THE FIRE OF ALMIGHTY GOD
29For our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:29
ILLUSTRATION: Let me begin by telling you a story about a man who was going skydiving for the first time. He had taken all his lessons and it was time for his first solo jump. So he jumped out of the plane, but he panicked and couldn’t remember how to open his parachute. As he was falling rapidly to the earth he suddenly met another guy who was going up. So he seized the opportunity and shouted, "Hey, buddy do you know how to open a parachute?" The guy shouted back, "No! Do you know how to light a propane stove?"
It’s not wise to play with fire!
God chose fire to be the symbol of His presence. It’s all throughout the Bible:
• Moses met the presence of God as a flame of fire in the midst of a bush (Ex. 3:2).
• The people of Israel confronted the presence of God at Sinai where fire came down from heaven upon the Mountain (Ex. 19:18).
• Solomon dedicated the Temple and fire fell from heaven and the glory of the Lord filled the temple (2 Chron 7:1).
• Daniel’s vision of the Ancient of Days had God’s throne as a fiery flame and a river of fire came out from it (Dan. 7:9-10).
For Moses this was an ordinary day, He’d been in Midian 40 years faithfully tending the flock of Jethro. I’m sure he was expecting the day to be the same as any other day, but this day was different…
The years of the life of Moses are remarkably divided into three forties:
1. The first forty he spent as a prince in Pharaoh’s court,
2. The second a shepherd in Midian
3. The third as leader of the Israelites. He had now finished his second forty, when he received
his commission to bring Israel out of Egypt.
4. Moses was born to be Israel’s deliverer, and yet not a word is said of it to him till he is eighty
years of age.
Background:
Keeping the Flock (v. 1)
Ø God requires faithfulness – When God appeared to him, he found him tending sheep near Mt. Horeb (Sinai). This was a poor employment for a man of his education and yet he finds contentment with it
5. Spiritual Retirement – Moses is a good example to those who feel you’ve been on the back side of the desert and it has been a long time since you’ve felt anything or heard anything from the Lord.
6. In God’s time, as long as you stay faithful to your responsibilities, He will fit you into His plan and purpose in His own time and in His own way. If you feel like you’ve been put in spiritual retirement, I have a word for you. Moses saw more in a desert than he ever saw in Pharaoh’s court. So, stay faithful where you are.
The Burning Bush (v. 2)
While Moses tending sheep, he looks over and sees a bush that is burning.
Last place Moses expected to meet God, this was the middle of the desert
God Spoke (v. 4)
“When the Lord saw that he had caught Moses’ attention, God called to him from the bush, Moses, Moses” (NLT
Holy Ground (v. 5)
“Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground” (NLT). The putting off the shoe was then what the putting off the hat is now, a token of respect and submission.
The ground is holy ground, made so by this special manifestation of the divine presence of God.
And for Moses everything changes at this point in time because his encounter with God is a revelation of God himself,
The God that he sees and encounters for the first time can only be described as a God of fire.
He wants to set his church on fire;
He wants to burn within us a fresh passion for Jesus
Our God is a God of fire and he wants his people to be set ablaze with his glory..
Moses when speaking of Jehovah after the burning bush later in his life,
Deut 4:24 says “For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.”
John in his vision on the isle of Patmos gives a beautiful description of the beauty of the Christ when he sees him in all his glory and he says beginning in Revelation 1:14, “His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength, His voice as the sound of many waters, his hair was as white as wool and His eyes like a flame of fire.”
John the Baptist when spoke about Jesus and his sending of the Holy Spirit said, “One is
coming who’s mightier than me, He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
To the children of Israel,
God lived above then as a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night Exodus 13:21–22.
In the tabernacle when the Glory came the fire of God came and consumed the peoples offerings by means of fire which showed Gods favor, Leviticus 9:23–24.
Jeremiah Gods word was like a burning fire shut up in his bones Jeremiah 20:9.
With Elijah his cry to the people of Israel was let the God who answers by fire let him be God
1 Kings 18 v. 24.
On the day of Pentecost when the Spirit came it was described as tongues of fire, that rested on each of them Acts 2:3.
It’s not wise to play with fire! Maybe that’s why God chose fire to be the symbol of His presence. It’s all throughout the Bible:
• Moses met the presence of God as a flame of fire in the midst of a bush (Ex. 3:2).
• The people of Israel confronted the presence of God at Sinai where fire came down from heaven upon the Mountain (Ex. 19:18).
• Solomon dedicated the Temple and fire fell from heaven and the glory of the Lord filled the temple (2 Chron 7:1).
• Daniel’s vision of the Ancient of Days had God’s throne as a fiery flame and a river of fire came out from it (Dan. 7:9-10).
9I watched as thrones were put in place and the Ancient One£ sat down to judge. His clothing was as white as snow, his hair like purest wool. He sat on a fiery throne with wheels of blazing fire, 10and a river of fire was pouring out, flowing from his presence. Millions of angels ministered to him; many millions stood to attend him. Then the court began its session, and the books were opened. Daniel 7:9-10
Go with me to the book of 1 Kings 18:21.
Background – nation under wickedness (Ahab & Jezebel)
Verse 21 And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.”
Verse 38 38Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. 39Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!”
Prophetic picture of America – we must pray and sacrifice for the fire – for our nation!
1. WE NEED THE REFINER’S FIRE:
“Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, In whom you delight. Behold, He is coming," Says the Lord of hosts. "But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire and like launderer’s soap. He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer to the Lord An offering in righteousness.” (Malachi 3:1-3).
STORY: The Black Death
In 1665 the residents of London were dying by the thousands each day. The bubonic plague was spreading from house to house because of the unsanitary conditions. Rats and fleas spread the germs throughout the city. Almost 30,000 people died, almost a third of London’s population at the time. This plague was so bad experts say the entire population of London would have died if it had not been checked. But on September 2, 1666, the Great Fire of London broke out and burned uncontrollably for five days. Most of the structures in Medieval London were wooden, and almost the entire city was reduced to ashes.
But when the fire finally died, the people discovered many of the rats and fleas had been killed in the fire and the epidemic of the Black Death was halted. The fire cleaned the city of the impurity that was killing its people.
• We need the refiner’s fire to come and purify our lives and get rid of the killer sin!
2. WE NEED THE SPIRIT OF ELIJAH:
Malachi said: Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me.
“In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ’Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.” (Matthew 3:1-3).
Illustration: There was a fiery old revival preacher named Peter Cartwright who was famous for telling it like it was. He was preaching one time near Washington D.C. and the people of the church heard that Andrew Jackson was coming to visit. So they pulled Mr. Cartwright aside and said, "Listen Peter, the President is going to be here on Sunday and we know that sometimes you can get kind of offensive, so would you tone it down. We don’t want to upset the President." So Peter got up in the pulpit the next Sunday and his first three sentences were these. "I understand that the President of the United States, Andrew Jackson is with us this morning. I have been asked to be guarded in my remarks. Andrew Jackson will go to Hell is he doesn’t repent." The church was appalled, but when worship was over Andrew Jackson grabbed Mr. Cartwright’s hand, shook it and said, "Sir, if I had an army of men like you I could whip the world."
“I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but (Jesus) will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Matthew 3:11).
3. WE NEED THE FIRE OF PENTECOST:
1. “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me.” (Acts 1:8).
“When the Day of Pentecost had 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 the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (Acts 2:1-4). (NKJV)
STORY: In a little town unknown to many there was a small church. One night smoke and flames consumed this little church. People from all over town stood in the streets and watched the church as it burned. The local preacher drove up and noticed several people that he hadn’t seen in a while. Walking up to one man he asked "Where you been, I haven’t seen you around here in a while". The man responded, "That’s because I’ve never seen this church on fire!”
CHARLES SPURGEON’S ADVICE TO PREACHERS:
“Set yourself (The Church) on fire, and people will come from miles around to watch you burn!”
Are we a church on fire? Not really. We are an extremely warm church, but the warmth of friendship is not the same as the fire of God.
God doesn’t light churches, He lights individuals, like He did on Pentecost.
How does it start? 2 Things are necessary
1. It starts with PRAYER
2. IT BEGINS WITH THE LEADERS
3. As God deals with the leaders, it will flow down through the body.
4. Are you as a leader willing to lead our church forward in prayer? Are you an example?
5. If not, why not make that commitment to the LORD TODAY
I am convinced it starts with the LEADERS!!
The disciples were set on fire individually, then there was a church on fire!
CLOSING CHALLENGE:
“And the fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not be put out. And the priest shall burn wood on it every morning.” (Leviticus 6:12).
WHAT IS THE FUEL FOR THE FIRE?
“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (2 Chron. 7:14).
WHEN WE DO THIS, WHAT WILL BE THE RESULT?
• GOD WILL SEND REVIVAL THAT WILL IMPACT OUR CHURCH!
• It’s not just about US! He will heal our land – and we will see salvations & miracles!
CLOSING PRAYER:
1. Salvation – repentance and forgiveness of sins
2. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit
3. The Refiner’s Fire
