Sermon Central
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Fall On Us
Contributed by Pastor/Author: Terry Sisney on Dec 20, 2013 (message contributor)
Summary: This is not for the faint of heart: If all you want is a blessing this is not the message for you, this is only for those who want God to take over, to consume them.
While peter yet spake these words, the HolyGhost fell on all them, which heard the word.
I want to draw your attention to one word in this verse (fell) that word has captured my attention.
The HolyGhost fell on all them, which heard the word
First of all it tells me that what is happening is the work of the Holy Spirit
It tells me that the HolyGhost is the initiator
It doesn’t say they jumped up and grabbed it, or they reached out and took hold of the HolyGhost, It says (The HolyGhost fell on them)
Secondly: That word “fell”means, to fall upon, rush or press upon, come suddenly upon, to come forcibly, to seize or take possession of.
One definition even says: to strike, to hit.
In other words
The HolyGhost came in an undeniable, indisputable manner) It was a tangible, heavy, manifestation of the power of God.
They were visibly and physically affected, (They felt it, and anyone present could see the effects of the Spirit upon them)
As I read this scripture my mind went to other places in the bible where the power of God fell.
1 Ch 21:26 David made an altar to the Lord and called upon the Lord and God answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering.
2 Ch 7:1 Solomon had made a great sacrifice to the Lord, When he had made an end of praying the fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices.
These were also undeniable indisputable, irrefutable visible tangible manifestations of the power of God.
Then the one that really stands out was when Elijah squared off with Ahab and the false prophets of Baal upon Mt Carmel.
The false prophets and the true prophet the Man of God Elijah came to an agreement.
They would both build an altar and offer a sacrifice but put no fire under it, and they would call on their respective gods, and the God that answered by fire he would be recognized as the one true God.
The story goes that the false prophets built their altar and laid the sacrifice on the altar and called upon baal from morning till noon with no answer.
Elijah began to mock them, then they became violent and went into a frenzy and began to jump on the altar and cut themselves with knives and lancets until the blood gushed out upon them.
They continued from noon till the evening sacrifice
Then Elijah took over
He repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down, he put the wood in order, and put the sacrifice on the wood then he had them pour 12 barrels of water on the sacrifice (then he prayed, a short prayer)
And the bible says: Then the fire of the Lord “fell” and consumed the burnt sacrifice and the wood and the stones and the dust and licked up the water that was in the trench.
And when the people saw it, they fell on their faces, and they said: The Lord he is the God, The Lord he is the God.
The fact is: What happened upon that mountain was so powerful and so undeniable that it turned a nation back to God.
They experienced a visible tangible manifestation of the power of God.
They had a God Encounter
The Fire of God: The Power of God fell upon that Mountain on that Altar and that Sacrifice.
Then my mind goes to Acts 2:1-4
1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
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.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
The fire of God Fell on Davids altar and burnt offerings
The Fire of God fell on Solomons offering and sacrifices
The HolyGhost Fire of God, The power of God fell on Mt Carmel
The HolyGhost Fire fell on the day of Pentecost
The HolyGhost Fire fell on the gentiles in Cornelius house.
In every case old and New Testament: It was a visible tangible, undeniable manifestation of the Power of God.
What really concerns me today is: we are raising a generation of Christians who have never had a God encounter.
They have never experienced a tangible undeniable manifestation of the power of God.
They know God in theory
They know God religiously
They know God mentally, intellectually
They know about God
But they have never had a Mt Carmel, Day of Pentecost, House of Cornelius Encounter with the Fire of God falling on them.
