We sang these words about God not long ago, did you hear them? Let me read them to you again: "All my days I will sing this song of gladness, give my praise to the fountain of delights, for in my helplessness You heard my cry, and waves of mercy poured down on my life... Beautiful Saviour, Wonderful Counsellor, clothed in majesty Lord of history, you're the Way, the Truth, the Life. Star of the morning, glorious in holiness, You're the risen one, heaven's champion and you reign, you reign over all."

Christians are a group of people, irrespective of class, sex, race, that have one thing in common; they have looked at Jesus and considered him of infinite worth. And so they praise. We know he came to this world 2,000 years ago to begin a kingdom. We know he presented himself as God, by what he said and did. We know he sits on the throne in heaven now, ruling the world. And at the end of time he will bring all his people to a perfect and new heaven and earth where he will rule as the perfect king forever. And the people in the new heaven and earth will praise him and submit to his rule perfectly.

But how will God's Kingdom come about? It was far from it in Daniel's time and it is seemingly far from it in our time. When the English government this week is put under pressure to remove the old offense of blasphemy from the justice system that has protected the church and the bible, because, as the Labour spokesman put it; "It's a pretty arcane law... old and unnecessary...". We wonder: how will God's Kingdom come about?

When we watch the world and see people take the name we love and use it as a casual swear word; we are deeply hurt. And we try to tell people about Jesus, they laugh at us, think us as strange 'bible basher' types; After more people to fill the pews (be prity difficult here 'cos we don't have any), or after their money, or to brain wash them. We try to tell people, and we are pushed away. They have more important things to do. It's not for them. Or you want to tell someone about this Jesus; Beautiful Saviour, Wonderful Counsellor, clothed in majesty - Lord of history, the Way, the Truth, the Life, the one glorious in holiness and they couldn't even pass you the time of day. Or they say they will come to the next jazz cafe or the carol concert but they text you 10 minutes before you are due to leave - sorry cant make it. But what will it take for God's kingdom to come about? [How will the world be won for Jesus Christ?] and what has it got to do with us?

Well Daniel 3 has the answer to these questions.

If you have been reading the papers or watching the news you may be able to recognize these two faces, who are they?: [PHOTOS: Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama] The race has been on for the past few weeks to see who out of the initial 16 candidates will become the most powerful leader in the world; the president of the United States of America. The race seems to be in the bag for one of these two. Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama. You may have seen the speeches of these two candidates promoting their plans for Iraq, health care reform, tax rates, abortion. Both of them rallying thousands of supports to show who their allegiance is to on voting day.

And we see the same thing going on in Daniel. Not on the presidential campaign trail, but in the race for a bigger title; Who will be god? The God of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego or will it be king Nebuchadnezzar?

We started off the Book of Daniel in a situation that from the outside, seemed without hope. Jerusalem had been seiged and it's inhabitans killed or taken to Babylon into slavery by king Nebuchadnezzar. And then we saw God's design. That this was not a defeated God but a God in control. In control even when the circumstances looked bleak. Working out his purposes to create a kingdom that would never end and a world where all people everywhere would see God for his true value, namely an infinite one, and therefore give him praise forever.

Daniel Chapter 2 we saw last week was making the the bold claim that one day all the kingdoms of this world will be smashed apart when the kingdom of God appears: 2:44-45 "In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands..."

Daniel and his friends, even though they are the minority in a foreign land that is agents them, are not on the losing side. They are not on the losing team but on the winning team. You, christians, here in this room, even though you hold a minority believe in a world that is against you, and would call you the freak, the 'bible basher' the extremist, the religious fanatic, you are not on the loosing side.

Chapter 2 v44 "the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever."

I hope you took heart in that last week, you are not on the losing team but on the winning team.

So we are left with the question. Exactly how will God's kingdom come about? And what does it have to do with us?Do we all wait till Jesus returns when he comes riding on the clouds of heaven in his majesty and power and glory? Will nothing happen till then?

Fake gods (with a small 'g') demand worship.(Verses 1-15)
Do you see what Nebu. Has done? "King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. He then summoned the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials to come to the dedication of the image he had set up. So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before it."

- Setup god - Even just after read about dream that terrified him about the statue being destroyed. V 13 - the god he made! - Probably statue of him! What does this god demand from it's worshipers? V 6 - and what does worshiping this statue bring? The demand is a ritualistic life in service of a dead statue for your life

See the great tyranny of serving a fake god. "Then the herald loudly proclaimed, "Nations and peoples of every language, this is what you are commanded to do: As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, 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 a blazing furnace."

The beautiful gift of music has been turned into a horrible detestable thing - worship to the statue. See how it takes away the joy of music. Someone starts playing a little tune on their recorder and they have to go and bow down! Has rules for the sake of rules - 'worship because the king says so'. See how the fake god takes life. See how this fake god takes away from the worshipers? Its just ritual. Made up by a king hungry for power over people.

True for many religions. Talking to a man a few weeks back about Islam and he was telling me about his elderly mother that has been to mecka 3 times. And do you know what's there there? The grave of dead Mohammed! you have to walk so many times around the grave in one direction and so many in the other and repeat it again and again. And I asked him why. Do you know what he said? With a puzzled face 'Because that's what you do?!'

Pray that they will be saved ... People need saving from bowing to a gold statue, people need saving from slavishly walking around a old dead man. people need saving from valuing anything more than God. See how fake gods robs the true God... The decree is turn from your god and worship this statue or die. "As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, 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 a blazing furnace."

But Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego will not And what is going though Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego's heads but the fact that they have a greater god who demands worship of no other god's besides him. (The first commandment.)

Thats the characteristic of a fake god. It doesn't have to be a 90 foot / 27 meter high statue. Fake gods are always do the same. They always demand without giving and rob from the true God. Have you seen any recently? So you see the TV when it tells you "watch this its more interesting than reading a dusty old book', the computer games that tell you "spend your time and money on this its more entertaining". The whole world as well as the boss at work are crying out to you: "value this life style - you'll be more popular, everyones doing it, it'll help your career in this kingdom, and this is the one your in now is'nt it?!"

And when you value or worship Entertainment, popularity, career ... whatever it is ... more than God, you worship a fake god.

This, of course the 3 men were not willing to do. They ignored to their king's decree and did not worship the fake gold god. They get found out by a group of astrologers who rush and tell the king. "But there are some Jews whom you have 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 gold you have set up." Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.

The rejection of the statue is a rejection of the king. The king gives them a final chance to turn their back on their god and bow to the statue. Seems they are without hope. "Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?"

Look there at the power Neb. has. Who is going to deliver you now from the mighty king? How will the kingdom of God come about in the face of such opposition?

God Delivers (V16-23)
S M and A are not afraid. When faced with an angry king and a blazing furnace. They answer: V16-18 "King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If the God we serve is able to deliver us, then he will deliver us from the blazing furnace and from Your Majesty's hand. 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 you have set up."

Respectfully the answer him as Your majesty but they tell this great king 'we will not serve your god' because our God is able to deliver us from your hand. They will not serve this fake god or bend to the decrees of this tyrant because they have the almighty God on their side. The God who rescued his people from a tyrant king in egypt with mighty power. They have on their side the God who brought them from slavery in egypt to a promised land. He's done it once and he can do it again. He's the creator of the world who says let their be light and the blazing inferno that is our sun turns on! This is the God with power! Not a gold statue and not a tyrant king who holds them over a furnace.

But also see what they go on to say:"If the God we serve is able to deliver us, then he will deliver us from the blazing furnace and from Your Majesty's hand. 18 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 you have set up."

It's not certain that God will save them, even though he can. He has proved he can save on countless occasions in the past. These men know their God, they trust their God. God is setting up his kingdom that will replace all other kingdoms and it will happen. It may be that they will be liberated from the king by dying, whatever God's plan, the 3 men have a trust in a mighty God, even in the face of death.

And this kind of threat of life or death happens every day. Reject your faith or die. ...[News Articles from barnabas trust magazine- Armed man detonates grenade in church, Couple whipped for attending a worship service]

S M and A, anger him with their description of their god more powerful than this mighty king that he orders that the furnace be made 7 times hotter. "The king's command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego"

Nebuchadnezzer is powerless when faced with this God, He can't kill them unless God lets him and he cant make them worship a false God.

God is with them. V27 see the extent of the deliverance: every item of clothing untouched, not a hair on their head harmed a God of the details, things count: "So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them."

V 17- our god is stronger than yours. Will be rescued from king whatever! "If the God we serve is able to deliver us, then he will deliver us from the blazing furnace and from Your Majesty's hand. 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 you have set up."

Even in the fiery furnace they were not alone. God rescues in person 24-25 "Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, "Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?" They replied, "Certainly, Your Majesty." 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."

When the world watches (24-30)
What happens when the world watches these things? When the world see a false god that has no power over you, replaced by a mighty God who saves. What happens when the world watches? Realise most high god: "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!"

Neb. Praises. No other god can save in this way. "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 and defied the king's command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way." Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon."

What can you do to Build the kingdom of god in your workplace in a kingdom that will soon be no more?- stand without compromise - Answer questions when you are asked. - What did you do this weekend? (Half truths? - They have no power). Or have you been too compromised by the fake gods and are too afraid of the powers in this kingdom, of this world and so you speak half truths, worm your way out.

Daniel