Stand for God Dan. 1:1-7 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego took a stand for God. These three men were taken into captivity in Babylon with Daniel. They were housed by the king, educated by his wise men, and fed with the king’s meat for three years. The king desired to increase their skill in wisdom, cunning in knowledge and understanding in science. He wanted them to be able to “stand before the king” (v.5) and advise him.
While it was an honour as captives to be treated with such royal attention, these three men had a far greater purpose than to simply be promoted to “stand before the king.” They purposed in their hearts as young men to “stand for God.” Every teenager and young man and woman ought to purpose in his or her heart to stand for God, even in less than ideal circumstances.
To do that, you’ll have to stand the same way that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did.
They Stood with God’s Men – Dan 1:8-16
Daniel required a different diet as God’s child. It concerned the prince that he was not like the other eunuchs. He was not normal. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego stood with Daniel rather than the rest of the crowd. For the rest of the crowd it was okay to drink (v.8, wine) and pig out. Rather than conform to the crowd, they stuck with Daniel and ate the oddball diet of pulse.
Don’t you know that their strange behavior brought out the jeers of the rest of the eunuchs? Rather than worry about peer pressure, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego did what was right. They stuck together.
The point is that if you want to stand for God, you are going to have to stand together for things that are right in spite of the fact that your “friends” all think you are crazy. Their diet includes booze. You are on an alcohol-restricted diet! Their diet includes cigarettes. You are on a tobacco-free diet. Their diet includes unacceptable movies and literature and no Bible. Your diet is the Bible. The other things you read and watch must be approved by the Bible’s standards.
If you will seek out Christian friends and stand together by Christian principle, you will be able to stand for God though the rest of the world allures you with its worldly desires. When you stand with God’s men you stand for God. Those men and your friends are right here with you in this church.
They Stood by God’s Wisdom – Dan 1:17-20
In addition to all of the education they received, these boys were given “knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom” by God (Dan 1:17). When it came time for their examination by the king, they were ten times better than their peers. Why? Not because they were smarter in the things they learned in school but because they had a divine wisdom that exceeded even their teachers.
You will never be able to stand for God without taking a stand by God’s wisdom. And God’s wisdom comes from the King James Bible. You must get into it and stay in it to stand for God. Read, memorize, study and preach that word. When you stand by God’s wisdom, you stand for God.
They Stood Against God’s Enemies – Dan 3:12-16
Nebuchadnezzar wanted them to bow to his gods, the same way that the world wants you to bow to its gods. He attracted the attention of the world through worldly music. But they wouldn’t bow! They took a stand against these worldly gods and their worldly music. And when the king threatened to kill them for it, they didn’t budge.
This world is an enemy of God (Jas 4:4, 1 Jn 2:15-17). You are not to be conformed to this world but transformed by the renewing of your mind. To stand for God, you must stand against the world. They must see it to believe it. When you stand against God’s enemies, you stand for God.
They Stood on God’s Promises – Dan 3:17-18
No matter how treacherous the threat, these boys believed God. Whether God would deliver them from the fire or not was not even a question. They knew God was able to deliver them from the fire. But more importantly, they knew that God would absolutely deliver them out of the king’s hand. So, they stood on the promises of God and defied the king’s order. “Burn us if you will, but we refuse to bow.”
Do you even know the promises of God that are for you? Do you even know how to stand on them? If you can’t refuse the slightest temptation to sin presented by the world, how are you going to stand when your life is on the line? Some of the promises – 1 Cor 10:13, Jas 4:7, Phil 4:13, Rom 8:37, Rom 8:28, Gal 6:7-8, 2 Tim 2:15, etc. When you stand on God’s promises, you stand for God.
They Stood for God’s Glory – Dan 3:28-30
Who would have expected the outcome to be like this? These guys were fixing to die. Instead, they were delivered through the fire and the king decreed that he would destroy anyone who did anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. To top things off, the king gave the boys a promotion. You know why this happened? Because they did what they did for God’s glory. 1 Cor 10:31 says, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”
The glory of God should be your principle motive for everything you do. And don’t worry about doing as well as you possibly can in this world. These guys went from the furnace to the king’s court in a day. What a promotion!! Listen, stand for God’s glory and you’ll be standing for God.
Conclusion: If you are going to stand for God, you are going to have to stand with peers who have the courage to stand for God together. Make friends of God’s people and encourage each other in the right things.
You are going to have to seek God’s wisdom while you are getting your education. Schooling in matters of knowledge and science might help you get a job, but it’s not going to help you grow in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. It’s not going to help develop your character. And when called upon to give an answer for God you will come up shy.
You are going to have stand against God’s enemies. And those who are in love with the world are his enemies. As in the case of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, the world allures you to its idols through music. Right now, most of you love the world’s music. And unknowingly you have bowed before the world’s idols. Get away from that stuff!!
You are going to have to stand on God’s promises. Which of you, right this minute, could have stood courageously before a king and said, “I’m not going to do what you told me to do; I am to do what God told me to do. And my God assured me that if I would stand on his promises, he would see me through?” That’s the way the apostles handled the Pharisees when they were told to quit preaching about Jesus. Because of their stand we received the gospel!
You are going to have to stand for God’s glory. According to the Bible, you are to do everything you do for the glory of God. Ask yourself this question, “What am I doing each day that brings glory to God?”
Now, if you’ll do these things then you’ll be able to stand for God. Let’s stand now.