Fire
Acts 2:1-4
Acts 2:1-4… On the day of Pentecost, seven weeks after Jesus’ resurrection, the believers were meeting together in one place. 2 Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm in the skies above them, and it filled the house where they were meeting. 3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability. NLT
One of the notable symbols of Pentecost is that of "fire." We remember that there was fire at the first Pentecost - the giving of the law to Moses 50 days after the crossing of the Red Sea as the Israelites departed Egypt. Here’s the description given to us by Moses:
Exodus 19:18 "Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently."
According to Acts Chapter 2, on the New Testament Day of Pentecost 50 days after the Resurrection, fire appeared again.
The setting was where the faithful followers of Jesus met for 10 days of expectant prayer.
It is significant that at the Exodus Pentecost, the fire appeared above the entire nation, whereas on the Pentecost of Acts appeared as a fire positioned over each individual.
This symbolizes the first fire was for the people of God as a whole, but now the anointing of the Spirit was made available for every individual believer.
Luke’s description of this manifestation, as "tongues of fire" enabled the worshippers to speak in "tongues," later to be understood and interpreted by some of Jerusalem’s foreign visitors.
Acts 2:9-11 … "Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia; Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes." They all received the message.
The Holy Spirit brought to the believers:
• Freedom, Inspiration, Renewal, and Effectiveness
1. The Spirit Produces Freedom.
There are many kinds of freedom:
• freedom from prison, oppression, or tyranny,
• freedoms of speech
• freedoms of religion
• financial freedom
• Revolutionaries fight for political freedom;
• educators argue for intellectual freedom;
• theologians tell us we are "free moral agents";
• Freudian psychologists try to convince us that sexual freedom is the way to happiness.
In our Christian life, what comes to mind are two freedoms:
1. freedom from sin… The first freedom has to do with receiving salvation
Romans 6:18 … "You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness."
Does this mean we will never again sin? Of course not.
It does mean that we are no longer under the power of the sin nature. Instead of succumbing to the power of the evil one, which always produces destruction and death, we are free to serve God in righteousness.
2. freedom from fear … is about spreading the message of salvation.
Took place after the first persecution of the early Christians. When strictly told that they should no longer preach this message about Jesus, they called a prayer meeting.
Acts 4:31… "After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly." They we able to overcome their fear by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.
Paul later made a clear connection between the Spirit and freedom
II Corinthians 3:17… "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."
2. The Spirit Produces Inspiration.
ILL… We often refer to writers, artists or musicians as being "inspired" - they create their masterpieces while drawing from some form of inspiration.
However with the Holy Spirit we say there is inspiration so whenever we attempt to talk with someone about the most important matters, i.e., life, death, heaven, hell, peace with God - we can expect to be guided by the Holy Spirit.
At the end of the conversation we may remark, "Where did that come from?" Our awareness is that what we said did not represent something we had knowingly thought up - the words flowed easily, and came inspired by the Spirit.
Def… To speak with inspiration simply means to speak God’s Word with an anointing of the Spirit so that it accomplishes something of lasting value.
Isaiah 55:10 - 11… "As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater. So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."
This idea of inspiration doesn’t just apply to those moments when we speak directly to the issue of salvation. It also has to do with the times we get to speak with someone who is burdened, bleeding, or broken.
Isaiah 50:4 "The Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught."
This kind of inspiration always brings about godly benefit to the receiver of the word.
3. The Spirit Produces Renewal
Whenever the Spirit of the Lord is present, there comes about change - nothing remains as it was when encountered by the Spirit; ". . . old things are passed away behold all things are become new." (II Corinthians 5:17)
There are many other words that could be used here:
• Rebirth - to be a Christian is to be Born Again (by the power of the Spirit), and this is something that happens not just once - the rebirth keeps happening.
• Reconciliation - our relationships with God and one another are restored through the work of the Holy Spirit;
• Restoration - what has been ruined by sin is made new, as a promised benefit of the Spirit coming upon all flesh: "I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten." (Joel 2:25)
• Recreation is an ongoing process whereby we are made to be new creations in Christ.
• Revival happens over and over throughout the history of the world and in our own personal lives. Whenever we become so self-satisfied as to think we don’t need it is when we need it most.
Quote… Revival… A.W. Tozer wrote, "Revivals come only to those who want them badly enough. The problem is not to persuade God to fill us, but to want God sufficiently to permit him to do so. The average Christian is so cold and so contented with his wretched condition that there is no vacuum of desire into which the blessed Spirit can rush in satisfying fullness." from Born After Midnight
All of these words have the prefix "re" which suggests something to be repeated, or done again, and again.
Joke… A man says to his son, "Two boys were out in the boat fishing. Their names were Pete and Repeat. Pete fell in, so who was left?" The son says, "Repeat." So the father says, "Two boys were out in the boat fishing. Their names were Pete and Repeat. Pete fell in, so who was left?"
In fact, spiritual renewal is very repetitive. Much like the cycles of the seasons - there’s death and rebirth over and over again.
4. The Spirit Produces Effectiveness.
There are two main arenas for the increased effectiveness made possible through the work of the Spirit.
1. Increased effectiveness in witness.
The way we live the Gospel and the way we verbally communicate the Gospel. In both of these areas the Holy Spirit makes the critical difference.
Those who are filled with the Spirit exhibit before their families, neighbors and colleagues an attractive life-style, one characterized by inner peace, joy and love, as well as an ability to cope with the demands and difficulties life throws at all of us.
When opportunities come to share their faith, those who are Spirit baptized receive necessary guidance at the moment of encounter. Then they can speak their own story and the story of Jesus in a way that convinces others to also follow the Lord.
2. The Holy Spirit also causes us to be more effective in society. This is clearly one reason why Christian societies usually end up having a higher economic standard of living.
Through the work of the Spirit, God provides heightened abilities to learn and to earn.
• Christians do well in schools at all levels, not necessarily because they have better genes, but because their families provide a good environment, and their own inner sense of well-being produces better conditions for learning and development.
• In their personal dealings, Christians are more kind and loving, and operate their business with fairness and integrity.
• In addition, a Spirit filled Christian has access to the very wisdom of God because the Spirit is wisdom. The result often is increased earning ability.
So here it is, The Spirit is a Spirit of FIRE. Freedom, Inspiration, Renewal, and Effectiveness.
The FIRE was there on the first day of the church, is it present in our day as well.
For the Christian the fire comes through the fullness of the Spirit. However, while it is miraculous, it is not magical. This blessing of FIRE, this Freedom, Inspiration, Renewal, and Effectiveness is given to us in answer to our simple and sincere prayer.
Luke 11:13… Jesus said, "If you . . . know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"
The FIRE is available to us today; it only awaits our prayer.
Communion:
