The Fire of the Altar
Preaching Outline on Leviticus 6:12-13 – “And the fire upon the altar shall burn thereon, it shall not be quenched; but the priest shall kindle wood thereon every morning, and he shall set the burnt offering in order upon it, and burn thereon the fat of the peace offerings. The fire shall burn continually on the altar; it shall not go out.”
Introduction to Leviticus 6:12-13
The Bible says that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16). If our body is the house of God, then the altar of that temple is our heart! And there, the fire of the Spirit must always be burning, without going out (1 Thessalonians 5:19).
But look: fire that isn’t fed becomes embers… embers that aren’t stirred become ash. And then, when we least expect it, the altar becomes cold, adoration becomes routine and the passion for Jesus cools. And it can’t be like that, people!
Development
1. The Priest and the responsibility of the Fire
In the Old Testament, the priest had a daily job: to light wood on the altar every morning to keep the fire burning. Today, we are priests (1 Peter 2:9), and our mission is the same: to keep the fire of the Spirit burning in our hearts.
But there is one important detail: the wood. On the altar, the wood was the fuel, and for us, the wood is our flesh, the old man, sins, excuses, spiritual laziness. All this has to be burned every day! You can’t leave a little piece of “me” unconsumed, otherwise it will extinguish God’s fire in your life.
2. The Burnt Offering and the Fat: Jesus First
In addition to the wood, the priest placed the burnt offering (the sacrifice) and the fat of the peace offerings on the altar. This means
- Jesus (the Lamb) has to be at the center, above everything else.
- Our lives have to be in order (“put in order”), because God doesn’t like a mess.
- The fat was the richest part, the best offering – and for us, it represents our worship, our time, our love for God. It can’t be just anything, it has to be the best!
If we put human interests (work, family, problems) above the Work of God, the altar becomes unbalanced. But when Jesus comes first, our testimony smells good, like burnt fat that rises as an aroma pleasing to God!
3. Continuous fire = Life of prayer and the Word
How do we keep this fire burning?
- Every morning (and all day): prayer, Bible reading, fasting.
- No hidden sin, because sin is like water on the altar – it puts out the fire!
- Fellowship with other believers, because fire spreads (Romans 12:11).
Conclusion of Leviticus 6:12-13
The altar of our hearts must not grow cold. It’s time to check the fire!
- Do you have wood to burn? (Something you need to hand over to God?)
- Is the holocaust in order? (Jesus comes first?)
- Is the fire still burning or has it turned to ash?
How’s the fire on your altar today? If it’s weak, come closer, let the Holy Spirit rekindle it! Because God doesn’t want a lukewarm heart… He wants a heart on fire!
Preaching Outline on Leviticus 6:12-13 – “And the fire upon the altar shall burn thereon, it shall not be quenched; but the priest shall kindle wood thereon every morning, and he shall set the burnt offering in order upon it, and burn thereon the fat of the peace offerings. The fire shall burn continually on the altar; it shall not go out.”
More Preaching Outlines
