Sermon Central
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Light A Fire In The Church
Contributed by Larry Johnson on Sep 1, 2023 (message contributor)
Summary: The Church needs to light a fire for three reasons 1. Because the world is Cold 2. Because the Church is lukewarm 3. Because the Devil won't come out until the Fire gets hot.
“Light a Fire in the Church”
Dr. Larry D. Johnson Pastor / Teacher
Introduction: Story of the Athiest. A Story is told of an Athiest that lived across the street from the church and would never come across the street to the church. On several occassions member and the Pastor had invited the Athiest to church be he never accepted their invitation. One night the church caught fire and the first person the Pastor saw at the church was the Athiest. When the Preacher inquired of the Athiest how of all the times he chose this time to show up to the church the Athiest replied this is the first time I’ve seen the church on FIRE!
Outline Why is the world so cold, unfriendly, and unforgiving?
I. The Church needs to Light a Fire Because the World is Cold v. 2
- Human trafficking when you are selling another human being, harvesting their body parts that’s cold. Human Trafficking is the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of people through force, fraud or deception, exploiting them for profit.
- Hunting in elementary schools, mass shootings AK47 assault rifles and shooting unarmed babies, in schools and churches that’s cold. Gun lobbiest have our politicians in their pocket.
- Health care is not affordable elderly and veterans; and we give billions of dollars in aid to other countries that’s cold.
- Hungry children who are denied lunch at school because they can’t afford the bill that’s cold.
- Homelessness in America where we spend 36,000 a year to incarcerate an inmate. But allow veterans to sleep on the streets. That's cold.
Paul and his men find themselves Shipwrecked after a storm, they are cold they are wet, tired from making it on broken pieces. They land on an Island called Malta among the natives. The text seems to contradict this statement because you will notice that the people on the island are extremely warm and hospitable. Barbarians which was how those who did not speak Greek were referred to in those days. I would like to suggest to you that this is the exception and not the norm. It is a general rule that people are more accepting and helpful after a tragedy. When tragedies strike we drop all denominational affiliations, we cross all color lines, we forget about political affiliation. We are reduced to being people, all hurt and all bleed. All die and all suffer. After 911 this nation came together, dropping all color line, political differences and denominational polarization and came together.
II. The Church needs to light a Fire because the Church is Lukewarm v. 3
Nobody wants to be in a cold dead church that doesn’t have any fire. Invitation with no expectation of anything happening. When God adds to the church we need to keep them engage in the ministry to keep them on fire. Spurgeon once said of a cold church: "Spurgeon it is like putting new chicks under a dead hen."
Lukewarm in our Evangelism – Priority bring people to church. The best outreach a church can have is one that is lived by it’s people as they go on their way. It is what an on fire church is about. Doctors major on healing, Microsoft majors on computers, Apple major on phones, The church should major on SOULS.
Lukewarm in our Prayer – the bible says the effectual and fervent; Hot prayers! prayers of the righteous availeth much. If we saw more from our prayers, it would prompt us to pray more.
Lukewarm in our Giving – you want to put the fire out in a church service just ask the people to give. You will ultimately hear you done quinched the spirit.
Lukewarm in our Serving – People get mad when you ask about serving, Ushers greeters, shake your hand like it a fish.
Lukewarm in our Worship – Singers just going through the motions, singing but their hearts not in it.
Lukewarm in our Love – The love of many shall wax cold.
“I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:”
“My wife loves the fireplace. For her the fireplace is a theraputic. She loves the flickering light, the crackle of fire, the smell of burning wood, the direct heat of a cheerful flame. God has always had His fireplaces. The burning bush, the brazen altar of the tabernacle, Mount Carmel, and His Pentecost are just a few of God’s examples of fire. Oh how I wish the church would catch on fire, and burn with the HOLY GHOST. We are to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The fire of the Holy Spirit is to burn in our hearts.”
