Build a Fire in your Home
Exodus 19:5-25 & 20:18-19
Fear can be a crippling it can cause us not do the things we should or could do.
Fear can also be healthy it can keep us from harm it can stop us from doing things that should not be done.
A healthy fear of fire we usually learn at a young age.
• We learn if we play with fire we will get burned.
Tonight we are looking at fear in the Israelites because of the fire, smoke, and thundering on the mountain caused by the presence of God.
I recently received a wake up call during our prayer conference. Anna was amazed watching the prayer line. The minister would pray for people waiting in line and simply say the word grace and many of the people would fall out in the spirit. She came home talking about the minister and how he would say the magic word (grace) and people would fall down. This made me wonder about what else she may not know and understand about Pentecostal worship.
We know and understand that much preparation and prayer went into his sermon and the Holy spirit moved in a mighty way. Just as God moved for the Israelites when they prepared according to God’s plan.
I. Elijah
A. 1 Kings 18:21 - 24 21And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word. 22Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men. 23Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: 24And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.
B. 1 Kings 18:30 - 33 (KJV) 30And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down. 31And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD came, saying, Israel shall be thy name: 32And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed. 33And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.
II. Day of Pentecost
A. Acts 2:1 - 4 1And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
B. All of these stories have a couple of things in common:
• People had to follow the directions set fourth by God
• They were answered by fire
III. Story of the Fireman
A. Flames surrounded firefighters fighting a forest as they backed up a mountain trying to put out the fire. They had no where to go. There was fire behind them and only a home and more grass in front of them. The firefighter moved ahead into the grass in front of him struck a match and burned the grass between them and the house. Just in time as the fire he had set went out he stepped into the already burned grass. The wild fire went around him and the house because it had no fuel to burn and the fire fighter was saved.
B. Today there is wild fire of sin coming toward our home. Sin has never been more available than it is today. People can destroy their lives and those around them without ever leaving home.
• The wildfire of sin comes at you through:
TV
Internet
Books
Telephone
C. Just as the firefighter did we must start a fire in our homes.
• We must start a Holy Ghost fire.
• We must prepare our children, our family, and loved ones.
• When we start the spiritual fire in our homes it will give us a safe place to step into when the wild fires come our way.
1. Your home is the number one influence in the life of your child per Dr. Howard Hendricks
• The average church has a child 1% of his time.
• The home has him 83% of his time.
• The school has him for the remaining 16%.
• This does not minimize the need for churches and schools, but it establishes the fact your home is 83% of your child’s world and you have only one time around to make it of maximum benefit.
