God is a Fire

Our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:29

Throughout Scripture God is associated with flame.

When God entered into a covenant with Abraham he appeared as a flaming torch (Genesis 15:17). He came to Moses in a burning bush (Exodus 3:2). He led Israel in a pillar of fire (Exodus 13:21). He descended to the mount with fire and smoke (Exodus 19:18). Ezekiel’s vision of God was filled with fire (Ezekiel 1:27). John foretold that Jesus would baptize believers in fire (Luke 3:16). Then, on the day of Pentecost, what looked like tongues of fire rested on the heads of the disciples (Acts 2:3).

But what does it all mean? Why is God so associated with fire?

Fire gives comfort. Fire gives light. Fire is elusive, flickering. All of these things can be said of God as well.

What I want to consider in particular is the consuming work of fire. Fire has an insatiable appetite. What it touches it takes into itself. Our God, the flaming God, consumes all that is unlike him. In his consuming work he makes things clean.

Numbers 31:22 Only the gold, and the silver, the brass, the iron, the tin, and the lead, ²³ Every thing that may abide the fire, ye shall make it go through the fire, and it shall be clean: nevertheless it shall be purified with the water of separation: and all that abideth not the fire ye shall make go through the water.

When God baptizes his people with fire he is doing a cleansing, consuming, work in us. Corrosion, corruption, infection, and filth can stay until the flame comes. When the fire comes all the rubbish is consumed, leaving only what is precious.

Fire can purify and fire can destroy – the same fire. Some welcome the flames of judgment – they welcome the destruction of all the trash. Consider Isaiah:

Isaiah 6:5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. ⁶ Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: ⁷ And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.

Others run from the purifying and judging flame only to finally end up eternally intertwined with their sins. For them the consuming fires of judgment are never quenched.

Revelation 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
 

Welcome the God who is a consuming fire. He is a flame of love. 

Signs and Wonders

Acts 5:12 ¶ And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch. ¹³ And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them. ¹⁴ And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.) ¹⁵ Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. ¹⁶ There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.

God of the impossible

-          Signs of what? Signs are not just there for beauty's sake. They point to something. What do these signs point to? 

o   God’s Kingdom (already here but not yet fully here)

o   God’s Spirit given

o   Christ’s Lordship 

o   God’s Gospel verified

o   God’s will is good

-          Can God…? Anaias and Sapphira had asked this question in a way. They tested God. The Israelites tested God in the wilderness, asking "can God provide us meat?" In both cases the results were bad and the answer was an emphatic "God can!"

-          Human weakness was overcome by the Spirit. Peter was not a perfect man. He had fallen into sin recently, and shortly after this he had to be confronted by Paul for racist hypocrisy, yet now his shadow brought healing. 

o   All things are possible to those who believe (Mark 9:23). 

-          Get a new perspective – there are no limits!

A flame of love

-          Judgment led to unity

-          Love embraces and love excludes!

-          The church did not exclude anyone (hypocrites excluded themselves voluntarily), multitudes joined.

-          Welcome the burning, cleansing flame

Power for restoration

-          Sickness, sin, and evil spirits are out of order.

-          God’s miracles are not chaotic. It would be scary if the God of the impossible were arbitrary. There's good news. He is all good. 

-          The forces of evil rage against us, but through God we will overcome!

-          These signs point to the way things should and eventually will be

o   All will be healed!

o   All (who repent and believe) will be forgiven and set free from sin for eternity!

o   All evil spirits bound and souls delivered!

Is church a building or a community?

The point has been made time and again in recent American Christianity, "church isn't a place, it's a community!" It's true, as far as it goes. And sometimes the point really needs to be made -- being a part of the church is about more than what you do in a building one day a week.

As we relearn that we are the "temple of God" it is essential that we not forget another important truth -- God inhabits specific places. God is not equally present in all places. Cain, Satan, and Jonah all left "the presence of the Lord" (Gen 4:16; Job 1:12; Jon 1:3). Ezekiel spoke of God's glory leaving the temple (Ezek 10-11). In Deuteronomy we read about "a place which the LORD your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell" (Deu 12, 14, 16, 26). In Exodus God gave the people of Israel very specific instructions about worship. Those instructions included a place -- a meeting tent. God was said to dwell in that tent, foreshadowing when he would "tabernacle [pitch his tent] among us" in an even more immediate way (Joh 1:14). 

God also established holy times. These times were special times, sacred times, for God's people and for God himself. These times brought God glory and celebrated his name. These times brought life to God's people. 

The church is more than a building, it is people. Let's just not forget that the people have been given sacred places and times. 

God chooses a place because God has entered into history with a people for whom place is important. If place is important for people, it is important for God. To speak of presence in connection with place also helps preserve the personal character of the divine presence, for persons are always associated with places...The divine presence is thus not reduced to spirituality, as if the human personality were somehow the only fit place on earth for God's presence, or even the community apart from times and places. Place remains important for God because it is important for people and their relationships with one another. 

Frethheim, Terence E. The Suffering of God: An Old Testament Perspective. Fortress Press, 1984.

Truth in Advertising

I recently heard a story about an interesting dry cleaners.

"One-Hour Dry Cleaners" was the name of the place. Preparing for a trip out of town, a man remember that sign. So, he took his suit to "One-Hour Dry Cleaners". As the lady filled out the card he explained that he needed the suit to be ready in an hour. To that she replied that the soonest he could expect to get his suit back was Thursday. Of course, the guy was perplexed by this. She explained that "One-Hour Dry Cleaners" was just the name of the place -- it didn't have anything to do with the speed of service.

"Christian" is the sign many of us wear. That title creates diverse expectations. However, there is a common thread among the divergent interpretations of the term. Everybody expects Christians to be like Jesus in some way.

What is Jesus like? He is holy. What does that mean? At the risk of sounding a bit circular I'll venture to say that it is like Jesus. God is the only one who rightly gives content to the term holy. 


How then can we live up to our name, "Christian"? 

In the Bible we learn about the content of God's character. But we haven't the goodness, generosity, love, faithfulness, gentleness, kindness, patience, justice, joy, self-control, or any of that character that God has on our own.

Christians are holy in the same way that the moon gives light -- by our relationship with the source. Jesus compared us to branches. He said, "I am the true vine...as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me...without me you can do nothing" (John 15:1-5).







It's time for truth in advertising. Be the real deal. Be holy by cultivating an intimate connection with the holy Christ.

A Terrifying Example

Acts 5:1 ¶ But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, ² And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. ³ But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? ⁴ Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. ⁵ And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. ⁶ And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him. ⁷ ¶ And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. ⁸ And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. ⁹ Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. ¹⁰ Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. ¹¹ And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.

An example of exactly what not to do

-          The power of examples

o   Inspiring – it can be done

§  In 1954 Roger Bannister ran the mile in under 4 minutes, beating the previous world record that had stood for 9 years. Just two months later two other runners ran the mile in under 4 minutes. In 1964 a high school boy ran the mile in under 4 minutes.

o   Warning

§  Drugs go in and out of style as people begin to see the consequences of drug abuse in those around them.

§  “I saw my parents’ marriage”

§  “I don’t want to treat my children the way I was treated”

§  “I don’t want to end up like my brother did”

§  “great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things”

-          Examples of examples

o   Barnabas (chapter 4, he sold his property and gave all of the proceeds)

o   Judas

o   Fern W

o   Ted Haggard

-          What Ananias and Sapphira did

o   Tried to look better than they were

o   Offered a partial sacrifice to God, pretending to give their all

§  Luke 14:25 ¶ And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.  And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.  For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?  Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.  Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?  Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.  So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.

o   Lied to God

o   Deceived themselves rather than God

-          Nothing new under the sun – their followers live on

o   People still try to look better than they are

o   People still try to give God leftovers, while pretending that they’ve given all

o   People still lie to God

o   People still end up deceiving themselves

-          Learn from their example

o   God still judges hypocrisy

o   Choose your vows carefully

Is hypocrisy still as deadly as it was back then?

Does this bring any OT history to mind? [Achan]

Why do you suppose God is so fiercely opposed to hypocrisy?

What does a Spirit-filled church look like?

What does a Spirit-filled church look like? (and I'm not talking about architecture)

Some responses:

Animated

Loving

Vocal/Not quiet

The Spirit moves

Gifts of the Spirit 

Liberty

Acts 4:32 ¶ And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. ³³ And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. ³⁴ Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, ³⁵ And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need. ³⁶ And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, ³⁷ Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet.

One Heart and Soul

-          Sinful pride destroyed by repentance, prayer, and worship

-          Serving one another rather than striving against one another

-          Connected to the Spirit is to share His heart – love

-          If we get in tune with God’s mission we will be of one heart and soul

All Things Gifts

-          All things they had were for other people too

-          Easy come, easy go

-          Do you have anything that is not a gift from God?

-          If we are a Spirit-filled church we are ready to give to those who have needs

Great Grace Received

-          What is grace?

-          When you’ve been given much you’re more ready to give much

-          When grace is received it makes room for more grace 

-          A Spirit-filled church is a church of grace

Visitor's Book of Texts

If you are a minister you should own this book. It is filled with helpful Scripture and thoughts to share with those in various states of suffering.

Though written in the 19th century (1855), the Bonar's work is still useful today. Do yourself and the people you minister to a favor; get a copy of The Visitor's Book of Texts.