“Take a Stand!”
Pastor Doug Wilson
March 11, 2011

 DANIEL 3 (TNIV)
     1 King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide,[That is,
     about 90 feet high and 9 feet wide] and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of
     Babylon. 2 He then summoned the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges,
     magistrates and all the other provincial officials to come to the dedication of the image he
     had set up. 3 So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates
     and all the other provincial officials assembled for the dedication of the image that King
     Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before it.
     
     4 Then the herald loudly proclaimed, “Nations and peoples of every language, this is what you
     are commanded to do: 5 As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp,
     pipe and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King
     Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be
     thrown into a blazing furnace.”
     
     7 Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all
     kinds of music, all the nations and peoples of every language fell down and worshiped the
     image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
     
     8 At this time some astrologers came forward and denounced the Jews. 9 They said to King
     Nebuchadnezzar, “May the king live forever! 10 Your Majesty has issued a decree that everyone
     who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music must
     fall down and worship the image of gold, 11 and that whoever does not fall down and worship
     will be thrown into a blazing furnace. 12 But there are some Jews whom you have set over the
     affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—who pay no attention to
     you, Your Majesty. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set
     up.”
     
     13 Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men
     were brought before the king, 14 and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach,
     Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set
     up? 15 Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds
     of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do
     not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be
     able to rescue you from my hand?”
     
    16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to
     defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If the God we serve is able to deliver us,
     then he will deliver us from the blazing furnace and from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even if
     he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship
     the image of gold you have set up.”
     
    19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude
     toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual 20 and
     commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
     and throw them into the blazing furnace. 21 So these men, wearing their robes, trousers,
     turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. 22 The king’s
     command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers
     who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, 23 and these three men, firmly tied, fell into
     the blazing furnace.
     
     24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t
     there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?”
    
           They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.”
     
     25 He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the
     fourth looks like a son of the gods.”
    
     26 Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach,
     Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!”
     
     So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, 27 and the satraps, prefects,
     governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their
     bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no
     smell of fire on them.
     
     28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has
     sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and
     were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.
     29 Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the
     God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into
     piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.”
     
     30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

    ISAIAH 52:13-14 (NLTse)
     13 See, my servant will prosper;
     he will be highly exalted.
     14 But many were amazed when they saw him.
     His face was so disfigured he seemed hardly human,
     and from his appearance, one would scarcely know he was a man.
     
     ISAIAH 53:2-6 (NLTse)
     2 My servant grew up in the LORD’s presence like a tender green shoot,
     like a root in dry ground.
     There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance,
     nothing to attract us to him.
     3 He was despised and rejected—
     a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.
     We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.
     He was despised, and we did not care.
     4 Yet it was our weaknesses he carried;
     it was our sorrows that weighed him down.
     And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God,
     a punishment for his own sins!
     5 But he was pierced for our rebellion,
     crushed for our sins.
     He was beaten so we could be whole.
     He was whipped so we could be healed.
     6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
     We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
     Yet the LORD laid on him
     the sins of us all.

    REVELATION 3:20 (NLT)
     “Look! I stand at the door and knock.
     If you hear my voice and open the door,
     I will come in,
     and we will share a meal together as friends.