Stop Warming Yourself at the World's Fire: Stay on Fire for God
Dr RJ Sing, 1 hr 3 min
Originally preached as “Being on Fire for God”
Sermon outline
When your heart grows cold, do not go back to the fires of the world; stay on fire for God by living in the Word, staying full of the Holy Spirit and keeping yourself separated to Christ.
Main text
- Matthew 25:1-13
Opening
He tells the church this is a morning teaching he could not fit into one message, so it may take two. He builds a foundation from Peter's denial, asking the congregation to help him preach with their amens instead of sitting quietly.
Peter warmed himself at the world's fire
Peter loved the Master and saw all His miracles, yet by the fire in the high priest's courtyard he denied Him three times, even with an oath. When your heart gets cold in the things of God, the temptation is to go back to the fires of the world to warm it. Your speech gives you away: when you walk close to the Lord your words carry a spirit of faith.
Illustration: The third person recognised Peter by his speech, just as a believer full of the fire of God is recognised by words that carry life.
“There's always a tendency when your heart gets cold in the things of God, you'll go back to the fires of the world to warm that heart.”
- Matthew 26:69-75
- John 18:25-27
A new Peter: the fire of the Holy Ghost
In Acts 2 the fire of the Holy Ghost fell, and the same Peter who denied Jesus stood up with the eleven and preached, and thousands were saved. What changed him was the power of God's Spirit. The same fire will turn the discouraged into encouragers and the depressed into people on fire for God.
“He first tried to warm himself with the natural fire but when the fire of the Holy Ghost came on Peter he was changed to another man.”
- Acts 2:2-4
- Acts 2:14-21
- Joel 2:28-32
Be continually filled with the Spirit
Ephesians 5:18 is a command, not a promise, and it speaks of a continual, daily filling. Stir yourself up in prayer, praise, dancing and praying in tongues, building yourself up on your most holy faith. You can only be effective in the things of God while you are on fire for God.
Illustration: A sailing ship keeps moving as long as there is wind in its sails; when the wind stops, so does the boat.
“Stoke the fire, fan the flame.”
- Ephesians 5:18
- Jude 1:20
Give thanks always and encourage yourself
Giving thanks always means in hard times too, and that separates the men from the boys. A leader does not spread his pressures to every Christian he meets, but commits them to the Lord and comes out to encourage others, knowing that he who refreshes others will be refreshed. Praise Him whether the day is good, average or down, because your praise depends on the fire in your heart, not on what you have.
Illustration: He says he faces pressures too, yet comes out in a nice suit with a smile to encourage the church. With God you are like a submarine: you go down, but you surface and you will not drown.
“My praise for God and love for God is not dependent on the things I have, it's dependent on the fire in my heart.”
- Ephesians 5:19-20
- 1 Timothy 3:10
- Proverbs 11:25
- Proverbs 3:5
- 1 Peter 5:7
- Exodus 14:28
- Daniel 3:25
Submit yourselves one to another
God does not need our help to run the universe or fix His church, because Jesus builds it and the gates of hell will not prevail. Keep your eyes on Jesus, submit your will to His, and stop looking for excuses to be offended, because the devil will serve you one on a silver platter. Give the devil no place and do not keep talking about him.
Illustration: Put Jesus in the pilot seat of your life, buckle up and enjoy the ride. He also pictures himself driving a bus on a journey: people get on and off, but he changes gears and keeps moving forward.
“If you look for excuses not to serve God in any area of your life the devil will make sure he'll come and serve it on a silver platter for you.”
- Ephesians 5:21
- Matthew 16:18
- Hebrews 12:2
- Matthew 14:8
- John 14:30
- Ephesians 4:27
The ten virgins: chaste virgins to Christ
Ten speaks of completeness, and the virgins picture believers presented as a chaste virgin to Christ, the bridegroom. He notes that the Lord said 'I know you not', not 'I never knew you'. The world has nothing for you, and friendship with the world is enmity with God, because the Spirit in us jealously desires us and will not share us.
Illustration: Would a husband allow his wife to flirt with other men? Neither will Jesus let His bride flirt with the world; He will get your attention.
“There's no fire in the world for you.”
- Matthew 25:1-13
- 2 Corinthians 11:2
- Revelation 14:4
- Psalm 45:6-15
- James 4:4-5
- Matthew 6:24
- Psalm 119:67
The lamp is the Word of God
The lamp in the parable is the Word, a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Many believers' lights have gone dim because they only open the Bible at church, so feed on fresh daily manna and carry the Word with you. Jesus is the true light, and we are the light of the world.
Illustration: Manna stored overnight bred worms; preachers who serve old messages feed people worms. He tells of reading his Bible on his elbow on the bed for hours until his wife had to massage his sore neck.
“Some of you your lights have gone dim because you have neglected the word.”
- Psalm 119:105
- Psalm 119:130
- Exodus 16:20
- John 1:1-14
- Matthew 5:14
The oil is the Holy Spirit
All ten lamps were burning, but the foolish five let their oil run out and never refilled. When the bridegroom comes you need both the lamp of the Word and oil that is full. We carry this treasure in earthen vessels.
“All ten lamps were burning but the five let their lamps burn out.”
- Matthew 25:8-10
- Ephesians 5:18
- 2 Corinthians 4:6-7
Stay consecrated and return to your first love
You are bought with a price and sealed, so keep yourself clean, separated and consecrated. As Israel camped around the tabernacle, your life should centre on God's house, where you come every week to stoke the fire again. Remember your first love and rekindle your fire, being led by the Spirit of God.
Illustration: From dedication and salvation to marriage, ordination and even your funeral, the altar of the church marks every stage of life. When you were first saved you were dressed for church at three in the afternoon for a seven o'clock service.
“Remember your first love, rekindle your fire.”
- 1 Corinthians 6:20
- Ephesians 1:13
- Revelation 2:4
- Romans 8:14
Putting it into practice
- When your heart grows cold, run to God's fire, not back to the world's.
- Stir yourself up daily in prayer, praise and praying in tongues.
- Give thanks in every season and take your pressures to the Lord, not to other people.
- Read the Word every day and carry it with you.
- Make church a fixed priority and rekindle your first love.
Closing
He draws the parable together: live in the Word, stay full of the Spirit and do not flirt with the world. He calls the church back to their first love and to being led by the Spirit of God, and the recording ends as he reaches his final scripture in Romans 8.
Declarations he led
- I want to be on fire for God.
- I'm a chaste virgin to the Lord Jesus Christ.
- The world has nothing for me.
- I'm a friend of God. I'm an enemy of the world.
- I'm on fire for God.
In his words
- “Don't try and warm yourself at a natural fire, let the fire of God get in the inside of you, let it burn in your heart.”
- “Your mouth is not to complain, your mouth is to give praise.”
- “If you just learn to put him in the pilot seat of your life, let him fly your airplane, you sit down, buckle up and enjoy the ride.”
- “Coming to church or not coming to church is not an option you can consider.”
- “Remember your first love, rekindle your fire.”
Every scripture in this message
- Matthew 26:69-75
- John 18:25-27
- Acts 2:2-4
- Acts 2:14-21
- Joel 2:28-32
- Ephesians 5:18-21
- Jude 1:20
- 1 Timothy 3:10
- Proverbs 11:25
- Proverbs 3:5
- 1 Peter 5:7
- Exodus 14:28
- Matthew 16:18
- Hebrews 12:2
- Daniel 3:25
- Matthew 14:8
- John 14:30
- Ephesians 4:27
- Matthew 25:1-13
- 2 Corinthians 11:2
- Revelation 14:4
- Psalm 45:6-15
- James 4:4-5
- Matthew 6:24
- Psalm 119:67
- Psalm 119:105
- Exodus 16:20
- Psalm 119:130
- John 1:1-14
- Matthew 5:14
- 2 Corinthians 4:6-7
- 1 Corinthians 6:20
- Ephesians 1:13
- Revelation 2:4
- Romans 8:14