerald G. Walsh, in The Fathers of the Church (Washington D.C.: Catholic University of America Press, 2008), William Wilberforce, quoted in The Life of William Wilberforce, by Robert I. Wilberforce and Samuel Wilberforce, vol. 5 (London: John Murray, 1838), Mervin Breneman, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, vol. 10 in The New American Commentary [WORDsearch]. 4. Ibid. 5. Ed Stetzer, What You Celebrate, You Become, Christianity Today [online], 2 June 2015 [cited 5 May 2016]. Available from the Internet: 6. Charles Spurgeon, in 2,200 Quotations from the Writings of Charles H. Spurgeon, comp. Tom Carter (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1996), 13. SESSION 7 1. Clement of Rome, 1 Clement 55:3-6, quoted in 1 2 Kings, 1 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, ed. Marco Conti, vol. V in Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: Old Testament (Downers Grove: IVP, 2014) [WORDsearch]. 2. Adrian Rogers, Adrianisms: The Wit and Wisdom of Adrian Rogers, vol. 1 (Memphis: Love Worth Finding Ministries, 2006), John Wesley, Wesley s Notes on the Bible, Christian Classics Ethereal Library [online; cited 13 May 2016]. Available from the Internet: SESSION 8 1. Andrew Murray, Humility (New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House, 1982) [ebook]. 2. J. G. McConville, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther, in The Daily Study Bible Series (Louisville: Westminster, 1985), 193. SESSION 9 1. Jerry Bridges, I Will Follow You, O God (Colorado Springs: WaterBrook, 2010), D. L. Moody, Prevailing Prayer, in The D. L. Moody Collection, ed. and comp. James S. Bell Jr. (Chicago: Moody, 1997), 253. SESSION J. I. Packer, Knowing God (Downers Grove: IVP, 1973) [ebook]. 2. Amy Carmichael, If (United States: Popular Classics Publishing, 2012), John Stott and Christopher J. H. Wright, Christian Mission in the Modern World (Downers Grove: IVP, 2015), 27. SESSION John R. W. Stott, Culture and the Bible (Downers Grove: IVP, 1979), Augustine Pagolu, South Asia Bible Commentary, ed. Brian Wintle (Cumbria, UK: Langham Partnership, 2015) [ebook]. 3. A. W. Pink, Eternal Punishment, Providence Baptist Ministries [online], 2012 [cited 23 May 2016]. Available from the Internet: www. pbministries.org. SESSION A. W. Tozer, quoted in Tozer on Worship and Entertainment, comp. James L. Snyder (Camp Hill, PA: WingSpread Publishers, 1997) [ebook]. 2. Matt Papa, Look and Live (Bloomington, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 2014), Michael Catt, The Power of Surrender (Nashville: B&H, 2010), Personal Study Guide

The God Who Deserves Our Allegiance

Session 2 The God Who Deserves Our Allegiance THEOLOGICAL THEME: God alone deserves our ultimate allegiance. Echoing the apostle Paul (Phil. 1:21), Nate Saint (1923-1956), a martyred missionary among the