2026.05.31 Sunday 1st Service
「Even If He Does Not」(Da 3:14-18)
▣ Introduction
Many people overseas participate in our church’s worship services. Even those who are not part of our organization listen in great numbers. There were also many teams asking whether they could come or participate at this year’s missions conference. So the broadcast team compiled statistics: “Approximately 1.2 million people listen nationwide and around the world.” That is the statistic that came out. Today we must hold on to an important message for those people to receive answers. There are also many people in Korea listening to the Word together with us right now. I truly bless you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that this may be a time of complete response, when darkness fully crumbles.
1. The causes of war
There are a few things we need to confirm. Why does war keep breaking out? And what will happen going forward? Ultimately the earth will be destroyed because of war. Why has it come to this?
1) Politicians and great powers who learned from unbelievers
Many politicians and great powers have learned from unbelievers. That is natural, I suppose. The teaching is that you must fight and win. They learned that from childhood. You must crush the enemy, conquer, fight – that is what they were taught. It is completely wrong education, but it is something that people who have not received salvation have no choice but to hold onto. From childhood they are taught Sun Tzu’s Art of War. From childhood they are taught The Prince. Or Han Feizi. Or the Romance of the Three Kingdoms in China, or the three heroes of Japan. They are all people who killed others. That is what is being learned.
2) Those who have not received salvation
I have come to understand. People who have not received salvation do not know it themselves. They are led around by the ruler of the power of the air. Is that not right?
3) Satan
In Ephesians 6:12 it says that Satan uses principalities, powers, wicked forces, and strange spiritual beings and religions.
4) The Bible
What does the Bible teach? What was actual history like? It was winning without fighting. Hold on to this covenant today, and break the darkness around you.
2. Background of the text
We need to look at the background of this text.
1) Babylon, which did Satan’s bidding
This Babylon seized the world and, in the same way, did Satan’s bidding. They built shrines; they made great idols. It is always like that. Egypt did the same. Japan thought, “To take China and Russia, we must first take Korea.” So Japan took Korea. And then they said, “Bow at the shrine.” It is all the same. What Satan does is always the same. In Rome they made the statue of Zeus and said, “Bow down.” That is Satan’s method. This is what was made here. And it was King Nebuchadnezzar, who controlled the world, who made the idol. “All the people, all the officials, bow down.” Simply put, “When the military band plays the trumpet, do it then.” Of course everyone did it, all of them.
2) Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s refusal to worship idols
As you all know, at that time Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did not do it. It was reported to the king. The king was startled. These were friends he had been very fond of, those brilliant friends. He spoke to them again. “Is it really true that you did not bow at the shrine? I will give you one more chance. Do it just once.” When he said that, what these three friends said is what we read in today’s text. “O king, we have no need to answer you in this matter.” That is the same as insulting the great Emperor Nebuchadnezzar to his face. The king spoke and they talked back. “We cannot do it. If we are to be executed and thrown into the fire, the Lord will keep us alive.” As the title of today’s message says, “Even if He does not. Even if He does not keep us alive and we die, we still cannot do it.”
3) The death sentence
The king felt insulted. How could this be, he thought. “Throw those three into the fire. Make it seven times hotter than usual.” In the Bible it says that the men who threw them in were burned to death. They put these three men into the fire, but when they looked from outside, four men were walking around. Three had been put in. What a remarkable thing. If three had been put in, three should be walking around, but four were walking around in the fire. So the king was astonished and said, “Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, come out,” and they came out. There were three. We can surmise: God, who created all science and all knowledge, sent His angel from a higher dimension, a world of higher dimensions, and protected them in the fire. As science advances a little more, it will be explained. But afterward the king was astonished and said, “I praise the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.”
3. What must be confirmed first
Now, first, what must be confirmed today.
1) Great powers
Great powers are capturing many nations and practicing idol worship. That is not success. History has testified to this.
2) The 5,000 tribes
The nations of the 5,000 tribes were sold and served as slaves there. That is not failure. We must see it correctly.
3) Israel
Israel should have been preaching the gospel, but it could not preach the gospel; bound by religion, it always wandered.
4) The covenant-holding minority
Among them, a minority held the covenant. It appeared as though they were suffering great hardship. It was not hardship. Today, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego have broken the darkness of the whole world. Take that covenant with you today.
▣ Main
1. Not destruction but globalization, church-ification, and evangelization
This is the first point. The nation of Israel suffered great destruction twice. Daniel and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego knew this and still refused to bow before the idol. The north of Israel was taken captive by Assyria – in 722 B.C. About 100 years later, around 600 B.C., Babylon took the south, Judah, captive. It is not destruction. That is what the three young adults and Daniel understood. We should look at Daniel during the 2nd service today. God did not destroy Israel; He did three things.
1) Globalization
Globalization.
2) Church-ification
Why were the churches removed? Church-ification.
3) Evangelization
This is the beginning of evangelizing the whole world. The fact is that Israel’s destruction was not destruction.
2. Not captivity but time to prepare for what is true
This is the second point. These people being taken captive was not captivity but time to prepare for what is true. Is that not right? They were prepared in advance, before being taken captive.
1) Remnant movement – the throne
God seated on the throne said to carry out the Remnant movement. This is now the time to do that. They understood this.
2) Gospel movement – Immanuel
“A virgin will be with child and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel.” This means to carry out the gospel movement.
3) Word movement – the eternal Word
“My word, the word of the Lord, will stand forever.” This is saying to carry out the Word movement.
4) Prayer movement – a new thing
“I will do a new thing. I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” This is the power of prayer. Is that not right?
5) Restoration movement – light, the next generation
“Shine your light. The next generation from the nations will return.”
6) Watchman movement – highway, banner
“Stand as a watchman. Build the highway, raise the banner so all peoples may come.” This is the time to prepare for that. That is what the three young adults and Daniel understood. Is that not right?
3. Crisis is opportunity
This is the third point. Crisis is precisely opportunity.
1) Being promoted was an opportunity
These people had been taken captive, but they had ability. They became high-ranking officials. In our terms, they succeeded. What is one of the goals of a public official? Is it not to be promoted? And yet they came to serve a foreign king and rose to high positions. They did not see it that way. They saw it as an opportunity. That is why Daniel purposed in his heart.
2) Being taken captive was an opportunity
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego also purposed in their hearts. Being taken captive was an opportunity for us.
3) Being sentenced to death was an opportunity
They were sentenced to death for not bowing before the idol. This is opportunity. It is something we know well.
▣ Conclusion_ Make darkness bow its knees
What is the word you must hold on to in order to receive answers today? When did the darkness really crumble for those who truly received answers? It is this: it is alright to die. Is that not right? What Satan fears most is Christ. The next thing Satan fears most is this: it is alright to die, only in the name of Christ. All darkness must crumble completely. I hope you will crumble it during this worship time today. All the forces of darkness blocking the gospel are being bound as you worship and pray today. That is certain. Hold on to this word.
1. The characteristics of the 7 Remnants who changed the world
What are the characteristics of the 7 Remnants? They changed the world – what are their characteristics?
1) Joseph
I can go as a slave and it is alright. I was falsely accused and went to prison and it is alright. Why? Because the Lord is with me. There is evidence of this. He knew what world evangelism was. All of that is a Remnant characteristic.
2) David
David suffered greatly. “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I am not afraid. The Lord becomes my shepherd and my rod and my staff. Even though I am driven out and wandering, I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” That cannot be stopped.
※ Hold the covenant so that darkness may be broken.
What is happening around you today? Hold the covenant so that darkness may be broken. When death approaches, it is alright to die. Is that not right? You are not dying. You are going forever to a truly good place, into eternal blessing right now. The ancestors of faith who truly knew this were not afraid at all. This is when darkness is broken.
2. Job
Satan tested Job.
1) The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Do not let me blame the Lord for this.
Satan placed a test. Wipe out all his possessions. Kill all his children. Then Job will stop believing in God. What did Job do then? He put on sackcloth, knelt down, and prayed before God. He prayed a prayer of repentance. “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. I came to this earth with nothing. I will leave this earth with nothing. Do not let me blame the Lord for this.” That is Job. Satan is completely shattered. Is that not right? Satan thought that if he did that, Job would stop believing in God.
2) As the Lord lives, when I meet the Lord I will meet Him outside this body.
What is even harder? Satan made Job sick. At that point, can anyone’s comfort actually comfort him? No. If a person is bedridden with a fatal illness, and friends come to visit and come and go – does that bring comfort? It does not. That is the point. What Job said at that time: “I know that my Lord lives, and when I meet the Lord, I will meet Him not in this body but outside of it.”
3) The Lord is consistent in His purpose. After He has tested me, I will come forth as pure gold.
“The Lord is consistent in His purpose. After He has tested me, He will bring me forth as gold. He will bring me forth as pure gold. Such things happen to him in abundance.” Satan was completely brought to its knees. Is that not right? He made darkness bow its knees.
3. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
What Shadrach and Meshach said in that one prayer was not a long speech – this was not long at all. “O king, we have no need to answer you in this matter.” Did that take 5 minutes? “If we go into the fire, the Lord will deliver us, and even if He does not.” That does not even take 5 minutes.
1) The covenant delivered to the whole world
Through Babylon the covenant is delivered to the whole world.
2) The history of Babylon’s idol darkness being broken
The history of Babylon’s idol darkness being broken takes place. Hold on to this firmly today.
3) An unbeliever praises God
Afterward, what did the king say? “I praise the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.” An unbeliever looks at you and says, “I praise the God you believe in.” A Remnant who saves the world – he looks at you and says, “I praise that God you believe in.”
4. Spafford – world transformation through the hymn composed after receiving great peace and a message from God
You all know a man called Spafford (Horatio Spafford). He was a man who had much, who was well educated, and had a good profession. By chance an accident occurred at sea and all of his children died. Now he had to at least recover the bodies, didn’t he. As he made his way to that place he entered into deep prayer. He laid down everything of his own. He laid down everything he had boasted of until then. How could such a thing happen. At that time God gave this man great peace and a message. Because of that man, the world was later transformed. The hymn “It Is Well with My Soul.” The man called Spafford.
Today, with a short prayer, wherever you go, with a short covenant, you can bring down darkness. When you come out saying, “Because the Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing,” darkness has nothing to say. Is that not right? “We are alright even if we die.” That is how they came out. In our 2nd service today, Daniel knows he is going to die and yet prays with thanksgiving. And Esther says, “If I perish, I perish.”
In your prayer of less than five minutes, God breaks darkness. I bless you in the name of Jesus Christ that today may be exactly that day. Let us pray.
Prayer. Thank you, God. Let today be that day. Let it be the day when the darkness around us is broken. Let us hold the covenant before God of not being afraid even of our lives. Let it be the day that broke Babylon and the darkness of the whole world. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.