“A CHURCH ON FIRE” Acts 2
FBCF – 8/25/24
Jon Daniels
INTRO – Monticello Methodist Church fire – Jan 11, 1980
This was a literal church on fire.
FBCF was already a church on fire before this week’s revival w/ Dr. Don Wilton. But after what we experienced this week, the Holy Spirit poured MUCH fuel on that fire!
Components of the Monticello Methodist fire:
- Source of ignition – never fully determined: some say electrical fire – some say started by a woman passing through town, asked church for help, & was angry at amount of help she received – whatever it was, there was a source of ignition.
- Fuel – Fire load
- Oxygen
- Amount of time that elapsed before fire was discovered & reported – how long a headstart did fire have before FD was able to respond & begin fighting the fire
What about FBCF? What will it take for us to STAY on fire? What are the components of a church that’s on fire?
4 Components of a church on fire:
POWER: The Awesome Power of God – v. 1-4
You could hear it – v. 2 – “a mighty rushing wind” – symbol of Holy Spirit
- Capt of sailing ship: “I know very little about the wind, but I know how to set my sails.”
You could feel it – “it filled the entire house”
You could see it – v. 3 – “tongues as of fire” – another symbol of HS – Fire consume, provides warmth & light, purifies & refines, provides energy
You could understand it – “speak in other tongues”
- God made the incomprehensible comprehensible!
“…they were all together…” – important point! UNITY!
We experienced all of these this week in revival. And God wants us to continue experiencing all of these things.
PREACHING: Christ-Centered Preaching– v. 14ff
Peter – most unlikely preacher
Preached JESUS! – v. 22-24 – “Jesus of Nazareth…THIS Jesus…”
Kept going back to the OT & pulling in their Scriptures so the Jews would see how Jesus was the fulfillment of every OT prophecy about Him – at least 300!
Lifted Jesus up b/c Jesus said, “If I be lifted up, I will draw all men to myself” (John 12:32).
- We lift up JESUS!
- Not FBCF
- Not our children’s ministry
- Not our student ministry
- Not our music ministry
- Not our SonShiners senior adult ministry
- Not our Life Groups
- We lift up JESUS! We preach Jesus Christ & Him crucified. We preach Jesus, the Way, the Truth, the Life.
PEOPLE: Saved People Following Jesus – v. 37-41
What kind of people? Saved people! A church on fire is full of saved people. A NT church must have a born-again membership – We aren’t a club that you join – a civic organization – a fraternity or sorority
Look at what happens when you lift up Jesus w/ Christ-centered preaching – people get saved!
How did these people get saved?
- Conviction came on them – v. 37 – “cut to the heart”
o People run to the altar b/c they are running to Jesus
o Nikki Williams FAITH visit
- Repentance – v. 38 – They turned from their sin & self & turned to Jesus – They were saved at that instant!
- Confessed Jesus publicly – v. 38 – “be baptized” – Not baptized in order to BE forgiven & saved, but b/c you have BEEN forgiven & saved.
o There’s still water in this baptistery & some of you need be baptized at the end of this service.
- Received the Holy Spirit – v. 38 – This happens to EVERY person who accepts Jesus as their Savior.
o “receive” – acquire, obtain possession of something; experience
o “Salvation is not just believing something or achieving something – it is receiving someONE!” (Adrian Rogers)
PURPOSE: A Church Fulfilling Its Purpose – v. 41-47
Good picture of a church doing what it’s supposed to be & is supposed to be doing. Saved church members w/:
- A high level of commitment – v. 42 – “devoted”
- A holy regard for the Bible – v. 42 – “apostles’ teaching”
- A heart for fellowship – v. 42 – koinonia – We need each other.
- A hunger for prayer – v. 42 – “prayers”
- A helping mindset – v. 44-45 – giving, serving, helping, ministering, caring, loving, supporting
RESULT? – v. 47 – “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” The church grew numerically as it grew spiritually.
God wants His Church to grow! Not every church is going to be a big church or even supposed to be a big church. Some of most effective churches are small churches.
“You’re only concerned about the numbers.” Yep! Why? B/c God is concerned about the numbers. He wants MORE people to be saved & we should, too! (2 Peter 3:9). Every number represents that “hell lost another one!”
- Acts 1:5 – 120
- Acts 2:41 – Added 3000
- Acts 2:47 – Daily adding people
- Acts 4:4 – 5000 men (not counting women & children)
- Acts 5:28 – Entire city filled w/ the Gospel
- Acts 6:7 – Number of disciples in Jerusalem multiplied greatly
- Acts 9:31 – The Church throughout all Judea & Galilee & Samaria multiplied.
o Gone from adding to multiplying
? 5+5= 10 5x5=25
? 10+10=20 10x10=100
? 100+100=200 100x100=10,000
Why build a new 700-seat sanctuary? B/c of this very reason! And it very well may be that 700 seats won’t be enough one day soon!
CONCLUSION: God has set us on fire. God wants us to stay on fire. God has given us everything we need to be a church on fire. It will be up to us.
- We can quench it down or we can crank it up
- We can douse it or we can delight in it
- We can stomp it or we can stoke it
- We can extinguish it or we can explode it
- We can pour water on it or we can pour gas on it
- It’s up to us!
I want to invite you to get down here to this altar.
- Commit your life to Jesus Christ & be saved!
- Commit your life to His Church & be on fire!
o Some of you need to join today – Been visiting long enough – On the fringes & sidelines long enough – Time to stop dating the church & make a permanent commitment!
o Some of you need to renew your commitment – Time to re-up!
o Some of you need to come in repentance – You’ve tried to quench & douse the fire & you need to repent of that sin.
