When the people of God adopt the lost and broken culture of the world, everyone loses.

There is not a man on earth who can meet the king's demand… Daniel 2:10 ESV

No one can show it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.

Daniel 2:11 ESV

When Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, came to kill them, Daniel handled the situation with wisdom and discretion. Daniel 2:14 NLT

Daniel went in and requested the king to appoint him a time, that he might show the interpretation to the king. Daniel 2:16 ESV

Then Daniel went to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah and they asked God for help… Daniel 2:17-18 ESV

When faith rather than fear is your default reaction to difficulty, you’ll experience the miraculous and the world will see Jesus.

Daniel answered the king and said, “No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Daniel 2:27-28 ESV

Statue Picture

Then the king gave Daniel high honors and many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon. Daniel made a request of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the affairs of the province of Babylon. But Daniel remained at the king's court. Daniel 2:48-49 ESV

King Nebuchadnezzar made a gold statue ninety feet tall and nine feet wide and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. Then he sent messages to the high officers, officials, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the provincial officials to come to the dedication of the statue he had set up. So all these officials came and stood before the statue King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Daniel 3:1-3 NLT

Then a herald shouted out, “People of all races and nations and languages, listen to the king’s command! When you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and other musical instruments, bow to the ground to worship King Nebuchadnezzar’s gold statue. Anyone who refuses to obey will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.”Daniel 3:4-6 NLT

The band started to play, a huge band equipped with all the musical instruments of Babylon, and everyone, every race, color, and creed, fell to their knees and worshiped the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Daniel 3:7 MSG

Godly conviction without action creates cynical un-impactful people.

But there are some Jews—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, whom you have put in charge of the province of Babylon. They pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They refuse to serve your gods and do not worship the gold statue you have set up.” Daniel 3:12 NLT

Faithfulness to God wasn’t one of the possibilities the enemy had considered.

Then Nebuchadnezzar flew into a rage and ordered that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought before him. When they were brought in, Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you refuse to serve my gods or to worship the gold statue I have set up? I will give you one more chance to bow down and worship the statue I have made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments. But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?” Daniel 3:13-15 NLT

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” Daniel 3:16-18 NLT

The deliverance of many is often dependent on the faithfulness of a few.

Nebuchadnezzar, his face purple with anger, cut off Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace fired up seven times hotter than usual. He ordered some strong men from the army to tie them up, hands and feet, and throw them into the roaring furnace. Daniel 3:19-20 MSG

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, bound hand and foot, fully dressed from head to toe, were pitched into the roaring fire. Because the king was in such a hurry and the furnace was so hot, flames from the furnace killed the men who carried Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to it, while the fire raged around Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Daniel 3:21-23 MSG

Fire is an indiscriminate agent of destruction that always garners the attention of God.

Suddenly King Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in alarm and said, “Didn’t we throw three men, bound hand and foot, into the fire?” “That’s right, O king,” they said. “But look!” he said. “I see four men, walking around freely in the fire, completely unharmed! And the fourth man looks like the son of a god!” Daniel 3:24-25 MSG

Nebuchadnezzar went to the door of the roaring furnace and called in, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the High God, come out here!” Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego walked out of the fire. Daniel 3:26 MSG

If you walk through a fire while you’re walking in God’s will, He will be there to walk with you when you do.

“Therefore I issue this decree: Anyone anywhere, of any race, color, or creed, who says anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego will be ripped to pieces, limb from limb, and their houses torn down. There has never been a god who can pull off a rescue like this.” Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon. Daniel 3:29-30 MSG

Obedience through hardship magnifies the faithfulness of God, and opens the door for next level redemption.