Sermon Central
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Fire In The Soul Series
Contributed by Curtis Rowe on Aug 4, 2008 (message contributor)
Summary: The zeal of the Lord can abound in your heart!
Fire in Your Soul
When the Spirit of Christ is filling a person’s heart, light and heat are present.
Zeal alone does not make a Christian!
Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
(Rom 10:1-4)
Knowledge of the truth in Jesus alone does not make a Christian!
Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
(Jas 2:19)
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
(Rom 10:9)
If the fear of punishment doesn’t lead me to the fear of sin the Gospel hasn’t reached my heart!
When faith enters my heart, I turn to God from idols to serve the living and true God!
You can’t just ADD Jesus to your life; an addition without a subtraction is like adding clean water to dirty water…
My subject this morning is Fire in the Soul…
Truth aflame; first love; fervency of faith
Jesus said, “I would thou wert hot!”
Zeal: ardor, enthusiasm – en theos :to infuse a Divine spirit
A. W. Tozer said, “God dwells in a state of perpetual enthusiasm. He is delighted with all that is good and lovingly concerned about all that is wrong. He pursues His labors always in a fullness of holy zeal. No wonder the Spirit came at Pentecost as a sound of a rushing mighty wind and sat in tongues of fire on every forehead. ... Whatever else happened at Pentecost, one thing that cannot be missed by the most casual observer was the sudden upsurging of moral enthusiasm. Those first disciples burned with a steady, inward fire. They were enthusiastic to the point of complete abandon.”
When a Christian is in touch with the Savior, he is like the disciples on the Damascus road… “And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?”
(Luk 24:32)
We are not looking for just a “Warm Glow” to enjoy; we want to be ignited to activity and impacting on those around us!
In 1948 Jim Elliot wrote, “Why does not the Church awake? Our young men are going into the professional fields because they don’t, “Feel called,” to the mission field. We don’t need a call; we need a kick in the pants. We must begin thinking in terms of going out and stop our weeping because they win’t come in! Who wants to step into an igloo? The tombs themselves are not colder than the Churches. May God send us forth!”
What spiritual impact are you having upon others?
Every believer is impacting the spiritual vigor of those around him!Gordon McDonald listed several options in his book, "Restoring Your Spiritual Passion."
• Igniter- The Holy Spirit is the Creator of authentic spiritual energy! Do you provoke others? “I’ll paddle!”
• Sharer- “… that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.”
(Rom 1:12)
Paul & Silas Priscilla & Aquilla “Let’s paddle together!”
• Catcher- They receive & store spiritual energy for future use. A Catcher is a contributor, even though he drains your spiritual energy. Like Esther when Mordecai told her, “Who knows whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” “Let me paddle; I think I can do it!”
• Enjoyer- Nice people – “I like how you do it. I like being around spiritual people. You paddle so well; I could never do that!”
• Sapper- Would you hand me a Coke between strokes? “Please try not to splash me while you paddle.”
At the entrance of one of the great manufacturing plants in America is a sign that reads, “If you are like a wheelbarrow - going no farther than you are pushed - you need not apply for work here!” In spiritual endeavor, too, one must always manifest personal initiative and zeal and be willing to go the second mile.
What can you do to become a consistent Igniter?
• Temper zeal with knowledge and loyalty to the truth.
And when he was departed thence, he lighted on Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him: and he saluted him, and said to him, Is thine heart right, as my heart is with thy heart? And Jehonadab answered, It is. If it be, give me thine hand. And he gave him his hand; and he took him up to him into the chariot.
