Hearts on Fire for Jesus

Hey everyone, this is Josh from Encounter Church

Henley and thanks so much for tuning into our

podcast. Our prayer is that through this podcast,

you can have an encounter with Jesus that will

change your life. And now get ready for an inspiring

message from our preaching team. Almighty God,

we just welcome you in this place. This is your

church, Lord, and we just ask that you would

speak in this place. Give us ears to hear what

you're saying to us, Lord. Help our faith to

rise anew. In your mighty name we pray. Amen.

Amen. So good to see all you here today. If you

haven't met me before, my name's Charlie. I'm

part of the team at Encounter. And I'm gonna

start off by sharing some drama from year three.

So, clearly it's stuck with me. But I remember

back in primary school. There was this girl in

my class and I'm going to call her Sam for the

sake of this. And she told me that she was cousins

with Carly Rae Jepson. Now this was during the

call me maybe era. So this was a big claim. And

so I asked a lot of questions. I was like, what's

it like to know a celebrity? Do you sing as well?

And like, how often do you see her? And she would

often go on and respond very positively to this

and tell me about the big parties that they would

have and how they would all sing together and

whatever. And I was pretty amazed. Then the next

week, as I was getting my lunchbox out of my

bag, I overheard her talking to another group

of friends, and she said that she was also cousins

with Katy Perry. Now, I'm no Katy Perry Stan,

but I don't think those two people are related.

And then the week after that, when Sam mentioned

that she was also cousins with Pink, I was like,

no, that seal was the deal for me. Now it's true

that we often like to associate ourselves with

people of a high standing or who are popular.

Psychology often labels this as a defense mechanism

called identification. And that's when we identify

ourselves with people or causes or whatever it

might be in hopes that we would be seen as more

important or more worthwhile or more trustworthy.

Now, who's to say if Sam was really related to

those people? And to be honest, it's none of

my business really. But as it seemed to get more

and more unlikely that Sam was the cousin of

multiple celebrities, particularly considering

Pink and Katy Perry are from opposite sides of

the world, I decided that I probably shouldn't

take what she said at face value. I decided it

was probably best if I didn't trust her. I'm

sure you have a similar story in your head of

a similar situation or when someone tells you

they're a brilliant cook or they have a brilliant

sense of direction. And then quickly when pressed,

it's obvious that maybe, maybe they don't. And

so when someone actually does make a big claim

and then seems to deliver on it, we're almost

shocked. It doesn't fit the mental model in our

heads that we have for a situation. When someone

who says that they're very good at parking then

goes for that like tight reverse parallel park,

I'm like preparing myself to be like, oh, I can

do another lap around the block, it's fine, or

let them save face. And then when they do it

perfectly first go, I'm like, okay, okay, great.

We're surprised, right? As people, we're willing

to put faith in someone when we trust they are

who they say they are. In the scripture that

Katie just read for us, we see Shadrach, Meshach

and Abednego. Three bros who defy the King's

command even when threatened to be killed by

fire in a furnace. This is a bold move. And it

makes me think of all the other people in the

Bible who have made some crazy decisions solely

based on their faith in God. Based on their belief

that God is and was exactly who He says He is.

These are straight from Hebrews 11 by Faith Noah.

When warned about things not yet seen, in holy

fear, built an ark to save his family. By his

faith, he condemned the world and became heir

of the righteousness that is in with keeping

with faith. By faith, the Israelites passed through

the Red Sea as on dry land. But when the Egyptians

tried to do so, they were drowned. By faith,

the walls of Jericho fell after an army had marched

around them for seven days. And by faith, the

prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies,

was not killed by those who were disobedient.

This even then goes to history, right? Polycarp,

an early church father, when told to renounce

the gospel, he refused and he said, 86 years

I've served this Jesus and he has done me no

wrong. And then proceeded to be killed, accepting

death as better than sin. Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

a German pastor and theologian, stood against

Hitler, was convicted of treason, and then killed

in pursuit of saving the Jewish people. And then

even to today, I think of the people working

with open doors, who smuggled Bibles into North

Korea and across many other closed nations, and

who consistently risked their lives to advance

the Gospel in nations that oppress their people

for believing in Jesus. And all of that makes

me wonder. There has got to be something different

about these people. Psychologically, spiritually,

emotionally. Because it's hard to fully put your

trust in God. Particularly when we get very used

to the way that people will often over claim

and then under deliver. It's hard to live out

this high faith that so many people in the Bible

and history seem to possess. It sometimes feels

hard. to trust that God is who He says He is.

We might feel that we trust God enough to label

ourselves as Christian or to make going to church

a semi -regular rhythm in our lives, but then

there is this worry in the back of our heads

that if we're placed in a situation that requires

that bit more trust or more faith, will we actually

be able to hold out? When God's Word goes against

what I've always known about myself, Is God's

Word still true? When God says that He's in control

of my life and wants the best for me, but I don't

actually see the fruit of that coming, how can

I be sure? What about when I'm low on money?

Can I still trust God with 10 % of my income?

When God says He is merciful and kind, does that

mean He's merciful and kind to me? I feel like

all of this really boils down to Can I trust

God is who He says He is? I know that I want

to, and you probably want to as well, but without

intimately knowing God, completely and fully

trusting Him can feel out of reach. Yet somehow

there are these people that are 100 % sold out

for God. I believe that these people have hearts

on fire for Jesus, and they for sure know who

the God is that they call upon. And this is the

type of faith that I want. And you probably do

too. We're in our third week of our values series

in Encounter Henley and Hearts on Fire for Jesus

is the value we're looking at today. Our core

values are statements of intent. You can see

them on the walls around you. And they shape

the type of church that we want to become, but

more importantly, the type of people we want

to become too. And I figure. What better way

to foster a heart on fire for Jesus than to look

at Daniel 3, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,

the literal fire boys, and how they lived out

their faith. So, who was even trying to kill

them anyway and how did they end up in this position?

King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, Nebi, was the

most powerful ruler of his era. And earlier in

the book of Daniel, we see that he and his army

besieged Jerusalem and now have it under their

control. Daniel, who is the hero of this book,

seems to be off on a convenient holiday during

this chapter. But in chapter two, he appoints

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to be in charge

of the affairs of the province of Babylon as

a reward from Nebbe after interpreting his dream.

The fire boys were not nobodies. They were people

of status in Babylon and faced the same tension

as the rest of the Jews. How do they serve God

faithfully as strangers in a strange nation?

Let's pick it up from Daniel 3 verse 1. King

Daniel 3:1

Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold 60 cubits

high and six cubits wide. Today's standards,

that is 27 meters tall and three meters wide.

It's a very tall skinny statue. And set it up

on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.

He then summons a heap of officials and important

people in the land to come to the dedication

of this image that he has set up. Then the herald

loudly proclaimed, nations and people of every

language, this is what you're commanded to do.

As soon as you hear the sound of the musical

instruments, you must fall down and worship the

image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set

up. Whoever does not fall down and worship will

immediately be thrown into the blazing furnace.

Nebi's demand for overwhelming conformity was

a clear test of faithfulness for the Jews. But

as the music was played, all the people of all

the nations fell down and worshipped this gold

image that Nebi set up. That is everyone except

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Now Nebi himself

didn't actually see that happen, but some Chaldeans

snitched on him. These were people deeply ingrained

in Babylonian culture who didn't like Jews and

most likely would politically benefit from the

death of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. The

Chaldeans said to Nebbe, there are some Jews

who you've set over the affairs of the province

of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,

who pay no attention to you, your majesty. They

neither serve your gods, nor worship the image

of God that you've set up. And again, this is

back to the key issue. The Jews are trying to

live out their faith, worship the one true God,

as they live stuck in a nation that worships

multiple gods. Worshipping this gold statue or

anyone or anything other than God would be breaking

the first of the two of the ten commandments

in Exodus 20. One, you shall have no other gods

before me. Two, you shall not make for yourself

an image to worship for I the Lord your God am

a jealous God. To obey Nebbe meant forsaking

their faith and forsaking their God. But of course,

this made Nebuchadnezzar furious, so he brought

the boys to him. And Nebuchadnezzar said to them,

is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,

that you do not serve my gods or worship the

image of gold that I have set up? If you are

ready to fall down and worship the image I have

made, very good. But if you do not worship it,

you will be thrown immediately into a blazing

furnace, and then what God will be able to rescue

you from my hands? Is it true? Nebi is essentially

saying, who is more powerful than me? The most

powerful authority of their time. This did not

stop the fire boys. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego

replied to him, King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not

need to defend ourselves before you in this matter.

If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the

God we serve is able to deliver us from it. And

he would deliver us from your majesty's hands.

But even if He does not, we want you to know,

Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods

or worship the image of gold that you have set

up. For the fire boys, this one's not up for

debate. They will not be bowing down to the idol

and will not back down from Nevi's threats. Thus

saying that our God is capable. Our God delivered

the Israelites out of Egypt. Our God is powerful

and He can do it again. And even if He does not,

we will not. serve your gods. And friends, this

even if statement, I don't think it's a lack

of faith, not in the slightest. This is an acknowledgement

that their faith, their fate rests in the hands

of God. And even if He does not save them, it

is far better for them to suffer than to sin

against the one true God. They know who their

God is, and they trust who He says He is. But

of course, this made Nevi even more mad. And

so he ordered the furnace be heated seven times

hotter than usual and commanded some of the strongest

soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach,

and Abednego and threw them into the blazing

furnace. But then Nevi sees something. He turns

to his advisors and asks, Hey, weren't there

three men that we tied up and threw in the fire?

They replied, certainly, Your Majesty. And he

said, look, I see four men walking around in

the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth

looks like a son of the gods. Nebuchadnezzar

then approached the opening of the blazing furnace

and shouted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,

servants of the Most High God, come out, come

here. And so they came out and everyone saw that

the fire had not harmed their bodies, where nor

was a hair on their head singed, their robes

were not scorched, and there was no smell of

fire on them. Then Nebuchadnezzar said, praise

be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,

who has sent his angel and rescued his servants.

They trusted in Him, defying the King's command,

were willing to give up their lives rather than

to serve or worship any God except their own

God. Nevi then finishes, decreeing that anyone

who says anything against the God of Shadrach,

Meshach and Abednego will be cut in pieces and

their house be turned into piles of rubble, for

no other God can save in this way. The fire boys

were faithful to God, right? With hearts on fire

for Jesus. And they were delivered from the fire

unscathed. And this wasn't by avoiding it, as

we might have hoped. No, it was going literally

straight through it with God's provision and

protection. Their faith was refined by fire.

God performed a miracle as He would continue

to do and still does today. Now, we don't know

if the fourth man in the fire was Jesus or one

of his angels, but regardless, the boys were

not alone in the fire. They were sent a comforter

and a protector, and neither are we alone in

the fire, for we have been sent a comforter,

savior, and protector, the Holy Spirit. Shadrach,

Meshach, and Abednego stood faithfully in the

fire because they trusted God is who He says

He is. They had faith to stand up against the

most powerful ruler of their time because they

knew that no human power is more powerful than

their God. They trusted that He is the Deliverer,

and even if they weren't delivered, that eternity

with Christ is worth the cost. Friends, we must

be a people that trust God is who He says He

is. And if we do that, We can stand against the

burdens of our secular culture and walk through

fires that rage around us with confidence and

assurance that God will lead us through them,

like he did with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.

When our world is literally burning around us

and there's no clear way out, we must keep the

faith. We must trust that the God who delivered

the Israelites out of Egypt, the God who protected

the fire boys in the furnace, will deliver and

be with us too. This is a hard calling. And I

recognize that me just telling you to trust God

more doesn't exactly make that any easier to

do. And I know for me, when I read the text,

I'm inspired by the bold faith of these boys,

but I also feel challenged by their unwavering

obedience. And it brings us back to this whole

question. What makes these guys different? How

do they live with hearts on fire for Jesus? I

believe it's because they are absolutely certain

that God is who He says He is and importantly

they have spent the time to get to know God enough

to have a bold faith that matches their belief.

They might have even been through a fire a time

or two to know that God meets them there in the

mess as well. Faith in the fire comes when we

trust God is who He says He is. And a heart on

fire for Jesus is forged when we learn to surrender

to Him, trust who He is, and accept His plan

for us. It is Jesus who starts the fire, and

it's Jesus who keeps it burning. We must choose

in our weakness to surrender to Him, let go of

fear, and ask Him to set our hearts on fire for

Him. We must ask Him to give us faith. I know

that we are very, very used to humans letting

us down. In year three, when Sam allegedly lies

about her life, it taught me not always to believe

what people say. And in our sinful world, I'm

sure both you and I have been hurt and let down

by people more times than we can count. We're

not quick to trust one another. And I think sometimes

we can project this onto God as well. Because

how can I know for sure that God is trustworthy?

Friends, let me remind you that unlike you and

I, Jesus is perfect. And his death on the cross

and resurrection from the dead actually saves

us. Jackie Hill Perry puts it way better than

I do. She says, if God is holy, then he can't

sin. If God can't sin, then he can't sin against

you. And if he can't sin against you, Shouldn't

that make Him the most trustworthy being there

is? God's words and works can be trusted because

it is impossible for God to sin against you.

If He could, He wouldn't be God. There is an

untainted goodness in Jesus, the spotless Saviour,

the unblemished Lamb. Faith in the fire can feel

impossible sometimes, but when we trust who God

says He is, our faith slowly begins to rise up.

And the more we get to know God, spending time

with Him in His Word and in His presence, the

easier it is to fully trust in Him. Faith is

built slowly, one step at a time, towards God.

And before you know it, you're walking into your

world with a heart on fire for Jesus, ready to

share His good news with all the people you meet,

care for His people, for His creation, all because

of this deep, abundant love for Jesus in you,

because you've received that deep, abundant love

from Him. Well, hopefully, we're never faced

with a fiery furnace. We're still faced with

trials very often in this world. Moments that

call us to obedience, moments that call for godly

defiance or even for critical conversations.

And while we may triumph most of the time, we

all fall short sometimes too. And then this is

when it's the hardest to feel like our hearts

are on fire for Jesus, when we feel that we're

actually distant from him. But friends, we have

a God who's not only with us in the fire, but

who delivers us through it too. And Jesus does

not wait for us to be perfectly free of our sin

before He shows us His love, or to be perfectly

full of this faith beforehand. Romans 5 verse

Romans 5:8

8 says, God showed His great love for us by sending

Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

Do you believe that? That even when you feel

like the worst sinner, God's death on the cross

for you still stands the exact same. Even when

you're dealing with what feels like a small fire

or maybe a raging furnace, be encouraged that

through Jesus, we are made right with God. We

are delivered from the grips of sin and death.

We get a second chance and a third and a fourth

and a fifth and so on. And that's all through

the love and grace of Jesus. And we needed that

because being delivered from our sin, being delivered

from some of the situations that we get put in

or sometimes put ourselves in, is only possible

through the grace and power of Jesus Christ.

And that is abundantly available to you today

as well, regardless of if you feel worthy, because

let me tell you, you're not, but neither am I.

And yet Jesus still loves you and challenges

you to throw off what hinders you to run the

race with perseverance marked out for you. And

I would love if you would come back up. Faith

in the fire comes when we trust that God is who

He says He is. Can I encourage you today, friends,

to take the next step towards a life of trust

in God? That next step towards a heart on fire

for Jesus? Maybe for some of you, you feel like

God has been calling you to a particular job

or to serve those in your community. but you

really need help trusting God's call over your

life. Maybe you feel like your faith is dwindling

and that doubt's voice is louder than usual.

Maybe God is inviting you to bring this to Him

today. Maybe you've messed up and you're holding

onto shame that God is actually asking you to

let go of and to trust in His forgiveness and

saving work on the cross. Or maybe you're new

to this whole faith thing. and need help trusting

who God says he is for the very first time. As

the band leads us to another time of worship,

can I encourage you to come forward for prayer

or to ask someone around you to pray with you?

The coordinators will make themselves available

and whoever. We are a praying church at Encounter

and we would love to stand with you in speaking

with God. Lord Jesus, we just thank you for your

goodness. Father, we pray, would you help faith

rise in us, Lord? Help us to trust you more.

God, may we be a church that trusts you. May

we be a church that has faith to walk through

the fires in front of us. Father, we pray, come

Holy Spirit in this place. Have your way in this

moment and in our lives forevermore, God. In

your holy and gracious name, God. Amen. Thanks

so much for tuning into this week's message.

If you felt challenged or need prayer, we'd love

to hear from you on Instagram at encounterhenley.

Or if you're interested in how you can support

this ministry, please go to our website encounteradelaide

.com .au. Thanks again for listening. God bless

you.