Luke 4:43
But He said to them, "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent."
Jesus had the power to accomplish his purpose.
The purpose for his coming was the preaching the kingdom of God to the whole world.
He has given us the same purpose, so how can we accomplish it.
The answer is, found in Luke 3:16; John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:
Fire is the power that we have to accomplish the purpose of God.
The word fire is used to describe different things.
Webster lists several different ways this word is used.
Your house is on fire! DESTRUCTION
Build a fire under that boy. MOTOVATION
My heart burns with fire for her. COMPASSION
My heart burns for my lost. GRIEF
I have heartburn. DISCOMFORT
I was in a fire and got burned. PAIN
I’ll build a fire in the stove. HEAT
Turn the fire on under those beans. FOOD
Build a fire under the boiler. POWER
Put that gold in the fire. PURIFYING
FIRE, FIRE, FIRE
Our lives would be greatly altered without fire.
Most of the comforts of life are the results of fire.
Almost everything that we use, see, touch, or taste has been put to the fire.
The Bible uses the word fire throughout its contents.
However there are four kinds of fire mentioned in the Bible that I would like to talk about this morning.
I.A Symbol of God
God uses fire to describe and even show himself.
Hebrews 12:29
For our God is a consuming fire.
Revelation 1:14
His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
Hebrews 1:14
Are they not all-ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?
Deut. 4:36
Out of heaven He let you hear His voice, that He might instruct you; on earth He showed you His great fire, and you heard His words out of the midst of the fire.
Fire has much power within it.
So God has much power within him.
Moses saw the portrayal of God through the burning bush.
Elisha road on God’s fiery chariot.
King Nebeconezzer saw that man’s fire as no power over God.
Abraham saw God’s fire consume his sacrifices.
Sodom and Gomorrah saw the raft of God through fire.
The rich man saw the price that had to be paid with fire.
II.As a Purifier
1 Peter 1:7
That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
1 Corinthians 3:13
Each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.
Malachi 3:2-3
But who may abide the day of his coming? And who shall stand when he appeareth?
For he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap:
"And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness."
God is the only channel through which one can be purified.
Confessing your sins to the Lord is the only tool you have to reach the refiner’s fire.
When you’re in the presence of the Lord there will be the presence of the refiner’s fire!
Luke 24:32
And they said to one another, "Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?"
We must always strive to be in fellowship with our Lord.
In doing so we will be refined by the master’s fire!
We will be cleansed like the fuller’s soap.
III. Judgment
Revelation 20:15
And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
2 Peter 3:10
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
2 Thessalonians 1:5-12
Which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer;
"since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, And to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, When He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed.
Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Yes fire will be used for judgement.
Judgment on those that refuse to recognized God in their lives.
You don’t want to ever experience this type of fire.
IV.(Fire) Baptized with Fire
Luke 3:16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:
Baptize with fire?
What is this baptizing with fire?
When you allow the Holy Spirit to take control of your life the fire of God comes in and puts steam in your boiler.
There are some Christians today that their boilers won’t even hold water much less steam.
Their boilers are corrupted with the rust of sin.
Steam creates pressure and that would burst most Christian’s boilers.
You’re under pressure when you’re in the will of God.
There is an old hymn that Baptist don’t sing much, but really tells the story.
The Pentecostal Fire
hymn by James Rowe
music by J. M. Henson
1. There are souls in sin that the Lord would win,
But we only lack desire;
And the thing we need--sorely need indeed--
Is the Pentecostal fire.
REFRAIN:
That’s the thing (that’s the thing)
the very thing (the very thing),
That is what we must acquire;
Let us pray once more as they prayed of yore
For the Pentecostal fire.
2. He will send it down and our lives will crown;
With the blessing day by day;
If we truly plead for the thing we need
In the earnest old-time way.
3. Let us seek the face of the King of grace,
Let us do His holy will;
Then the fire will come on each heart and home,
For He loves the faithful still.
We need to keep coming back to the Lord for more fire.
The church that is on fire is going somewhere.
The famous last words of a dying church are: “but we never did it that way before!”
Those that are not on fire for the Lord are cold and indifferent to God’s work.
Fire, Fire, Fire
There are basically three kinds of fire.
1. Fire that’s fuel for heating or producing energy.
2. Fire that destroys or kills.
3. Fire that purifies.
Which fire are you familiar with?
1. That fire that man uses?
2. That fire which burns for eternally?
3. That fire that purifies?
