A Welcome Fire Series

A WELCOME FIRE

Exodus 19.1-25

S: God’s Presence

C: Listening to God

Th: Choose the Fire

Pr: CHOOSE GOD!

Type: Inductive

Values:

I. DEPENDENCE (Holy Spirit and Prayer)

II. WORSHIP

III. THE BIBLE

IV. OUTREACH

V. DISCIPLESHIP

VI. COMMUNITY

PA: How is the change to be observed?

• Welcome God!

• Choose God over all other competitors.

• Value what God values.

Version: ESV

RMBC 30 March 08 AM

INTRODUCTION:

1. What gets your attention?

When there is a thunderstorm at night, that can really get our attention, can’t it?

The rolling thunder…

The strikes of lightning…

It is all very exciting, as long as you are inside.

When Dondra and I were first married and living in Little Falls, we were awakened one morning by the house shaking.

Now, that will get your attention.

Our bed shook.

Plates rattled.

It was all very unsettling.

I thought the house was blowing up.

We lived in very old home and so I rushed down to the basement to see if the old furnace was acting up.

But when I got down there, it was as quiet as a mouse.

When I returned, we turned the radio on, and discovered what had gotten our attention – a very unexpected event – an earthquake!

There was another event that got our attention when we lived in Pennsylvania.

We lived in a townhouse complex, which was a lot of fun for the kids, as there was always people to play with.

But one night, at supper time, we looked out our front door and we saw one of the houses on fire.

Flames were shooting out the door and windows.

Eventually smoke was making its way through the roof and then flames finally burst their way through.

It was an event that we will never forget as it was less than 200 yards from our own home.

We are starting a new series today.

The theme is…

2. Theme: “Choose the Fire.”

We originally bumped into this theme when Dick Loizeaux, our consultant, spoke to us back in September.

And while we know that fire often speaks of judgment and sin, there are also positive ways it is portrayed in Scripture.

They are ways to get our attention, as we will see…

NARRATIVE:

We have been studying the story of the exodus for the last two months, and this will be our last study in the book of Exodus for a while.

The children of Israel have made it safely out of Egypt.

And they have been traveling for three months on the east side of the Red Sea.

They have now come to a massive, craggy range of mountains, made of solid granite.

There is one particular peak that is 8000’ high and sits there like a fist.

It has two names that we know of – Mt. Horeb and Mt. Sinai.

We are no strangers to this place for Moses has been here once before.

He met a talking burning bush here.

This is a place where God meets people.

Which shows us, that…

3. God, by nature, reveals Himself.

God does not quickly run into someone’s presence, nor must we barge thoughtlessly into His.

But the children of Israel should settle in, because they are going to be here for eleven months.

And during this next section of time, we will find Moses going up and down this mountain seven times, which shows how spry he was for 80 years old.

The children of Israel though are going to learn about God for these next months.

He is going to tell them what He is like.

He is going to tell then what He thinks.

He is going to tell them how He feels.

He is going to show them what to do.

And He is going to show them how much He loves them.

You see…

4. God considers us treasure (5-6).

Note how He describes it in the text…

“Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”

When you think of a treasured possession, what do you think of?

It is probably something unique.

It may be a family heirloom or antique.

Perhaps a piece of jewelry that has been a family possession.

Those are the kind of pictures we are to draw when God says that we are His treasure.

We are special.

We are set apart from all the rest.

This being so…

5. It is wise to prepare for His Presence (10-15).

If you are going to meet royalty, would you put on your jeans, or would you look for something a little more special?