FBCWest 718 | Even If
Recorded On: 06/28/2026
Bulletin
Hymn # 164 “Grace Greater than All My Sin”
SCRIPTURE READING – Psalm 18:1 - 3
Giving of Selves and Our Offerings
OFFERTORY PRAYER
OFFERTORY MUSIC – Pru Hungate
Praise and Worship
“In the House”
“Raise a Hallelujah”
“What an Awesome God”
Proclamation of the Word
Message by Pastor Joe
“Even If”
PRAYER TIME / Time of Reflection
“Praise You Anywhere”
Sermon Notes
Daniel 3:1 – 7 King’s golden image created and law issued to worship it
Daniel 3:8 – 12 Certain Jews were made known to the king they were not worshipping it
Daniel 3:13 – 15 3 Jewish men were given a chance to change their minds and worship the image, but if they don’t immediately, they would be cast into the fire
Daniel 3:16 – 18 Instead of accepting the king’s offer they say they won’t worship and that God is able to deliver them, but if He does not they still won’t worship the image
Exodus 20:1 – 5 Commandments against what king is demanding
Daniel 3:19 – 30 God delivers them and the king blesses God
Matthew 5:11 & 12 Rejoice at persecution
Hebrews 11:35 – 38 People the world is not worthy of
Scritpures
Transcript of Service
We tend to be reactive in our decision making when a problem or circumstance arises within decide what we should do. However, that oftentimes leads us into making a bad decision. All decisions are unexpected.
There are things in life that we can predetermine, for instance, what type of education will we get married? What type of person do we want to get married to? What type of circumstances and what kind of commitments will we make? We're going to take a man who made a commitment before the circumstance arose, and then that circumstance was a matter of life or death.
They choose their commitment even if it could cause them their death. All right. How do you make a decision? Unfortunately, a lot of people make decisions whenever the problem or circumstance is arrived. Then, because of circumstance, oftentimes, the wrong decision because of that circumstance or problem. And there are a lot of times when life doesn't take you by surprise.
There are decisions that you can make ahead of time. For instance, the decision is you can either make somebody and decide that that person is married. Or before you ever start dating, you can say, what type of person do I want to marry?
And then, as you date or reject dating, you determine that person doesn't match your criteria. Also often, again, decisions are based on circumstance. We're going to take a look at three men, three young men, who made a decision, a commitment before the situation ever arose, and then had the courage to maintain that.
So if you have your Bibles, and you should turn to Daniel chapter three. And it says this, The king made an image of gold, the height of which was 60 qubits, and its width was 6 qubits. And he set up on the plane of Durra Babylon. To give you an idea, basically, he built a 60, a 90-foot golden image, a 9-foot wide image of himself. You think the guy kind of loved himself?
Very much into him. And so 90-foot by 9-foot golden statue erected and then placed so that many people could see it. But he wasn't satisfied with just that. Then, the king sent word to the assembly of the state traps and the prefects and the governors, the counselors, and the treasures, the judges, the magistrates, and all the rulers of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that never can hazard the king at set up. So basically, if you were in any kind of governmental affair, no matter on what level you were, and when the king invite you, that means you don't have a conflict, you're to come at this dedication.
And the state traps, the prefects, the governors, the counselors, the treasures, the judges, the magistrates, and all the rulers of the provinces were to come to the dedication of the image that never can hazard the king at set up. And they stood before the image that never can hazard at set up. So everybody's assembled, everybody's in front of this golden 90-foot statue. Then, to proclaim, to you the command is given. Not a suggestion, a command.
O peoples, nations, and men of every language, so there's no exception. That the moment you hear the sound of the horn, the flute, the lyre, the trigon, the sultry, the backpipe, and all of it, you ought to fall down and worship the golden image that never can hazard the king had set up. So he says, that's the command.
You must fall down when you hear the sound of music, no matter what the instrument is, and you ought to fall down and worship that image of King Nebuchadnezzar. But whoever does not fall down and worship, shall immediately be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire. There's no jury of your peers. There is an immediate response. You don't fall down and worship. Obviously you'll still be standing. You'll be easily identified and cast into a blazing fire. Now, fire is not a good way to go.
It is extremely painful. And so he's making sure that this is not going to be an easy death if you don't do what I tell you to do. Therefore, at that time, when all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, the flute, the lyre, the trigon, the sultry, the backpipe, and all kinds of music, all the peoples of the nations and men of every language fell down and worshiped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar, the king, for this reason, at that time, certain caldians came forward and brought charges against the Jews.
And so they said, they're saying, wait a minute, not everybody's falling down. There's different peoples and different languages. However, the Jews aren't doing this. They will bane the command to worship you. And they responded instead to Nebuchadnezzar, the king, oh, king lived forever.
So, again, they're buttering up. And they're saying this, you, king, have made it a tree that every man who hears the sound of the horn flute on sultry, the backpipe, and all kinds of music, is to fall down and worship the golden image. But, whoever has not fallen down and worshiped shall be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire. They're reminding the king of his own command. They're saying, you order and there was a penalty to be instituted if they did not do it.
There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the administration of the province of Babylon, namely Shadrach, Misha, and Abendigo. These men, oh, king, they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image, which you have set up. So, they bring specific charges against these governmental officials who are Jews and make an accusation that they have not followed the king's name. They are subject to the penalty that the king has commanded. The Nebuchadnezzar and Rage and Anger gave orders to bring Shadrach, Misha, and Abendigo, then these men were brought before the king. Now, these were young men who were the diaspora from Jerusalem and Judea to the kingdom of Babylon. And Daniel and Shadrach, Misha, Abendigo, all were educated in the Babylonian education, eight and appointed administrators in the kingdom because they found great favor and their ability to perform their tasks. But the king is angry.
It's how dare these, the generation of these young men, violate the king's command. Nebuchadnezzar responded and said to them, Is it true, Shadrach, Misha, Abendigo, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? So, he's giving, he's saying these are the charges.
Now, they have the opportunity to say, no, it's not or we didn't understand, but he's giving them an essence, a trial rather than immediately throwing them in the fire because he wants to know, is it true? Now, if you are ready, at the moment you hear the sound of the, the lyrics, the song of the song, the song of the song, and the song of the song, and all kinds of music to fall down and worship the image that I have made very well. But if you do not worship, you will be immediately cast into the fire, the midst of the furnace of the blazing fire. And what God is there for you from my hands. So, he gives them an opportunity to, in essence, repet, you can worship my gods and me. And if you do it, I will be forgiven, but if you don't, you're going to be immediately thrown in to a fire, and you're going to die with a rendous painful death. Notice what they say. Chadraq, Meshak, had a bend to go replied to the king, O'kebin, O'Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer.
They have already made up their minds. You see, they didn't decide at the moment that the king made the command that they were going to follow it, and they didn't decide when they were presented in the circumstances that they weren't going to decide to do it. They made a commitment to God to the life, and their commitment to God was more important than the command of the king and the punishment of the king. They made a commitment. Again, it is easy to kind of fudge your, if you don't make the commitment early. Please say, well, what can I get away with that I don't die? No, they said, we can make a commitment.
So he goes, we don't need, we don't need time to think, we don't need, we're not going to do it. I can deliver us out of your hand. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O'King. So they give glory and praise to God saying, serve, has more power and authority than you do. And he can deliver us out of your hand. That's the God we serve.
But even if he does not, let it be known to you, O'King, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up. We believe God is able and powerful enough that he can save us. He will not bow down even if he does not. All too often you'll hear, especially, believers, whatever say, they'll give testimony how God came and delivered a miracle to them in a time of need. Or you'll hear other people saying that they need a miracle from God. My concern sometimes is, do you worship God because he's a God of miracles? Or you worship God because he's God?
Shadrach, Misha, can have been that our God, there's nothing impossible. And he can deliver them. Now I'm sure they're probably thinking, well, he can deliver them by preventing them from going into the fire. I'm not sure how they think he will do it, but they're convinced that he can. But the issue whether he will or will not deliver them. The issue and the commitment is our relationship to God is more important than even your threat of punishment. Well, there were more believers like this.
Well, these Jews who are in Babylon, young men, understood something. In Exodus chapter 20 verse 1 through 5 it says this, which is part of the Ten Commandments. Then God spoke all these words saying, The Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me. They decided that commandment was worth even their life. And you shall not make any likeness of what is in heaven or above or on the earth beneath or in the waters under the earth.
You've erected a statue, an idol that you want us to worship. God told us not to. You shall not worship them or serve them. Lord your God and a jealous God visiting the inequity of the fathers on the children on the third and fourth generations of those who hate me. They understand and they say, we are going to be committed to Lord our God and we will only serve him. We will not serve other gods because the warning of our God more seriously that he's going to affect the third and fourth generation than we're concerned about our immediate life or death. The Nebuchadnezzar's response is pretty much what you would expect.
The Nebuchadnezzar was filled with wrath and his facial expression was all search for Shadrach, Meshach and Bindigo. No longer are we going to play around no longer a mile from mercy and compassion. I mean, orders to keep the furnace seven times more than it has was usually heated. So he's so mad and goes, I want you to make it as hot as possible. Fire it up because I want them to die because they won't worship me or mine. And command is certain valiant warriors who were in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Bindigo in order to cast them into the furnace of blazing fire. So they're going to be bound hand in foot so that they can be picked up and thrown into this furnace. Then these men were tied to their treasures, their coats and their caps and their other clothes and were cast into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire.
So Nebuchadnezzar followed through with his warning and punishment. And the question is, God who can deliver Shadrach, Meshach and Bindigo out of his hand. For this reason, because the king's man was urgent and the furnace had been made extremely hot, the flame of the fire slew those men who carried up Shadrach, Meshach and Bindigo. They didn't even get into the fire. But these three men, Shadrach, Meshach and Bindigo fell into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire still tied up. Then Nebuchadnezzar, the king, stood up and haste and he said to his high officials, was it not three men we cast bound into the midst of the fire? It's going. There was just Shadrach, Meshach and Bindigo, right?
Those are the three that I ordered sent into the fire, right? And they replied to the king, certainly okay, yeah. That was the order and that was what the execution was. And he said, look, I see four men loose and walking about in the midst of fire without harm.
And the appearance of the fourth is like the son of the gods. What God, for them out of Nebuchadnezzar's hand, one like the son of God. And not only are they not burning in the fire, the only thing that burned was instead had tied them up. And they're walking around in the like they're walking in the patio.
Walking. How wonderful that must have been to be there walking in the fire. And then we're going to as it came near to the door of the furnace of blazing fire. And he responded and said, Shadrach, Meshach and Bindigo, come out, use servants of the most high God and come here. The Shadrach, Meshach came out of the midst of the fire. Notice they didn't come out until the command of the king was to come out. They continued their fellowship in the fire with the fourth person. So the king suddenly understands that there is a God who can deliver them out of history.
And he acknowledges that they are the servants of the most high. They're not his servants. They're not the servants of his idols. But they are the servants of the Lord most high. The sad traps, the prefix, the governors and the king's high officials gathered around and saw in regard to these three that had the fire had been in the fire. And the fire had no effect on their bodies of these men. The hair of their head, cinched, nor was their trousers damaged, nor had the smell of even the fire came upon them.
No impact whatsoever. And God does it perfectly. Not even the smoke.
I can't even go to a fire pit where you want to roast marshmallows or just be heated or go down to the beach. Every time I want to sit someplace, the smoke comes to me. And then I'll move and then the smoke comes and I get home and I feel like smoke. They're in the fire. And there's no impact. No sinches of their skin or their hair. Their trousers are done and not even a hint of smoke.
God completely doesn't partially say he completely saves. And as a respondent and said, blessed be the God of Shadrach Mishak and Vindigo, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants to put their trust in him. And he let up their bodies as so as to not to serve or worship any God except their own God. He gives praise to God that these men were committed to their God. Is it to the rest of his officials about these men giving glory to God and acknowledgement of their commitment? Therefore I make it a creed that any people, nation or tongue that speaks anything of them out of Shadrach Mishak and Vindigo shall be torn limb from limb and their houses reduce to a rubbish heap in as much as there is no other God who is able to deliver in this way. So the king what there is no God who can do it to there is. And if you speak against him, we're going to wipe you out.
Talk about a complete change of governmental policy. It's kind of like an America where we used to once praise God and then we kicked all of the Bible readings out of. And you can. Talk about anything except your face. Completely changed. You talk against God. You'll be in trouble. Then the king caused Shadrach Mishak to prosper in the province of Babylon.
Now. I think that there's a particular reason God saved Shadrach Mishak and Vindigo. Probably you'll hear the reason he did it was because of their great faith. And I think they had great faiths demonstrated that they say God is able to do this.
And if he does it, we're not going to say the reason I think he spared Shadrach Mishak and Vindigo was not. The purposes of their faith. But to give him glory throughout Babylon. Suddenly the kings who demanded worship of himself said no, there's no other God's like the God or Shadrach Mishak and Vindigo.
God gave. From their testimony and their actions. So much so. That for a period of time that Jews were protected in Babylon. Now, there will come a time that they won't be again.
And they will be in the place of salvation because of what Shadrach Mishak and Vindigo did to deliver glory to God. A protection to believers. All too often when we're persecuted. We feel why me, how come life isn't better and whatever Jesus tells us. What are you when people insult you and persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice to me glad for your reward in heaven is great. Or in the same way they persecuted the prophets.
Notice Jesus and say, hope to get out of persecution. And when you're persecuted, you should be rejoicing and being glad because your reward in heaven is great. Shadrach Mishak and Vindigo. We know them because of their act of defiance because of their commitment to God. But there are others that we do not know who weren't delivered.
It says this in Hebrews chapter 11 verse 35 through 38. Women received back their dead by resurrection. And others were tortured not accepting their release so that they might obtain a better resurrection.
Some people got back their ones who were dead. But not others. Others who were tortured said you don't release me because they wanted a better resurrection. And others experienced markings and scourging. Yes, also changed and imprisonment.
They were stoned. They were sawed in two. They were tempted. They were put to death with the sword. They went about in sheep's glint skins and goat skins being destitute afflicted ill treated.
Some convicts didn't have any less faith that Shadrach Mishak and Vindigo. I believe their commitment was equal to theirs. But God received greater glory in their persecutions. And therefore he allowed it to happen. It wasn't that they didn't have the same faith as Shadrach Mishak and Vindigo.
But God's glory would be increased by these things that happened. Men from the world was not worthy. Wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. And people who this world is not worthy. I am not worthy of the love of God, but he loves me anyway. I am not worthy of the grace that he has given me, but he has given it to me anyway.
But perhaps, perhaps, I might be this world is not worthy of. But I think that we are not worthy of the love of God. We are not worthy of the love of God. We are not worthy of the love of God. We don't know the names of any of these people. And I will probably know and will ever know my name.
Except my name is Britain and the Book of Life. And that's where I care that it is written. And that's where I want to be known. But I hope it to be my goal or goal to be a person this world is not worthy of. Because our God is God. And we've made a commitment to Him no matter the circumstance and all God's people said.