Dharius Daniels - Fire Fighter

and so we want you to stay locked in with this devotional, and I’ve got some things I’m going to do sporadically to stir your faith. I’m really excited about it and about this series we’re in called «House Fire.» I’m in this series until I’m out—that’s it; I’m in it until I’m out of it. We’re excited about part two today, and we’re going to read a scripture found in John chapter 9, verse 24. It says this: a second time they summoned the man who had been blind. «Give glory to God by telling the truth,» they said. «We know this man is a sinner.» They’re referring to Jesus, and this is what the man replied: «Whether he’s a sinner or not, I don’t know, but one thing I do know: I was blind, but now I see.»

I want to talk from the subject, in our time together, family, part two of this series called «House Fire.» I want to talk from the subject «Firefighter.» You know, I was recently reflecting for this sermon, and it seems that most of my recent analogies point to my age and the era I grew up in. But anyway, I was reflecting and pondering for the purpose of constructing this sermon. For some reason, as I thought about the imagery of fire, I remembered a character created when I was growing up whose purpose was to encourage others to be more judicious and cautious with matches or any other type of apparatus that could create a fire. This character is called Smokey Bear. Y’all here in the studio, it means there are some older people here too! Smokey Bear was responsible for popularizing the phrase, «Only you can prevent forest fires.» He seems to encourage us to take responsibility and to utilize our ability to manage what can be managed so that it doesn’t create something—a fire—that’s unmanageable.

Okay, please allow me to say it again: he’s encouraging us that it’s something that can be managed while it can be managed before it leads to something unmanageable. And when it gets unmanageable, it can’t be managed because you didn’t manage it when you could have and should have. Come on now! How many things have gotten out of control because we did not exercise control when we could have and should have? Only you can prevent forest fires!

You know, I started reflecting on this because whenever there’s any kind of analogy, I want to build a bridge from that analogy to a scriptural reality. This is what I discovered: that phrase makes absolute sense and is always applicable when it comes to natural fires, but it is not equally applicable when it comes to some spiritual fires. Some spiritual fires cannot be prevented; some things will catch fire in your life even when you didn’t play with matches. Some issues get burned in your life even when you aren’t the one responsible for engaging in any activity that made something ignite.

Let me see if anybody is following me and feeling me today. Can you look back over past seasons of your life and see some situations that set on fire because someone else was playing with matches? Come on! Has your money ever been set on fire because someone else was playing with matches? Has your mood and your mind ever been consumed with negativity and toxicity because someone else was playing with matches and playing with fire? Come on and be honest and real today. Yes, there are some metaphorical fires that are inevitable.

What do I mean? You see, fire has multiple metaphorical meanings in scripture. Now we’re highlighting one, which I’m about to unpack a little bit: fire is a metaphor in the Bible for God’s presence. If I’m making sense in the chat, say yes! Here it is: but fire is also a metaphor in scripture—specifically the New Testament—for our problems.

First Peter chapter 4, verse 12, says this: «Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come to test you, as though something strange were happening to you, but rejoice in as much as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.» Peter is talking to people enduring persecution—social persecution and spiritual persecution. The decisions they made to follow Jesus caused relational persecution because people in their families were now looking at them, thinking, «So now you think you’re something since you’re over there at that little church? Now you think you’re better than us?» Some of their friends, who were part of their history, got a revelation that they wanted part of their destiny, and they got offended by your evolution when they had the opportunity to grow themselves.

Don’t get mad at me because you didn’t grow! Only you can prevent that forest fire. My growth is my responsibility; your growth is your responsibility. I can help you grow and support you, but if you don’t want to grow with me, you got to let me go!