Summary: Serve God with a Passion!!!!!!

MAKE IT SMOKE!

Text: Leviticus 3:12-16, "And if his offering be a goat, then he shall offer it before the LORD. And he shall lay his hand upon the head of it, and kill it before the tabernacle of the congregation: and the sons of Aaron shall sprinkle the blood thereof upon the altar round about. And he shall offer thereof his offering, even an offering made by fire unto the LORD; the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards, And the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away. And the priest shall burn them upon the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire for a sweet savour: all the fat is the LORD’S."

The Laws of the Sacrifices take up several chapters of the Old Testament. Because we no longer operate under the sacrificial system, it sometimes makes for tedious reading. To those of us accustomed to buying neatly packaged meat from the local supermarket, it is difficult to comprehend, and sometimes hard to stomach reading about the requirements of the sacrifice. (Aren’t you thankful we don’t abide by those laws any longer!) The Bible was very specific in describing the things that were to be placed on the fire. We know that the animal being sacrificed was first bled to death, its blood caught in a basin, then sprinkled upon the altar with the remainder poured out at the altar’s base. Next, the animal had to be butchered, with all of the fat removed. It was this fat that was placed on the fire to be burnt-as our text described. In fact, the next verse following out text says; Leviticus 3:17, "It shall be a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that ye eat neither fat nor blood."

Did you ever notice what happens when fat is placed on the fire? Meat will cook and eventually burn up leaving tough gristly charcoal. You’ve probably experienced some of that at a cook out! But fat doesn’t do that. Because of its greasy content, fat will burn up. It will add fuel to the fire, causing the fire to flare. It will also smoke. When you are grilling fatty meat, the fat will drip onto the fire, causing smoke. Many grillmasters claim that it is the smoke from the fat that gives grilling its unique flavor. What does that have to do with the Laws of the Sacrifice? The Jewish Bible provides an interesting translation of the last verse of our text; “And the priest shall make them smoke upon the altar; it is the food of the offering made by fire, for a sweet savour; all the fat is the LORD’S.” God’s requirement was this; when you offer the sacrifice, be sure to Make It Smoke! Everywhere the Bible talks of burning something on the altar, the Jewish Bible translates it, Make it Smoke! By the way, that’s the title of this sermon, and the applications are obvious. Whatever you offer to God, be sure to Make It Smoke! In other words, give it everything you’ve got!

God is not looking for halfhearted Christians to go through life with no enthusiasm. He is looking for those who have sold out to His cause. He is looking for someone who will live for Him with a passion! Paul said; Romans 12:1, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." We are not offering bulls, goats, lambs or turtledoves-we are offering ourselves. But just as God required that the priests made the fat to smoke, He requires us to serve Him with our whole hearts. Mark 12:29-30, "And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment." Religion without passion is sacrifice without smoke!

How important was it that the sacrifice be made to smoke? Eli the High Priest had two sons. Listen what the Bible says about them-again from the Jewish Bible; (I Sammuel 2:12-17) “Now the sons of Eli were base men; they knew not the LORD. And the custom of the priests with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a flesh-hook of three teeth in his band; and he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the flesh-hook brought up the priest took therewith. So they did unto all the Israelites that came thither in Shiloh. Yea, before the fat was made to smoke, the priest’s servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed: ‘Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have sodden flesh of thee, but raw.’ And if the man said unto him: ‘Let the fat be made to smoke first of all, and then take as much as thy soul desireth’; then he would say: ‘Nay, but thou shalt give it me now; and if not, I will take it by force.’ And the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD; for the men dealt contemptuously with the offering of the LORD.” They offered the sacrifice, but they refused to let the fat smoke. I will say it again; Religion without passion is sacrifice without smoke! It looks good, it goes through the motions, but it lacks what God is looking for. Paul described it as; 2 Timothy 3:5, "Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."

There is another interesting aspect of the sacrifice. Most of the sacrifices that were offered were also eaten-either by the priest, or by those who brought it to be offered. God did not require that the whole animal be burnt-only the fat. The rest of the meat was cooked and enjoyed by those offering the sacrifice. Leviticus 7:8-10, "And the priest that offereth any man’s burnt offering, even the priest shall have to himself the skin of the burnt offering which he hath offered. And all the meat offering that is baken in the oven, and all that is dressed in the fryingpan, and in the pan, shall be the priest’s that offereth it. And every meat offering, mingled with oil, and dry, shall all the sons of Aaron have, one as much as another." Eli’s sons had already been promised the meat to eat, but they refused to wait for the fat to smoke before enjoying the blessings. Some serve God only for the blessings, but they never take the time to “Make It Smoke.” Their religion consists in what God can do for them, and not what they can offer God. On more time I must say; Religion without passion is sacrifice without smoke! It is time to Make It Smoke! Let’s serve Him with passion!

A Passion to Speak. Ever notice how difficult it is to sell something you don’t like? A person who is passionate about a product is the best salesman. Those who are sold out to this cause will have no difficulty “selling” it. David said; Psalms 39:1-3, "…I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me. I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my sorrow was stirred. My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue." Jeremiah became discouraged in the midst of a people who refused to hear God’s call. Jeremiah 20:1-2, "Now Pashur the son of Immer the priest, who was also chief governor in the house of the LORD, heard that Jeremiah prophesied these things. Then Pashur smote Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the high gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the LORD."

Jeremiah 20:9, "Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay." Like David, Jeremiah felt something burning inside. He wasn’t content with a half cooked sacrifice. He decided to Make it Smoke! WE live in a wicked and perverse generation. It is time someone felt the fire of the Holy Ghost burning in their heart and boldly proclaims truth to their world. It is time to “Make it Smoke”-whether on our jobs, in the classroom or at the restaurant after Church. Jesus said; Mark 8:38, "Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."

A Passion to Act. The world is full of individuals who can talk a good line, but never act. The best coaches seem to be the ones who have never coached. The best politicians seem to be the ones who have never run for office. The best investors seem to be the ones who have never invested. Could it be that the ones who seem to be the best Christians have never actually done anything for God? David went to see the mighty armies of Israel. No doubt he had heard of the great exploits of Saul and his armies. Being an Israelite, he would have heard of the great victories wrought by Gideon, Samson, Shamgar, Joshua and others. He understood that nothing could defeat the mighty armies of Jehovah! Yet when he approaches the battlefield, 1 Samuel 17:23-25, "…behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together-and David heard them. And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid. And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up." 1 Samuel 17:26, "And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?" Why was David so bold to act? David saw the reality of the situation. Goliath declared that he was defying the armies of Israel. The soldiers that heard his challenge accepted that verdict and declared; “surely to defy Israel is he come up." But David understood that Goliath was “defy[ing] the armies of the living God." When we understand what we are fighting and how we will triumph, there comes a boldness to act! As long as Israel is being defied, we are operating in the realm of the flesh-but when we realize its God’s army that is being defied then we can operate in the realm of the Spirit! It’s all about achieving a right perspective. When you look at the affliction from a human standpoint, we fight it with medicine. But when we see it from a spiritual standpoint-as an element of the curse from the fall-then we can fight with faith! Paul reminds us; Ephesians 6:12, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Your biggest enemy is not your boss, it’s not your neighbor, it’s not even your Mother-in-Law. It is spirits and attitudes that come form a carnal mind and viewpoint. If we are to “Make it Smoke”, if we are going to act in the realm of the spirit, then we must use spiritual weapons. 2 Corinthians 10:3-4, "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds)."

A Passion to Witness. I have already talked about a passion to speak. It is time for the Church to begin to declare what God has done! Psalms 96:2-3, "Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people." Psalms 107:21-22, "Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing." Psalms 145:3-12, "Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts. I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works. And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: and I will declare thy greatness. They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness. The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD; and thy saints shall bless thee. They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power; To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom." Get excited about what God has done! Talk about His greatness! Tell how he saved you! Make it Smoke! Mark 7:31-36, "And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis. And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it." Is a coincidence that the promise of the baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire is a promise of power to witness? Acts 1:8, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." Acts 2:1-4, "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." Mark 16:20, "And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen." Make it Smoke!

A Passion for the Word. Inherent in any revival will be a passion for the Word of God. Every true revival rests on a new appreciation for the power of the Word. Those on whom the Holy Ghost fell at the turn of the last century had looked into the Word, and had the daring to wonder if it still worked in their generation. I am thankful for good singing, for anointed music and worship, for outreaches and programs that God can use-but the revival comes when we fall in love with the Word. I am not talking about a dead formalism that argues the finer points of Biblical Scholarship-but rather those who will embrace the Word as truth and as relevant for their day. Luke 10:38-42, "Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her." You may not get too excited while singing an old hymn like “Standing on the Promises”, but if you will embrace the principle, you will experience the power of God! The attitude of the world is to dissect the Word-to question it and to doubt it. Those who pick it apart will never find themselves on the receiving end of all God wants to do. Why not settle it in you heart! Why not let it come alive! Why not “Make it Smoke” with a passion for what “Thus saith the Word of the Lord!”

A Passion for Repentance. You might be thinking, “I repented a long time ago.” So had the church of Corinth. Yet they found themselves in a situation that required repentance. Our attitude should always be one of repentance. If we are to walk the way God desires, if we are to offer right sacrifices, if we are to “Make it Smoke”-then we will always be ready to repent. It is too easy for us to follow the ways of the flesh. It is too easy to get caught up in the ways of the world. The spiritual journey requires constant course corrections-we call that repentance! Listen to the way the Corinthians repented. 2 Corinthians 7:11, "For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter." Sounds to me like they were letting the sacrifice of fleshly desire smoke on the altar of repentance!

A Passion for the Church. Psalms 122:1, "I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD." Psalms 84:10, "For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness." It’s time we get a passion for the things of God. The fervency of the early church was displayed in there attitude toward Church. Acts 2:46-47, "And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." When you come to the house of God, come ready to “Make it Smoke”! Psalms 100:1-5, "Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations."

A Passion for Prayer. Matthew 26:36-41, "Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." It is in prayer that the victory is won. James 5:14-18, "Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit."