Greeting Members and Friends
It time once again for our weekly Sunday School preview so thanks for joining me and welcome back. The Winter Quarter entitled “Faith In Action” explores faith as both belief and action. The January unit is entitled “A Living Faith in God” and it explores examples of faith from the book of Daniel that provide models of sincerity, obedience, boldness, and strength. This Sunday’s lesson is entitled “A Bold Faith”.
Today’s lesson, just as last Sunday’s lesson, invites us to examine our own motivations and reasons for our actions for the sake of Christ. Last week the emphasis was on sincerity. This week we’re examining boldness. The refusal to eat the king’s meat was an act of boldness as well as sincerity. Refusal to bow down to anything or anyone other than God under the threat of death is an even bolder act. Boldness is the ability to pursue or take a course of action knowing that action involves the risk of losing something important, especially one’s own life or liberty.
Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, erected an image of gold and commanded everyone to bow down and worship it at the playing of some music. The three Jewish friends of Daniel who was in last Sunday’s lesson refused to follow the King’s command knowing the consequence for such refusal was to be place in the furnace of fire. They did it not just to defy the king, but in order to remain true and sincere to their faith. Upon learning of their refusal to bow, the king had them brought before him and offered them another opportunity to comply with his command. Their bold and courageous reply to the king was that their God is able to deliver them from the fire, but even if He doesn’t, they still would not bow.
So the king order the heat of the furnace to be increased seven times and commanded that Daniel’s companions, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, be bound and thrown into the furnace. But to the king’s amazement and surprise the fire had no effect on them and a fourth person appeared in the fire with them whom the king described as a son of the gods. The king ordered them to come out and acknowledged the power of their God to change the king’s command. Furthermore, he decreed that if anyone spoke against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego they would be cut to pieces and their property destroyed.
As we said last week, there are no guarantees that things are going to turn out the way we like or want because we are sincere or bold or courageous in our faith. However, we must continue to believe that regardless of the circumstances and what happens as a result of remaining true to our faith, the God we serve will more that make up for anything we had to endure for His sake. You can get a better understanding of this lesson by reading the daily SS readings found in your SS book which can also be accessed through our website and mobile app. Well, that’s all for this week’s preview. Be sure to join us in Sunday School this week for a fuller discussion of this lesson and the general topic of Faith In Action. So, until then
Grace and peace
Pastor Jordan
