In Case of Fire, Week 4: In My Heart

  Pastor Shane, our lead pastor is out of town… (SO COME BACK NEXT WEEK) But it’s my privilege to share with you this morning as we close out our series “In Case of Fire.”   We as humans (mostly men) have a borderline obsession with fire… we love it, but it can lead us to do some crazy things…   Story:  “Trashcan Fire”   Part of my job… is to pastor teenagers, but sometimes I’m not the greatest example.   Transition:  Fire is very unpredictable thing… and if you aren’t careful, it can get out of control.   The past few weeks we have learned how to survive the “fires’ in our life… the moments and circumstances that leave us hopeless… looking for a way out!  (Marriage / Finances)   Today… we are going to look at this from a different angle.  Fire can be a good thing, an inviting thing… a powerful thing.  In fact all through the bible you see FIRE used to describe God’s presence! (The wilderness, Elijah and Mt. Carmel, Acts 2 and the birth of the church…) “I’m baptizing you here in the river, turning your old life in for a kingdom life. The real action comes next: The main character in this drama—compared to him I’m a mere stagehand—will ignite the kingdom life within you, a fire within you, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out. He’s going to clean house—make a clean sweep of your lives. He’ll place everything true in its proper place before God; everything false he’ll put out with the trash to be burned.” Matthew 3:11-12 (MSG) When we say yes to a relationship with God… this is His goal for our lives.  And he never stops! So our question today is this… “What do we do when there is a fire in our hearts?”   “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. Matthew 5:14-16 (NLT)   Vs.14 You are the LIGHT of the World = “Phos”  FIRE LIGHT Vs. 15 No one LIGHTS a lamp = “Kaio” SET ON FIRE / Gives LIGHT to everyone = “Lampo” RADIATE Vs. 16 Light = Fire /Shine = Radiate            “You are the FIRE of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15 No one STARTS A FIRE and then puts it under a basket. Instead, THE FIRE is placed on a stand, where it RADIATES to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your FIRE RADIATE out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. Matthew 5:14-16   Fire = God’s presence alive in you… a spiritual fire that burns with hope, peace, joy, strength, love…   When we give our lives to Jesus… we COME ALIVE on the inside.  A spiritual fire starts to burn… so much so that it will start to affect the outside.  (A change in countenance…)   Transition:  SO for the rest of our time we are going to look at FIRE as a good thing… the very presence of God burning in us.  A FIRE that has the power to change us… but what do we do with this FIRE?   Here are 3 things we have to do… when there is a FIRE in our hearts:       1.        We feed it   Like any fire that you want to keep burning… there are things that the fire inside of you needs to keep burning: ·         Bible – wood Prayer ·         Prayer – Lighter fluid ·         Surrender – Air (surrender of your will, struggles, addictions, sin, etc.)   Do you see what we've got? An unshakable kingdom! And do you see how thankful we must be? Not only thankful, but brimming with worship, deeply reverent before God. For God is not an indifferent bystander. He's actively cleaning house, torching all that needs to burn, and he won't quit until it's all cleansed. God himself is Fire! Hebrew 12:28-29 (MSG)   There will… be moments in our life where it feels like our fire is dying… but as long as you are breathing there is a spark ready to ignite a flame in your heart again!   Perfection does not fuel the fire of God... Surrender does.   2.      We share it   One of the most comforting… relaxing… life-giving things for me is to sit around the fire with friends… we can sit for hours and just stare at it!     (Josh / fires /blow torch) (camping… beans in the fire)   But we can relate to this… fire is inviting!! It’s warm… you want to be around it.   But our tendency is… we let our own fears, failures, frustrations smother the FIRE of God in our lives!   But if I say I’ll never mention the Lord or speak in his name, his word burns in my heart like a fire.   It’s like a fire in my bones! I am worn out trying to hold it in! I can’t do it! Jeremiah 20:9 (NLT)   Bottom line is that the fire of God CANNOT be contained… you either let in burn or you smother it. In fact I’m convinced that EVEYRTHING we do in our lives is either sharing it… or smothering it.    At work… at home… at school… in conflict… on facebook…   3.      We spread it   “Set yourself on fire… and the world will come to watch you burn.”   This is what Jesus was saying in Matthew 5:14-16… "Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16 (MSG) Jesus is saying, “BURN so people can see it… and when they see it they’ll come to it!”   What happens if the FIRE of God consumes us to the extent that a spiritual forest fire breaks out in this county?  “Oh Ryan, you’re just being idealistic.”  I am?!  Or is this what Jesus has called us to?!   I don’t believe we can truly understand this… until we see it happen to someone close to us.    Big Idea:   Close the Loop:  Just like the trashcan… our lives are holding a fire that is meant to consume us.    Challenge: What is your next step?   Maybe you need to feed your fire… maybe you been smothering it and it’s time to let it shine (specific moments)… or maybe it’s time to spread that fire to someone who needs it.   Or maybe life for you is cold and seems hopeless… you are dead on the inside and you need the fire of God to bring you to life.  To change you. To consume you.   Pray…