A Commitment to Obey
LifeGroup Lessons
Part of Joshua—LifeGroup Lessons
May 29, 2022

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LifeGroup Notes

BIG IDEA
Sunday’s sermon, from Joshua 24:14-18 taught us about obedience…specifically, obedience in worship. A verse from Sunday’s passage that many of us are familiar with is v15, “choose this day whom you will serve…But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” The message from this verse is what we will continue to examine during today’s life group study as we look at Daniel 3.  Just like Joshua, Daniel 3 is a story that many of us know and have heard since we were little…the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.  This story is a great example of having faith and obedience in our worship.

OPEN

As you open up today, consider this; What will your actions point others to…Christ and Salvation or to the world do condemnation? 

What jumped out at you from the message this week? What led you to really think or even better, to change your actions?

WATCH THE VIDEO

What jumped out at you from the video?

INTRO

What jumped out at you from the video?

READ
Read Daniel 3
1King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its breadth six cubits. He set it up on the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. 2Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent to gather the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 3Then the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. And they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 4And the herald proclaimed aloud, “You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, 5that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6And whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace.” 7Therefore, as soon as all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, all the peoples, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
8Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and maliciously accused the Jews. 9They declared to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever! 10You, O king, have made a decree, that every man who hears the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image. 11And whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into a burning fiery furnace. 12There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, pay no attention to you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”
13Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. So they brought these men before the king. 14Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, “Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? 15Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?”
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”
19Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated. 20And he ordered some of the mighty men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 21Then these men were bound in their cloaks, their tunics, their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the burning fiery furnace. 22Because the king’s order was urgent and the furnace overheated, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 23And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace.
24Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” 25He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”
26Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. 27And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them. 28Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. 29Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.” 30Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

Why do you think that Nebuchadnezzar have to create laws and mandate that people worship him?

In v14-15, Nebuchadnezzar gives Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego another chance to worship him…a chance to recant and make things “well and good”. What is shocking about their response to him in v16?

Shadrach, Meshach, and  Abednegoo continue with their shocking address of the king in v17.  What are they saying here that the king would see as disrespectful?

V18 may be the most Radical thing that they have said to the king yet…discuss as a group what is being said here in this verse.

Steadfastness in Obedience and Faith often have a way of inciting our opposition. What do you think this conversation did to king Nebuchadnezzar and his emotional state?

How can this truth, that our obedience often enrages our opposition, help prepare you to interact in today’s society?

Why do you think that the furnace was heated 7 times hotter than normal? What’s the significance?

Discuss as a group Nebuchadnezzar’s response in v26 and v28…compared to the end of v15.

Read all of v28…what was it that stood out to the king? What made him notice the real GOD?

Do you think that because we don’t face death “for having faith in GOD”, that as a culture our faith is often anemic, weak, or puny? Explain why or why not.

Do you think that because we don’t face death “for having faith in GOD”, that as a culture our faith is often anemic, weak, or puny? Explain why or why not.

Do you think that America’s “Freedom of Religion” has strengthened or weakened our Faith?

How does this story make you feel about the trivial issues, not life or death issues; that we face, often without faith every day?

How can we use this passage to equip us as followers of Jesus?

Closing thought: Shadrach Meshach and Abednego trusted in God and set aside the King’s Command, And and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any God except their own God.” The King noticed that three young boys trusted in their God and that made an impact on him. Just a few short verses before, King Nebuchadnezzar is demanding worship of him and his kingdom–now he’s praising the one true God because of the committedness and faithfulness of three young boys.