Flash Point
Sunday Morning, 05-06-12
Pro 17:3 The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the LORD trieth the hearts.
Luk 24:32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the Scriptures?
Act 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
Act 2:2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
Act 2:3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
Act 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
1Th 5:19 Quench not the Spirit.
Intro: Info on flash point....
(From Wikipedia)
The flash point of a volatile material is the lowest temperature at which it can vaporize to form an ignitable mixture in air. Measuring a flash point requires an ignition source. At the flash point, the vapor may cease to burn when the source of ignition is removed.
The flash point is not to be confused with the autoignition temperature, which does not require an ignition source, or the fire point, the temperature at which the vapor continues to burn after being ignited. Neither the flash point nor the fire point is dependent on the temperature of the ignition source, which is much higher.
The flash point is often used as a descriptive characteristic of liquid fuel, and it is also used to help characterize the fire hazards of liquids. “Flash point” refers to both flammable liquids and combustible liquids. There are various standards for defining each term. Liquids with a flash point less than 140.9 °F or100.0 °F—depending upon the standard being applied—are considered flammable, while liquids with a flash point above those temperatures are considered combustible.[1]
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Now that we know all we ever wanted to know about flash points let us read our text for this morning...
If you may have noticed all of these passages have some things in common...
All have reference to God in one form of the Trinity or other...
(1) God
(2) Jesus
(3-4) Holy Spirit
All refer to fire or heat either directly or indirectly...
Last and most importantly for us this morning is that The Lord Jesus Christ through His leading and anointing of The Holy Spirit has tied all of these passages together...TO BRING HIS CHURCH TO A FLASH POINT!!!
Let’s look closer at these passages, starting with Pro 17:3...
Pro 17:3 The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the LORD trieth the hearts.
There is not a heart in this place that God doesn’t know every single thought, deed, corner, crevice, room, partition...whatever you want to call it. In short nothing hides from the sight of God. He knows you; He knows more about you than you care to share with anyone!
Heat brings these precious metals to the point of melting for purification...
God tries our hearts...His searing gaze brings us to purification...
Listen to what the Word says in...
Mal 3:1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.
Mal 3:2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap:
Mal 3:3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.
Gold melts at 1064 degrees Fahrenheit...
Silver is higher at 1764, while that is hot...there is no flash point which brings us to the next passage...
Luke 24:32
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Luk 24:32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the Scriptures?
In this passage we have the two guys walking to Emmaus, after Jesus had been crucified and buried, and unknown to them victoriously resurrected. They travel quite a ways with Jesus, even to the arrival to their home and sitting down to the table and breaking bread then instantly the Bible says “they knew Him” and Jesus vanished from before them.
Jesus opened up Scripture to them...their hearts burned within them.
Jeremiah knew the same burning only in a different context, he was not going to mention the name of God because it had brought reproach but he could not remain silent, listen to what he said in Chpt. 20 verse 9...
Jer 20:9 Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.
God’s Word burns in our hearts, we must tell of His wonders, His Salvation.
Here we see The Word (Jesus Christ)
Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Joh 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
...bringing the heart to the point of burning, which is good because it is all part of Gods ultimate plan for bringing FLASH POINT TO HIS CHURCH!
Now to our next passage...
Act 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
Act 2:2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
Act 2:3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
Act 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Now do you remember what our definition of flash point said?
“The flash point of a volatile material is the lowest temperature at which it can vaporize to form an ignitable mixture in air.”
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What we see here in Acts Chapter two is in the spiritual realm God’s FLASH POINT FOR HIS CHURCH!
They...Christians who had their hearts tried by God, the Word burning within them individually, and now in one accord (conditions right) are now assembled to achieve FLASH POINT!
A rushing mighty wind, tongues of fire resting on each of them and suddenly, that moment, that split second, that unforgettable moment in time when...WHOOSH...they are all speaking in tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance!!!
This was not a one time thing only for those 120 in that upper room. This is something God wants to repeat time and time again in HIS CHURCH! Jesus said that He must go in order to send the comforter. The one who “will endue with power from on high”, this is what Jesus was speaking of.
What benefit is it to the Church if it was a one time deal, never to be repeated?
That question brings us to our last passage...
1Th 5:19 Quench not the Spirit.
This verse means exactly what it says.
So, how do we “quench” the Spirit?
First of all, not allowing God to examine your heart, trying it, testing it, purifying it.
Secondly, by not allowing the Word of God to come into your heart, by refusing Jesus Christ to save you, to cause His Word to burn within your heart.
Do you remember the rest of our definition? It says...
“At the flash point, the vapor may cease to burn when the source of ignition is removed.”
The third way is to remove the source of ignition...the Holy Spirit.
Removing all the conditions that make it perfect for FLASH POINT.
We all must do our part to achieve a state of conditions to allow the Holy Spirit sufficient fuel to ignite to be HIS CHURCH ON FIRE!
We do that by reaching...FLASH POINT!!
Close as the Spirit leads...
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