Sermon Central
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When The Fire Dies
Contributed by Richard Reid on Feb 26, 2009 (message contributor)
Summary: What is the health of the spiritual fire within you?
When the fire dies
1/5/09
His breath kindles coals, And a flame goes out of his mouth.
During your life’s journey, you might experience your spiritual fire going out. Things are not exciting as they use to be. Church services are dry and not moving. The real test is the condition of your spiritual flame.
And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being" (Genesis 2:6-7, NKJV)
God holds the title of being the Alpha and Omega. All the elements of the universe are present in His breath. But above all we know for sure that oxygen must have been one of the most important components of this breath. Oxygen appears to be the giver of life. It is an explosive element, spontaneous, volatile and unstable. It is never stationary. It penetrates everything.
Here is a little school lesson and you might have a quiz on it next Sunday!
Oxygen enhances life. It generates heat and promotes growth.
Oxygen fosters radiant health. With high oxygen intake, the arteries become elastic, the heart is active and agile, the pulse grows stronger, the skin is healthy and the mind is extraordinarily positive.
Fire is a chemical process. Three things are needed for this process: oxygen, heat and fuel. Without one of these elements a fire cannot start or continue. So we need to have three things in our life to keep our spiritual flames burning bright:
1. Oxygen (The infilling of the spirit)
One of the things that you learn early on in campfires is that when a fire is going out – You need to blow on the coals. What our generation needs is for God to breath on us to revive our spiritual fire!
In Acts 2 tells a story about the upper room infilling experience. “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.” The mighty wind was the breath of God.
Let’s clear up a few things - Number one = Being filled with the Spirit is not the same as being indwelled by the Spirit. Why? Because every believer receives the indwelled by the Spirit from the moment of his conversion. We are commanded in Ephesians to be filled with the Spirit!!. This literally means “being kept filled by the Spirit”
Every day though the process of life’s events we lose spiritual oxygen. God and God alone is the only one who can provide the spiritual oxygen we so desperately need. You can’t get it from your pastor, spouse, family, and friends, - It only comes from God!
2. Heat (His ongoing presence in your life)
When God created the man and women, one reason was to have continual fellowship with them.
God is a gentlemen and he only resides were He is welcomed. People decided to kick God out of our schools, courtrooms, and our government foundation and look at what is happening!
To keep your spiritual fire burning – Keep the warmth of His presence near you. This second element of fire is important. It is my choice on how powerful my flame will be.
If I chose to live my life at a distance from His presence and serve Him when it’s covenant – My spiritual flame will not be strong. Are you taking or giving ground?
Ephesians 4:27 = Nor give place to the devil.
Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God. Romans 15:17 - If I’m serving him – I now I’m close to Him
3. Fuel (The written word of God)
Nothing can operate without fuel:
1. Humans need food
2. Vegetation needs sunlight
3. Automobiles need gas or electricity.
Proverbs 4 = My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; For they are life (Or fuel) to those who find them, And health to all their flesh.
Just as a gas station – the gas station does not come to us – But we must go to the station! When was the last time, you went to God’s filling station?
As I said earlier = “ being kept filled by the Spirit” You were never designed to run on empty. Eph 3:19 = to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Your spiritual engine can only run on the words found in the bible and on nothing else!
II Timothy 3:16 = Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction. If God breathed these scriptures then they are true, alive, and eternal!
