Stay Close to the Fire

Introduction

Good morning church,

Well it’s so good to be here on a Saturday evening

I look forward to being in church whether it’s a Saturday or a Sunday or whatever day of the week because there is no place like this place anywhere near this place so this has got to be be the place

Here is where we need to be as Christians

Today my message is entitled STAY CLOSE TO THE FIRE

Scripture

Hebrews 10:24–25 NIV

24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Body

I believe it is so important that we as Christians learn to stay close to the Fire

Now some of you might be wondering what fire I am talking about

Here is an experiment you can do

The next time you are bbquing at home I want you to take out one of the coals that is burning and place it outside of the flames and you will notice it will become dim until the glow totally fade away.

The Fire is the fellowship of the Saints

Every time we gather as a body of Believers we are staying close to the Fire - We grow spiritually when we are close to the people of God.

DON’T RISK GROWING DRIER - STAY CLOSE TO THE FIRE

In this portion of Scripture it speaks about how some have made it a habit of giving up meeting with the members of the church

They see the church as unimportant.

They see the church as just an option.

after being in church for over 20 years

HATCH MATCH DISPATCH

It’s sad when people today no longer see the values coming together

I hear lots of excuses as to why people will not want to be a part of a church

Some say there are too much hypocrties - but yet there are hypocrites in the gym but they go their consistently

Some say I tried church once and the people hurt me - yet their boyfriend keeps hurting them and they keep giving him another chance but they wont give the people of the church a second chance.

I heard another guy said he never will go to church because the people in the church - they watch you from head to toe so he wont ever go to such a place. Now this guy whom I know personally is begging for the church to pray for him to be healed and he recognizes the value of being close to the fire!!

I wonder what our lives would look like if God only showed up at our house as often as we showed up at his.

I believe that we have the wrong impression of the church.

I know some of you are sitting here tonight and are considering leaving your church because of some hurt or some other reason

I hope that after this sermon - the Lord speaks to you and motivates you to remain

Let me share with you my Personal Experience of being a part of the church

Testimony

I was not always Preacher Arion but I was just like you

I started to attend Sunday School as a child and it is there I heard an important message of loving one another.

I realized that I wasn’t the only person who had problems loving others but the Sunday School Teacher taught us we need to love one another - even the ones who used to get on our nerves

Not only did the Sunday School teach me about loving one another but they demonstrated their love for me and my family.

They actually practiced what they preached .

They actually got to know me and they got to know my needs and my family needs and they took steps to meet our needs.

When my Dad lost his job and we hardly had money they visited me and they brought a toy and a hamper for our family.

I honestly didn’t know how we would have survived if we didn’t get that hamper.

The Lord provided for us through the Sunday School department.

I learnt that the Lord loves me and the church loves me to.

I’m grateful for that Sunday School . I might have been destroybed but I am glad I was close to the fire.

The Bible says - they shall know that we are Christians by the Love we show one for another

Did you know that in the Bible there are close to around 60 one anothers that are recorded

We cannot follow one anothers without being part of a local church

WASH ONE ANOTHER’S FEET

STOP PASSING JUDGEMENT ON ONE ANOTHER

Andy Stanley said it like this - The primary activiity of the church was one-anothering one another

After Sunday School I attended the youth group in the church and I had several battles as a young person which I needed help in

In the youth department I met some wonderful friends who showed me the imprtance of having Godly friends in my life.

I learnt that JESUS IS A friend who sticks closer than a brother - so we as Christians need to be our brother’s keeper and look out for them.

I was struggling with my identity - people used to call me ugly cause I had pimples… I stayed away from youth group and my life kept going downhill

My life was growing drier because I was away from the fire

Thankfully the youths never game up on me and they helped me to see I am made in the image and likeness of Jesus

They helped me with my school work and I was able to pass my exams....

I learnt the hard way how important it is that I stay close to the Fire.....

Then as I got older and I began to work I had new challenges to Face that I wasn’t prepared for

My work colleageus they would keep pestering me to come and lime with them but I will need $1000

I ended up stealing the money from my parents to go to a lime and well I did a lot of ungodly things in that lime

I knew it was wrong and all I felt was guilt and i stopped going to the church because i felt they will judge me for doing the wrong things

Every day I would be beating myself up and thinking the worst of myself

I felt like not even God would forgive me

Thankfully The Pastor came and visited me and he assured me that God would forgive me and also the church would always welcome me

I felt so much better after that ….

I realized that my life seems to be lifted higher when I am close to the Fire……

Everytime I am down the people in the church - they lift me up

Conclusion

As I conclude this sermon I want you to know The devil would do all that he can to keep you away from the church and God’s people

You will have lots of reasons to leave but i plead with you to stay.

Yes I have been hurt by people in the church and was tempted to leave.

But i must admit that I have also hurt people. We are all human at the end of the day.

However this doesn’t change the fact that some of the nicest people I have ever met in my life I met them because I am part of the church.

Had I not been part of the church I would have not met them.

I would like to end this sermon with this quote by Tim Challies

If the gym is the natural context to pursue physical fitness, the local church is the natural context to pursue spiritual fitness. the church is God’s Gymnasium

DON’T RISK GROWING DRIER - STAY CLOSE TO THE FIRE