Three Great Men

Three Great Men

July 11, 2010

Introduction

We have Mount Rushmore which has etched in stone, some of our nations great leaders: George Washington, James Monroe, Andrew Jackson, and Abraham Lincoln. George Washington and Abraham Lincoln are the two greatest on this list, in my mind. They did great things for our country.

At Texas Stadium, they had the Ring of Honor. I’m not sure what they have at the new stadium, but it was a great thing to be in the Ring of honor. Two of my favorites were Tom Landry and Roger Staubach. Today, if you ask our young people about these two great men in Dallas Cowboy history, many do not know who they were or why they were so great.

So who are the great men of all time? We have no ring of honor for these men, but we do have statements that testify of their true greatness. (Ezek 14:14 NKJV) "Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness," says the Lord GOD.

This morning we will turn to those who are great in the eyes of God.

Body

I. What about the righteous saving others.

It really seems to have started with Abraham.

(Gen 18:22-26 NKJV) Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the LORD. {23} And Abraham came near and said, "Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked? {24} "Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it? {25} "Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" {26} So the LORD said, "If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes."

1. Abraham kept Jewing him down.

(Gen 18:32 NKJV) Then he said, "Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak but once more: Suppose ten should be found there?" And He said, "I will not destroy it for the sake of ten."

2. How many righteous were in the city?

a. Lot’s wife looked back and was turned to a pillar of salt.

b. His two daughters committed incest with their father, so how many were righteous?

c. Was this a case of Lot basically saving himself.

II. But let’s consider the three great men we have mentioned this morning.

(Ezek 14:14 NKJV) "Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness," says the Lord GOD

A. First there was Noah.

1. Without Noah, we would not be here today.

(Gen 6:6-8 NKJV) And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. {7} So the LORD said, "I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them." {8} But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

2. What do we know about Noah.

(Gen 6:9 NKJV) This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.

3. What did he do?

a. He built an ark.

(Heb 11:7 NKJV) By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

b. He preached to those of his day.

(2 Pet 2:4-5 NKJV) For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; {5} and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly;

c. He had 120 years to preach and be laughed at.

(Gen 6:3 NKJV) And the LORD said, "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years."

B. Then there was Daniel.

1. Daniel became a beacon of light in a pagan world.

2. Nebuchadnezzar had a dream.

(Dan 2:1-4 NKJV) Now in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his spirit was so troubled that his sleep left him. {2} Then the king gave the command to call the magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king. {3} And the king said to them, "I have had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to know the dream." {4} Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic, "O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation."

3. Nebuchadnezzar had a dream which no one could interpret.

4. The Decree goes out to kill the wise men.

(Dan 2:5-9 NKJV) The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, "My decision is firm: if you do not make known the dream to me, and its interpretation, you shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made an ash heap. {6} "However, if you tell the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts, rewards, and great honor. Therefore tell me the dream and its interpretation." {7} They answered again and said, "Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will give its interpretation." {8} The king answered and said, "I know for certain that you would gain time, because you see that my decision is firm: {9} "if you do not make known the dream to me, there is only one decree for you! For you have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me till the time has changed. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can give me its interpretation."

5. The Decree goes out to kill the wise men.

(Dan 2:10-12 NKJV) The Chaldeans answered the king, and said, "There is not a man on earth who can tell the king's matter; therefore no king, lord, or ruler has ever asked such things of any magician, astrologer, or Chaldean. {11} "It is a difficult thing that the king requests, and there is no other who can tell it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh." {12} For this reason the king was angry and very furious, and gave a command to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.

6. They come for Daniel.

(Dan 2:13 NKJV) So the decree went out, and they began killing the wise men; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them.

7. Daniel pleads for time.

(Dan 2:13-16 NKJV) So the decree went out, and they began killing the wise men; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them. {14} Then with counsel and wisdom Daniel answered Arioch, the captain of the king's guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon; {15} he answered and said to Arioch the king's captain, "Why is the decree from the king so urgent?" Then Arioch made the decision known to Daniel. {16} So Daniel went in and asked the king to give him time, that he might tell the king the interpretation.

8. The deal is made, the dream and interpretation are given,.

(Dan 2:25-28 NKJV) Then Arioch quickly brought Daniel before the king, and said thus to him, "I have found a man of the captives of Judah, who will make known to the king the interpretation." {26} The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, "Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen, and its interpretation?" {27} Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, "The secret which the king has demanded, the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, and the soothsayers cannot declare to the king. {28} "But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream, and the visions of your head upon your bed, were these:

9. The king’s response.

(Dan 2:46-49 NKJV) Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, prostrate before Daniel, and commanded that they should present an offering and incense to him. {47} The king answered Daniel, and said, "Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you could reveal this secret." {48} Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts; and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon. {49} Also Daniel petitioned the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego over the affairs of the province of Babylon; but Daniel sat in the gate of the king.

a. Can you imagine the scene: The king of a world empire doesn’t just bow to Daniel, fell on his face, prostrate before Daniel,

b. Time has run out. Lord willing we will continue next Sunday with the dream and with Job.

III. What made them do what they did?

A. They shared the faith of Abraham.

(Heb 11:8-10 NKJV) By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. {9} By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; {10} for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

B. In God’s plan, they are waiting for us that we may receive the reward with them.

(Heb 11:39-40 NKJV) And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, {40} God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.

Conclusion

I. Only our obedience to the God of heaven will save us.

(Ezek 14:14 NKJV) "Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness," says the Lord GOD

II. Have you obeyed the gospel? Have you been baptized into Christ?

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