Sermon Central
-
Keep The Fire Burning Series
Contributed by Mark Mccool on Apr 21, 2003 (message contributor)
Summary: The greatest need among Christian’s today is to keep the fire of passion burning for not only personal relationship, but for evangelizing a lost and dying world.
"KEEP THE FIRE BURNING"
(It’s Time To Light The Night)
Mark McCool
TEXT: ZECHARIAH 14:6-7
6 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark:
7 But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.
1 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.
2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
INTRODUCTION
It has been said that: "Today is the first day of the rest of your life". And if that is true, then today is a day that God has ordained that there may be an encounter with Him that can forever change the way that you live for God!
Depending on how you came to this service and what you came for will be the determining factors on how you leave here, and to what extent that you will be effected! Because God’s promises to His children are not for a few special people, but they are for every hungry soul that longs to be a part of the Kingdom of God!
For Jesus said in Matthew 5:6, "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled!"
Hebrews 11:6 says, "... And He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him!"
Therefore, if you came only for the entertainment and nothing more than to be seen, then you will be rewarded with that which you came for!
But if what I feel in this place tonight is true, then there are those here who have come to this service with a hungry heart and a thirsty soul and a holy desire to have more of God in their lives than ever before!
Not merely to feel the fire of God’s Holy power, but to become a flame and a fire of God that will light the night in this end time before Jesus comes again!
I. WE NEED LIGHT FOR A DARKENED AGE
A. It is evident by the signs of these times that we are living in the darkest days this world has ever known! No other age of mankind can compare with this age of spiritual confusion and darkness!
* When in America alone, over 1.5 million babies are aborted each year - It’s a dark age!
* When teenagers are shooting it up and shooting it out on the streets of our cities - It’s a dark age!
* When prayer is outlawed in our schools, and anyone caught doing so are subject to suspension - It’s a dark age!
* When student rape, teen pregnancy, shootings, and drug deals are considered normal classroom activity - It’s a dark age!
* When the Bible is rejected by the secular humanistic school boards in America, but pornography, humanism, occultism, and Satanism are regular curriculum - We are living in a dark age!
B. That is why that in the face of such darkness, we must have an enactment of God’s power to burst forth and vanquish the blackness of sin, and declare the righteousness of Jesus Christ, who is the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world!
1. The Bible tells us that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5).
2. In Genesis 1, God created the heavens and the earth, and the earth (world) was without form and void (chaos), and darkness was upon the face of the deep.
3. It was upon this backdrop and scenario in the very beginning that God stepped in and said, "Let there be light!" And the result of His Word was, "And there was light!"
* God’s voice is again commanding, "Let there be light!"
* God is still able in this hour to break in upon this chaotic world and pierce its sinful darkness to bring order to a confused heart, mind, and soul!
* God only needs a channel to work through and a vessel that will hold oil and expel a flame!
* That’s why God needs the Church in the world, to be an eternal flame that will light their way to God Almighty! The Church needs the fire!
II. THE NEED OF AN “ON FIRE” CHURCH!
A. The Lost who sit in darkness will never see the Savior without the light of Truth and Example!
Illustration - song - "Pentecostal Fire"
1) There are souls in sin that we fail to win, just because we lack desire; And the thing we need - sorely need indeed is the Pentecostal fire.
