Fan Into Flame
Scripture References
Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4
Habakkuk’s Complaint
2 O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you “Violence!” and you will not save? 3 Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. 4 So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted.
The Righteous Shall Live by His Faith
2 And the Lord answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. 3 For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay. 4 “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.
2 Timothy 1:1-14
Greeting
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God according to the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus, 2 To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
Guard the Deposit Entrusted to You
3 I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. 4 As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy. 5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. 6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, 7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, 9 who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, 10 and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, 11 for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, 12 which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me. 13 Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.
Luke 17:1-10
Temptations to Sin
1 And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin. 3 Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, 4 and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
Increase Our Faith
5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6 And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
Unworthy Servants
7 “Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? 8 Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? 9 Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? 10 So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”
Sermon Script
Kindle The Fire
It’s about that time of year to start a fire! The days are getting shorter, and evenings are going to get cooler. Is anyone besides me surprised it is October already? That autumn feeling in the air is evidence that winter is right around the corner. Before you know it, family’s will be gathering around the fireplace. Even though I am not a fan of cold weather… I admit, there is something incredibly relaxing about watching those flames dance. That is until it’s time to keep the fire burning.
Those of you who have ever tended a fire know that as soon as you get too comfortable, the embers start to fade, and you need to reach for the bellows to get the flames dancing once again. Literally you must fan the fire back into flame. If left alone it will diminish.
Fan Into Flame
This warm message comes to us from our Epistle lesson… Paul, writing to Timothy, reminds him not to get too cozy, but to “fan into flame the gift of God.” Thus, kindling the meditation for today as we consider how this message will emit warmth in our own hearts.
As we ponder what these gifts might be, Paul also adds the assurance that we have a loving Lord who will drive away our fears and gives us a spirit of power, love, and self-control… As you are aware, the world would like nothing better than to see these embers within us dwindle into ash. That’s why we need to fan the gifts from God to keep the fire burning.
With a closer look at Paul’s letter, we find that he sees within Timothy, a spark given to him by God to lead the church. Paul knows he is a man of sincere faith and encourages him to fan into flame the message of salvation in Jesus Christ. A great gift given to him by God to grow the kingdom.
Your Gift
In ways great and small, we need to take heart to this 2 Timothy reading. For here it gives us an awareness of the power of God and the gifts that come along with knowing Jesus. If you think about it, God has bestowed gifts upon all of us… First and foremost, the universal gift of life-giving breath and the gift of the Holy Spirit in our Baptism. Beyond that, as we learn and grow in our Baptismal grace, the gifts from God are unique to each one of us.
Paul relates to this in Romans 12 where he equates each part of our body that serve different functions… hands, feet, eyes, and ears… working together as one body… comparing it to the service as members of the church by using different talents and roles, all working together as one body to grow His kingdom.
Fan Your Gift Into Flame
I have witnessed this firsthand, not only within this congregation, but also with a group I have been involved with that hosts a renewal weekend once a year with the intent to “fan into flames the gift of God.”
It takes about 30 people that work as a team to make this all happen. It doesn’t matter if a teammate must make beds or lead a talk, each member on the team is serving for one ultimate purpose. To help the attendees identify what may be hidden or unknown in their spiritual life and fan those gifts into flame.
The challenge then becomes, while serving Christ… no matter whether in a renewal weekend, right here in the Church, or anywhere else… is to not manufacture a gift that is not there, but only fan into flame what has already been given by God… warming the heart to connect with the mind, allowing all doubts and hopes to come to the hearth, trusting that God will breathe life into every smoldering ember concealed in you to serve Him… Yes, fanning into flame the gifts of God, no matter what those gifts might be… (which would hold no true value with the absence of faith). Without faith we would not be having this conversation.
Increase Our Faith
Speaking of which the Disciples wanted more of in the Gospel lesson today. We read in Luke 17 where Jesus teaches us to beware of the worldly temptations that pull believers away from the Gospel and the importance of forgiveness. Thus, continuing at verse 5, “The Apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” And the Lord said, “If you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.”
Now the definition of faith as we know it, is the confession that Jesus Christ is the world’s only Savior and Redeemer. However, Luke points out that the disciples do not fully grasp who Jesus is and what He came to do.
Therefore, the intent of Jesus’ statement to the apostles is they have enough faith, whether hidden or unknown, to do miraculous things, if they would just connect their heart with their mind, fan those flames, and allow all doubts and hopes to come to His warm embrace.
The Gift of Faith
This is the gift of faith through which God works… the magnitude of the faith is not the point, what matters is the One who works through that faith… our loving Lord. When we gain or lose sight of that truth it is a lot like tending a fire. We go through times when the flames burn bright… when hope and gratitude leap high, fueled by good news or a sense of God’s nearness.
But there are also nights when the fire grows low, when disappointment or doubt chills the spirit, and the warmth we need feels just out of reach. More often than we care to admit, the chill of uncertainty settles in, and the flames require intentional tending. In those moments we need to turn to Jesus and stir the logs, and fan into flame the gift that has been planted within us.
Habakkuk’s flame was burning low as he struggled with this same chillness in the Old Testament reading. He asks the Lord… “How long shall I cry for help… why do you make me see iniquity?” As he watched the destruction of God’s people, delivered by the Assyrians and Babylonians.
His reaction is understandable, as the atrocities he witnessed that go along with ancient warfare could make anyone’s embers turn to ash.
The Rightous Shall Live By Faith
Like any one of us at times, he did not understand why God allows bad things to happen. Yet amid all this chaos… he starts to see the value of fanning into flames the gifts of God. And at the end of the day… Habakkuk gives merit to that spark that needed kindling… by declaring… “the righteous shall live by faith.”
This generation likes to talk about faith. At times imagining it as something it is not. I like to think of faith as being the radio antenna on your car. Yes, there are a few out there that still have them… The antenna was necessary for the radio to make its music… but it does not make any of the sound. It only hangs out there, receiving the radio waves from the transmitter. A coat hanger will do in a pinch if you break your antenna.
If God is the transmitter and you are the radio, faith is necessary for you to “hear the music.” Paul says we are saved by faith, but that is because without it, we are unable to receive the love and forgiveness of God. The Hebrew writer adds, “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Which means faith in God’s eternal promise through His Word provides the evidence for what we cannot see.
Making Flames Dance
Faith then becomes the spark necessary in our spiritual life and a gift within us that can be fanned into flame. A shared flame that grows warmer and brighter when we draw near to one another in community. It is the invisible radio waves, so to speak, running through the gathered body of believers, linking us together in purpose and hope.
Then when the season of doubt threatens, we can hold fast to the fact that even the smallest spark is enough for God to work through that mustard seed… and that our part is simply to fan the gift entrusted to us, inviting that gift through flames to dance.
One more thing we must keep in mind… faith is not something we have to do… it is a practice, a daily return to the hearth, a commitment to set ablaze what God has started. Willingly having the desire to throw a log on the hearth of prayer… or stirring our return to Scripture. Each act, no matter how minute (my-noot), is a heartfelt choice to keep that spark alive, to invite warmth back into our souls, and to trust that with Christ the embers will not grow cold… becoming the bellows within us to make the flames dance once more.
Will It Be Enough?
I must admit. There are times I don’t think I have the energy to make those flames dance… even if I did… like the apostles I ask… will it be enough? Yet, Scripture and the witness of countless believers assure us that God does not require a bonfire… only our willingness to tend what has been given.
With this assurance… we no longer need to fret about the coldness approaching, as we find comfort in the warmth of Jesus’ presence. The barriers that get in our way in this sinful world can be placed at the foot of His cross.
The precious gift of forgiveness, and the promise of eternal life are so much bigger than any cold spell. These truths we firmly believe by faith is why Habakkuk declared, “The righteous will live by faith.” For everything we have and do is made possible by our loving God who makes that fire possible. For He is the eternal light that will forever shine and from which our embers come.
Come To The Hearth
So, as we move through the lengthening shadows of the season, hold fast to the fact that faith is not measured by the size of the fire but by the willingness to tend it. The same God who kindled the first spark will not abandon us when the wood is damp or the night is long. With each act of tending… with every prayer, every word of encouragement, every small step toward grace… we are part of something ancient and enduring, a legacy warmed by countless fires before us.
This we have seen through Timothy… in the apostles who asked for more faith, in the exiles who were steadfast, in Jesus who was persecuted, and ordinary believers who keep pressing on despite weariness. Their persistence becomes our encouragement; their prayer becomes our own. We draw radiance from their example, just as we share our own warmth with those around us. We live by faith through righteousness.
Let The Fire Of Jesus Shine In You
Now as the days grow colder and autumn slips quietly toward winter, may we answer our calling to tend the fire.
May we be vigilant, gentle, and bold… fanning into flames the gifts entrusted to us, believing in the warmth that persists against the darkness. For in the flicker and glow, we will find comfort, courage, and the steadfast presence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who kindled every fire. The One who is our pilot light in our hearts and soul that will never go out.
Brothers and Sisters in Christ. Let our Lord’s divine energy fan into flames your gift to warm a world that is growing cold. For the gift we tend is not ours alone to sustain; it is the Spirit who stirs, who whispers courage into trembling hearts and fans even the smallest flame into something brilliant.
May we find, in the tending, the deep assurance that no spark is ever truly lost, that in God’s hands the faintest glow can become a beacon. And may our lives, kindled by hope and sustained by love, offer warmth and welcome to all who draw near, this season and always.
Amen