“Acquiring the Fire of God”
Proverbs 26:20-21 Jeremiah 20:9 KJV
Introduction:
The word fire has the definition of;
1. To purify
2. Rapid combustion in which a substance ignites and burns, producing heat, light and flame.
1) WHAT CAUSES THE FIRE TO GO OUT IN OUR LIVES
A. Lack of prayer, attendance and study are the main causes of our fire to go out.
B. A fire extinguisher is a device used to extinguish fire by ejection water or chemicals . A.K.A. the devil
C. He uses chemicals like; hate, anger, gossip, envy, strife, adultery, fornication, idolatry, witchcraft, lust, covetous, drunkenness, abuser, and many more.
D. there is a wall the fire department uses that is plainly called the “fire proof wall”. It’s purpose is to keep fires from spreading over a specified area. A.K.A. the Pastor
Our KJB says in Isaiah 59:19b
When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.
<> When the devil comes at you like a flood with all these things mentioned above, speak to the Lord and allow Him to raise up a fire wall against this specified area. YOU are this specified area.
Our JKB says in Exodus 14:14
The Lord shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.
Our JKB says in II Chronicles 20:15b
Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.
<>Again I say, speak to the Lord for that wall, and allow Him to raise that standard.
Application:
Our KJB says in Luke 21:36
Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
2) WHAT CAUSES THE FIRE TO GO OUT IN THE CHURCHES
A. Wet Wood
1. People think they can not pray, study, fast, all week and expect heaven to fall on them when they
walk in.
2. Just because you have a fire place or pit at home, you wouldn’t walk up to it and say warm me
up, and expect a fire to bust open and heat the place.
3. There must be some preparation in getting this fire to burn.
a. You have to gather the wood. ( Read your Bible )
b. Prepare the pit. ( Your Heart )
c. Poke the fire. ( Fast and Pray like you never did before )
B. Volunteer’s
1. The church has to many volunteer fire man.
a. The man of God prepares and preaches the message the Lord has given him, and
before we leave the parking lot we have tore that message and him down.
2. To many fire fighter’s in the pew kill the fire in the pulpit.
a. It doesn’t matter how hot the message is.
b. We have a shovel for each message.
c. A Shovel to dig up and throw dirt on it.
1. Dirt on the preacher and his family.
2. Dirt on the song leader.
3. Dirt on the prayer warriors.
4. Dirt on the bus driver and all the rest.
<> It’s time that the Christians start acting like the Christians and stop hanging around with the buzzards.
<>It’s hard to sore like and Majestic Eagle when your hanging around with a bunch of Turkey’s
Application:
We need to stop hanging around with the wrong crowd. That crowd needs member to live, and a fire needs oxygen to breath so does these groups. Smother out the air to the fire, the fire goes out, stop feeding the gossip line and it will go out.
3) WHAT CAUSES OUR FIRE TO GROW Vs.21
A. What it is not:
1. It is not Singing. 2.It is not Social Gatherings.
3. It is not Going to Dinner. 4. It is not emailing or texting each other. 5. Its not the Music we play.
B. What it is:
1. Praying.
Our KJB says in Hebrews 4:16...
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
2. Fasting.
Our KJB says in Isaiah 58:6...
Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
3. It is the Word of God.
<> We are begotten by the Word of God. Plus or minus nothing!
Ezekiel 37: 1-7 read
Our KJB says in Ac 13:44...
And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.
Our KJB says in Nehemiah 8
Vs.1 And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel.
Vs.3 And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law.
Vs.5 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up:
Vs.8 So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.
<>These people didn’t come to see who was there, or what we are wearing, or to talk about something other than the book, They had a mindset to hear from Heaven.
<>If the churches in America would have that same zeal, this would be one Nation under God.
Our KJB says in I John 1:1...
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
Application and Closing:
<>It is having our minds renewed in and by the Word of God that will refuel our fire. That is what a (revival) is for.
<>I have been in churches that have had (revival) and the preacher preaches his heart out, and when he is gone, the people of the church go right back into their routine.
<>The Word of God IS a living and a breathing thing. If it is inside of you, you should have a pulse.
<> In fires there are little fragments of ash that fly off, these are called “fire ambers” O to God that some would fall in the lap of some of our churches and its people and cause more fires to break out.
For the Cause
Rev. Jerry Stepp
11/14/09
