STAND UP AND BE COUNTED
Vol. IX, No. 7, August 1996
[This sermon was delivered by Dr. James G. Merritt, pastor of First Baptist Church, Snellville, GA, on 10 June at the SBC Pastors' Conference in New Orleans. It has been slightly abbreviated due to space limitations. Bold print has been added for emphasis. The September Banner will include another sermon from that conference, one by Dr. Bailey Smith.]
The Olympics are coming to Atlanta. The Olympic flame is coming through America. But Cobb County, in Atlanta, has been declared off limits to the Olympic flame. Why? Because of this resolution that was passed by five Cobb County Commissioners:
Whereas, the Cobb County Commission is legally charged with protection of the safety, health, and welfare of the community; and
Whereas, there are increasing assaults on those community standards which further the protection of the public safety, health, and welfare; and
Whereas, the Board of Commissioners believes that as the elected representatives of the citizens it is selected in part to articulate and protect those community standards; and
Whereas, the Board of Commissioners believes it must not sit silently and watch those community standards be undermined; and
Whereas, gay rights issues have been a recent focus of policy decisions from the federal to state and local levels of government; and
Whereas, the Board of Commissioners desires to establish a public policy, which will be forwarded to appropriate elected officials on behalf of the community; and
Whereas, the Board of Commissioners makes the following findings of fact:
That the traditional family structure is in accord with those community standards; and
That this traditional lifestyle has been proven to be the primary and best method for fostering a positive development in children, and a support network for the elderly; and
That this family structure has provided the best mechanism for maintaining a lifestyle which leaves citizens independent of their government for support; and
That lifestyles advocated by the gay community should not be endorsed by government policy makers because they are incompatible with the standards to which this community subscribes; and
That gay lifestyle unions are directly contrary to state laws;
Now therefore be it resolved:
1. Cobb County openly and vigorously supports the current community standards and established state laws regarding gay lifestyles;
2. The Board of Commissioners pledges not to fund those activities which seek to contravene these existing standards;
3. The Board of Commissioners, as the policy-making political body of the Cobb County community, seeks the support of other elected officials in protecting its standards;
4. The Board of Commissioners believes that this policy will serve and protect the health, safety, and welfare of its constituents; and
5. Be it further resolved, the Board of Commissioners intends to send this message to policy-makers of this country such that a previously silent voice will now be heard.
Thirty years ago that resolution would have been met with a standing ovation from City Hall to the Post Office. But after three decades of moral degeneration, spiritual deterioration, and political disintegration, instead of being heroes, those commissioners have been made into villains. They have been thrown into the fiery furnace of a world whose god is self, whose creed is tolerance, and whose motto is "go along to get along."
Daniel 3 tells us of a similar incident of three young men who went against public opinion and were thrown into a fiery furnace because of standing for what was right, and standing against what was wrong. This story is as up-to-date as today's newspaper and yesterday's resolution.
A Devilish Commandment
The background of this story involves three things: First, it involves an evil location. Verse I tells us that it takes place in "the province of Babylon." In the Bible Babylon has both literal and great symbolic significance. Biblically, Babylon represents the kingdom of Satan. We are introduced to Babel in Genesis 11 where the tower of Babel was built.
This tower of rebellion against God was the first attempt to establish a one-world government and a one-world religion. By the way, that was not only the devil's goal then, it is the devil's goal now. Babylonian religion always has three characteristics: it idolizes man, humanizes God, and criticizes the Bible.
But in this evil location, there was an evil leader. The leader of Babylon was Nebuchadnezzar. He was the most powerful monarch the world has ever known. No one else, before or since, has ruled over more people and property with such power as Nebuchadnezzar. He was the commander in chief of the most powerful army on the face of the earth. He was the high priest of political correctness. He wanted everyone to bow down at the same altar, worship the same god, make sure everybody was included, and nobody was excluded.
Now why do I call him an evil leader? Because he passed an evil law. Verses 2-6 tell us that he gathered together the political leaders of all of the provinces in the country to attend the dedication ceremony of the golden image he was going to erect. Everyone at the appointed time was to bow down and worship this golden image.
Incidentally, if you want to know whether or not a leader is evil, don't listen to what he says, look at the laws that he passes and the laws that he vetoes. I want to say to veto a law that would prevent partial birth abortions, is just plain evil.
There were to be no exemptions and no exceptions. Everybody who was somebody had gathered on the plain of Dura to join "the cult of conformity and bow down to this pagan idol." The mayors were there, the governors were there, the congressmen were there, the senators were there, the cabinet members were there. There were people being interviewed on "Good Morning Babylon!" There was live coverage on CNN – "the Chaldean News Network." With great pomp and circumstance, at the appointed time, thousands of people did the first wave in history, and everyone bowed down to worship this golden image - except three men.
A Daring Courage
A devilish commandment was met by a daring courage. Here on a flat plain thousands of people had bowed down before this golden image; and sticking out like a sore thumb, like three tall Virginia pines in the Sahara desert, were these three Hebrew men. What courage it took for these three men to stand when nobody else would. It doesn't take any courage to be a part of the immoral majority; it takes courage to be a part of the moral minority.
These young men could have rationalized and compromised so easily. They could have said, for example, "Well, I don't believe I ought to let my religion interfere with my politics." They could have said, "Everybody else is doing it, and when in Babylon I ought to do what the Babylonians do." They could have said, "I don't believe I ought to impose my morality on somebody else." They could have said, "Well, I'll bow down on the outside, but I won't bow down on the inside." They could have said, "Well, after all, it's the law and I need to be a good citizen." They could have said, "We'll do more good by living than we will by dying. It's better to be a live coward than it is to be a dead hero."
But not these men. They had rather burn than turn. They had rather defy the law than to deny the Lord. They had rather have their flesh sizzle than their faith fizzle.
Abraham Kuyper once said, "When principles that run against your deepest convictions begin to win the day, then battle is your calling, and peace has become sin; you must, at the price of dearest peace, lay your convictions bare before friend and enemy, with all the fire of your faith."
That is exactly what these three young men did. They would rather face a fiery furnace than to fail a faithful father.
A Devoted Commitment
A daring courage led to a devoted commitment. Verses 13-15 tell us that when Nebuchadnezzar heard what these boys had done, his fury was hotter than the fire, and his forehead redder than the flames. But he decides to give these boys a second chance. He gives them a simple choice - turn or burn.
But notice their response in v.16, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, '0 Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter." I just love that. They did not fear, flinch, or fudge. They said, "Neb, the time for talk is over. It is not up for debate, discussion, or deliberation - read our lips: we may burn, but we won't bend, and we won't bow, and we won't budge."
Now it is right here you need to learn your first lesson. In a storm it is the tallest tree in the forest that is most likely to draw the lightning. For lightning, more times than not, strikes the tallest object. So you just remember that those who stand tallest for God will be the ones who draw the fire.
A Decided Confidence
A devoted commitment led to a decided confidence. "If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us from your hand, 0 king." (v.l7) They were not going to walk into that furnace moaning, "Oh woe is me." They were going to stride into that furnace singing, "What a mighty God we serve." They faced that fire with faith, not fear. The reason they had such a great faith was because they placed it in such a great God.
They knew they served a God who is able to deliver. We need to be reminded again and again, in these turbulent times, that we serve a God who is able. How able is he? He is "able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think." (Eph. 3:20)
Scientifically, our God is able to take nothing and turn it into everything. Emotionally, our God is able to take sorrow and turn it into sweetness; grief and turn it into glory; a heartache and turn it into a hallelujah. Physically, God is able to take illness and turn it into wellness. Spiritually, God is able to take a sinner and turn him into a saint. Eternally, God is able to take the sunset of death and turn it into the sunrise of resurrection. Our God is able.
A Determined Conviction
A decided confidence led to a determined conviction. V. 18, in my opinion, may be the greatest statement of faith in all of the Bible: "But if not, let it be known to you, 0 king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the golden image which you have set up." These young men knew that God could deliver them from the fiery furnace, but they did not know that he would deliver them. But whether he delivered them from it or through it, their lives and their love belonged only to the God of heaven.
There was no small print in the contract of their commitment. If God delivered them from the furnace, they would live for him. If God delivered them through the furnace, they would live with him. But either way, as Job said, "even though he slay me, yet will I trust him." (Job 13:15)
These young men had made up their minds that it would be better to die for a conviction than to live by a compromise. I want to say here, it is better for a denomination to wither, dry, and die on the vine, than to live by compromising on the Word of God.
I believe the greatest faith in the world is a "but if not" faith. You see, it is one thing to have faith to escape the furnace, it's another thing to have faith to endure the furnace. The airwaves are filled with this "feel it and heal it" theology that talks about the faith to be healed. Well, it does take faith to be healed. But it takes more faith not to be healed and praise God just the same.
A Divine Companion
When they went into that fire, their daring courage, devoted commitment, decided confidence, and determined conviction were met with a divine companion. Nebuchadnezzar's forehead is now hotter than the furnace; and he heats the furnace seven times hotter just to make sure these men would be crispy critters.
But then the fun begins: "Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, 'Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?' They answered and said to the king, 'True, 0 king.' 'Look!' he answered, 'I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.'" (vv. 24-25)
Now the reason why this fourth person looked like the Son of God is because he was the Son of God. This was an Old Testament appearance of the New Testament Jesus. Verse 24 tells us that three men went into the fire. Verse 25 tells us there were four men in the fire. Verse 26 tells us that three men came out of the fire. So where does that leave the fourth man? - still in the fire. Do you know what that tells me? Many of my fellow preachers are fighting deacons, demons, and devils (in that order). Many of you are going to leave this convention to go back into a fiery furnace. But when you do, just remember the Lord Jesus is already there waiting for you.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon said, "The refiner is never far from the mouth of the furnace when his gold is in the fire." When you are thrown into the furnace because you stand for God, you will find God in the furnace ready to stand with you. Jesus did not come into this world to get us out of trouble. He came into this world to get into trouble with us.
That's why we never need to fear the furnace. If these boys had kept their mouths shut, minded their own business, and done what they had been told, they would not have been thrown into that furnace. But if they had not been thrown into that furnace, they would never have experienced the presence of God, they would never have enjoyed the power of God, they would never have been enveloped by the protection of God. It is better, in every case, to be in the furnace with God than out of the furnace without God.
A Delightful Conclusion
All of this led to a delightful conclusion. Not only did these men get the victory, but God got the glory. He even got glory from the very one who tried to make himself God to begin with Nebuchadnezzar. Notice, first of all, his doxology: "Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, 'Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who sent his angel and delivered his servants who trusted in him, and they have frustrated the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God!" (v.28) The one who began this story blaspheming God, ends the story by blessing God.
Then notice his decree: "Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other god who can deliver like this." (v.29) So much for religious neutrality and the separation of church and state! Babylon had a new motto: one nation under God.
Then notice his declaration: "Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon." (v.30) Because these young men obeyed God, they went from the furnace to the palace. Now, did everybody like them? No. Was everybody pleased with them? No. Did everybody speak well of them? No.
But once again these three young men teach us a great lesson. The enemies you make by taking a firm stand for what is right will have more respect for you than the friends you make by straddling the fence.
Things are heating up for Christians in America. The vast majority of this nation is bowing down to every god but God, and it hates those of us in the minority who still stand for God. But I want you to remember the words of William Jennings Bryan who said:
Never be afraid to stand with the minority, which is right. For the minority, which is right, will one day be the majority. Always be afraid to stand with the majority, which is wrong, for the majority, which is wrong, will one day be the minority.
When so many other denominations have sold their spiritual birthright for a mess of modernistic pottage, bowing down to the pagan gods of tolerance, compromise, and acceptance, Southern Baptist churches need to stand up and be counted. Our backs need to be straight, our flag needs to be flown high, our banner must be clear, and we must say, "Until Jesus comes, without hesitation, reservation, or equivocation, we will stand with the God of the Word, and for the Word of God.