Dealing
With Tolerance!
Daniel 3:1-30
We live in the day and age of multi-culturalism.
Which says that we must be tolerant of others and their belief systems.
After all, anything less is bigotry and who wants to be a
bigot?
According to Don Closson of Probe Ministries: “Multi-culturalists have specific ideas about the notion of truth; paramount is the belief that no truth transcends culture, that no idea or moral concept might be true for every cultural group or every human being. As a result, multi-culturalists demand that we give up our beliefs in moral absolutes and become moral relativists.”
Multi-culturalism not only demands that we must be tolerant of the rights of others to believe what they want.
It teaches that the ways of each
culture must be recognized as equally valid and right.
No culture is better than any other, no matter what strange, stupid, or
destructive ideas it holds.
If you say anything different, if you say they
are wrong in any way, you’re a bigot.
Of course, the highway doesn’t go both ways.
seem just a bit intolerant of your Christian beliefs?
Have you noticed that in today’s social climate, you can say and do almost anything you want
as long as you don’t express your view, that someone
else’s belief or behavior is wrong?
Why is it that those who scream “tolerance” so loudly today, are so intolerant of the moral base on which this country was built?
Everything is
tolerated it seems, except the good old “Judeo-Christian ethic.”
In a country that has freedom of religion, all religions and lifestyles have the right to exist,
but not all religions and lifestyles are equally right.
We need to understand that, and be prepared to do whatever is necessary,
to resist bowing down to the god of multi-culturalism.
So how does a Christian stand in the face of a world, that is lining up against absolute truth?
How does he/she resist being overrun by those pushing the ideas of
multi-culturalism?
There are answers in the third
chapter of Daniel, that I want to consider with you this evening.
There we find three very brave young men, who worshiped the God of heaven.
Their names were Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego.
Through God’s providence, they were members of a Babylonian king’s advisory cabinet.
They lived in a culture that recognized many gods.
One day the king set up a god for all his subjects to worship.
He gathered them all together at a place called the plain of Dura,
struck up the band, and told them all to bow down.
The three young men refused.
The king threw them into a furnace, then
something very remarkable happened.
Just what do we do “When They Call For Tolerance, for Open-Mindedness?"
if we are to stand up against the multi-culteralism of our day.
The first is:
1. Clarity.
When they call for tolerance, for open-mindedness, we must know what we believe.
These men knew what they believed.
Daniel 3:1-6 King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, ninety feet high and nine feet wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 2 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. 3 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. 4 Then the herald loudly proclaimed, "This is what you are commanded to do, O peoples, nations and men of every language: 5 As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace."
When the king announced that everyone, including Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego were required to bow down to the great golden idol of gold on the plain of Dura, they knew immediately that they couldn’t do that.
But, along with everyone else, they are forced to go and stand before this great statue
and they were told to bow down to it and worship it.
Image the scene.
Thousands of people are gathered before this great idol,
people from many nations and languages,
people that worshiped all kinds of gods.
Then they were told, “As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.” (Verse 5)
Then they strike up the band, and they are all to bow down and worship this great golden idol.
But notice that it says they were playing “all kinds of music.”
Here were people bowing down and worshiping, each in his own way,
with the band in the background playing all kinds of different songs.
It had to be a scene of utter chaos and confusion!
Which is exactly what multi-culturalism is, it’s nothing but chaos and confusion.
For everyone’s philosophy and belief is viewed as being equal to everyone else’s.
America is becoming a gray nation.
Everything is fuzzy and unclear.
It doesn’t matter who is right, because there really isn’t a right and wrong.
There aren’t right or wrong life styles, there are just different life styles.
There
is no such thing as black and white, only shades of gray.
As Christians, we need to be called out of the confusion, and back to the standard of God’s Word!
We need to get back to the reality of right and wrong.
Calling something music doesn’t make it music.
Calling something language doesn’t make it language.
Calling something right doesn’t make it right.
“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! Front and center.
How many gods are there in the world?”
“Only one God.”
“Well, we want you to bow down to a different god than that One.”
“We can’t do that.”
“Well then, you’re gonna burn ‘cause we don’t like you saying we’re wrong!”
These young men knew what truth was, and knew how to describe it.
We should know the same.
2. Conviction.
Daniel 3:7-18 Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of music, all the peoples, nations and men of every language fell down and worshiped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 8 At this time some astrologers came forward and denounced the Jews. 9 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, "O king, live forever! 10 You have issued a decree, O king, that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold, 11 and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace. 12 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, O king. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up." 13 Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, 14 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? 15 Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes 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?" 16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."
When they call for tolerance,
we must be convicted of what we believe.
AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY
says of the word “conviction,” “a fixed or strong belief.”
We sometimes say, that a person “has a strong moral conviction.”
What we mean, is that their belief is deep enough,
to have become rooted and firmly established.
It isn’t a passing thing.
Then the dictionary gives another definition, that suggests the way a person gets to that fixed or strong belief.
It says, “the act or process of convincing.”
When you or I hold a conviction about
something, what it means is
that we have weighed it and measured it to the point,
that we have become convinced, that it’s true beyond any doubt
and that anything that goes against it is false.
It’s no longer something we hold in the realm of possibility.
We know its true and worth defending.
These three young men in our text had conviction!
They knew there was only one God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
They knew He was and is the creator and sustainer of all things.
And they knew that it was to Him they must ultimately answer.
With that in mind, let me ask you, what religious convictions do you hold?
That is quite another thing.
It’s a well known fact, that people can sleep or daydream their way through a sermon,
shake the preacher’s hand on the way out the back door,
and never feel the need to change their way of thinking.
No, I’m not asking you about my convictions.
I’m asking about your’s.
What principles, what truths, are so settled in your mind,
that they have become facts that cannot be denied and must be defended?
If I asked you right now, to take out a piece of paper and write down a couple of them,
could you do it?
One of the reasons a philosophy like multi-culturalism, can be so widely embraced today,
is that it takes no conviction to hold it.
You don’t have to stand up and defend it.
You don’t have to consider the fact, that it’s illogical and doesn’t add up.
It’s popular, and you feel good, because you
are a part of the majority.
You see yourself as being accepting and open minded and tolerant.
But as
Don Hinkle once said, “You
can become so open-minded that your brains fall out!”
Multiculturalism is the lord of the lazy.
It’s the deity of those who don’t think.
It’s the supreme being of those with no sense, who put their feelings ahead of
facts.
Their common sense is on standby.
It’s the adoration of the apathetic.
Have I offended any of you?
I hope not, but if I have, perhaps you need to take a long hard look at what you’re bowing down to.
Jesus said,
“He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who
does not gather with Me scatters.”
3. Confidence.
When they call for tolerance, we must have confidence in God.
I haven’t too much time to develop this one.
Let me quickly point it out and make some application.
These boys believed that God could rescue them, if He chose to do so,
even from a blast furnace so hot it burned bystanders.
But even if God didn’t deliver them, they weren’t going to bow down.
They were convinced, that He would deal with them fairly,
even if they ended up dying for their faith.
To stand against the idol of multi-culturalism that is being erected today, we too need confidence.
We need to know that we are on God’s side.
The only way we can have that assurance, is to get on God’s side.
Don’t expect God to come to your side.
Get on His side!
The only way you can do that, is to get in His Book, and
learn what God’s side is!
4. Courage.
When they call for tolerance, have courage.
Saying you believe something, or have a conviction about it, is one thing
- standing by it is another.
Do you suppose these young men were scared?
I cannot imagine it any other way.
During World War II, a military governor met with General George Patton in Sicily.
When he praised Patton highly for his courage and bravery, the general replied,
“Sir, I am not a brave man -- the truth is, I am an utter craven coward. I have never been within the sound of gunshot or in sight of battle in my whole life, that I wasn't so scared that I had sweat in the palms of my hands.”
Years later, when Patton’s
autobiography was published, it contained this significant statement by the
general: “I learned very early in my life, never to take counsel of my
fears.”
Jesus said this on the subject: Matthew 10:28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, realized they could die right there on the Plain of Dura.
And I don’t think they were to comfortable about that.
I don’t think they wanted to die.
I don’t think they wanted to burn to death.
But you know what?
They were even more uncomfortable with being disobedient to God!
They were more afraid of the wrath and anger of God, than they were of the King.
And in their desire to be obedient to God,
they found the courage to stand up against Nebuchadnezzar, even if it meant death!
If we have a desire, if we love God and are seeking to be obedient to Him.
If we know what we believe, and are really convicted of the Truth of God’s Word.
Then God will give us the courage we need to stand up for His truth
in a world where there is no truth anymore!
Conclusion:
When they call for tolerance, what will your
answer be?
Let me challenge you with a pledge called
“The Fellowship of the Unashamed.”
Perhaps you can find yourself in his words.
“I am part of the ‘Fellowship of the Unashamed.’ I have Holy Spirit power.
The die has been cast. I’ve stepped over the line. The decision has been made.
I am a disciple of His. I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still.
My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure.
I am finished and done with low living, sight walking,
small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tame visions,
mundane talking, chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals!
I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity.
I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded.
I now live by presence, learn by faith, love by patience, live by prayer, and
labor by power.
“My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow,
my way is rough, my companions few, my guide reliable, my mission clear.
I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, diluted, or delayed.
I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity,
negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity,
or meander in the maze of mediocrity.
I won’t give up, shut up, let go, or slow up
until I’ve preached up, prayed up, paid up, stored up, and stayed up for the
cause of Christ.
“I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I drop,
preach till all know, and work till He stops.
And when He comes to get His own, He’ll have no problems recognizing me. My
colors will be clear.”
Be sure your colors are clear.