The Sermon To Honor God by David McGee
Sep 19, 2010
To Honor God (42:13)
Referenced Scriptures: Mark 14:12-16; Daniel 3
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The scriptures below are from the WEB Bible.
Mark 14:12-16
12) On the first day of unleavened bread, when they sacrificed the Passover, his disciples asked him, "Where do you want us to go and make ready that you may eat the Passover?"
13) He sent two of his disciples, and said to them, "Go into the city, and there you will meet a man carrying a pitcher of water. Follow him,
14) and wherever he enters in, tell the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, "Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?"‘
15) He will himself show you a large upper room furnished and ready. Make ready for us there."
16) His disciples went out, and came into the city, and found things as he had said to them, and they prepared the Passover.
Daniel 3
1) Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits, and the breadth of it six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.
2) Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the satraps, the deputies, and the governors, the judges, the treasurers, the counselors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
3) Then the satraps, the deputies, and the governors, the judges, the treasurers, the counselors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together to the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
4) Then the herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, peoples, nations, and languages,
5) that whenever you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music, you fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up;
6) and whoever doesn‘t fall down and worships shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
7) Therefore at that time, when all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music, all the peoples, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
8) Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and brought accusation against the Jews.
9) They answered Nebuchadnezzar the king, O king, live for ever.
10) You, O king, have made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image;
11) and whoever doesn‘t fall down and worships, shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
12) There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego; these men, O king, have not regarded you: they don‘t serve your gods, nor worship the golden image which you have set up.
13) Then Nebuchadnezzar in [his] rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. Then they brought these men before the king.
14) Nebuchadnezzar answered them, Is it on purpose, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, that you don‘t serve my god, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?
15) Now if you are ready whenever you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music to you fall down and worship the image which I have made, [well]: but if you don‘t worship, you shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that god that shall deliver you out of my hands?
16) Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego answered the king, Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.
17) If it be [so], our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace; and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king.
18) But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods, nor worship the golden image which you have set up.
19) Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego: [therefore] he spoke, and commanded that they should heat the furnace seven times more than it was wont to be heated.
20) He commanded certain mighty men who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, [and] to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.
21) Then these men were bound in their pants, their tunics, and their mantles, and their [other] garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
22) Therefore because the king‘s commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego.
23) These three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
24) Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste: he spoke and said to his counselors, Didn‘t we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered the king, True, O king.
25) He answered, Look, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the aspect of the fourth is like a son of the gods.
26) Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace: he spoke and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, you servants of the Most High God, come forth, and come here. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego came forth out of the midst of the fire.
27) The satraps, the deputies, and the governors, and the king‘s counselors, being gathered together, saw these men, that the fire had no power on their bodies, nor was the hair of their head singed, neither were their pants changed, nor had the smell of fire passed on them.
28) Nebuchadnezzar spoke and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who has sent his angel, and delivered his servants who trusted in him, and have changed the king‘s word, and have yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.
29) Therefore I make a decree, that every people, nation, and language, which speak anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill; because there is no other god who is able to deliver after this sort.
30) Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego in the province of Babylon.
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The last song of their that the one we were singing about the part in my arms and my father. We love is as free as the air where smile was never married. Your love is as free as the year and that a good thing. That's just the authors that there is an idea that that you have the wind coming in the church is that it just like breathing in all lovers just like breathing. It is as wonderful to be in God 's presence. They met and yet okay on the only one that Islam is as free as the air. Amen, I size they agree with the children can be dismissed or children start is it wanting in okay I started a Bible. Some Mark chapter fourteen, Mark chapter fourteen. Versus twelve to sixteen and also you put your finger in Daniel chapter three will get there a little later, Mark chapter fourteen. Beginning in verse twelve now if you read the devotionals that we give out this evening, you'll find that this was Friday September seventeenth, the multiple that I was reading it. Then I thought how much it with the help us in our partnership or our communion with God. So we're talking about the last six eight weeks about honoring God, and how that giving honor is giving respect to our giving time for and one of the ways that spoke out honoring is that a what degree the Greek would be that I have time for you like. If you're giving honor to someone. It's like your taking time to speak with them to this honor would be. I don't have time for you, so whenever we are honoring God, we are giving time for him were giving time for his word or time for prayer. And so whenever we honor God. We are giving place to his word in our life, how that the Scriptures have an effect upon how we think and say do what we where we go and all those things, so whenever we are thinking of honor with a giving place to God, so this is this is kind of principles that we've been looking at for last six eight weeks in a non- landmark chapter fourteen. Beginning in verse twelve. One read on the first day of the feast of unleavened bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb Jesus disciples asked him what you want us to go and make preparation for you to eat the Passover. So, a.k.a. Sally said to his disciples and telling them go into the city and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you follow him say to the owner of the house. He enters the teacher asked, where is my guest room where I may need the Passover with my disciples, he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready make preparation for us there. The disciples laughed, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them so they prepared the Passover. Now the disciples left went into the city found things just as Jesus had told them so they prepared the Passover. The primary meaning of the Greek word. Now we we were seeing how that Jesus was the Passover lamb now he's the end, we'll talk about that just a minute about how the Egyptians, and how that the database. The first Passover by Jesus and his disciples were getting ready to celebrate Passover and Passover. The celebration where the lamb of sacrifice, and that it is a and was a symbol of the sins be forgiven for the nation. While Jesus on Passover night had communion with his disciples and communion according and grace means partnership. Now if if we think about our communion with God, do we think about in the concept of partnering that I am a partner with God that I'm partnering with God that finale. I have spoken many times about fluids are encouraging. Who is your partner video partner with two two will through go through your life deal with your circumstances get with your problem. Sometimes we fail to husband nor wife and in that that's good partnering but I want to know who is your partner do we recognize that the partnership that we have is not only in a physical sense but also in a spiritual sense that God has and offered us encouragement in his word that he is partnering with us that we are not alone in this and I and the story that I have every values with this many times is how many coaches does Tiger Woods have now. Now we knew this was back few years ago I did it. So, summoning me down, Tiger Woods, but that's okay. How many coaches decide whether to have five years ago I remember them. I remember him. He had five thank you I sent Tiger Woods at five coaches. Why would a guy who is the best the one you guys have five coaches while he individuals who are always encouraging, particularly in helping them that if they are many causes are on the sideline. The Steelers unaccounted for on the sideline at four high school football game in all Honeycutt why Wagner sold many cultures because everyone can focus been in one article one of the meeting. The aspect of a coach is to to game skills training and teach for a flyer to develop the skills that they already have. Now you cannot give people talent but you can develop the talent they had God has instilled in each one of us, it's a package deal okay while you are yet in your mother 's womb, God formed you in your you April ever. All the ingredients under its price out okay. Eurasian look at Franco and say that's me why I live in your Prego paradise Alfredo don't believe that, do you know that not in the Monterey Plaza, but it. But anyhow, the idea is that it's in there. It's inside of you with their God put all the ingredients in their now how do we get the ingredients out only take what is inside of us and development to the extent that it gets out and, in effect, it's around what that lets the idea of what you pray, go for the latest regarding how they put a straw in the sauce insipid that I thought had the you know what is drawing up rhino exhibits you make them with the spaghetti. Why, because it flavors the spaghetti. Your audio drink it. You put it on a sloppy, but it makes it with a while on the archive now how do you make your liars. You were dormer, mixing our life is properly so the primary meaning of communion that we have the communion of saints partnering with one another. We are looking with communion with Christ partnering with one another that we have a responsibility with and for God to be connected to have entered into a partnership if not chosen me, but I have chosen you for the Scripture says that he commissioned his people. He commissioned us to go to do the will of the father partnering with God that we are joint heirs with Christ, joy, tears, meaning that we are partners with Christ in the inheritance. I knew you would mean I will never leave you nor forsake you with the promise. You have not chosen me, said that when partnership is gone, has partnered with us to proclaim his word, and for the proper proclamation of the word is that it is to be a part of us is to be a part of who we are a part of this whole process of our life. The mixing up right now with the spaghetti already are about to lose noodles that enables sauce, not back. I thought that after the zombie/ live in the thoughts about that kind of our dialogue. Abrego, I that we have the Prego in our life so partnership Lotus partner with us, so the amazing thing about this is whenever we look at the first Passover of the first Passover is was that whenever Israelites were in Egypt, the Israelites were in Egypt and they were being held captive there after so many generate four hundred years that they were in Egypt for four hundred years on this captivity or this growing the recombination and the Egyptians had enslaved the Israelites and they were basically torturing them and know the whole of oppression was going on, and so Moses was sent to free them from the bondage while the last flag that was going to come upon the Egyptians for them to decide, like the children of Israel go free for major was the play of the Angel of death and that the Angel of death was going to take the firstborn firstborn of the Egyptians are so the Egyptians then when God said to Moses, and told Pharaoh let my people go, no Charlton Heston, Doug Berger, liquid and let me the strongest the children of Israel had something that they were to do. They were to take the lamb and they were just Legoland and put the blood of the Lamb upon door post of the whole so that the Angel of death would pass over a Passover celebration of Passover, when the angel of death passed over the whole in which the blood of the lamb was apply, so the Israelites then put the blood of the Lamb upon the doorpost of the whole what was going on, God was partnering with the children of Israel to set him free from the bondage that they were suffering her hat and region. It was partnering with them. They are not set themselves free from the Egyptian bondage. They were partnering with God, since God was you were in the liability has relied and he was going to do a working exemption so that there would be a separation in the same way. Jesus introduced his disciples in the preparation of Passover at the supper that they would share in the broken body and shed blood of Jesus Christ and that that pass overnight. Jesus had with the disciples that Passover meal. Jesus was telling them this is my body, this is my blood, and you are partaking on this partnership the time establishing with you because there is no way that you and all of us who would believe and follow that that that the faith. It is established in Christ there is no way that we can separate ourselves from sin except through a partnering with Christ, so we are partnered we are entering into this partnership and God has been doing this for thousands of years. This is not a new principal. This is the place for thousands of years where God partners with us to separate us from the things that would hold us captive arson, our way of thinking our way of looking at approaching line, but the Spears were commonly in the realtor was this revelation of the word of Jesus Christ Word of God made flesh, that he would come in partner with us now, when you know sometimes my partner corrects me worth. I know that I'm right and she's wrong. She doesn't know but not really. But what happens in the what sometimes we look at it and sometimes you were trying to be encouraging and were not encouraging you think that's encouraging. In addition, the iPhoto sometimes years ago and arrived at. No, I'm I'm a professional counselor. The people paying me for my advice and you get it for free and you listen. She just didn't get that whole concept as she did the same thing. Why get all people paid attention. I'm trying to gauge of your wallet saver. Now, but the partnership that we have is one that is really mutually encouraging. It's a mutual encouragement to Mitchell that we're doing the right things for the right reasonably encourage her think about that when Jesus Christ is our partner. What is he doing he is encouraging us and and and God is not one to L was sometimes people say they made available. I go to church like I can feel bad enough on my own and really to be in church and to be here the word of God was saying about the Scriptures is the main encouragement to our lives. It's a bit encourager that God is trying to encourage us to launch out to unleash all of the potential that is inside of us all that is inside of us. God knows what's in there and he knows the town of Sidney Nolte, abilities, and he knows the treasure that is inside of you and how to get the treasure out while the beatings will continue until the attitude changes will will love and the encouragement will continue until you get it right the love and encouragement will continue because women in partnership with a God who loves us more than we could ever imagine and who desires for us the best of our life and in the best for us in life. God knows he is actually what you are capable of doing. He knows exactly what your abilities are a knows exactly what he has planned for you and he wants us to discover that he wants us to discover what that is installed as we enter into a partnership with him communion with time, God being our encourager being the one who is there working with us to accomplish the goals for which he created a partnership communion with internal partnership and eternal partnership God, he has begun a good work and you will complete it, and the communion of wheat. Wheat we take note of receiving communion rail. The first Sunday of each month and the Scripture talks about how that Jesus said I will not partake of this again would provide until I do the with new with you in my father 's kingdom. So God is entering into a partnership with us that not only is here in the output is for an eternity, and he wants to be without sin he wants you to be with you. That's quite a partnership like you. I'm at you like you affected thank you that is rife that I like you. You really like yourself to a legitimate apply here. Good luck and good other than that is something I thought we would say why and how that means nonstop and not with no one. What that you're so vain you no. While I'm not modernized what if you say there can't advise often why because he loves you he loves you so much you can't take his eyes off you, he's infatuated with you along with the vintage human infatuated with someone and how was it been since we've been infatuated with someone in the ideas that God never gets tired of you. He never gets upset with you. God has never had one negative thought about the latter part God has never had one negative thought about you. He is our greatest encouragement. You see, we're partnering with him. So when Israel partnered with God, and the first Passover schedule is not deliver itself from the bondage cannot deliver itself from the slavery. God partnered with the to do the impossible and it may live in obedience to his Word. They found themselves delivering from the captivity that they couldn't deliver themselves from so there's nothing we can do to save ourselves were held captive. But Jesus is the Lamb of God that will bring us partner us to take us from where we are held captive in our thinking and our sin in our actions and is going to free us so that we can find a freedom to be the person that he created us to be so as Israel could not set itself free from the Egyptian bondage not hard with Israel to set them free. God now partners with us in the book of Daniel, but the returner Daniel chapter three verses sixteen to eighteen. Daniel chapter three sixty and eighteen directly shack and then we go. I'll just represented to bed we go. Thank you, Ruth, thank you for your laughter at so silently sacramentally governs life to the king, all advertiser owned that he went to defend ourselves before you in this manner, if we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from and he will rescue us from your handle, King, but even if he does not, we want you to know okay but we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up now. Reagan finish that will open the netiquette estimated to create a mega creative all the paperwork about worship a golden image, and when they heard the trumpets sounding and founding of the music they were all to bow down before this case before this image, but they were a called in the Hebrew children. These Jewish young men named Shadrach, new shack and then they go this spring. I distinguish themselves as wise and I gifted individuals in the Empire Nebuchadnezzar 's empire. So these are three gifted individuals who had entered into a partnership with God, and when it was time yes okay break the rules of the leadership of what other people were saying these freemen feared God, the fear of God is not this oh my gosh 's incoming, the fear of God is a reverential respect for and all of God that they had entered into a partnership with God in which they were upwards. The relationship they looked at the relationship that they had with God, and they reference stated they would not do anything to break that relationship. They were so inspired by their relationship with God that they know in their high that they would not want to do anything that would be displeasing to God, not because of fear of what God would do to them, but because they loved him so they had a partnership, they partnered with God for many years and now they cannot break that partnership now if you think of the circumstances. These three Hebrew children free Hebrew young men. They were children. They were young men, probably in her twenties maybe thirties and also in this group is Daniel. I know when Nebuchadnezzar went and attacked the Babylonians came in attack Israel and Concord Jerusalem. They took the best of the best and took them back to our battle and the Nebuchadnezzar 's philosophy was you take people from their homeland and bring them back to your capital to you are your place your and ended instruct them in your ways, and they will give up their old customs, while Daniel Shadrach, we definitely know when to give up their old ways. They believe in the God that had been taught to them even though they were taken from their homeland and placed in a foreign country so circumstances is not been the best for them again. They made the best of the worst circumstance that these three guys. Okay, now things are going very well for them. But along comes the king 's decree to make a golf statue and have everybody now that so what are you going to do what you do. Things are going well for you cause you been uprooted from your previous place of the art your childhood, and you're in a foreign country, and when in Babylon. It was a Babylonian win with your friends do as your friend, say not, we partnered with God to give us the strength because God has our best interest at heart, even when the circumstances don't look that way. So what happens. They refused to bow down. They disobeyed the key. They disobey the orders, man who was the most powerful man in the world at that time the most powerful man in the world was King Nebuchadnezzar, cause he was the king of the Babylonian Empire and there was no other empire. So here are these three guys. That's something the rest of my father had a new restaurant on how three guys instead of five and three guys decide to go against the most powerful man in the world what about down. Well, what a decision that we all reread through delivery. When we read Holly Winkler of the nineteen quantity does not verse inverse. Eighteen but if he does not want you to know the challenge here is an server they realize how extensive the partnership was an way you do not need to defend ourselves a fact that in itself did you ever feel like when people challenge you that you always have to defend yourself think about this. This would talk about our relationship with God. The partnership we have with God on a times with a lifetime. We have to defend ourselves all somebody's got some things wrong of me whatever and we have to defend ourselves. The three guys here did. They said we do not have to defend ourselves. That is a security in the relationship that we don't have to defend who we are as individuals. We know who we are in the God we serve. So therefore we do not. This partnership has established a security in who I am and in my relationship that I don't have to defend myself. You'll have to defend yourself for being you. Why has God for you and knows you instantly and you never have to defend you are again we can only live that principal rights and when you only live the principle that we don't have to defend it. We all went out after the faith that they are what I learned is that we have the legalistic are about the dreamer children, these guys didn't have to defend themselves. They said they do not need to defend ourselves before you, and who are they talking to there talking to the most powerful person on the planet, King Nebuchadnezzar, they stood before the King and his king and only honored him. They are digging. They were disrespectful. They honor the King agency help you think they honored him, but they told him we don't need to defend ourselves because we have a partnership with God that we are saved no matter what happens, so we don't need to approach this as our partner has forsaken us. We don't need to approach what's going to happen as if the partner we have in God. The partnership will have with God is somehow broken. Think about that security for a moment was my mistake. Nothing can separate us from the love of God. Nothing life or death principalities or powers. These present things past, things to come. Nothing can separate us from the love of God that partnership. The three Hebrew children. The three young adults here. They recognize the partnership that they had with God long before that Scripture was ever written, and its long before that Scripture was ever written, and they had a security that such of the K we really don't need to defend ourselves. They honored that partnership and have a God if we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. We don't need to defend ourselves any in the furnace. Okay, I was able to save us think about and then we look at this. The partnership that we have communion with Jesus Christ, is that whatever happens in our life. Nothing is able to separate us from God. We've got a partnership in our partner is able to deliver us from anything. Our partner is able to deliver us from anything God is not interested in the rearranging of circumstances as much as he is in bringing out the best in us, and developing all that is inside of us all, that all that was put into us in our mother 's womb. All your great if all the crying out of thin air. How can you bring out the full flavor, how can you bring out the full person. How can you bring out the full development of who we are as an individual event by rearranging the circumstances of everything goes exactly as we thought it should be about. Thank you for answering my prayers while wonderful giant diamine, you might have. I really changed and I really become the man who woman of God that is best suited, so that when this whole thing is over. Then I can stand before God and say, I have become the person that you created me to be from the very beginning of time. Your e-mail. I would be here. You know exactly what was inside of me doing exactly the circumstances that were defined the face and I thought and I can gather, this partnership and developing and blowing and becoming God has for me the partnership trusting the partnership in the body, if not the, but if not those later. But if not, but if not, but that's a wonderful role phrases in the furnace, the God we serve is able to save us and he will rescue us from your hands. Okay, but even if he does not, we want you to know okay that we will not serve your gods, we will not change who we are, no matter what happens to us, we will not change who we are, no matter what the circumstance seek. This is the secured to the God wants us to happen. We don't have to defend who we are. We know who we are in Christ, and that security is so real and sole problem to us. It is such an anchor to Jubilee are as an individual. We never have to defend who we are God is our partner and he's the one encouraging us to be who we are and him and he showed honor to King know we want to do now. Okay, God is able to God we serve is able to rearrange in any circumstance, but if he choses not to remark on a change who we are when talking to change the partnership we have with God on our end of the bargain. We are not going to let down, and that was an expression of faith that was an expression of trust that was an expression of understanding nothing will separate me from love of God your Majesty, who they did not dishonor God, and they did not dishonor the King. They represented Doctor McCain and would not dishonor God by bowing down or being disrespectful. They honor God by refusing to send they honor the king. By submitting to his position of authority. You have the right to put us in the furnace, but things are going to change the king immediately commanded them what the next Scripture were looking at what's. Where the first wavelength. I have lost levels at the mansion became commanded was reading up here got there, Daniel three twenty three twenty seven and a great man. Five. Firmly tied together against Siegfried 's next the underestimate now anyway. There was the first twenty four maybe here anyway because they what I hope will go on right Bob even mostly for the king Nebuchadnezzar Link illustrated in amazement and asked his advisers have worked actually men that we tied up into the fire they replied certainly okay. It likely through three guys in their new and he said look I see four men walking in the fire I found and unharmed in the fourth looks like the son of the God while my partnership. What a partnership. See when we find ourselves in the greatest of trials. God will not break his in of the agreement, God will not break his in the partnership. I will never leave you. I will never forsake nothing can separate you from the love of God when we are in the fire of our difficulties. There is another who is walking with us. And it's interesting how that watch what was burnt off in the fire. The circuit of the D external things that bound them. The external ropes that bound them were the things that were burnt in the fire and water is a good haul us what is a good halt us mentally and physically and spiritually. What is it that binds us and sometimes we need the fire to burn off the things that we don't even know our holding us emotionally, spiritually, physically, there are circumstances that we find ourselves in that we must look around us and know that we had been set free and the external circumstances are gone. Don't forget to look around because you're not in that furnace alone because there was a partnership that God has made and is established in January Communion, the communion that God has said, when you eat this bread and drink this cup, he's showing us an example an example that I did this for you. I did this for you. Two thousand years ago, and I will not break my commitment to you on an and I will fulfill it completely to the point in which you will stand with me in the kingdom that is eternal, that is a partnership that is a promise that is a promise that God has given us there was a quote that I was looking at this week and I tried to look at things and try to come up with ideas and quotes and things because I have to keep. I have to keep these things in my mind, so that I don't allow my thoughts there. Just enter interfere with the Scriptures and and this thought was life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning how to dance in the rain. What is not about waiting for the storm. The path of the about learning how to dance in the rain. Joel is not your problems that your thoughts about your problem, as we find in this verse. Here in verse twenty seven and twenty six and twenty seven that and said directly shacking Abednego came out of the fire verse twenty seven and eight day crafts and for effects, governors and royal advisers crowned routed around them. They saw that the fire not harm their bodies, what was the hair of their heads saying the roles were not scorched and there was no smell of fire on the verse thirty and the king promoted Shadrach new Second Amendment to go in the province about. There is a partnership that God has established with us and sometimes it's not about getting rid of the storm. Sometimes it's not about how that the challenges of life in the difficulties of life are rearranged. Sometimes it's about us being in the midst of a fire on the furnace because we did the right things. We did the right things for the right reasons. We were not break our partnership with God and circumstances put us in the fire, and in that place, God is there I will never leave you nor forsake you. God is here. He is walking with you. How can this where I find myself freeing me from my thoughts that were destroying and recognize that there is a life giving person. The person who gave me life. Jesus Christ is there with me now that's a partnership that Jesus has established with us and he knows you better than you know yourself. He knows what's inside of me knows exactly what we can become. And we don't have to defend who we are. We just recognize I am in a partnership with God, and that partnership can never be broke. God will never break it because he loves me that much. And then so is thatThe last song of their that the one we were singing about the part in my arms and my father. We love is as free as the air where smile was never married. Your love is as free as the year and that a good thing. That's just the authors that there is an idea that that you have the wind coming in the church is that it just like breathing in all lovers just like breathing. It is as wonderful to be in God 's presence. They met and yet okay on the only one that Islam is as free as the air. Amen, I size they agree with the children can be dismissed or children start is it wanting in okay I started a Bible. Some Mark chapter fourteen, Mark chapter fourteen. Versus twelve to sixteen and also you put your finger in Daniel chapter three will get there a little later, Mark chapter fourteen. Beginning in verse twelve now if you read the devotionals that we give out this evening, you'll find that this was Friday September seventeenth, the multiple that I was reading it. Then I thought how much it with the help us in our partnership or our communion with God. So we're talking about the last six eight weeks about honoring God, and how that giving honor is giving respect to our giving time for and one of the ways that spoke out honoring is that a what degree the Greek would be that I have time for you like. If you're giving honor to someone. It's like your taking time to speak with them to this honor would be. I don't have time for you, so whenever we are honoring God, we are giving time for him were giving time for his word or time for prayer. And so whenever we honor God. We are giving place to his word in our life, how that the Scriptures have an effect upon how we think and say do what we where we go and all those things, so whenever we are thinking of honor with a giving place to God, so this is this is kind of principles that we've been looking at for last six eight weeks in a non- landmark chapter fourteen. Beginning in verse twelve. One read on the first day of the feast of unleavened bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb Jesus disciples asked him what you want us to go and make preparation for you to eat the Passover. So, a.k.a. Sally said to his disciples and telling them go into the city and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you follow him say to the owner of the house. He enters the teacher asked, where is my guest room where I may need the Passover with my disciples, he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready make preparation for us there. The disciples laughed, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them so they prepared the Passover. Now the disciples left went into the city found things just as Jesus had told them so they prepared the Passover. The primary meaning of the Greek word. Now we we were seeing how that Jesus was the Passover lamb now he's the end, we'll talk about that just a minute about how the Egyptians, and how that the database. The first Passover by Jesus and his disciples were getting ready to celebrate Passover and Passover. The celebration where the lamb of sacrifice, and that it is a and was a symbol of the sins be forgiven for the nation. While Jesus on Passover night had communion with his disciples and communion according and grace means partnership. Now if if we think about our communion with God, do we think about in the concept of partnering that I am a partner with God that I'm partnering with God that finale. I have spoken many times about fluids are encouraging. Who is your partner video partner with two two will through go through your life deal with your circumstances get with your problem. Sometimes we fail to husband nor wife and in that that's good partnering but I want to know who is your partner do we recognize that the partnership that we have is not only in a physical sense but also in a spiritual sense that God has and offered us encouragement in his word that he is partnering with us that we are not alone in this and I and the story that I have every values with this many times is how many coaches does Tiger Woods have now. Now we knew this was back few years ago I did it. So, summoning me down, Tiger Woods, but that's okay. How many coaches decide whether to have five years ago I remember them. I remember him. He had five thank you I sent Tiger Woods at five coaches. Why would a guy who is the best the one you guys have five coaches while he individuals who are always encouraging, particularly in helping them that if they are many causes are on the sideline. The Steelers unaccounted for on the sideline at four high school football game in all Honeycutt why Wagner sold many cultures because everyone can focus been in one article one of the meeting. The aspect of a coach is to to game skills training and teach for a flyer to develop the skills that they already have. Now you cannot give people talent but you can develop the talent they had God has instilled in each one of us, it's a package deal okay while you are yet in your mother 's womb, God formed you in your you April ever. All the ingredients under its price out okay. Eurasian look at Franco and say that's me why I live in your Prego paradise Alfredo don't believe that, do you know that not in the Monterey Plaza, but it. But anyhow, the idea is that it's in there. It's inside of you with their God put all the ingredients in their now how do we get the ingredients out only take what is inside of us and development to the extent that it gets out and, in effect, it's around what that lets the idea of what you pray, go for the latest regarding how they put a straw in the sauce insipid that I thought had the you know what is drawing up rhino exhibits you make them with the spaghetti. Why, because it flavors the spaghetti. Your audio drink it. You put it on a sloppy, but it makes it with a while on the archive now how do you make your liars. You were dormer, mixing our life is properly so the primary meaning of communion that we have the communion of saints partnering with one another. We are looking with communion with Christ partnering with one another that we have a responsibility with and for God to be connected to have entered into a partnership if not chosen me, but I have chosen you for the Scripture says that he commissioned his people. He commissioned us to go to do the will of the father partnering with God that we are joint heirs with Christ, joy, tears, meaning that we are partners with Christ in the inheritance. I knew you would mean I will never leave you nor forsake you with the promise. You have not chosen me, said that when partnership is gone, has partnered with us to proclaim his word, and for the proper proclamation of the word is that it is to be a part of us is to be a part of who we are a part of this whole process of our life. The mixing up right now with the spaghetti already are about to lose noodles that enables sauce, not back. I thought that after the zombie/ live in the thoughts about that kind of our dialogue. Abrego, I that we have the Prego in our life so partnership Lotus partner with us, so the amazing thing about this is whenever we look at the first Passover of the first Passover is was that whenever Israelites were in Egypt, the Israelites were in Egypt and they were being held captive there after so many generate four hundred years that they were in Egypt for four hundred years on this captivity or this growing the recombination and the Egyptians had enslaved the Israelites and they were basically torturing them and know the whole of oppression was going on, and so Moses was sent to free them from the bondage while the last flag that was going to come upon the Egyptians for them to decide, like the children of Israel go free for major was the play of the Angel of death and that the Angel of death was going to take the firstborn firstborn of the Egyptians are so the Egyptians then when God said to Moses, and told Pharaoh let my people go, no Charlton Heston, Doug Berger, liquid and let me the strongest the children of Israel had something that they were to do. They were to take the lamb and they were just Legoland and put the blood of the Lamb upon door post of the whole so that the Angel of death would pass over a Passover celebration of Passover, when the angel of death passed over the whole in which the blood of the lamb was apply, so the Israelites then put the blood of the Lamb upon the doorpost of the whole what was going on, God was partnering with the children of Israel to set him free from the bondage that they were suffering her hat and region. It was partnering with them. They are not set themselves free from the Egyptian bondage. They were partnering with God, since God was you were in the liability has relied and he was going to do a working exemption so that there would be a separation in the same way. Jesus introduced his disciples in the preparation of Passover at the supper that they would share in the broken body and shed blood of Jesus Christ and that that pass overnight. Jesus had with the disciples that Passover meal. Jesus was telling them this is my body, this is my blood, and you are partaking on this partnership the time establishing with you because there is no way that you and all of us who would believe and follow that that that the faith. It is established in Christ there is no way that we can separate ourselves from sin except through a partnering with Christ, so we are partnered we are entering into this partnership and God has been doing this for thousands of years. This is not a new principal. This is the place for thousands of years where God partners with us to separate us from the things that would hold us captive arson, our way of thinking our way of looking at approaching line, but the Spears were commonly in the realtor was this revelation of the word of Jesus Christ Word of God made flesh, that he would come in partner with us now, when you know sometimes my partner corrects me worth. I know that I'm right and she's wrong. She doesn't know but not really. But what happens in the what sometimes we look at it and sometimes you were trying to be encouraging and were not encouraging you think that's encouraging. In addition, the iPhoto sometimes years ago and arrived at. No, I'm I'm a professional counselor. The people paying me for my advice and you get it for free and you listen. She just didn't get that whole concept as she did the same thing. Why get all people paid attention. I'm trying to gauge of your wallet saver. Now, but the partnership that we have is one that is really mutually encouraging. It's a mutual encouragement to Mitchell that we're doing the right things for the right reasonably encourage her think about that when Jesus Christ is our partner. What is he doing he is encouraging us and and and God is not one to L was sometimes people say they made available. I go to church like I can feel bad enough on my own and really to be in church and to be here the word of God was saying about the Scriptures is the main encouragement to our lives. It's a bit encourager that God is trying to encourage us to launch out to unleash all of the potential that is inside of us all that is inside of us. God knows what's in there and he knows the town of Sidney Nolte, abilities, and he knows the treasure that is inside of you and how to get the treasure out while the beatings will continue until the attitude changes will will love and the encouragement will continue until you get it right the love and encouragement will continue because women in partnership with a God who loves us more than we could ever imagine and who desires for us the best of our life and in the best for us in life. God knows he is actually what you are capable of doing. He knows exactly what your abilities are a knows exactly what he has planned for you and he wants us to discover that he wants us to discover what that is installed as we enter into a partnership with him communion with time, God being our encourager being the one who is there working with us to accomplish the goals for which he created a partnership communion with internal partnership and eternal partnership God, he has begun a good work and you will complete it, and the communion of wheat. Wheat we take note of receiving communion rail. The first Sunday of each month and the Scripture talks about how that Jesus said I will not partake of this again would provide until I do the with new with you in my father 's kingdom. So God is entering into a partnership with us that not only is here in the output is for an eternity, and he wants to be without sin he wants you to be with you. That's quite a partnership like you. I'm at you like you affected thank you that is rife that I like you. You really like yourself to a legitimate apply here. Good luck and good other than that is something I thought we would say why and how that means nonstop and not with no one. What that you're so vain you no. While I'm not modernized what if you say there can't advise often why because he loves you he loves you so much you can't take his eyes off you, he's infatuated with you along with the vintage human infatuated with someone and how was it been since we've been infatuated with someone in the ideas that God never gets tired of you. He never gets upset with you. God has never had one negative thought about the latter part God has never had one negative thought about you. He is our greatest encouragement. You see, we're partnering with him. So when Israel partnered with God, and the first Passover schedule is not deliver itself from the bondage cannot deliver itself from the slavery. God partnered with the to do the impossible and it may live in obedience to his Word. They found themselves delivering from the captivity that they couldn't deliver themselves from so there's nothing we can do to save ourselves were held captive. But Jesus is the Lamb of God that will bring us partner us to take us from where we are held captive in our thinking and our sin in our actions and is going to free us so that we can find a freedom to be the person that he created us to be so as Israel could not set itself free from the Egyptian bondage not hard with Israel to set them free. God now partners with us in the book of Daniel, but the returner Daniel chapter three verses sixteen to eighteen. Daniel chapter three sixty and eighteen directly shack and then we go. I'll just represented to bed we go. Thank you, Ruth, thank you for your laughter at so silently sacramentally governs life to the king, all advertiser owned that he went to defend ourselves before you in this manner, if we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from and he will rescue us from your handle, King, but even if he does not, we want you to know okay but we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up now. Reagan finish that will open the netiquette estimated to create a mega creative all the paperwork about worship a golden image, and when they heard the trumpets sounding and founding of the music they were all to bow down before this case before this image, but they were a called in the Hebrew children. These Jewish young men named Shadrach, new shack and then they go this spring. I distinguish themselves as wise and I gifted individuals in the Empire Nebuchadnezzar 's empire. So these are three gifted individuals who had entered into a partnership with God, and when it was time yes okay break the rules of the leadership of what other people were saying these freemen feared God, the fear of God is not this oh my gosh 's incoming, the fear of God is a reverential respect for and all of God that they had entered into a partnership with God in which they were upwards. The relationship they looked at the relationship that they had with God, and they reference stated they would not do anything to break that relationship. They were so inspired by their relationship with God that they know in their high that they would not want to do anything that would be displeasing to God, not because of fear of what God would do to them, but because they loved him so they had a partnership, they partnered with God for many years and now they cannot break that partnership now if you think of the circumstances. These three Hebrew children free Hebrew young men. They were children. They were young men, probably in her twenties maybe thirties and also in this group is Daniel. I know when Nebuchadnezzar went and attacked the Babylonians came in attack Israel and Concord Jerusalem. They took the best of the best and took them back to our battle and the Nebuchadnezzar 's philosophy was you take people from their homeland and bring them back to your capital to you are your place your and ended instruct them in your ways, and they will give up their old customs, while Daniel Shadrach, we definitely know when to give up their old ways. They believe in the God that had been taught to them even though they were taken from their homeland and placed in a foreign country so circumstances is not been the best for them again. They made the best of the worst circumstance that these three guys. Okay, now things are going very well for them. But along comes the king 's decree to make a golf statue and have everybody now that so what are you going to do what you do. Things are going well for you cause you been uprooted from your previous place of the art your childhood, and you're in a foreign country, and when in Babylon. It was a Babylonian win with your friends do as your friend, say not, we partnered with God to give us the strength because God has our best interest at heart, even when the circumstances don't look that way. So what happens. They refused to bow down. They disobeyed the key. They disobey the orders, man who was the most powerful man in the world at that time the most powerful man in the world was King Nebuchadnezzar, cause he was the king of the Babylonian Empire and there was no other empire. So here are these three guys. That's something the rest of my father had a new restaurant on how three guys instead of five and three guys decide to go against the most powerful man in the world what about down. Well, what a decision that we all reread through delivery. When we read Holly Winkler of the nineteen quantity does not verse inverse. Eighteen but if he does not want you to know the challenge here is an server they realize how extensive the partnership was an way you do not need to defend ourselves a fact that in itself did you ever feel like when people challenge you that you always have to defend yourself think about this. This would talk about our relationship with God. The partnership we have with God on a times with a lifetime. We have to defend ourselves all somebody's got some things wrong of me whatever and we have to defend ourselves. The three guys here did. They said we do not have to defend ourselves. That is a security in the relationship that we don't have to defend who we are as individuals. We know who we are in the God we serve. So therefore we do not. This partnership has established a security in who I am and in my relationship that I don't have to defend myself. You'll have to defend yourself for being you. Why has God for you and knows you instantly and you never have to defend you are again we can only live that principal rights and when you only live the principle that we don't have to defend it. We all went out after the faith that they are what I learned is that we have the legalistic are about the dreamer children, these guys didn't have to defend themselves. They said they do not need to defend ourselves before you, and who are they talking to there talking to the most powerful person on the planet, King Nebuchadnezzar, they stood before the King and his king and only honored him. They are digging. They were disrespectful. They honor the King agency help you think they honored him, but they told him we don't need to defend ourselves because we have a partnership with God that we are saved no matter what happens, so we don't need to approach this as our partner has forsaken us. We don't need to approach what's going to happen as if the partner we have in God. The partnership will have with God is somehow broken. Think about that security for a moment was my mistake. Nothing can separate us from the love of God. Nothing life or death principalities or powers. These present things past, things to come. Nothing can separate us from the love of God that partnership. The three Hebrew children. The three young adults here. They recognize the partnership that they had with God long before that Scripture was ever written, and its long before that Scripture was ever written, and they had a security that such of the K we really don't need to defend ourselves. They honored that partnership and have a God if we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. We don't need to defend ourselves any in the furnace. Okay, I was able to save us think about and then we look at this. The partnership that we have communion with Jesus Christ, is that whatever happens in our life. Nothing is able to separate us from God. We've got a partnership in our partner is able to deliver us from anything. Our partner is able to deliver us from anything God is not interested in the rearranging of circumstances as much as he is in bringing out the best in us, and developing all that is inside of us all, that all that was put into us in our mother 's womb. All your great if all the crying out of thin air. How can you bring out the full flavor, how can you bring out the full person. How can you bring out the full development of who we are as an individual event by rearranging the circumstances of everything goes exactly as we thought it should be about. Thank you for answering my prayers while wonderful giant diamine, you might have. I really changed and I really become the man who woman of God that is best suited, so that when this whole thing is over. Then I can stand before God and say, I have become the person that you created me to be from the very beginning of time. Your e-mail. I would be here. You know exactly what was inside of me doing exactly the circumstances that were defined the face and I thought and I can gather, this partnership and developing and blowing and becoming God has for me the partnership trusting the partnership in the body, if not the, but if not those later. But if not, but if not, but that's a wonderful role phrases in the furnace, the God we serve is able to save us and he will rescue us from your hands. Okay, but even if he does not, we want you to know okay that we will not serve your gods, we will not change who we are, no matter what happens to us, we will not change who we are, no matter what the circumstance seek. This is the secured to the God wants us to happen. We don't have to defend who we are. We know who we are in Christ, and that security is so real and sole problem to us. It is such an anchor to Jubilee are as an individual. We never have to defend who we are God is our partner and he's the one encouraging us to be who we are and him and he showed honor to King know we want to do now. Okay, God is able to God we serve is able to rearrange in any circumstance, but if he choses not to remark on a change who we are when talking to change the partnership we have with God on our end of the bargain. We are not going to let down, and that was an expression of faith that was an expression of trust that was an expression of understanding nothing will separate me from love of God your Majesty, who they did not dishonor God, and they did not dishonor the King. They represented Doctor McCain and would not dishonor God by bowing down or being disrespectful. They honor God by refusing to send they honor the king. By submitting to his position of authority. You have the right to put us in the furnace, but things are going to change the king immediately commanded them what the next Scripture were looking at what's. Where the first wavelength. I have lost levels at the mansion became commanded was reading up here got there, Daniel three twenty three twenty seven and a great man. Five. Firmly tied together against Siegfried 's next the underestimate now anyway. There was the first twenty four maybe here anyway because they what I hope will go on right Bob even mostly for the king Nebuchadnezzar Link illustrated in amazement and asked his advisers have worked actually men that we tied up into the fire they replied certainly okay. It likely through three guys in their new and he said look I see four men walking in the fire I found and unharmed in the fourth looks like the son of the God while my partnership. What a partnership. See when we find ourselves in the greatest of trials. God will not break his in of the agreement, God will not break his in the partnership. I will never leave you. I will never forsake nothing can separate you from the love of God when we are in the fire of our difficulties. There is another who is walking with us. And it's interesting how that watch what was burnt off in the fire. The circuit of the D external things that bound them. The external ropes that bound them were the things that were burnt in the fire and water is a good haul us what is a good halt us mentally and physically and spiritually. What is it that binds us and sometimes we need the fire to burn off the things that we don't even know our holding us emotionally, spiritually, physically, there are circumstances that we find ourselves in that we must look around us and know that we had been set free and the external circumstances are gone. Don't forget to look around because you're not in that furnace alone because there was a partnership that God has made and is established in January Communion, the communion that God has said, when you eat this bread and drink this cup, he's showing us an example an example that I did this for you. I did this for you. Two thousand years ago, and I will not break my commitment to you on an and I will fulfill it completely to the point in which you will stand with me in the kingdom that is eternal, that is a partnership that is a promise that is a promise that God has given us there was a quote that I was looking at this week and I tried to look at things and try to come up with ideas and quotes and things because I have to keep. I have to keep these things in my mind, so that I don't allow my thoughts there. Just enter interfere with the Scriptures and and this thought was life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning how to dance in the rain. What is not about waiting for the storm. The path of the about learning how to dance in the rain. Joel is not your problems that your thoughts about your problem, as we find in this verse. Here in verse twenty seven and twenty six and twenty seven that and said directly shacking Abednego came out of the fire verse twenty seven and eight day crafts and for effects, governors and royal advisers crowned routed around them. They saw that the fire not harm their bodies, what was the hair of their heads saying the roles were not scorched and there was no smell of fire on the verse thirty and the king promoted Shadrach new Second Amendment to go in the province about. There is a partnership that God has established with us and sometimes it's not about getting rid of the storm. Sometimes it's not about how that the challenges of life in the difficulties of life are rearranged. Sometimes it's about us being in the midst of a fire on the furnace because we did the right things. We did the right things for the right reasons. We were not break our partnership with God and circumstances put us in the fire, and in that place, God is there I will never leave you nor forsake you. God is here. He is walking with you. How can this where I find myself freeing me from my thoughts that were destroying and recognize that there is a life giving person. The person who gave me life. Jesus Christ is there with me now that's a partnership that Jesus has established with us and he knows you better than you know yourself. He knows what's inside of me knows exactly what we can become. And we don't have to defend who we are. We just recognize I am in a partnership with God, and that partnership can never be broke. God will never break it because he loves me that much. And then so is that