========================================================================
  WORSHIP, TESTED BY FIRE
  by Keith Malcomson
========================================================================

Summary: This sermon focuses on the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego in Daniel chapter 3, highlighting the importance of true
worship being tested by fire. It emphasizes the perversion of worship in
the world, the trial of true worship, the trial of true worshipers, and
the triumph of true worshipers in the midst of fiery trials. The sermon
encourages believers to be true worshipers of God, even when faced with
opposition and challenges.

Topics: "True Worship", "Faith in Trials"
Scripture References: Daniel 3:17, Isaiah 43:2, Job 1:20, Psalm 66:10, Revelation 1:15, Isaiah 43:2, Daniel 3:27

------------------------------------------------------------------------
DESCRIPTION
------------------------------------------------------------------------

This sermon focuses on the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in
Daniel chapter 3, highlighting the importance of true worship being
tested by fire. It emphasizes the perversion of worship in the world,
the trial of true worship, the trial of true worshipers, and the triumph
of true worshipers in the midst of fiery trials. The sermon encourages
believers to be true worshipers of God, even when faced with opposition
and challenges.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
CONTENT
------------------------------------------------------------------------

tonight. Praise God. Please turn with me in the book of Daniel to Daniel
chapter 3 here tonight.

Daniel chapter 3 and we're coming to our third bible study. We're coming
to our third bible study here in Daniel chapter 3 in the word of God and
we want to read from this chapter. We're on our third message here and
we're taking a chapter by chapter and we've said that this entire series
is called the heavens rule Daniel chapter 4 verse 26 the heavens to rule
that is the theme of every chapter in this book and if you begin to
understand that as you read these chapters you begin to see the fullness
of what it means for heaven or for the God of heaven to rule from on
high upon the earth here tonight this third message and listen carefully
to the title here worship tested by fire worship tested by fire reading
from Daniel chapter 3 Daniel chapter 3 and verse 1 Nebuchadnezzar the
king made an image of gold whose height was three score cubits and the
bread thereof was six cubits he set it up in the plain of Dura in the
province of Babylon then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together
the princes the governors and the captains the judges the treasurers the
counselors the sheriffs and all the rulers of the province to come to
the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up
then the princes the governors and captains the judges the treasurers
the counselors the sheriffs and all the rulers of the province were
gathered together onto the dedication of the image of Nebuchadnezzar the
king had set up and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had
set up then a herald cried aloud to you it is commanded oh people
nations and languages that all that at what time ye hear the sound of
the cornet flute harp sackbut the psaltery the dulcimer and all kinds of
music you shall fall down and worship the golden image that
Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up and whoso falleth not down and
worshipeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of the burning
furnace therefore at that time when all the people heard the sound of
the cornet the flute the harp the sackbut the psaltery and all kinds of
music all the people the nations and the languages fell down and
worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up
wherefore at that time certain chaldeans came near and accused the jews
they speak and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar oh king live forever thou
oh king has made a decree that every man that shall hear the sound of
the cornet the flute the harp the sackbut the psaltery the dulcimer and
all kinds of music shall fall down and worship the golden image and
whoso falleth not down and worshipeth that he should be cast into the
midst of a burning fiery furnace there are certain jews who now set over
the affairs of the province of Babylon Shadrach Meshach and Abednego
these men oh king have not regarded thee they serve not thy gods nor
worship the which thou has set up then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and
fury commanded to bring Shadrach Meshach and Abednego then they brought
these men before the king Nebuchadnezzar speak and said unto him is it
true oh Shadrach Meshach and Abednego do not ye serve my gods nor
worship the golden image which I have set up now if ye be ready at what
time you hear the sound of the cornet the flute the harp the sackbut the
psaltery and the dulcimer and all kinds of music you fall down and
worship the image which I have made well but if you worship not you
shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace
and who is that god that shall deliver you out of my hands Shadrach
Meshach and Abednego answered and said to the king oh Nebuchadnezzar we
are not careful to answer thee in this matter if it be so our god whom
we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace and he
will deliver us out of thy hand oh king but if not be it known unto thee
oh king that we will not serve thy gods nor worship the golden image
which thou has set up then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury and the form
of his visage was changed against Shadrach Meshach and Abednego
therefore he spake and he commanded that they should heat the furnace
one seven times more than it was want to be heated and he commanded the
most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach Meshach and
Abednego and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace then these men
were bound in their coats their hosing and their hats and their garments
and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace therefore
because the king's commandment was urgent the furnace was was exceeding
hot the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach Meshach
and Abednego and these three men Shadrach Meshach and Abednego fell down
bound in the midst of the burning fiery furnace let's pray here tonight
as we come to this bible study it's not learning that we desire but that
god would speak to us that the word of god may sanctify us tonight
father we pray nor god that your holy spirit would move and breathe upon
the written scriptures make it alive apply it to every single individual
heart in this meeting and who listen to these message later nor god i
pray that you speak from heaven that you prepare us as a vessel as a
body that through these messages you will make us ready for what is
going to come in the year ahead father i pray that you'd even come with
that spirit of prophecy that reveals jesus christ that makes christ real
and alive and lord god make these messages to be timely in your hand and
your will and your purpose we are looking that you forge a vessel of
recovery that you have an instrument that you're going to forge in the
fire that you have a people that will not bend that will not bow and
that will not burn in this last day father we pray for your blessing on
your word as we seek for your mind your thoughts and your ways in jesus
mighty name amen god bless you here tonight as we come to this third
bible study as we look at the book of daniel i have never taught the
entire book of daniel before many times i've went into it and taught
sections of it but never have i taught all the way through i believe
it's for this hour this time and for this people i do believe we're
living in days in which we need to hear the central true message of
daniel if you actually grew up in sunday school or a church environment
all of us knew from children this chapter three of daniel where it talks
about the fiery furnace we all heard about it we may not have known much
else of daniel but we did know this and we did know about daniel being
put in the den of lance that's as much as most people knew about the
book of daniel then there's others who teach bible prophecy and they
don't even deal with these prop and popular chapters but i want to show
you tonight it all goes together prophecy about the last days about the
last hours of time and what's going to happen in our world it actually
fits in with these ancient stories don't think that this chapter is out
of place with what we've dealt with for two chapters and what we're
going to deal with in the weeks ahead don't think that it's strange that
it's put here it is deliberate and it is for us upon whom the last days
are coming our message here tonight is worship tested by fire most of
those who preach or teach this chapter talk about faith being tested by
fire but i don't believe that is right here tonight as we read this
chapter you find that four times musical instruments are listed in
detail but more than that the word worship is used 10 times in this
chapter and since i want to tell you that isn't all there is also the
mention the repeated mention of a fiery furnace when you bring all this
together i believe you have a message worship tested by fire and we're
going to define what we mean here by this as we study this chapter and
seek to get the mind of god this is the third chapter in the third
message we're dealing with at the end of chapter one that we preached on
the first week we looked at how three years of training in babylon and
right at the end of chapter one they were tested on their purity in
chapter one and at the end of three years we read that when they're
brought in before nebuchadnezzar and he begins to speak to them he notes
their wisdom and their knowledge and he found them 10 times better than
all the magicians and astrologers that were in his realm in other words
they were twice as high they stood out from everybody else and we began
to see their rise to influence within the realm of babylon at the end of
chapter two where we left off last week and didn't have time to finish
the last few verses right at the end of chapter two as daniel gives the
dream and the interpretation we read at the end of chapter two then king
nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face and worshiped daniel and commanded
that they should offer an oblation and a sweet odor unto him it goes on
further nebuchadnezzar speaking to daniel of a truth it is that your god
is a god of gods and a lord of kings and a revealer of secrets see him
now could us reveal this secret then the king and notice this this is
before chapter three and i want you to mark this carefully as we begin
to go into chapter three then the king made daniel a great man and gave
him great gifts and made him ruler over the whole province of babylon
and of the chief of the governors over the wise men of babylon then
daniel requested the king that he should set shadrach meshach and
abednego over the affairs of the province of babylon but daniel sat in
the gate of the king what you see at the end of chapter one is the rise
of these faithful servants of god at the end of chapter two you see the
rise of these faithful servants of god and at the end of chapter three
as we're going to see tonight you see the rise of the faithful servants
of god they can go through trials threats of death they can go through
opposition but always at the end you find this remnant coming forth out
of all the trials everything that is thrown at them we see at the end of
chapter two that shadrach meshach and abednego are promoted by king
nebuchadnezzar over the entire province of babylon can you imagine this
this is the rise of babylon to be a worldwide power the strongest
largest empire up until that point in history and yet he exalts these
young godly godly holy men these men of prayer these pure men he
promotes them over the land and they're able to serve under the dominion
of babylon don't tell me that we can't live and walk in this generation
an hour i don't care how strong babylon deaths you're gonna have a
people who keep rising up in the midst of it that's always the way it's
gonna be now let me bring you to chapter three here tonight between
chapter two and chapter three there is an unknown period of about 15 to
20 years in other words these young men shadrach meshach and abednego
who have been serving as politicians as ambassadors of the king they are
now in their mid or late 30s at least and they are serving in this
babylonian kingdom and i want you to remember it was through a
remarkable intervention of god that king nebuchadnezzar bowed down and
worshipped daniel and raised these young men to power over all of his
magicians over all of his astrologers in the land but it's now 15 to 20
years after the dream that nebuchadnezzar had of that great image that
we taught last week in chapter two my message here tonight is worship
tested by the fire worship tested by fire and my first point here listen
carefully the perversion of true worship you see i believe that's the
first thing that we encounter in daniel chapter three and i believe this
is a message for those that live in the last days when babylon is rising
again you are about to have your life of worship tested by fire but this
is an hour in which worship has been perverted in other words the word
perverted means it's been turned inside out back to front upside down in
other words what we know as worship in the church of this generation in
this world of ours what is called worship today is a perversion and i
want to say that so strongly what generally we call worship is not true
biblical worship and this is the first thing that i find in daniel
chapter three the perversion of true worship what we find at the
beginning of chapter three after 15 or 20 years of history we see
worship being perverted read with me in chapter three in verse one
nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of whose height was three score
cubits and the breadth thereof six cubits he set it up in the plain of
dura in the province of babylon you see in chapter two of daniel
nebuchadnezzar has a dream from the lord daniel the prophet interpreted
that dream now look at it it was a dream straight from god it was divine
it wasn't nebuchadnezzar it wasn't daniel it was from the lord it
predicted the future it was supernatural it had divine revelation that
is daniel chapter two of the image this enormous image in his dream when
we begin to come over to daniel chapter three we see what nebuchadnezzar
does with that god-given dream and what we see all men do with dreams
that come from god we see that nebuchadnezzar takes that dream and 15
years after having that dream given by god he creates something else out
of it you see men have dreams from god revelation direction they're
shown the future but they take this out of the hands of god and in their
pride and arrogance they make it a man-centered thing and a means of
idolatrous worship what did nebuchadnezzar do a dream given by god he
actually builds the literal image and raises it up as a great thing to
be seen to be felt to be adored and to be acknowledged by men you see
i'm talking about the perversion of worship you won't understand this
chapter until you see the context the context of this entire chapter is
men taking what comes from god you see i believe that this image this
statue built are made by nebuchadnezzar he got his inspiration from god
he got the thought he got the vision he got the picture from god but he
turned it into something idolatrous when we look at it being 60 cubits
that's about 90 feet tall and six cubits in its breadth is about nine
feet wide now look at this great image that stood in the midst of the
plane another in other words they went outside the city out into a bare
plane maybe six miles away and they raised up this great image this
great golden image and you know what it was on a flat plane that if you
were 15 miles away you could have seen this image nebuchadnezzar wanted
everybody to see this image from a great distance from even 15 miles
away notice that it was an image it was in the likeness of a man that's
what the word image means it was made in a likeness of a man that number
six i don't believe is accidental 60 cubits then six cubits again we
know that the number six is the number of man in other words this image
is a man-centered thing it's about the glory of man it's for man it came
out of man it was never god's will what starts with divine revelation
men take and make something out of it i see this all across the church
of our generation preachers music teams all sorts of ministries you know
what happened it started as a vision a dream or an anointing from god
god gave a word revealed the future revealed his desire began to show
things from his perspective but you know what men do in our generation
they've made idolatrous worship in the house of god they raise up images
to preachers to worship teams and you know what worship becomes
idolatrous it can become a terrible thing of idolatry if you're not very
careful notice as well the statue was made of gold nebuchadnezzar made
it of gold god didn't make it of gold it was the inspiration of man you
know what nebuchadnezzar was saying this image is divine this comes from
god gold always represents the divine nature or that which comes from
god do you know what this means remember the dream in daniel chapter 2
first the head is made of gold then the next part is silver then bronze
then iron down to the clay feet do you remember last week that god
revealed to nebuchadnezzar and he accepted it 15 years before he could
accept that another kingdom is going to rise up and replace you and then
another kingdom and then another kingdom he could accept that he never
argued against it he bowed to this but here in this chapter the image
that he creates he has rejected the idea that he's going to be replaced
that his kingdom will have an end that his ministry will have an end
that there's a day when god finishes with men and sets them aside or
sets churches aside or sets ministries aside you know what he is saying
my my ministry my kingdom will last forever it is of god there'll be no
end right down to the end times to the very last days i tell you this
was idolatrous worship that we see with nebuchadnezzar the dream reveals
that god raised him up to be king in chapter 2 but now in chapter 3 we
see a self-made man who's claiming divinity who makes an image in his
own likeness i i believe the head of that image in daniel 3 was the face
of nebuchadnezzar you see in chapter 2 daniel said the head is you that
head of gold that head of gold you know god can reveal truth to you and
when it's received with a humble heart you remain humble but if you're
not careful you can take what is of god and become proud the thing is
still true the thing was spoken the thing was of god but what you begin
to do with it or allow it to affect you you that are called into
ministry be very careful you can start in the spirit and end up in the
flesh you can be called of god and yet you take it into your own hands
be very very careful it says in verse 2 then nebuchadnezzar the king
sent to gather together the princes the governors the captains the
judges the treasurers the counselors the sheriffs and all the rulers of
the province to come to the dedication of the image when nebuchadnezzar
the king which nebuchadnezzar the king had set up this was the
consecration of this image look at this great gathering there could have
been 300 000 people gathered here and you know what nebuchadnezzar was
going to do this image this man-made thing this is what he done with the
dream of god this is where it's came to that he creates it in his own
image removes the parts he doesn't like and keeps the parts that he does
like that's what he done with that dream from god and it's all through
the church of this generation it's all through this generation preachers
are marked by this they leave out what they don't like and they claim as
their own to dominate everything what they do like you see there was a
consecration of this ministry or this image maybe it's your gift and
your calling your anointing and your position you're lifted up high and
you begin to consecrate it and dedicate it and yet it's become something
why didn't you do that 15 years ago why are you doing it now you know
why because you have very little you you have very little left in all of
this it says nebuchadnezzar gathered them all together there was a
ecumenical unity gathering do you know 100 years ago in the year 1907 it
was rockefeller and carnegie who began to finance the beginning of the
ecumenical movement the modern religious ecumenical movement that spread
across the world and some 60 years later infiltrated and took over the
roman catholic church do you know who it began with politicians money
men men of great intelligence who hated god you know what they done they
started a unity movement be careful of false religious idolatrous unity
movements you know most of that is from the pit of hell it's a man-made
thing it's to the glory of man it's got nothing to do with the lord
jesus christ and then notice here as it as they gathered all of these
men together listen to what he's what what he said he sent out a herald
to say you are going to worship this is my point first of all the
perversion of true worship all that you're seeing here is worship gone
wrong worship gone bad you see four times in this chapter we have a list
of musical instruments and most people think when you have music the
lights are right you get a big crowd we're all in unity then you have
spiritual revival and it must be of god i want to tell you music is not
true worship in this first point i want you to see that idolatry
idolatry is a terrible thing to god you better be careful what you bow
down to what you serve what you worship what you sacrifice to it's the
second commandment given by god thou shalt make no graven image and yet
lots of men in the church have made things they have created it they
have an image that they have created a graven image and they want men to
serve it sacrifice to it may it never happen in this church we want to
sacrifice to god not a man not a movement not a church you're
sacrificing to the lord jesus christ that keeps worship in its right
perspective when you realize it can't be a man-made thing it's a
perversion when it becomes about man but second of all my second point
the trial of true worship the trial not only the perversion of true
worship but here in this chapter we have the trial or the testing of
true worship because in this chapter we have false idolatrous worship
but we also have true real godly worship and what we see second of all
is god allowing the testing of true worship everybody i believe in this
hour and as we head towards 2021 that we are going to see a great test
of the worship of every individual in the church your worship is about
to be tested there is going to be a trial of true worship as we watch
the rise of babylon babylon saturating our every area of society do you
know where it's your worship is going to be tested and you better make
sure that you know what true worship really is see in daniel chapter one
purity is tested purity is tested in daniel chapter six prayer is tested
prayer is tested and we'll come to that in the weeks ahead but in daniel
chapter three worship is tested how do you test worship you test it with
false worship and you test it with fire you see true worship must be
tested by fire that is the very character and nature of true worship you
don't know what true worship is until it goes in the fire you you don't
even understand worship until you worship in the fire you see if we're
to find out what sort of worship that you have it's going to be tested
by fire by trials persecution troubles false accusation and anger 10
times in this chapter the word worship is used 10 times that's not
accidental this chapter is not about faith it's primarily about true
worship and the trial of true worship it says in verse four then on the
herald cried aloud in other words a preacher in the new testament a
preacher is called a herald someone who opens his mouth and cries aloud
for all to hear well in verse four there is a babylonian preacher who
cried aloud some people out there when they watch my videos say why do
you have to shout well it's a biblical teaching you don't have to like
it i may not even like it but one sure thing it's a biblical thing lift
up thy voice and cry aloud i can't help lifting my voice i'm passionate
about what i believe and preach i would die for the message that i
preach here tonight then the herald cried aloud to you it is commanded
you're not given a choice i'm talking about the trial of true worship a
command is given oh people nations and languages that at what time you
hear the sound of the cornet the flute the harp the sackbut the sultry
the dulcimer and all kinds of music you fall down and worship the golden
image that nebuchadnezzar the king has set up and whoso faileth or sorry
whoso falleth not down and worshipeth shall the same hour be cast into
the midst of a burning fiery furnace i want you to see here that the
worship of this world i mean false worship the worship that isn't true
worship it is marked by musical instruments now let me say i love
musical instruments we use musical instruments i love the sound of
musical instruments i wish i could play them but that is not worship and
if you don't understand that tonight you'll always be confused worship
is not music worship is not instruments it's not a certain sound a
certain atmosphere it's not dulling the lights down it's not creating an
atmosphere where you feel goosebumps you see in this great ecumenical
gathering of nebuchadnezzar with this great golden man-made man-centered
image you see true worship being tested here we are going to find out
what is true worship those who go with us are not true worshipers they
might stomp their foot they might clap their hands they might lift their
hands they may weep with emotion they may feel many things or have
experiences but i assure you they know nothing about true worship they
think that worship is music emotion atmosphere and numbers that is not
worship you see they were told when it comes to the worship time you've
got to bow down in your face my bible forbids that my bible forbids that
you've got to honor this golden image my bible forbids that and there's
a threat here if you don't worship like this then you will be cast into
the burning fiery furnace do you know what this is this is man-made
worship it is inaugurated by man controlled by man timed by man planned
by man organized by man and staged by man it is dominated by musical
instruments but that is not what the bible teaches true worship is do
you tonight understand what worship means we've got an entire young
generation in the church they think it's a dulling down of lights
playing the guitar in a certain way dressing like a scruff bag on a
stage that's what they think worship is gelling your hair that's a sum
total of their worship creating a certain sound that is nothing to do
with worship the bible nowhere says that that is worship that is
counterfeit worship that is perverted worship and you know what that
type of worship is going to test true worship in the midst of this
generation all that have gone with that and promoted contemporary
worship know nothing about worship what it proves is you've failed the
test you don't know what worship is the actual meaning of the hebrew
word worship in the old testament as well as in the new testament it
means to crouch down to bow down on your knees or to be prostrate flat
on your face on the ground that is what the word worship means it means
to give homage reverence and notice this next word submission in olden
days before kings the act of lying flat on your face before a king was
the highest act that you could do it meant you obeyed him you submitted
to him and you would do whatsoever he said it was an act of utter
humility and submission and the person abasing themself was putting
themselves in the dust at the feet of another person that is true
worship not feelings not emotions not music it is an act of submission
an act of humility it is a position below the other person now that's
what the word means but let me show you what the bible teaches true
worship is and you know these verses i'm sure in job chapter 1 verse 20
listen carefully this is just after job lost his 10 children a thousand
oxen 500 asses 7000 sheep 3000 camels and all maybe hundreds of his
servants apart from four he lost all of this listen to what he does at
the end of this in job chapter 120 then job arose and rent his mantle
and shaved his head and he fell down upon the ground and he worshipped
this is an act of true worship there's no music there's no feelings
there's no atmosphere nobody else is there and yet he worships god
you've got to learn this is the true biblical definition of worship and
in daniel chapter 3 worship is being tested there is a trial to find out
who truly worships god and who does not what is true worship we're
having it defined here even by job he did not blame or curse god he did
not grow bitter or angry or take vengeance into his hand he did not cast
aside his integrity in following after the lord and he was a faithful
servant then he lost his health and then his wife begins to say curse
god and die but he kept his integrity or what about king david in 2nd
samuel when his little baby boy six days old or seven days old i believe
when he died what did david do he got up he washed he changed his
clothes and went into the house of god and he worshipped do you think he
was happy no i believe his heart was broken but he worshipped god i'm
teaching you what true worship is or what about genesis 22 verse 5 it
says abraham says to his servants abide here with the ass and i and the
lad that is isaac will go yonder and worship and come again unto you do
you know he is going to lay down and sacrifice his only begotten son the
son of his own flesh of his wife his only begotten son he's gonna lay
down his life you know what that was it was an act of worship yes faith
was involved but it was an act of worship what am i telling you with
this the true worship is found is revealed and is tested in the crucible
of fire it is tested in the fire as to its type its ingredients its
content do you understand what worship is when your heart is broken
ripped out of you when everything goes wrong in life and you worship god
you may have no feelings no emotions no instruments you may not even be
able to put words on your lips but you worship god that is true worship
that's what the bible says true worship is biblical worship is very
different from what we see in the contemporary modern worship that thing
that parades itself promotes itself markets itself and enjoys what it
does that isn't worship what the bible talks about you see one day all
worship will be tested by god himself in the refining fire of his
judgments jesus himself said in john chapter 4 23 but the hour cometh
and now is when true worshipers shall worship what is worship worship
the father in spirit and in truth i've seen a lot of people worship god
cry enjoy music and yet they don't live right they don't obey god they
have rebellion in their heart they're not submitted to the commands of
god but oh they enjoy worship they could worship for hours and yet
they're committing fornication i've known churches where they'll worship
for two hours and the guitar player the preacher is committing sinful
fornication with a woman that isn't his wife and yet they call that
worship no that's idolatry no that's a man-centered thing it's nothing
to do with worship now today they bring smoke clouds and smoke machines
that they have flashing lights all of this is an abomination to god you
know what you worship god not with creating a sensual soulish thing that
affects your eyes and your ears and your feelings true worship is of the
spirit the deepest part of man's inward being and it is in truth real
worship is utterly in line with biblical teaching thirdly thirdly in
daniel chapter three the trial of true worshipers not just the trial of
true worship we've already said that but this third point the trial of
true worshipers no it's not worship on trial but the worshipper on trial
what's going to happen when you find a true person who is a real
worshipper of god what's going to happen in daniel chapter three we we
see three men who know what worship is not only what worship is they are
true worshipers of god it's no longer their worship being tested it is
now the trial of them as individuals for being worshippers do you think
you can truly worship god and truly live as a real worshipper and
there's no consequence i would dare to say here that if you can worship
god and be a true worshipper and yet not get put in a fire then you are
no worshipper at all you see i believe there's something about true
worship and a true worshipper that is going to actually cause you to be
tested by fire tested by trials have great troubles come against you
temptations false worship amounts to nothing it falls apart when
threatened by fiery trials they will bow to any statue they they will
sing to any drumbeat they will join in any sort of worship team they
will do that and say don't judge we all do it together but i assure you
true worshippers can never do that a true worshipper is marked by a
character they submit to god they obey god they walk with god they have
convictions they have integrity they expose the faults they cannot be a
part of the false and you know what happens a true worshipper will
always stick out like a sore thumb that's what true worship is it always
leads you in a certain into a certain set of directions they'll have you
put in the fire oh how many times i've said to candice how have we done
it again how did we get here again maybe it wasn't what we said or what
we did or some decision we made maybe it's more to do with our heart
with who we are that we worship god that we're we're bound to worship
him and that it's more than a feeling or emotion it's not man-made
christianity or man-made churchianity no no i want to be a worshipper of
god and maybe that defines what it means to for people to be put in the
fire listen carefully on this third one the trial of true worshipers in
chapter 3 verse 8 it said certain chaldeans came near and accused the
jews to nebuchadnezzar they've been waiting for this hour you see when
you stand out like a sore thumb when you don't go with the same music
the same spiritual movements listen to the same preaching when you're
different when you can't become a part of this babylonian system and
listen to me i could spend 15 years working in babylon and and i'll i
can go through okay but as soon as it interferes with worship as soon as
it becomes religious as soon as it becomes idolatrous i'm afraid i'm
going to stand out i won't be lying on my face i won't be bending the
knee to any system or any organization or any movement i will stand
straight as a die because my convictions dictated you see accusations
were made against these jews to nebuchadnezzar saying that they weren't
bending the knee and you know what because they wouldn't bend the knee
how contemporary that message is because they wouldn't bend the knee
then they're gonna burn their bodies that's what they threaten to do
friends that isn't true worship if it has to be forced and threatened
and congealed as soon as you don't go with some contemporary worship and
they think little of you it stinks to high heaven i assure you it says
then in verse 13 then nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to
bring shadrach meshach and abednego look at these three young men they
have very little experience they have much to lose if they don't bend
the knee and bow down on their face to worship this image they've got an
awful lot to lose they'll lose their position they'll lose the
reputation they'll lose 15 years of working hard all of this they lose
in one split moment couldn't they have simply gone with this and yet
remained as an influence absolutely not there is a time to walk in
babylon and walk through that system but there's a time to say if it
means my life i cannot buy the knee you see these three young men were
raised up and trained by daniel daniel was the great influence upon them
but you know what daniel isn't here in daniel chapter three he was away
somewhere else i don't know where he was and neither do you so don't try
to tell me afterwards don't send me an email or a text tell me where
daniel was you don't know any better than me and no commentator knows
they can only guess but you know what i do know daniel was not there
these three young men if these convictions were not their convictions
then they had no convictions can i tell you in this church if candice
and me are removed from this church someday and your convictions change
then you had no convictions you may say amen to me preaching you may say
this is what we believe but you know what until you're tested by
yourself you don't even know what you believe in fact until a true
worshiper is tried we don't know we cannot know if he is a true
worshiper you're gonna have to be tried you have to be tried this is in
the will of god it's not all the devil doing this you know what daniel
chapter three teaches us about the hour of the rise of babylon we are
going to see true worshippers in this hour true worshippers you know
what nebuchadnezzar said unto him he said is this true he was a man
filled with rage and fury and he called these three servants and he
spake on them is it true that you do not serve my gods nor worship the
golden image which i have set up he should have known this but you know
what he done he gave them a second chance he says not now i've got a lot
of respect for you you've been here 15 years overseeing everything they
had to be men of integrity i'm going to give you another chance verse 15
now if ye be ready that at what time you hear the sound of the music if
you worship not you should be cast the same hour into the midst of a
burning fiery furnace and who is that god that shall deliver you out of
my hands he's given them a second chance shadrach and abednego shadrach
meshach and abednego answered the king listen very carefully what they
say oh nebuchadnezzar they don't call him king they've always called him
king but not at this time you know what they're saying you're only a man
you're only a man that's all you are see when it comes to this point
we've given you respect and served you and honored you but when you
demand worship of us that is idolatrous i would rather choose a fire
than to be involved with anything that is false listen to what they say
to nebuchadnezzar we are not careful to answer thee in this matter in
other words we have no choice in other words we made the choice decision
a long time ago we don't need to think about it the threat doesn't mean
anything to us the consequence don't even come into this we don't need
to weigh up the consequence we will not bow down and worship there's no
need to quiz us there's no discussion here no need to give us a second
chance we don't need to defend ourselves we will not do that and king we
want you to hear and understand then in verse 17 it says for our god
whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace
listen god is able to deliver us and this is why i reject and don't like
these new versions of the bible the good news version listen to what it
says if god is able to save us if god is able that is heresy that's why
i wouldn't advise anyone to read the good news bible and many of the new
versions they get things like this wrong if god isn't able to deliver
you then he is not god but they don't say that they said god whom we
serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace and he will
deliver us from thine hand they knew one way or the other either we're
going to die in the fire and we're delivered from you or god is going to
do a miracle and we're delivered from you but either way we shall be
delivered from you verse 18 but if not be it known unto thee o king that
we will not serve thy gods nor worship the golden image which thou has
set up do you realize what they said here god is well able to deliver us
god somehow will deliver us but if god doesn't deliver us from your hand
or this fiery furnace do you know what we still will not serve your gods
or bow down and worship your image we won't be doing that we won't be
doing look at the reaction of king nebuchadnezzar there's five things
that happen in response i'm talking about a true worshiper being tested
are you being tested in the fiery furnace are you being tested in your
heart through circumstance you're going through look what nebuchadnezzar
high response he was full of fury and it actually says that his visage
or his face changed against him he'd often liked them but not now are
you scared of men does the reaction of men affect how you worship god
then you as a worshiper you need a meeting with god i assure you if the
fury of nebuchadnezzar can affect you it's not true worship but they
stood their ground the fury of man was nothing to them then the king
commanded keep the furnace seven times more that's the second thing not
only his fury that fire is going to get an awful lot hotter third of all
he commanded his mighty men that were in his army to bind them to tie
their hands fourth of all they were cast into the midst of the fiery
furnace this was done to them they didn't put them themselves there it
was done to them and the flames of the fire slew those men that took
them up and fifth of all it says they fell down bound in the midst of
the burning fiery furnace i'm looking at a worshiper here that says god
can deliver me or god can slay me he can do anything but we're not going
to compromise we're not going to be involved with false worship we are
true worshipers true worshipers will die in the fire to honor god do you
hear me some people are scared to lose their church their ministry
opportunities to preach their fiancee or their girlfriend because of
true worship then you are not a true worshiper you don't worship god
look at them here as true worshipers they fell down bound in the midst
of the fire that's a place of great weakness this was who they were this
was their condition they are true worshipers they know what true worship
is but look at them they are bound they are prisoners they are they fell
down in the fire they can't walk through the fire they cannot face the
fire they cannot survive the fire but this one thing they can do they
are true worshipers and they'll worship god with all of they have you
may say i can't go through the trial i know you can't go through the
trial you may be said oh god lighten this trial up i cannot survive the
fire of course you can't but are you a true worshiper you may say i
can't manage this i don't want this i don't desire this this is terrible
i don't think i'll survive this well that's all fine but one thing are
you a true worshiper point four here tonight the triumph of true
worshipers the triumph and let me finish here the triumph of true
worshipers you see the image proved their worship the music was
contrasted with their worship but listen the fire refined their worship
are purified that image proved their worship but this fire is going to
refine their worship do you realize they went into the fire as
worshipers but their worship is going to be purified sanctified seven
times it is going to be perfected in the midst of the fire there's seven
things here that happened in the fire to these three hebrew children and
i want you to listen carefully before we close this meeting here tonight
seven things that happen to true worshipers when they're thrown
deliberately in the fiery furnace against their will they don't want to
be there they don't like being there men have done this to them they
have no choice over it they had no other option if they are to be true
worshipers seven things happen to them says in verse 24 then
nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished or astonished and he rose up in
haste and he spake here's a man that only moments before he was angry
full of fury against them but as he saw them in the fire he becomes
shocked with what he sees they're not going to die god is going to
deliver them listen these seven things the first thing is in verse 25
listen to what nebuchadnezzar say lo i see four men and then he says in
the form of the fourth is like the son of god this is the first thing
that happens to true worshipers when they're thrown in the fire the
first thing is there's a fourth man gets into the fire he wasn't there
before he wasn't there before but in the fire they find that there's a
fourth man that they hadn't been aware of before all they knew before
was they're not going to worship to those to that false idolatrous
worship but this fourth man in the fire is like the son of god in daniel
chapter 10 verse 6 we read about one whose feet is like in color to
polished brass who is this man who walks in the fire who is this man of
daniel 10 who whose feet are like polished brass well revelation chapter
1 and 15 reveals and his feet that is jesus christ is like unto fine
brass as if they burned in a furnace do you realize true worshipers are
always guaranteed that the fourth man is going to be in the fiery trial
with them without any shadow of a doubt i don't know if god will deliver
me but the fourth man is going to be there look at the second thing
happens these three men i see four men loose do you realize in the fiery
trial the things that tied their hands that bound them the things that
man had put upon them actually got burnt off in the fire man had put
those things upon them they become free from the things that once bound
them before the fire they're bound men had tethered them tied them
fettered them bound them man had done that but the fire the ultimate
trial is going to remove all of these things the things that once tied
you i'm telling you you may say i'm in the fiery trial do you realize
what has bound you before this trial could burn off the bondages those
things that restricted you limited limited you constrained you where you
found that you had no ability to help yourself the fire burns off the
bonds that's the purpose of the fire you're still a worshiper a true
worshiper is going to find in the fiery trials that all restrictions are
going to be burnt off them third of all walking in the midst of the fire
previously in verse 23 they fell down bound in the fire now we see them
walking in the fire can you imagine this here's the fiery furnace
burning around them now they're walking they're not lying down they're
not even just standing in the fire they are walking in the fire why are
they walking in the fire because the fourth man is there you can't walk
in the fire if the fourth man is not there this means they're moving
forward this fire should annihilate them destroy them finish them but
it's not it's making them to walk forward since are you in the fiery
furnace then i have a command i have an encouragement walk forward you
may say what's the point it's all over walk forward go forward if you're
in the fire it says in isaiah 43 when thou walkest through the fire thou
shalt not be burned neither shall the flame kindle upon thee a fourth
thing that happened to them they have no hurt no hurt it says that of
them that means no harm leading to ultimate ruin it says in verse 27
upon whose bodies the fire had no power that means control or dominating
influence you're in the fire but god can protect you from being
destroyed from dying or being harmed by the fire the fire actually
becomes a thing that works for you and not against you the fire actually
accomplishes something on your behalf it's meant to destroy you but it
actually releases you it brings you into a walk with the fourth man you
begin to walk forward into the plan and the purpose of god a fifth thing
it says that a hair of their head was singed not an hair of their head
was singed jesus promises there shall not a hair of your head perish he
marks every hair every little hair of your head your hairs are numbered
some of us it's easier than for others but god knows every hair in your
head this sixth thing says neither were their coats changed that means
altered or become different you see if you walk into this fiery furnace
with the robe of god's righteousness on it's not going to be harmed by
this the garment of praise is not destroyed in the fire you may say how
can i sing in the fire oh put on your garment of praise fire does not
stop you singing songs you can sing the songs of zan you can say i'm
putting the garment of praise on yes it's fire i'm not playing a
hypocrite you see me in deep trials walking that church and i sing i
lift my hands up oh i i feel like my heart's breaking but i sing you
know what it's a garment of praise it's not harmed by that fire if you
understand what i'm saying tonight and the seventh and final thing
neither did they smell of fire there was a certain fragrance of them
when they came out of this you know what there was no smell of smoke or
a fire do you know what fragrance represent is attitude your attitude
after you come through the trial do you realize when you're a true
worshiper i mean submitted to god obedient to god yielding to god not
living by emotions or feelings or music or atmosphere or blessings
you're a worshiper of god do you realize when you come through the
trials there'll be no stinking smell of rebellion bitterness vengeance
or unforgiveness when you come through the trial what happened here
saints verse 26 then nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the
burning fiery furnace and he speak on the shadrach meshach and abednego
ye servants of the most high god come forth and come heather then
shadrach meshach and abednego they came forth out of the midst of the
fire they came forth they walk forth and the princes and the governors
and the captains and the king's counsellors being gathered together saw
these men upon whose bodies the fire had no power verse 28 then
nebuchadnezzar spake and said blessed be the god of shadrach meshach and
abednego who has sent his angel and delivered his servants that trusted
in him and have changed the king's word and yielded their bodies that
they might serve not serve nor worship any god except their own god
since there was a great victory out of this because of true worship when
all the crowds all the multitudes all of the leaders went with this new
worship this new idolatrous worship this false worship of a man made
image when all the crowds went that way there were only three sore
thumbs but you know what after the fiery trial there was glory came
forth there was a testimony came out of this they quenched the violence
of fire by their faith in god how do you reveal fire see daniel chapter
3 there's many who say i have that type of fire a sorry faith i have a
trust in god but are you a true worshiper of god nebuchadnezzar how does
daniel 3 finish it finishes like chapter 1 and it finishes like chapter
2 now in chapter 3 at the end therefore i nebuchadnezzar make a decree
that every people nation language which speak anything amiss against the
god of shadrach meshach and abednego should be cut in pieces their
houses shall be made a dunghill because there is no other god that can
deliver after this cert then the king promoted shadrach meshach and
abednego in the province of babylon since i'm telling you if you are a
true worshiper if you give true worship to god in this babylonian age we
right now are watching the rise of a babylonian kingdom that's gonna
engulf every area of society i want to tell you the great lesson of
daniel 3 for our age for this year for this generation is that if you're
a follower of god be a true worshiper like shadrach meshach and abednego
understand what true worship is have uncompromising convictions and i
promise if you don't bend the knee if you don't bow to idolatry then you
know what they won't be able to burn you in the fiery furnace let's
close here lift our hands where we are let's worship god not with an
emotion not with a closing song but can i ask you as we close in prayer
worship god from your heart it doesn't matter if you don't have any
feelings it's still it doesn't matter if you seem to be losing
everything it doesn't matter if everyone is against you it doesn't
matter if you're out of step with all the movements of the church of
this hour i'm telling you be a worshiper of god give him your allegiance
don't bend don't bow to this world system to this babylonian system
that's sweeping our world in the economy in religion even in the church
of generation this is an hour where false worship is going to be exposed
it is going to compromise with this babylonian system it is going to go
with this babylonian system but true worshipers are going to walk into
the fire and they're going to prosper in the midst of the fire and
they're going to be promoted because they've been in the fire let's pray
and worship together father we worship you the god of heaven and we say
tonight surely the heavens rule surely in daniel chapter three we see
that the heavens do rule upon the earth amidst the kingdoms of men and
my god i pray for my friends tonight make them to know what true worship
is not music not lights not an atmosphere not numbers but it is a heart
that says no matter what happens to me i know that you're god i'll keep
my integrity i won't curse god i won't become bitter i i won't doubt who
you are i i won't follow any false worship but i worship you i submit to
you alone i will not follow any false worship my god i pray raise up
true worshipers in the midst of us in this church men and women who
worship you who worship you in spirit and in truth who love you with all
of their heart praise god hallelujah hallelujah this is the fourth time
that we've dealt with daniel chapter four in this church in the past
year four times not being so i ask you what have you learned from daniel
chapter four what is it sorry daniel chapter three what is its central
message what have you learned from it and has this chapter prepared you
for the fiery furnace maybe as a church the fact that four times god can
have spoken it to us in a year don't take that lightly since i'm telling
you you better understand what the message of daniel chapter three and
i'm a fourth witness here bringing you back and saying learn the message
of daniel chapter three god bless you tonight we'll go to daniel chapter
four next week

========================================================================
Video: https://sermonindex2.b-cdn.net/gqB16i4NL3U.mp4
Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/keith-malcomson/worship-tested-by-fire/
========================================================================