Fire…Works
Pt. 1 – I Want A Fire…Works Display
I. Introduction
It is that time of year. July. The month of fireworks. We all seem to love and want a fireworks display. It has become an annual ritual at our house and I am sure the same is true at your house. We grab blankets, bug spray, our kids and fight the throngs of people and the hot weather to get a good seat to watch the bombs go off. We hold our breath waiting for the unexpected bang. We long for the unusual shower of sparks we have never seen before. We love fireworks.
That is until it comes to church. We don’t like explosions and the unexpected at church. However, I want you to understand that church without Fire…Works is not really church!
I am here to declare to you that I want a fireworks display. I think I am in good company. Paul wanted a display as well. We discover this in 1 Corn. 14:1 – desire spiritual gifts. He was used to fireworks displays at church.
We see the first one in Act 2. You have read this many times, but I want us to read it again to remind ourselves that this is what church is supposed to be like. Fire…works in our midst.
Acts 2:1-4
1And when the day of Pentecost was now come, they were all together in one place. 2And suddenly there came from heaven a sound as of the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3And there appeared unto them tongues parting asunder, like as of fire; and it sat upon each one of them. 4And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
If you have the time you should read through the book of Acts again. It reveals that there was a constant fireworks display in the church and in the lives of the people. That is what I long for again. We need fire. . .works.
I am challenging you to help me pray for and participate in fireworks in our church. However, I do want you to understand some things about fireworks displays before we go further in this pursuit of fire…works.
a. Fire. . .Works display takes a lot of work and preparation.
We won’t just show up and have one. We have to prepare with prayer, praise, personally. I will keep hitting this until we get it. We must prepare. We can’t just roll in and expect there to be fire…works. Fire…works take hours of preparation and planning. We need you to show up each week with your gifts prepared. Your heart prepared. Your spirit prepared. Why?
The truth is that you have fire. . .works (gifts) inside of you that we need to operate in our services.
Paul clearly states that each one of us have gifts that are needed. In 1 Corinthians 12:7 he says, “7Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people!”
If the only gifts that operate each week are the gifts of the preacher and the worship team we will be relegated to a fire…works display that will be poor, won’t be very balanced, and won’t have much pop. We need you to begin to operate in your gift!
That means that each gift must be exercised! Interesting use of word there! Definition of exercised is “to use repeatedly in order to strengthen or develop.”
Our gift must be built up. Made stronger by use. Just like a natural body must be exercised your gift must be exercised. You can’t show up here and expect there to be fire…works if you haven’t prepared your gift, your spirit, your heart. Exercise and prepare! If you don’t exercise the gift it will be weak and underdeveloped.
Why is this so crucial? Because Fire. . .Works take investment.
Think about the investment people have to make to put on a fireworks display. Money, time, energy, planning. No one just shows up at the park and the fireworks set themselves up. The fire trucks don’t drive themselves to the park. The chorography of the show doesn’t just happen by coincidence. Investment is made. I am saying to you that we must invest in our times together. We must invest in this church. We must invest in our desire for fire…works.
I want you to change the way you come to church so that we can experience a change in the way that we have church.
Don’t just stroll in with no investment or preparation made. We will experience fire…works when we prepare and invest!
b. Visiting or frequenting a fireworks stand doesn’t mean that you will have a fireworks display.
In fact, I would say to you that you can go to a fireworks stand every week of every year and that doesn’t mean you will have a fireworks display!
To have a fireworks display you have to actually get the fireworks. In other words, attending a Pentecostal Church doesn’t make you Pentecostal any more than sitting in a garage makes you a corvette. You must experience Pentecost for yourself.
Don’t call yourself or count yourself as a Pentecostal if you have never had an Acts 2 moment in your life!
Let me be very plain with you. In order for you to be a part of the fire…works display we need you to experience fire. That means you need to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. We have been challenging you to want more. The way I see it is if it is in the Bible I should want it and expect it. If it is in the Bible I don’t have to fear it or do without it. Therefore, if you have Christ in your life as savior and lord then you should also want the more of the Holy Spirit which is a promise from God to us!
Remember the promise was made to us in Luke 11:11-13?
11If your little boy asks for a serving of fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? 12If your little girl asks for an egg, do you trick her with a spider? 13As bad as you are, you wouldn’t think of such a thing—you’re at least decent to your own children. And don’t you think the Father who conceived you in love will give the Holy Spirit when you ask him?”
You need the Holy Spirit. In fact, I can tell you based on Luke 11 that God wants you to have a Fireworks Display more than you want to have one! We will talk more about why next week, but let me just simply say this week that you need Him. Simply coming to the fireworks stand and never personally getting the fireworks in your possession means that you will either be relegated to either living life without fireworks displays or you will only get to watch everyone else’s fireworks display. I can attest to the fact that having your own fire…works display is better!
c. Fire. . .works have an inherent risk. Fire. . .works can be dangerous!
I acknowledge that fireworks can be dangerous. They can be dangerous if not handled correctly.
Even with all the warning labels and accounts of tragedy firworks are still abused. My pop bottle rocket fights! Silly. Dangerous. Immature. Yep! Has it stopped me from taking my kids to the fireworks display? Has the deaths and disfigurement that have happened in the past caused us to quit putting on fireworks displays? NO!!!
The truth is this:
Like it or not when you start handling fire…works there is a very good chance that someone will get hurt. Like it or not when you start having fire…works displays the freaks come out of the wood work, mistakes are made. Immaturity will be exhibited. Corrections will have to be made.
This is nothing new. Go read 1 Corinthians 14. The whole chapter is Paul’s rebuke and correction to the Corinthians for the manner in which they were handling the fireworks! In fact, things were so chaotic and dangerous at times that he sums it all up in 1 Corinthians 14 in the last verse (40) by saying 40But let all things be done decently and in order. In other words he is saying. Get a clue . . .do it, but do it right!
How many of you have seen the gifts abused or maybe had someone use or perhaps misuse a gift on you. I have seen prophets prophecy for their own benefit. I have heard people give selfish and self centered messages. I have seen people put on a show for attention. I have either heard it all or seen it all.
And yet I, for all of the inherent risks of fireworks, am not ready to do away with the fireworks display.
Gifts will be abused at times. However, we will set up safeguards. We just can’t get rid of the fireworks because of a few mishaps.
Paul knew this too. That is why in the same chapter of 1 Corinthians 14 he lays out the ground work for handling fireworks. He says, “26So here’s what I want you to do. When you gather for worship, each one of you be prepared with something that will be useful for all: Sing a hymn, teach a lesson, tell a story, lead a prayer, provide an insight. 27If prayers are offered in tongues, two or three’s the limit, and then only if someone is present who can interpret what you’re saying. 28Otherwise, keep it between God and yourself. 29And no more than two or three speakers at a meeting, with the rest of you listening and taking it to heart. 30Take your turn, no one person taking over. 31Then each speaker gets a chance to say something special from God, and you all learn from each other. 32If you choose to speak, you’re also responsible for how and when you speak. 33When we worship the right way, God doesn’t stir us up into confusion; he brings us into harmony. This goes for all the churches—no exceptions.”
Dangerous, but not if we handle them properly. That is why we have safeguards. I believe God wants us to use the gifts properly. That is why we have made room for gifts of words of wisdom and knowledge by placing elders (Tina, John Chasteen, Susan Beacham, Bob Ely) to whom you can submit those words. That is why we are careful about messages in tongues . . . they need interpretation and we will expect that interpretation to bear witness in our spirits or we will continue to wait for the “right” interpretation.
I am not afraid of the danger and you shouldn’t either. If we work to handle them properly they are safe!
I honestly believe that the risk of not having them is much greater than the risk of having them mishandled.
If we fear them so much that we don’t have them or won’t allow them we miss the opportunity of having God move in our midst. We miss the opportunity of having God change folk’s lives. We risk having to do church in our own power and might! That is more dangerous than having the gifts abused!
People will drive hours, wait in line, fight obstacles and deal with inconveniences for the genuine, well thought out, and properly organized and safe fireworks display.
If we want to grow, if we want to be a place of passion, if we want people to have what we have then we must have fire…works. It is hard to draw people with no fireworks! Crowds fight for the chance to see fireworks!
d. Fire…Works don’t have to be limited to once a year!
Many people have become satisfied with fireworks once a year. July is the only time they enjoy them. In Oklahoma, did you know that you can only sell fireworks in a certain period of time? June 15-July 6 and December 15-January 2. That is not true everywhere. In some places you can have fireworks all year round!
I do not want us to become comfortable or satisfied with fire…works occasionally. I don’t want us to pat ourselves on the back when we see gifts used once a year or even once a month. Greenville – 1 message a year. If we are going to be a New Testament Church and follow scriptural examples and mandates then Fire..works should be constant and consistently present each week.
The other thing we have done is make certain fireworks illegal or off limits. In Oklahoma that means no pop bottle rockets or M80s. If we are not careful we will limit God by our lack of understanding. We will be fine with the gift of faith, but not tongues. We will accept gift of healing, but not words of wisdom or prophecy. I don’t understand so they are off limits. No we cannot limit God. If it is in the Word it is acceptable! Let’s take the regulations off of God’s fire…works show and access it, marvel at it, enjoy it, and participate in it on a daily and weekly basis!
II. Close
I want to tell you something this morning we need fire. . .works. The fire - works. It is the fire that will set us apart. I am not satisfied with fire works once a year or even once a month. I want fire. . .works every time we come together.
I want you to agree with me that Passion Church will become a place of weekly fire…works. I believe we already are, but it needs to intensify and grow. Even if you don’t fully understand the Holy Spirit and what He does will you agree with me that we want a fireworks display? In the next few weeks I will do my best to help you understand the working and purpose of the Holy Spirit so that you won’t fear Him or limit Him. But to start off July let’s declare that we want a fireworks display!
If that is our heart then we must be willing to prepare, invest, deal with the danger, get fire ourselves and take the limits off!
Prayer!
