A golden statue 90 feet tall, hollow inside, yet enormously expensive: for a tyrant, holding on to power has no price. This scene opens a sermon about three young men from Judah who refuse to bow to King Nebuchadnezzar and are thrown into a blazing furnace (Dan 3). The speaker shows that today’s Nebuchadnezzars can be subtle: they blur the line between good and evil and offer compromise, and the fire of trials is something unavoidable in a believer’s life. But in the flames a fourth figure appears, and his presence recalls the promise given to Moses: I AM with you. Listen if you want to see what statue someone is trying to set up in front of you, and who stands beside you when things get hot.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- Why were Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego put to the test just when they were running the province of Babylon, and how does this help us understand the king's reaction?
- According to the sermon, what connects Nebuchadnezzar's golden statue with modern cults of a leader, an ideology, or a party?
- What does subtle pressure to bow to the ruler of this world look like in Poland today? What forms of it do you encounter?
- What does it mean to you that the fire of trials is unavoidable in a believer's life, yet does not destroy those who walk in God's way?
- Why, when calling Moses, does God not answer the question "Who am I?" but promises instead: "I AM with you"? What does this say about the fourth man in the furnace?
- How can you practically support persecuted Christians this week, or stand on the side of truth despite the risk that someone will stop liking you?
