Cornerstone Mission Church, Sunday Sermon, January 17 2009
Something that we take for granted is fire. All that is needed to start a fire is a quick stop at a convenient store to pick up a match or lighter. If all the modern conveniences are stripped away, then what do you do? Here is a picture a fire-kit made by Mark Whitcombe with stone tools (http://homepage.mac.com/laddie/fire_by_friction.html)
With all the handmade tools ready, Mark works with a stiff bow and a taught string and considerable down-pressure. He vigorously spins the spindle against the notch of the hearth (harth) board for 15 to 20 seconds to produce a suitable ember.
When thick smoke starts to pour out of the hole, black powder around the bottom of the spindle, and the notch is filled with it, now it is time to knock off the raw ember.
He would put the edge of the tinder under the hearth board and gently knock the raw ember out when it’s ready. And he would place the ember in the tinder. And, you see a curl of smoke from a dark-brown/black ember about the size of few peas as it rests on the Cedar bark tinder.
Getting that dark brown/black ember is only the beginning. The ember at this stage requires just the right kind of tinder like the inner bar of white cedar Mark used. And, fresh cedar bark wouldn’t do. It has to be the cedar bark exposed to the elements at least ten years.
With the black/brown ember wrapped in the tinder, he blows at it gently. And, as more spoke is produced, he blows harder. Soon, what you see is a glowing red ember. By then, Mark knows he got fire.
After wrapping the glowing red ember with the tinder of older cider bark and a few good puffs, then you got flames.
- The spiritual ember that ignites lifestyle living beyond oneself
Paul says in 2 Timothy 1:6, “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God…” I would call the gift of God given to Timothy as the spiritual ember that was ready to take Timothy to a completely different trajectory in life to live beyond himself for the greater cause. Since then, for the last two millenniums the gift of God, the spiritual ember, has been igniting people to burn brightly, not for themselves, but for the cause of Jesus Christ. Once the spiritual ember enters into your life and you experience the flame, you are no longer content to live life just for yourself. Another word, discontentment in life will persist unless we fan into flame the gift of God and live beyond ourselves for God and for others.
Jim Elliot understood this when he wrote in his journal in October 28, 1949, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” He was a man of sincere faith who was compelled to give his life for the cause of God’s Son Jesus Christ. Jim gave his life away in sharing his faith to the savages. But, he gained so much more. Jim gained true fellowship with Christ. He would ask, “Am I ignitable? God deliver me from the dread asbestos of ‘other things.’ Saturate me with the oil of the Spirit that I may be a flame.”
God gave Timothy, the gift, the spiritual ember to live beyond himself, to share the life of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. And, God has also given us the spiritual ember that is endowed with power, love and self-discipline to ignite us into the new movement of living beyond ourselves for the audience of one.
Think about it. It is Jesus who calls us to follow him. Didn’t he say, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.” (Matthew 16:24-24) What else can you expect from yourself when you follow Jesus who lived beyond himself? Didn’t Jesus live beyond himself for his Father, to do his will? Didn’t Jesus live beyond himself for you and me? In sharing his life unto death, Jesus has ignited unstoppable chain reaction for the new kingdom lifestyle, living beyond oneself to the will of God and living beyond oneself for others.
You and I are called to embrace the new narrative of selfless people living out selflessly beyond themselves in God’s power, love and self-discipline. That is our legacy!
- How we snuff the spiritual ember…
When Paul reminded Timothy to fan into flame the gift of God, he did it because there was the risk of letting the spiritual ember snuffed. The dark brown/black ember had to be wrapped up in the tinder of white cider wood, it had to be infused with fresh air in order to glow red and ignite into flame. But, when you don’t fan into flame, the spiritual ember becomes dormant, inactive.
- Being ashamed of Jesus Christ snuffs the spiritual ember.
Do you remember what happened to Peter? He is the first one to get Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the promised Savior, the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16). He is the one who boldly proclaimed his loyalty to Jesus, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will” (Matthew 26:33). Yet, it was he who denied knowing Jesus when people recognized him as Jesus’ disciple, not just once, but three times.
Lyn and I’ve been teaching our children not to use God’s name in vain. Listen to what Mikayla did. When her classmate said, “Oh my God,” Mikayla to her, “Hey, don’t say that! That’s King’s name.” Isn’t that great? 6 year old defending the name of the King! If she chose not to say anything, it would be because she was ashamed to stand for God.
- Living under fear snuffs the spiritual ember
Often the cause of feeling shame on account of Jesus is fear. A spirit of timidity or cowardice evokes fear in what others might think of us if we defend our faith in Jesus Christ. Going back to Peter in his denial, it was this fear fueled by a spirit of timidity that paralyzed him.
- How do we fan into flame the spiritual ember?
So, how do we live so that we are not controlled by shame and fear and live like cowards? How do we fan into flame the gift of God so we live beyond ourselves in a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline as Jesus did?
1 John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear.” The way to fan into flame the gift of God is by renewing our relationship with Jesus Christ. When relationship with Christ grows fear and shame is dispelled and living beyond ourselves for God and for others becomes the way of life.
It is love that always controls you. If we deny knowing Jesus like Peter did, it is because we love our lives more than we love Jesus. If we lose our lives like Jim Elliot did in sharing his faith in Jesus with the savages, it is because we overcome the fear of being killed in our love for Christ.
Do you remember how Jesus fan into flame Peter’s spiritual ember that was covered with ashes of doubts and gross failure? Having denied Jesus three times, Peter went back to the old way of life, fishing to make ends meet with other disciples. It is at a shore while fishing he first met Jesus more than three years ago. And, now again it is at a shore Peter met the resurrected Jesus.
Do you remember what Jesus was doing at the shore while they were fishing? John 21:9 says, “When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.”
Do you remember what Jesus said to Peter after eating? Jesus asked Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?” To this Peter answered, “Yes, Lord… you know that I love you.” Three times Jesus asked if Peter loved him. Three times Peter confessed his love for Jesus. And, each time Jesus followed with the call to live beyond himself, to do the will of God to feed his lambs, to take care of his sheep, to feed his sheep.
Do you see what Jesus was doing with Peter? He was fanning the flame by calling Peter to commit once again to relationship with him, to renew his love for him. Listen to how people of God yearn for rekindling of the spiritual ember?
Amy Carmichael “Give me the love that leads the way, the faith that nothing can dismay, the hope no disappointments tire, the passion that will burn like fire. Let me not sink to be a clod; Make me Thy fuel, Flame of God.”
Robert Murray M’Cheyne, “The oil of the lamp in the temple burnt away in giving light; so should we."
Richard Baxter, “What have we time and strength for, but to lay out both for God? What is a candle made for, but to burn?”
Samuel Chadwick, “Men ablaze are invincible. Hell trembles when men kindle.”
John Wesley… “Get on fire for God and men will come and see you burn.”
J. Oswald Sanders… “The wick exits only to be consumed. If it survives, it has failed of its purpose. There is no such thing as costless spiritual service. As we minister to others, virtue will go out of us. Ours is the privilege of offering ourselves as fuel for the flame of God.”
Do you want to be fuel for the flame of God? Do you want to be ignited? Do you want be invincible? Do you want to make the hell tremble because you are ablaze in flames?
Rekindling requires changes, rearranging, stirring the embers… what means of changes, rearrangement do you need to see your amber emitting hot burning flames? What do you need to do renew your love for Christ and live beyond yourself?
