Will You Yield?

Will You Yield?

After Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego come from the fiery furnace unscathed, Nebuchadnezzar himself said that the three Hebrews trusted God, “and set aside the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God” (Dan 3:28). In other words, the king himself acknowledged that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were rather die than worship any deity other than the living Yahweh.

Would you be willing to lay down your own life rather than sin? The author of Hebrews told his readers, “In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood” (Heb 12:4). No have you. Speaking for myself, I have never had a gun pointed at my head and told to sin; I’ve never risked a bullet for honoring my God.

But would I be willing to yield up my body “rather than serve and worship any god” but the God of heaven? It’s easy to answer in the affirmative sitting in a easy chair in a climate-controlled room, but would it be so easy when a life-and-death decision faced me?

Honestly, I fear that the smallest things get in the way of my service to God. A family activity excuses me from worship. Or a TV programs so absorbs me that I neglect to pray. Or I’m so tired I just don’t wanna get out on Wednesday night. Or I’m afraid of losing a friend so I don’t express my faith. Or I sin my favorite sin as no big deal.

How precious is God to you? Are you really ready to give up everything to follow him. He demands no less: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. . . . So therefore, any of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple” (Lk 14;26-27, 33). Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego renounced all that they had—including their own lives—to honor God.

What have you renounced to follow Jesus? Some friends or family? A favorite sin? A hateful attitude? A checkbook to support the cause of Christ? Time to serve? Your own life?

What do you need to renounce today?


This sermon was originally preached by Dr. Justin Imel, Sr., at Church of Christ Deer Park in Deer Park, Texas.

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