Beacon Sunday Service October 1st 2023

And if you just bow your head with me, let me open us up with a word of prayer. Lord, we thank you for just this great privilege you have given us to be able to meet to meet together to worship you, to sing these songs of praise, to hear your words of truth, to fellowship with one another. God, it is truly such a blessing, and Lord, we know that this is truly just a glimpse of heaven on earth as we raise our voices to you to bring you glory and honor. And so, Lord, would you just bless this time, lead us by your Holy Spirit, and may you be just pleased by what we have to offer you today? We thank you so much, and it's in Jesus' name we pray, Amen. If you'd all rise with me, uh today's call, call to worship comes from Mark eleven, nine, and the response from Psalm 138.

And it says this, Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, and together, let us bow down towards your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness. Amen. And can we do that together today, church? May we uh bow down to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for a steadfast love and faithfulness. So let's sing together, and on the way my Savior leads me. Who have I to ask beside his tender mercy through life has been my God the way my Savior leads me, cheers each winding path I dread gives me grace for every trips me with the living breath, you lead me and keep me from falling, you can meet close to your heart, and showing your goodness and mercy will fall me.

Yes, he does, know the fullness of his love, oh no, sureness of his promise in the triumph of his blood when my spirit clothed in mortal wings its flags to round up this my song, this my song to end this page.

You can be close to your heart, and show me your goodness and mercy will be you lead me, you leave me and keep me from falling. You can bring me close to your heart. And surely your goodness and mercy will the way my saves me all the way my savior leads me.

All the way my Savior leads me. Let's continue this time of worship. We sang this new song last week. And we're gonna sing it again. And really it is a song about our identity that we belong to Christ in Christ alone. And so may we sing this together that we are not our own, but we are Christ. We are in heaven.

Before I drew a breath, I was loved and know. I am his creation, the Maker's masterpiece, and all that he designs will be done in me.

All worship in this house that is God as I bear his image, oh may I not profane the holiness I hold in this earthly frame. I belong, I belong to the Lord, oh I am not my own, I belong to the Lord, I am not, I will honor him for this I know I belong to the Lord, I am not, and if he has redeemed me, I am not I the measure of my worth is his love alone, he declares my standing, and he declares my state, so I will know myself by the name I belong, I belong to the Lord, oh I am not my own, I belong to the Lord, I am not I belong him for this I know belong to the Lord, I am not I am not my own, I am not my own, and now my heart is free, oh Maker, come and make what you will love me.

Yes, there is nothing broken that you cannot repair. So Lord, I leave my life in your love. I belong, I belong to the Lord. Oh I am not higher. I belong to the Lord. I am not I will honor him for this I know I belong to the Lord. I am not I will honor I will honor him for this I know I belong to the Lord. I am not Amen. This morning we will confess our faith using the Baptist Catechism.

In this question and answer, we will confess what is necessary for saving faith. And here's the question. What is faith in Jesus Christ? And together, faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace whereby we receive and rest upon him alone for salvation, trusting him to forgive our sins and guide us to eternal joy on the basis of his divine power and atoning death. Amen. Let us continue to put our faith and trust in Jesus this morning by faith, by faith we see the hand of God in the light of creation's grand design in the life of those who prove his faithfulness who walk by faith and not by God by faith our Father with the power of his prophets in their heart of a holy city built by God's own a place where peace and justice we will send, we will sin as children of the common.

We will fix our eyes on him by so the race is finished.

By faith. The mountain shall be moved. And the power of the gospel shall prevail. Amen. For we know we saw things are both.

We'll sin. We will send children of them. We will fix our eyes on him by so the race finished. The word is done.

Good morning, everyone. At this time, we're gonna have a time of confession of our sins. We have an opportunity as a ministry, just to both corporately and individually just share the struggles that we have before our Lord. All he asks is that we are transparent with him in our relationship and just honest that we struggle with these things, and the Lord is happily going to receive us, and has already forgiven of us of those sins that we struggle with. So together let us read the following.

Cleanse us from all our offenses, and deliver us from proud and vain thoughts. We draw near to you, confessing our faults, confiding in your grace, and finding refuge and strength through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Please be seated. And let's take a private time of confession to our Lord.

Amen. Today's prayer topic is one that is close to all of us here that live in not just our city in Los Angeles, but in California. If you look around, there's news about crime and drug usage and homelessness, and our legislation is frustrating because there's just all these things that are focusing on everything but fixing the issues that are local to us.

And to cleanse this place, um the things that are happening. It's it's scary. A couple weeks ago, we prayed over our children who are being exposed to things that um are difficult for us as parents who want to raise them in Christian households that like we don't have control over that sometimes. And so my prayer our prayer request today is for us to corporately pray over our city, uh for God to prevail, for his word to just echo and endure, um, and ultimately that his kingdom will be glorified in Los Angeles, um, even in Riverside County, wherever you is local to you, because it's it's scary times. It is, and it's nothing that we in our hands can physically manipulate and control. It really is in the hands of our Lord.

So let's pray, Lord.

Our it feels like our city, our homes are broken, Lord, because of just the crime, the just the corruption that has taken over our city, our counties, our state, Lord, even our country. There's a battle going on, Lord, that we cannot control, but we can ask, Lord, for your hands to guide and direct and for right decisions to be made. Um, Lord, we just pray for the things out of our control, but Lord, we pray for the goodness of your word, for your kingdom to be glorified and to do its work, Lord, in in this place that feels so broken. Uh, we just ultimately, Lord, we will do our best to serve you and to do your will. But Lord, may your kingdom be glorified apart from what we can control, Lord.

It is truly um in your hands, and we Lord, we know that you will conquer all. So, Lord, we thank you for just even being able to worship today and having the freedom in this place to worship you, and Lord, we we just want to do our best to glorify you in all that we do. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. Children, you are dismissed for Sunday school. Today is teacher Steven. Um, I do not know who is will. You are assisting uh teacher Stephen today. Uh, please have a good Sunday school. As the children are being dismissed, we're going to uh have a few announcements. If you can put them up. So yes, uh, the city of LA, especially in this area, we get pop-up parades that block off all the roads, but we do get a few um road close uh closures in advance.

So one is for Ciclavia happening in a couple weeks, October 15th. Um, I don't think it affects most of us here locally, but if it does, please go to the website, look at the route, and then kind of just make uh plans ahead of time for your route to church on Sunday. Um Lighthouse Community Church, who has been so gracious to sending over um just guest speakers and giving us lending us their resources uh is having a kids' mini conference November 11th uh from nine a.m. to twelve p.m. I know that my family will be attending. If you would like to go and join us, please let us know and we can coordinate rides. Um if you want to know more details about the event or just what what it's about, please look on their website as well.

We'll still we are still looking for children's ministry volunteers. I know most of you have done a background check, but if you haven't signed up yet, uh please go ahead and just try to me maybe ask Tiff or Steven uh what Sunday is available for you to help out. Lastly, um our offering options are through Zell, Venmo, Cash and Check. Um, if you're visiting or a non-member, uh, you know, no requirement. We're not asking you to give, but according to the Lord has blessed you. Uh, for members, please continue to give faithfully as the Lord has blessed you in your lives. Um, I have the pleasure of um just welcoming and introducing our brother here. Um, so thankful from just uh just being able to guest speak today.

Uh he's here's a little bit about himself. Uh Christian Polnyard. Uh I hope I pronounced the last name correctly. Okay, good. Uh he grew up in Orange County, and uh he was a faithful follower of the grateful dead, rock rock band in high school. And and for a few years after that, he was living his way through a Volkswagen, uh bust, and committing all sins associated with the hippie lifestyle. But by sheer grace of God, he was brought to the very bottom, and by the time he was twenty years old, that's when the Lord opened his eyes to the need for Christ and was born again. So within four years, he met his wife with who he's been married now for 24 years. Praise God, and uh he left for the states four years to serve as a missionary in Uganda, Africa, where he uh then he returned in 2003 to the U.S.

and began working as a teacher in public schools, and uh began working on higher education, where he received a BA in history from the University of California, Riverside, uh, and got his MA from Chapman University and his MD from Reformed Baptist Seminary. Uh his wife and himself uh became members of the Reformed uh Baptist Church of Riverside in twin uh 2007, where he was ordained as one of their pastors in 2015. He has three boys, a nine-year-old and twin sixteen-year-olds. Let's take this opportunity to graciously welcome him with a round of applause. Oh, awesome. Thank you. Well, I just really happy to be here. I've been meaning to uh come out and see you guys for a while. I I met your former pastor at the Reformed Baptist Network General Assembly last year, and he seemed like a great guy, and I heard a lot of good things.

I know greetings are especially sent from Pastor Robert Elliott from our church to you guys. I know he's been out here to preach for you. Probably remember his Scottish accent. And of course, uh the whole church just sends our greetings, but um, I was really happy to be here, and I pray that the Lord blesses our time together. If you'd stand with me while we read the word of God from Daniel chapter three. Daniel chapter three. And we're gonna be reading verses one through twenty-five. Thus speaks the Holy Spirit through the prophet Daniel. Daniel chapter three, verse one. Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its width six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.

And the king Nebuchadnezzar sent word to gather together the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. So the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered together for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Then a harald cried aloud, to you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.

And whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. So at that time when all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, harp, and lyre, in symphony with all kinds of music, all the people, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the gold image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Therefore, at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and accused the Jews. They spoke and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live forever. You, O king, have made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, and symphony with all kinds of music shall fall down and worship the gold image, and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.

There are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, have not paid due regard to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image which you have set up. Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. So they brought these men before the king, and Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up? Now, if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psalter, and symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good.

But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately in the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the God who will deliver you from my hands? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God, whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up. Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated.

And he commanded certain mighty men of valor who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their coats, their trousers, their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Therefore, because the king's command was urgent and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego fell down, bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished, and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?

They answered and said to the king, True, O king, look, he answered, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. This is the word of the Lord. You may be seated. In today's world, increasingly we are experiencing the culture of a connected city, and no doubt you're aware of that, living in the midst of a metropolis here. But not only have many moved into the more urban areas from the rural areas, although this might be kind of reversing because of to some degree, because so many people start to work from home in recent years, and thus the office building skyscrapers in the big cities are becoming more and more vacant.

But there has nevertheless been a great growth in the concentration of urban areas in the last hundred years, especially, and yet even if some are moving back out of the cities due to the abilities of technology to work from home, still, the suburbs themselves are one really big town of sprawling strip malls and amenities and warehouses and tract homes. Yet, even more than that, the technology of the internet and communications have brought those on the outskirts of the city into the very center of what is happening in the culture of the world city. And so there is a very real sense where in today's world it is very rare to find isolated rural cultures, people groups who have not been affected by the global marketplace and who are not aware of what is going off in far places away from them.

With this increasing sense of the global city, we find that the principles of worldliness and the sentiments of ungodliness and rebellion against God are becoming more and more united in their specific mindsets and opinions. There is a growing unity of consensus on issues of morality and government and society. In our own country, we see such a polarization of political opinions.

Individual thought is being conglomerated into the singular thought of the city. We live in the global city. And the constant crisscrossing of communication and the marriages between different ethnicities and the ability to acquire goods from anywhere in the world in a matter of days and to sell to anywhere in the world in a matter of days with lightning speed has also resulted in a growing consensus by the world of its opinion on not only issues of morality, government, and society, but of its opinion and stance towards Christianity and Christians. Increasingly so across the world. In every country, we are seeing a growing threat and in many ways, places violent manifestations of animosity and persecution against the church of Jesus Christ.

Our text in Daniel takes place in what was at the time the capital of the Babylonian Empire, the great Asian empire of the time that had conquered vast territories of the world, so much so that it had taken captive the children of Israel and brought them into exile from the promised land. The people of God have been assimilated into one of the greatest urban centers of the world at the time. And the three Hebrews, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, as well as Daniel himself and other chapters of this prophecy, they were faced with the challenges and the difficulties of trying to navigate being faithful to God and his commandments while living in the midst of this pagan city, living in the center of Gentile urbanity, living under the rule of a pagan ruler who lorded over his subjects and tolerated nothing short of total subjection.

So the context of Daniel chapter 3, in other words, brothers and sisters, is a direct parallel and application for us today, living as faithful Christians in the midst of the world city, and increasingly experiencing the threats and the persecution of world leaders, of politicians, of rulers and authorities who seek total subjection to their agendas and their policies. Just as Shadrach, Meshach, and Nebednego's faith and fear of the one true God ran them smack up against the desires and agendas of the pagan cities and the pagan rulers. So today, Christians all across the world, and us as Christians in America are facing the reality that to follow Christ means we will run straight across the grain of this world's values and agendas.

This morning we find that Daniel chapter 3, an ancient prophetic word and story about historical happenings from thousands of years ago. We find that it is the word of the Lord for us today and has direct bearing on our current context in history. So let's look at this chapter in a bit more detail and notice the parallels and the applications to our current situation. First of all, in verses 1 through 15, we notice the threat.

Nebuchadnezzar has set up this golden image that he requires everyone to bow down to when the music plays. The threat is if you don't conform to his agenda and bow down to this idol and worship it, you will be thrown to face a gruesome death into the fiery furnace. Of course, the young Hebrew men, Shadrach, Meshech, and Abega, which were the names the Babylonians have given them, incidentally. Their real names were Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. These young Hebrew men refuse to bow down and worship anything but the living God of Israel. And it's quickly reported to the king that these men are blatantly disobeying the king's command and are rebelliously refusing to worship his golden image.

And Nebuchadnezzar, in his reasonable benevolence, gives them an ultimatum. He gives them another chance to do what he has commanded and to bow down to the image when the music plays, or else he will cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Now, it's important to note that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had previously been important appointed as rulers over the affairs of Babylons. They were they were high in the king's service. They had been servants of the king and the kingdom of Babylon. They sought the prosperity of the city. The New Testament contains a great theme of God's people being in the world, but not of it. We are called to submit to the governing authorities. We're called to that.

We're called to pray for our rulers. We are called to live a quiet and peaceable life, living productive lives, working as unto the Lord in our secular employments, contributing to the city and its prosperity and welfare. Christians are not called upon in the teachings of Jesus and the apostles to separate themselves into an insulated cult and a monkish retreat from the affairs of the city. We are to be hard workers, productive members of society. We are to contribute to the well-being of the neighbors around us. Indeed, we we ourselves benefit greatly from the city with all its amenities and its securities and the health care. We participate in the great marketplace and derive our sustenance from its goods and services.

Listen to the apostle Paul expound some of these ideas of contributing to the welfare of our neighbors in the city in Romans chapter 12 and 13. Starting in Romans 12, 17, we read this. Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath. For it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. Therefore, if your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.

Therefore, whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is God's minister and avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Therefore, you must be subject not only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God's minister, attending continually to this very thing. Render therefore to all their due taxes to whom taxes are due, custom to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor, owe no one anything except to love one another.

For he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, you shall not covet, and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no harm to a neighbor, therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. So that's Paul speaking about living in the midst of the city as Christians. And like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, godly Christians today are good members of society, and they are a boon to any country they live in. And yet, as it happened to the three men in our story, it is happening today as well that the child of God, increasingly so, is faced with a threat to conform to the authorities in direct violation and disobedience to the God who created and redeemed them.

Though we are to submit to the government and be law-abiding citizens and support the order and stability of society around us, when the law of the land goes against the commands and precepts of Almighty God, we must say, as the apostles did, we ought to obey God rather than men. What is happening more and more today is that Christians are being threatened with fines and punishment and imprisonment in many places for not bowing down to the idols of the day. If we will not conform to the godless agenda of the authority, we will eventually receive an ultimatum. Bow down, conform, tolerate, keep quiet, or else you will face the consequences. Nebuchadnezzar had benefited greatly from the Hebrew service to his city.

The world today has greatly, greatly benefited from the influences of godly Christians and from the truths contained in Scripture. The gospel of Jesus Christ has changed Western society for the better, and it cannot be denied, though it is ironically denied by many today that that is so.

My stomach at times. But unless the Lord turns the tide, the ultimatums are coming. It's coming, brothers and sisters. And let me just say at this point that we know this is a very uncomfortable concept to think about. And though we are called by Jesus not to worry about tomorrow, we must acknowledge at this point in the message that fears and anxieties and dread about what seems to be coming down the pipe for the church of Jesus Christ is not just a reality that we are more and more experiencing these fears of anxiety and dread about the future. But we have to note that it is completely normal to feel that way.

You have not disqualified yourself from the grace and power of God if you are at times feeling anxious about the future. Our brother, before when we were praying this morning, talked about how scary things can be right now, right? Doesn't mean you're not a godly Christian if you're struggling with these things. In the New Testament, the imperatives be anxious for nothing or do not worry about tomorrow. Those are put there by the Holy Spirit because He knows we're going to be struggling with these things. He knows we have to battle these things in the Christian life. It's normal to battle with fear and anxiety. You're not in heaven yet, Christian. We're not there yet. There is no perfection this side of glory.

And so we will continually go through the ups and downs of struggling with despair and then moving from there to faith and trust in God's sovereignty and his love for us, and then maybe back again the next day to feeling punched in the gut by some legislation and then turning back to the promises of God in Christ Jesus, running to Him to undertake for our souls, running to the promises of God in the Bible for encouragement and for the bolstering of our faith. This up and down experiences doesn't mean you're not godly, it doesn't mean you're not holy. It's normal. And if you've really analyzed the threat that is growing upon us as the church of Jesus Christ, if you've if you've done so with any kind of intelligence, you'll surely encounter a battle with worry and anxiety.

It's totally normal. But with the threat we see around us, secondly, we we must resolve to face the music. Resolve to face the music. This is what Shadrach and Meshach and Abednego did. Look at verses 16 through 18. Let's read as follows. Shadrach, Beshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this manner. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace. And he will deliver us from your hand, O King. But if not, let it be known to you, O King, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the golden image which you have set up. Excuse me.

They had resolved not to bow down and to face the consequences of their rebellion against the king and the ways of the city. They had resolved to do this. Notice though, they resolved to do so with the understanding that God could very well not deliver them from the suffering. They understood that.

Seems like these men had Herculean faith. They were spiritual giants, right? How can you and I resolve to face these kind of consequences that the city might throw down at us? We no doubt can easily imagine worst-case scenarios that could be coming down the road for us. How can you and I, pampered Americans that we are, right? How can we face the consequences of following Jesus Christ in the dark and evil day of persecution? Well, my friends, right? We're helpless of ourselves. But if you are a Christian here this morning, you have surely tasted of the supernatural, right? You have known what it is to have your heart completely changed from the inside out. You have known what it is to be infused with devotion and adoration for the Lord Jesus Christ and his ways.

And you have known what it is to even pant for God as the deer pants for the water brooks. And none of these virtues are natural to us. You weren't born with these qualities. You were born bowing down to sin and self and the devil. The fact that you have been born again is supernatural. You didn't repent and put your faith in Christ out of your own resources or by mustering up the resolve and the strength to do so. You didn't just wake up one morning and think, you know, I'm pretty smart. I don't want to go to hell, so I'm going to put my faith in Jesus. What we want to point out this morning is that the same Spirit of God that abided upon Shadrach, Beshach, and Abednego abides on each of us who are Christians this morning.

Supernatural grace is available to each and every Christian, no matter how weak their faith might be. Spurgeon once said that we'll have the grace we need for the time that we needed in at the time we needed in. We might not feel like we have the grace to face some of these things right now, but when we need it, God will be available to give us that grace that we need. Supernatural grace is available to us. You're not a special case that God isn't able to take you through the fiery furnaces of affliction or persecution just because you've lived in a pampered age and in a pampered country. God is able to undertake for all of his children. And he will.

To watch that edgy movie. Resolve not to let that temper of yours flash and boil and lash out at others. Resolve to die to yourself when you get home from work. Resolve to seek the Lord in private devotions and prayers. Resolve to attend the means of grace on the Lord's day. Resolve to be kind and tender hearted. Resolve to love those who rub you the wrong way, who are obnoxious in your sight, who are making it hard for you in the workplace, who maybe blaspheme the Lord Jesus Christ in front of you, knowing that they'll upset you, who make it hard for you. Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God in the day of small things, so that when the evil day arrives, and it looks like it is coming, brothers and sisters.

When the evil day arrives, you will be experienced about discerning between good and evil.

And so you will be able to recognize what it is you need to do, what you need to say, what you need to deny when the evil day comes and the ultimatums are thrown down before you.

Sitting at his feet, washing his feet with our tears of repentance and thanksgiving, leaning on his loving breasts, longing to sup with him, to be with him in the quiet place and in the assembly of God's people, to feed upon him as the very bread of life, as we hear the word of God preached, and to pray in his presence as we are communing with the very living God, who so loved us that he gave his life for us in the tortures of the cross. He became sin, who knew no sin, that we might become his righteousness. Do we live our lives loving the Lord Jesus Christ, rejoicing in the Lord always? Now rejoicing in the Lord always doesn't mean you're happy all the time. It means that you're always seeking to enjoy Christ, always seeking to love him and to know him even in the dark valleys that life brings and the perplexities that we go through.

We cannot hope to endure as Christians in the midst of a wicked and perverse generation unless we are walking with the Son of God. You have to walk with him. If you walk with him now, we will continue to walk with him in the fires because he's never going to leave you.

If we have faith in Christ now, we will have faith when the fire comes. For he will preserve us, he will sustain us. If we abide in him, we will bear much fruit. The same kind of fruit that Shadrach, Meshach, and Nebednego bore. If we're not Christ adoring, if we aren't knowing the fellowship of the Son, if we can't say we know what it means to actually commune with our Savior, if we fail to see the importance of drawing near to Christ, or walking with him, or doing all to his glory, or leaning on him in the hard times and the good times, abiding in him in the day of small things and the day of adversity. If we're not familiar with the Son of God, what are we going to do when God sends strong delusion to the world?

Whatever your views are on the Antichrist and whether or not these things come just prior to the Lord's return or not, though we will never know the day or the hour of the return of Christ, we neither can know the timing exactly or the duration of the strong delusion that God promises to send those who do not receive the love of the truth in Thessalonians. Either way, in every age, there are great lies and deceptions that can deceive, if possible, even the elect. Every age.

No doubt about it. As Paul said, often we'll despair of life. He said that in 2 Corinthians chapter 1. That's not a sign that you're not a Christian. Jesus is one who takes us through the valleys, not around them, not over them, through the valleys. He walks with us in the fires. But if you can be honest with yourself this morning, and you don't have, you can't say you have true knowledge or experiential knowledge of Christ. Oh, you might agree that you don't want to go to hell. Everybody's going to agree with that, right? So you profess to be a Christian, but my dear friend, though every Christian continues to live with the presence of sin in their lives, they have nevertheless left their desires for worldliness, for the lust of the present world.

They have stopped bowing down to the agendas of this world. They no longer follow a celebrities or a music group's philosophies on the way to live or their favorite authors' philosophies on the way to live. They follow the Lord Jesus Christ. They have resolved to follow him, though they must face the music of being hated by the world for his sake. And they have devoted their lives to drawing near to him and worshiping him with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength. Not perfectly. Through many toils and snares, they mess up a lot. We mess up a lot. They quench the spirit at times. They say stupid things. They don't have the perfect marriage. They weren't the perfect mom or dad, but they know.

They know Christ. They hate their sin that remains. And they long to follow Jesus, to see him face to face, to abide with him forever. If you don't have these desires in you, this longing to be with Christ, to fellowship with him. Question if you're really a Christian or not. To have faith in the fire is to have faith in Christ now. Today is the day of salvation, the Bible says. Now is the acceptable time. All of us, every single person here this morning, if you're a believer or not a believer, we need to resolve a fresh and anew to seek the Lord Jesus Christ while he may be found. Just as these Hebrew men in the prophecy of Daniel were contributing citizens of the worldly city they live in, so too, though, though our society is increasingly godless and secular and even pagan.

As Christians, we are to continue to live in the world, though we do not ascribe to its values. As we love our neighbors and seek to benefit the city with our labors and our resources, we'll be able to witness to them of the character of Christ and the peace within our souls. Let me just close with this.

And this gives rise to the open door of our testimony being shared with our colleagues and our unsaved family members, always ready to give an answer for the hope that lies within us. But perhaps the greatest witness to our testimony of being saved from our sins and having found peace with God will come when we are faced with an ultimatum to bow down or else. But if we know Christ, for walking with him now, whether we're thrown into the fires of adversity or we know the abounding benefits of peace and prosperity. It doesn't matter whether we're abased or whether we're abounding, we'll be clean to Christ. And he will be with us, He will be with us in the temptations of luxuries, pampered America, or in the very fires of persecution, the Son of God will be with us.

He will so may God help us and give us the grace and mercy we need during this time in history. We close in prayer.

To see our need for Christ and to walk with him. We know that salvation is of the Lord, and all that we are in Christ is of Him and Him alone and of your sovereign will in our lives. We pray and ask for your to give us your Holy Spirit to fill us with Him and to give us the power we need to submit to His authority and not to the agendas of this world in this day and age. In Jesus' name, amen.

And thank you for that. The word let us continue our time of worship and just trusting in Him to have faith in the fire. Would you all rise with me and just sing the song in response? You hear me when I call, you are my morning song, though darkness fills the night, it cannot hide the light.

Underneath my feet, you are my sword and shield, though troubles linger still, whom shall I fear. I know. I know who goes before me. I know who stands behind the God of angel armies is always by my side, the one who reigns forever. He is a friend of mine, the God of angel army is always by my side. My strength, my strength is in your name, for you alone can say, You will deliver me. Yo is the victory. Whom shall I fear?

Whom shall I fear? Whom shall I be?

I know who sins behind. The God of angel army is always by my side, the one who reigns forever. He is a friend of mine, the God of angel army is always by my side. Nothing born, and nothing born against me shall send me.

Nothing born, and nothing for against me shall sin. Oh before your sin. You are faithful. You are faithful, you are faithful. I know who goes before me. I know who stands behind. The God of angel armies is always by my side. The one who reigns forever. He is a friend of mine. The God of angel armies is always by my side. I know who goes before me. I know he stands behind.

The God of angel army is always by my side.

The God of angel army is always by my side. The God of angel armies is always by my side.

Amen.