Fire (v3)
Bible story book
Ridiculous – tiny little pilot lights
No doubt an awesome sight
Olympic Flame
Apparently, commemorating the theft of fire from the
Greek god Zeus by Prometheus
Torch doing the rounds!
Today it goes from Swansea to St David’s in the far West
of Wales and then North to Aberystwyth
It would be a 5 hour drive, but you could still make it!
The Olympic torch is carefully avoiding us
I don’t know why they’ve neglected Bodle Street Green / Warbleton
But the flame will be going around us
Anyway, you can see it on:
Tues 17th July - Bexhill, Hastings, Eastbourne,
Lewes, Crowborough & Tunbridge Wells
(This sermon has turned in to a public service
information announcement)
In our passage:
A far more important flame
You don’t have to chase it round the country!
This flame is available here and now and everywhere.
Special process for choosing the Olympic torch-bearers.
For all, not for an exclusive few.
Cf. OT times – rather like the Olympic torch – a few
special people, temporally
Every believer is a carrier of this fire.
Fire in the Bible the presence of God Himself
Burning bush
Pillar of fire by night
When the Law was given from Mount Sinai we’re told the
LORD descended on it in fire (Ex 19:19)
Feast of Pentecost commemorated the giving of the Law
A new giving of the Law – a new Covenant
The Spirit would write the law on our hearts
As the law went out from Sinai and Zion so the Gospel
would go out from Jerusalem
Fire à
God
“Our God is a consuming fire” (Dt 4:24; Heb 12:29)
God’s greatest gift is God Himself
God the Holy Spirit is God
The Holy Spirit is a person not a thing
A “he” not an “it”
Not a human being but a personal being
Not just a force or an energy – not like divine
electricity or supernatural liquid
God Himself comes to be with us, to be alongside us
Comfort – not a comfort blanket but like a fort to make
us strong, to put strength in us
Fire à
purity, refining, purifying, purity, perfection, holiness
The Holy Spirit
Fire in our bellies
Passion, courage, conviction
Too often the church is a bit sissy!
Apostles – testifying before Kings
Willing to die for Christ
Wind & fire – immensely powerful
(Wind at Camber sands – 20mph brisk to strong Easterly
wind too much – Deluxe £17 6 poled windbreak is not much use)
The Holy Spirit puts winds in our sails
Energising
Acts 1:8 - “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit
comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and
Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
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