BROADCASTS.com

Published: March 12, 2013, 2:27 a.m.

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Pastor Shane, our lead pastor is out of town\\u2026 (SO COME BACK NEXT WEEK)

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But it\\u2019s my privilege to share with you this morning as we close out our series \\u201cIn Case of Fire.\\u201d

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We as humans (mostly men) have a borderline obsession with fire\\u2026 we love it, but it can lead us to do some crazy things\\u2026

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Story: \\xa0\\u201cTrashcan Fire\\u201d

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Part of my job\\u2026 is to pastor teenagers, but sometimes I\\u2019m not the greatest example.

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Transition:\\xa0 Fire is very unpredictable thing\\u2026 and if you aren\\u2019t careful, it can get out of control.

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The past few weeks we have learned how to survive the \\u201cfires\\u2019 in our life\\u2026 the moments and circumstances that leave us hopeless\\u2026 looking for a way out!\\xa0 (Marriage / Finances)

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Today\\u2026 we are going to look at this from a different angle.\\xa0 Fire can be a good thing, an inviting thing\\u2026 a powerful thing.\\xa0 In fact all through the bible you see FIRE used to describe God\\u2019s presence!

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(The wilderness, Elijah and Mt. Carmel, Acts 2 and the birth of the church\\u2026)

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\\u201cI\\u2019m baptizing you here in the river, turning your old life in for a kingdom life. The real action comes next: The main character in this drama\\u2014compared to him I\\u2019m a mere stagehand\\u2014will ignite the kingdom life within you, a fire within you, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out. He\\u2019s going to clean house\\u2014make a clean sweep of your lives. He\\u2019ll place everything true in its proper place before God; everything false he\\u2019ll put out with the trash to be burned.\\u201d Matthew 3:11-12 (MSG)

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When we say yes to a relationship with God\\u2026 this is His goal for our lives.\\xa0 And he never stops!

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So our question today is this\\u2026 \\u201cWhat do we do when there is a fire in our hearts?\\u201d

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\\u201cYou are the light of the world\\u2014like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. Matthew 5:14-16 (NLT)

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Vs.14 You are the LIGHT of the World = \\u201cPhos\\u201d\\xa0 FIRE LIGHT

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Vs. 15 No one LIGHTS a lamp = \\u201cKaio\\u201d SET ON FIRE / Gives LIGHT to everyone = \\u201cLampo\\u201d RADIATE

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Vs. 16 Light = Fire /Shine = Radiate

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\\u201cYou are the FIRE of the world\\u2014like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ No one STARTS A FIRE and then puts it under a basket. Instead, THE FIRE is placed on a stand, where it RADIATES to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your FIRE RADIATE out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. Matthew 5:14-16

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Fire = God\\u2019s presence alive in you\\u2026 a spiritual fire that burns with hope, peace, joy, strength, love\\u2026

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When we give our lives to Jesus\\u2026 we COME ALIVE on the inside.\\xa0 A spiritual fire starts to burn\\u2026 so much so that it will start to affect the outside.\\xa0 (A change in countenance\\u2026)

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Transition:\\xa0 SO for the rest of our time we are going to look at FIRE as a good thing\\u2026 the very presence of God burning in us.\\xa0 A FIRE that has the power to change us\\u2026 but what do we do with this FIRE?

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Here are 3 things we have to do\\u2026 when there is a FIRE in our hearts:

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1.\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 We feed it

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Like any fire that you want to keep burning\\u2026 there are things that the fire inside of you needs to keep burning:

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\\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Bible \\u2013 wood Prayer

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\\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Prayer \\u2013 Lighter fluid

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\\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Surrender \\u2013 Air (surrender of your will, struggles, addictions, sin, etc.)

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Do you see what we\'ve got? An unshakable kingdom! And do you see how thankful we must be? Not only thankful, but brimming with worship, deeply reverent before God. For God is not an indifferent bystander. He\'s actively cleaning house, torching all that needs to burn, and he won\'t quit until it\'s all cleansed. God himself is Fire! Hebrew 12:28-29 (MSG)

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There will\\u2026 be moments in our life where it feels like our fire is dying\\u2026 but as long as you are breathing there is a spark ready to ignite a flame in your heart again!

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Perfection does not fuel the fire of God... Surrender does.

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2.\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 We share it

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One of the most comforting\\u2026 relaxing\\u2026 life-giving things for me is to sit around the fire with friends\\u2026 we can sit for hours and just stare at it! \\xa0

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(Josh / fires /blow torch) (camping\\u2026 beans in the fire)

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But we can relate to this\\u2026 fire is inviting!! It\\u2019s warm\\u2026 you want to be around it.

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But our tendency is\\u2026 we let our own fears, failures, frustrations smother the FIRE of God in our lives!

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But if I say I\\u2019ll never mention the Lord or speak in his name, his word burns in my heart like a fire.\\xa0 \\xa0It\\u2019s like a fire in my bones! I am worn out trying to hold it in! I can\\u2019t do it! Jeremiah 20:9 (NLT)

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Bottom line is that the fire of God CANNOT be contained\\u2026 you either let in burn or you smother it.

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In fact I\\u2019m convinced that EVEYRTHING we do in our lives is either sharing it\\u2026 or smothering it.\\xa0

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At work\\u2026 at home\\u2026 at school\\u2026 in conflict\\u2026 on facebook\\u2026

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3.\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 We spread it

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\\u201cSet yourself on fire\\u2026 and the world will come to watch you burn.\\u201d

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This is what Jesus was saying in Matthew 5:14-16\\u2026

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"Here\'s another way to put it: You\'re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We\'re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don\'t think I\'m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I\'m putting you on a light stand. Now that I\'ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand\\u2014shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you\'ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16 (MSG)

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Jesus is saying, \\u201cBURN so people can see it\\u2026 and when they see it they\\u2019ll come to it!\\u201d

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What happens if the FIRE of God consumes us to the extent that a spiritual forest fire breaks out in this county?\\xa0 \\u201cOh Ryan, you\\u2019re just being idealistic.\\u201d\\xa0 I am?!\\xa0 Or is this what Jesus has called us to?!

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I don\\u2019t believe we can truly understand this\\u2026 until we see it happen to someone close to us.\\xa0

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Big Idea:

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Close the Loop: \\xa0Just like the trashcan\\u2026 our lives are holding a fire that is meant to consume us.\\xa0

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Challenge: What is your next step?

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Maybe you need to feed your fire\\u2026 maybe you been smothering it and it\\u2019s time to let it shine (specific moments)\\u2026 or maybe it\\u2019s time to spread that fire to someone who needs it.

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Or maybe life for you is cold and seems hopeless\\u2026 you are dead on the inside and you need the fire of God to bring you to life.\\xa0 To change you. To consume you.

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Pray\\u2026

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