Keeping the Fire of First Love Alive
Summary
In this sermon, I was reminded of the importance of maintaining the fire of first love for our Savior in our hearts. This fire should be ignited in our hearts from our youth and should never be allowed to go out. The sermon emphasized that the fire will continue as long as there is something to offer, which for us means living in a spirit of self-acknowledgement and being conscious of God's fire that wants to consume that which is part of our human nature. The sermon also highlighted that Jesus was the first and most perfect offering, offering up His body as a well-pleasing sacrifice to God to do God's will. His body was never used for anything else, except to do the will of His Father in heaven. The intention for us is to also be such well-pleasing sacrifices, but for that to happen, the fire has to consume. His purity cannot be united with any impurity in our nature. His love, it can’t be united with self-love and self-seeking. The fire has to take it.
The sermon also emphasized the importance of being able to endure the fire. It is God's intention for us to become people who can bear the fire, so that we don't need to live in that which is only able to be cleansed by water. The water will cleanse us outwardly, and we can be extremely thankful for that. However, the intention is that we become disciples who can endure the fire. The sermon also reminded us that Jesus, our Master, was filled with God's fire. He was humble and lowly in heart, filled with goodness and love, but He was also filled with God's zeal in His heart. This fire had been kindled in Him and had done its purifying work tremendously in His life.
Key takeaways:
- The fire of first love for our Savior should be ignited in our hearts from our youth and should never be allowed to go out. This fire will continue as long as there is something to offer ([20:08]).
- Jesus was the first and most perfect offering, offering up His body as a well-pleasing sacrifice to God to do God's will. His body was never used for anything else, except to do the will of His Father in heaven ([15:09]).
- It is God's intention for us to become people who can bear the fire, so that we don't need to live in that which is only able to be cleansed by water ([16:07]).
- Jesus, our Master, was filled with God's fire. He was humble and lowly in heart, filled with goodness and love, but He was also filled with God's zeal in His heart ([17:08]).
- The fire of God's zeal had been kindled in Jesus and had done its purifying work tremendously in His life ([18:18]).
Study Guide
Main Points from the Sermon:
1) The fire of God's love and zeal should always be burning in our hearts, and this fire is fueled by our willingness to offer up our human nature for purification. This fire is the fire of first love for our Savior, and it should never go out in our hearts. #!!01:26!!#
2) The fire of God is a purifying fire that consumes our impurities and self-love, making us more like Jesus. This fire is not meant to harm us, but to liberate us from our sinful nature. #!!15:09!!#
3) The fire of God's love and zeal is not meant to be comfortable for our flesh. It requires us to suffer and endure, but the result is a purified heart that is filled with the life and character of Jesus Christ. #!!19:11!!#
Bible Chapters for the Group to Read:
1) Leviticus 6:12-13
2) Luke 12:49
3) 1 Peter 4:12-13
Discussion Guide:
Observation Questions:
1) In Leviticus 6:12-13, what does the commandment about the fire on the altar symbolize in our spiritual lives?
2) How does Luke 12:49 reflect Jesus' desire for His disciples?
3) What does 1 Peter 4:12-13 tell us about the purpose of fiery trials in our lives?
Interpretation Questions:
1) How does the fire of God's love and zeal purify us according to the sermon and the Bible passages?
2) What does it mean to offer up our human nature for purification?
3) How does enduring fiery trials result in us partaking in Christ's sufferings and His glory?
Application Questions:
1) How can we keep the fire of God's love and zeal burning in our hearts daily?
2) What are some practical ways we can offer up our human nature for God's purifying fire?
3) How can we endure fiery trials with joy, knowing that they are meant to purify us and make us more like Christ?
Devotional
Day 1: The Fire of First Love for Our Savior
When we first accept Christ as our Savior, there is often an intense fire of love and zeal for Him. This fire is a gift from God, a sign of His presence in our lives. Over time, this fire may seem to diminish as we face the challenges and distractions of life. But God calls us to keep this fire burning, to continually rekindle our first love for Him.
Revelation 2:4 - "Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first."
Reflection: Reflect on the time when you first accepted Christ as your Savior. How intense was your love and zeal for Him then? How has it changed over the years? What can you do to rekindle that first love and keep the fire burning on the altar of your heart?
Day 2: The Fire of God's Purity
God is pure and holy, and He calls us to be the same. His fire is a purifying fire, burning away all that is impure and self-seeking in our lives. This process can be painful, but it is necessary for us to become more like Him.
Psalm 51:10 - "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."
Reflection: Are there areas in your life where you struggle with impurity or self-seeking? How can you invite God's purifying fire into these areas? What steps can you take to ensure that the fire of God's purity is always burning on the altar of your heart?
Day 3: The Fire of God's Zeal
Jesus was zealous for His Father's house, and He calls us to have the same zeal for God's kingdom. This zeal is a fire that consumes us, driving us to do God's will and to seek His glory above all else.
John 2:17 - "His disciples remembered that it is written: 'Zeal for your house will consume me.'"
Reflection: How does the zeal of Jesus inspire you in your own faith journey? Are there areas in your life where you need to invite God's zeal to do its purifying work? How can you cultivate a heart that is filled with God's zeal?
Day 4: The Fire of God's Cleansing
God's fire is not only a purifying fire, but also a cleansing fire. It burns away the dross in our lives, leaving us purified and refined. This process can be painful, but it is necessary for our growth and transformation.
1 Peter 1:7 - "These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed."
Reflection: Reflect on a time when you went through a fiery trial. How did it purify and change you? How can you embrace future trials as opportunities for God's cleansing fire to work in your life?
Day 5: The Fire of God's Judgement
God's judgement is like a fire that tests the quality of our works. It is a process that reveals our true character and motives. This process can be uncomfortable, but it is necessary for our growth and transformation.
1 Corinthians 3:13 - "Their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work."
Reflection: How comfortable are you with the idea of God's all-seeing judgement? Are there areas in your life that you need to open up to His scrutiny? How can you cultivate a love for this process of being an open book before Him?
Quotes
1. "It’s tremendously hopeful what God can do in us if we are just willing sacrifices. Tremendously hopeful. And we can partake of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, to a very, very great degree, if we’ll let Him have His way in our lives." - 20:03
2. "We’ve got to be willing. Willing sacrifices in order for Him to do His work. But then He will. And here, of course it’s written in connection with brotherly love. You can love at a distance. How horrible! What does it say when you are living at a distance with your brothers and sisters?" - 16:07
3. "And the fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not be put out. And the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order on it; and he shall burn on it the fat of the peace offerings. A fire shall always be burning on the altar; it shall never go out." - 01:26
4. "And Jesus of course, He was the first and most perfect offering. When He came into the world, He offered up His body as a well-pleasing sacrifice to God, in order to do God’s will. And that body was never used for anything else, except to do the will of His Father in heaven." - 02:59
5. "He loves these wholehearted disciples. He loves them until today! He loves us if we are among them! We are the ones that He longs and chooses to have intimate fellowship with. We who are of that same mind, that we arm ourselves every day with that mind, His mind, to suffer in the flesh so we’ll finish with sin." - 09:24
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