February 8, 2009
“God Is a Consuming Fire”
Hebrews 12:22-29
Intro: Consuming –owerwhelming-overpowering-awe-inspiring-appealing-alluring-enticing
Greek Katanalisko(only times used in Scripture) means consume utterly)
• God desire is to have us be totally committed to Him.
• He does this by the POWER of the Holy Spirit
I. The Power of His Call
A. Exodus 3:4-6
B. There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3 So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up."
C. 4 When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!"
And Moses said, "Here I am."
1. He looked to see what God was saying
2. He answered His call
3. He responded in obedience
a. He reacted with reverence to God’s omnipotence
D. There is still power in His call to the church today
1. We look to see what God is doing
2. We answer the call
3. We recognize His control and all-powerfulness.
II. Power Of Prayer
A. Prayer is to be a time when we are in submission to God.
1. Acts 4:25-31
2. 25You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:
" ’Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
26The kings of the earth take their stand
and the rulers gather together
against the Lord
and against his Anointed One.[a]’[b] 27Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people[c] of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen.
3. 29Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus."
4. 31After 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.
5. They raised their voices together
6. They prayed specifically for boldness
7. They asked for God’s hand on their works
B. They were ALL filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the Word of God boldly
C. I John 5:14-15
D. 14This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.
III. There is Power in Obedience
A. Daniel 1:1 story of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah
1. Daniel 3:16-18
16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."
2. 4 in the fire
3. They were obedient in what they knew God desired
B. Areas of Obedience
1. Our eyes on Jesus
2. Prayer a priority in the life of the church
3. Meet the needs of the youth as God sees fit
4. That we as a church find ways to come in contact with the unchurched
5. That we boldly and intentionally invite people to worship with us.
IV. The Power of Love
A. II Timothy 1:6-7
6For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
1. Love is a gift from God
2. Jesus’ love for us
2.
