Scripture: Genesis 22:1- 14
Title: “The Fire of God!”
Introduction: The Bible has a lot to say about “Fire.” The word “Fire” is used 549 times in 506 verses throughout the Word of God. God has used FIRE to execute judgment upon evil. God has used FIRE to get the ATTENTION of Moses. God COMMUNICATED His MESSAGE to His people when the GLORY CLOUD came down upon the TABERNACLE in the Wilderness Wanderings of the Israelites.
God wants to come down UPON His TABERNACLE today so that He may communicate His message to us.
We, who are Christians, are the TABERNACLE of God and we need to be ILLUMINATED with the “Fire” of God’s presence. When God’s presence was manifested by “Fire” all the people could see that God was on the scene.
I. WHEN IS IT A GOOD TIME FOR A FIRE?
a. It’s a Good Time for a “Fire” when it is COLD!
Have you ever seen a time when the hearts of people are as cold as they are now days?
In 1 Kings 18 we read of a time when the country had turned to idolatry and hearts were very COLD toward God and Elijah came along with a proposition, “How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him.”
Then Elijah put forth another proposition to the Baal prophets, “And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.”
“Then the fire of the LORD fell,”
b. It is a Good Time for a “Fire” when it is DARK! (Ex. 10:21-23) “And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt. And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days: They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.”
c. It is a Good Time for a “Fire” when the WOLF is after you! (Mt. 7:15) “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.”
d. It is a Good Time for a “Fire” when you’re LOST! (Illustration of the man setting a “Signal Fire.”
e. It is a Good Time for a “Fire” when something needs to be DISPOSED of! (Dan. 3:25) “He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.”
f. It is a Good Time for a “Fire” when something needs to be PROVED! (1 Kings 18:24) “And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.”
II. WHERE IS THE FIRE?
a. The “Fire” is in PRAYER. (Isa. 6:6-7) “Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.”
(Mt. 6:6) “…when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.”
b. The “Fire” is in the WORD of GOD. (Jer. 20:9) “Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.”
c. The “Fire” is in WALKING with Jesus. ((Lk. 24:32) “And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?”
