INTRO: When I was a teen we use to sing a song around he campfire entitled: "Pass it on". It only takes a spark to get a fire going. And soon all those around will warm up to it’s glowing. This song was telling us that you can ignite your world as a believer for Christ. This is still true today. You can ignite your world. I’m talking about your world. I want to focus on the word world. (For God so loved the world that he gave.)
In the original Greek the are 3 translations for the word world: Place (earth), age (time period, age), persons (individuals, inhabitants). For God so loved every individual in this world that he gave his only begotten son.
God sees individuals. He doesn’t see 40,000 people living in Lufkin Texas, but when God looks at our world he sees individuals, he sees your face, he sees the environment in which you live. He is the God of the individual.
Now if we’re going to make a difference. If we’re going to see great events, great revivals, miracles, there has to be 1 tangible characteristic and that is a SPARK. Everything starts with a SPARK. If we’re going to successfully evangelize our city there must be a SPARK.
Throughout the word of God I find that it was a Believer with a Spark that ignited great events.
Acts 2: "When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. How many of you would have liked to be in the upper room at the day of Pentecost? It wasn’t a light swoon or a casual blessing. And when they were filled with the spirit the power of God came so mightily that it drove them out into the streets. It’s like somebody goes into the bathroom and turns on the faucet and forgets about it. They come back and it overflows and goes out and goes into the other rooms.
I Sam 17:17. Little David when He heard about Goliath must had done a Pentecostal two step. And began hollering “I’m in the giant fighting business.” I’m David I’m from the tribe of Jesse and I hear you have a giant that needs a whooping. I’m in the giant fighting business. "King Jehovah delivered a lion and a bear into my hand, and the same God will deliver this Philistine into my hand.” Goliath got the shock of his life as he charged down the hill, cursing Israel’s God. And David charged up the hill, that sling shot just a waving and in V46 he said: 51 “This day will the Lord hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down so that the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. (52) When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran. Then the men of Israel and Judah surged forward with a shout and pursued.
Exodus 3: Here God was looking for a deliverer and He chose Moses. Moses was tending His father in law’s sheep who was Jethro the priest of Median. Moses was one of the most wanted men by the FBI in Cairo. He was in the desert for 40 years. He comes across a bush that is on fire, but is not consumed. I don’t know what he tried to do. Maybe he did like some people do today when God tries to send a spiritual fire. They try to put it out. There are two reasons people try to put out a spiritual fire. 1.) Because they think they don’t need it. There are people who are content with no one coming to the altars. There are people who are content with no visitors coming in. There’s people content with the church just getting by. 2.) The 2nd reason is they just don’t understand it. We have some of both. Some have tried to put out the Pentecostal fire. Some have tried to fight it out. I thank God that this fire is burning brighter than it ever has. People are hungry for more than dry boring religion. People are hungry for something that touches their need. For this is something you can feel. Moses said, “who should I tell them sent me.” Tell them the “I Am” God sent you. And I’m happy this evening that you and I are serving the “I am” God, In the person of Jesus Christ.
He starts everything with a spark.
ANYBODY CAN HAVE A SPARK. BUT ARE YOU SPARKING GOOD OR BAD. The challenge as believers is WHAT TYPE OF SPARK ARE YOU?
Webster gives several definitions for a SPARK. What kind of Spark are you?
1. A DISCHARGE OF VERY SHORT DURATION
Matt 13:5-6 "Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when they sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.”
In the parable of the sower and the seed, we find individuals who are hot today and cold tomorrow, here today and gone tomorrow. Lifeless; dull; carbonated; corrugated; and limp.
I’ve found that people who have no spark, or their spark doesn’t last, are emotion oriented in their experience with God. Anything that doesn’t tickle their spiritual feelings isn’t spiritual. They’re dancing and jumping pews one day, but circumstances come and then they fizzle out just like a match in the wind. You can jump and dance and dress up and shout all you want, but I want it working in my spirit. That is why there is no spark. God detests sparkles lifeless believers.
Rev 3:15:16 "Laodicia." The members of this church were totally indifferent to the things of God. Though they identified themselves as a church. Every Sunday morning, Wednesday, Sunday evening, they came together as a church. They had teaching, preaching, singing, prayer at the altar, they took the collection. They had all the form of rituals of a church. But the people had no part whatsoever of the things of God.
INDIFFERENCE IS THE SPIRITUAL DISEASE THAT HAS KILLED THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MORE BELIEVERS, AND MORE CHURCHES THAN ANY OTHER SPIRITUAL DISEASE
People who don’t care are nauseating to God. Indifferent people disgust the Lord Jesus Christ. The non involved. The hypocritical. Those standing back on the outside. There are some who come into the house of he Lord and plop themselves in the pew and say “here pastor bless me.” They have no desire to do anything for the Lord. Yet my bible says in Revelation chapter 3 God says he will spew you out of his mouth.
AS THE PEOPLE GO, SO GOES THE CHURCH.
You want a spiritual church, you’ve got have spiritual people.
You want a Biblical church, you’ve got to have Biblical people.
You want a soul winning church, you’ve got to have soul winning people
You want a praying church, you’ve got to have praying people.
You want fire, you have to have a spark.
FOR THE TRUTH IS AS THE PEOPLE GO SO GOES THE CHURCH.
What kind of spark are you?
2. A LATENT (Concealed) PARTICLE CAPABLE OF GROWTH OR DEVELOPING
Luke 18:18-25. This is the story of the rich young ruler who asked Jesus how he could receive eternal life. When Jesus told him what to do he went away sorrowing.
We’re talking about having a spark, a particle of growth, something to give, but it’s concealed. It’s there but it’s never revealed. This is one of the saddest things in the church today. Believers with great potential and destiny but they never follow through. Many who come to an altar of prayer but do absolutely nothing with it. You know you have what it takes but you never realize your potential. It all comes down to what Believers don’t want to do, and that is pay the price to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.
Their are preachers who say to you that what God is doing is producing a group of people that can stay of drugs, hold there marriage together keep their minds away from insanity and care out an existence that says I am going to make it in the rapture. THAT IS NOT ENOUGH. It’s not enough to coexist with that evil. You remain a latent particle. Concealed. We as believers must have a spark. God desires Holy Ghost anointed men and woman of God who know a depth and relationship that is true, real, and alive. We have a casual Christianity in America. We can not stay excited about one truth singularly.
I ask you again, what kind of spark are you?
3. A HOT GLOWING PARTICLE STRUCK FROM A LARGER MASS
I John 5:4-5 "For everyone born of God overcomes the world. (Sickness, disease, an poverty).
One of the greatest losses in life is the believer who has not found the will of God. I believe spirit filled believers should not spend your life looking for life. Find your assignment in life and do it with joy.
This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. Bottom line is you got to know something about faith to live victorious.
Do you want to be religious or live victorious?
Do you want to be steeped in tradition or live victorious.
It’s not enough to have people lay hands on you. Are you living victoriously? How does it work? Paul shares it. We are powerful because God is powerful. God in us is the only credential we need.
Mark 1:7 "After me will come one more powerful than I and he will baptize you in the Holy Ghost. (10) "As Jesus was coming up out of the water, the heavens were opened and the spirit of God descended upon him like a dove.
These 2 verses speak of Christ’s credentials. The POWER and the ANOINTING. People it’s the power and the ANOINTING that will defeat the enemy of our souls and give us VICTORY.
It’s the power and the ANOINTING that will give you FREEDOM and VICTORY.
It’s the power and the ANOINTING that will give you victory in your prayer life.
It’s the power and anointing that will give you the ability to build the right kind of relationship and to conduct yourself in business.
If the church needs anything today, it’s the power and the anointing of God. We need that spark.
John 20:21 "As the father has sent me so I send you.
It’s time to realize that our strength is not ours alone. We don’t fight battles alone.
"Greater is he that is in Me than He that is in the world"
"It’s not by might nor by power but by His spirit saith the Lord".
It’s time to get the spark of the power and the anointing. Without faith it’s impossible to please God. You’re not living in Faith, you’re living in Fear.
“This is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith.”
What kind of SPARK are you?
4. SOMETHING THAT SET’S OFF A SUDDEN FORCE: INITIATES OR GIVES IMPETUS TO AN UNDERTAKING
Mark 16:15-18. The last words of Jesus prior to His ascension. He tells His disciples to go into the world and SPARK a revival.
I want to be the Spark that sets off a sudden force. Peter was a spark. When you have a spark you have something to tell the world. To tell them that God loves them and desires to have a relationship with them.
John the Baptist had two sermons. One was repent and be baptized and the other was “I indeed baptize you with water, but their comes one after me who is mightier than I whose shoes I am not worthy to wear. And when he comes he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.” Is that it? “AND WITH FIRE.”
Church there is something about a spiritual firing baptism that will stir and move the community in which we live.
ILLUST: Services that were dead but somebody had a spark.
FIRE IS COMMUNICABLE
I’m from the north and when it gets cold it really gets cold. And where I live you learn to appreciate that fireplace. I’ve learned something about fire. WHATEVER FIRE TOUCHES IT MAKES LIKE ITSELF.
Take a room and fill it with the Houston Chronicle. Take one match, light it and ignite it, and in a few moments you know what you’ll have? You’ll full of fire. And it will fill that entire place. And it all starts with one match, one igniter. That fire is capable of melting, and purifying, and penetrating and it transforms.
FIRE DRAWS A CROWD
How many still have desire to follow a fire truck with its lights on.
If we’re going to look at who we can do with and who we can do with out in 2001. You can do with out this staff. You can do without this pastor. But you’ll never be able to do without the SPARK.
At one time this church use to be in an other building and when you moved into this new building you picked up the coals from the Pentecostal SPARK that burned there, and placed them here in this building. It’s not the building for this is symbolism, but the real fire is burning in you. And the responsibility that you have today is to keep the fire burning continually never let it go out. Keep it burning and keep it active.
So sinners can come and warm themselves by that fire.
So sinners can come and see the light of Christ by your fire.
So that they can come and be purified, cleansed and delivered and set free.
And those who are discouraged, and despondent can be encouraged by the fire and power of Pentecost.
Revival is breaking out all over the word why? Because God is using men and woman of God, who are willing and determined not to let the fire go out, and is using them as the igniter.
I’m convinced we can melt the ice cubes in our church and those cold hearts in the city if someone will just ignite the flame.
I desire to see waves of Pentecostal blessings to shower over us till we don’t care if it’s 12:00. Till we don’t care if we’re going to get to Golden Corral or not. Till we don’t care if we’re going to miss a ball game. But were concerned to see people saved.
You didn’t build these steps so people can get up here. You built them so people can fall down on their faces before God and weep and cry before him.
These pews were not built for us to be comfortable in, but they were built so people can come and be seated just long enough to run to the altar of God and be cleansed, filled, healed, and set free.
God called this church to be a Pentecostal church. To be a praying church. To be a soul winning church. To be fire baptized church.
Let me give you a secret. Someone may say my fire is just about out. In just a minute I’m going to give an altar call. And were going to get as many people as we can and pack in. And you know what I found out about coals when you cook out in the spring. You light those coals till there white and the burning and cooking. Take a few of those coals and you separate them they cool off, they lose their flame and heat. You take those coals and place them back with the hot coals and those cold coals, they’ll get hot. If you’re cold this morning were going to get you next to a hot coal. That’s why he says forsake not the assemembling of yourselves together. We need each other.
What Kind of Spark Are You?
