[Biblemat] sermon on "being on Fire" or "zealous"

[Dudley Ross Spears]

WE NEED SOME FIRE
Text: Luke 12:49
Introduction:
  1. Jesus said, "I am come to send fire on the earth; 
and what will I
if it be already kindled?"
  2. Several uses of "fire" in the Bible.
     a. Of God --"a consuming fire" (Heb. 12:29).
     b. Of the testing of our deeds in judgment (I 
Cor.3:13).
     c. Of Eternal punishment -- (Matt. 5:22).
     d. And sometimes, possibly here, of an ordeal that 
tests
        our faith.
  3. What did the Lord mean by coming for the purpose 
of casting fire
on the earth?  Likely that fire, an emblem of ordeal 
and calamity,
would test those with true faith.
  I. THERE IS THE FIRE OF TESTING
     A. Peter says our faith is to be tested. (I Peter 
1:6-7).
        1. Some of the early Christians suffered 
unspeakable
           insults and persecution.
        2. Rome was not a safe place for Christians--in 
fact
           there was no safe place for faith then.
     B. Our faith is tested in different ways, but the 
test
        is always there.
     C. The question is how do we stand after the 
trials.
 II. THERE IS A FIRE OF CONTROVERSY
     A. Jesus said, "And what will I if it be already 
kindled."
        1. With every great blessing, there must be 
some unhappiness.
        2. He also said He would set family members 
against each
           other. (Matt. 10:34-37).
        3. We cannot think Jesus wanted it that way--He 
knew that it
           must happen that way.
        4. Often thinking of what must happen, one 
wishes it to soon
           happen.
     B. Christians can never become spiritual 
passivists. (Jude 3;
        Gal. 2:5).
III. THERE IS A FIRE OF ENTHUSIASM
     A. Some make this a little ludicrous "I'm on fire 
for the Lord!"
        --some claim when they know nothing about the 
Lord's will and
        way.
     B. Enthusiasm is a necessity--but with no 
knowledge it is like
        wild fire. (Rom. 10:1-3).
     C. An Old preacher suggested to a group of young 
men aspired to
        preach:
        "To yourself, have a heart of steel
        To your friends, a heart of love
        and To your God, a heart of fire!"
        1. One who knows, but won't do anything is no 
better than one
           who knows nothing but does everything.
        2. It is time to set a fire under all of us 
here.
Conclusion:
  1. It is unfortunate when some who were once on fire 
have become
burned out.  Burn-out is sometimes caused by having to 
fight too many
small insignificant brush fires.
  2. We will be tested daily in the fiery trial of our 
faith, we will
be stronger each test we pass, and our enthusiasm will 
never wane.
  3. There is the story of Hugh Latimer, who was burned 
at the stake
in England during the days of the bloody reformation in 
that land.
His friend, Ridley, began to cry for mercy, and Latimer 
said calmly to
his friend:
     "Be of good comfort, Master Ridley, and play the 
man;
     for we shall this day light such a candle in 
England
     as I trust shall never be put out."
  4. Jesus did what He came to do, and if we hope to 
escape the
punishment of the eternal fires, we must live 
faithfully to His
calling now.

Dudley Ross Spears, drs4285 at bellsouth.net
Visit the Valley Station church of Christ at 
www.vscoc.org.
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