THE FILLING STATION #2: FIRE POWER!
(February 2006 – Filling Station Youth Conference)
OPENING: How many of you guys like to play with fire? Camping stories of boys & fire! Every boy, no matter what the age, is a pyromaniac. Camping @ Cultus Lake last summer, my son Austin (age 5) burned his hand playing in the fire, didn’t tell his mom who was right there, came down to the water where I was and told me. It’s a guy thing! (Some girls are, too!)
Spencer’s story – life of crime: He used to ‘steal’ matches from the local corner store until they said to him one day, “We know you’re taking our matches. They’re free you know.” He would start fires.
Youth lighter story – parent called me saying some youth were trying to burn down the portable – went and confiscated the lighters – Two different kinds – one only has a snazzy brand name, a spark, but no fire (fuel), the other has a HOT fire! I know – from first hand experience how hot it is - it burns!
TWO THINGS: To remember from this morning:
1. Jesus is the ultimate, original pyromaniac.
2. Jesus is looking for someone to become His firepower!
JESUS IS THE ULTIMATE PYROMANIAC!
Fire = mentioned over 500 times in the Bible
What is a Pyromaniac? Definition: omeone who has the irresistible urge to start fires. Look at the Word:
1. Genesis 3:23 - God sent an angel and a flaming sword to guard the Garden of Eden
2. Genesis 19:22 - set a couple of cities on fire (Sodom & Gomorrah)
3. Exodus 3:2 - set a bush on fire when He appeared to Moses
4. Exodus 19:28 - set a mountain on fire
5. Leviticus - God told his people to set things on fire (offerings)
6. Numbers - fire by night
7. Deut. 4:24 - “For the Lord your God is a consuming fire.”
INTERESTING NOTE: The only books in the Bible that don’t talk about fire = Ruth & Esther (girls books) See – boys are all pyromaniacs! (Side note - Ezra is one ’boy’ book of the Bible who doesn’t talk about fire, but he was just a nerdy bookworm! (Kidding of course, he was a great scribe!)
JESUS IS LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO BECOME HIS FIREPOWER!
Firepower Defined - the capacity, as of a weapon, weapons system, or military unit for delivering fire; the ability to deliver fire against an enemy in combat. Effective power or force.
God wants you to become a powerful weapon that He can use to deliver fire against the Enemy in combat. Anyone want to become a pyromaniac for Jesus, flamethrowers for Jesus?
KEY TEXTS:
“But John intervened: "I’m baptizing you here in the river. The main character in this drama (Jesus), to whom I’m a mere stagehand, will IGNITE the kingdom life, a fire, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out.” (Luke 3:16, The Message).
“I have come to cast fire on the Earth, and how I wish it were already kindled.” (Luke 12:49).
GET IGNITED!
Remember: Jesus is the ultimate, original pyromaniac, and Jesus is looking for someone to become His firepower!
I want to take you to a story in the Scriptures of an ordinary Joe who became God’s firepower.
BACKDROP TO THE STORY:
“Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage. So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them.” (Exodus 2:23-25).
- Doesn’t that sound like the world we’re living in, specifically our nation?
THE STORY:
“1 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. 3 Then Moses said, "I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn." 4 So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am." 5 Then He said, "Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.” (Exodus 3:1-5).
- Before God raised Moses up as a deliverer, He had to experience the FIRE OF GOD!
- God wants us to become fascinated with God, to turn aside and see this great sight!
- God wants us to hear His voice and come onto holy ground! GET IGNITED!
THREE BAPTISMS OF FIRE IN THE BIBLE:
1. THE FIRE BAPTISM OF LOVE:
“Love is invincible facing danger and death. Passion laughs at the terrors of hell. The fire of love stops at nothing - it sweeps everything before it. Flood waters can’t drown love, torrents of rain can’t put it out.” (Song 8:6b-7a).
- Corey talked about first love – first things first – last night.
- This has to be the foundation! God wants to stir up our passion and fiery love for Jesus!
- “So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.” (Ex. 33:11).
2. THE FIRE BAPTISM OF HOLINESS:
“Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, In whom you delight. Behold, He is coming," Says the Lord of hosts. "But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire And like launderer’s soap. He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, And purge them as gold and silver, That they may offer to the Lord An offering in righteousness.” (Malachi 3:1-3).
- Shanda prophetic word about the flaming meteor hitting the conference to burn away everything not of Him. Are you willing to give up everything to know Him more?
- “Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.” (Exodus 3:5).
- Sin is like water that will put out the fire of love for Jesus!
- Smokey the bear said, “Only YOU can prevent wildfires!” Our sin stops the fire!
3. THE FIRE BAPTISM OF POWER:
“But you shall receive power (dunamis – dynamite – firepower) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me.” (Acts 1:8).
- “Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” (Exodus 3:10).
PRACTICAL TAKE-HOME CHALLENGE:
“And the fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not be put out. And the priest shall burn wood on it every morning.” (Leviticus 6:12).
WHAT IS THE FUEL/WOOD FOR THE FIRE OF GOD IN OUR LIVES?
1. The Fire of the Word (Jeremiah 20:9).
2. The Fire of Prayer (Rev. 8:4 – smoke of the prayers of the saints – smoke = fire)
3. The Fire of the Holy Spirit!
CLOSING TEXT:
“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (Acts 2:1-4).
PRAYER FOR HOLY SPIRIT BAPTISM
