Starting Out Right
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Introduction
Introduction
As holidays go, New Year’s is barely a blip on the radar for most of us. Perhaps we have spent some time reflecting over how the year has gone. Many have proclaimed their frustration with the way things have been going over the past few years. How was your year?
Did you get stronger in the Lord?
Did you accomplish your goals?
Did you lead anybody to Christ?
We could ask a hundred questions in light of the season we are in at the moment. But as I was preparing for today I came across this verse.
When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst, I the Lord will answer them; I the God of Israel will not forsake them.
I will open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys. I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.
Fire shall be kept burning on the altar continually; it shall not go out.
It’s reported that a preacher in Redrock, Mississippi prayed this sermon: “Oh Lord, give Thy servant this mornin’ the eyes of the eagle and the wisdom of the owl; connect his soul with the gospel telephone in the central skies; ‘luminate his brow with the Sun of heaven; possess his mind with love for the people; turpentine his imagination, grease his lips with ‘possum oil, loosen his tongue with the sledge hammer of Thy power; ‘lectrify his brain with the lightnin’ of the word; put ‘petual motion on his arms; fill him plum full of the dynamite of Thy glory; ‘noint him all over with the kerosene oil of Thy salvation and SET HIM ON FIRE. Amen!”
Fire is amazing! Not many here tonight could honestly say that fire is of no interest to you. While you may not be a pyromaniac you are still fascinated by fire.
Fire has been around since the Angel drove Adam & Eve out of the garden with a flaming sword.
Fire warms us through a heater
it feeds us by cooking food
it cleans us by heating our water
it purges our forest
but most of all it purifies our soul in the form of the Holy Ghost!
Our text tells us about the order given by God for the Tabernacle.
Fire shall be kept burning on the altar continually; it shall not go out.
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
Fire needs some things to be able to ignite. It needs oxygen, heat, and fuel.
When fires are fought they are fought from the back of the fire because the heat is too great in the front or the head of the fire and the wind can change its course in a matter of seconds.
Fire blockers are started around the fire in order to stop the fire.
When two great fires are burning toward each other they begin to draw each other and feed off of each other.
The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad!
Clouds and thick darkness are all around him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
Fire goes before him and burns up his adversaries all around.
he makes his messengers winds, his ministers a flaming fire.
KINDLED BY MEDITATION
KINDLED BY MEDITATION
My heart became hot within me. As I mused, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue:
“O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am!
Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! Selah
Surely a man goes about as a shadow! Surely for nothing they are in turmoil; man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather!
“And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you.
If I say, “I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,” there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot.
Jeremiah had become discouraged in verse 7 he said, Lord everyone mocketh me.
I told them what you said, and they hate me. Jeremiah had decided to just cool down, and keep his mouth shut. He had sort of become like some have today, luke-warm.
Luke-warm. No one likes to hear that word, do they? But there is a lot of this going around.
Some of us have been there and we can tell you that it is no place to be.
Oh, you may still be going to church, you may even be reading a scripture once in a while, but there is no victory in it. No power. No excitement. No fun.
You say, well, you can’t be fired up all the time!
Don’t Let The Enemy Lie To You
Don’t Let The Enemy Lie To You
Jeremiah had something in his bones that would not let him cool down.
Paul wrote in Romans 12:11 that we should be fervent in spirit; serving the Lord. Fervent means to boil or to be hot.
Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.
One way to be fervent is to hang around with the Lord. The Bible says He is a consuming fire.
I have always found that if you get close enough to the fire, you will get hot.
Some people are luke-warm because they are too far back from the fire. People that spend a lot of time with the Lord are not up and down like a yo-yo. I am not saying they don’t have trouble, but they meet them head on by the power of God and keep on going.
They have become convinced that, Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.
Now if you have been luke-warm, I have good news. You don’t have to stay that way and be unhappy. There is a fanning going on right now. The Spirit of the Lord is fanning the fire of the Holy Ghost. If you will just yield to the Spirit, you can feel like Jeremiah. The fire began to burn.
We used to stay the night at a friend’s house when we were kids and they would heat there house with an old wood heat stove and You know, I have gotten up on a cold winter morning, and it felt like the fire was out.
I mean we came out of the bedroom shivering, but there was still fire in the stove. I just had to stir it up a little, put some more fuel on it and fan it. Suddenly the heat began to fill the room.
Jeremiah had reached a place where he was ready to quit preaching, but the fire wasn’t out. When God began to fan, he just couldn’t help himself. He caught fire again.
Much of the church has been asleep and when someone is asleep, they are insensitive to what is going on around them.
Friend, the most exciting thing that ever happened could be going on right in your own back yard, but if you are asleep, you will not be excited by it.
This is also true of spiritual things. If you are spiritually asleep, then you won’t be excited by what is happening in the spiritual realm.
The Lord has called us to awake from our slumber, and fan the fire. Add the fuel of the Word. Check up on the company you keep. Spend time with people that are excited about God’s Word. Get up close to the source of the heat, and be fervent.
We must spend enough time in the Word, and enough time in prayer to stir up that resurrection power that is inside us. If you have been Born Again then remember that same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is in you and able to quicken your mortal body.(Romans 8-11)
If you have been luke-warm, don’t spend another minute that way. It’s not fun. It’s not exciting and most of all it is not what God wants for you.
Get refired! Know the excitement and energy of the Holy Ghost.
Paul said, That I might know Him and the power of His resurrection. Remember 1 John chapter 4 verse 4. Ye are of God little children and have overcome them: Because Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. Faith is in you, Romans 12 and 3. Love is in you, Romans 5 and 5. Stir up the gift that is in you. Why not spend some special time with the Lord today and rekindle that fellowship.
Many people are eager to embrace the salvation aspect of the cross, but balk at the discipleship end of it. To embrace the cross means that we will sometimes have to inconvenience ourselves to answer the call, but if we didn’t then it wouldn’t be a cross.
Sometimes we balk at Christian service because we don’t feel that we are gifted enough to serve Him. But God doesn’t care about our abilities! He only cares about our availability!
He only cares if the fire is burning inside us! You see you can’t get fired up by only dressing for the game, you gotta get off the bench and play!
If you feel like the spiritual fire in your life has gone down then ask yourself if there is any sin in your life. Then ask yourself if you have done anything for the Lord lately!
Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me, “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,
The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip.
It speaks of the word of God being like a sword. In the middle ages knights battled it out with long swords. You see you needed a long sword to do effective battle in the middle ages.
Consider this: How much time you spend in the word determines how long your sword is. For some believers their sword is only a nail file. For other believers their sword is only a pocket knife. For others their sword is a dagger.
Remember that your enemy has a long sword. Remember that you are daily in a spiritual battle. Remember that you need to arm yourself daily in order to do effective battle. Arming yourself with the word keeps you sharp! It keeps you on fire!
Those who desire the fire is broken for the lost.
My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain! Oh the walls of my heart! My heart is beating wildly; I cannot keep silent, for I hear the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.
The most anointed ministry is one through brokenness. Being broken for the lost means being vulnerable. This involves evangelism, servanthood, and intercession. We see from the beginning of this verse that Jeremiah is brokenhearted for the lost people of his generation. Are you willing to be brokenhearted for the lost people you know?
Those who desire the fire perseveres when the going gets tough! See 2 Corinthians 4:8-16
We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair;
persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;
always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.
For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
So death is at work in us, but life in you.
Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak,
knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence.
For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.
“We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and broken. We are perplexed, but we don’t give up and quit.
“We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going.
“Through suffering, these bodies of ours constantly share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.
Those that desire the fire are compelled by the love of Christ!
For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died;
Think of time when you were in love. What was it like? What were you compelled to do that you normally didn’t do?
Did you suddenly find yourself talking on the phone for hours?
Were your conversations with your friends completely consumed with the topic of your beloved? Were you excited about any opportunity to share about him or her?
Did you find yourself reading love letters you received over and over again?
Was it easy to spend money in order to bless your beloved?
What would happen if we as believers fell head over heals in love with God? What if we chose to make 2 Corinthians 5:14 a cornerstone of our lives?
For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died;
If every Christian did this, we would likely shake the world! Indeed love makes us do some amazing things.
Here is a truth: What you love the most is what fills your life the most! It is also what stands out the most in your life!
You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
When you are in love with God, witnessing is no longer an obligation, but like talking about someone you love!
The Bible is no longer a textbook, but a love letter!
Prayer is no longer a chore, but a daily phone conversation with someone you are in love with!
Giving to God is no longer like paying taxes, but like buying a gift for your beloved!
In avoiding sin, we are no longer motivated by fear of consequences, but fear of breaking God’s heart!
We must remember merely having talent isn’t enough when it comes to doing ministry. Your life has to be fueled and filled by a love for Jesus. What controls your life? What guides your decisions? In 2 Corinthians 4:8-9, Paul writes about how he and those working with him are able to persevere through trials. Ultimately, it was the love of Christ that empowered them!
We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair;
persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;
but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,
People will be drawn to us because of our love for Christ!
We become beacons of light in the darkness!
We become radiant with His presence!
Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.
My beloved is radiant and ruddy, distinguished among ten thousand.
Although Song of Solomon 5:10 pertains to Solomon and his lover, the principle behind this verse can apply to believers who are passionate about God! They are a rarity even among believers!
When we become excited about Christ, many lost will then become excited about Him!
Those in the darkness are seeking someone with light that will guide them to the ultimate Light! Are you willing to be that light? Will your life be one ignited by a burning passion for Jesus? Are you willing to let your passion shine for all to see?
CHRIST CAME TO IGNITE
CHRIST CAME TO IGNITE
“I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled!
I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished!
Rev. 13:13-14 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people,
and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived.
He shall tear it open by its wings, but shall not sever it completely. And the priest shall burn it on the altar, on the wood that is on the fire. It is a burnt offering, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
Leviticus 1:17 KJV
And he shall cleave it with the wings thereof, but shall not divide it asunder: and the priest shall burn it upon the altar, upon the wood that is upon the fire: it is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord.
each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.
“I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Spurgeon: “to put new converts into most churches is like putting live chicks under a dead hen.” They need the warmth of “the fire!”
“God never intended for the church to be a refrigerator in which to preserve perishable piety…He intended it to be an incubator in which to hatch our converts.”