Our God is a Consuming Fire

Luke 12:49
49 I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I if it be already kindled?
KJ V
Summary:
1... Jesus said, I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! (It is
His will that the fire be kindled at the FWC today).
2... Its time to get ignited with the fire of the Holy Spirit in our lives! (Jesus said, I wish it were
already kindled).
3... It is my goal in this message to encourage you to kindle the fire.
4... We find in (Acts 7:30) that there appeared to (Moses) in the wilderness of mount Sina an
angel of the Lord in a FLAME in a bush.
5... It was in this FLAME in (Vs31) that the voice of the Lord came unto him.
6... Out of the FLAME in (Vs32) the Lord reminded Moses that HE was the God of his fathers,
the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. (God has gave me instructions
today to remind you that we have the same God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the same God
that spoke to Moses out of the burning bush).
7... Moses was reminded out of the FLAME in (Vs33) that he was standing on holy ground. (I
remind you here today that you are standing on holy ground in the presences of God).
8... Let me say that if we are going to get back to the basic, then we must get back to the fire.
(My God is a consuming fire).
9... Many of us have became discouraged like Jeremiah. In (J er.20:9) we find that in his
discouragement he said, I will not 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.
10... I have had my times of great discouragement, but help me God to never lose fire. Help me
in the times of my discouragement to fan the flames.
(Could the Church as a whole be guilty of only playing with the fire?)
Its not wise to play with fire!
Let me telling you a story about a man who was going skydiving for the first time. He had taken
all his lessons and it was time for his first solo jump. So he jumped out of the plane, but he
panicked and couldnt remember how to open his parachute. As he was falling rapidly to the
earth he suddenly met another guy who was going up. So he seized the opportunity and shouted,
"Hey, buddy do you know how to open a parachute?" The guy shouted back, "No! Do you know
how to light a propane stove?"
1... (Many in the Church today know just enough about the fire to be dangerous).
2... The fire of God is not about how high you can jump are how loud you can shout, when the
fire consumes you, it changes you.
3... The fire of God is not wile fire, when the fire of God consumes a church, God draws people
in.
4... Gods fire brings them in, wile fire runs them off. (After Pentecost, three thousand souls were
added in one day). And it didn't stop there.
Fire a symbol of His presence:
The symbol of fire is found throughout the Bible:
1 Moses met the presence of God as a flame of fire in the midst of a bush (Ex. 3:2).
2 The people of Israel confronted the presence of God at Sinai where fire came down from
heaven upon the Mountain (Ex. 19:18).
3 Solomon dedicated the Temple and fire fell from heaven and the glory of the Lord filled the
temple (2 Chron 7:1).
4 Daniels vision of the Ancient of Days had Gods throne as a fiery flame and a river of fire
came out from it (Dan. 7:9-10).
Our God is a consuming fire!
Heb 12:29
29 For our God is a consuming fire.
KJ V
1... In (1 Kings 18:21-40). We find the nation of Israel was under the wickedness of (Ahab &
Jezebel)
2... In (Vs21) says, And Elijah came to all the people, and said, "How long will you falter
between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him." But the people
answered him not a word.
3... In (Vs23) Therefore let them give us two bulls; and let them choose one bull for themselves,
cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other bull,
and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it.
4... Then Elijah challenged them in (Vs24) by saying, Then you call on the name of your gods,
and I will call on the name of the Lord; and the God who answers by fire, He is God
5... In (Vs36) And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah
the prophet came near and said, "Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this
day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at
Your word.
6... In (Vs37) Elijah said, Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the
Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again."
7... In (Vs38) we find, Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the
wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench.
8... In (Vs39) we see the results of the fire. Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their
faces; and they said, "The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!"
9... We will never reach this world until we are consumed but God.
Story:
In a little town unknown to many there was a small church. One night smoke and flames
consumed this little church. People from all over town stood in the streets and watched the
church as it burned. The local preacher drove up and noticed several people that he hadnt seen
in a while. Walking up to one man he asked "Where you been, I havent seen you around here in
a while". The man responded, "Thats because Ive never seen this church on fire!
Charles Spurgeons advice to preachers:
Set yourself on fire, and people will come from miles around to watch you burn!
1... God doesnt light churches, He lights individuals, like He did on Pentecost.
2... The disciples were set on fire individually, then there was a church on fire!