New Fire by John

NEW FIRE
2 Timothy 1: 1-14

1. Did you ever live in a house where you had to build a fire to get warm? You snuggle down under comforters into a feather bed, and wish Daddy would get up and build the fire! He does. You hear the wood crackling see the pattern of the flames dancing on the walls and ceiling, and you jump out of bed and run to the fire to keep from freezing! Then you grow up, and Daddy is not there to build the fire anymore. It's your responsibility now!
2. Paul said to Timothy, "Kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you."
3. He was saying several things:
(1) The fire doesn't go out, it just gets banked up. (Like ashes around the hot coals in wood fires.)
(2) You have to kindle it daily, if you have it.
(3) You shouldn't hang around, like a child, waiting for someone else to kindle it for you!
4. We receive the Holy Spirit when we trust Jesus, and He is the living fire in our lives, but no matter how earnest we are, we take back parts of our lives, and we bank up the Spirit's fire in our lives. We have to stir up those ashes, uncover the living fire, add fuel and watch it burn!!!
5. If we don't, we will be sorry! ill. Thomas B Welch, jr. told about George. The whole church was happy when George made his life right with God. He had become a Christian when he was young, but some minor dispute in the church caused him to drop out completely. His wife was a devoted Christian, and she took the children to church regularly, but as they grew up, they followed their father's example.
A malignant tumor caused George to straighten things out with the Lord, and he called all his children to his bedside. He told them, "I have been a fool, children! The church is the greatest thing in the world. Don't do what I have done. Do what I'm asking you to do now--join it, support it, love it." He repeated his plea for those few weeks he lived, but his children are still following the example of their father's lifetime, not his words the last weeks he lived. (Baptist Bulletin Cover 1/20/85)
6. It is easy to let Satan draw you away from the Lord's church, and you may never feel it, but your children always know where your priorities are! KINDLE AFRESH THE GIFT OF GOD WHICH IS IN YOU!
7. Was Paul telling Timothy how to start his fire? Yes!
8. I've picked out five words to help us with his instructions.

I. REMEMBER! V.6

1. Remember your spiritual roots!
(1) Grandmother Lois and mother Eunice have a sincere faith. You too!!! (Remember encouraging things).
(2) Remember the Spirit's gifts
a. Sanctification occurs when you trust Jesus.
b. You immediately feel the need for, and you dedicate your life to, Jesus!
c. Remember God sealed you. Ephesians 4:30, "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption."
d. Timothy received the sealing power of the Spirit with the laying on of other Christians' hands.

II. RECOGNIZE! V. 7

1. You do not have a spirit of fear or timidity. (If you have a timid, fearful spirit, it came from somewhere else! Not from God! And I personally have a real problem with timidity!)
2. You have a spirit of power, love, and discipline.
3. Power, love and discipline are your Christian heritage and character! Remember your roots and recognize your Christian Character!

III. RESULT! V.8.

1. Don't be ashamed to proclaim that you are a Christian!
2. Don't be ashamed of your Christian brothers even when they are jailed and disgraced by society.
3. Join your suffering brethren in their suffering!
(1) He was not saying be strong when suffering comes.
(2) He was not saying make yourself suffer.
(3) He was saying we are to do God's will whether we suffer for it, or not!
4. It is a strange twist Satan has introduced into the faiths of many people to believe God gives us gifts to do nothing with! v.9.
5. Expect to change! Expect to grow! Learn to test how closely you follow Jesus by how the world receives you!

IV. RETAIN! V.13.

1. Christians are not supposed to look like a flame of fire today, and the shadow of death tomorrow!
2. We are to retain the standard of sound words! How do we do it? In the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus!
3. And we are to guard (v. 14) the treasure that the Lord has entrusted to us! The only way to do that is through the Holy Spirit!

V. REASON! VV 11,12.

1. Paul says God called him to be a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher.
2. v. 12 says, "That is why I am suffering as I am."
3. He was confident that God is able to keep the soul he has committed to Him until final redemption comes!
4. You see God doesn't call us like the world does. ill. A little boy in Liberal, KS, Clayton Bowers, told me how you progress in Karate. You prove yourself, and each time you reach certain abilities, you get a belt to show you have passed that stage of development. There are about six belts and then Ninja. All the world has the Missouri "show me" attitude, but God does it differently! And I am so glad He does!
5. God calls us before we have done anything to prove our ability.
(1) Live! Serve! And you will grow proficient as we work together!
(2) No wonder Paul said, v.12, "I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day."
6. Paul was saying, Timothy, what God is doing with me, He is doing with you! And I say to you today, What God was doing with them then, He is doing with you now! You just do your part, and you can watch the miracles take place!

Conclusion

1. Listen! Lost person! The world wants self-starters, but God wants someone He can fill with fire that never goes out! He wants you to be able to fan those coals into a living flame for Him every day! And when you receive Jesus, you'll know the fire is always there! It never goes out!
2. God will help you learn and remember your spiritual roots. He will help you recognize the great gifts you have. He will see to it you retain the standard of sound words. And He will give you reason to live for Him!
3. Then one day, you will have a Timothy to point to Jesus, and you'll say to him, Timothy, we don't deserve any of these great gifts God gives us in Jesus. That's reason enough for you to live for Him just like I do!
4. When you become a Christian, you have the highest position any person can reach on earth! And it's all free! In Jesus!
5. Maybe you are here today and need to make that decision. Maybe you are a Christian, but you've let the fire grow cold. This is your opportunity to fan it into a fresh flaming fire!
6. You can do what God asks of you while we pray.




Emmanuel Baptist, Liberal, KS 2/17/85
Hugoton, KS 4/20/1986 ´
Emmanuel Community Church, Bassett, NE 6/18/2006