Intro:

I have a Riddle for you to ponder while I preach, and I’ll tell you the answer at the end of the sermon. Are you ready to hear it?

Riddle: There was a man who lived in a beautiful white house which overlooked the rocky coastline. His name was Mark. One night Mark woke up startled from a terrible dream, his face turned pale, he began to shake with terror, immediately he jumped to his feet ran upstairs and turned on the light… Who is Mark, and What was Mark’s dream?

PRAYER

We read stories in the bible of christians that were filled with Zeal… You could almost say they were purpose driven christians… They had a mission and a sacred spark that consumed them…

People like….

Paul — Who said “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ, for it is the power of God unto Salvation”

Stephen — Who boldly called sin by its right name and was stoned to death

Hannaniah, Mishael, and Azariah — Who would not compromise their worship, though threatened with the flames of a fiery furnace…

Daniel — Who choose to faith the Lion’s den than to give up prayer

Moses — Who drew near to the face of God, when all the people drew back

David — Who faced a giant

Peter — Who was crucified upside down

James — Who was beheaded for his faith in Jesus

We look back at these patriarchs of the faith and we say — That’s Christianity!   That’s what it’s supposed to look like… A faith that is fearless, bold, mission driven, filled with vigor and zeal, holds to Christ and His word in the face of death… That’s Christianity!

Is that the christianity we see today? Is this your Christian experience? Why not? Why are we sometimes fearful, faithless, joyless, lagging in vigor and zeal kind of christians?

Why?

Where’s the fire? Where is the purpose driven life? Where is that fearless faith that would face the lion’s and the flames?

Proverbs 29:18 — “Where [there is] no vision, the people perish”

Maybe we’ve lost our vision? Maybe we’ve forgotten our true purpose as Christians… Maybe we’ve forgotten why we’re here and what it’s all for… Could it be that what we need to re-ignite our own sacred spark is a common goal, a common purpose, a call to which we all press forward?

The Apostle Paul had a rally cry, do you know what it was?

[Rom 15:20-21 NKJV] 20 And so I have made it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build on another man’s foundation, 21 but as it is written: “To whom He was not announced, they shall see; And those who have not heard shall understand.”

Paul’s rally cry was “To Preach the gospel where Christ was not named” — I can almost hear Paul saying, “Timothy, Barnabas, I will go to the ends of the earth to tell even one soul about Jesus who changed me.”

and so Paul’s rally cry was: “To the Ends of the Earth”, capturing the rally cry which Jesus gave to each one of us. Now we might not all be called to be missionaries to Mongolia — Evangelists to India — or Preachers in Peru — but make no mistake, if you are a Christian then the Sacred Spark of the gospel has been placed in your trembling hands to bear to someone else in the world. Jesus said: Matthew 5:14 You are the Light of the World

and lights were made to shine! I’ve met many Christians whose lamps have near gone out, because they’ve been hidden under a mountain of excuses for so long — You want to rekindle the fire and passion for Christ in your life — you want to make sure that when Jesus comes your lamp is burning, then you’ve got to sweep away the excuses and uncover the light.

[Luk 11:33 NKJV] 33 “No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts [it] in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light.

Illustration: In our new home we have a wood burning stove, and I discovered something, if you open the door of the stove it burns hotter and burns brighter. Don’t close the door to evangelism in your life — don’t close the door to sharing your faith with your neighbors and friends, open it wide and watch your walk with Christ turn into a brilliant blaze! Just ask any exuberant Christian the source of their joy, and it is allowing Jesus, the Living Water, to flow out of their heart in messages to hope and truth to others..

Jesus says, you’ve got a mission, a rally cry, a purpose in this life — and guess what, your mission and calling is the same as Jesus’ mission and calling:

John 8:12 — Jesus said I am the Light of the World

and Jesus said, You are the light of the world! He shines, and because of Him, we can shine too! Although You and Jesus share the same purpose — Evangelism — Never forget that Jesus is the source of your sacred spark…

[Luk 11:35-36 NKJV] 35 “Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness. 36 “If then your whole body [is] full of light, having no part dark, [the] whole [body] will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light.”

Remember — you share the same mission as Jesus “To be a light to the world”, but never forget who is the source of that light. It is not you! When you lead some soul to Christ, when you point some wayward sin-laden sinner to Christ — Remember it is God who works in you and God who works through you,

[Jhn 12:32 KJV] 32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all [men] unto me.

It is not YOUR message alone that is a beacon of light to the world — in fact, the message alone will not save — It is Christ! He is the water for which our world thirsts, and He is the light that brings sight to those who walk in darkness.

I say this, because as seasoned Christians, we sometimes get excited about our message — “Look what I found in the Bible! Look at my Truth!” and we think that the message alone, our message, is enough to save! But the message and the messenger are not enough, and are no the primary source of light. There is a greater goal to pursue than just sharing truth — and that is to introduce men and women, boys and girls, to the

AUTHOR of TRUTH!

[Mat 16:18 KJV] 18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Peter in greek means “Small Pebble, a common stone that can picked up on the path and tossed aside” — Peter in greek is “Petros” and that is the greek word used right here in this verse. But When Jesus says “Upon THIS rock” he switches the greek word from Petros to Petra, and a “Petra” is a mammoth sized rock that juts out of a cliff. An immovable rock! A Foundational Rock.

You are Peter — the movable stone, the pebble in the brook, the gravel on the road… But on THIS rock — the “Petra” — the one that can not move I will be build my church! Who is Jesus referring to? — Not Saint Peter, not Peter who denied Jesus 3 times, hid from the Romans with the rest of the disciples, and cursed like a real Galilean fisherman

— Not on this weak Petros would Christ build his church… but on the mighty Petra — the immovable, consistent, and solid rock — Jesus Christ:

The Apostle Paul uses this same analogy of Christ as the Rock, the Petra, in his letter to the church of Corinth. He says:

[1Co 10:4 NKJV] 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock [PETRA] that followed them, and that Rock [PETRA] was Christ.

Jesus Christ is the church’s only foundation — The CHURCH has ONE foundation!, and He is the source of your light, your calling and mission to the world.

Now someone may say, “That’s right Pastor, It’s Jesus job to save, My job is to be saved…” — As if God brought you, a highly valued child of the king, out of darkness and out of the grasp of Satan, just so we could sit in pews. Oh no! Jesus didn’t call you to be a professional potato — When Jesus called you, He also enlisted you into a great army and charged this army with a mission from heaven to seek and save others who were once as you were.

The Bible says:

Matthew 16:25  — Whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will Save it.

We ourselves are being saved through seeking to save the lost! It’s part of your own salvation, a necessary ingredient in your journey to heaven to cooperate with Christ and all of heaven in reaching the lost.

Isaiah 43:12 — “Therefore YOU are my witnesses says the LORD, that I am God”

The truth is that EVANGELISM/ Sharing Jesus with others, Brining others to know and love Jesus as you do, is God’s path to a vibrant SPIRITUAL LIFE — It’s how God keeps the sacred spark alive in our soul!!!:

[Rev 12:10-11 NKJV] 10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. 11 “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

It was Satan’s purpose to destroy the brilliant blaze and zeal of the early Christian Church, and do you know how Satan purposed to do it? By getting the church’s focus off of evangelism.

“Success had attended the ministry of the word in that place, and there was danger that the disciples would linger there too long, unmindful of the Saviour’s commission to go to all the world. Forgetting that strength to resist evil is best gained by aggressive service, they began to think that they had no work so important as that of shielding the church in Jerusalem from the attacks of the enemy. Instead of educating the new converts to carry the gospel to those who had not heard it, they were in danger of taking a course that would lead all to be satisfied with what had been accomplished. To scatter

His representatives abroad, where they could work for others, God permitted persecution to come upon them. Driven from Jerusalem, the believers “went everywhere preaching the word.” — Acts of Apostles, 105

Did you catch what was said, “Strength to resist evil is BEST gained” by what? “Aggressive service” and by service she means service for the Lord in spreading the gospel… Did you know that those who are struggling against a wave of temptations can find help to resist evil by working with Jesus to seek and save the lost?

“God could have reached His object in saving sinners without our aid; but in order for us to develop a character like Christ’s, we must share in His work. In order to enter into His joy,–the joy of seeing souls redeemed by His sacrifice,–we must participate in His labors for their redemption.” — Desire of Ages p. 142

Unless you share in the mission of Jesus “To Seek and Save the Lost”, can you have a vibrant spirit life, and develop a character like Jesus?

“The spirit of unselfish labor for others gives depth, stability, and Christlike loveliness to the character, and brings peace and happiness to its possessor. The aspirations are elevated. There is no room for sloth or selfishness. Those who thus exercise the Christian graces will grow and will become strong to work for God. They will have clear spiritual perceptions, a steady, growing faith, and an increased power in prayer.” — Steps to Christ, p. 80

When your sails grow limp, and you feel your Christian life and faith waining — look back up to Jesus and hear Him say: “I have commissioned YOU to seek and to save the lost” — Feel Him breathe His Holy Spirit upon you, sense Him empowering you towards a higher calling, see before you the light and joy of seeing men and women who would never have tasted heaven had you not knocked on their door, been bold enough to sit down and share with them the truth of the Sabbath, loved them enough to hand them a Desire of Ages, Steps to Christ, Great Controversy, Cared about them enough to invite them to Dive Deeper in a small group or join the Bible in a year Challenge.

It was always Jesus purpose to pour out the Holy Spirit upon those who would work with Him to seek and save the lost:

Acts 1:8 — But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit is come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

Now I’m going to quiz you on what you just heard from this verse…. are you read?

What does this verse say we will receive? [Say it together and say it loud]

Power

When will receive power? [ say ]

When the Holy Spirit comes upon you

Does the verse end there? — No

What else does it say — and you shall be my what?

Witnesses

So God gives us power through the Holy Spirit so that we can do what?

Witness

Don’t miss the power point from this verse: THE REASON GOD POURS OUT HIS

SPIRIT UPON HIS CHURCH IS TO GIVE THEM HOLY SPIRIT POWER TO

WITNESS… So if you are unwilling to witness, can you expect power? You pray for miracles, and signs, and victory, and grand manifestations of God — but the path to power in the Christian life, is the path of active service for God!

We too can experience the power of the Holy Spirit in this church, in your families, in your own personal life — it is a guarantee! But the Spirit will not be poured out upon Christians who make no effort to diffuse the light of Jesus Christ to our world.

You may say, but Pastor I’m no evangelist! I’m not a preacher, a prophet, or a priest —

Have you forgotten —

• Jesus chose men who slept in boats and smelt like fish to proclaim his name among nations — He chose a fishermen named Peter to be His apostle to the Jews
• It was Jesus who called Matthew from the Roman IRS department to be a His witness — and we read His witness account every Christmas when we read the story of Jesus from the book of Matthew.
• Then God called a homeless man living in the wilderness who ate locusts and wild honey — what could God do with a desert dwelling, locust eating, wild man? Well my friends, this was John the Baptist, commissioned to prepare the way for Jesus to be received by the entire nation of Israel.

This is just how God operates! And for the gospel to go to the ends of the earth — God is calling you!

“To everyone who becomes a partaker of His grace, the Lord appoints a work for others. Individually we are to stand in our lot and place, saying, “Here I am; send me.” Upon the minister of the word, the missionary nurse, the Christian physician, the individual Christian, whether he be merchant or farmer, professional man or mechanic,—the responsibility rests upon all. It is our work to reveal to men the gospel of their salvation. Every enterprise in which we engage should be a means to this end.”—The Ministry of Healing, 148.

Do you sense the Lord calling you to do more? There is a sacred spark kindled by God in every heart and soul this morning, and the prophets tell us that someday that sacred spark will ignite a church into a brilliant blaze to prepare the world for the soon return of Jesus. You are part of that prophecy!!!

Will you open the door and fan the flame in this coming year?

Appeal

I’d like to appeal to you this morning to prayerfully consider some opportunities for sharing your faith in 2024:

1. Everyone received a bible in a year reading schedule this morning — I’d like to challenge you to take that paper and let a neighbor, a co-worker, or even a family member know that you’ve joined a challenge your church is putting on in 2024, and you’d like to invite them to join you in this challenge.
2. Look at your calendar and decide to participate in at least one “Dive Deeper” or “Life Group” small group this next year — whatever your commitment level will allow. You can be a host and open your home (we need 10 for the first quarter 2024) — or lead a “Dive Deeper” study (it’s easy, we will be providing training and support, you can do this) or make a commitment to attend and bring a friend.

I guarantee that God can bring fruit from this effort if we are willing to join Him in His mission and it’s something we all can do… It’s a step we all can take! Invite someone to join the Bible in a Year Challenge — Then one small group in 2024!

Remember the riddle in the beginning of the sermon?

Riddle: There was a man who lived in a beautiful white house which overlooked the coast. His name was Mark… One night Mark had a terrible dream, his face turned pale, he began to shake with terror, immediately he jumped to his feet ran upstairs and turned on the light… Who is Mark, he is the owner and operator of a lighthouse — and his dream was of a ship crashing upon the dark rocky shores of his beach — it was then that He had realized that he had forgotten to turn on His light!

Are you ready to fan the flames of your own Christian experience, and Go Deeper with God? Today Jesus invites you to share your light — How many want to respond by saying: “I want to do more, be more, shine more, blaze more for Jesus.” I want to see others saved and in His kingdom — I commit to the part God is calling me to do in this coming year?