MattGlover.com

I spoke at this church on Sunday morning on Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego fom the book of Daniel. I’ve enjoyed telling the story of Daniel and his three friends with the MBC crowd over the last few motnhs and appreciated the opportunity to revisit this story with another group.

Each time I’ve shared from Daniel, I’m surprised by how relevant it is to our western culture. A group of faithful young people surrounded by a culture and people who deny that their God even exists. They are bombarded with alternative messages and are pressured into denying what they believe so they can fit in. In this particular story, S, M and A face the prospect of a fiery death becasue they refused to bow down to a golden statue set up by the Babylonian king.

Over and over again, the words of these three Israelites inspire me. “Our God can save us, but even if he does not, we will not bow down to your idol” (Matt’s paraphrase). That is real faith. Knowing that God can save you, but also knowing that God might choose not to, but still saying no to the temptation to save their own lives.

The voices that compete for our attention tell us that we need to have more thigns to be happy. We need to have this look. We need to carry this gadget. We need to wear brand name clothes. We need a bigger house. We need a newer car. If we don’t, then we will be miserable. If we don’t, we won’t fit in. If we don’t we won’t be popular or have any friends.

These voices might think they are God, but they’re not. The peer pressure to say yes to these voices is enornous, but like S, M and A, we’re not left alone in the furnace. The Babylonian king excalimed that one like a son of the gods appeared in the furnace with the three young men he had just thrown in. We too, have the Son of God, who walks with us.

But which voice do we listen too? I wonder, sometimes, if our lifestyle looks any different to those who say ‘yes’ to the voices of the world. Are there any distinguishing characteristics in our lives becasue of our faith, or do we think attending a Sunday service is enough?

The more I reflect on this, the more uncomfortable I become. And that’s probably a good thing. I find it easy to say I’m relying on God for everthing when I live in a world where I can provide eveything I want myself. But should I have to make the choice like S, M and A, could I do it? In the furnace of western culture could I say to the voices of temptation, “My God can save me, but even if he doesn’t I won’t buy into what you’re selling!”

I hope so.