The word is used only five times in the New Testament. Jesus called it one of the more important matters of the Law - along with mercy and justice. It is one of God's most praised attributes. It is one of the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5. It is listed in the Revelation of John along with patient endurance, as a requirement of those who would suffer for Christ.

It's a trait that we admire in all men. We use others terms to describe this characteristic - words like loyalty, dedication, commitment - all meaning the same thing as the word we will think on today - Faithfulness.

It was by faithfulness that Abraham's hand was steady as he held the knife above Isaac's heart. It was by faithfulness that Noah labored day after day, year after year on the ark - having never seen a drop of rain. It was by faithfulness that Moses continued to lead the grumbling nation of Israel through the desert. It was by faithfulness that Nehemiah planned and rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem when all others had given up.

Things may seem dark. Hopeless. Pointless. But still the people of God persevere. Paul says that "we are pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed." How? Because the people of God remained faithful. When all around them seemed lost - they held onto the only thing they had - God. Mother Teresa said it best when she said, "You will never know that Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have."

It is faithfulness that allows Christians to do those things that seem impossible because as we put our trust in God, he puts his power into our lives. Jesus said, "With man it is impossible, but with God, all things are possible." Paul echoes these words in Philippians when he says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Their story began at a time of great turmoil among the people of Israel. God had given over Judah to the wicked king Nebuchadnezzar - the man whom Saddam Hussein fancies himself to be like. As king Nebuchadnezzar decided to choose for himself the very best young people from among the Israelites to serve him. His strategy was clear - if he could gain the trust of the very best of this people, perhaps the rest of the people would willingly follow him - he was also, of course, removing the threat of these young nobles rising up in opposition to him.

As you know, Daniel convinces the commander to not force them to eat from the king's table so that they would not be defiled. As a result, God caused them to grow faster and stronger than all those who did eat from the king's table. God also gave to these choice young men greater understanding than all the rest - so that their wisdom in council to the king was unsurpassed.

Our text this morning talks about three successful men. They had obtained both wealth and power; position and prestige as they served in the king's court. They had obtained his unprecedented favor over even the king's native men. They were the folks that wore the three-piece suits and drove the BMWs. Yet they still knew who it was that had given them all these things. Unlike so many successful Christians today, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego had managed to remain faithful to the Lord. They were not proud or conceited about their wealth and success. They knew that they had only succeeded because God had given them the blessings that made success possible. Knowing this, they did what fewer and fewer Christians are able to do today - they were good stewards of their possessions - and they did not allow their possessions to possess them. As we see in their story, losing wealth and power meant nothing to them - God had given and God could take away, what difference did it make to them? We all should strive to view worldly wealth in this way. Instead we are a country consumed by materialism. We are told to "have it our way" and that "we deserve the best". But that is another lesson altogether.

As happens in this life, the good conduct of our three young friends does not go unnoticed. Those jealous of their great success plot and scheme to destroy them. They also know that despite all the years of training in the king's schools, these three never forsook their God in favor of the gods of the Chaldeans. And from these envy arose a clever scheme to destroy the three servants of God. But our thoughts this morning are not about the deceit or malice of their enemies, rather, we will think our the faithfulness of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego in their service to God.

From the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, we learn three vital lessons about faithfulness. Three characteristics of the faithful that we must master if we are to remain faithful until the end.

"Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego answered and said to the king, 'O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this'" (v.16)

Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego felt no need to even discuss the issue. Compromising their standards was not even an option. Jesus demonstrates the fact that there can be no compromises in following him in the story of the Rich Young Ruler. Jesus told him to sell all that he had and give it to the poor. When the young man began to walk away, Jesus didn't reduce the demand - it was still all or nothing - not a half or a third or a quarter. Compromises are not accepted.

Today's society tolerates our faith - as long as we are willing to compromise on certain things that make them uncomfortable. Society will accept us as long as we remain peaceful and quiet in our church buildings and at picnics. But they don't want to hear us say that homosexuality is wrong. That abortion is wrong. That prejudice of any kind is wrong. They want us to stay out of their universities and their courtrooms and their hospitals and their schoolrooms - unless we promise to abide by their rules of conduct. They demand that we compromise our beliefs and our standards to make them feel good about themselves.

Compromise may be the single greatest weapon in Satan's arsenal. Do you know how Eskimos kill a wolf that's troubling them? They take a knife that has been sharpened to a razor's edge and they dip it in seal's blood. They let the blood coating the blade freeze solid. Then they dip it again. And again. And again. Until the frozen blood is a quarter of an inch thick or more. Then they carefully bury the hilt of the knife in the ground near the camp and sprinkle fresh blood all around. Soon enough the wolf smells the fresh blood finds the knife. He begins licking the knife, tasting the blood. He licks and licks until he is in a frenzy. Not noticing that his tongue is numb, he continues licking until the bare blade is revealed. He doesn't even notice as he cuts his own tongue on the blade and the seal's blood is mingled with his own. He dies slowly - not even realizing that he's bleeding to death.

Perhaps you've heard the story of how a frog reacts when he's dropped in a pot of boiling water. Of course he leaps out as quickly as he can. But if you place him in a pot of cool water, he'll rest comfortably. And if you slowly heat the pot, the frog doesn't notice - even when he begins boiling in his own blood.

We are not so unlike the wolf and the frog. If Satan works slowly - quietly - getting us to compromise on the little things, it's not very long before we have strayed far from the path of the faithful. Remember Abraham - the Friend of God? He had done so well at following God's big commands - like leaving his home for an unknown land and preparing to kill his only boy. But it was the little things that Abraham compromised on - and that led to his greatest failures to remain faithful.

Don't compromise - especially in the little things. The price is far too high.

"If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king.'" (v.17)

Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego knew the power of their God. They had no doubt that he was it total control of all that happened to them and to everyone else. They knew that Nebuchadnezzar had no power that God had not given him. And, as a result, they feared nothing that the king would do - because God was always in control.

Their response to the king must have been something like the response Jesus gave Pilate when Jesus said, "You have no power except that which has been given to you from above." Jesus stated simply that Pilate was not, had not been nor ever would be in control. God always reserves the right to override our decisions and let his will be done whether we like it or not. He also calms us by letting us know that he is aware of all things - and that we are under his divine care.

Nothing can happen to us that God cannot intervene and make a difference if it suits his will to do so. That is why prayer is so important. God listens to his people. He is willing to intervene and change things if the cries of his children plead with him to do so.

We mistakenly picture God's will as spelling out every little detail and we pray sometimes like we believe that God's mind is made up and there's no way our pleading could really change things because they're already set in stone. But nothing is further from the truth. God listens. He cares. And he is willing to change things if we ask him. The principles of God's will are set in stone and are immutable - unchanging. But the details (that are usually what we are so concerned about) are free to be changed - if we ask expecting to receive. God does not say that man is appointed a time to die. He is appointed to be born and to die, but God never says that he sets the year, month or day. So when we pray for a person to be healed, believe that he will!

Pray for understanding that God will teach us to accept those times when God chooses otherwise, but pray expecting a miracle.

God is all-powerful. He is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we ask or imagine. That's quite a bit. Let's live like we believe that God has the power to do all things - don't just say that you believe it - live like you believe it!

"But even if he does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.'" (v.18)

Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego knew the power of God - they believed that he could do all things - including saving their hides from the furnace. But they were also completely willing to remain faithful to God, even if God decided to let them be burned alive. You see, it would've been easy to remain faithful if they knew that God would rescue them. If an angel had told them beforehand that they would not have been harmed in the furnace, what faith would it have taken for them to speak so boldly before the king? Not much, right? But instead, they know that for some greater purpose they couldn't understand, God might choose to let them die. And they were fully prepared to let that happen - and still remain faithful.

Too many times I've talked with people who have given up on God because of some tragedy in their lives. I sympathize with their suffering, but they've really missed the point of faithfulness. God has called us to be faithful to him not just when it makes sense, but he has called us to remain faithful when we don't understand why things are happening the way they are happening.

Are you willing to follow him when what's going on seems crazy, cruel or wrong? Are you willing to follow him when he doesn't give us what we think we have to have? Are you willing to follow him when you know the consequences of doing so will result in definite suffering on your part - or on the part of some innocent party? That is when real faithfulness is tested. Will you stick with him and trust him when all common sense tells you that doing things God's way is foolish? That is what we are called to do.

Remember the constant exhortations of John in his Revelation. God was preparing the Christians of that time for great suffering. He encouraged them by telling them that He would eventually vanquish evil and that they would finally be victorious, but that they would undergo great persecution at the hands of the Beast. They were called to remain faithful. No easy way out. No easy religion of comfort and peace. Only war and famine and torture and death awaited the believers to whom his revelation was sent. But they were told to remain faithful throughout this ordeal.

So, from the lives of these three men we see the characteristics of a faithfulness we should all strive to have. I don't know about you, but I know my faithfulness is lacking. There are times when I want to give up. There are times when I can't make sense of what God seems to be doing in the world. There are times when the temptation to compromise are so strong that I don't know how I can withstand them. But God is there. He holds out his hand. He provides the way of understanding and the path of escape. He provides the armor to weather the assault of the enemy. He gives us one another for encouragement along the way. He listens to our pleas and to our problems. He has given us everything we need in order to remain faithful to him. And he has promised that if we remain faithful, we will receive the reward. How's your faithfulness? Are you ready to do things God's way - regardless of the consequences? Are you willing to stand in the face of the world and never compromise?

Faithfulness: The power to live beyond our means.