FIRE EXTINGUISHERS
EXTINGUISHING HEAVEN’S FIRE OR HELL’S FIRE?
1 Thess. 5:17
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: FIRE AT CHEMICAL PLANT
1. One dark night a fire started inside a large chemical plant. Because an explosion was likely, an alarm went out to fire departments all around. Many began arriving, but they stayed outside the plant, only spraying water over the fence.
2. The chemical plant president said, “All our secret formulas are in the admin building in the center of the plant. They must be saved! I’ll give $50,000 to the fire department that goes in and brings them out safely!”
3. Since all the fire fighters were afraid an explosion was imminent, none volunteered. The president of the company offered $100,000 to save the company’s secret files; then $200,000. No takers.
4. Suddenly a siren was heard and another fire truck came barreling toward the plant. To everyone’s amazement, it crashed right through the Chemical plant gates and hurtled to the middle of the plant.
5. It plowed into a row of cars near the admin building, and began spraying water around. One of them activated the plant’s splinkler system, which extinguished the fire.
6. Joyous, the chemical plant president gave them the reward of $200,000 and asked what they intended to do with the reward money.
7. White as a sheet, the fire truck driver looked him in the eye and said, “The first thing we’re going to do is get the brakes fixed on that fire truck!”
B. HUMOR: WHY DALMATIONS ON FIRE TRUCKS
1. A 1st grade teacher was delivering a minivan full of kids home one day when a fire truck zoomed past. Sitting in the front seat of the fire truck was a Dalmatian dog.
2. The teacher asked the why the dog was in the fire truck. Answers?
a. “They use him to keep crowds back," one said.
b. “No,” said another, “he’s just for good luck.”
c. “No!” said a girl firmly. “They use the dogs to find the fire hydrants.”
C. TEXT
Judge 15:4 [Samson] caught 300 foxes and tied…a torch to every pair of tails…5 and let the foxes loose in the standing grain of the Philistines. He burned up the shocks and standing grain, together with the vineyards and olive groves. 9The Philistines [Army] went up and camped in Judah. 10 The men of Judah asked, "Why have you come to fight us?" "We have come to take Samson prisoner," they answered, "to do to him as he did to us."
11 Then 3,000 men from Judah went down….and said to Samson, "Don't you realize that the Philistines are rulers over us? What have you done to us?" 12 They said to him, "We've come to tie you up and hand you over to the Philistines." Samson said, "Swear to me that you won't kill me yourselves." 13 "Agreed," they answered. "We will only tie you up and hand you over to them. We will not kill you." So they bound him with two new ropes and led him [away]. 14 As he approached Lehi, the Philistines came toward him shouting. The Spirit of the LORD came upon him in power. The ropes on his arms became like charred flax, and the bindings dropped from his hands.
15 Finding a fresh jawbone of a donkey, he grabbed it and struck down a thousand men. 16 Then Samson said, "With a donkey's jawbone I have made donkeys of them. With a donkey's jawbone, I have killed a thousand men."
C. THESIS
1. We’re going to see this morning how one man changed the course of a nation. It can still be done today!
2. Samson was a man full of the fire of God. If we get full God will work great victories through us too!
3. The title of this message is, “Fire Extinguishers.”
I. IMPORTANCE OF FIRE
A. THE GREAT BLESSING OF FIRE
1. If you ever watched the reality show “Survivor,” you know how important fire is. Without boiled water, contestants didn’t stand a chance. Survival depends on it.
2. Fire is needed to cook food. Most electricity is produced by fire and steam. Our cars run because of it. Our planes fly by its power. All metals are produced through fire. Every aspect of our lives depend on it.
B. YET FIRE IS VERY DANGEROUS
1. It’s easy for fire to get out of control. The explosion of the fertilizer plant at near Waco last week is a sad example. Fire can be used wrongly.
2. Great forests or cities which took many lifetimes to build can be burned up in a few hours. James said, "Behold how small a spark can set the whole world on fire" (3:5).
3. THAT’S WHY WE NEED FIRE EXTINGUISHERS! An ‘out of control’ fire is one of the most feared events, on par with tornadoes and earthquakes.
C. TWO ORIGINS OF FIRES
1. In the SPIRITUAL realm, there are two divergent/ diff. origins of fire: hell’s fire and God’s fire.
2. One type of fire we want to extinguish – the fires/ burning desires of lust, jealousy, hate, greed, wickedness. These are some of Hell’s fires.
3. There’s a second fire we want to encourage and stir up – fire of holy zeal, fire of love, Holy Ghost fire, and fire of truth/ light. These are some of God’s fires!
II. CONTRAST: SAMSON & THE MEN OF JUDAH
A. SAMSON SOMETIMES VACILLATED
1. SAMSON WAS A GUY WHO WAS ALWAYS PLAYING WITH FIRE. Sometimes he played with God’s fire and let the zeal of God operate through him. That’s what happened in our story today.
2. Other times he played with the devil’s fire, giving-in to temptation. If you play with the world’s fire you will eventually get burned by it.
3. If you’re living for God, God’s fire won’t burn you! Moses met God at the Burning Bush; “the bush burned but suffered no harm.” The 3 Hebrews in Daniel 4 were filled with the fire/ zeal of God, so when they were thrown into earthly fire, it had no power over them.
B. SAMSON SET FIRE TO SATAN’S HARVEST
1. The men of Judah were like many Christians today: so beat down that they didn’t even think victory over the enemy was attainable. That’s the enemy’s goal.
2. They’d lost their vision of God using them to deliver Israel. They bore the standard of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah! Jacob had prophesied that Judah was the ‘Scepter’ tribe, supposed to lead and rule (Gen. 49:10), but didn’t.
3. God had to raise up a Danite (Samson), out of one of the tribes of idolatry [Judges 18; they set up a golden calf – 1 Kg. 12:29-30]. If the most qualified won’t give their talents to God, He’ll use the least & show His glory!
4. Samson singlehandedly invaded Philistine territory and set fire to all their harvest fields.
5. The Bible says, “He burned up the shocks and standing grain, together with the vineyards and olive groves” (15:5). They’d taken a lifetime to cultivate! Samson, in one stroke, destroyed generations of work by the enemy!
6. Our land has been invaded too – spiritually – for over 50 years. Our fathers spent generations building a country based on the Bible, where children prayed in schools, the courts supported godly values, and leaders set godly examples. It’s time for some Samsons to rise up in our day and take back the land for God!
7. That’s why the Philistine Army came to get Samson; they knew he was a threat. The enemy said, “We’ve got to take out Samson. He’s the only threat. The rest of them are cowed!” [I hope I’m a threat to hell!]
8. DOESN’T THE DEVIL ALWAYS BRAGG A LITTLE TOO EARLY AND TOO MUCH?
III. SAMSON’S WRECKS THE ENEMY
A. DANGER OF BACKSLIDERS
1. 3,000 men of Judah come to get God’s Champion to surrender him to the enemy! Not aid, but arrest!
2. If they’d had the least spark of courage in them – with so brave a man as Samson to lead them – they’d fight for their liberty.
3. But instead, they’re more eager to stay in bondage to hell than to fight their oppressors.
4. Samson said to them, "Swear to me that you will not kill me yourselves." Sad that Samson was more afraid of backsliders than the enemy!
5. PARALLEL: God’s own people gave up Christ to die on the cross, but it was God’s ruse to gain entrance to the strongholds of hell & overthrow them!
B. CHALLENGE PROVOKES FIERY COMBAT
1. When Samson was brought before the Philistines, they began shouting against him. The Philistine’s victory shouts over God’s kingdom were premature. When the enemy shouts the loudest, get ready, because God is about to vindicate his Name and honor!
2. THE BIBLE SAYS, “Then the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him”; and the two new ropes were “melted,” (original word; as if heat) from off his hands.
3. NOTICE: WHEN THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD COMES, BONDAGE GOES! “Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty.” “He whom the Son sets free is free indeed.”
C. GOD’S CHOICE WEAPON
1. Samson found a jawbone of a donkey, reached out his hand and took it, and killed a thousand men with it. The promise was fulfilled, “One of you shall chase a thousand” Joshua 23:10.
2. USING JAWBONE SHOWS WHY GOD USED SAMSON:
a. HE WAS FLEXIBLE. Samson stayed flexible and allowed the Holy Spirit to give him fresh ideas; old Vs. new wineskins. If we’re limited only to the past we may miss God’s opportunities in the present.
b. HE USED WHAT WAS AVAILABLE. There wasn’t a sword, only a bone. Yet, it’s foolish to reject what God provides just because it isn’t the ‘best.’ While we’re waiting for the ‘perfect’ weapons/ situation, the opportunity for victory may pass.
c. WILLING TO BE A FOOL FOR JESUS. A donkey’s jawbone was a Ridiculous Weapon. Undoubtedly it excited the laughter of the Philistines! But it wasn’t very long until their laughter was turned into wailing!
* David faced a giant with only a sling-shot.
* Jehoshaphat faced massive armies with just a bunch of singers and music, yet, by both God brought about a great victory.
*Samson & the jawbone.
3. God calls us into battle. We face overwhelming force. God’s choice of Prayer, testimony, and the Bible may seem foolish to the natural mind, but they are the deadliest weapons of warfare which can be wielded.
4. If you had seen that donkey’s jaw-bone lying there, you would’ve thought it couldn’t achieve anything. How many might think that way about us!
5. “It is not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit.” Samson means “Little Sun.” The ‘greater’ Strongman is Jesus, the “Sun of Righteousness!” When Jesus Christ picks you up and starts to wield you against the enemy, you can say, ”I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.”
6. Rise up in the power the Lord and conquer the enemy. “If God be for us, then who can stand against us?”
IV. KEYS TO SAMSON’S VICTORY
A. HE EXTINGUISHED THE FIRES OF HELL
1. Samson had doused the fires (in his life) of lust, jealousy, anger, pleasures, and consorting with the enemy.
2. He had shaken off Israel’s prevailing attitude of compromise, backsliding, defeatism, and unbelief.
3. “and…taking up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one” Eph. 6:16, New English (NET).
4. We’re supposed to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the devil! Faith does that. Rom. 10:17. Get in the Word!
B. HE FANNED THE FIRES OF HEAVEN
1. HE SURRENDERED HIS LIFE TO GOD’S PURPOSE. He was a Nazarite, consecrated to God. Spiritual power always begins with consecration. Surrender your life completely to God; then He’ll use it.
2. SAMSON DIDN’T QUENCH THE SPIRIT.
a. Even as a youth “the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him” (13:25). The H.S. is the power of God.
b. “But you shall receive power after the H.S. comes on you and you shall be My witnesses…” Acts 1:8.
c. “Quench not the Spirit” (KJV) or “Do not extinguish the Spirit” (NET) or “Do not put out the Spirit’s fire” (GWT) 1 Thess. 5:19.
d. This Greek word “Don’t Quench the Spirit” means:
1). Don’t suppress the emotions, to lessen the hunger or power of the Holy Spirit;
2). Don’t take away the "fighting strength" or to remove "the magic of love" of the Holy Spirit
3). Don’t allow the vision to fade and the passions to no longer be stirred! [Kittel’s TDNT]
e. We can’t lose our PASSION for Christ; our HUNGER for God; our FIGHTING SPIRIT; and especially our FIRST LOVE for the Lord! If we’ve lost any of those, we’ve quenched the Spirit.
3. SAMSON FANNED THE FLAME OF THE SPIRIT!
a. Paul said, “I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God” 2 Tim. 1:6. “Fan the flame” is the Greek word “anazopureo” = “up-life-fire.”
b. According to Guthrie, it means first to:
1). “Kindle afresh” – Are we fanning the Holy Spirit’s presence in us into such heat that it bursts anew into flames?
2). Secondly it means “to keep in full flame.” Can you honestly say you’re keeping the Spirit’s fire in “full flame” in your life?
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION: “GOD STOP THE WIND!”
1. During the Depression years, the chicken house of a young couple caught on fire and a gusting wind drove the flames against their nearby farmhouse.
2. The young husband stood in the front yard with two empty buckets hanging from his limp hands. His shoulders sagged and sweat soaked his clothing. Exhausted, his breathed, "It's no use, Louise. I can't fight it."
3. His wife, in her early twenties, stood near him, two small children crying and clutching the hem of her skirt. She watched as her house began to smoke.
4. "You'd better get the baby," the discouraged man said. "The house is going to burn."
5. What would they do without their home? There was no money; they had nowhere to go. "If only the wind would stop," her husband said. "Maybe, then I'd have a chance." The wind only got stronger.
6. Suddenly, Frank heard his wife yell with a commanding voice, "Stop the wind, God!". He looked up, startled.
7. There she stood, the baby tucked under one arm and her other arm held out straight toward the burning chicken house. The fire of faith burned in her, believing God would answer.
8. Frank wondered, "Do we really serve a God who can do that?" He didn't wonder long. No sooner had the words left his wife's lips than the wind ceased, changed directions and blew the flames opposite across the yard.
9. The wind didn't let up until the chicken house was in ashes. [Nancy Merical was that baby tucked under my mother's arms.]
10. Jeremiah 33:3 KJV, "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not."
11. “If you have faith as small as a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this mountain…” Mt. 17:20.
B. THE CALL
1. There are 2 Types of People who deal with fire:
a. Firemen – who put fires out
b. Boilermen – who stoke fires, adding coal.
Which one are you?
2. Jesus said, “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!” Lk. 12:49.
3. KEYS TO SAMSON’S VICTORY? Consecration, putting out the devil’s fire, and “Fan into flames the gift of God which is in you” 2 Tim. 1:6.
4. Prayer.
