Fire in the Church

Acts 4:31-33 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.”

The type of fire down in the spirit of a child of God can ignite an entire church with what the 1828 Webster’s dictionary defines as: (1) Light; luster; splendor. (2)  Liveliness of imagination; vigor of fancy; intellectual activity; animation; force of sentiment or expression. (3) The passion of love; ardent affection. This being on fire for Christ burns down to the very soul (mind, will and emotions). This describes the Christian, and collectively, the church “on fire for Christ.”

Last weekend, Little Church in the Pines @ Bass Lake, California opened its sanctuary door for the first Sunday Worship Service in two months. Pastor Herk preached that Evangelism is a high priority and a church on fire for God needs to carry the message of the gospel to a world that so disparately needs to hear the good news. No pastor would ever want to hear from anyone that the Christian church just going through the motions, a social event more and giving worship, honor, praise and adoration to the Lord, singing but not worshiping God is not resonating in the people, there is no connection to the Lord felt, and no decisions for Christ are being made. The church is not about “what it was” or “what it could be”, but “what it is” and “what it is becoming”. God has a purpose and plan for His church to thrive, not just survive.

1 Corinthians 2:4-5 “And my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.”

The church needs this fire in the soul to draw and save. Where is the fire? IT takes God’s power to fulfill God’s purposes. We cannot depend upon man-made excitement, publicity, programs or popularity. Numerical growth is not fire; spiritual growth is. People must be stirred with enthusiasm (that noble passion, the elevated fancy, a warm imagination, an ardent zeal, that forms sublime ideas, and prompts to the ardent pursuit of laudable objects. Such is the enthusiasm of the patriot, the hero and the Christian). The Holy Spirit is involved and the key component.

Prayer from the heart will make the difference and change the church, so prevail in prayer, speak the Word of God with boldness. What happens? The soul is saved and filled with the Spirit. Fan the coals and embers, then add kindling to ignite the flame of this spiritual fire. It’s not making things happen, but allowing the Lord to move in your heart, soul and spirit. Hand in hand as a church, the ground level is Calvary. Together, it is an attitude of dependency and faithfulness because we need the power of God. Do not minimize your importance in the fire of God’s church. This is where God is working in ministry to the world, so join in.

In Matthew 28:19-20 Jesus said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Sometimes, we misplace our importance. Everyone has spiritual gifts to be used in the Lord’s ministry. The mission of evangelism and discipleship is to share Jesus with those around us. Soul winning is the business of the Christian church because it is a hospital for sinners, not a “rest home” for the saints. Lose your purpose and the fire goes out. There is a fire in the church! Catch it in your soul and spread the fire of God’s love and salvation.

In Christ, Brian