KEEP THE FIRE BURNING
Text: Lev. 6:8-13
Introduction
1. Illustration: A U.S. Lutheran bishop tells of visiting a parish church in California and finding a stirring red and orange banner on the wall. "Come Holy Spirit. Hallelujah!" it declared in words printed under a picture of a fire burning. The bishop was also interested in the sign directly underneath the banner, which said: "Fire extinguisher." So much for that parish's commitment to spiritual renewal.
2. The question we need to ask ourselves this morning is this: are we fire igniter’s or are we fired extinguisher's?
3. In our text this morning we see two groups of people who have a responsibility to keep the fire burning.
A. The Priest's Responsibility
B. The People's responsibility
4. Let's stand together out of respect for the Word Of God as we read Lev. 6:8-13.
Proposition: God provides the fire, but it's up to us to keep it burning.
Transition: The first person we see with a responsibility to keep the fire burning is...
I. The Priest's Responsibility: Keep It Burning (8-11).
A. Must Be Kept Burning
1. In the opening verses of Leviticus 6 God said three times that the fire on the altar was to be "kept burning" (vv. 9,12,13).
A. For example, verse 13 says, "Fire must be kept burning on the altar continually; it must not go out."
B. It is not using an allegorical or typological method of interpretation to say that for the Israelites fire surely would have evoked thoughts of the presence and power of God.
C. That was true for the Israelites in the wilderness who first received these instructions, and its true throughout the Bible. (Moseley, Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary Exalting Jesus in Leviticus, 73)
i. .
2. At the beginning of the Israelites wilderness wandering, Exodus 13:21 says that the Lord went before them as a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at night.
A. Exodus 14:24 says the Lord threw the Egyptian army into confusion and appeared to them as a pillar of fire and cloud.
B. Exodus 19 records an awe-inspiring manifestation of Gods presence on Mount Sinai. It says, "Mount Sinai was completely enveloped in smoke because the Lord came down on it in fire" (v. 18).
C. Moses was likely not surprised that the Lord revealed Himself by fire. Moses first close encounter with the Lord was when He appeared to Moses by means of a fire in a bush that burned but was not consumed (Exod 3:2).
D. The Lord also revealed Himself to Ezekiel in a vision of fire (Ezek 1:4,13,27).
E. Daniel had a vision in which the Lords throne was fire, its wheels were burning with fire, and fire came out from the presence of the Lord (Dan 7:9-10).
F. The New Testament also represents God with fire. Hebrews 12:29 calls God "a consuming fire."
G. The book of Revelation says that heaven will need no sun or lamps "because the Lord God will give them light" (22:5), and Jesus will be called "the Bright Morning Star" (v. 16) (Moseley, 74).
3. So the Lord gives Moses this command, "Give Aaron and his sons the following instructions regarding the burnt offering. The burnt offering must be left on top of the altar until the next morning, and the fire on the altar must be kept burning all night."
A. The priests were instructed to keep the burnt offering which burned all night, as well as keep a fire burning on the altar continually.
B. This continual burning suggested an unbroken communion with God at the altar and the continuity of the present fire with the divine ignition of the first fire on the altar, which is narrated in ch. 9.
C. The priests were responsible for meeting this basic need of maintaining the fire at the place of worship, even through the night.
D. This became an object lesson of how, so often in life, the sublimely spiritual experiences require a mundane, monotonous, physical labor on the human side.
E. The priestly ministry was not all glamour or glory, but it was all-important for the ongoing relationship of God to the people (The Complete Biblical Library Leviticus-Numbers, Under: "Chapter 6").
4. Then in v. 10, the instructions for the priest's continue. It says, "In the morning, after the priest on duty has put on his official linen clothing and linen undergarments, he must clean out the ashes of the burnt offering and put them beside the altar. 11 Then he must take off these garments, change back into his regular clothes, and carry the ashes outside the camp to a place that is ceremonially clean."
A. The priests were told in vv. 10f to put the ashes beside the altar, and then change from their priestly garments, and take the ashes outside the camp to a clean place.
B. This showed respect for the holiness of God by disposing of the waste and changing from clothes used for ministry in the Lords presence so that there is a clear distinction between the holy and the common.
C. It also showed respect for the sacrifice in taking the remains to an acceptable place.
D. According to Ex. 28:5, the garments were linen, fine linen, which would have been worn by those in the ancient Near Eastern society who had a high position of honor in society, and could afford such expensive material (The Complete Biblical Library Leviticus-Numbers, Under: "Chapter 6").
B. Revival Fire
1. Illustration: In 1936 revival fires broke out on the campus of Wheaton College west of Chicago. A senior named Don Hillis arose in chapel to voice a plea for revival. Students responded with an all-day prayer meeting on Saturday. Both faculty and students confessed sin and made things right with one another.
The Wheaton campus was touched again in 1943 following a message on confession of sin during special services. The captain of the cross-country team arose to confess that he had violated college policy by leading his team in a Sunday race. Pride, criticism, and cheating were confessed by other students. Lunch and dinner slipped by unnoticed while the meeting continued into the evening service.
"Stop the bus!" a member of the Wheaton College Glee Club shouted. The Glee Club was touring in Florida in 1950. A revival that had broken out on the campus in Illinois had touched this student hundreds of miles away. He confessed he had broken the rules and other students began to turn to God. Gods promise is still true. If we seek Him with all our heart, we shall surely find Him ready to pour the riches of His grace and love into the lives of His people (Jeremiah 29:13).
Just as those dead bones in the Valley were revived and resurrected, even today the spiritually dead churches across this country and around the world can be revived.
2. God has lit the fire of revival!
A. Leviticus 9:24 (NLT2)
24 Fire blazed forth from the LORDs presence and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When the people saw this, they shouted with joy and fell face down on the ground.
B. He lit the fire a few weeks ago when these dry bones began to dance!
C. He lit the fire a few weeks later when we began expecting a miracle!
D. He lit a fire for those of us who went to Family Camp!
E. He lit a fire in those who went to Kids Camp!
F. He lit a fire at the altar!
G. He lit a fire in our worship!
H. He lit a fire in our attitudes!
I. He lit a fire in our hearts!
J. He lit a fire in our minds!
3. It is my responsibility to see that the fire keeps burning!
A. First of all I must keep the fire burning through prayer.
B. Ephesians 1:16-20 (NLT2)
16 I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly,
17 asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.
18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.
19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of Gods power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power
20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at Gods right hand in the heavenly realms.
C. I must keep it burning by praying that God would do a work in each one of your lives giving you spiritual wisdom an cause you to grow in your faith.
D. I must pray that your hearts with God's light so you will understand the confident hope that we have in him.
E. I must pray that you will understand the greatness of God's power.
F. Above all, I must pray that your hunger for God will increase every day!
4. Second, I must keep the fire burning by preaching and teaching the Word of God.
A. 2 Timothy 4:2-5 (NLT2)
2 Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.
3 For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear.
4 They will reject the truth and chase after myths.
5 But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you.
B. I must preach the word of God with boldness so that you will understand the truth.
C. I must preach words of encouragement so that you will not be discouraged and want to give up.
D. I must preach the words of power so that you can grab a hold of the power of the Holy Spirit.
E. I must also preach words that correct you when you go astray, and this means that from time to time I'm going to need to step on your toes and make you uncomfortable.
F. In addition, I must preach words that let you know that God loves you and that he wants to forgive you and show you mercy.
Transition: That's my responsibility, now let's get to you.
II. The People's Responsibility: Bring The Wood (12-13).
A. Add Fresh Wood
1. Again the Lord instructs Moses to tell the Preist's, "Meanwhile, the fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must never go out. Each morning the priest will add fresh wood to the fire and arrange the burnt offering on it. He will then burn the fat of the peace offerings on it.
13 Remember, the fire must be kept burning on the altar at all times. It must never go out."
A. One reason the ongoing fire was so important is that it was started directly by God: "Fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown" (Leviticus 9:24).
B. The fire on the altar, therefore, served as a constant reminder of Gods power.
C. It was a gift from heaven. No other source of fire was acceptable to God.
D. This fire also represented Gods presence. "God is a consuming fire" (Deuteronomy 4:24).
E. The Shekinah glory was visible in the fire at the altar of burnt offering.
F. This ongoing presence of God reminded the Israelites that salvation is of the Lord.
G. The atonement made at the burnt offering could only be made through Him.
H. For this reason the fire had to be kept burning continually, and in order for this to happen the priest’s had to keep putting more wood on the fire.
I. But who supplied the wood?
2. In the sacrificial system God established a pattern that He continues in the New Testament church. God made special provisions for the descendants of Aaron and the whole tribe of Levi to make their living from the sacrificial system.
A. Aaron and his descendants worked in the tabernacle and later the temple.
B. They did not have other employment because God commanded them to work in the place of worship.
C. Since they were not working elsewhere to make an income or to produce food, how could they support themselves?
D. God commanded the people to provide food for them through the sacrificial system where they worked.
E. Later, when the Israelites entered the promised land and the land was allotted to the tribes of Israel, the Levites received no land allotment.
F. Again, the Levites would not make their living by the land; they would work at the tabernacle and later the temple, so God commanded His people to provide for the Levites there.
G. So if the priest’s not only didn't have time to go gather wood, and weren't allowed to work outside of the Tabernacle, who supplied the wood?
H. The people did!!!
B. Fan Into Flames
1. Illustration: In 1746, Jonathan Edwards published a book on "concerts of prayer" -- a term used in his day and repeated in subsequent prayer movements over the last 250 years. Well aware from biblical and historical accounts that united prayer was the only way to sustain the spiritual awakening that already had begun in the colonies, Edwards called for Christians on both sides of the Atlantic to pray for revival. The title of his book summarizes what is happening throughout the Body of Christ at this hour in the growth of the prayer movement: "An Humble Attempt to Promote explicit Agreement and Visible Union of Gods People in extraordinary Prayer, for the Revival of the Church and the advancement of Christs Kingdom on Earth." Edwards book, along with such classic texts as Andrew Murrays "Key to the Missionary Problem" and Timothy Smiths Revivalism and Social Reform," suggest there usually are five phases in every historic revival: (1) Intercession -- Gods people begin to unite in prayer for revival; (2) Revelation -- God answers prayer by pouring out a fresh new manifestation of the person of Christ; (3) Consecration -- as a result, Gods people consecrate themselves to Him, and each other, and to the work of Christ in the world; (4) Revitalization -- ministries are purified and rejuvenated and become more fruitful, both locally, nationally, and beyond; (5) Expansion -- out of revival the gospel is advanced further, the church makes a greater impact upon the surrounding culture, and a general spiritual awakening takes place on many levels.
(National & International Religion Report Special Report, 1992, pp. 2-3).
2. As the congregation, you have the responsibility to keep supplying the wood!
3. Acts 2:42-47 (NLT2)
42 All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lords Supper), and to prayer.
43 A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders.
44 And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had.
45 They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need.
46 They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lords Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity
47 all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.
A. Devote:
Proskartereo expresses one aspect of the power and vitality of early Christianity: persevere with, persist in. While it primarily carries the meaning of kartereo (2565), remain strong, steadfast, persevere, it gives greater emphasis to the time element. Duration is the key element in persistence.
(The Complete Biblical Library Greek-English Dictionary Pi-Rho, Under: "4201. p??s?a?te???").
B. Persist in the Word
C. Persist in Fellowship - Unity
D. Persist in Prayer
Conclusion
1. In our text this morning we see two groups of people who have a responsibility to keep the fire burning.
2.
A. The Priest's Responsibility
B. The People's Responsibility
3. THREE THINGS TO REMEMBER...
A. THE MOST IMPORTANT WAY TO KEEP THE FIRE BURNING IS PRAYER.
B. THE SECOND MOST IMPORTANT THING TO KEEP THE FIRE BURNING IS PERSISTANCE.
C. THE THIRD MOST IMPORTANT WAY TO KEEP THE FIRE BURNING IS UNITY.
