Burning with DesireLuke 3:16

Adapted from a Davon Huss sermonhttp://www.sermoncentral.com/

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Luke 3:7 NET So John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by

him, "You offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming

wrath? 8 Therefore produce fruit that proves your repentance, and don't begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that God can

raise up children for Abraham from these stones!

9 Even now the ax is laid at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not

produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

Luke 3:15 NET While the people were filled with anticipation and they all

wondered whether perhaps John could be the Christ,

16 John answered them all, "I baptize you with water, but one more powerful

than I am is coming — I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. He will

baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand to

clean out his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his storehouse,

but the chaff he will burn up with inextinguishable fire."

Lightening struck the steeple of a Church. The building burned to the ground. To listen the Minister; the

elders, and the members, one realizes that this has only increased their

excitement for Christ’s mission for the church. Their response to the fire may

be best seen in the sign in their parking lot: "We’re still on fire." May the Church

be on fire until the Lord comes.

In our study of the 3:16’s of the Bible we come to the book of Luke.

Luke was a doctor and a Greek. Being a doctor he pays close attention to detail. His contains more detail that the other gospels. He wrote this gospel for the

Greeks. While each of the Gospels was intended ultimately for All Mankind,

Matthew seems to have had an immediate view the Jews; Mark, the

Romans; and Luke the Greeks.

Greek civilization represented Culture, Philosophy, Wisdom, Reason, Beauty, and Education. Therefore, to appeal to the Thoughtful, Cultured, Philosophic

Greek Mind, Luke, in a complete, orderly, and classical story, which has been

called the "Most Beautiful Book Ever Written," depicts the Glorious Beauty

and Perfection of Jesus, the Ideal, Universal Man. (Halley’s)

Luke 3:16 NET John answered them all, "I baptize you with water, but one more

powerful than I am is coming — I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his

hand to clean out his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his storehouse,

but the chaff he will burn up with inextinguishable fire."

Same story as the last lesson from Matthew 3:16. John preaching in the

wilderness and baptizing. Jesus comes to be baptized of John.

In our last lesson we concentrated on water baptism. Now let’s look into He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Fire. What is fire? 2 basic definitions.

1) A rapid, persistent chemical reaction that releases heat and light. 2) Intensity, enthusiasm, inspiration.

The Bible describes fire:Bible has the chemical reaction. Peter at the courtyard of the high priest. Paul on Malta where the snake came out. Bible also describes trials and tribulations as

fire. These trials and tribulations are intense.

1 Thessalonians 5:19 NET Do not extinguish the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit brings intensity,

enthusiasm, and inspiration. On the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit descended

upon the apostles as tongues of fire and after this they went out with great

intensity, enthusiasm and inspiration.

The Holy Spirit.

As Christian people with the Holy Spirit living in us we should have great

intensity, enthusiasm and inspiration. In Luke 3:16 these two the Holy Spirit and

fire should be joined as one. and: kai Kahee Apparently a primary

particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so, then, too, etc.; often used

in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words: (Strong's)

The Holy Spirit’s fire.

It is interesting to link water baptism with fire. We are buried in the grave of baptism so that we leave and we are then on fire for God. We don’t hear

much about this in the Christian church.

The coming of the Spirit is to have the effect of fire.

Fire, chemical reaction, comes and consumes the fuel. We are the fuel and the Holy Spirit wants to come into our lives and consume us for God until we are no more. It is like a candle shining

brightly and intensely until the candle is no more. The Holy Spirit wants to come into our lives and have us burn for God

until there is no more of us left.

The only fireplaces God has today in the entire world are the hearts of His

people....We are to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The fire of the Holy Spirit is to

burn in the fireplaces of our own hearts.” Fire consumes -- burns out the sinful and unnecessary “stuff” in our

lives. Fire purifies -- makes us clean and holy before God. Fire prepares (as in

food) -- makes us tasteful and pleasant to each other. (T.T. Crabtree)

Fire cheers -- when we are caught in the cold grip of despair and

discouragement, He cheers us on to victory. Fire softens -- the Holy Spirit softens the heart of the sinner and he

repents. Fire unites -- (as in uniting different kinds of metals) the Holy Spirit

brings unity to the people of God.

Acts 1:8 NET But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in

Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest parts of the earth.“

He doesn’t want to destroy you; he wants to consume you. God wants our

lives consumed with him and him alone. He’s the lover of our soul; he’s a jealous

God.

Fire empowers

One man put it like this, When the fire of God touches your life people will come

and see you burn. Are you burning brightly for Christ

Jesus today? Has he got first place and first call upon your life, if not you need to be touched again by the fire of God?

If your consumed you’ll be committed to all Gods doing in His church.

If you’re consumed, the job, the family, the interests in life will be second

compared to seeking first his kingdom and his righteousness.

If you’re consumed, you won’t settle you’ll be a Christian advancing, going

ahead.If your consumed, you’ll seize every

opportunity you get to share your faith with the lost.

Jeremiah 20:9 NIV But if I say, “I will not mention him or speak any more in his

name,” his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of

holding it in; indeed, I cannot. Charles Spurgeon in Lectures to his

students. "Brothers, I beseech you, keep to the old gospel, and let your souls be

filled with it, and then may you be set on fire with it! When the wick is saturated,

let the flame be applied.

’Fire from heaven’ is still the necessity of the age...When the fire once started

upon a vast prairie or forest, all that is dry and withered must disappear before

its terrible advance. The consecrated flame will, perhaps, consume you,

burning up the bodily health with too great an ardor of soul, even as a sharp sword wears away the scabbard; but

what of that?

The zeal of God’s house ate up our Master, and it is but a small matter that it

should consume His servant."

He will come like a refiner’s fire. Malachi 3:2 NET Who can endure the

day of his coming? Who can keep standing when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire, like a launderer's

soap.

A refiner’s fire is a fire that refines. Refine: to produce a purer form of

something by removing the impurities from it, or become pure through such a process. (Encarta) God says here that

he’s a refiner and his presence is like a fire that refines but what does that mean. The word refiner today is not a common

word.

A lot of people would not be able to describe it because that job is not as common today as it was in biblical

times.A refiner in biblical times was a person who basically took a piece of metal that was formless and impure and he’d put

the metal in the furnace and he’d heat it up to an intense heat until all the dross and impurities came to the surface and

he’d wipe them off.

He’d do this again and again up to seven times he’d go through the same process

until he knew the metal was clean and pure.

And the way he would know that the metal was pure was that once he looked at it he’d see the reflection of his face in

the metal.

And this is beautiful picture of the refining that God wants to do in our

lives. He won’t leave us the way we are, he’ll chase after us until we change.

He wants our attitudes and our weaknesses, any hidden sins, any

disillusionment that’s held us back, any fear or condemnation he wants it all to go through the furnace of his presence so all the dross that’s in our hearts may

come to the surface.

For one reason and one reason alone and that’s so the reflection of Christ may

be seen in everything we are and everything we do.

Hebrews 12:29 NET For our God is indeed a devouring fire.

(Deut 4:24; 9:3)

Mark 9:42 NET "If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to

sin, it would be better for him to have a huge millstone tied around his neck and to be thrown into the sea. 43 If your hand

causes you to sin, cut it off! It is better for you to enter into life crippled than to have two hands and go into hell, to the unquenchable fire. 44 (TEXT OMITTED)

Hell

45 If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off! It is better to enter life lame than to

have two feet and be thrown into hell. 46 (TEXT OMITTED) 47 If your eye causes

you to sin, tear it out! It is better to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown

into hell, 48 where their worm never dies and the fire is never quenched.

Most later manuscripts have 9:44 and 9:46: “where their worm never dies and the fire is never quenched” (identical

with v. 48).

Mark 9 tells us to do anything to avoid hell. Where the fire is not quenched. It

does not end. Here on earth, fire lasts as long as there is fuel. In hell, fire lasts forever and ever. When the Holy Spirit

comes into our lives, he puts the realization of hell in our hearts. No longer any fear, but we need to be

convicted of hell.

John 16:7 NET But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I am going

away. For if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you, but if I

go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong concerning sin and righteousness and judgment — 9 concerning sin, because

they do not believe in me;

Jude 1:23 NET save others by snatching them out of the fire; have mercy on others, coupled with a fear of God,

hating even the clothes stained by the flesh.

Hell should be on our minds with non-Christian people. God is a consuming fire. His fire is burning against sin. His fire can be felt in this world as we see

the results of sin. God hates sin.

As Christian people his wrath does not rest upon us, but upon those who refuse

to have the fire in their lives. One day God is going to have enough and his fire will be unleashed upon this old world. 2 Peter 3:7 NET But by the same word the present heavens and earth have

been reserved for fire, by being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of

the ungodly.

2 Peter 3:10 NET But the day of the Lord will come like a thief; when it comes, the

heavens will disappear with a horrific noise, and the celestial bodies will melt away in a blaze, and the earth and every

deed done on it will be laid bare.

11 Since all these things are to melt away in this manner, what sort of people

must we be, conducting our lives in holiness and godliness, 2 while waiting for and hastening the coming of the day

of God? Because of this day, the heavens will be burned up and dissolve, and the celestial bodies will melt away in

a blaze!

Everything will be consumed and the fire will be over except for one thing, the

souls of those who do not know Jesus Christ. Jesus talked more about hell than heaven. He gives us a terrible

description in the parable of Lazarus and the rich man.

John warns of the fire of Hell in the 17th verse we’ve read a couple times already.

Luke 3:17 NET His winnowing fork is in his hand to clean out his threshing floor

and to gather the wheat into his storehouse, but the chaff he will burn up

with inextinguishable fire."

In order to be usable the wheat kernels must separated from the chaff. Chaff is worthless. John saw that Jesus’ coming would part men into two classes, those who submitted to the Holy Spirit’s fire

and those who would not.

There are two fires, to one or other of which we must be delivered. Either we

shall accept the purging fire of the Spirit that burns sin out of us, or we shall have

to meet the fire that burns up our sins and us altogether forever and ever. If we are not consumed now by the fire of the Holy Spirit, we will suffer the fire of hell

forever and ever.

This old world is getting hot. The fire of sin is all around us. We get thirsty

wanting water that will forever quench our thirst. We must go to Jesus Christ for the water that will quench our hot

souls.

“The Chronicles of Narnia, The Silver Chair”

"Are you not thirsty?“said the lion.

"I’m dying of thirst," said Jill. "Then drink," said the lion.

"May I- could I- would you mind going away while I do?" said Jill.

The lion answered this only by a look and very low growl.

As Jill gazed at its motionless bulk, she realized that she might as well have

asked the whole mountain to move aside for her convenience. The delicious

rippling noise of the stream was driving her nearly frantic. "Will you promise not

to- do anything to me, if I do come?" said Jill.

"I make no such promise," said the lion.

Jill was so thirsty now that, without noticing it, she had come a step nearer the lion. "Do you eat girls?" she said. "I have swallowed up, consumed girls and boys, women and men, kings and emperors, cities and realms," said the

lion. It didn’t say this as if it were boasting, nor as if it were sorry, nor as if

it were angry. It just said it.

"I daren’t come and drink,“said Jill.

"Then you will die of thirst,“said the Lion.

"Oh dear!" said Jill, coming another step nearer. "I suppose I must go and look for

another stream then." The lion said, "There is no other

stream."

This old world is full of those who are thirsty. Yes, if we go to the stream we

will be devoured, consumed by the fire of the Holy Spirit, but I would rather be

on fire now, consumed now, than forever on fire and never burned out.