Reading - Acts 1: 8; 12 - 14; 2: 1-4
After this, Peter, full of the H.S., addressed crowd with gospel message.
Reading - Acts 2: 37-38 and …. vs. 41
I. The Fire of H.S. Was Never Meant To Go Out.
In one community -- the Village atheist was not a bad man. He just didn’t believe. He wasn’t interested in church…and there was only 1 in the area. And this church was,-- well, mostly a social club. Heartlessly and spiritually dead—no conversions or decisions for Christ had been made for some time. One day the church building literally caught on fire, and everyone, the whole town ran toward to help extinguish the flames…including the village atheist! Someone noticed the village atheist and hollered out: “Hey, this is something, this is the first time we’ve ever seen you running to church!” The atheist replied, “This is the first time I’ve ever seen the church on fire!”
- I’m sure if LWBC were on fire, we’d also get a lot quick attention. But if our church were on fire spiritually, if we were all truly filled with Holy Spirit -- we’d be catching attention. We’d be drawing crowds of people from all around. Not only would we be attracting crowds, -- people would be getting saved.
- In Rev. 2: 5 Jesus threatened the church at Ephesus, saying, “Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.”
- I’ve heard stories about how it used to be years ago here at LWBC. But to recall the past -- is like trying to farm today -- like it was done in the 1940’s & 50’s. Any farmer still farming like that is no longer in business. Focusing on the past -- ruins the present, and destroys the future! We cannot go back, -- but must look at what God is doing today.
- Some say, what we need around here are few new converts, that’ll set the church on fire! Well, I believe that's all backwards. What we need -- is some Holy Spirit fire. Then souls will be saved.
- We need to get right with God.
- We need a revived passion for God.
- We need repentance, and the destruction of all our idols.
- Then the Holy Spirit will come upon us.
Then there will be new life, -- souls will be saved, -- the church filled. We’ve had nearly no new conversions, none I know of here this morning.
- However, my desire is -- that we see our past changed. My desire is that no one in our area will ever be able to say, they haven’t seen a church on fire (spiritually).
- I want to see God’s church aflame with the power of the Holy Spirit.
- I want to see the fire of the Holy Spirit alive in this place.
- I want to see us draw a crowd of amazed and perplexed people.
- I want to see people cut to heart, crying out saying “What shall we do?”
- I want to see people come to repentance and being baptized.
* But Where Does It All Begin?
II. A Fed Fire Keeps Blazing.
- Let’s look at what the first Church did. They prayed fervently together. Acts 1: 14 says, “They all joined together constantly in prayer. Jer. 29: 13, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
- This is what the first church did. By vs. 15 there was already 120 passionate believing prayer warriors. Then look what happens in Act. 2: 1-4 (Read Passage) When we seek God -- with all our heart, when we lay our lives before God, when we surrender our will to God, transformation takes place. And that’s exactly what happened.
- Before Pentecost, before formation of the Church, there was a group of fisherman, ex-religious leaders, tax collectors, former prostitutes, sceptical brothers of Jesus, and a number of other disciples. They were a scarred and hopeless band until Jesus gave them direction. They lacked faith, they didn’t understand God’s plan. But after the filling and empowering of the Holy Spirit they were an inseparable power house God used to change lives.
- The power of the Holy Spirit comes to those who passionately seek Him. And God’s power came upon them. In vss. 5-11 we see that through the power of Holy Spirit this church became quite an attraction.
- People from all over town came running.
- They were drawn to the power of God’s present in these
peoples lives.
- They wanted to know what’s going on.
- They were amazed and perplexed.
The door of opportunity presented itself, and Peter along with the other apostles stood up to address the crowd. As Peter spoke they were cut to the very core of their hearts. Scripture tells us about 3000 people accepted the message, were baptized and added to the church.
III. But There’s Little Power In Dying Coals.
- Bible tells us in 2 Tim 3:5 that, in the Last days the Church will have a "form of Godliness, but deny its power.” We’re now living out this prophecy. We have an appearance of godliness, but we have no power, because we don’t believe it, or seek it. But God says in Jer. 29: 13, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” God said it then, is saying it now …“Seek Me with all your heart.”
- Are you seeking God? With all your heart?
- Is God the # 1 passion of your heart?
- Or is your heart drawn to things in this world?
- Does your busy-ness keep you from your devotional time with God?
- Do worldly desires keep you from gathering together with God’s people?
- On Thurs. evenings, do your interests keep you from joining together with us to pray, seeking God, praying for our church, our community, the lost?
- When I ask, “Do you want to see LWBC grow?” You say, “Yes! We want to grow.” When I ask, “Do you want to see souls saved?” The answer is, “Yes! We want to see people saved. But it will not happen!!! if all those other # 1 priorities in your life are first. You yourself may be saved, and that scarcely through fire. 1 Cor. 3: 12-15 says, (Read Passage)
- Are you seeking to merely escape through the flames?
- Is faith only a life insurance policy?
If you fail to seek God with all your heart, you will not have revival. Our church will not have revival! Souls will not be saved! Instead, you will slip further and further from the power, and might, and help, and work of the Holy Spirit. Souls will go to hell.
- After world war II, about 40 % of North America regularly attended a Christian church. Includes all denominations & traditions. In 2005 that figure is thought to be about half, 15-20%. In Canada, we're less religious and that figure could be half again.
- Is it because God doesn’t want to save people in Canada?
- Or is it because work, sports, shopping, the entertainment world,
and leisure has taken priority of our time and interests?
- We have a problem, God is no longer the love of our lives.
- God no longer takes priority.
- God is stuffed on the shelf with all those other “Round Tuits.”
- So you have to decide. You have to make up your mind. Are you sold out for God? Or are you buying into this world? The Church of God today is in a crisis. But no doubt, God’s church will prevail! Matt. 16: 17 Jesus declared, “I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” However the cost of our unresponsiveness, our disconcern, and selfishness will be the cost of innumerable souls lost in hell.
IV. Let’s Rekindle The Blazing Fire in our hearts.
- As God’s people we cannot afford to ignore God’s immediate presence. He has sent us a powerful Helper, the Holy Spirit to live powerful, victorious, and testimonial lives. Peter, and all the disciples were filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit. God worked through them in the might of His power, not their own. I believe we need a harvest of the Holy Spirit in our lives once again.
- But how do we get it. Jesus gives us a clue. Says in Acts 1: 4, “But wait for the gift my Father promised.” In today’s world we’ve lost our patience. We have come to expect fast food and fast service. (treat God that way) When I was a kid fast food was Kentucky Fried Chicken, 30 minute wait. Today if a line-up’s more than 5 minutes, we leave in frustration.
- The key to God’s Holy Spirit power -- is patience. God doesn’t operate on our time, but on His time. He created time and we have to wait for Him. (disciples did)
- How do we go about harvesting God’s Holy Spirit power?
The disciples give us the answer.
Acts 1: 14, “They all joined together constantly in prayer.” & Matt. 18: 20 Jesus says, “Where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”
- There’s power in prayer.
- Prayer brings us into the presence of God.
- Prayer is communication with God.
- When we have laid our lives, our heart’s cry before God and have heard from Him -- He doesn’t leave us powerless. Jesus promised in John. 14: 18, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” 16: 12 says, “When He, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth.”
- Power isn’t performing miraculous signs and wonders. Power is -- being in God’s truth and that truth carried by the Holy Spirit through us.
- This is… what happened in Jerusalem at Pentecost.
… what happen when Philip shared from the book of Isaiah
with the Ethiopian, and when he preached the good news to
the Samaritans.
… what happened as Peter spoke to the gentiles at Cornelius’
house.
… what happened over and over again as Paul full of the Holy
Spirit proclaimed the gospel, and lives were saved &
changed to Glory of God.
- When we seek God with all our heart, when we lay our lives before God, when we surrender our will unto God’s will, the power of the Holy Spirit begins to work through us. As witnesses we cannot afford to stop seeking to be filled with God’s power. Most of us have experienced the wonderful working of God’s power in us and through us, But we have let it slide. We’ve become distracted. And today we’re struggling.
- Let us heed Jesus words and renew that Spirit power in our lives. Rev. 2: 5 “Remember the height from which you have fallen Repent and do the things you did at first.”
- Remember how you sought the truth in the beginning.
- how passionately you read God’s Word never getting enough,
- how in quiet moments you reflected,
- how fervently you prayed unceasingly at every turn.
- Remember how you participated in fellowship, prayer and
worship.
- Remember the how your heart burned full of the presence of
the Holy Spirit in your soul.
Jesus says, “Go back! Fall in love with me again! Love is passionate, rejoices in the truth, love trusts, and is full of confidence.
- The answer to Holy Spirit power, to revival, to kingdom growth is: “Repent and do the things you did at first.” I didn’t come up with this answer, Jesus did. Listen to what Jesus has said, and the fire of the Holy Spirit will again rain down upon you. And you will be filled and empowered to a mighty life and ministry for God.
Disclaimer: I draw from many sermons and illustrations written by others and often fail to record and site my sources. If you recognize an outline, phrase, or illustration in my sermon that is most similar in another work please credit that other source. I credit George Rennau and Jerry Shirley for the inspiration of this sermon.
