A Church on FIRE! - Pastor Nahum Masimer

In Part 2 of our series… we want to focus on what it looks like to have a CHURCH ON FIRE and what it takes to IGNITE the Church.

As I was preparing for this message Dan Shared with me that in the early days of Faith Fellowship’s birthing, the leaders looked to Acts 2:42-47 as their baseline verse…

Acts 2:42-47(NIV)

The Fellowship of the Believers

⁴² They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ⁴³ Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. ⁴⁴ All the believers were together and had everything in common. ⁴⁵ They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. ⁴⁶ Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

“Our God is a consuming fire.” (Heb. 12:29), and He desires to have, and will have a church that is “on fire” with His Divine Presence and Power.


Fire consumes -- burns out the sinful and unnecessary “stuff” in our lives.
Fire purifies -- makes us clean and holy before God.


Fire prepares (as in food) -- makes us tasteful and pleasant to each other.

Fire cheers -- when we are caught in the cold grip of despair and discouragement, He cheers us on to victory.

Fire softens -- the Holy Spirit softens the heart of the sinner and he repents.

Fire unites -- ( as in uniting different kinds of metals) the Holy Spirit brings unity to the people of God.

Fire empowers -- “Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you.” (Acts 1:8).

“We fail to get up much steam in many of our endeavors because we do not have enough fire under the boilers.”

So how do we stoke the coals?

How do we ignite the fire in the church?

I. A Church On Fire Will Fast And Pray.

A. It will see the need for and the value of earnestly seeking God with the whole heart.


1 Cor. 7:5 .... that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer;

II. A Church On Fire Will Be Uncomfortable In The World.
1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.


III. A Church On Fire Will Care For Souls.

A. Jesus wept over Jerusalem because He cared for their souls.
Matthew 23:37 [Living] "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones all those God sends to her! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me.


IV. A Church On Fire Accomplishes Great Things For God.
John 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

V. A Church On Fire Will Contend For All The Blessings Of God.

A. They will not be satisfied with powerless services.

B. They will not be satisfied with the “status quo”.

C. There will be an ongoing spirit of revival.

Lastly… When the Church is stoking the coals and we are SELF IGNITING as well as BODY IGNITING… then A FIRE starts to build and as Acts 2:47 states… “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”

It takes a SPARK to get a Fire Going!

How is your passion for God as we head into 2017? Is it BURNING or smoldering? If you were being truthful, could you say YES?

Here’s a CONSTANT…

God Is PASSIONATELY IN LOVE WITH YOU!

Illustration:

A young man was sent to Spain by his company to work in a new electronics plant. It was a 2-year assignment that he had accepted because it would enable him to earn enough to marry his long-time girlfriend. They wrote to each other every week, but as the lonely weeks went by, she wrote expressing doubts that he was being true to her, thinking that he was going to give into a European beauty.

The young man wrote back, declaring with great passion that he was not paying attention to the local girls. He wrote, “I admit, that sometimes I’m tempted, but I fight it. I’m keeping myself for you.”

In the next mail, the young man received a package. It contained a note from his girl and a harmonica. She wrote, “I’m sending this to you, so you can learn to play it and have something to take your mind off the girls.”

The man replied, “Thanks for the harmonica. I’m practicing it every night while I only think of you.”

At the end of his 2 year, the man was transferred back to company headquarters. He took the first plane to Tennessee to be reunited with his girl. Her whole family was with her, but as he rushed forward to embrace her, she said, “Just hold on there a minute, Billy, before any serious kissing and hugging, let me hear you play the harmonica!”

Exodus 34:14 “You must worship only the Lord, for He…is passionate about His relationship with you.”

What is passion? Webster’s Dictionary says its, “A great devotion and intense conviction which fuels or motivates toward compelling action.”

(1 John 3:1a) See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

(1 John 4:10-12) This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us

(Ephesians 3:17-19) And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Our “spark” can be fanned into a FLAME when we understand that we are LOVED by the One who knows us BEST and who loves us MOST!

The Apostle Paul reminds us of the need to STIR UP or “fan” the Gift Of God that is in us!

2 Timothy 1:6 “Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you...”

“Stir up” = fan into a flame

KEY: Notice that Timothy didn’t need a new gift, but rather re-ignite the one he already had!

Paul was telling Timothy to get out of his muck and mire and return to his might as a child of God!! A roaring fire will only continue if you stir the wood and coals already on fire! Does your spiritual fire need to be stirred up?

Is your life passionate about the Jesus and The Great Commission or poisoned by the great “Omission”?

7 Passion Destroyers

Which of these 7 areas are destroying your passion for Jesus?

1.     An Unclear Purpose.

Isaiah 49:4 “I have labored to no purpose; I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing.” NIV

I’m concerned that too many Christians live in their past purpose instead of creating a present purpose for their lives!

I suggest to you, that God is not as concerned about our past purpose as you and I might be! Are we still living off the old victories and old successes? Listen, we burn out and eventually our passion for Jesus fades out because we have no current purpose for our lives!

2.     An Unemployed Talent.

1 Corinthians 7:17 “Each one should live his life with the gifts that the Lord has given him.” PH

3.     An Unbalanced Schedule.

Need I remind you that there is a power struggle over your time!

1 Timothy 4:7 “Take the time and the trouble to keep yourself spiritually fit.” PH

4.     An Unconfessed Sin.

Psalm 38:4 “My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear” NIV

No one can feel enthusiasm and guilt at the same time!

5.     An Unresolved Conflict.

Job 5:2 “Resentment destroys the fool, and jealousy kills the simple.”

Job 18:4 “You are only hurting yourself with your anger.” GN

Resentment, jealousy and anger if not dealt with will become permanent poisons to passion

6.     An Unsupported Life.

Ecclesiastes 4:9,10 “Two are better than one, because…if one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him.” NIV

LifePoint: Christianity is a lifestyle that needs support from every member of our church and family!

Parents: your passion is pasted on to your children! Your passion gives your children a reason not to GO OFF THE DEEP END and Turn Away from God!

We need relationship and fellowship on a regular basis or we dry up! Jesus did not save you in this life to solitary confinement!

7.     An Undernourished Spirit.

One of my most important responsibilities as your Pastor is to keep you from ever experiencing this!

Colossians 2:6,7 “Just as you trusted Christ to save you, trust Him, too, for each days problems; live in vital union with Him. Let your roots grow down into Him and draw up nourishment from Him.”