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Hopefully uh one uh let us continue that same heart of prayer and amen uh to all of that prayer, but uh especially uh in my uh the thought uh on the uh in the continuation of a heart and prayer. That's uh one of these days, one of these days, I pray that I can speak on prayer the way it uh uh it ought to be spoken on. Uh and I don't I don't know if uh I don't know if that'll be the first thing that that will happen after I leave this world. That may be the only occasion that that it actually gets to be spoken on the way it deserves to be spoken on. Uh but do continue in that heart of prayer. Now, what is on my mind this morning, I'm gonna pray that continue in prayer in my own way, uh, that my thoughts be focused uh uh precisely on uh certain things because what I have on my mind, it's been on my mind for a while now, a little ways, a little ways back. Um and that is it is fire, but it's specifically the fire of God. And it's something there are things about fire that are taught in the scripture. Uh some of it is uh is understood in in light of the way natural fire works. Uh some of it is very contrary to natural fire. Uh, but I want to focus on, in particular, the aspect of the fire of God that purges. Now that is a very specific thing, but I I want to talk a little bit first about some of the other aspects of fire because I think they're also important when we look at uh this specific aspect of the fire of God. Now, when you when you talk about natural fire, if you've ever built a natural fire at any time of your life, you had to have something to burn. You had to have naturally speaking, you have to have oxygen, or else it'll it won't even light up. And you have to have some heat source. You have to a way to start the fire. Now, what happens in a natural fire is that as the thing that is burned burns, it is consumed. It is something when when it is done, uh as if you don't continue to add fuel to the fire, uh that that uh then that fire will eventually burn out. It will have consumed the fuel. Now, that is, in fact, there's an aspect in which that is directly relevant to the purging fire of God. Now, God's fire, however, is very different in one in a couple of fundamental ways. One, it is the source, it does not require to be lit, it is the heat source, so to speak. Uh, God's fire does not it is not started. God's fire is what starts. In fact, very often when you we read about godly fire in the scripture, uh, he is always the source. He is the source of the godly fire. Now, that is set in contrast. Uh, there is taught in the scripture uh ungodly fire and natural fire. But there's ungodly fire, I don't even want to dwell too much on that. There is natural fire, but there is godly fire that that has very different nature to it. In fact, um uh there's something I want to try to draw an analogy to. It's hard to draw on because it there's not a lot of natural analogies to this. But uh I want to focus on something about the nature of God's fire, is that God's fire does not consume that which is of its own nature. You see, natural fire has to consume fuel. In fact, the only thing I'll say about ungodly fire is that it not only consumes, it it is, it is made to destroy. Uh and again, there's a lot about fire in the scripture. We go into very different things, but uh there there is uh when when James talks about the dangers of the tongue, he talks about uh what a great fire, uh what a great matter a little fire kindleth, and that the tongue is set on fire of hell. He's not talking about godly fire in that sense. He's talking about that which is in human nature that desires to destroy and consume. That's part of human nature, and that's ungodly fire. And that's that's all I'll say about that for right now. But when with godly fire, there's something about godly fire that is drastically different. In fact, it is it is not only uh uh uh is not just drastically different, it is one of the greatest hopes and joys of our life. Uh but uh in going to it, I'm gonna go to a statement that sounds very contradictory to what I just said about that its fire, God's fire, does not consume its own nature because it doesn't, that's not the whole picture. You see, God is a consuming fire. But what he consumes is not his nature. So I want to, I want to, in fact, I'm gonna just jump in to Hebrews chapter 12. I I wanted to try to uh kind of lead into it, but maybe I will just jump right back to it. Where my my thoughts always are taken here. In fact, chapter 12, Hebrews 12, verse 29, is the statement, for our God is a consuming fire. I want to back up to where where we get to that statement. But there is there is an aspect, and I just want to remind us a little bit about some aspects of God's fire that are not consuming. In fact, that's one of the miracles of God to Moses. Oh, if you remember the occasion of Moses when he was called, uh when when he he knew he was gonna be the one, or he thought he knew he was gonna be the one to lead the people of God out of Egypt. Except he was about 40 to 80 years too early. He did not realize that it was gonna be in God's time, not his time. And there was a time that Moses left Egypt and went to dwell uh uh uh in uh I can't remember the name, the name of the area, but uh he dwelt with Aaron and uh and so on. And then there was a time that he saw a very odd thing. He saw a bush that was on fire, but and that by itself is not such an odd thing, but as he stood there, he realized the bush itself was not being consumed. So there God reveals something about himself, is that he, in his nature, and of his nature, there is something about his nature that if it is not something he wishes to consume, it that fire will not consume it. Uh uh this kind of is set in contrast to uh another occasion where we see fire that does not consume something, but is natural fire that does not consume the three Hebrew children. That God shows that when he's in the matter, even the things of nature are not consumed when his protecting hand is on it. But so we see there's something that God teaches about when he's in the situation, and in his fire, there is something that is not consumed. And yet the scripture here says, For our God is a consuming fire. But if we back up, we see in set in contrast, we said uh we see some uh some uh things that are set us uh in in picture or in order that show us the difference between a consuming fire and those things that are consumed, and this fire that does not consume certain things, because those things cannot be consumed. In fact, uh as we go forward, we'll find not only are they not consumed by the fire of God, they are purged and purified by the fire of God, because they are of his nature. Because what God consumes are those things that are contrary to his nature, and what his fire purges and refines are those things that are of his nature. So in uh Hebrews chapter 12, I'm gonna back up to verse 22, and uh again, uh I don't want to get too caught up in all of the context of the letter of the Hebrews, which I believe is written by the Apostle Paul to the to Jewish believers, uh, but it is important to understand he's writing to people that are very, very familiar with the law of God. They grew up reading and understanding the law of God. They've heard it, uh, they've understood what it was, what it meant to be under the Mosaical law. And when that when uh when we read here about Mount Sinai, there there is no mistake uh that they understood exactly what the apostle Paul was referring to. And he's referring to the day in which uh Israel having been brought out of Egypt by a mighty hand uh of God. Uh in the again, there's even fire uh that is demonstrated in the fiery, cloudy pillar, in the leading hand of God in that. Uh, but he brought them to uh the to Mount Sinai, and there is something that happens at Mount Sinai. There is there is fear and trembling at Mount Sinai. And here's one thing about this is that it was justified. There is justifiable fear on Mount Sinai, and yet Mount Sinai was not for the purpose of scaring the children of Israel to death. It was about setting a picture of understanding for the children of God and for uh the children of Israel in particular to understand what it means to be set against God and what it means to be set when God or when God is against you, I'll put it that way, and when God is for you. So here, Mount Sinai is a picture of us against God, not for God. And the reason why it's that way is because the law was given not to show the children of Israel and all the children of God how great we are. The law was given so that we might see by the picture of perfection how imperfect we are. And the law was given so that there might be an understanding that there is a consequence to that imperfection, and that consequence is death, and that is a fearful thing that brings fear and trembling. So when God approaches Israel on Mount Sinai, he does not come as he will later, he does not come entreating them, saying, Come to me. Instead, he speaks with authority and with judgment, and there is fear and trembling. Hebrews chapter 12, but ye, not verse 22 yet, verse 18, for ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched and that burned with fire. If you if you go back and read the occasion, when the name when the is uh the nation of Israel came to Mount Sinai and God met with Israel at the mountain, and specifically Moses on the mountain, there was something that took place. The entire mountain was set on fire, or at least it appeared to be. And there that it was it was a fearful thing. In fact, when God told Moses, he told Moses, make sure nobody comes and even touches this mountain. If they so much as touch this mountain, if even a beast touches this mountain, they are to die. And Moses kind of, as we might not understand the gravity of the situation, perhaps, uh, he said, no one's coming to this mountain. No one is even going to approach this mountain. Nobody, or rather, everyone is afraid. Don't worry, nobody's gonna come close to this mountain. Instead, but God reminding Moses, he says, I told you to go tell them that. So go tell them that. And so he does. That's for a reason. God in his fury, God in his wrath, God in his righteous anger against sin is a consuming fire. And what hope do we have but to be consumed by the wrath of God if it is to be judged only by whether we are right or wrong? If it is just and only that God's righteous anger must be appeased, and that we have nothing to offer, there is they are right to be afraid. We would be right to be afraid. There would be nothing, no, nothing but fear in this moment, and yet God does not do this in order to give fear to Israel. He is giving hope to Israel. Why? Because the law teaches that yes, by your sin you ought to be consumed. And by you seeing who you are next to God, yes, you are right to fear and tremble. And yet there is one who intercedes on your behalf. The entire picture of Moses being called to send, being called by uh Israel to say, go and speak to God for us on our behalf. That is a picture of the intercession of Christ. And that that is that is the very picture of the law. The law is to teach that in spite of the fact, not because, but in spite of the fact that there is no righteousness found in us, and that God is a consuming fire, yet we ought not to be afraid. Because there is peace and justice found for us in the law, not in the works of the law by us, but because there is one who will bring peace and and and uh and put away sin. So, picking back up. Uh it was on fire, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness and darkness and tempest, that means a storm, and sound of a trumpet, that mean it was loud as a trumpet in their ears, and the voice of words, which voice they that they heard, entreated that the words should not be spoken to them any more. It was just too much for them, for they could not endure that which was commanded. And if so much as a beast touched the mountain, it shall be stoned or thrust through with a dart. And so terrible was the sight that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake. Now that's that's on one hand, that's Mount Sinai. And yet, Mount Sinai is a picture of what? The law and the righteousness of God. There is no fault in the law. Where is the fault? In us. Because there is something that when we are given by the grace of God the ability to see who we are by nature, what we see ourselves is as if we are wood, hay, and stubble against the fire of God. And what is what does fire do to wood, hay, and stubble? It burns it away. In other words, it's it's it's it's like we that God in his in his righteousness would be right to destroy us according to our human nature. And that's what the law teaches, up to a point, and then the law says, but there is a sacrifice, but there is an offering. There is a high priest, there is one who comes before God on your behalf to offer up sacrifice for sin. And while the the worship of the law points to that, the worship of uh meaning the worship of God under the law, the worshiping of God under the law taught that over and over. The worshiping under the law never accomplished that. It points to the one who did and would accomplish it under the under uh under uh the uh the uh the mighty hand of God. But we see that uh uh um Paul is reminding uh the Hebrews of this moment and sending in contrast this fiery uh mountain of the wrath of God, and then he says, But ye are not come to that mountain. That's not where we are today. That's not how God has set an order. There is a New Testament of worship of God in a different way, a living way, one where he does not say, Do not approach. That's not the commandment of God. He didn't, he did not come to the mountain that we now sit on and say, better not, better not come unto me. Better not, uh you better stay away, or else you'll die. That that was the commandment of that mountain. Do not approach lest you die. That's what the commandment of the law says according to the righteousness uh of the law and our unrighteousness. But that's not what the commandment of God is in Mount Zion. It says, Ye are come unto Mount Zion and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable coming of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things than that of Abel. And then we can go all the way back to Abel if we want to talk about that in brief. But I want to uh I want to focus on the fact that that is not the kind of mountain that we are uh have been called to approach it to today. Uh the mountain that that we've been uh called to says, instead of God saying stay back, it's God saying, Come hither. It says, Come here, approach it to me, come unto me. All ye that labor and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. That's a very different sound. That's a very different uh uh that's a very different tone uh than what was under the law. Not that the not that the Israel was ever for uh uh uh not given the space to, in fact, uh every Israelite, by the way, had the right to pray to the same God and in the same spirit of faith as we do today. There was nothing that kept anyone from praying to God. In fact, we see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, we see uh Daniel, we see uh uh uh we see the three Hebrew children, we see uh so many praying unto God, and yet not one of them had the right to approach unto a nearness with God in the same way of worship. Every single one of them had to stay outside and watch the high priest go in and wait for the high priest to come out to hear whether everything was okay or not. But there was a moment in which our great high priest went into the holiest of holies and then came back out and said, It is finished. And from that point forward, in fact, uh, the the veil being uh of the temple being rent from hot top to bottom, or from yeah, from top to bottom, uh was to signify this. The way into the holiest of all is now accessible unto all. Yes, we have the right to pray, uh, but we also have the right to assemble before the very face of God in a way of worship that was never given before. And this uh, and it says, uh uh, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, to the blood of sprinkling, it speaketh better things than that of Abel. See then, now all this is to get to this point. It's the same God, God did not change between Moses and the law and Christ on the cross. We, our carnal nature didn't change. Those that were born of God before Christ died on the cross were born of the same spirit, but there is something fundamentally different in our understanding in what God has revealed, and most importantly, in the legal work actually being done. There is significance in that. It wasn't just, well, Christ, Christ didn't come and said, well, you know, there's something I gotta take care of. It doesn't really matter, but I just gotta do it anyway. That's not at all what the mindset of Christ was. His his eyes were were set as a fl uh his face was set as a flint toward Jerusalem. He knew the hour on that cross was coming, and he was born to that. Hour because there was something that must take place, and that is there the fire of God had to consume sin. The fire of God had to be satisfied. That judgment that was on that was on display on Mount Sinai was not going to be excused. God did not simply say, you know what? Let's pretend it never happened. That's not how God works. He is holy, he is righteous, and he is just. Sin had to be paid for, and there was something, there was someone that had to pay for that sin. And that blood sacrifice on the cross, having paid for that sin, put away sin forever. As if the fire of God had consumed it completely on the cross. I want to continue on because there's something else about the nature of that of what we had and have that, while it's not different, is now made more manifest to us in the church. It says, See then, see that you refuse him not that speaketh. For if they escape not, who refuse him that spake on earth, and we can go back, uh talking about Moses and the prophets, how that Israel were commanded to obey. They didn't always. In fact, we see many occasions where they didn't. And what was the consequence of that? Is that they came under judgment of God. Not the same judgment as eternal fiery condemnation. Because I believe 100% that there is a fiery, there is a lake of fire. I'm persuaded that is not natural fire. It is godly fire. And I don't believe for a minute that those that are put in that lake of fire are consumed and gone forever. I don't want to mistake that metaphor. But it will purge sin and those that are sinners by nature and sinners by practice and are not gods away from God forever. There is that kind of purging that will take place. But they will never ever bother God or his saints ever again. So there is that kind of separation that is yet to take place. But when we look at this state of God and his kingdom, there is something that is that we ought to have reverential fear, as Israel was supposed to have. Because while they did not, I believe there are those that that God's judgment in Israel, when, when, when, in fact, there's one good example. When Nebuchadnezzar and his army came in to conquer uh uh Israel and Judah finally, and and and uh uh tear down, uh break down uh uh areas of Jerusalem and capture the king, uh uh by the way, liberating Jeremiah, in fact. They also brought captives from Israel. Some of those captives we read about in Daniel. Uh uh Shadrach, Meshach, Kebek and Goh, and Daniel. Those were captives from Israel. There were consequences to God to Israel's disobedience to God that they suffered for or suffered under for about 70 years. They were not free to go home. They were slaves for 70 years. Now God bless them. Do I do we have any doubt that Daniel is a child of God? I have no doubt. Did he suffer because of the disobedience of Israel? He suffered because of the disobedience of Israel. And so there are consequences to us not. Uh he says, see then that you refuse him not. There's consequences to refusing God. Let us never be in the situation where, when God says, come, that we say, not today, God. That let us never be found refusing the blessing of God. Because every single time he calls us to him, it's for blessing, not for cursing. But but here the uh the apostle Paul in particular is addressing the fact that these Jewish believers are of a mind to go back under mosaic law worship. Uh but but that of the same principle applies in any way of refusing the commands of God. So he says, see then that refuse him not that speaketh, for if they escape not, talking about old Israel, who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall we not escape. In other words, if if God saw exactly what was in the hearts and minds of Israelites back in that day, and they refused to obey God instead of going and worshiping as they were commanded, they said, you know what? And so they they literally, some of the Israelites set up false gods and idols in their own homes and offered up incense to them. Uh some of them offered up their children to the image of Baal. Israelites who were taught the mercy and the grace of God, who taught through the law that God would take care of sin, and yet they they they looked at that and said, Well, we don't care. Or we care a little bit, but we also want to do our own thing too. And when God basically said, enough is enough, the consequences of their actions came on their head. Well, he says, if that happened then, do you think it's going to be any different if we say, Well, I know I'm saved by grace. So let me just go and do whatever I want. And then I'll be saved by grace, right? What does God does the apostle Paul say? Uh, shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid. How in fact, that's one of the greatest things uh that uh that are uh are arguments that are tried to be levied against those who believe in salvation by grace. What is it? Well, if I believed like you did, I just do whatever I want. Well, here's the thing. When you love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, what is it that you want to do? You want to please him, you want to obey his commands, you want to be where he is. Yes, I'm doing exactly what I want. I want to be with him. And so uh uh uh let us let's not get caught up in the fact that we still have our fleshly nature, we're not yet as we shall be, and so we have this warfare to contend with. And what is that warfare? A nature that wants to do what is contrary to God. And what the what the apostle Paul is saying is we're we still have that warfare, we still have that battle. In fact, if we can go back to Hebrews 11 and 12, read read about that, but he says, Don't don't think that when we look at salvation by grace by the blood of the Son of God, that if we then say, well, that doesn't matter, that God is not gonna take that lightly. In fact, there's an aspect that it's taught in the scripture, and I want to be very careful how I say this. It is always better to know the truth than to not know the truth. That's always better. It's always better to know the truth. And for what is going to happen. Because God we're gonna get to it, but it's again, it's not it's not for it's not for fear in the sense of, oh you better watch out because God's gonna get you. That's not why the apostle Paul's writing this. In fact, there is even in knowing what Paul is about to say, there is such mercy and grace found in it. Let me skip on down. Oh, you know what, I I better get verse 26. Whose voice, talking about God's voice, then shook the earth. But now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. He's talking about that final day. He's talking about the day in which all of creation is going to be shaken by the power of God. As Peter puts it, he talks about it being consumed by what? By fire. The elements of this, even the sun, will be consumed by fire, but not natural fire, it will be the fire of God, the consuming fire of God. Now there's something else that happens after that, a new heaven and a new earth. And there's aspects of that which we have access to right now. But when the apostle Paul is saying this, he's saying, There is the promise that there is going to be another purging. There's going to be a shaking. And it says here, and this word yet once more signifies the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. There's something kind of hidden in that statement. While we might focus about the fact that there's all this stuff that might go away, the Apostle Paul says there's some stuff that can't go away. There's some stuff that cannot be shaken. Because there's something even right now that's in you that is born of eternal life. Do you realize that cannot be shaken? That cannot be removed. That cannot be consumed. That cannot be rem that cannot be uh purged away. There is something in you in the very uh in the very birth of that uh eternal life in you that is then born of God's nature, not of Adamic nature, not of man, uh not of not of any, not even of our fathers of old, as beautiful as their walk and faith are. Uh that is born of God. That that is born of God's, that which is born of God's nature in you cannot be removed, cannot be shaken. I'm not saying it's the only thing, uh, but but uh it is certainly something, it's one thing at the very least that we can look at and see that that which is of God's nature that is in you cannot be removed. Wherefore, verse 28, and by the way, what's another aspect that cannot be removed? The very kingdom of God. Why? Because the kingdom of God is not uh of natural carnal things. Uh uh it is a wondrous blessing that God has given us in such a day and age that we can come into a building uh out of the heat or out of the cold and worship God in spirit and truth. But I believe we would all uh uh come to the same conclusion if we have no building that does not stop us from assembling. Uh if we have no building that does not stop us from praying, if we have no building that does not stop us from worshiping God, if we have no building, we still have the kingdom of God within us. Because the kingdom of God is not something that comes with observation. In other words, we don't see a street sign that says kingdom of God this way. Uh such was the day in the days of Israel that you had to go to Jerusalem to worship God as God commanded. Why? Because that's where the Ark of the Covenant was found, that's where the tabernacle or the temple was found, that's where God would meet with the high priest, but not so. In fact, the the days of Christ, he's told that uh Samaritan woman, by the well, the day the hour of coming, and now is with that God that we're uh uh maybe mangling uh some scriptures. You can go back and correct me after after we're done. But he's talking about the uh uh the the worship of God, that the God seeketh such that worship him in spirit and in truth, and that is neither here uh in Jerusalem nor in this mountain, but it is everywhere that the people of God are found because uh uh I'm gonna I'm gonna uh I hope I don't do this uh misjustice, but I'm gonna I'm gonna pull the uh that other scripture into place where two or three are gathered together in my name. There am I in the midst of them. It is not a place uh so much as who is with us. Uh it doesn't matter where we are, it matters who we are and who is with us. And when Christ is with us, there is the kingdom of God. And do you know what? That cannot be removed. The nature of the kingdom of God cannot be taken because it is not a place, it is not material elements, it is not a it is not even a building, it is the presence of Christ in us, the hope of glory, and us in him as our king. It says, wherefore we receiving a kingdom, verse 28, which cannot be removed or cannot be moved, let us have grace. Uh that doesn't mean go get it, it means let us use the grace that God has given us, uh uh, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear, for our God is a consuming fire. He drew he ends with that conclusion, but it is not so that we walk around thinking, oh no, I better not make a mistake today because God is a consuming fire, and if I make a mistake, he's just gonna send fire from on high and consume me. Uh uh that's not the that's not why Moses says this. Or excuse me, that's not why uh uh uh uh Paul says this. He says this not as a a a dread, but as an encouragement. Why? And and I I better get to it before I lose time. First Corinthians chapter three. We're gonna get to 1 Corinthians chapter 3 here in just a second. If you go back to the Old Testament and to the New, you're gonna find prophecy of the coming of Christ and the actual coming of Christ. And uh you know what? I better I better turn and read at least this one. And first uh um in Malachi. We can also turn and read this uh something like this in Zechariah, but Malachi puts it this way. Behold, I will send my messenger. This is chapter 3 of Malachi. Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me, and that's talking about John the Baptist, by the way. And the Lord, whom he seeks, shall suddenly come to his temple, and that's talking about the Christ, even the messenger of the covenant, whom you delight in. Behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts, but who may abide at the day of his coming, and who shall stand when he appeareth, for he is like a ref a refiner's fire and like a fooler's soap. Now there's a very similar uh scripture in Zechariah chapter 13, and I'll I'll read just this part of it. And uh he says that he's gonna talk about the remnant of God, verse 9, in chapter 13, verse 9, and I will bring the third part through the fire, and I will refine them as silver is refined, and I will try them as gold is tried, and they shall call on my name, and I will hear that. I will say, It is my people, and they shall say, The Lord is my God. There's something about the fact that God is a consuming fire, that if all we were, if all that we were, was of a nature to be consumed by the wrath of God, then we would have nothing but trembling fear. Just like if all we saw was Mount Sinai, and all we saw was the law and the righteousness of God, and all we saw was our sin and guilt, and we were not looking at the mercy and grace found in the law, but all we saw was the guilt that we have and the righteousness of God. What then hope do we have? None. And that's that's what we would have if God was a consuming fire, and all we were was something that's worthy to be consumed, there would be no hope. But that's not who you are. You are not something that is only a damic nature. There is something in you that, as the scripture puts it, and gold and silver and precious stone, though there are aspects that are taught in the scripture in various ways, some of it in natural ways, some of it in spiritual ways, but very often the purity of gold and silver in its refined state is a picture of the very God, is the very nature of God. In fact, there's a reason why. Uh uh this uh in Revelation, the the picture of the heavenly kingdom is is typified as a pure gold, uh such that it were transparent glass. And I believe that speaks to the very nature of the refining process in natural gold and what God is is uh teaching us in the fact that He refines us and that He is the consuming fire. And there's there's this when when uh if you go back to Malachi and Zechariah, and especially that that prophecy of Malachi, he says that uh that he's uh who shall abide his day, for he is uh uh like a ref uh a fooler's soap and a refiner's fire. Now, a fooler is a launderer. Uh uh it's like what you would call like a laundromat today. There is someone whose job was to wash clothes, to wash and bleach and soap and and to and to uh and to uh and cleanse the garments. Uh you would bring them to the fooler, the fooler with the fooler's soap uh would uh would cleanse uh your garment. And if it was white linen, guess what you expected back when uh when the fooler was done uh washing the clothes? Uh you would expect white linen to come back. And uh, in fact, the better the fooler, the white, the wider that linen. And in fact, uh that there's a description that uh that is given about uh uh Christ on that Mount of Transfiguration. It says that it is wider, wider than any fooler can make it. Is that it was wider than snow. It was so pure and so bright uh that there was no hope that any uh any work of man uh could make it any wider. In fact, uh any work of man would only make it less white. Uh so we see that uh uh that's what the description of a fooler's soap uh or finer's fire is very similar. When uh if you're familiar with the process, I'm you've probably heard this preached on before, but uh if if so, uh I hope uh I track along with it. If not, I uh I'm I'm happy to tell you, maybe for the first time, uh, that there's something that takes place uh when you take gold, is that uh, and I'm gonna uh focus on gold right now, is that gold when you melt it down uh uh very often uh it will uh separate from the impurities. Uh gold, as you mine it, uh you can find it in the mountainside, you can find it in streams, uh, but it's very rarely all pure gold. There's impurities in it, either other metals or uh or uh or rock or debris. And yeah, if you want the gold out of it, there's something you have to do. You have to refine it. And you refine it by fire, and that fire will melt the gold, but it will not consume the gold. It will it will breathe up, and there's something that happens. The gold, while it was holding its shape before, it melts it down, and then it takes the shape of the vessel that it's in. And then the refiner does something that that the refiner that that another scripture talks about that Christ or that God will, as a refiner, refining his people. So, uh, what does the refiner do? The refiner looks at the gold, he he melts the gold down in this pot and about the in this vessel, and then what happens is the the the gold will. Melt and that it will go to the bottom, and that everything else that's lighter than gold will rise to the top. And the refiner will take and remove off that which is not gold and keep scraping away carefully so as to not lose any of the gold that's in the vessel until what happens. All of the impurities are gone from off the top, and the refiner can look into that vessel that has that melted gold in it and see the reflection of his own face. When it shines like a mirror of glass, then the refiner knows that he's gotten all the impurities out of the gold. And that's what the very picture of the very kingdom of God is like. It's like gold that is transparent glass. It's like God can look at it and see his own reflection in it. Well, guess what? In a very real, in a very uh refinal state, uh when God uh on the cross, when Christ on the cross and God the Father and the Spirit uh along with them, uh uh when they offered up, when Christ offered himself up without spot and without blemish to God the Father and put of sin away, put sin away from forever from the uh saints of God. Guess what? God sees in every child of God, he sees his son. Uh that's why he now uh uh the apostle Paul could say we are glorified in him. Do any of us stand right now, shining in the glory of Christ? Naturally speaking, not yet. Uh uh John says that day's coming, uh we will see him as he is, for uh we will be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Uh that day is coming, but in the mind and purpose of God, he already sees us as perfectly refined gold in the very person of Christ. Because when he sees us, he sees the perfection of his own reflection in us. Uh and yet there's something that we desire, that we want in our own lives, and that love of God that's in us, is that we want to see God's reflection in us. We want to see ourselves closer to being like God. That's what our desire is. That's what our that's what our call is, is to be, uh to walk in his way, to see our reflection. That is such one of the greatest joys in the church, is when we see the love of God in the church, and guess what we see for even just a little while while here on earth, we see God in each other. And that's that's the refiner at work. He refines his work in us. His nature in us by the purging fire of God purges away that which is the dross, that which is worthy to be consumed, that which is worthy to be removed, and what is left is his nature in us. Now, I'm gonna jump and quickly go through 1 Corinthians chapter 2, chapter 3. He talks about the foundation of Christ, and I don't want to get caught up in reiterating this, but he talks about he uses the metaphor of a building. And a building has to have a good foundation. There is no better foundation in your life to build on than the foundation of Jesus Christ. Period. If if you want to know what philosophy, what theories, what practices, what what principles, open up the scripture, read what Christ is, there's your foundation. And that's what the apostles gave the church is they laid the foundation of Christ. They didn't create Christ, they brought the truth of Christ, uh, salvation by the grace of God and the blood of Jesus Christ, and and being uh being in him and he in you. That foundation is what we are given to build on. Now the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians chapter 3 says, starting in verse 11, for other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. I'll put it this way: no other good foundation. There are plenty of people that will try to tell you to build on different foundations, they're all sand. And you can go and read about the man that builds on sand, and that's exactly what the world would encourage you to do. Verse 12. Now, if any man build upon this foundation, there are six things listed, and each six may be worthy to go into if I want to just break them up into two categories. This foundation, there's gold, silver, and precious stone, wood, hay, and stuff. Every man's work shall be made manifest. It's not that God is looking at you and saying, okay, reckoning time has come. That's not what it's talking about, but there are moments of reckoning in our lives. They're usually brought about by trials, by afflictions, by things that will that will come our way. It may be the loss of loved ones, it may be a horrible circumstance with family or friends or co-workers. It can be so many different things. There will be things that will come and will test to see how we are building on the foundation. And there's two categories I broke those into. The wood, the wood, hay and the stubble on one side, and the stone, the precious stone, gold, and silver. And the reason why I want to break into those two categories is because that's how the Apostle Paul breaks them down. And there's a fundamental difference in all of those. Every single one of us by nature knows what will happen when you put fire to wood, hay, and stubble. Because you're gonna get more fire and less wood and less hay and less stubble. Until all of the wood, hay, and stubble are gone. And then that fire has done its work. The precious stone are not consumed by the fire. They are made better. They are made more pure. That which will burn is burned away. You see, we are you, it's not up to you to make your own gold. You can't make your own gold. You can't make your own silver, you can't make your own precious stone. That is given to you by God. I think you can go straight to the fruit of the Spirit and see the same picture. They're the very nature of God in you. And what are you to build upon the foundation of Christ? His nature, that which he has given you. The more of it, the better. Because what happens when the fire comes, and this is not natural fire, this is the fire, and this is not ungodly fire, this is the fire of God, not in the sense of judgment, but in the sense of purging. Because what is he? He's a consuming fire. But why is he consuming in this portion? Why would he be consuming? He's consuming that which does not belong in your life. He's consuming that which is unworthy of the child of God. He's consuming that which is only a detriment to you, and he's consuming that which is not worthy to build upon his son. And when he's done, there's something that happens. Every man's work shall be made manifest. Now, do we make the wood, hey, stubble, precious stone, gold, and silver? No. But when we build more of that which remains, guess what is left? More of what we can use that remains. In other words, if I in my life, I said, well, you know what? I'm gonna devote my life to let's pick one of the fruits of the Spirit. Divide my love, my life to patience. It's good to be patient, right? And let's say I'm only gonna be patient. I don't care about love, I don't care about mercy, love, joy, peace, long-suffering gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness. You know, I'm I'm gonna I'm gonna lay all that aside. I'm just gonna focus on patience. Well, no one's gonna say it's not good to be patient, but you got to be more than patient. And so that that would be an element of like, I'm gonna put the bare minimum of what I can on this foundation and then cover it the rest with wood, hey, and stubble. And when the fire comes, because uh things are gonna test and try us, and you're gonna find out you're gonna need more and then patience. You're gonna need mercy, you're gonna need love. You're gonna need gentleness. When you find those things lacking, guess what's gonna be left behind? The fact that you've only worked on patience. Whereas when you when you when you live in the fruits of the Spirit more, guess what's left? More of that. Every man's work shall be made manifest, for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire, and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide, which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. Now that's not saying, you know what, God's not going to come up to you and say, you know what? You have more of what matters left. Here, here's a here's a trophy. Here's here's a here's a badge of honor. That's not what it's talking about. Guess what the reward is? You have more of what matters in your life. You have more, you know very well. Uh and by the way, this is not talking about a short life, is not a sprint, it is a marathon. Uh this is not talking about short-term reward of the things that that this world teaches, of prosperity doctrine. This is talking about when when when the trials and afflictions come, you're gonna find out that you have more of what matters in your life by it surrounding you and it lifting you up and it reminding you, because guess what? You're reminded of in every aspect of the gold and silver and precious stone? You're reminded of Christ, because guess that's whose image it bears. That's whose image you're seeing the reflection of in the refined gold. If any man's work abide built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. In other words, you have left what is left behind. But if any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss. If I know the truth, and I say, well, it just doesn't matter. It really doesn't matter, does it? I I'm a child of God. I'll be there with God at the end, right? So I can just do whatever I want. Paul says very emphatically, you're gonna suffer loss, and you're gonna find yourself without a lot. Yet. And here's here's that hope. See, even in this, it's not to our detriment. It is not too, it is not God, uh, it is not God uh uh having fun with us, it is not God uh uh being uh being uh evil or being uh judgmental in the way that we often think about God raining God's fire down. It is for our good, because here's here's uh here's the rest of that statement. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire. And what is he saved from? All of the useless stuff that he just heaped into his life. When that is purged away, guess what's left? Just you and God. Now, should there be more than that? Yes, there should be all the precious stone, there should be all the silver, there should be all the gold that I should have put in my time of my life and understanding that there should be more there. But the look, but that scripture is not there to say, well, you know what? It's just all lost. You are still preserved. Why? Because you are still born of the very nature of God. That's not, you're not gonna lose that. But what the apostle Paul is saying is there's so much more than just making it through life with the bare minimum. There is there are things, there are the precious things of God to put into our lives. And the beauty is that the fire of God will not purge that away, it will purge it to perfection, to completion. It will purge it so that we see more and more of Him in us. And we pray that more of us in Him.