Even If | Robert Madu | Social Dallas

Summary

Podcast Summary: Even If | Robert Madu | Social Dallas

Date: February 2, 2026
Podcast: Social Dallas Podcast
Host: Social Dallas Church
Speaker: Pastor Robert Madu (with Co-Pastor)

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Episode Overview

This episode centers on the concept of "even if trust" — a bold, unwavering faith in God that endures regardless of outcomes. Using Daniel 3 and the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, Pastor Robert Madu challenges listeners to develop an unshakeable trust: the kind that stands firm through trial, opposition, and uncertainty. The episode also explores dealing with cultural pressure, spiritual attacks, and the importance of knowing one's identity in Christ.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Theme for the Year: Confident Trust

• Social Dallas has chosen "trust" as the defining word for 2026, shaping all church activities and messages.
• Pastor Madu reiterates the importance of confident trust, referencing Hebrews 10:35-37 as an annual declaration (00:02).

Quote:
"So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you..." (00:02)

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2. Unpacking Daniel Chapter 3: “Even If” Faith

• The story centers on Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, exiled Hebrew youths who refuse to worship Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image.
• Pastor Madu urges listeners to set aside familiarity with the text to receive new revelation (02:00–05:00).
• The key moment: the trio’s response to the king, displaying unyielding trust in God, even if deliverance doesn’t come.

Quote:
"Our God will deliver us. He can deliver us. But even if he doesn't, we're still not gonna bow." (03:54)

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3. Personal Anecdote: Unexpected Lessons in Trust

• A humorous retelling of Pastor Madu’s snowstorm experience leads to an analogy: watching Alex Honnold, the climber, scale a skyscraper (08:00).
• Emphasizes how comfort and safety do not equate to true peace—real rest is found in trusting God.

Memorable Moment:
"How is it that he's standing on top of a skyscraper and I'm sitting in my house with my Snuggie and I'm stressed out?" (10:34)

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4. Faith Requires Risk

• Pastor Madu asserts that faith is spelled R-I-S-K; true trust goes beyond contingency plans (13:00).
• He challenges listeners unwilling to step out due to craving comfort.

Quote:
"Faith is spelled risk. Don't tell me you've taken a step of faith when you got a contingency plan." (13:57)

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5. Spiritual Attacks and Divine Purpose

• The sermon discusses how Nebuchadnezzar targeted only the gifted Israelites, relating this to personal spiritual attacks.
• If you’re feeling attacked, it may be evidence of God’s calling and gifting on your life (17:21–18:51).

Quote:
"If you are gifted, there is a target on your forehead... The enemy does not waste energy on people that don't have a divine assignment." (17:21)

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6. Attack vs. Attachment

• Distinct difference:
  • The attack is what happens to you.
  • The attachment is the lie or belief the enemy wants you to internalize as a result of the attack (19:39).

Example:
"The attack is they're laying me off. The attachment is for me to go, 'maybe God isn’t faithful.'" (19:39)

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7. Generational Influence and Identity

• Focus on young people: Babylon’s strategy was to instill a new culture and values into exiled youth (20:57–22:52).
• Names changed as an attempt at assimilation, but the trio’s sense of identity remained unshaken.

Memorable Moment:
"You can call me whatever you want. When I know who I am, it doesn't matter if you put a label on me..." (28:56)

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8. Knowing Which Battles to Fight

• Wisdom is discerning which battles to engage in. The Hebrew boys did not resist their name change but refused cultural defilement and idolatry (28:28–30:00).

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9. Private Discipline, Public Impact

• Daniel and his friends abstained from the king’s food, displaying pre-set convictions (31:17–34:19).
• Their private devotion impacted public policy and led to promotion—while also increasing opposition.

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10. Standing in the Face of Pressure

• The story builds to the moment when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are threatened with the furnace.
• They demonstrate "even if" trust: faith that God can, hope that he will, but trust remains even if he does not (44:00–47:50).

Quote:
"God can deliver me — that's faith. God will deliver me — that's hope. But even if He doesn't — that's trust." (46:01–47:50)

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11. Aftermath & Ultimate Deliverance

• Their refusal to bow leads to a miraculous rescue: Jesus, “the fourth man in the fire,” appears (50:15).
• The “fire” moments don’t always mean God will keep us from trouble, but He will be present in the midst of it.

Quote (from Nebuchadnezzar):
"Didn’t we put three people in? Then why do I see four men in the fire walking around, and the fourth looks like the Son of God?" (50:15)

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12. Call to Action: Even If Trust

• The episode ends with a powerful challenge to evaluate personal compromise, draw lines of conviction, and trust God "even if" the outcome isn’t as desired (52:26–end).
• Uses Dr. King’s quote:
  "The ultimate measure of a person is not where they stand in moments of comfort and convenience, but where you stand in moments of controversy." (52:27)

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Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• "Faith is spelled risk. Don't tell me you've taken a step of faith when you got a contingency plan." (13:57 – Pastor Madu)
• "You can call me whatever you want. When I know who I am, it doesn't matter if you put a label on me." (28:56 – Pastor Madu)
• "God can deliver me — that's faith. God will deliver me — that's hope. But even if He doesn't — that's trust." (46:01 – Co-Pastor)
• "Even if he doesn't, oh, I love that because they just gave us a theology of trust in three statements right there..." (46:00 – Co-Pastor)
• "You don't even look like what you've been through. ...God says, I can bring you out, and you won't even look like what you went through." (61:04 – Co-Pastor)

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Important Segment Timestamps

• 00:02–03:54: Opening & Scripture reading (Hebrews 10, Daniel 3)
• 08:00–13:10: Snowstorm anecdote, Alex Honnold illustration, lesson on comfort vs. trust
• 13:57–16:02: Risk as the hallmark of faith, moving from comfort to confident trust
• 17:21–18:51: Attacks as evidence of gifting; encouragement to the “targeted”
• 20:57–22:52: Babylon’s strategy: targeting youth, generational warfare
• 28:45–30:00: Wisdom in choosing which battles to fight
• 31:17–34:19: Pre-decided convictions, resisting defilement and compromise
• 44:00–47:50: The core of “even if” trust, faith, hope, and rest
• 50:15–51:33: The appearance of the “fourth man” in the fire—divine presence in trial
• 52:26–end: Call to action, prayer, and invitation to trust God with the outcome

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Summary Table: The Three Levels of Trust

| Faith | Hope | Trust | |--------|-------|--------| | "God can" | "God will" | "Even if He doesn't" | | Believes | Expects | Rests |

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Conclusion

This episode calls listeners to a deeper level of spiritual maturity, challenging them to trust God not just for His deliverance, but with outcomes unknown. Using rich illustrations and biblical exposition, Pastor Robert Madu inspires the audience to exchange comfort and conformity for bold, "even if" trust that stands firm—no matter the heat of the furnace.

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For further reflection or personal application, revisit these segments:

• The lesson from Alex Honnold (08:00–13:10)
• Faith’s relationship to risk (13:57)
• The “even if” theology (46:00–48:07)
• The call to action and prayer (52:26–end)

Transcript

[Pastor]

So glad that you're in the house of the Lord today. I wasn't just saying that earlier. I never take for granted the opportunity we have to gather together and worship. So thank you for being here. Thank you for fighting through the traffic and the cold and showing up. You look good. In fact, you look like you got confident trust in the Lord. Anybody still got confident trust? If you're new to social. Every single year, we have a word that shapes our year, and we believe that God forms that word in us. And our word for this year is trust. And we'll have confident trust in the Lord. And that word comes from scripture. Hebrews, chapter 10, verses 35 through 37. Every single Sunday of 2026, we're going to declare this word. So we gonna do it today. Y' all ready? You remember how to read it? You know, you don't go till I say so. Y' all good? Y' all good. Come on, let's read it as a family. So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you. Patient endurance is what you need now so that you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. For in just a little while, the coming one will come and not delay. Do you believe that? Come on. You believe that thing? Amen. Main standing. We're gonna jump into our text for today. And before I read it, I do just want to give a little warning, because this is a familiar passage of scripture. Those of you who are, like, super saved, and you've been walking with the Lord since the third trimester of your mother's pregnancy, and you're a proud Sunday school alumnus, and you floated in here today, you might even roll your eyes and go, oh, come on. I know that story. So even before I read it, I'm gonna beg you to not allow your familiarity with this passage to rob you of the revelation that's in this passage. The Bible is the only book that you can get fresh water from the same well. It is the only book that, when you read it, it will read you if you'll let it. And so I want you to come with that approach to the text today as we look at Daniel, chapter three, and we're going to look at verses 13 through 18. And we're jumping in the middle of the movie. A narcissistic king by the name of Nebuchadnezzar has raised a golden image and commanded that when the music plays, everybody must bow down. And these three gangster Hebrew boys that had conviction, said, we don't care what you say. We ain't bowing down. And so that's where we're jumping into in this story. Daniel, chapter three. We'll start at verse 13, and it says, furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, 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 I have set up? 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. Now, that right there is where king Nebuchadnezzar should have stopped. He just should have stopped right there at bow or burn is this next statement that got him messed up. You got to be careful when you mess with God, because you'll mess around and find out. Look at what God says or what Nebuchadnezzar says.

[Co-Pastor]

He goes, then what God will be.

[Pastor]

Able to rescue you from my hand? That question right there is, what God proves in this story. He says, what God will be able to rescue you from my hand? And Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to him, now, if Confident trust needed a mascot, it would be these three dudes right here. They don't say anything but what we're about to read right now. They show up in the book of Daniel, but this is the only thing you can quote them saying. And what a powerful thing to quote them on. King Nebuchadnezzar. We do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. They're polite. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it. And he will deliver us 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 that you have set up. Can somebody say amen right there? That. That's some good stuff, PB Our God will deliver us. He can deliver us. But even if he doesn't, we're still not gonna bow. I want to tag a title to this text and just preach to you from this thought. Even if. Even if I want you to look at your neighbor, whichever one you like the best, you pick and just come on get in their face. Get in the face and say neighbor. Oh, neighbor. You need to trust God. Even if that neighbor was stuck up. Find somebody else. Find somebody else. Come on. Say other neighbor.

[Co-Pastor]

I'm wondering, do you have even if trust.

[Pastor]

Come on. If you believe God's gonna speak, would you give him some praise in here today? Come on, you could do better than that. Give him some real, real praise. Lord, speak to us today. Amen. You can sit down. Even if I'm curious to know today how many of you, I'll say within the last year, you just moved to the Dallas Fort Worth area. Can I see your hand? If you just moved here to that.

[Co-Pastor]

Oh, wow. Come on.

[Pastor]

That's the best hand clap y' all can give them. Y' all welcome to Texas. Just moved here.

[Co-Pastor]

Let me see that hand. That's incredible. Y' all good. I'm just curious.

[Pastor]

Cause how many know? Last week's weather was wild. It was absolutely wild. I have been in Texas my whole life. I am still not used to it. Y', all, welcome to Dallas, Texas, where on Christmas day, it is 80 degrees. And then three weeks later, ice storm everywhere. It is the snowpocalypse. Everything is shut down. Storm stores closed, classes closed. We couldn't meet last week. It's very interesting because we were all stuck in the house. And here's the question I wanted to ask y' all last week that I couldn't. That I want to ask this week.

[Co-Pastor]

What did y' all do while you.

[Pastor]

Were stuck inside the house? Somebody said, eat. You know, we were on a fast. You telling on yourself.

[Co-Pastor]

What'd y' all do?

[Pastor]

What'd you do, Sleep? Somebody said, netflix.

[Co-Pastor]

I'll tell you what I did.

[Pastor]

I lived my best life.

[Co-Pastor]

I'm telling you, I am at the.

[Pastor]

Age where, you know, childhood punishments are now like rewards for me. I love when the whole thing is just shut down and it's time out. I love when the weather says, hey, y' all need to do like me, just chill. Do absolutely nothing. I had the time of my life. I was chilling in the house. I had my little snuggie hoodie on, this little fuzzy snuggie hoodie. Had my Uggs on having the best time chillaxing, sitting on the couch. It was peaceful. It was stress free. I only got up really once to go get some wood, and I mean, the kids wanted the fire, so I chopped some wood and then I made a quick fire. No, that's not true. Come on. What I look like I just pushed the button we got gas.

[Co-Pastor]

I'm chilling by the fire, having a good time. I truly relaxed y'. All. It was peaceful.

[Pastor]

My nervous system was calm. It was amazing until PT Called me.

[Co-Pastor]

And said, babe, come here. You gotta see this. Anytime your wife says that, you just.

[Pastor]

Know something's about to change. And so I walk into the bedroom, and I look at the tv, and this is what I see on the TV when I walked in. Some of y' all don't know.

[Co-Pastor]

You about to find out. Do you know who that is? That man right there is Alex Honnold.

[Pastor]

That is his name. That's what PT Was watching.

[Co-Pastor]

This man is a professional climber. His name is Alex. His name should be Anxiety, because that's what he gave me and the other 6.2 million Netflix viewers that watch this man.

[Pastor]

Watch this.

[Co-Pastor]

Who has climbed things before. But something popped in his head and said, I've never climbed a skyscraper before. I'm gonna go to Taiwan and climb a sky skyscraper that is 1,670ft in the air. 101 stories. This man has lost his mind, y'.

[Pastor]

All.

[Co-Pastor]

I. I have no words to articulate to you how much stress I had watching this guy do this, y'.

[Pastor]

All.

[Co-Pastor]

My heart was palpitating. Sweat was coming down my forehead. My blood pressure was through the roof. The whole time, I just kept looking at going, this is crazy. This is crazy. This is crazy is crazy. I pulled out my phone. I said, chatgpt, Is this legal? Are you allowed to do this? What is happening? This man does not have a helmet. He doesn't have shoulder pads. There is no harness. There is no rope. All he had was a little paint can that had that little LeBron James powder in it that he kept putting on his hands to climb up. I said, this is crazy. This is crazy. Then they interviewed his wife, and they're like, how do you feel about Alex doing this? She's like, well, he's always like to climb. And I'm just happy for him. I'm like, oh, you married crazy. I'm like, this is. This is stressing me out for an hour and 30 minutes. I was stressed. Even when he got to the top, my anxiety wasn't relieved. Because I'm thinking, if you climb to the top, once you get there, man, just tap it. Just tag it. Or get up there and sit down. But you saw it. This man got up there talking about. I said, bro, pride comes before the fall. We about to. He's selfieing and everything. I was so stressed out watching this On Netflix.

[Pastor]

And then it hit me. It hit me. I started thinking.

[Co-Pastor]

How is it that he's standing on top of a skyscraper and I'm sitting in my house with.

[Pastor]

My Snuggie and I'm stressed out? Why is it that his climbing made me feel uncomfortable?

[Co-Pastor]

How is it he's the one standing at the top looking like he's got peace? I'm chilling in the house and I.

[Pastor]

Got the stress and the anxiety. And that's when it hit me. I think that's a metaphor for all of us because we actually think that safety is what brings us peace. We think that it is comfort that keeps us calm.

[Co-Pastor]

Most of us think that if we.

[Pastor]

Had control, we would find rest. And I came to tell you today that true rest is. Is found in trust. It is not found in your comfort.

[Co-Pastor]

It is not found when you have control.

[Pastor]

True rest comes from trusting in God. I think we love comfort and sometimes we war against the actual confident trust that you need to walk with God. In fact, when we are uncomfortable with trusting God, we usually end up criticizing the people that are.

[Co-Pastor]

We do.

[Pastor]

Just like I did when I was watching them. Yo, that's crazy, man. You stupid. Really you doing that?

[Co-Pastor]

Have you ever experienced that? Have you ever taken a step of.

[Pastor]

Faith and really trusted God? Only to hear people have something to say about you trusting God? I can't believe you out here.

[Co-Pastor]

You tithing on unemployment. Really?

[Pastor]

You really gonna leave this comfortable job.

[Co-Pastor]

And start your own business? Have you ever stepped out and trusted God Only to have people who are sitting on the couch and ain't doing anything with what God has called them to do? But they have commentary for you talking about Ukra. Why you doing that?

[Pastor]

It's interesting. We are addicted to comfort. We love trust as long as it's comfortable and it's convenient and it's climate controlled. I found it intriguing after the fact when he reached the top, one of the commentators, they interviewed that commentator and said there was actually a 10 second delay on the Netflix broadcast. 10 second delay because they realized that if he fell because he had no harness, no safety net, it would take about 10 seconds for him to hit the ground.

[Co-Pastor]

So they had a 10 second delay.

[Pastor]

And the commentator already had the card that she was prepared to read if he didn't make it. You want to know what trusting God feels like?

[Co-Pastor]

It's like climbing a skyscraper, hands shaking, knees knocking together, realizing there is no safety net.

[Pastor]

It's just.

[Co-Pastor]

Just Netflix and a whole bunch of people watching. That is what trusting God looks like. And some of y' all are looking at me talking about, does it really feel like that? That's because you've never really stepped out and trusted God. But anybody who has ever taken a step of faith knows what it's like to trust him. And realize, I'm out here now. I got no safety net.

[Pastor]

And many of us only trust God and say, hey, I'll obey. If it works, I'll do it.

[Co-Pastor]

If I'm comfortable, I'll trust you. If it's convenient, hey, I'll trust you as long as I'm safe. And I came to tell you it.

[Pastor]

Is hard to walk by faith and play it safe at the same time. As a matter of fact, I dare say it is impossible.

[Co-Pastor]

You cannot walk by faith and walk by faith at the same time. The Bible does not say that the.

[Pastor]

Just shall live by faith. It says, the just shall live by faith. And faith, I am convinced, is spelled R I, S, K. Faith is spelled risk. Don't tell me you've taken a step of faith when you got a contingency plan. Don't tell me you're taking a step of faith when you got the harness and you got the rope and you got a backup plan just in case it doesn't work out. Faith is spelled risk. And when you take the risk, it proves if your trust is in God, you need confident. Trust. Or I dare say, even if trust brings me to my text today. In Daniel Chapter three, we're introduced to three young men who epitomize even if trust, confident, trust in the Lord. Before we talk about the fiery furnace, before we talk about the fourth man in the fire, I think we got to back that thing up biblically and really look at the framework, the framework of these Hebrew boys, what formed them. You can't really know the content of their life until you get the context of their life and ask yourself this question. How did they end up in Babylon in the first place? What brought them to Babylon? That's where they have been exiled to. You will note. They didn't pick Babylon for themselves. They didn't decide to go there. They did not book a Southwest flight and now has assigned seats and say, hey, I want to go on a quick little trip to Babylon. This was not their decision. The reason they are in Babylon, hear me, is because the children of God had been disobedient. They had ignored the warnings of the prophets. They had compromised themselves and they had drifted far from God. So God says, okay, I've given you warning after warning after warning. You don't want to listen to me. So here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to use your enemies to get your attention. This is what I love about God. God knows what to use to get your attention. God says, y' all don't want to listen to me, okay, I'm going to allow your enemy to take you captive.

[Co-Pastor]

And I'm gonna be watching it. But guess what?

[Pastor]

Since you don't want to trust me, I'm giving you over to your enemy. God knows what to use to get your attention.

[Co-Pastor]

Be careful when you can say, if you can use anything, Lord, you can use me. Because they go, okay, I'll use your.

[Pastor]

Enemy too, if I need to use your enemy to get your attention. So all of a sudden, they find themselves in captivity in. In exile by Babylon under the leadership of King Nebuchadnezzar. And I find it interesting how King Nebuchadnezzar takes over. His attack on the children of Israel were strategic. It was strategic because watch this. He did not just go in there and kill everybody. He did not go there and just say, hey, I want everybody captive. He was actually strategic in who he took. He took the best. I want you to see it in Daniel, chapter one. Look at the criteria for who he took. Right here, Daniel chapter one, verse three through four. Look at what it says. He says, I want Israelites from the royal family and from nobility, young men without physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king's position palace. This is who King Nebuchadnezzar said he wanted.

[Co-Pastor]

He said, I ain't just trying to get everybody.

[Pastor]

I have a target on the gifted. If you are gifted, there is a target on your forehead. Some of you have been wondering, why.

[Co-Pastor]

Does it feel like there's been so.

[Pastor]

Much attack on my life?

[Co-Pastor]

Why do I feel like I've been.

[Pastor]

Going through so many storms?

[Co-Pastor]

Why is it that it seems like from the moment I was born, there's been such an attack on my life? I came to tell you there is a reason there's an attack on your life. And the reason is because you are gifted. The reason is because there is a.

[Pastor]

Purpose on your life.

[Co-Pastor]

The reason is because there is a call on your life. The enemy does not waste energy on people that don't have a divine assignment on their life. There's a reason he's coming against you the way he's coming against you. And the reason only about 15 of y' all gave A little cute golf clap is because you are so drained from the attack you don't even realize, why is he attacking me? Why has he intensified the heat now? It must be because I'm close to my purpose. It must be because I'm about to step into something. The enemy knows who to attack. You wouldn't be on his hit list if you didn't have something to offer. You wouldn't be on his hit list if you weren't made in the image of God. There's a reason he's coming after you. Come on. You remember back in the day playing basketball. There's some people, when they put up to the three point line, you don't guard them. There's a reason why you, you put up your hands for somebody that you know is about to do something. And I'm trying to encourage you and let you know if there's been an attack on your life, there's a reason.

[Pastor]

The enemy has targeted you. So Nebuchadnezzar said, I don't want everybody. I want the gifted people. And so he sends an attack. Here's what I've learned about an attack from the enemy. Every attack. Attack has an attachment. Every attack has an attachment. And if you're not careful, you'll just see the attack and you'll embrace the attachment. But every attack, it has an attachment. What do you mean, pr? The attack is what is happening to me. The attachment is what the enemy is trying to get in me. The attack is what's happening to me. The attachment is what he's trying to get in me. It's like an email with an attachment. He's trying to get you to download the attachment. I'll make it real plain. The attack is the criticism I'm facing. The attachment is for me to go, well, maybe I'm not called to this. The attack is they're laying me off on my job. The attachment is for me to go, well, maybe God isn't faithful. The attack is they broke up with you or they ghosted you. The attachment he's trying to get you to believe is I'm unlovable and I'll never find anybody. The attack is they betrayed you, but the attachment is, I ain't never trusting anybody again. Do you see how he always puts an attachment to the attack?

[Co-Pastor]

And I just came to tell you this Sunday morning, stop downloading the attachment in your heart and in your spirit. In fact, you could actually flip that thing and say, I'm going to start praising God. Oh, there must be a reason Hell.

[Pastor]

Is coming against me right now. Every attack has an attachment. And these young Hebrew boys. Watch this. Are immediately stripped from their home and brought into a foreign land. Can you imagine? Most scholars believe that they were from either 15 or 18 years old. And immediately, in one day, you are pulled from your home into a foreign land. 15 to 18 years old.

[Co-Pastor]

Can you imagine if you're between the.

[Pastor]

Ages of 15 and 18? Do me a favor. Just stand up. Stand up. In fact, if you're a teenager, stand up. Every teenager in here. Stand to your feet. Stand to your feet. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I want them to see you. Come on. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Keep standing. Keep standing. Keep standing.

[Co-Pastor]

Stand till it feels a little awkward.

[Pastor]

Until they start clapping and realizing that.

[Co-Pastor]

The World Changers are right here in this room. Why y' all starting social youth? Because I know the enemy and I know who he's after. He doesn't change up his tactics. He doesn't wait till you're older to start attacking you. He starts attacking you right now. But I'm so glad that there's a remnant of some young people in here right now who say, I ain't waiting till I'm 21, until I'm 30 or 40 to start having confident trust in the Lord. I'm going to start. Start right now having some confident trust in the Lord. Somebody give God some praise if you're excited about their future.

[Pastor]

Yeah, y' all can sit down. 15 to 18.

[Co-Pastor]

Look. Some of y' all look 45.

[Pastor]

My Lord.

[Co-Pastor]

My guy right here. You're a teenager. Bless the Lord. He knows. He knows who to attack. So watch this. He says, I'm gonna get them.

[Pastor]

Not later in life. I'm gonna get them right now. I'm gonna get them while they're vulnerable. I'm gonna get them. Watch this. When it's easy to make an impression on their life, his strategy was simple. Nebuchadnezzar's was take them young, teach them our language, teach them our culture, teach them our values, and teach them our beliefs. And in one generation, they'll stop resisting and start agreeing. In other words, you too gifted for me just to take you out. I want to get my values and my beliefs in you, even if it takes time.

[Co-Pastor]

So all of a sudden, you will.

[Pastor]

Resist the culture you were born in and receive the culture you've been brought to. This is the plan of the enemy.

[Co-Pastor]

In fact, if I was to say.

[Pastor]

It real fancy, he wants subjugation by assimilation. He's got the same strategy. Today I Want subjugation by assimilation. I want you to be so in tune with the culture, you don't even realize you're conformed.

[Co-Pastor]

I want you going with the flow.

[Pastor]

So much, you don't even realize you are going with the flow of the culture. I'm scared of you if you agree with everything in the culture, I'm scared of you. If you never have any respect resistance.

[Co-Pastor]

In your life, I'm scared of you. If you always follow the masses, sometimes the m is silent.

[Pastor]

You got to be careful. Some of y' all get that tomorrow.

[Co-Pastor]

You got to be careful if you always following the masses.

[Pastor]

He said, I want you assimilated in the culture. One scholar said that peace with the world is conflict with God. Peace with the world is conflict with.

[Co-Pastor]

With God.

[Pastor]

So the enemy says, I want assimilation. Now if he can't get assimilation, he will take another option. He'll take isolation.

[Co-Pastor]

In other words, I just want you.

[Pastor]

To put your head in the sand and just go to church.

[Co-Pastor]

Don't be in the world at all. Just have isolation. Just close your eyes and just be light that lights up light. You ever met this Christian, like, all you hang out with is other believers. You're not making an impact anywhere.

[Pastor]

I mean, you just eat chick fil a.

[Co-Pastor]

You eat Christian chicken all the time. You're like, lord, just get me out of here. I'm waiting for heaven to come back because I don't want to impact and bring heaven down to earth. So let me just get in my little silo and let me just stay in my little safe corner. God says, I'll take. Enemy says, I'll take either one of those. I'll take assimilation, where you conform, and I'll take isolation where you're just so separate from the world that you're actually not making an impact. But here's what God says I want. I don't want either one of those. God says, I want you to be a force in the earth. He says, I want you to be in the world, but not of the world. I want you to affect the world without it infecting you.

[Pastor]

So this is the plan.

[Co-Pastor]

This is the plan of God.

[Pastor]

It's interesting to see how God can be doing a multiplicity of things at the same time. So on one hand, he's teaching the children of Israel a lesson and they're in captivity. But on the other hand, he has sent in some secret agents by Daniel and these three Hebrew boys because he.

[Co-Pastor]

Says, I want you to.

[Pastor]

To transform that environment. And you're going to hold on to your convictions. Even though you're in a culture, in an environment that is antithetical to your convictions. Hear me. You can only do that when you know who you are. If you don't know who you are, you just going to go with the flow and you going to conform. Instead of transforming the very environment that the enemy wants you to conform to. I tell you who I want to meet. When I. I get to heaven, there's a lot of people. First of all, I want to see Jesus. But you know who I really want to meet? I want to meet the parents of Daniel. I want to dap up Daniel's daddy.

[Co-Pastor]

I want to dap up his mama.

[Pastor]

I want to meet the parents of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Because what did you put in them.

[Co-Pastor]

To make them have that type of resolve? What did you teach them to make them have the nerve, the audacity, the unmistakable mitigated gall to say, I would rather stand up and die than to bow down and live? Oh, I wish I could meet them. Because watch this. They knew who they were.

[Pastor]

Before they got to the furnace, they.

[Co-Pastor]

Knew who they were. Okay, here's how I know how you know. Here's how I know. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. You realize that's not the name on their birth certificates.

[Pastor]

Some of y' all new to church.

[Co-Pastor]

You'Ve been calling them that for years.

[Pastor]

That's not the name they were born with. That's the name they were given. Shadrach's name is Hananiah. Meshach's name, birth name, Mishael. Abednego's name is Azariah. Hananiah means God is gracious. Mishael means who is like God. Azariah means God helps. Daniel got a name, too. Belteshazzar. But his name, Daniel means God is my judge. So every time these boys walked in a room, here's what they're declaring. God is gracious. Who is like God? God helps and God is my judge. Every time they walked into a room, that's what they were declaring. Those were their real names. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were given to them. And those names were to give credit to a false God. Now, here's what I couldn't wrap my mind around. You've already taken me from my home. You've put me in an environment that I didn't pick for myself. That is a pluralistic environment where they worshiping all kinds of gods. We already know they have the agency to Say, I ain't bowing down. Burn me. My question is, why come you didn't fight when they tried to change your name?

[Co-Pastor]

We know you got some fight in.

[Pastor]

You because you ain't gonna bow down.

[Co-Pastor]

When they tried to rename you and they did, how come you didn't revolt? How come you say, oh, that's not my name.

[Pastor]

What's your name? Mishael. Your name is Meshach.

[Co-Pastor]

I mean, why did. Why don't you fight back? Why don't you fight? It seems like there should have been.

[Pastor]

A revolt when they tried to rename them. But here's what I'm learning to realize, is that true wisdom and confident trust. Please don't miss this. Is knowing what battle you're supposed to fight and knowing what battle you're not supposed to fight. True.

[Co-Pastor]

You only have so much energy. I know you probably want the message.

[Pastor]

Fight everything.

[Co-Pastor]

No, fam. There's some things I need to fight, and there's some things I don't need to worry about.

[Pastor]

And I find it intriguing.

[Co-Pastor]

They did not revolt against the name change because here's why. You can call me whatever you want. When I know who I am. It doesn't matter if you put a label on me. When I know who I am and who I am. And some of y' all ought to thank God, because maybe you know what it's like to have people put all kinds of labels on you. But I've learned that the label doesn't stick. If you really know who you are and whose you are, you can call me a failure. I already know I'm favored. You can call me a loser. I already know I'm a winner. You can call me the tail. I already know I'm the head. You can call me a victim. No, I already know I'm a victor, because I know who I am in Christ. I wish somebody in here would give God some praise in spite of the labels that people tried to put on you. Would you thank him because you know who you are? I just saved some of y' all from typing words in the comment section because they said, I don't have energy to waste trying to prove to you that I'm not that. Call me Meshach. As I'm walking, I'm like, it's me, Sha'.

[Pastor]

El. I know who I am. So they didn't revolt against the name change, but there were some things they did revolt against. What's the first thing? The first thing that I am convinced was the first test before they ever got to the furnace, they had to fight the food at the king's table. As soon as they got there, the king laid out all kinds of food from his table that was offered to idols as well, and wine to drink. And look at what Daniel did. I love this. Look at it. In Daniel, chapter one, verse eight, it says, But Daniel resolved, one version says, he purposed in his heart not to defile himself with the royal food and wine. And he asked the chief official, who this is so good for purpose, permission not to defile himself in this way. In other words, Daniel said, you brought me here, but I made some decisions before I got here. You already changed my name, whatever. I know who I am. That's a label you're trying to put on me. But I'm very careful about what I allow to get in me, because I.

[Co-Pastor]

Know that whatever I consult, I will become. So I gotta be careful what I.

[Pastor]

Let get in me. So this is an amazing feast, but I can't eat this. I can't. I purposed in my heart.

[Co-Pastor]

Do you have any pre decisions that you've made before you ever get in the fire? Do you have some places that you don't go? Do you have some places? Don't. No matter your co workers saying, hey, we going here? Do you have any decisions that you've already made? Or do you always just succumb to everything, everything that's put in front of you? Is there anything in you that says, there's some stuff I don't touch, there's some places I don't go, there's some things I don't care who's watching it. I don't watch that. I don't listen to that. I have. I have a resolve that says, this can't get in me, because if it get in me, I will become like what I consume.

[Pastor]

So Daniel's like, hold on, I'll speak for my homies. We ain't doing this. Look at what he says. He says, can you change the menu?

[Co-Pastor]

And he.

[Pastor]

Even though God had already given him favor for the menu to be changed.

[Co-Pastor]

I'm so glad he asked.

[Pastor]

I'm so glad he didn't just take what was put on the table.

[Co-Pastor]

He said, can we.

[Pastor]

Can we do fruits and veggies and water?

[Co-Pastor]

And the guy was scared. He's like, I don't know, man, y'.

[Pastor]

All might look worse.

[Co-Pastor]

He said, give us a test.

[Pastor]

Give us 10 days and let's see who looks better. But have you even asked for the menu to change?

[Co-Pastor]

I'm speaking prophetically to somebody. Have you Even asked. Have you even asked them? Can I have Sunday off.

[Pastor]

Or just every single time?

[Co-Pastor]

Well, no, it's my boss. I got to. I mean, I gotta eat. Who's your source? Don't take it out of context. I'm not saying be crazy, but I'm just saying sometimes we don't even have the resolve to ask David father first resolved, I ain't eating it.

[Pastor]

And then he took it a step further and said, hey, can you change the menu? He said, all right, let's give it a test. So for 10 days, Daniel and his friends, the only ones over there eating Brussels sprouts. Can you see him struggling like, you were in the 21 day fast? Like, why are we doing 21? Lord, I hate Daniel.

[Co-Pastor]

Can we do five?

[Pastor]

And then there they are, turning up drinking at the king's table. Looked like they were having a better time until the evaluation day came. I want to talk. Where them young people at? Y' all give me a wave. I ain't gonna make you stand up again. Hear me? Almost want to come right here. There are some things that look so good right now. There are some parties that look so, so fun right now. There are some lifestyles that look so good right now. Oh, but give it time. Give it time. Give it time. Wait for the evaluation. That. That even shows you how sick the psychology was of Babylon, that he thought by eating fruits and vegetables, they would look worse.

[Co-Pastor]

It's the same ideology today.

[Pastor]

Like, you gonna be worse off. Saving sex for the context of marriage, where God placed it, like, that's worse to say that. Oh, you're gonna be worse off. Really? You waiting as opposed to it? Oh, it's better the day you get married saying, yeah, let me tell you my mileage and how many people I've been with. I'm sorry, when it gets cold, I lose my filters.

[Co-Pastor]

What, you think I'm gonna be better doing it the way of the world?

[Pastor]

And so they purposed in their heart and go eat at the evaluation day came, and that's where I was. I wasn't lost. And here's what's crazy. They look better. They look 10 times better and healthier, so they look better. And guess what else happened? They changed the whole menu.

[Co-Pastor]

He said, y' all look so good. I'm changing the policy.

[Pastor]

Everybody eating vegetables.

[Co-Pastor]

Not only that, they got a promotion because God favored them. Can you imagine? They changed the policy.

[Pastor]

You were faithful. They changed the policy, and you get a promotion.

[Co-Pastor]

Can you imagine?

[Pastor]

Oh, okay, let's flip it. Can you imagine being the other people, I'll say, like, really? We gotta eat vegetables now because of them. You know, it's frustrating when somebody else is. Private discipline has now been put on public display, and you are in proximity of it.

[Co-Pastor]

If you want to feel some type.

[Pastor]

Of way, look at somebody's private discipline be put on display, and you're in proximity to it. That'll make you feel some type of way. I'm talking about in all kinds of ways. Come on. Where my guys at? Try that one more time. Pretend like I didn't hear that.

[Co-Pastor]

Where my dogs at?

[Pastor]

Thank you. Keep it 100.

[Co-Pastor]

Not all y' all can relate. You have been, like, cool with your dad bod. Like, I'm good.

[Pastor]

I'm.

[Co-Pastor]

I'm all right for my age. I'm doing it. And then see somebody else come to the beach and their private discipline is on public display in front of you.

[Pastor]

Like, really, if you don't get your Michael B. Jordan chest out here.

[Co-Pastor]

Come on, man.

[Pastor]

I don't like it. This. This is inappropriate. We at the beach.

[Co-Pastor]

I don't care.

[Pastor]

Put shirt off.

[Co-Pastor]

Why you feel that way?

[Pastor]

Because their private discipline is now on public display. And your discipline is on display, too. It's just. You had crumble cookies.

[Co-Pastor]

This is.

[Pastor]

This is what's going on. And all of a sudden. Watch this. Daniel and his three friends now have promotion because of their private devotion and discipline. And that promotion brings pressure and persecution. Already the climate has changed, and people can't stand them goddess out here eating vegetables. Can't stand y'. All. It goes further. King Nebuchadnezzar, the narcissistic king, has a dream that nobody can interpret. And he says this to all of the astrologers and all of Daniel and his crew. He said, I have a dream, but I ain't gonna tell you what it is. I want you to tell me what I dreamed first and then interpret the dream. You thought your boss was crazy. Tell me what I dreamed and interpret the dream. And if y' all can't do it, I'm gonna kill all y'. All. This is Daniel's first day on the job with his friends. And watch what he did. All of them got together and started praying. Said, nobody on earth can interpret the dream and tell the dream, but there is a God in heaven who is able to do it. Come on, y'. All. Let's get together. Let's pray to the God of Heaven.

[Co-Pastor]

Do you have anybody like that in.

[Pastor]

Your life that you can huddle up when you're about to face the heat. When there's pressure coming against you, is there anybody in your life that you.

[Co-Pastor]

Can call together and y' all can pray and say, God, give us wisdom. God, give us clarity? Are your only friends that say, man, let's go, let's pop some bottles tonight.

[Pastor]

You ready?

[Co-Pastor]

Is that your only crew? Is there anybody in your life that knows how to call on God and you can say, I need clarity on this?

[Pastor]

Can you pray with me? All of them got together and prayed, and God gave Daniel the dream and the interpretation. All of a sudden, because of that, he gets another promotion. And it got his boys, too. He said, give them a promotion, too. More promotion, more persecution. Persecution. They can't stand them. King Nebuchadnezzar misinterprets the dream that was interpreted and builds a golden statue and says, every time you hear the music play, here's what I want everybody to do. Stop what you're doing and bow.

[Co-Pastor]

Whenever you hear music, all I want.

[Pastor]

You to do is stop and bow. Do you know the enemy wants the same today? All he wants is your bow. They refused to eat the food from the table because they said, hold on, you don't get my appetite. And they refused to bow down because they said, hold on, you don't get my allegiance either. There are some places where I draw the line, and I draw the line on what I allow in me and who has my heart and has my allegiance. I refuse to bow down. When you hear the music, I want you to bow. What's interesting, and I'm Landon, Nebuchadnezzar has no problem with them worshiping their God in private. It's not like he said, only worship the golden image. Don't worship your God. He said, worship whoever you want in private, but in public, I want you to bow down. Keep your faith to yourself, but don't bring that stuff on my job. Don't bring it out in the public square. Keep it private.

[Co-Pastor]

I don't mind you worshiping other things.

[Pastor]

In addition to God. And they said, I can't give my allegiance to an image. I could stay here longer, but I want to know what makes you bow. It might not have your affection in place of God, but it has your affection in addition to God. What makes you stop what you're doing? Some of you, it's your job, you bow. Some of you, it's your kids, you bow. An idol doesn't have to be an evil thing. It just has to be anything that you've placed on the throne of your heart. What makes you Bow. It's interesting that music was connected to the bowing. The enemy's always after worship.

[Co-Pastor]

I was thinking to myself, what song.

[Pastor]

Was playing to make them bow? You know, your pastor created. What did they play? I have an idea of what the instrumental could have sounded like, because there is a sound that makes us bow. I wonder if it sounded a little bit like this.

[Co-Pastor]

Because you do know.

[Pastor]

We love to. We love to bow. What sound gets your affection and your attention? And I'm using my exegetical imagination, watching thousands of people stop what they're doing, fall down in a small remnant stand stand. Remember, they got haters because they got promotion. So guess what they did when they took a stand. I'm trying to tell you what's going to happen if you choose to take a stand. They went and Tattletale or Tattletoe said, ooh, I'm going to tell Nebuchadnezzar that y' all didn't bow. Here's my frustration.

[Co-Pastor]

If everybody's head is supposed to go.

[Pastor]

Down.

[Co-Pastor]

How you know I'm standing anyway? If your face. Why are you over? Why are you on my timeline? Why are you watching me? If your head's supposed to be down, why you worried about what I'm doing? Can I tell you, it's still the same today. People are watching you. People are looking at your life. I know you don't think people are watching you, but I'm telling you, people are watching, watching what you do. Your life matters.

[Pastor]

People are watching what you're doing. So can you see them head down? They stand, and I'm a go tell. They run to Nebuchadnezzar. Worship team, join me. They run to Nebuchadnezzar and they tell. And here's how I know they got so much favor with Nebuchadnezzar and that he loved and liked them. I would say because the edict was bow or burn, right? So it shouldn't have been no conversation.

[Co-Pastor]

Y' all didn't bow.

[Pastor]

It should have been straight to the furnace. That's not what Nebuchadnezzar does.

[Co-Pastor]

He calls the man and says, I'm.

[Pastor]

Going to give y' all one more chance. Maybe you didn't hear the music. Maybe you got arthritis, even though you're too young for it. So watch this. I've given you favor and promotion. I'm giving you one more opportunity. Are you gonna hold on to your conviction? Are you gonna compromise and bow? Are you gonna be found faithful? Are you going to just bow and say, man, who's going to know anyway. Or, don't act like you've never been there before. Don't act like you've never rationalized compromise. They could have easily said, well, I mean, I'm going to die, Lord, wouldn't you rather like me alive for you than dead for you? Maybe I should just bow and go right back to worshiping you. They refused. They had enough conviction to say, I would rather stand and die than bow and live. So in respect to the King, they said, oh, Majesty, we don't need to defend ourselves in this matter. The God we serve is able to deliver us. He will deliver us. But even if he doesn't, we will not bow. I'm telling you right now, you will have a moment in your life where.

[Co-Pastor]

You can compromise or you can stand. And my prayer for you today is that you would get the resolve and you would get the tenacity of these Hebrew boys where you can look at whatever authority it is in the face and say, here's what I know. I don't need to defend myself in this matter. That right there preaches. How many know God doesn't need a defense attorney. He just needs somebody that will stand for him. He just needs somebody in a culture of compromise that will declare, for God I live and for God I die. I know that God can deliver me.

[Pastor]

He.

[Co-Pastor]

He will deliver me. But even if he doesn't, oh, I love that because they just gave us a theology of trust in three statements right there. God can deliver me. He will deliver me. But even if he doesn't, God can deliver me. What's that? That's faith. That's faith that says God can still do the impossible. God can still do the miraculous. God can still heal sick bodies. God can. Can still open up doors. God can still do the miraculous. God can deliver me. Here it is. God will deliver me. That's hope. Hope says, any day now, I'm going to get my healing. Any day now I'm going to get my breakthrough. Oh, I'm not going to let the fact that it's taken so long let me lose my hope. Any moment now, God can step through. Any Sunday, he can show me the miracle. He don't even need Sunday. He can take a Monday miracle, a Tuesday, a Wednesday, a Thursday or Friday. I got hope. Don't you lose your faith. God is able. Don't you lose your hope. God will.

[Pastor]

They took it to the last level even if he doesn't. That's trust. That's trust. Faith believes. Hope expects trust. Rest. Faith believes.

[Co-Pastor]

God can hope, expects God will trust.

[Pastor]

Rest, trust can stand there as you turn up the furnace seven times higher. Trust can stand there as you bind my hands and you bind my feet. And I did the right thing, but I end up in the wrong place. Oh, who is that for today? Don't you make the enemy, make you.

[Co-Pastor]

Think that if you always, always follow God's will, everything's going to be perfect in your life. The devil is a liar.

[Pastor]

Look at these three Hebrew boys.

[Co-Pastor]

They did not compromise. They did the right thing, and they still ended up right in the furnace. But their confident trust was in God. Nebuchadnezzar says, throw them in. And it's interesting because they throw them in the fire, heads bound, feet bow. And the Bible says something that always jacked me up when I heard it in Sunday school. It says the people that threw them.

[Pastor]

In.

[Co-Pastor]

Got burned up while they were throwing them in. And I remember thinking, like, what did this furnace look like? How. How did they get burned up by throwing them in? Because I saw this picture of, like, a furnace. Like, you know, the oven at Cece's Pizza. That's not what the furnace looked like.

[Pastor]

It was a pit, most likely in the ground. And so they were on top, and they threw them in. Give me the second one.

[Co-Pastor]

Threw them in.

[Pastor]

Give me the third.

[Co-Pastor]

Threw them in. And most scholars believe the reason they got burned up was because as the flames were coming up, the wind.

[Pastor]

Blew.

[Co-Pastor]

And consumed the ones that threw them in. This is why you got to know what battle to fight. Some of y' all are fighting the people that did the harm to you. You better stand still and trust God. God knows when to send the wind. Vengeance is mine, says the Lord. I ain't gotta worry about trying to get back at you. I just gotta keep trusting in my God. Cause he'll show up in the fire. If he doesn't pull me out. He'll show up after you throw me in, and he'll deal with you.

[Pastor]

Said the wind burned him up. Nebuchadnezzar thought it was over, but he was watching. He said, hold up, hold up.

[Co-Pastor]

Didn't we put three people in.

[Pastor]

And.

[Co-Pastor]

They were bound up?

[Pastor]

Can you see his assistance?

[Co-Pastor]

Yeah, yeah, it was three.

[Pastor]

I did what you said. Then why do I see four men in the fire walking around, and the fourth one looks like the son of God?

[Co-Pastor]

Oh, Nebuchadnezzar, you said it. You said, what? God is going to be able to. To rescue you from my hand if I throw you in? You threw me in, and you Testified that the fourth one looks like the Son of God. What kind of glory was emanating off of the fourth man that made a pagan person who's seen all kinds of gods go, that fourth one looks like the son of God. Come on here, somebody. You know Jesus don't show up to the New Testament. But what is this? That a pre incarnate it manifestation of Jesus shows up in the fire to save them. Because if you can trust God when he puts you in it, he will show up in the fire with you. Somebody that's got some even if trust, would you give God the best praise that you got? My God can. My God will.

[Pastor]

Even if he doesn't everybody stand. They can.

[Co-Pastor]

My God can.

[Pastor]

I got faith.

[Co-Pastor]

My God will.

[Pastor]

I got hope even if he doesn't. I got trust. I got trust. Faith believes. Hope expects. Trust rests. Calling somebody today who's feeling the heat of the furnace to trust in God. Nobody moving. If you could honor this moment, I'm calling somebody today. Hear me. Please don't miss this. You're about to compromise. Some of you have already compromised and you've convinced and told yourself it's okay.

[Co-Pastor]

I can compromise in this way.

[Pastor]

I mean God, I mean God understands, man. I'm doing the best that I can. There's got to come a place in your walk where you have conviction and resolve to say, I'm going to stand. And hear me, I'm not just going to stand when it's to going comfortable and convenient. I'm going to stand in the moments of challenge, in the moments of criticism. Dr. King said the ultimate measure of a person is not where they stand in moments of comfort and convenience, but where you stand in moments of controversy. Are you more committed to your comfort more than you are to your God? Have you resolved to sit back and watch other people who are trusting God and go, man, you crazy. You crazy. Are you ready to take a stand and say, for God I live and for God I die? My God can deliver me. That's pretty easy. My God will deliver me even easier. But even if he doesn't, that takes confident. Trust. That takes trust. Watch this. In the Lord and not in the outcome. That takes that job. Trust we talked about a week and a half ago that says even if he slays me, I'll trust him. I'm gonna ask every head be bowed and eyes be closed today. I believe God is maturing our church. To even if trust not comfortable, trust not convenient, trust, even if trust. There's some of you right now, you're going through a storm. You're to going. Going through an attack. I am not belittling the flames that you're going through. The trial is real. But I am encouraging you to have conviction to stand, to say, God, I trust you with the outcome. Maybe there was a season you were trusting God and you didn't get the outcome you wanted, and you've walked away. And God's grace is available today to give you strength to stand and trust him. That's what made the song and the hymn is right. Oh, for grace to trust him more. God, give me the strength to stand. In a culture where everybody's bowing, I want to stand. Heads are bowed, eyes are closed today. But if you be so modest to say, hey, pray are. If I look at my life, there's. There's been some compromise. Sometimes we don't even realize how much. We've just been going with the flow and we're starting to conform. And sometimes you don't know you're asleep until somebody says, hey, wake up.

[Co-Pastor]

You're going with the flow.

[Pastor]

If you're here today and you say, man, there's an area of my life where, where I've started to compromise. And today I want to receive the strength to stand. Let the chips fall where they may. I'm going to stand. Dash you. Would you lift up your hand high enough and long enough just as a sign to say, God, I'm going to. I'm going to stand. Yeah, Father, thank you right now for the strength and the grace to stand as having done all to stand. We will stand. God, our trust is not in outcomes. Although we have faith to believe and hope to expect, our trust is in you. Thank you. That your sovereign hand gives strength to us that if you don't pull us from the fire, you'll show up in it. We trust you. Anybody else? Put it right back down, head still bowed, eyes still close. If you're here today and you've never taken that first step, which is to say, jesus, my life is yours, I want to give you that opportunity today. We always say a social. You can always come home. You don't have to get yourself together to come to this Savior. You can't get yourself together. You come to him just as you are. So with heads bowed and eyes closed today, if you'd be so honest to say, hey, P.R. i've never surrendered my life to him, but today I'm surrendering. I want to know who I am and whose I am. Some of you have had so many labels put on you. When you know who you are in him, that gives you a resolve to not let that label stick. That's you. Would you just lift up your hands saying, today's the day I need to get. Give Jesus my life, that you lift it up. I don't care if it's one person. I promise you're worth it. Today. I see that hand. Thank you, Lord. See that hand? Anybody else? Thank you, God. I see that hand. Anybody else? I'm looking up even in the balcony right now saying, today's the day I'm giving him my life. Thank you. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you for responding. You want to talk about a step to confident, trust growing in you. Respond when you hear God speaking to you, you don't shake it off. Respond, anybody else? Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, God. Here's what I want to do. I think a message like this demands. Demands it. When I count to three, if you lifted up your hand that last time saying, I need to give him my life, or maybe you've been far from the Lord, you need to come back home. When I count to three, I just want you to get out of your seat and come up here to the front. Why? Because I believe there's something powerful about leaving where you are and just stepping physically into a new place. It's a picture of what God is doing with you. The old you is staying in your seat, and the new you says, I'm walking with Jesus through the fire, through the flood, whatever comes my way. So if you lifted up your hand or you should have, when I count to three, I just want you to come. 1. Don't worry about what anybody else is going to think. 2. Come on. If you can't stand here, you won't be able to stand out there. Come on. Three. Would you come? Would you come?

[Co-Pastor]

Even if you're in the balcony and.

[Pastor]

You got to walk all the way down, I promise every step is worth it. It's worth it. It's very possible that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego would have been aware of this verse. That's where God is speaking to the prophet Isaiah. And he says to them, pass through the waters. I'll be with you when you go through the flood and when you go through the fire. And they had to be thinking, there's biblical precedent for going through the waters. God split the Red Sea. There's biblical precedent for the flood. Noah made it through the flood, but who had been through the fire? See, when they got out of the fire, they were walking in a Promise that was given long before. Look at it right here. Because Nebuchadnezzar says it. Nebuchadnezz said, praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants. They. 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. They trusted. They didn't even smell like smoke when, like, half of their hair was burned. They had been through the fire, and we're still standing. I'm saying that for those of you who need the logic of why I had to go. Some stuff you won't even realize until after you come out of it and you go, oh, that's why I went through that. And you'll stand as a testimony to somebody else who say, wait a minute.

[Co-Pastor]

You grew up without a father. How are you an amazing father?

[Pastor]

Wait a minute.

[Co-Pastor]

You grew up with a mom that had depression. Every day you. That has so much joy. Wait a minute. How in the.

[Pastor]

You don't even look like what you've been through. I say that to encourage somebody, that maybe you're new to church and you see all these people lifting up their hands and you think, oh, they must have been in this perfect little family. Don't let it fool you. God says, I can bring you out, and you won't even look like what you went through. My God can deliver. He will deliver. But even if he doesn't, I trust him. Can we bow our heads? I want to lead you in this prayer. Our prayer team is here, and if you want personal prayer, they. They won't leave until everybody that desires personal prayer gets it. But I just want to lead you in this. We're all going to say it as a family. Today. Would you declare. Just say Jesus. Today I surrender. Lord, I know I cannot do life without you. I need you so, Lord, today I give you everything, Jesus, I believe that you lived the life that I was supposed to live. You died the death that I was supposed to die. You took my place. So my response is to give you everything from this moment forward. I'm walking with you through the fire, through the flood. Wherever you lead, I'll follow. My trust is in you, not in an outcome. My trust is in you, Jesus. Somebody just say amen and give God the best praise that you got. Come on, you could do better than that. Today, would you give Jesus some praise?