Good morning and welcome to Help for Today. My name is Chris Fenera. I am the principal of North Valley Baptist Schools. Today we will find ourselves in the book of Daniel chapter 3, a very familiar story. A story that most children who have ever attended Sunday school know. It’s a story of three Hebrew boys. They find themselves in a foreign land. They’ve gone through a process now. They were taken captives. And they have gone through where they were given new names, a new appetite, new clothes, new education. And we find in Daniel chapter 3 they were given a new God to worship.
The Bible says that King Nebuchadnezzar set up an image, a massive image. And he gathered together all of his officers, all of his governors, all of his captains. And he gave them a very specific command. He said, “At the time you hear the music playing, bow down and worship the image that we have set up.” And of course, we know this story and this congregation. The music begins to play, begins to bow down. Everyone begins to worship, everyone except Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
In verse 7, the Bible says this, “Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackcloth, psaltery, and all kinds of music, all the people, the nations, and the languages fell down and worshiped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. Wherefore, at that time, certain Chaldeans came near and accused the Jews.” They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever. Thou, O king, hast made a decree that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackcloth, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image. And whoso falls not down and worshipeth that, he should be cast into the midst of the burning, fiery furnace.” And then in verse 12, he says this, “There are certain Jews whom thou hast said over the affair of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, have not regarded thee. They serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou has set up.”
This morning I like to give you this challenge that the stand of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego was a stand in which they stood out. While everyone else was bowing down and everyone else was worshiping, they took a stand and it was noticed by other people around them to the point that they brought accusations to the king because of their stand. I believe that God’s desire for each and every one of us is to stand and to stand out, not to blend in, not to be invisible, but to stand out so that our lives may make a difference.
In the book of Matthew chapter 5, Jesus is giving his famous Sermon on the Mount and he says to his disciples, he said, “Ye are the light of the world.” He then goes on to say a city that is set on a hill can not be hid. Over these next few days, we’ll be looking in Daniel chapter 3 and we’ll be looking at this story and we’ll be gleaning truth from the Word of God on this topic of Stan. Can I encourage you today, Christian, whatever your walk of life, whatever your job, whatever you find yourself doing today, the places you go, the people that you may come into contact with, may your life and may my life stand out. May we be different, separated, consecrated from the world that people may see a difference in our lives. Thank you.
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Chris Fanara, Christian School Principal
Bro. Fanara serves as the Principal of North Valley Baptist Schools. He and his wife, Tabitha, are graduates of NVBS and have been faithfully working in the school for thirteen years.
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