Rekindle The Fire Part 2 Series

I first want to thank Brother Ron and Brother Buddy for agreeing to do this three Church Revival. I also want to thank you the members of Union, Magee’s creek and Holly Springs for being here tonight. Maybe your not the ones who need to here tonight’s message, but maybe you are.

It was Brother Ron’s idea to make the theme about Fire. Did you know the word fire is used some 510 times in the King James translation of the Bible? It is used in good ways and in bad. The bottom line is this fire is one of the most powerful forces on earth.

Also did you know that in order to have fire you must have three things come together in a chain reaction. You need heat, fuel and oxygen, and if you take away any one of the three the fire will begin to go out.

I would offer you that if you want to be on fire for the Lord you need three things; you need God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Take away any one of the three and you will become like the Church at Laodicea, you will only be lukewarm at best. So with that said let’s take a look at Revelation 3: 14 through 18. Again we will look at Revelation 3:14-18, when you find that please stand as you are able for the reading of God’s Holy Word. Again our text will come from Revelation 3:14-18, here is what it says: And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: 15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— 18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.

Now if you have a red letter bible you will see that these words are all in red, meaning they are coming from the mouth of Jesus.

Tonight I want to take a look at maybe the most well known disciple to follow Jesus. I want us to take a look at Peter. The Peter that Jesus said he would build His Church upon. And as we look at Peter we will see that it took some doing to really set him on fire for the Lord.

Peter first meets Jesus through his brother Andrew. We find this in John 1:40-42: One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus.

Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is translated, A Stone).

I just love how Jesus is already laying the foundation for Peter to become the rock or stone on which He establishes His Church.

But what we should notice is that Peter or Simon as he is known at this time had only heard about John the Baptist through his brother Andrew. So what do we learn from that? Well we can easily see that he knew God, that he knew who God was and that God had been active in the lives of his people for hundreds of years.

But that’s about it. Simon was a simple fisherman. He was strong and somewhat brash; he’s often portrayed as being impetuous, always speaking his mind and acting on impulse. But then something happens. Let’s pick up part of that story in Matthew 4:18-20: And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 19 Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 They immediately left their nets and followed Him.

So it is here that Peter begins his journey, that he begins to warm us, he is lukewarm if you will. It is here that Peter truly begins the process of figuring out who this Rabbi or teacher really is. Now hang with me because as we continue to follow Peter we will see that as he comes to know the Christ he begins to warm us, some would say that he actually is on fire for the Lord.