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March 10, 2022 9:00 am
Today on Summit life with Jeannie Greer, sometimes double toe was no way saying that in this story is usually multiple times about the Bible, God rewards those who take their on his goodness he rewards those who expect that you will our God is able and he will deliver us, the gospel centered Bible teaching ministry of Jeannie Greer, pastor of the Summit church in Raleigh, North Carolina, and as always I'm your host Molly benefits if I were to distill today's entire message into a simple statement it would be best. God is bigger were going to talk about bold faith. Faith both for when God delivers us in faith for when he chooses not to. Will we be bold enough to ask ourselves the question is God enough will you follow him, even when the answer is no. That type of courage takes a deep level of trust in God, something I know I need more of, and I'm sure you do as well. So grab your Bible. Let's walk through the courage in Babylon is the message we all need to be reminded of today. So let's rejoin Pastor JD right now just order. He is not fully surrendered, living in rebellion know you understand that if God is the only God brushes that anything different will wall that's cool because you are obscuring the one way of salvation I feel your sense to share with you what I call classic story of Summit. After about 18 times, but every 4 to 60 much, but what about your new software can be there for you okay this takes place all way back when I was in seminary for many many years ago I was my first year seminary I just graduated from Campbell University and I was on my way from Fort Lauderdale Florida to Raleigh served as youth pastor in Fort Lauderdale and I will read our flights were there, you know Harley my employment in the waiting area and the only two people in the entire gait. As a guy you're my left was like 194 years old me just whatever that he no solder here was this young was married. This just drop dead gorgeous Hispanic girl and I was like Lord, what do you want me okay your ice cream spinach and talking about us in excess this girl turns out she was from somewhere in South America and she was on her way. Returning as a student to Harvard University. Okay.
So immediately I thought we had a connection that is graduation When I felt like you like, and asserted to share with her name was buttock.not Bertha but and so I structure my testimony with and will really well on the call to schedule the plane. We sat next to each other was told all about Jesus.
I change my life and I was going to go on the wall but got a call me into ministry was to share with her and she just sat there just soaking it up. She would nod her head and she said no. I said she got a boundary set him up at Harvard University and the smartest, most driven man on the planet.
They say go to that university, but I don't hear anybody talk with the conviction that articulates what they believe the weather go out of a vexing anybody there that talks as clearly as you would sit. That is very very attractive. I was like yeah like you can save you get married this awesome story one day and so on. Skip share my thoughts with I do.
Somewhere, probably on a LAN, I would suppose I associate with her like yours Walker.
The Bible verses about how Jesus is the way the truth and the life I like you but have you ever received Jesus does not me. Just as this is not my thing. She says I'm really glad it works for you and no work for a lot of people but it's just not when I think I was like I don't like it to my thing or your thing up like it's you know everybody thing because you said one comes about accepting me and she said no I'm trying just at work for me and that works for you, and I was I but I don't think you understand as I want to read this verse right here and I'm a Bible over the ridge on 14 six and and she looks at me and she says are you trying to tell me.
Also like her attitude totally flipped me. She said you can't tell me that if I don't come to Jesus the way that you're saying the Bible tells me that you're saying that there's no possibility that if there is a heaven, that I will not go acid but Osama tell you that I think the Bible study that and I and she said I think you might be the most close minded, arrogant, bigoted person I've ever talked to. I can't believe somebody in the 21st century would actually say that I don't have this conversation anymore. She sat back allowing weddings off documents if I salvage the situation and I was upset or certain stunned silence for you like a minute or two and then the pilot comes on your pizza 70s like they were your initial approach Raleigh-Durham and I spent some I think I can reset it but I remember hearing so I say so I leaned over to the cake just like I know under this conversation is done. I want you if you want talk many more but I just want tell you that I'm really glad the pilot of this airplane doesn't look at the runway the same way that you do have. She said what emails I was to say that he comes on is that you know what I am sick and tired of that arrogant little control tower tell me where and how it all in this way, I'm a freethinking open-minded pilot and I prefer to land upside down in the Walmart parking lot.
I wanted my entrapment knows to do it on the top of the PNC building downtown Raleigh is a no go on that little mirror runway because that's what the control tower says he's gotta do in order to bring this plane and you would need a safety and I'm glad you look to the runway different than you do. Truth she said that's not fair I suggested this as table 1, Harvard zero by the way, if you're keeping score point is you think saying the confession is the only way because if God is the only God. It would be cool to not do it otherwise, you understand, listen, that this generation depends on us telling the truth about just like the generation shutter mission.
Abednego they needed these three guys to stand not just to worship God in private, but do it in public and say I can't bow because of their courage and entire generation like there including Nebuchadnezzar got to see that there is only one Savior. By the way scholars say that the faith of the wise men who came to see Jesus can ultimately be traced back to this encounter is because they stood in that moment and said we can't bow these notches, my Savior leads everybody Savior. I'm not talking about not letting people be free of course not. We live in a free country value that I'm just saying that our confession is there is one Lord and one Savior, and there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved and if I don't tell you the truth about that.
I bow along the statue of pluralism like everybody else does my generation parishes.
I didn't have the courage, the substance of Christian courage confession. Jesus is the only Lord the only Savior and I can only bow to here is the second encourages conviction. I believe that God can I expect that he will but I trust him. If you encourages conviction on mental like the one at a time, but purchased conviction says this I I believe that God can I expect that he will I trust you wasn't pack.
This phrase is 100 K Christian courage believes that God can know the first thing I notice from the three Hebrew teenagers answer is that they were in no doubt about who the biggest that he was a missile drama. Verse 17 are God we serve is bigger than you is bigger than your fiery furnace and so you can Jabra know you want ultimately he's in charge now you everybody else.
All other million people out there on the plane are thinking. Look how small, empathetic, those three teenagers look. Next, Nebuchadnezzar and all his mighty soldiers but everything in their thinking. Look how puny little man looked next to God. That's where Chris encouragement defense is so simple that a child can get it right. God is better God is bigger. He's bigger than your problems I will and this is a kid and so did you. My favorite hymns and grub as it did help me help me sleep safely at night and not be afraid God is bigger than the bogeyman bigger than the monitors on the Godzilla and the monsters on TV old, nobody else God is bigger than the bogeyman. It is not enough for you and you are as a kid and essentially I got some version of that in every situation. I go into the most basic principle of faith got bigger than your problem. All of these bigger then cancer is bigger than a lost job is bigger than a broken marriage is bigger than your friends is bigger than your sin. He's bigger than your safety is bigger than the grave and if you are his child, there's nothing that happens to you without his permission. Not even a hair falls in your head.
He said without his knowledge and express permission. So why the hymn writer says why should I be discouraged, why should the shadows come. Jesus is my portion, my constant friend to see if it is either the sparrow. I know he watches me Christian courage believes that he can. That's all. I believe that he can't. Our God is able and he's bigger than you turn your neighbor right now say I believe that he, I believe anything that's it right now. The other two thirds of UK turn your names. I believe that he can't write Christian courage excess believe anything number two. Christian courage expects that he will believe you can expect to do a lot.
This is subtle crazy important and he will deliver us your handle.
Think how did they know that little secret that it was the next race for safety, but if not, I did not turn out.
They did not know where they know little to no huddle were double massage like it is down. The soldier say than this and that it is had this suspicion in their heart that God would deliver them because they understood God's goodness they understood God's willingness to showcase the glory of his name. Cannot tell you a little Bible secret.
Many of the greatest feats of faith in your Bible were not done in response to a direct command of God with any kind of promised guarantee of how it was all going to turn out to be just one example, when my favor was how citizens was little he doesn't like a chair but this is what is less well-known and is one of the best for single 14, the Philistines enemies of Israel there pressing Israel may take away all the swords in Israel to swords in the whole country, and Jonathan, who is King Saul's son David's best friend has one of those two sorts when he comes upon a garrison of 20 Philistines and assist him and his armor bearer. Two guys, one sword 20 article listing soldiers on the little cliff above them jotted for single 14, six, and Jonathan says to his young armor bearer, let us go over the output to the outpost of these uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord will act on our behalf.
Perhaps if I met armor bearer about a sword I might grow if you're trying to persuade me to attack 20 men and I got a sword you have to do better than perhaps right. Jonathan just expected it. Nobody is expected that God would show up and glorify his name. It didn't deaden Jonathan's words sound like what his best friend David said in Psalm 2713 recorded record some of the lot. I'm convinced that I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. In other words, I know that one day we get to heaven every things will be awesome and I know that there are wipe away every tear and I know I don't have a lot of direct promises about this or that situation you work out but I just expect that a good God will actually do something in the situation and I want to take a chance on boldly asking him to actually do it because yes I'm willing to wait to heaven to see the goodness of God.
But I want to see it right now the lives of my children.
I want to see it in my marriage. I want to see the life my friends want to see in our community and I want to see in our church, and so perhaps the Lord will respond and I'm just gonna take a chance on it because I expect that he will think about the miracles of Jesus ever thought about how many of the miracles of Jesus came about because somebody without a promise without a guarantee just to get there on Jesus's goodness and you just want to think about the woman with the blood disease comes up behind Jesus, thinking that she could just touch his garment that she be healed blue writer who records a sword makes it very clear that Jesus was not planning.
It was unexpected that he was actually on his way somewhere else. This woman was the farthest thing from his earthly mind. And then, unexpectedly, she just kinda reaches out audaciously taken a dear dear in his goodness and Jesus stopped and says scarcely have I seen faith like this anywhere daughter your boldness in taking it there on my goodness is rewarded.
Any healer bold faith doesn't just believe that he can bulb faith expects that he will because they understand the goodness of God and of course that's not to say is not safe for goblets a magically genial lamp of your run.
Just the right way to give you what you want your piata that you watch him hard enough with Fabio a little mechanic amount monthly Mac missing. Sometimes God, in his goodness, yes, sometimes double tell us know or tell us to wait. I'm simply saying that in this story as you see multiple times throughout the Bible God rewards those who take a day or on his goodness he rewards those who expect that he will our God is able and he will deliver us. I don't know for sure, but you will do it. My question for you is where you think there on God or is it right now you need to take it there about maybe it's just reaching out to share your faith at work or at school. Even though it's super awkward, even though you like a motivational say about me. But the oysters put in my heart and I was good, take a dear on him, but maybe he'll show up at work in this person's art. Maybe it's in you taking a courageous stand at work even though it looks like it's a cost you big in the short run or maybe if you serve in politics maybe sustainable. What's right even though the media is a natural party is not throwing when a fiery furnace. Every time you do they get you persevering in a prayer request and not giving up a continuing to come back to God's throne and say God I believe that your good enough to do something here and I want to see your goodness in the land of the living and perhaps her to do this and I'm not going to go away until you do is submitting that application to be a foster parent. Even though you were scared about how it's gonna change your life comes perhaps God to show up and do something to somebody in an announcer, boldly choosing to keep the kid even though you're young and pregnant and you feel all alone or maybe choosing to keep pressing on the marriage even though it's difficult maybe to call met a strange family member today even though you aren't sure how there to respond to your offer of forgiveness. Maybe it's just confessing that pornography habit to a trusted friend, even though you rather keep it concealed you like this one, put it out there and I want to put it out there so that that God can't work in this minute starting a ministry sit here and there's something God put in your heart you like a little work. He knew not to get a guarantee but maybe you say God I believe you'll be good here. I expect her to work fine. The Christian courage trust him if he Christian courage trust maybe done the greatest words in the story. Verse 18 but if not being known to you will king that we will not serve your gods. We will not worship the golden image that you have set up.
Like I said, these are my favorite words in the Old Testament, even if he then deliver us, and he might let us die in the furnace. We still want you to be clear all Nebuchadnezzar that we would rather die in the flames were just him and we would live in a palace with just you. They believe that God was not only big enough to protect them from Nebuchadnezzar. They believe that knowing God was better than anything they would have to give up without it you will write stuff down. Courage believes not only that God is bigger than the opposition. Courage also believes that God is better than the alternatives. God is bigger than the opposition is also better than the alternative.
You see, listen, sometimes God is glorified when sick people get well and God shows it is bigger than the cancer but sometimes God is glorified because the people die. Well they sure they got it better than even life itself.
Sometimes you take a stand and God delivers like Jonathan like David sometimes take a stand and he lets her suffer like Jesus.
The question you gotta ask is if you let you go through the fire. Is he enough for you see, the only way that you can have the courage to suffer for what is right is if you know that Jesus is enough to know is enough to show you real quick mystery why he's enough not to fleecy repeats 33 redeeming for you. Gina story is a good promise that is directly for you when just about nemesis about me and you watch us first 19 Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury.
The expressionless face was changing a shutter machete Bendigo you're the furnace heated seven times more than is usually needed through men so hot the next verse says of the heat coming from the furnace his mouth as she killed the soldiers who were carrying the bound teenagers up throne in the Nebuchadnezzar naturally expect to see them burst into flames. Verse 24 the King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished.
He rose up in haste he declared to his counselors hate then we cast in three men in the fire mansard and said oh yeah troll King. He replied, but I see four men unbound, not bound, unbound, and all walk in the minutes of the fire and none of them were hurt thing in other words, burned on them were the ropes that bound them in the appearance he says the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods from our perspective, wrapped in the New Testament is pretty safe to say that was the son of God. Verse 26 and Nebuchadnezzar came near the door.
The burning fiery furnace glared shutter machete Bendigo service of the most high God come out and come here and they came out in the king's counselors gathered together and they saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men that hear their heads was that since their cloaks were not harmed. Not even the smell of smoke to come upon them, they would make this whole scene prefigures Jesus going to the cross Jesus watches Jesus was thrown into the fires of judgment with us where the 3D printing agent, Jesus gets thrown in with us and because Jesus got thrown in there with this we came through judgment totally unharmed. There is no condemnation for those of us who are in Christ Jesus. That means the hero. My head is not been singed by judgment by close have not been burned feet of the flame so I could emerge from an insane thief with not a trace, or smell of judgment anywhere on my body even on my close.
It was only the chains of my bondage that were burned away see and what that means for and what that means is this was what that means is this is that the God who went through the fire for me is a God who can keep me in the fire. If you went into the ultimate fires of judgment for you if you went to the cross and he kept you totally safe and free from harm. There don't you think he'll keep you in whatever lesser fire you're going to go into now the God who died for you in the fire is the God who will keep you in the fire, but a friend of mine says don't search for a faith that keep you from the fire search for God that will keep you in the fire so you come to church again for God to keep you out of the fire that happened.
There is a God who will keep you in the fire because he went into the fire judgment for you.
The presence of Jesus was with these three Hebrew teenagers and their furnace nemesis presence will be with you in any furnace in which he put you also the God who died for you and the fire is the God who can keep you now in the fire to show you how this whole thing is verse 28 Nebuchadnezzar answered.
Blessed be the God of Shabbat machete Bendigo said his angel and delivered his servants he trusted in him. Set aside the king's command to love their bodies rather than serve and worship any god, except their own God.
Therefore I make a decree any people nation language that speaks anything against the God of Shabbat, machete, Bendigo shall be torn limb from limb and their house was laid in ruins. For there is no other God who is able to save the rescue.
In this way this story ends with Nebuchadnezzar commanding all peoples, nations and languages together into a unified worship of God's power to save it as a picture of the future is a picture of what happens at the end of time, and I love the apostle John said in their there before me was a great multitude that no man can account people from every tribe and people nation language under heaven stand before the throne before the lamp were wearing white robes which meant they were unchanged and unharmed by the fires of judgment in their own palm branches apiece and her aunt and they cried out in a loud voice. Salvation belongs to our God and to the Lamb of God who sits on the throne as worship, not Nebuchadnezzar. The wall that's good was going to be unified, not by the greatness of some earthly sovereign, Babylon, or Great Britain or America or the UN or otherwise is to be unified by a Savior went into the flame of judgment for his people and kept them all hundred percent safe from all harm and that flame you and I can help move the world to that worship by determining the wording about only the Jesus is Lord and by getting up every single day, believing that he can't expect and that he will trust to be done that's courage, reality you'll be able to represent during God, who always enough here at Senate life. We pray that these daily messages are just nice inspirational quotes were feel-good soundbites for you that that true life change happens as a result of God's word being preached pastor Jenny. We spent about a week. In the book of Daniel. Now and as we continue on with this teaching what would you say is that overall theme of Daniel, Molly, you're asking me the reflection question asked. I would say in one sentence. Is this if you want to make a difference in Babylon. You have to be different yet to be distinct from Babylon in the right ways. Daniel and his friends. You see them resolve to be guided by the Bible and the many ways swim against the stream there in Babylon, and when that happens in our lives. We are shaped by the Bible and we start to become strange and offensive. Not because were just weirdos because were living by an entirely different set of if you will walk through this book of the Bible with us and also can get one of these Bible studies were providing this study is it'll show you through nine sessions which study in the Scripture looks like to press into these timeless and timely trues of Daniel to see what looks like to be different in a way that makes a difference. You can reserve your copy of this Bible study that will help take you deeper JD Greer.com. Thank you, Janie. The suggested donation amount $35 or more comes to ministry company 335-1528 fixing 520 we can get online. JD Greer.com Molly benefits and I'm so glad you joined us today.
Be sure to listen tomorrow when pastor Jenny discusses the problem.
I'm sure we can all use a little refresher on Friday right here on my JD Greer