"A Fire that Refines and Defines"
A sermon preached on The Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost, August 19, 2007 at Edgemont Chrsitian Church (Disciples of Christ) , by the Rev. Christopher E. Yopp. The sermon is based on Luke 12:49-56.
It is hard to believe that summer is just about over and, as always, the indication that summer is coming to an end is the beginning of a new school year. This week many of our children will be starting back to school and college. The first day of school is always one of the most special days. All the students will be there, most of them with newly purchased and untouched books. The teacher’s grade sheet is untainted by actual grades. The students are on time; their all dressed up and ready to make a good first impression and to start the new school year off on the right foot. They may even say; "This year will be different!" But soon, reality sets in. Divisions come, conflicts occur, dedication is questioned, and imperfect grades are the result! You know, the same is true of life, as well as with our Christian lives!
Jesus spends much of the 12th chapter of Luke’s Gospel reassuring and encouraging his disciples. In fact, in verse 4 of the 12th chapter of Luke, Jesus says; "I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more," and then in verse 22, Jesus says; "Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life," and again in verse 32, Jesus says; "Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom." But we see that this same chapter ends on a far less positive note. Rather than continue to encourage and reassure his disciples, Jesus says that his ministry will be divisive. After spending 45 verses trying to quiet the anxiety of his followers, Jesus tells them that he came to bring fire to the earth. He insists that he will not bring peace. Instead, his ministry will bring division among families and friends. The ministry of our Lord, we are told here, is to rain fire from heaven! And indeed these are tough words for us to swallow, to deal with!
But, you know, I suspect that Jesus’ first century audience understood this imagery real well, perhaps, more so than we do. You see, we only have a passing acquaintance with the power of fire these days. Sure, we see flames in the fireplace or perhaps at a bon fire. We worry about our children holding candles on Christmas Eve. We read of an occasional forest fire and we hear the siren of a racing fire truck from time to time. But, the ancient people had a more intimate and real knowledge of fire. Their only nighttime illumination came from the flames of oil lamps. The smoke of the cooking fire on the kitchen floor constantly irritated and reddened their eyes. Everyone’s fingers were callused from working household fires. Their arms and hands bore the scars from burns. Early on they learned that food tasted better cooked, that flames tempered metal tools, and that it was fire that hardened pottery. People also knew firsthand the danger of an uncontrolled fire. Homes often burned to the ground by an overturned lamp or a carelessly maintained fire. Well into the 19th century, devastating fires re-shaped communities. And so, for such people the cause and effect of fire was imbedded into their minds and psyches. And so it was, that Jesus uses the image of fire. Here, Jesus’ words recalls an ancient belief that fire is the manifestation of God. In fact, in the Old Testament fire was and is a symbol of God’s presence and even, from time to time, of God’s judgment.
More so than not, fire is viewed as something negative. Maybe that is because we have all seen the effects of an uncontrolled fire. We have seen the devastation and danger, the destruction and even the death that fire can cause. Even biblically we tend to see fire as being a negative thing. For it was God who said "my wrath goes out like fire," and "my anger burns like a fire." But fire can also be seen as a good thing! It was fire that Moses saw in a bush when he encountered the Holy and receive his calling and commission. It was fire that led the people of Israel by night through the wilderness. It was fire that touched the lips of the prophet Isaiah as he was called to proclaim God to Israel. It was fire that fell upon and consumed the altar of Baal when Elijah prayed. It was fire that descended upon the heads of the apostles on the Day of Pentecost and the Church was born.
I heard a story a while back of a little church in a small town that caught fire one night. Up till that night, no one had really noticed the church or even given it much attention. But as the smoke and flames consumed this little church people from all over the town stood in the street and watched the church as it burned. The pastor drove up and noticed several people who hadn’t been to church for quite some time. Walking up to one elderly man he asked "Where have you been, I haven’t seen you at church in quite a while." The man said, sarcastically, "Well, in the 65 years that I’ve been coming to this church I’ve never seen it on fire till tonight!"
One dictionary defines fire in three ways: (1) "the active principle of burning, characterized by the heat and light of combustion," (2) "a strong feeling and excitement," and (3) "to become excited or aroused." If we would transfer these everyday uses of fire to our spiritual lives, we would discover that the fire of God’s presence does the exact same thing. God sanctifies, satisfies, justifies and purifies the believer.
Fire can mean a lot of things. It can do a lot of things. It can be both good and bad; but, without a doubt, fire cannot be ignored! Jesus’ coming to usher in God’s covenant and kingdom of love and grace and judgment cannot be ignored. And certainly, our Lord’s coming again is not something that can be ignored either.
As devastating as forest fires are, the fact is, without fire trees do not effectively reproduce. Without fire the undergrowth chocks out new seedlings. Without fire the forest is not renewed. Perhaps that is why John the Baptist reminded us that there was one coming - Jesus, who would baptize with fire and water. The fire of God’s Spirit burns all that is impure and unholy from us and it is the living water which washes us clean that we might be refined and defined as the people of God.
Certainly, in understanding Jesus’ words here we must understand both the pros and cons of fire - both the cause and effect of fire. Fire can cook our food or it can burn it beyond recognition; fire can warm us or it can destroy us. Jesus said; "I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!" You know, this is a wonderful prayer from our Lord, it is not one that should be ignored, because it scares us or because we have trouble understanding it or because we see it as being something negative - something bad. This is not a prayer that is out of character with the loving, gentle, compassionate and gracious Jesus that we have grown to know through the gospels and the church. On the contrary, this is a prayer that is right in line - right in synch with our loving Savior. The fire that Jesus yearns for to be kindled, is not a negative one. In fact, you and I should pray for such a fire to be kindled in our hearts, in our lives, in our church and certainly in our world. A fire to burn off the dross. A fire to bring out the purity of the gold and silver within us - spiritual wealth beyond price. A fire to inflame people to care and to bless one another with all the gifts of faith in the way fire purified the lips of Isaiah, in the way fire consumed the altar of the false gods, in the way fire led the people through the darkness of the wilderness. We need such a fire. And Jesus came to bring it. Fire to inflame our hearts with the love of God and with love for all that God has made. And fire has indeed come. And is coming again. But this coming of fire is not easy, as Jesus reminds us! Fire never is. Fire cannot be ignored. Such a fire brings change to our lives and to our character. Such a fire refines and defines us or it can destroy us, depending on how the fire - how God is received. It brings division among friends and family.
Jesus said; "I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!" Friends, this fire is not solely about judgement or wrath; rather, it is about mercy. How I long for the full manifestation of the fire of God’s presence to come. When all things will be made new by the fire of God’s loving and perfect judgment.
As Bruce Larson reminds us; "Fire does two things: it destroys the temporary, while it hardens or refines the durable." Just as we are reminded on Ash Wednesday when we receive the ashes on our foreheads, we are just dust and ashes. We are dust and to dust we shall return. But it is the spiritual that is eternal! Oftentimes, our lives are devoted to the temporary, those things which the fire will erase. But God, who is a consuming fire, will make that which is of worth in you and me - our identity, our very spirit endure forever.
This puts Peter’s words right into perspective when he wrote in his second epistle; "the day of the Lord will come as a thief," as we learned last week, "and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise and the elements will be dissolved with fire... but in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home."
While the first day of school is always a special time for students, there is one other day that is even more special then the first day of class and that is - graduation day! What song would be more fitting than "Pomp and Circumstance"? The football stadium or the coliseum is full; the whole family is there to see the one on whom its hope rests. The divisions of the school year are healed, the pressure of making good grades are no more; the students, dare we say, are grown up. A new day starts. And so it is true of this life! There is a peace promised beyond the challenge of following a Crucified Savior; a united family beyond any division that faith may have caused or bring. There is no conflict, no division in the kingdom of God. That was Jesus’ ultimate prayer! It is our ultimate goal! Therefore, let us work for it by allowing the fire of God’s presence to fill us, to refine us, and to define us, until that day when the full manifestation of God’s presence comes and all things are refined and defined! So, may our prayer be: Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!
Jesus spends much of the 12th chapter of Luke’s Gospel reassuring and encouraging his disciples. In fact, in verse 4 of the 12th chapter of Luke, Jesus says; "I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more," and then in verse 22, Jesus says; "Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life," and again in verse 32, Jesus says; "Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom." But we see that this same chapter ends on a far less positive note. Rather than continue to encourage and reassure his disciples, Jesus says that his ministry will be divisive. After spending 45 verses trying to quiet the anxiety of his followers, Jesus tells them that he came to bring fire to the earth. He insists that he will not bring peace. Instead, his ministry will bring division among families and friends. The ministry of our Lord, we are told here, is to rain fire from heaven! And indeed these are tough words for us to swallow, to deal with!
But, you know, I suspect that Jesus’ first century audience understood this imagery real well, perhaps, more so than we do. You see, we only have a passing acquaintance with the power of fire these days. Sure, we see flames in the fireplace or perhaps at a bon fire. We worry about our children holding candles on Christmas Eve. We read of an occasional forest fire and we hear the siren of a racing fire truck from time to time. But, the ancient people had a more intimate and real knowledge of fire. Their only nighttime illumination came from the flames of oil lamps. The smoke of the cooking fire on the kitchen floor constantly irritated and reddened their eyes. Everyone’s fingers were callused from working household fires. Their arms and hands bore the scars from burns. Early on they learned that food tasted better cooked, that flames tempered metal tools, and that it was fire that hardened pottery. People also knew firsthand the danger of an uncontrolled fire. Homes often burned to the ground by an overturned lamp or a carelessly maintained fire. Well into the 19th century, devastating fires re-shaped communities. And so, for such people the cause and effect of fire was imbedded into their minds and psyches. And so it was, that Jesus uses the image of fire. Here, Jesus’ words recalls an ancient belief that fire is the manifestation of God. In fact, in the Old Testament fire was and is a symbol of God’s presence and even, from time to time, of God’s judgment.
More so than not, fire is viewed as something negative. Maybe that is because we have all seen the effects of an uncontrolled fire. We have seen the devastation and danger, the destruction and even the death that fire can cause. Even biblically we tend to see fire as being a negative thing. For it was God who said "my wrath goes out like fire," and "my anger burns like a fire." But fire can also be seen as a good thing! It was fire that Moses saw in a bush when he encountered the Holy and receive his calling and commission. It was fire that led the people of Israel by night through the wilderness. It was fire that touched the lips of the prophet Isaiah as he was called to proclaim God to Israel. It was fire that fell upon and consumed the altar of Baal when Elijah prayed. It was fire that descended upon the heads of the apostles on the Day of Pentecost and the Church was born.
I heard a story a while back of a little church in a small town that caught fire one night. Up till that night, no one had really noticed the church or even given it much attention. But as the smoke and flames consumed this little church people from all over the town stood in the street and watched the church as it burned. The pastor drove up and noticed several people who hadn’t been to church for quite some time. Walking up to one elderly man he asked "Where have you been, I haven’t seen you at church in quite a while." The man said, sarcastically, "Well, in the 65 years that I’ve been coming to this church I’ve never seen it on fire till tonight!"
One dictionary defines fire in three ways: (1) "the active principle of burning, characterized by the heat and light of combustion," (2) "a strong feeling and excitement," and (3) "to become excited or aroused." If we would transfer these everyday uses of fire to our spiritual lives, we would discover that the fire of God’s presence does the exact same thing. God sanctifies, satisfies, justifies and purifies the believer.
Fire can mean a lot of things. It can do a lot of things. It can be both good and bad; but, without a doubt, fire cannot be ignored! Jesus’ coming to usher in God’s covenant and kingdom of love and grace and judgment cannot be ignored. And certainly, our Lord’s coming again is not something that can be ignored either.
As devastating as forest fires are, the fact is, without fire trees do not effectively reproduce. Without fire the undergrowth chocks out new seedlings. Without fire the forest is not renewed. Perhaps that is why John the Baptist reminded us that there was one coming - Jesus, who would baptize with fire and water. The fire of God’s Spirit burns all that is impure and unholy from us and it is the living water which washes us clean that we might be refined and defined as the people of God.
Certainly, in understanding Jesus’ words here we must understand both the pros and cons of fire - both the cause and effect of fire. Fire can cook our food or it can burn it beyond recognition; fire can warm us or it can destroy us. Jesus said; "I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!" You know, this is a wonderful prayer from our Lord, it is not one that should be ignored, because it scares us or because we have trouble understanding it or because we see it as being something negative - something bad. This is not a prayer that is out of character with the loving, gentle, compassionate and gracious Jesus that we have grown to know through the gospels and the church. On the contrary, this is a prayer that is right in line - right in synch with our loving Savior. The fire that Jesus yearns for to be kindled, is not a negative one. In fact, you and I should pray for such a fire to be kindled in our hearts, in our lives, in our church and certainly in our world. A fire to burn off the dross. A fire to bring out the purity of the gold and silver within us - spiritual wealth beyond price. A fire to inflame people to care and to bless one another with all the gifts of faith in the way fire purified the lips of Isaiah, in the way fire consumed the altar of the false gods, in the way fire led the people through the darkness of the wilderness. We need such a fire. And Jesus came to bring it. Fire to inflame our hearts with the love of God and with love for all that God has made. And fire has indeed come. And is coming again. But this coming of fire is not easy, as Jesus reminds us! Fire never is. Fire cannot be ignored. Such a fire brings change to our lives and to our character. Such a fire refines and defines us or it can destroy us, depending on how the fire - how God is received. It brings division among friends and family.
Jesus said; "I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!" Friends, this fire is not solely about judgement or wrath; rather, it is about mercy. How I long for the full manifestation of the fire of God’s presence to come. When all things will be made new by the fire of God’s loving and perfect judgment.
As Bruce Larson reminds us; "Fire does two things: it destroys the temporary, while it hardens or refines the durable." Just as we are reminded on Ash Wednesday when we receive the ashes on our foreheads, we are just dust and ashes. We are dust and to dust we shall return. But it is the spiritual that is eternal! Oftentimes, our lives are devoted to the temporary, those things which the fire will erase. But God, who is a consuming fire, will make that which is of worth in you and me - our identity, our very spirit endure forever.
This puts Peter’s words right into perspective when he wrote in his second epistle; "the day of the Lord will come as a thief," as we learned last week, "and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise and the elements will be dissolved with fire... but in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home."
While the first day of school is always a special time for students, there is one other day that is even more special then the first day of class and that is - graduation day! What song would be more fitting than "Pomp and Circumstance"? The football stadium or the coliseum is full; the whole family is there to see the one on whom its hope rests. The divisions of the school year are healed, the pressure of making good grades are no more; the students, dare we say, are grown up. A new day starts. And so it is true of this life! There is a peace promised beyond the challenge of following a Crucified Savior; a united family beyond any division that faith may have caused or bring. There is no conflict, no division in the kingdom of God. That was Jesus’ ultimate prayer! It is our ultimate goal! Therefore, let us work for it by allowing the fire of God’s presence to fill us, to refine us, and to define us, until that day when the full manifestation of God’s presence comes and all things are refined and defined! So, may our prayer be: Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!
posted by Pastor Christopher @ 1:11 PM
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