Encountering God's Promotion, Part 2

If you do, Dr. Tony Evans says sometimes God lets things get a lot worse before they get better and if it is well this is the alternative Dr. Tony Evans, author, speaker, Pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas Texas and president of the urban alternative we know tough times are inevitable, even if we are right in the center of God's will. Today Dr. Evans will explain why they might be inevitable because we are in the center of God's will will find out more as he brings us today's lesson to look at encountering God's promotion. Promotion is when you get from one level to another.

Many of you know what is to be promoted in your job or to be promoted in your experience, or to be promoted from from the JV to the varsity team to go through things that you to a higher level in our story today from Daniel chapter 3, Michelle Shadrach, and the biblical find themselves working in a secular culture there in Babylon, Babylon, evil pagan and idolatrous country because of sin, God told Babylon to invade Israel and they brought out many of the young people back into Babylon to live and to work. Daniel, along with the three Hebrew boys are part of the group that was bought from Israel to Babylon, and now they have to live their life and do their work in a non-Christian environment or something happens in the beginning of the chapter.

Chapter 3 Nebuchadnezzar the head of Babylon developed a feel feel with God. Ego is is your mindset, develop a a God mentality.

He deified himself. It goes on to say in the first members is roughly 7 times discussion about this image to himself. He builds a statute to honor him 90 feet tall and 9 feet wide not only builds a statue he comes up with the law. The Lord says that every body is supposed to bow to the statue of Napa commenced because all of his leaders together and he says I want you all to bow and to give a warning in verse six whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire can watch this if you don't worship, you will burn.

If you don't worship will put you in the fire and I do mean you will be fired if you do not submit to the law of this company. This coaching and this government, then you're going to have to pay the consequences for not compromise so Shadrach me shack and Abednego found themselves in a dilemma in their career was on the line while all this is taking place. Racism reared its ugly head and racial dilemma takes place because verse eight says this reason, at that time certain child deviance came and brought charges against souls and Babylonians brought charges against the do they like Jews then want the Jews working at the company and the related like the Jews is when they were Jewish, and to brought their faith to work today knew they were followers of God? If you are accused of being a Christian on your job, would there be enough evidence to convict you or would you be found innocent of all charges, because your faith is very vague.

You know it, but nobody else does, they were clearly followers of God, and they were Jewish.

A bad combination in a secular work environment so there is three Hebrew boys find themselves on a hold of the limits because now the Babylonians work with them their coworkers and say and play politics. Politics is in the office they come to play politics. They said all Nebuchadnezzar you got these Jewish guys here and they won't bow when Nebuchadnezzar heard that, he said, bring them here. Verse 13 bring me shack shall recommend you go here and in verses 14 and 15 effect on the give y'all another chance. Maybe. Maybe your coworkers align maybe they don't like you like boys and young adult, a good job for me but I ask you all about as you worship the company worship the image. I want you to. I want you to compromise your faith for the sake of acceptance in the Corporation, so I would give y'all another chance. If you don't bow verse 15. If you do not worship you will immediately be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire, and what God is there who can deliver you out of my that asked the question what God is there me shack Shadrach and Abednego who can deliver you when I make the decision that you no longer working that you going to be demoted. You going to be fired who help patient asked that question because the question demands an answer. So let's look at the ends, Shadrach me shack and Abednego responded to the king, which do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter. Okay, you asked us a question really don't need to give you an answer now napping. We don't need to give you an answer is because it was already clear before you ask the question where we stand.

So your ass can also question you already know the answer to the bottom boys came in first place. You know where we stand. So but since you last. God is able to deliver us is that what he says now that is not what he says this as our God whom we set our able to deliver us folk one serve God on Monday through 4B, but one a blessing on Sunday, they don't mention God's name that not willing to give testimony to their fate. In fact, they look more like the culture, but when it comes to being a nerd.

They want to call on God for deliverance.

They said no.

The reason we know God is able is because we serve all week long. The Bible says when you go to work. The Scripture says you do not work for the balls you work for the Lord Christ you serve. So you are to go a paper pusher. Whether you are a type is whether you are a teacher. Whether you are you are to look at your you patient service to the Lord through the vehicle of that company. It is the Lord Christ you serve, so they say we may work for you, but we serve the Lord God always able Chris of Lot 320.

Now who they may be able prevail exceedingly abundantly above all you can think love the quote that God is able but we leave off the last phrase according to the power that works in you. So that is not a blanket promise, so something is working inside and do some more outside.

It made you been a Christian not on Sunday but you will follow on Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday and you just celebrate no Sunday cup serving him is your way of life. Even at work.

So don't be looking for God's promotion and looking for God, think and looking for God's experience. If you only serving him Sunday, but God always got him in trouble in the first place.

Coworkers knew that they serve the Lord, but because we serve you. The God we serve is able to do, but then is only one half of verse 18.

But even if he does not like that verse. We like that he's able verse after verse. The mixture shall table. I know he's able and can fix it. He's powerful sewing table buddies sovereign so he can choose. In other words, you never let God's Appleton to cancel out his God must have the option in any situation to choose what the right thing is to do at that moment, and sometimes you need a compass. When you have a theology that covers when he will be mad at him when he got it because somebody told you from the Pope that he's able somebody told, I thought you told me God is able but maybe I didn't tell you if he does not know that that there are times when God doesn't let you escape from being fired let you escape from the filing of the tragedy or the difficulty you got a key intention in about the same the same thing because they say even if he does not let it be know you okay we respect you will work for you. We are not going to serve your God's will worship the golden image that you have set up you will have to play the company again illegitimately because once you do that you send this company is muscles. This boss is my fourth I got to play the game.

Maybe compromise the faith, not be strategic, talk about about compromising your faith.

If God lets you go through the fire, you have to understand the only reason that happens, it had to pass through his fingers first watches nothing negatively happens to you when you are saving for God that God have to approve first let me say that again because this is theology. You need to know if you are serving the Lord and he let things go south on you. He had to okay because he sovereign and located it means this is well and if it is well that means it has a purpose, but you know that about God when they don't know what is it appraising when he's a but will you take your stand. When he does not.

When Dr. Evans comes back in just a moment more on how to hold on. When things get hot on the job first so I want to tell you about her brand-new book he's released the digs deeper into stories like the one we been hearing today is called kingdom encounters and it reveals how you can have the same kind of one-on-one experiences with God that you read about in the lives of people like Moses, Daniel Abraham and others.

We want to help you learn how to set your faith on fire and keep it burning. We like to send you a copy of kingdom encounters as our thank you gift when you make a contribution to help us keep Tony's teaching coming your way on the station along with it will include CDs and instant digital downloads of all eight full-length lessons in his current teaching series divine encounters. Get the details and make the arrangements before time runs out by visiting Tony Evans.org or call our 24 hour resource Center at 1-800-800-3222 were team members are standing by to help you. That's 1-800-800-3222 will get back to Tony's teaching right after this Jesus that we follow him. My last election something unity unity account at work at church in the community and across the nation. It's the keystone of their spiritual victory is a church and country began power get practical help to release the pricing land Dr. Tony Evans knew the stronger together we can impact powerful prayers to visit Tony Evans.org to get your copy today or anyway. Christian books are some well it was before even lost because it says in verse 19 Nebuchadnezzar was filled with wrath and his facial expression was written all over you will have to see agencies contorted talk you think talking to respectfully guess what he does so, no pun intended. So what is in verse 18 to heat the furnace seven times more than what was already heated. That was enough to permit this, like your boss and you if you don't do this.

Not only will fire you. I will see that you never work in this kind of business again, tell everybody else who you are and what you do and we get the word out so that nobody will ever hide you in this industry. Again you have made me so mad I will fire you and I Mitchell about equality asking for recommendations because I will make sure that you get the worst possible recommendation that I can give anybody bother to have somebody call you when you like to completion very well control the culture and control decisions.

Control gets the job control gets the race talk about you not because you got some of spiritual commitment. You and I will often be put in place where we have to choose between the visible king in the invisible king in verse 23 and threw them into the midst of the furnace still tied up. God didn't deliver them from the furnace fired some happens.

Verse 24 bit Nebuchadnezzar the king was astounded. He said to his high officials. Was it three men we cast down into the midst of the fire 123 indigo. They replied that the king will certainly can we put 3007 upcoming glass verse 25 I see four men loosed and walked down in the midst of the file without the other.

It is like a son of the gods free trade we put in three right that we put in three well, right. Okay well see 34 walking around no nobody but nobody.

Okay, sometimes when God wants to give you an encounter with you. Sometimes it takes you out of it. Sometimes it delivers you from sometimes you don't have to worry about sometime. He wants to take you to join you in not deliver you from sometimes it was my when I am not being burned by a bad situation at work and he's walking right but all and the same looks like somebody straight from heaven. Sometimes wants to join you in a bad situation with no John you and takes you from drawing with the living God. All while screaming and walking around around the fire moving around the fire. You will play you know you not want you to see what it's like when you want to turn the first Peter New Testament. He says in first Peter chapter 2 verse 20 he says for what credit is with you soon. You are harshly treated. You endure it with patience, but when you do what is right and so for you patiently endure spines with God. So if you doing right, and taken in you making God happy and your finding favor with God. Even though your suffering.

Look at chapter 3 verse 14 he says, but even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness.

You are blessed and do not feel that I don't want that kind of their intimidation and do not be trouble just because they talking smack and talking know if your suffering for righteousness.

Verse 17 for it is better if God should so that you so doing what is right, rather than doing what is wrong. Chapter 4 verse 16 says, but if anyone's office as a Christian. He is not to be a shame, but is to glorify God's name finally says in chapter 5 verse 10 after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you by his eternal glory in Christ, will himself perfect, confirm strength as you will call the final shot people say where this job situation works out with a veil or somebody else can remember your job, your government is.

It is not so. Dr. Evans will come back in a moment with the final story to ramp up today's message first so don't forget to take advantage of that special offer. I told you about earlier you get all eight full-length messages and Tony series divine encounters along with his brand-new book kingdom encounters they're both yours with our thanks when you make a contribution to help us continue presenting this program every day. Again, the special offer runs out soon so be sure to visit Tony Evans.org right away for details.

You can also get some in person help from a member of our resource team by calling 1-800-800-3222 anytime of the day or night. Again, that's 1-800-800-3222. From the moment we are born all humankind shares a common tendency. We want what we want when we want it but in a special message tomorrow, Jonathan Evans says we jeopardize our future when we grab just what we want today. Right now Dr. Tony Evans is back with his closing story one day and he got the got ship and nobody was there.

It was so anyone he put some sticks together to make a little to keep them away from the inclement weather, but through a series of event isolated about all they said it was simple. We saw smoke signals you know you sometimes God let you catch fire and smoke signal. I know you know where I'm located want you to go back to work tomorrow and serve the Lord Christ. I want to go back to work and be a Christian or not job serving with excellent law, but no one knows where you he knows how long you want to know when it's time to move and he knows the bills that and everything else is your grade so you can on the job in a bed to go take a stand for God because God is made possible by the generous