John K. Jenkins Sr - Principles of a Committed Disciple

Daniel chapter 3 is our passage for today. I want to walk you through a very familiar story-it’s really about the Hebrew boys Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Today, I want to talk about principles of a committed disciple. The Lord is calling us to be disciples-that’s what our church is about. Our church is about developing dynamic disciples. We have a lot of people who are Christians by preference, but not many are Christians by conviction.

Let’s take a moment to discuss the distinction. When we have a preference for Christianity, we identify with it when it’s convenient and popular — when we 're around other church folk. However, when we 're around unchurched people, it’s not such a popular thing to be a Christian.

In this particular passage today, I’m going to talk about the Hebrew boys because they model for you and me that our lifestyle-somebody say «lifestyle"-should reflect that we are committed to walking with God. We must recognize that He sees us every day, in every moment. When you are committed, when the opportunity to tell the truth or to lie arises, you choose to tell the truth. When you have the chance to steal, you don’t compromise, and you don’t steal.

I noticed a lot of you didn’t say «Amen» on that one because you’re guilty. Some of you steal from your jobs; I bet if I went to some of your houses right now, you’d have U.S. government pens all over! Okay, alright, I’ll leave that alone. As I was saying, we’re trying to disciple you to be a disciple of Jesus.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are three Hebrew boys who model for us how to live a disciplined life. King Nebuchadnezzar created a golden image that was 90 feet tall and 9 feet wide, and he commanded everyone that when the music played, they were to bow down. But these three young men decided they were not going to bow down to a false image nor worship a false god. The word got back to the king, and he gave them the opportunity.

In Daniel chapter 3- are y’all there? — I think I’ll start at verse 4. Actually, I’m going to start at verse 1 because we have time; we might as well tell the whole story. Can y’all hang with me?

Let’s begin in verse 1. Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold whose height was 60 cubits and its width 6 cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. Then 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.

Stop- stick a pin right there! Can I just talk about it while I’m going down this text? All of the officials, all of the leaders, all of the politicians, and all of the government leaders were in place. They called everyone together for a gathering to bow down to the image that the king had set up. I don’t know if y’all understand, but we live in a culture where many images and gods have been established, and they want us — the world wants us-to bow down.

They want us to bow down to abortion. Thank all five of y’all for that «Amen!» They want us to bow down to the LGBTQ+ community. I’m sorry; I just don’t know it all by heart. I haven’t studied it. Don 't write me letters; don’t get mad-I just haven’t learned this. I don’t even know what it all means, but that agenda has been placed before us, and they want us to bow down.

I’m sorry, I cannot bow down! [Music] The world is saying it’s okay even though God said it’s not. Verse 4 says, «Then a herald cried aloud: 'To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages, that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, sultry, and 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 in worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning, fiery furnace.'»

The consequences — if you don’t do it-have been established. You’d be thrown into a fiery furnace. So at that time, verse 7 states, when all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, harp, and lyre, along with all the kinds of music...