God Will Set Your Field on Fire

INTRODUCTION

Welcome

Plug for New December Sermon Series

SCRIPTURE

2 Samuel 14:29–31 NKJV

29 Therefore Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king, but he would not come to him. And when he sent again the second time, he would not come. 30 So he said to his servants, “See, Joab’s field is near mine, and he has barley there; go and set it on fire.” And Absalom’s servants set the field on fire. 31 Then Joab arose and came to Absalom’s house, and said to him, “Why have your servants set my field on fire?”

OPENING

Have you every tried getting someone’s attention to no avail? Have you ever felt like no matter how hard you try or how loud you get the other person is so absorbed in what they’re doing, they are completely oblivious to your attempts to get their attention? In our Scripture passage today, Absalom went to extreme measures to get the attention of Joab by setting his barley field on fire. Sometimes, we are completely oblivious to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and God has to go to extreme measures to get our attention. If He has to, God will set your field on fire!

MESSAGE

Absalom Set Joab’s Field on Fire

Joab Would Not Respond

Absalom was the son of David and Bathsheba.

Joab was the commander of King David’s army.

It all started when Absalom’s half-brother Amnon raped his sister Tamar.

After two years, Absalom took revenge on Amnon and murdered him.

Absalom then fled to Geshur and remained estranged from his father David for three years.

Joab uses an elaborate scheme to convince King David to call for his son Absalom to return to Jerusalem.

But when Absalom returned, David would not meet with him.

Absalom lived for two years in Jerusalem without seeing his father.

Now Absalom’s patience has run out.

He wants to meet with his father and he knows Joab is the best way to try to get to him.

So Absalom tries to call for Joab, but Joab doesn’t respond.

Absalom Went Extreme

He tells his servants to go set Joab’s barley fields on fire.

As you could imagine, this got Joab’s attention in a hurry.

He comes to Absalom and asks, “Why in the world did you set my field on fire?”

God Set Some Fields on Fire

King David

The sins of King David are well known.

He committed adultery with Bathsheba who was the wife of Uriah the Hittite at the time.

Bathsheba becomes pregnant through this encounter.

To try to cover it up, David calls for Uriah to come back from war and gives him orders to go home and spend the night with Bathsheba.

But Uriah refuses and spends the night on the porch.

So then David hatches a plan to have Uriah killed in battle.

David then takes Bathsheba to be his own wife.

He thinks he’s got it all covered up and nobody knows what happened.

But God knew.

And God got David’s attention.

The baby that was conceived through the adulterous relationship with Bathsheba is born extremely sick and eventually dies.

As a result, David repents of his sins and pens Psalm 51.

But God had to set David’s field on fire to get his attention and David had to pay the consequences for his sin, even though God forgave him.

Jonah

God called Jonah to preach to Nineveh.

Jonah hated the Ninevites and did not want to preach to them.

So Jonah went the opposite direction and tried to run from the call of God.

You know the story.

Jonah was swallowed by a large fish and was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights.

God had the fish spit Jonah out on dry land.

What do you think Jonah did?

He repented.

He obeyed God and went and preached to Nineveh.

But God had to set Jonah’s field on fire to get his attention and Jonah had to pay the consequences for his sin, even though God forgave him.

Saul/Paul

Saul/Paul was one of the greatest persecutors of the early church.

He was there when Stephen was stoned to death for his faith in Christ.

He threw Christians into prison.

He was on his way to Damascus to persecute and imprison Christians there.

But Jesus met him on the road to Damascus.

Saul was surrounded by a bright light and he heard the voice of Jesus asking him, “Why are you persecuting me?”

Saul/Paul repented and commited his life to Jesus Christ.

But the encounter not only changed his life spiritually, but also physically.

Saul/Paul was left blind by his encounter with Jesus that day.

Although God sent a man by the name of Ananias to pray for his eyes to be opened, Saul/Paul lived the rest of his life with a thorn in the flesh to keep him humble.

Jesus had to set Saul/Paul’s field on fire to get his attention and Saul/Paul had to pay the consequences for his sins, even though Jesus forgave him.

God Will Set Your Field on Fire

5 Reasons Why

God might be trying to force you to face something or someone you’ve been trying to avoid.

God might be trying to get rid of some dead things in your life.

God might be trying to prepare you for new growth.

God might be trying to lead you to repentance.

God might be trying to wake you up before it is too late.

Does God Have Your Undivided Attention?

Are you listening to His voice?

Are you listening to the right voice?

How to Identify the Voice of God:

God’s Voice will be consistent with His Word.

God’s Voice will conflict with human wisdom.

Rehoboam listened to the wrong advice (1 Kings 12)

God’s Voice will clash with fleshly desires.

God’s Voice will challenge Your faith.

God’s Voice will require courage.

Joshua

CLOSING

Is God trying to get your attention right now?

Do you feel like your field is on fire?

What is God trying to teach you?

Are you willing to listen to His voice and obey His commands?

Do you need something from God today?

ALTAR CALL