Lesson Forty Four
A VERY BIG FIRE
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Memory Verse: Philippians 4:8
Further Study: Acts 17:16-19:20; The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 233-254, 269-290, 346-358; The Bible Story, vol. 10, pp. 94-100
It has been one week since my local church burned, destroying the sanctuary. A strange fire—it began in a back corner of the room and never spread other than upwards. Most of the destruction came from the heat that emanated from the fire. The heat alone melted the organ pipes, charred the pews, and singed the tithe envelopes and hymnals.
Our lesson this week covers another fire. As Paul preached in Ephesus, he encountered superstition and magic. God counteracted all of this with Paul’s preaching, healing, and an amusing interaction with demons that claimed to know both Jesus and Paul, but not those calling them out. These acts resulted in those involved with sorcery and magic to come together and burn their scrolls. By the end of this fire, what was burned amounted to the equivalent of 50,000 pieces of silver (estimated in 2024 to be between $1M to 5M).
The fire at my church was a complete surprise and unexpected. The fire in Ephesus was completely planned. But either way both fires created a spiritual pivot point. My congregation is homeless and wandering a bit like Israel. Our worship that was done almost as routine now becomes meaningful and intentional as we find our way in rented spaces. The fire in Ephesus became a significant turning point for those previously involved in the occult. Their fire turned them away from Satan and toward Jesus. Our fire has made us wholly dependent upon Jesus.
Our fire has made us wholly dependent upon Jesus.
The head elder at my church spoke of the seed of a lodgepole pine. The pinecone of this tree will not germinate unless motivated by extreme heat as found in a wildfire. There are other species of plants that will remain dormant for decades and only sprout when the chemicals from wildfire smoke awaken them. I’m sure you can see the spiritual correlation.
Each of us has a seed awaiting to germinate our faith. If we are parents, we nurture the kernel of truth planted within our children carefully encouraging it to arouse. While no one wants a literal fire either expected or unexpected to signal growth within us, it is the fire of the Holy Spirit we crave not only for ourselves, but our children.
I only had a year as a girl scout. While my church has an organization called Pathfinders, I was never part of a club, therefore, I have never learned how to build a fire. But I’ve watched others, and it is a careful process arranging kindling and laying wood and other flammable materials. If built in a stove or fireplace, a careful catching of the draft causes the flames and smoke to rise so that warmth, heat, and ambiance is offered by the fire.
We, in studying the Bible for ourselves and teaching lessons to our children as well as coming together to worship, pray, and sing with other like-minded Christians are carefully placing spiritual wood that will catch a draft toward heaven. Fire is cleansing. Fire is devastating. But soul-inspiring fire is necessary for us as Christians. May we catch fire this week and be renewed.
Digging Deeper
Paul continues his visit to cities using whatever means necessary for evangelism. While in Athens, the text described his “spirit as provoked” (Acts 16:16). The original Greek word for provoked is much stronger. It means that he was emotionally upset or even angry at the gods he saw. But instead of losing his temper he met them in the marketplace and other places to discuss their beliefs winning many over to Christianity.
In Ephesus he began at the synagogue meeting with Jews until they no longer wished to hear him. He then met at a hall to hold discussions. Some commentators believe that Paul rented this hall and there are some texts that say he did this between the hours of 11 to 4 in the afternoon. This would fit in with the Asian custom to work in the morning and evenings, but rest in the noontime heat and that of the early afternoon. What is amazing is what is stated in Acts 19:10, “so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.” Paul had managed to reach everyone with the gospel.
Making it Real
If you live in a part of the world where fire is used to bring warmth to your home, plan to have worship around the fireplace or the stove. Talk about how fires are built. What makes them burn? What keeps them from burning? Examine why fire is a necessary part of our life. If you have time, research the lodgepole pine or the giant sequoia (redwood) that both require fire for their seeds to germinate. Share what you find for family worship.
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Merle Poirier writes from Silver Spring, Maryland, where she works as the operation manager for Adventist Review and Adventist World magazines as well as the designer for KidsView, a magazine for 8-12-year-olds. She enjoys spending time with her family including being a grandmother to two active little boys, who greatly enjoy Starting With Jesus, and a granddaughter, who’s delighting everyone with her smiles. She is blessed to have all three living close by, continually bringing joy and delight.
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