Okay, guys, let's go. Today the teaching will be from—actually, I don't have a verse or
a passage that I'm drawing from as the primary. I'm drawing from different chapters here.
But anyway, the title would be Burning Lukewarmness. Burning Lukewarmness. Yeah. If you remember
Moses at the burning bush in Exodus 3, right? It wasn't just a moment of Moses encountering
God. It's more than that, right? As we all know, God came and manifested in the form
of a burning bush that burned, and yet it did not consume the bush, right? So on one
hand, it was the presence, the manifestation of a holy God in the form of a fire, right?
In a burning bush. And because of God's presence, the ground that He was standing became holy.
Yeah? So on one hand, the burning bush signifies the presence of a divine God, right? God manifesting
in something physical, right? So that's the first part. And then the second aspect was
the commission of Moses came on that day. Yeah? So those are two significant points
there. One is the manifestation of a holy God in the form of a consuming fire, and the
other is the calling and the commissioning of Moses began on that day. And so we read
that God is a consuming fire, right? Hebrews talks about that. Hebrews 12.29. And for our
God is a consuming fire. And on the other hand, when we read Revelation, we talk about
the church in Laodicea where it's lukewarm. And here is a God who is a consuming fire,
and on the other hand is a church filled up with lukewarm Christians, right? And the Lord
hates it. They cannot go together. You know, the message puts it like this. You are stale.
You are stagnant. And you make me want to vomit. Those are not good words, so to say.
Yeah? And it says, because you are neither cold nor hot, I'm about to spit you out of
my mouth. Those are the words of Jesus. So Jesus prefers either you are cold or you are
hot, right? And then there's often a misinterpretation of hot and cold, right? Cold is not being
cold for the Lord. Cold is not being like you're citing Satan and you have nothing for
the things of God, right? You're not interested in anything with God. No, it's not talking
about that. It's much more than that. Hot and cold and lukewarm are often used in different
examples and metaphors that are used. But one of the cultural contexts in this is that
here is a city, a city called Hierapolis, right? Hierapolis. And then in the middle is Laodicea.
And then in the southern part is Colosseum, right? Colosseum, right? So these are the
three cities. And the upper one, which is in the northern city, is Hierapolis. And it
is mountainous. And so the waters are believed to flow from these volcanic lavas. And so
as the water trickles down from this mountain, what we receive in this city, in Hierapolis,
is hot water. And it is believed to be used for therapeutic healing, right? And it is
medicinal. But then, by the time it reaches Laodicea, it gets lukewarm. And then if you
go south, in the city of Colosseum, there are lots of lakes and springs which are refreshing
and cold. So it's not necessarily talking about, sorry, it's talking about more of usefulness
or say utility, right? That if you are cold, you can refresh. You can bring something pure
something refreshing. If you are hot, here in this context, you are used for something healing,
something therapeutic, something medicinal, right? But then lukewarm, it's like you're either
neither this nor this and can't use it. So it's in that kind of context, which I think makes
more sense. So lukewarm is a misplaced priority that God struggles to use you. Because you're
a little bit like the world, but you like God. Yeah? So you're kind of in between. So
number one about lukewarmness is that it's a spiritual indifference. It's a spiritual indifference,
right? Lukewarmness talks about a spiritual complacency. Where people profess that they are
Christians, but you hardly see about their passion. You hardly see there's an urgency for his
kingdom work. There is no total surrender. There are things that they go about with their own
lives, and yet they still want to pursue God. So they are kind of playing with both, right? This is
why the Bible talks about you cannot play, sorry, you cannot serve God and Maimon together, right?
But lukewarm people are the ones who plays with both. Yeah? So there is a spiritual indifference.
And lukewarmness is not laziness, guys. It's not laziness. It's an indifference dressed in the
clothing saying, I'm fine. I'm fine. I'm okay. So one might do church, sing songs, show up on Sunday
gatherings, but your soul is asleep. One prays only when it's pushed, right? One worships only when
it is emotionally stirred up. So you do the church thing, you engage in church activities, but
someone always needs to run behind you, push you, encourage you, motivate you. And that's what lukewarmness
is about. Yeah? Lukewarmness doesn't require Satan to kill it. So when we check our own prayer life,
is there a hunger for God's presence? Is there a boldness to witness? Is there a joy in the Holy Spirit?
Those are good ways, or say, that's the real thermometer, so to say, to measure whether you are lukewarm or not.
And then the second one about lukewarmness is that lukewarmness is always, or say, often clothed in comfort
and self-sufficiency. It's always clothed in comfort and self-sufficiency. You know, the city of Laodicea
and the people, they were materially wealthy city. So they didn't lack resources. They lacked reliance.
They didn't lack resources, but they lacked reliance. Right? They had, it's possible to have trappings of faith,
all the trappings of faith without fire. So today, many Christians, they think they are okay, because life looks good
on the outside. But Jesus sees the heart, and they don't even realize their own true condition.
Because this is what the Church of Laodicea said. They said, in verse 17, if you read there, the Church of Laodicea said,
I am rich, I have prospered, I need nothing. Three words, eh? I am rich, I have prospered, I need nothing.
They are comfortable, they need nothing. And then, you know what? Jesus said, you are wretched, you are pitiful,
you are poor, you are blind, and you are naked. Quite the opposite, eh? So there's a big disconnect between the two, right?
One is how they see themselves, and the other is how God sees them. Right? How they see themselves, and how God sees them.
How are you gauging yourself, right? Are you thinking you are hot for the Lord, but is God saying you are lukewarm?
Or, how do you gauge yourself, right? This is quite reflective of our society. Because we live in a society where
we think we are okay, we are good, we are okay, we don't need anything, yeah? We are good. And so, often fate is privatized,
personalized, reduced to Sunday attendance, and if we hold good morals, it's good. But it's not life consuming, all consuming, right?
And that is so different. And in this Church of Laudasia, they substitute material prosperity with spiritual vitality.
And that is quite similar even for us too. And there's no urgency, there's no passion. And so, they did not reject Jesus outright,
but there's no fire in them. And so, it's possible to say we believe in God. Every Christian say that, I believe in God.
No Christian will deny the existence of God. But it is possible not to exercise faith in God. Hear me again.
You can believe in God, but not exercise faith in God. And the term for this is practical atheist. Practical atheist, right?
You don't deny the existence of God, but in your practical life, in your everyday life, God's absent. You don't rely on Him.
So it's possible to live in that place. But hear the response of Jesus.
Those whom I love, I rebuke. That's what Jesus said, right? And discipline. So be earnest and repent.
And then this famous verse comes, which we all know. Here I am, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door,
I will come in and eat with that person and they with me, right? Which we all know that verse. But this came in the context of this.
In the context of lukewarmness, right? In the context of comfort and self-sufficiency.
And this is where Jesus is saying lukewarmness isn't enough. And this is the audience addressed here is not non-believers.
The audience is believers. People who know God. And Jesus saying, I would rather you be cold or hot, right?
Lukewarmness is something, it's a place where Jesus hates. He says He's about to spit them out, right?
So Jesus isn't knocking here at the door with condemnation. But He is knocking to commune. That's a different thing, right?
He's not knocking to condemn, but He's knocking to commune. Here at Acts 29, we are at a place where nobody can remain lukewarm.
And one of the things that we spoke about during the retreat was that there is no lukewarmness in this house. You cannot be, right?
We will not allow this to be. And so if you say, just think about this. If you say, some of the best years of my life, especially when it comes to my relationship with God, was I think 2024.
I think it was five years ago. It was six years ago. If you say, I'm going to be a good man, I'm going to be a good man.
If you think that some of your best spiritual lives, so to say, some of your best lives or when you felt most intimate with God, those moments, those seasons, those years, if it has been the past, then you are lukewarm.
That's hard to swallow though.
I'm not judging. I'm not condemning, but I'm trying to unsettle you and unsettle myself so that we come out of our lukewarmness, right?
So then what's the remedy for this?
If Jesus hates this, how do we deal with this?
So we have to be a little bit more careful.
We have to be a little bit more careful.
So that's the remedy for this lukewarmness. If Jesus hates this, how do we all come out of this lukewarmness, right?
And then I want to use this metaphor of fire.
God often comes or manifests in the form of a fire. And he himself said he is a consuming fire.
So if Jesus is saying, I am like fire or I manifest like fire, he is saying, I am the fire.
I'm the consuming fire.
That's a different interpretation, right?
So at least there are eight, nine metaphorical use of this word fire.
Like for example, the burning bush, right? Where it signifies the presence of God.
We all know that it was a divine guidance, right?
God manifested in a pillar of fire for what? To guide the Israelites so that they can even travel by night.
And then the third one is refining fire, where God comes and purifies, right?
Which we read in Malachi or in 1 Peter 1.
One is the consuming fire, where the judgment and the wrath of God sometimes falls on his own people, sometimes on the enemy.
And then there's this fire in the bones we read in Jeremiah, right?
So this is a prophetic passion that God comes in the fire in his bones, right?
And then if we go to the New Testament, especially in the book of Acts in chapter 2, it came as tongues of fire.
And that rests on each person, right?
It's the empowerment of the spirit that came, right?
Because Jesus said, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.
And on the Day of Pentecost, that power was released.
So it came as tongues of fire.
And then we all know the eternal fire that will come on the final judgment, right?
So here, these are just a few examples of fire.
But fire of God can destroy anything that is lukewarm in your life.
Fire can burn up your religious junks.
Fire can separate you from what is ordinary from the extraordinary.
Fire can ignite your zeal, your passion for God and for his kingdom affairs.
Fire of God can purify you.
Fire of God can prepare you.
Fire of God can manifest powerfully to bring transformation in your family, in the lives of your neighbors, in the lives of your colleagues, right?
And as we go to Acts up to 28, fire exposes the snakes, right?
The habitual sins.
And that are lurking in proximity, right?
Because when Paul had shipwrecked and he landed on the island of Malta, he made fire and then the snake came out, right?
And it bit his hand.
But as you make fire, it exposes the snakes.
One pastor said, it exposes the vipers, but it kills them too.
Fire can kill them too.
Yeah?
And I want to quote this man of God who said, life on fire for God is not a personality trait.
He said, to be on fire for God is not a personality trait.
It is not a spiritual gift.
And it is not a calling of the few elites.
Right?
And he puts it very simple.
Life on fire for God is simply being able to overcome excuses.
Yeah?
If you want to be on fire for God, one thing is, do away with excuse.
As simple as that, guys.
Yeah?
Because excuses will always extinguish the fire in you.
I am too busy right now.
I don't have time.
I don't think this is the right time to pursue God.
I cannot be passionate at this moment.
There are too many things going on in my life.
So you procrastinate.
Past experiences.
I've had terrible experiences.
Your present need.
But my needs are great.
Right?
And then some of your prayers have been unanswered.
So you're disappointed with God.
And then some say, I need to get a job first, though.
I need to get married first.
I need to buy my first home first.
And you're hoping that something will happen and it's not happening.
So for one or two reasons, we have excuse.
Good excuse, so to say.
And yet, that will extinguish the fire in you.
And so my focus for today is, how can we keep this fire burning?
You know, I'm not going to deal so much on lukewarmness, but how can we keep this fire burning?
And if you look in the Bible, fire doesn't just randomly fall from the sky.
There's always something that attracts for God to rain down his fire.
And I find that very fascinating.
It's not that God shows up with a fire, with a consuming fire, and then suddenly it consumes something and purifies something.
No, it doesn't work like that.
There is something that attracts the fire of God.
Sometimes it's a posture.
Sometimes it's a sacrifice.
Sometimes it's a realignment, and then the fire of God falls.
So we want to explore five things.
Like last Sunday I mentioned five sermon points.
Today I want to have another five sermon points.
And I hope now that makes ten now.
So the first one is, your life as an offering, sacrifice on the altar.
Your life as an offering, sacrifice on the altar.
You know, if you go to Leviticus, chapter 9, verse 24, let me read it from there.
Fire came out from the presence of the Lord, and it consumed the burnt offering on the altar.
Fire falls when something is offered on the altar.
Yeah? Does that make sense?
Right? The altar cannot be empty.
Something has to be offered on the altar.
And then God comes and consumes that offering on the altar.
Something has to be laid down.
Is it your pride? Is it your ego? Is it your ambition? Is it your career? Is it your spouse?
What is it? Right?
Something has to be offered on the altar so that the fire of God can come and consume that.
Something has to be offered.
And that's fascinating, guys.
And if we are not prepared to lay something on the altar, the fire of God cannot come.
Because the fire never falls on an empty ground.
Something has to be offered, right?
So I had seen this.
Oftentimes, sometimes for someone a career is too important.
To pursue a career is too important.
Sometimes a business idea is too important.
Sometimes these are all great promises and great visions, right?
God gives this. God gives a vision. God gives an idea.
God gives all of these visions and dreams and prophecies of what you will be, what you will do.
These are great promises and gifts from God, and yet they cannot overshadow who God is.
And oftentimes, vision gets bigger than God.
When ministry begins to explode, the ministry becomes more important.
When business begins to grow drastically, the business becomes so important. Yeah?
And so it may still be a dream job. It may be a dream come true.
It cannot overshadow God, right?
And so something has to be laid on the altar.
And that's the Old Testament concept.
The New Testament concept is even better.
And I find this, when I began to compare this to, it's amazing.
Because what the Old Testament is teaching is that your Isaac needs to be on the altar, right?
Your Isaac, as in your promise, what's been given, or your vision, what's been given needs to be put on the altar.
In the New Testament, it's no longer your Isaac.
Let me read this from Romans 12, verse 1.
Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, for this is your spiritual worship.
Let me hear me again. Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice.
The New Testament is saying this.
It's not about your pride, it's not about your ambition, it's not about something that you lay on the altar.
You be the offering.
That's different.
It's challenging you to another level of surrender.
Now it's not about surrendering your dream, your ambition.
It's no longer about that now.
Now you become the offering.
You be the Isaac now.
That's different, guys.
Yeah?
So this offering and sacrifice, this concept, nothing has changed, guys.
We think that those days are over.
No, not really.
The concept is the same.
It's just that we don't need to go and slaughter bulls or goats and rams or even cats and dogs.
They're spared now.
Yeah?
But you be the offering now.
That's huge, guys.
And we often think that when we offer ourselves to the service of the Lord or to whatever that God has,
we think that we are paying the price, the cost of discipleship, so to say, the cost of following Jesus.
We think that we are giving up.
We're giving up our dreams, our ambitions, and what we want to do.
We think that we are giving up.
But God said, those who try to save their lives will lose it, but those who lose their lives for his sake will find it.
And then God said in Jeremiah 29, which we all know, God has a plan to prosper us, to give us hope, future.
Even if you plan, you think that it's the best plan, it cannot, right?
It doesn't even come close to what God has in store for you.
So we think that we are offering our lives and sacrificing something for the Lord.
No.
In fact, if you and I can learn how to sacrifice ourselves before the Lord, we will have life in full and in abundance.
Yeah?
Because we are giving our lives to the author, creator, who knows and who has formed us.
And so we will receive much better than what we have offered.
Yeah?
So that's the first one, right?
Can we offer our life as an offering on the altar?
Yeah?
Not just sacrificing your promises or words spoken over your life.
Can you offer yourself as the...
Can you offer...
Can you be the Isaac on the altar, so to say?
And then the second one.
Fire falls when there's a broken spirit and humility practiced.
Yeah?
Let me go to Psalm 51.
And I really like this verse.
Psalm 51, verse 17.
This is the Psalm of David.
And he said,
He said,
God cannot despise a broken spirit and a contrite heart.
It cannot.
Yeah?
You know, we read a similar idea even in Matthew 5, where Jesus talks about the Beatitudes,
where it says that,
Blessed are the poor in spirit, right?
Then for theirs is the kingdom of God.
Yeah?
And then another verse is Isaiah 57, verse 15.
I really love this part.
Isaiah 57, verse 15, where it says,
You know, God's saying, I dwell in the high places, in the high and holy places, right?
God's saying that's where he dwells.
And yet, he said, but I also dwell in the lowly, in the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit.
I love that, yeah?
God dwells in the high and holy place.
And yet, he also dwells in the one or with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit.
And here's this next line.
To revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the spirit of a contrite heart.
Crazy, eh?
The God who dwells on high places, on a holy place,
is also dwelling in the midst of a contrite and a lowly spirit,
so that he can revive them.
Amazing, eh?
Fire never falls on the proud.
Fire never falls on who is self-sufficient.
Fire never falls on those who try to perform.
Fire falls on those who are pure, not on those who perform.
You may not be perfect, but if your worship is pure, it's honest, sincere.
That's how he accepted Abel's offering, right?
So, his fire always falls on the lowly, one who is sincere.
It always moves the heart of God.
When you think of that prodigal son's story, right?
The day and the moment, yes, he made a blunder, he made a mess.
But the day and the moment that he said, I will return to my father.
That's the best decision he has ever made, eh?
I will return to my father.
The day and the moment he repents and turns his attention towards the father,
the father is waiting, embraces him, puts him on a rope, calls on a feast.
It always gets the attention of the father.
The moment you say, father, I need you.
I turn my own ways. I cannot on my own.
That's what it takes, eh?
And remember the story in Luke chapter 18, I think, if I'm correct.
Yeah, Luke chapter 18, verse 9 onwards.
Jesus is telling about one parable, and he's comparing two guys here.
One is a Pharisee, the other is a text collector.
And he's saying, the Pharisee prays like this.
I thank God I'm not like the other men.
And then he goes on a self-exaltation mode, right?
And then the other guy is a text collector.
And this text collector, he wouldn't even dare to look up to the heavens.
But he would beat his chest.
And he said, Lord, I am a sinner.
It immediately gets the attention of God, right?
A earnest, sincere, and a humble posture before God always,
and I would say immediately, gets the attention of God.
So if we admit our lukewarmness, so to say,
say, Lord, I want to be on fire for God, but why am I inconsistent?
Some days, some weeks, I am on fire for you.
You know that.
But there are weeks I am lukewarm or even cold.
Why is that so, Lord?
Why can't I be consistent with my faith, with my walk with you?
Lord, help me.
Show me.
And as you do that, Isaiah 57 verse 17 immediately kicks into action, right?
Where it says, I dwell in the high holy place,
but I also dwell with the one who is lowly and contrite in spirit.
For what?
To revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the spirit of a contrite heart.
He dwells in the lowly so that we can be revived.
Crazy, eh?
Number one, desperate and a faith-filled prayer.
Desperate and faith-filled prayer.
Fire always falls on this one.
Let me take you to 1 Kings 18, right?
Elijah prays at Mount Carmel, and fire falls, which we all know, right?
Which consumes the sacrifice, the stone, the dust and water.
So fire didn't just fall like that.
It was a response to Elijah's prayer.
Yeah?
Fire fell as a response to Elijah's prayer.
Can we pray like this?
Are we desperate enough?
We should read how he prayed.
When I read this, reread this, reread this prayer, it was amazing.
It blew my mind.
And I would say I often don't pray like this.
Hear this prayer from 1 Kings 18.
Elijah prayed like this.
Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel,
and I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word.
Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that these people may know that you are the Lord God,
and that you have turned their hearts back to you again.
When we read this, let's dissect this prayer, right?
See here, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known that you are God in Israel.
Such faith.
He's saying that you are the God of this Israel, Isaac, Jacob, and you have to show.
You have to show that, let it be known that you are the one true God.
So he's saying, in one way, he's challenging God to manifest, to show up.
Such faith.
And then, second part, he says, I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word.
Obedience.
He's not just making it up.
He's putting all these things so that he's hearing, and he's doing this, right?
He's God's servant, and he's not trying to experiment with water and try to see if God will show up.
No.
He's hearing and he's obeying, even in this, right?
And then, the third part, hear me, O Lord, hear me.
Such a humility posture.
He's bleeding to God to come, right?
And then, this next part, that these people may know that you are God.
What's the context?
The context was that they are competing.
They're trying to show who the true God is.
So here is the prophet of Baals and other worshipers, and here is Elijah and God's people.
So it's a contest.
There's a war going on here.
There's a competition going on here.
And now, Elijah is praying for these guys.
He is saying that they may know you.
In the midst of a contest, in the midst of a war, he's praying for the enemy.
Crazy, eh?
He cares for them.
He loves them.
That they may know you.
He's praying for them.
Such a love for these people.
And then, the last part, that they have turned their hearts back to you.
He's praying for their salvation.
He's praying for their conversion.
That they will turn to you.
Crazy, eh?
So when you take this prayer, it is, I would say three things here.
It is faith-filled.
It is heaven-focused.
It is a fire-attracting prayer.
I find these mind-blowing guys.
Not sure if most of us can pray this kind of prayer.
I remember Anil and I going to one meeting where there were church leaders praying for an elder who is seriously sick and in a critical condition.
And I think it was pretty serious.
And then, very less chance.
And so, when we were in the room, as we hear prayers across the room, we couldn't find a prayer that was really serious.
And so, when we were in the room, as we heard prayers across the room, we couldn't find a single man who prayed a prayer of faith.
Nobody dared to ask for complete restoration.
They were crying.
Like, oh, he was a good friend.
Lord, if it's your will, please, please heal him.
And the prayers were ready to let this man go.
And I remember when Anil prayed, it was a different prayer.
And I don't know if it was because of our prayer, but that elder got healed.
Desperate, faith-filled prayer.
I wish we can pray like this for our revival, that we are longing for.
The Hebrides 2.0.
We need men and women who can pray like this, guys.
Right?
Lord, if it's your will, let Hebrides 2.0 happen.
If it's not, it's okay.
I hope we don't go that route, you know?
Yeah.
And then the fourth one.
Oneness of heart and expectation.
There is power in unity, guys.
There is, like, when a people of God come together as one, unites their heart and have a common expectation from God, it's powerful, guys.
On the day of Pentecost, they were together.
They were together.
Why?
Because Jesus instructed them to wait and to not depart from Jerusalem.
That was the instruction, right?
So they were waiting.
And they obeyed what Jesus told them.
And then on that day, the Spirit fell on each one of them.
God's fire falls when there is oneness, when there is obedience and a spiritual hunger, right?
So I've not come across any revival falling on a lone ranger.
When you look at the across history of how revivals break out, yes, there are people that God used to initiate, but it never falls on one person.
They were together when the Holy Spirit came, right?
Oneness of heart always invites the fire of God to fall, and division always repels the fire of God.
You know, remember in Genesis 11, the Tower of Babel, right?
The Tower of Babel.
And I find this very interesting.
Even in disobedience, there is power of unity.
God acknowledged that.
The other day I was reading this and I find it quite fascinating because these are the words that God said.
God said, verse 6, if as one people speaking the same language, they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.
Crazy, eh?
These are the words of God.
He's saying they are disobedient and yet they are united.
And nothing will be impossible for them.
Even in disobedience, God acknowledged the power of unity.
If such a rebellious unity can move heaven's attention, what about moving in holy unity?
Amazing, eh?
I hope that we can get to this place of oneness of heart where we can tend for the things of God together in one spirit.
Paul emphasizes about unity again and again and again, right?
Because there are so many problems, so many divisions in the church.
And one thing that he continues to emphasize is unity in the church because he knows the power of unity.
You know, let me take back to 2 Chronicles.
This is a very interesting story.
In 2 Chronicles 5, where the glory of the Lord filled the temple, right?
There were trumpeters, there were other musicians, and then they joined together and they made music, right?
Giving praise and thanks to God.
And the temple of the Lord filled with the cloud and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud.
For the glory of the Lord filled the temple.
I hope something happens like that even here as well.
So that here our music team playing and then you cannot see none of the musicians, you know?
Because of what? Because the glory has filled this house.
I hope that happens, eh?
I hope that, you know, the guy next to you, you can hear his voice but you cannot see his face.
Why? Because the glory of God has filled this house.
I long for such a day. Yeah?
I hope that there will be unity, oneness where we come together.
That we're praying for the same thing.
That heavens will come true here on earth. Yeah?
See, because on the day of Pentecost, they were united, they were together, and each one received.
This is why Paul talks about, don't think that you are a complete individual.
Think of yourself as a nose, as an eye.
Because your wholeness comes when you belong to the body.
So here, on the day of Pentecost, they were together, they are individuals, and yet tongues of fire separated them and rest on each person.
You will not miss out, guys. Yeah?
The last one. I really like this one.
Living for the audience of one.
Not a new concept, but living for the audience of one.
Let me take you to Daniel, the life of Daniel, the story of Daniel in chapter 3, right?
We all know the story, so I'm not going to explain the story.
But the context was such that King Nebuchadnezzar built a towering statue, right?
And then an idol symbolizing his power and his empire's pride, right?
And a royal decree was issued that everybody at the sound of music, everybody should bow down, right?
And whoever does not will be thrown into the blazing furnace.
And everyone bows except three of Daniel's friends, which we all know, right?
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They refuse to kneel.
They will not bend their faith to be an idol.
And if we think of this, remember, this is their workplace.
This is where they were serving.
As in, this is where they get their paycheck.
This is where they get their provision. This is their workplace.
This is where they get their paycheck.
And yet, this is how they responded.
Our God is able to deliver.
And the next line is even better.
Even if he does not, we will not serve your gods or worship the image of a gold.
Yeah? On one hand, he said, our God will deliver.
And on the other hand, he's saying, even if he does not, I like that phrase, even if he does not, unwavering faith, they're not going to compromise, hey?
Uncompromising faith. Can we say, even if you fire me from my job?
Say, for example, you work for a company. That's where your main source of livelihood is.
But there are certain things that you need to bend your morality.
And it came upon a time where you have to say, even if you fire me, I cannot do that.
They said, no. It enraged the king.
And he orders the furnace to increase by seven times hotter, right?
And then they were thrown into the fire. They bind their hands.
And the next thing was breathtaking.
Look, I see a foreman walking around the fire, and the fortman looks like the son of gods.
Came the fortman in the fire. God doesn't prevent fire. God meets them in the fire.
We often sometimes take away this pain, take away this problem.
God sometimes deliberately does not take away your problem.
Sometimes God doesn't take away your pain, but he meets you in your pain.
He meets you in your suffering. Yeah?
Sometimes he does take away, but sometimes he doesn't just prevent.
Babylon was a place of idolatry. It was a place of intimidation.
It was a place of assimilation.
Much like our culture, so to say, right?
The pressure to conform every time, everywhere.
The media, politics, personal circles, right?
But there was a promotion as we go through the refiner's fire.
There's always a promotion, guys.
There's always a promotion. I have not come across, as I'm comparing what David went through,
what Moses went through, like all of these guys, you name it,
I have not come across any of these men or women in the Bible who had been used powerfully by God
and who had not gone through a test.
It took 17 years. David was prophesied that he would be the next king.
He knew that he's going to be the king.
What happens was, here's this crazy guy running after him.
After him. For what? To kill his life. Right? To kill him.
Furnace did not destroy them. In fact, it liberated them.
So, faith that refuses to bow, right?
Faith that refuses to bow will always face the furnace.
This is the way of the cross, guys. This is the way of the cross.
Faith that refuses to bow will go through the furnace.
But the God who you stand for will come and stand with you.
That's guaranteed, guys. He doesn't abandon us in the fire.
That's not who our God is. That's not His nature.
Yeah?
The fire burned the robes, not the men.
And, hear this, the world is watching, guys.
The world is watching.
When they came out of the fire, King Nebuchadnezzar, who is a pagan king,
acknowledged who God is. Here is His word.
There is no other God who can save in this way.
Daniel 3 verse 29.
Here's a pagan king declaring there is no other God who can save in this way.
Crazy, eh? Unshakeable faith under pressure.
And then it revealed God's reality to the watching world, guys.
The world is watching, guys. The world is watching.
It will even cause pagan kings to rethink of their allegiance.
I hope, as you stand for your faith, it will allow your atheist friend
or people who have other gods rethink their allegiance.
I hope that happens. Can you live this way?
For the world to know your life, see your life, and say, I want to know the God that you serve.
God's fire is God's fire. As in, you cannot manufacture.
It has to be from Him, by Him, through Him.
Yet, you have a... So fire cannot be manufactured on one hand,
but fire has to be maintained on the other hand.
And that's your responsibility and my responsibility, to maintain the fire.
Like, if we read from Leviticus 6 verse 12,
the fire on the altar must be kept burning. It must not go out, right?
The fire at the altar must keep burning. It must not go out.
It's the fire of God, and yet, you can let your fire go out.
Yeah? God may start the fire, but it is your job to tend the fire.
You must fuel it with prayer. You must fuel it by consuming the food.
You must eat the scroll. Yeah?
You must fuel your fire with obedience to His word.
Passion fades when... Sorry, passion fades without daily devotion.
Passion fades without daily devotion.
The fire of God will awaken your sleep, so to say, a sleeping world.
Jesus Himself said, you are the light of the world, right?
Your fire, your life is meant to shine before men.
And I like this word. A fire hidden is a revival wasted.
A fire hidden is a revival wasted. Let your fire burn for others to see and find Jesus.
Your personal fire has public impact.
God is not looking for polished Christians.
He's not looking for polished, refined Christians.
He's looking for those who are burning, who are without excuses,
who would leave their nets and boats and follow Christ.
For us, that might look different for us today.
But as in, like, can you leave out any excuses that you are ready, whatever it takes?
Because the world is watching, guys.
Many have been shipwrecked by the storm.
Like Paul, it's time to build the fire and shake off the vipers that are lingering and lurking in proximity.
Because fire will provoke the vipers to come out, but it's the same fire that will burn these vipers as well.
So here's a final challenge that I want to leave.
And you can think about this. Are you burning or are you just surviving?
Right?
And the second one, are you tending the fire or are you letting it fade?
And then, will you let God consume the lukewarm areas of your life?
There are some areas where we are more ready, more ready to surrender, more passionate.
But there are areas where it has gone cold or lukewarm.
Can you expose every area of your lukewarmness to God?
Yeah?
So Father, I pray that this message in some ways may unsettle each one of us.
Because the passage is addressed to Christians who are lukewarm, not non-believers.
And as far as I know, in this house everybody is a believer.
And so Father, may we not recall five years ago, three years ago,
when we have had the most passionate years with you and in your kingdom affairs.
May our best moments, best spiritual experiences and adventures come in this season.
Expose anything that is lukewarm in our lives, oh God.
Come with your consuming fire.
Burn up anything that is religious junk, historical junk in our lives, oh God.
Because you alone can do that.
Set us apart, oh God.
Let your tongues of fire rest on each one of us, oh God.
And like Jane said, Father, today what we have received, let this joy of God be so contagious, oh God.
May our fire never go out.
May it only increase, oh God.
We bless your name, Father.
And we thank you for this.