He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches, and unto the
angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, These things saith the Amen, the Faithful,
and the True Witness, the beginning of the creation of God.
I know thy works, thou neither cold nor hot; I would thou work cold or hot.
So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth.
Because thou sayest, I am rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing, and
knowest not, that thou art wretched and miserable, and poor and blind and naked.
I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich, and white
raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear.
And anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten, be zealous therefore, and repent.
Behold, I stand at the door and knock.
If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him,
and he with me.
To him that overcometh, will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame,
and have sat down with my Father in heaven in his throne.
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit sayeth unto the churches.
Let's pray.
Dear Lord God, just thank you for this church, Lord, and this seven years that we've had
of this church being established, Lord, by you, Lord, and just thank you for pastor as
well, Lord.
We just pray that you bless him right now and fill him with boldness in the Holy Spirit,
Lord, as he preaches unto us, Lord.
And we pray this all in Jesus' name.
Amen.
All right.
We're going to go over three and the title of my sermon this evening is "How to stay
on fire as a church."
How to stay on fire as a church.
Obviously, we're celebrating seven years today of great work that's being accomplished here.
Well, you know, in my experience and in the experience of others, sometimes churches have
a tendency to die down a little bit.
They lose their flame.
They lose their passion.
They lose their zeal for the things of God and they end up dying out.
And that's one thing that we want to avoid as a church, right?
We want to make sure that we keep the flame going.
You want to make sure you keep the flame going in your marriage.
Keep the flame going in church for soul winning, for the loss, for the things of God.
And we don't want to become like what we see here in Revelation chapter 3, the Laodicean
church where we just become lukewarm.
Look at Revelation 3, 14 says, "Until the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write,
'These things say they amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation
of God,' I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot.'"
I would that thou were cold or hot.
So then because thou are lukewarm, neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth.
So the issue we see here with the church at Laodicea was that they weren't necessarily
100% cold towards the things of God, but they weren't hot towards the things of God either.
They're just kind of apathetic.
They are lukewarm.
And the reality is this is that God isn't pleased with that.
He's not like, "Well, they're lukewarm so they're closer to being hot, you know, therefore
I'm going to cut them some slack."
Actually, he's like, "I wish that you were just completely apathetic.
I wish that you were 100% cold so they can be chastised and get right with God."
But you know, someone who's lukewarm thinks that they're right with God.
They think that they're doing God's service, but they're actually completely out of the
fight.
They've lost their flame.
They've lost their fire.
And he says, "Because thou are lukewarm, neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out
of my mouth."
I think one of the greatest examples of this would be drinking lukewarm coffee.
You know, coffee is great hot, coffee is great cold, coffee is disgusting when it's lukewarm.
It kind of makes you want to spew it out of your mouth, right?
And God feels the same way regarding churches, congregations, who are essentially dying out,
losing their flame.
And obviously we're still a young church, so the fire is still here, the zeal is still
there.
But as we get older in age, as we get older as a church, there is a temptation to lose
that fire.
And once we begin to lose the fire for the things of God, we will begin to regress as
a church, and eventually First Works Baptist Church will no longer be.
Okay, and we want to obviously avoid that as much as possible.
The Bible says in John 533, I like what it says about John the Baptist, it says, "He
sent unto John and he bare witness unto the truth, but I received not the testimony for
man, but these things I say that he may be saved.
He was a burning and shining light, and you were willing for a season to rejoice in his
light."
This evening, I want to give you a couple of things that will help us to stay on fire
for God, and make no mistake about it, there are a lot of churches out there that have
completely lost the flame, they've lost the fire, and they're just kind of going through
the motions, and obviously that can happen for individuals in a congregation, where you're
just kind of going through the motions, you're just coming to church, maybe you just casually
read the Bible, that is a course of destruction for you as a Christian, because God wants
you to retain that fire, he wants you to be zealous for the things of God, because that's
one of the things that will help you to stay in this thing for the long haul, stay in it
for the long run, okay?
Now turn with me if you would to Luke chapter 24, Luke chapter 24, let me give you a couple
things this evening on how to stay on fire as a church.
Number one, fuel the flame with fresh oil, fuel the flame with fresh oil.
The Bible says in Psalm 92, you're in the book of Luke, I'm going to read to you from
Psalm 92 verse 10, "But my horn shall exult like the horn of a unicorn, I shall be anointed
with fresh oil."
And obviously what that's referring to, that oil is referring to the Holy Spirit, right?
But the Holy Spirit works in conjunction with the Bible.
And so it's important for us as Christians, if we're going to remain on fire for God,
this needs to be a major part of your life right here, okay?
Reading the word of God, not some devotional, not some commentary, not just online preaching,
you better make sure that you're actually reading the Bible itself.
You say, "Well, I read the Bible, but I think I already know everything that there is to
know about the Bible."
I've already read it through cover to cover already this year or last year.
What is there more to learn?
Folks, you'd be surprised over the fact that the Bible is very much layered and will resonate
with you throughout the seasons of life, throughout things that you're experiencing, and it'll
create within you that fire to continue to go forward.
Look at Luke 24, verse 29, it says, "But they constrained him," they referring to the disciples,
him referring to Jesus, "saying, 'Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day
is far spent.'
And he went into tarry with them, and it came to pass, as he sat at meet with them, he took
bread and blessed it, and breaking gate to them.
And their eyes were opened, and they knew him, and he vanished out of their sight."
I want you to notice this, and they said to one another, "Did not our heart burn within
us while he talked with us, by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?"
And you know, this is what I commonly call Christian heartburn, right?
Because he's saying, when Jesus Christ was teaching us, when he was talking to us, our
hearts burn within us, and it reminds me of Jeremiah, the prophet.
Because Jeremiah had a ministry that was very difficult, he was going against the grain,
and there came a point where he wanted to quit.
He's just like, I'm done preaching, I'm done teaching people the word of God, people aren't
listening, they're not repenting.
And he said this, then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak anymore in
his name.
That's a bold statement.
What is he saying?
I quit.
I'm done.
I don't want to make mention of him.
I don't want to speak on his name.
I don't want to say anything about him, but I want you to notice this, but his word was
within my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones and I was weary with forbearing
and I could not stay.
What is he saying?
You know, I wanted to quit, but because I have the Bible in my heart, I can't quit.
It's in there and I want to talk to people about the Lord.
It's in there and I want to preach the word of God.
What does it show us?
It's showing us that if we want to remain in this thing for the long haul, you got to
be on fire for God.
And the way you remain on fire for God is having the word of God in you, letting the
word of Christ dwell in you richly.
And make no mistake about it, folks, one of the first things that goes out the window
when you become apathetic towards the things of God is your Bible reading.
You'll actually attend church without reading your Bible.
You'll actually possibly even pray without reading your Bible.
You might even go through a couple of days without reading your Bible, plain and simple.
You will do a lot of the other spiritual disciplines before actually reading the Bible.
That often is the number one thing that goes out the window first.
And I dare say there might be someone in here who has not read the Bible in a couple of
days.
The measure of allowing your flame to go out, right?
We want to keep the flame going and one of the best ways to keep it going is making sure
you're reading the Word of God consistently every single day, making it a spiritual discipline,
memorizing scripture.
And you know, one of the best ways to make sure that the Word of Christ is dwelling you
richly is talking about it.
And one of the best ways to make sure that you're talking about it is through soul winning.
You say, "How can I keep the fire going for the Word of God?"
Go preach the gospel.
When you preach the gospel, you're kind of forced to be in a position where you're forced
to talk about the Word of God.
And you know what?
Nothing will keep the flame going more than just preaching the gospel where you're constantly
confronted with new challenges.
You're preaching the Word of God.
You're preaching the gospel.
It's like real life right there.
And I was reminded about this yesterday.
We had our soul winning marathon yesterday and we had 22 people saved in North Long Beach
and that was exciting.
And man, I had a bunch of stuff happen yesterday to me that I was just like, man, Christian
life is just exciting.
You know, I was preaching the gospel to this lady and she was a Catholic and it was really
hot.
It was really just warm yesterday and I had my suit on and everything.
And I'm preaching the gospel and I'm just like, man, it's so warm.
I was with Brother Lucas and then I felt the drop on my forehead and it was nice and cool.
I was like, oh, that was such a relief.
It was so cold, you know, and it was so hot.
So then I kind of just wipe my forehead and then I'm preaching the gospel and I point
to the verse and there's bird crap all over my hand.
A bird took a dump on me.
How humbling is that?
True story.
It really happened.
Cat, is this real?
Yes, it's real.
It actually happened.
So then she was like, I'm so sorry, you want to grab your napkin?
I'm like, no, no, no, let me finish this and then go grab me a napkin, you know?
And then she ended up getting saved.
She called upon the name of the Lord, got saved, brought me a napkin.
And then afterwards she said, it's a gift though, so you get to keep the napkin, you
know?
And obviously it was a double meaning.
She wanted to let me know that she understood eternal security, but she also wanted me to
let her know that she doesn't want a napkin with bird crap on it back either, you know?
And so, you know, it gives you good stories.
And then, you know, we talked to another lady and this should have been on my other point,
but I'm just going to skip that.
But you know, I was talking to this one lady and she was really struggling with eternal
security.
But this lady, she was a black lady too.
So she had that, you know, she was just like, you know what I'm talking about?
Yeah, you know what I'm saying?
And so like, you know, I was, and she's like, I think I believe you can lose your salvation
for sure.
And I'm just like, no, you can.
And I'm giving her verses and I'm just kind of going through the Rolodex in my mind of
scriptures and examples.
And she's just like, that's true, but I still believe in the Bible teaches that you can
lose it.
And I said, okay, let me just leave it with this example right here.
And you know, when I was quoting some of the scriptures, she would like finish some
of the scriptures for me.
So she knew a little bit of the Bible.
Okay.
You know do you know who King Saul is she's all yes. I do King Saul came before King David, and I said yeah
That's right. I said do you know what happened to King Saul at the end of his life. Yes. I do he fell upon his own sword
He was wounded by the Philistines, and he didn't want to be abused by the Philistines
So therefore he fell upon his own sword his armor bear fell likewise, and I was like you know just I'm like that's right
So she's like you know she's answering all the questions
You know and I was like and did you know what the prophet Samuel who's already in heaven said to Saul she goes yes
I do he said tomorrow that when thy sons shall be with me, and I said that's right
And she said oh, oh I see your point
I see your point she checked me you know by that words
I should be justified by the words that shall be condemned now
She didn't get saved, but you know what I'm thankful for stories like that
And you know what I love soul winning because it gives me new opportunities to be faced with challenges that maybe I've never experienced
You know because it's like we have the skeleton of the gospel
But sometimes not everyone follows the script where you're out door to door
You know I mean sometimes they hit you with the different verses and concepts
And you're just kind of freestyling it you kind of going in and it kind of helps you to
Basically go back and study some things in the Bible so you can have an answer the next time you're confronted with that situation
You said what does that do to you it keeps me on fire for God because it makes me go back
Read the Bible see what it says and say I hope I get confronted with that situation again
Because I have an answer for that the next time you know it makes the Christian life a real thing
When you're actually studying the Bible reading the Word of God what I'm saying is if you want to stay on fire for God
You got to make sure you're anointed with fresh oil
You got to make sure that you're reading the Word of God studying the Bible
Study to show thyself approved unto God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the Word of truth
Did not our hearts burn within us why you talk with us by the way and why you open to us the scripture
Has your heart burned this last week?
Have you had a time throughout the month where you read a scripture and you're like man my heart burns within me and I want
To talk about the Lord Jesus Christ or it might not even be about the gospel
You're just like I can't wait to talk to another person about something I learned in the Bible
That's how you can stay on fire for God is reading the Word of God
And you know what you have a perfect place to execute that and that's here at the church
You read something in the Bible you learn about something you learn something from the Holy Spirit
Bring that to church and say hey look what I learned in the Word of God today
That's how you keep the fire going. I'm all for listening to preaching online. I'm all for
Saturating yourself with biblical preaching but not as a substitute for your own personal Bible reading number two
How to stay on fire for God got to stay in the fight
What I mean by that you gotta hate what God hates go to first Timothy chapter 6 if you would first Timothy chapter 6
And then we're gonna go to second Kings chapter 10 talk about how to stay on fire for God
How to keep the fire going as a church? I'm gonna tell you how we got to make sure we don't become a limp-wristed
Sissy church that just wants no conflict whatsoever. The Christian life is a fight
You're constantly have to fight you're constantly having to fight to keep your own walk with God
You're fighting against the world the flesh and the devil you're fighting false doctrine
You're fighting to keep your marriage on board. You're fighting to raise your children, right?
You're fighting to keep you know, the God's hand a blessing on you. You're fighting the devil
You're constantly fighting the day you decide to stop the fight. That's when the flame goes out stay in the fight
Look at first Timothy chapter 6 and verse 11 says but thou o man of God flee these things and follow after righteousness
Godliness faith love patience meekness look what it says fight the good fight of faith lay hold on eternal life
We're unto thou are also called and it's professed a good profession before
Many witnesses I want you to notice that when he says fight the good fight of faith. It's in conjunction with verse 11
Regarding the things you're supposed to follow after
Righteousness godliness faith love patience and meekness
What does that mean you have to fight to stay right with God one of the best ways to stay on fire for the Lord
To stay on fire as a church is you keep the main thing the main thing
You keep seeking after the kingdom of God and his righteousness so that these things shall be added unto you
You're making sure that you're making God a priority in your life
And let me say this that requires a fight
Anybody who's put any considerable amount of effort to stay right with God knows it's hard to do
It's hard to stay right with God sometimes. It's hard to have these spiritual disciplines. It's hard to seek after the kingdom of God
It's a fight and you know what God expects for you to fight stay in the fight as a Christian stay in the fight
Repenting of those sins stay in the fight to stay right with God stay in the fight to keep reading your Bible staying in church
Keep that fight going but not only that, you know
There's a lot of things out there that this world is constantly pushing that we got to fight against
The culture is always pushing a bunch of crap and nonsense trying to get Christians to become diluted in their faith a lot of
Fractions out there that are seeking to what to douse your flame and you know, we have to fight to stay right
But we also have to fight to keep that garbage out of here
You know, one of the best ways to douse the flame is get into politics, right? You're getting into politics
You're gonna douse your flame stay in the Word of God
Stay winning souls to Christ stay fighting off the world the flesh and the devil
You know, it's important for us to know what's going on
but here's the thing folks is that don't allow yourself to become veered off the path of righteousness fighting someone else's battle a
Superficial battle that will not that will yield no results. This is the battle that you're supposed to be in right here
Okay, look at second Kings chapter 10 second Kings chapter 10 if you would now we got a huge fight on her hands
Oh, let me say this in November because Kamala becomes president man
We're screwed. This nation is cooked not just because she's a Democrat, but just because she's a woman
She's a woman Democrat. And if she becomes president
Let me just say this the the fate of the United States of America as being being judged by God is 100% sealed
Okay. Now there's a good thing that could come out of her becoming president for me
Say why I got a bunch of content to preach from like like I legitimately will preach the if she gets voted in
Which it is a part of me get the kind of hopes for just so I can preach this sermon
But I'm gonna preach a sermon called Kamala the whore of Babylon be a great sermon
Oh, why are you so contentious because the Bible tells me that I need to be contentious against the evil evil things of this world
I got to make sure I fight against the culture. I got to make sure I fight against the wicked ideologies of this world
I got to make sure that I fight the trends of this world that are seeking to cause
Christians to deviate from the paths. I have to make sure that I'm fighting against false doctrine and false prophets
Got to keep it alive. Amen. Hey, we got to make sure that we fight against the enemies of God
You know my sermons obviously we got a pre I got to preach edifying sermons and sermons that will exhort you to continue in
The faith but sometimes you got to hear sermons about Jews, right?
You know you say well, I mean too much is too much though. Well, hold on a second
We have a whole slew of fundamental Baptists out there that worship Jews
You know that tells me it tells me that somewhere along the line a couple of maybe 20 30 years ago
Someone stopped fighting that and now it just became the normal thing to do is to worship Jews and Israel and bless them and
Sensationalism and all that other nonsense. Sometimes we got to preach on that. We got to preach on end times Bible prophecy
We got to preach against fags. You're like, oh, I mean, I don't know if you should use that word though
That's because you got out of the fight. So that word is like weird to you now
But you know, we got to fight against the trannies the fags the pedophiles
We got it. We got to make sure we continue to expose these things
Well, I'm just hoping that we just take it easy put it on neutral cruise control
Then your flame has gone out
Look what it says in 2nd Kings 10 15 and when he was departed thence he lighted he referring to Jihoo on
Jehanadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him and he saluted him and said to him is
Thine heart right as my heart is with thy heart and Jehanadab answered it is if it be give me thine hand
And he gave him his hand and he took him up to
To him into the chariot and he said come with me and see my zeal for the Lord
So they made him ride in his chariot
so Jihoo comes and if you know the context of the story Jihoo is anointed king of the northern kingdom and
Basically is commissioned and is ordained to just go kill a bunch of people a bunch of God's enemies
Just kind of wipe them all out the false prophets of Baal all these people and so he
Stumbles upon Jehanadab and he's like, hey, are you right with God the way I'm right with God?
And he's like I am he's like, all right, come on. I'm gonna show you zeal. No, pastor
You're misconstruing that they went to go have a Bible study
They went to go, you know have a prayer meeting look at verse 17
And when he when he came to Samaria
He slew all that remained unto Ahab in Samaria till he had destroyed him according to the saying of the Lord
Which he spake to Elijah. That's not a Bible study
He's basically telling hey you want to go do these hits with me real quick
I gotta go destroy the the enemies of the Lord you down or what which call we taken?
You know, it's like he's saying look I'm gonna go do a work for God. I'm gonna show you what zeal is
Obviously this is not a New Testament thing. We're out there whacking people or whatever, but you know in a spiritual sense
That's what we're doing because we're destroying the false prophets of this world by exposing them by preaching against them by fighting against the
Principalities powers and the rules of the darkness of this world the spiritual wickedness in high places
That is the same thing that we're doing and you know what a lot of churches out there will look at us and say oh
No, you guys just want to be controversial. It's called zeal
you might want to get some of it, you know instead of capitulating to all the false prophets of this world and
Saying that stacey shiflett is saying he's just a little mixed up
Why don't you fight against him for preaching a false gospel? I'll tell you why cuz you have no zeal
You've lost your zeal Bible tells us we're supposed to fight against these people who have forsaken the laws of God and and yeah
But you shouldn't call people out folks. The whole Bible just names everyone one gets called out
There's only there's only a few times where someone doesn't get called out and it's like when the man of God is
Doing something great. He's just like not named God just choose not to name it
But when there's like a wicked person, they're always named the Apostle Paul's always calling people out all they were turned Asia forsaken me
Demons have forsaken me haven't loved this present world
Alexander the coppersmith may the Lord render him according to his works for he did me much evil
Whoa, Paul, you know, you should have you should have called him Paul. You should have called him
This is this ain't it Paul Paul. This ain't it. You should have called him talk behind closed doors
No, I Alexander needed to be called out, you know
The point that I'm making here is that according to the Bible one of the things that will keep us on fire for God
Keep our zeal going is making sure you stay in the fight
You better hate false doctrine and false prophets as much as God does
You better hate that which the Lord hates if you want to keep the flame going and you know what?
Here's a hate check for you. How's your hate life? Not your love life? How's your hate life?
Are you sympathizing with the wicked of this world?
Are you sympathizing with the false prophets of this world? Then you're a part of the problem. You've lost your zeal
You know, we want to make sure that we don't have
Dissimulated love we want to abhor that which is evil and cleave to that which is good and make no mistake about it
here's the thing folks is that we're obviously supposed to love our enemies bless those who curse us and
Do good to them to despitefully use us things of that nature obviously
We have personal enemies and God wants us to be good into them to keep calls of fire on their head
But make no mistake about it. There are people in this world that according to the Bible hate the Lord
Don't live in a fantasy world the real world says that there's people out there
they hate the Lord Jesus Christ and you know the God one of the godliest men in the Bible by the name of King David a
Man after God's own heart the sweet psalmist of Israel said do not I hate them Oh Lord that hate thee and that I agree with
Them that rise up against thee. I hate them with perfect hatred
I count them my enemies and you know the next verse doesn't say and I was wrong about this because the Lord
Interfered and told me about the Holy Ghost that I was not thinking straight God's like beautifully written
Let's put that in the Bible in the Bible. He put it in the Bible. Well, I just think that you know Gandhi was right
You're the wrong religion. I just think that you know, God is just a God of love
No, he is love, but he's not just a God of love. You see I like all of God
I like everything about him. I like his love his mercy his judgment his righteousness his wrath
I love it all and you want God blesses those who recognize that that
They're just not like why like half of what God is. I like the New Testament God more than the Old Testament God
I love it all and you know if you want to stay if you want to stay in this thing for the long haul you
Want to keep the flame going you better check your heart too many pastors are checking their hearts to see where their love is
Most of them need to check where their hate is because you know what I don't want to be caught dead
Loving the things that God hates should us now help the ungodly and love them to hate the Lord therefore wrath is upon thee from before
The Lord I don't want God's wrath in my life
I want to make sure that when God looks down on me he recognizes that I love what he loves
Esteem what he esteems exalt what he exalts and you know, what hate what he hates as well, you know
You look at the book of Revelation. He's doing he's telling churches that now hate is the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate
He's like commending them for calling out false prophets false apostles calling them liars
He says now cannot cannot bear them which are evil
He's literally like commending them for that. You want to keep the fire going. I'll tell you how to do it
You got to keep hating what God hates and you know, there is an obvious danger though. The older you get the more softly become
I hope to God that never happens to me
It's true. And you know what? I hope to God that never happens to our church
But in order for that to take place in my personal life
I got to make sure that I'm reading the Bible and I got to make sure that I'm still continuing to hate false prophets
Like Stacey shiflett like Stacey shiflett damning people to hell with this false gospel in a stupid book lamb among wolves
He's trying to make merchandise off of people
He's a fundamental Baptist, so you shouldn't call him out. He's a phony. He's parading as a fundamental Baptist
So false prophets do amen
What's the point that I'm making the point that I'm making here is that you know?
We need to make sure that we keep the flame going one of the ways to do is to make sure that you hate the things
That God hates and the people that God hates as well
You know what I'm gonna preach against facts to the day that I die, you know trannies and fags. They all get it
I don't like the word transvestite. That's a that's a good term to use
There's no trans we don't we don't call it transgender here. No one can change into another gender
You know all people do is cross dress is what they do and we need to make sure we keep that on the forefront of
Our minds and not capitulate and just fold to the world just because the world's constantly pressuring people and constantly pushing that stuff down
People's throats we need to make sure that we keep our minds and our hearts in the right place in regards to those things
And fight against them. That's how you keep the fire going. You say well, I can't you know, I've gotten lax in that area
this is what you do you pray Lord forgive me for having such a wimpy heart and for just kind of
Sympathizing with wicked people God help me to hate the things that you hate and keep that zeal going
I'm gonna be like Jihoo the son of Nimshi
who just had that zeal for you to execute the commandments of the Lord and
Expressed his zeal by doing so I want to remain that way go to lament lamentations chapter 1 lamentations chapter 1
Let me give you a few more points here how to keep the fire going
Let me say this keep a tender heart towards the loss. I mentioned that already in the beginning
But you know one of the best ways to keep the fire going keep soul winning
We're first works Baptist Church we place an emphasis on preaching the gospel soul winning training others how to do so and
One of the best ways to stay on fire
According to the Bible is you keep winning souls to Christ and you know what I've been doing it for 17 years
I never want to get over the excitement of getting a person saved
It's always exciting that God would use someone like me. God will use someone like you to lead some of the Christ and change their eternal destiny
That's amazing. You feel apathetic do some soul winning and you know what will happen. It'll it'll get you on fire for God
You say well, you know, I just I just kind of lost it though, you know
I just don't really feel the same way. Well, look at Lamentations 1 verse 12
I love this statement here. Look what it says
Is it nothing to you all ye that pass by behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow
Which is done unto me or with the Lord hath afflicted me in the days of his fierce anger like what Jeremiah said
Is it nothing to you?
You know one of the best ways to get back on fire when it comes to soul winning look in the mirror and say
Is it nothing to you that people are going to hell?
Is it nothing to you that there's not enough preachers of the gospel out there?
One of the best ways to get yourself back on track is ask yourself that question
Is it nothing to you all ye that pass by I want it to mean something to me and you know what?
Well, my heart grows cold and it does from time to time
I have to basically ask myself that question is it nothing to you Bruce people out there
Just going to hell people who've died today without the gospel
We have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us
If our gospel be hid is hid to them that are lost
Awake to righteousness and sin not for some have not the knowledge of God to speak this to your shame
Is there nothing to you and you know what that does that gets me back on fire helps me to realize this is
This is my destiny. This is what I'm this is what I'm here for to get people saved
Oh, you're just being dramatic. No, I'm just being on fire. I'm not a Calvinist
I'm not some reformed Calvinist just sitting on his rear end not even caring about the souls that are going to hell out there
I want to make sure I stay on fire by recognizing my responsibility
Woe unto me woe is me if I preach not the gospel of Christ
Keep a tender heart towards the loss and I'm not saying that you have to be on soul wash 24/7
But you know what think upon the souls. I pray virtually every week of my life Lord
Please help me get someone to save this week
Just one how many get someone saved because I don't want to lose sight of that
It's easy to be a Christian for so long that you kind of start like
Fading out into that and no longer caring about the loss
We want to make sure we keep the main thing the main thing and keep that fire going by getting people
Saved amen Bible says knowing therefore the terror of the Lord we persuade men. Here's another thing to keep the fire going
We're almost done. Come to church ready. Come to church ready. What do I mean by that?
You know what come to church expecting to get something from God
Don't make church just this motion the motion that you go through. We just do this every Sunday come
expecting something from God come
Recognizing I'm gonna hear from the Lord today to the preaching of God's Word
It's something that I need to do something something that I need to change
Something that needs to be added something that needs to be subtracted the Bible tells us and James 119
Wherefore my beloved brethren let every man be swift to hear
Slow to speak slow to wrath go to 2nd Peter if you would 2nd Peter chapter 1
2nd Peter chapter 1 I'm breezing through some of these trying to shorten it up here
Here's the next thing you could do to make sure you're on fire for God. I hope you understand this
Go through phases of bulking and cutting go through phases of bulking and cutting now
Obviously, that's a statement that's often used to describe people who are losing weight and then trying to gain muscle
Right you go through seasons of just gaining weight so you can move more weight and get stronger
But then sometimes you got a little too fat and then you got to like cut a little bit, you know
I'm currently in the cutting phase right now and this is why I'm miserable and mad and screaming and yelling
But the bulk is coming. The winter arc is coming soon. But how do we apply this spiritually, you know?
There's times there's seasons where you have to add to your life and there's other season
We have to subtract from your life as well. And you have to have both to stay on fire for God
What do you mean by look at 2nd Peter 1 4 it says whereby are given unto us great exceeding great and precious promises
that by these he might be partakers of the divine nature have an escape the corruption that is in the world through lust and
Beside this giving all diligence add to your faith virtue to virtue knowledge and to knowledge
Temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godliness and to Godliness brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness
Charity, what is Peter saying add to your faith bulk
Sometimes you got to go through season when you say you know what I need to fix this part of my life
And I need to add soul winning to my life
I need to add some extra chapters in my daily Bible reading I need to add some add some more time to my prayer life
I need to add another service to my life amen
You know I've been coming Sunday morning and I come Thursday
But you know it's time to come Sunday night or I'm coming Sunday morning Sunday night
It's time to start coming Thursday why bulk get that volume in amen both spiritually add more
Content add more preaching add to your faith more. You know, well, I'm in maintenance mode right now
Here's the thing is that you know maintenance mode does exist in the real world when it comes to wait
But not when it comes to spiritual things
Can't just do maintenance mode. God wants us to continuously add to our faith. You know, he wants us to
Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
And so sometimes we need to go through phases of that where it's like, you know what?
It's time to stop messing around and I'm gonna start reading through the Bible twice this year, you know this year
I've been doing it once a year and you know what God bless you if you've done that and praise God
But you know what? Let me give you a little bit of a challenge read through it twice bulk add an extra meal in amen
You know guys who which I have no idea how what this is like, you know
There's guys who just struggled to gain weight and so they have to eat a crazy amount to gain weight and then they just don't
I don't know what that's like. By the way, like I'm like dude if I ate everything that I saw
I just be like 600 pounds or something like that
But some people were like and you know, some of you know what I'm talking about, too
Okay, you don't know that if it's hard to gain weight or not
But you know some other people are just like it's hard to gain weight, you know
Well, you know what they tell them you got to add a bunch of meals
You got to add a bunch of meals to gain that weight
Well, you know what the same goes for the spiritual things, you know, if you want to increase in your
Spiritual life you want to become more valuable in the things of God you wanted more opportunities
Guess what you got a bulk add some more Bible add some more prayer add another service add some more soul winning
And you know the volume may seem a lot but after six months or so
It just becomes a new normal look at Hebrew chapter 12 if you would Hebrew chapter 12
How about staying on fire for God? He said how does that keep you on fire for God? Well, it's it
Basically prevents you from going on cruise control people on cruise control on maintenance mode
They're gonna lose their fire because it's not hard to maintain when you bulk spiritually
It requires effort like you have to be aware like okay tomorrow. I'm reading an extra chapter
Tomorrow or this week. I'm gonna go to the Thursday night service. Hey, I'm gonna try to finish up the Isaiah series
With the church and with pastor I'm gonna listen to these I'm gonna you know
If you're adding to your faith because you're recognizing this is important, but not only that cutting is important, too
Okay, and you know people will tell you when they bulk especially if they do like a dirty bulk
Basically like I'll gain weight by any means necessary, you know McDonald's Taco Bell pizza
Just all that delicious food tubs of ice cream, you know
Does anybody know what I'm talking about here? Raise your hand if you know what I'm talking. Can I get a witness?
Thank you. You know, it's just like dirty bulge. You're just stuffing yourself
Well, then, you know you take the bulk too far and then you're like I didn't you know, this is I'm just fat now
And typically you realize that you've taken the bulk too far because the clothes
So, what do you got to do you got cut okay now spiritually speaking, how can we apply this?
Well when you cut spiritually, it's time to get rid of some bad habits some areas that you need to you need to shut off
Right, you need to get rid of you know, Lord search my heart of the play thing is going down those built on the sand
You know, sometimes you got to say Lord search my heart
What is it? What's an area that I need to just get rid of in my life?
Look what it says in verse 1 of Hebrews 12 wherefore seen we are also compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses
Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which does so easily beset us and let us run with patience the race that is set
Before us the Bible tells us in 2nd Timothy chapter 2 verse
4 no man that warth entangled with himself with the affairs of this life
But he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier
The point that I'm making here is that we should always go through these seasons. You should not be in maintenance mode right now
What are you doing? You balking you're cutting
Are you adding to your life or you're working to get rid of some things in your life?
Maybe you need to get rid of some friends
Maybe maybe there's a girlfriend you got to get rid of but she's not a Christian. She's not saving if she is she's not in church
Maybe it's a cousin you're hanging around too much and they're causing you to become cold towards the things of God
Maybe you need to cut that out of your life. Amen. Maybe you're listening to too many podcasts
Maybe you need to dwindle it down to the Baptist bias
Amen a shout out to the Baptist bias here because I'm gonna be on there in the next couple weeks
I mean or we listen to the Rod of Iron episodes from years past
Maybe we need maybe you just need to cut it cut out some social media
Right some things just need to be cut to improve the quality of your spiritual life
And you know what cutting is not fun because we're consumers
we just like to just eat and eat and eat and obviously we're not preaching on that right now because we just
We're gonna eat again. Amen point that I'm making here is that you should not be on maintenance mode improve your life
Hey better yourself. I'm here to challenge you to make you I'm here to challenge you to say make yourself better improve yourself
You have not attained you have not arrived. You have not apprehended. You're not the best Christian in our church. Sorry be better
Well, I don't want to hear that. I know you don't so add to your faith cut make yourself better
Amen, and you know what you may be a great Christian, but you could be better though
We all can right bolt and cut spiritually lastly
Let me say this before we dismiss and this may seem simple and may seem practical
But you know, this is important have a song in your heart
How about staying on fire for God have a song in your heart?
Forget Taylor Swift that weird chick stop listening to that garbage. Yeah, you know what I'm talking about
You know, whoever you look, you know, whoever whatever famous person you like to listen to cut that out
Have a spiritual song in your heart
The Bible says to speak to yourselves in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs
Singing and making melody in your hearts into the Lord when you're in church sing out
Just as loud as you would with your stupid Taylor Swift
Yeah, sing out into the Lord when you're in church sing it and I know not everyone here knows how to sing
Well, that's okay. You can still belt it out sing blessed assurance when we're here
Put a smile on your face when you do so
You're like, oh man, just having brother Ron just like holds out that note a little too long
I know that's why he's out of breath when he's about to pray. Hey, he's not doing it for dramatic appeal. He's like
Because he's putting in work he's expanding that diaphragm and you know what I'm there with them
I'm just like man. I'm glad I'm not praying cuz I probably just say in Jesus name. Amen
But you know what hold out that note then I saw oh, that's embarrassing
Praising my Savior
You do it with your warly songs you do with your country music do it with whatever
Do it with the things of God have a song in your heart you say well
You're just trying to add that point in there
No
It's an important point because you know what keeps you on fire for God is having a song in your heart
Because it reinforces doctrine to keeps you excited about the things of God
You know, I'm excited that our church is gonna put out a hymn book
You know, we got men in the church who are former rappers who you know are writing hymns now, you know
They're writing hymns and we're singing the hymns
We need a new song. Amen. You say why is that important? Because fundamental Baptists are getting all liberal with their CCM garbage
All they want to focus on is that queer skinny jean music that they got going on there
You know what we need? We need the old-fashioned hymns again
And you need to get excited about it is well with my soul tearing up when you hear those songs
Amen tearing up about I'd rather have Jesus tearing up about come down found
Singing it out with your heart, you know, you sing all the other songs
Hey, why don't you sing the things of God the same way Psalms and hymns stir the heart my friend
you know when I sing and can it be it stirs my heart up say why cuz it reminds me when I first got saved it
Makes the voice tremble puts that frog in your throat and it makes you it reminds you like man
I'm so grateful that I'm saved and can it be that's how you stay on fire for God
Seeing those songs not just in church singing in your car. Look all weird on the freeway
Who cares point that I make you say I think you're just exaggerating. No, you're just confusing it
I'm zealous for the things of God. Hey, why don't you come and see my zeal for the Lord hop into the chariot and see
My zeal for the Lord. We want to remain zealous as a church not a lukewarm laodicean church
We want to make sure we keep this fire
Going to the second coming of Christ and these are the things that we can do to maintain that fire. Amen
Let's pray father. We thank you so much for your word and thank you for the fire that you placed under us Lord
Our hearts do burn within us when you talk to us by the way when you open to us the scriptures
Lord, may we maintain that fire as the as the fire that was lit in the tabernacle that it was to burn perpetually
Lord may our flame burn perpetually for you that we may be a burning and shining light to the day that we die
And I pray Lord that we would honor and glorify you and all that we do bless the fellowship to follow
Thank you for seven wonderful years. Give us many more to come in Jesus name. We pray. Amen