Keeping The Fire Burning | Pastor Tony Rapu

speak from first Kings 18 from verse 23 first Kings 18 23 and 24 and in the past few past few weeks the theme in the air has really been about the fire of revival and our prior in this church has been for a revival of the fire of God at the personal level and at the corporate level so this past few weeks have been preached about the fire of revival and even before we knew as thanksgivin service the message God had given us was how to sustain this same fire of revival my prayer somehow this fire would come upon us today now in vests Kings 18 I preached us the first part of this message a few weeks ago and we spoke about the states in which Israel was at the time the kingdom was ruling was King Ahab one of the worst Kings ever who was marriage if you remember a witch called Jezebel and between the both of them they brought idolatry into the land and with idolatry Kim corruption and came a level of faith that was fully corrupted so the practices at the time that the people would worship God but they would also worship their own idols so those ominous in the church nothing was really happening at the time and it was at this time Elijah showed up and the first question he asked them in verse 21 affects Kings 18 he sets them how how long how long would you falter between two opinions you know because there were seven God and there were still seven bear he said if God is God why don't you follow him and if bear Alice God follow him in the energy version he says the people were completely silent they had no are trans they had no language that themselves were locked into the Shadowland of what we call syncretism mixing christianity with beef our worship you know so elijah brought as I said this ministry of confrontation and then said okay let's have a duel and in verse 23 he says give us two bulls and let them choose one both of themselves cutted and pieces laid on the wood but put no natural fire under it and I will prepare the other bull I will age on the wood and I'll put no natural fire under it then you call on the name of your gods I will call on the name of the Lord and the God who answers by fire he is God and I was saying that throughout the Bible we find that God uses certain emblems to describe himself Jesus sets two people one day he that he he that hath ears to hear let him hear I wasn't talking about natural years I was talking about a realm of hearing the same way jesus said whoever believes in Him out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water it's not as though we're going to see water spilling from you but the waters they was talking about a Gaussian of life so the same way in the Old Testament God showed up with physical fire but in the New Testament it's what as though we need to see physical fire to believe it's a dimension that explains the ways of God for instance Jesus told the people listen I told you to go anywhere until she's with power from on high [Music] first came on the people became tongues of fire so God uses fire to describe himself and the said to John the Baptist are you the Messiah said who made the Messiah I said I'm not even worthy to untie his sandals is that the one who's come in this missile i baptize with water but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire and if he goes to book of Hebrews it says our God is a consuming ayuh and in some 104 verse four it tells us that we are servants of God as ministers as believers each of us is actually a flame of fire the way angels are ministering servants the child of God is actually supposed to be a flame of fire so what does it mean to say that the child of God should be on fire yesterday an Evans the yesterday I put her somewhere and today was speaking to the leaders and I will use the candle today and lit a flame and yesterday I was at a place speak in and there was breakfast been served and there were the chafing dishes and there was the fire another dishes and I used that to explain that each of us should be on fire so what does it mean really to be on fire what it means is simple it's an emblem because in a dark place on fire brings what light so if God says I want you to be on fire that means his same I want you to be light and when we look at lights like glows in the dark lights so when we talk of fire we're talking about light we're talking about fish on we're talking about illumination we're talking about diamond rection we're talking about clarity of thought poor praetor pray i said i pray that the eyes of you understanding may be enlightened but you may know the hope of your calling the truth is many Christians actually ignorant they're blind they don't know the ways of God don't know the person of God don't know the principles of God don't know the purpose of God Elijah said you need a supernatural fire the same way you nine need fire that brings revelation knowledge Jesus says to the disciples who do men say that I am they said some say John the Baptist some say Elijah some sailor Jeremiah said well who do you release in I am Peter spoke up he said you are the Christ you are the son of the Living God Jesus said this is amazing I haven't taught you this I haven't explained my role as a messiah he said pizza flesh and blood did not reveal this to you but my pepper and he says this insight you have of me this understanding this illumination is a rock and the gates of hell shall not prevail against a person who has revelation knowledge so what am I saying this morning that God wants you to have revelation knowledge Daniel said the people who know their God who have light about God who have understanded they shall be strong so when there's no strength maybe it's because there's no light the people don't know the ways of God when fire finally fell people began to scream the Lord is God the Lord all of a sudden it was like God was real and that's why we need the fire of God in the church so God becomes real to people are you hearing me this morning the Lord he is God we need to pray that prayer today that the eyes of our understanding may be enlightened so number one fire brings light so you need light number two fire brings heat so when God says I want you to be on fire it means I want you to be the light of the world I want you to be a city set on a hill that everyone can see and then when we got born again years ago how did people describe you well most of us only got saved and we were busy doing the things for God what did people say you were you were on fine oznas though you are burning physically so fire describes a certain kind of passion fire describes CEO fest fervency action activity earner G so the question for many people is are you on fire are you burning for God oh are you worshiping God with a cold heart is the altar of your life on fire is that joy around you because the gospel of Jesus Christ is supposed to be a fire lighter I was asking what kind of a God who would call us to burn dija Jesus did not die so we go to church what he said in Luke 12 49 his I have come to set the earth on fire [Music] how I wish this fire was already kindled how I wish the light of the gospel was everywhere how I wish the seal the passion of the gospel was everywhere in Isaiah 59 it describes a situation where God was looking for something as I have 59 in the NIV version thus 14 [Music] justice is driven back things were not working righteousness stands at the distance Jews are stumbled in the streets honesty cannot enter truth is nowhere to be found and even whoever shuns evil becomes a parade the Lord looked and was so displeased that there was no justice he saw that there was no one to intervene he was appalled that there was no church that could resolve the issues of immorality dishonesty so he says in this case his own armed works salvation for him and his own righteousness sustained him now see what God did he then put on righteousness as his breastplate and the helmet of salvation he put on the garments of vengeance and [Music] fear is like in the cold goddess dressing up and the last daily Putin was seal what a seal that passion that energy to get things done so God Himself moves with fear in Isaiah chapter 9 look at Isaiah chapter 9 from verse 7 Isaiah 9:7 of the increase talking about Jesus of his government and peace there will be no end he will reign on David's room and over his kingdom establishing upholding justice righteousness I mean look at this there's no where Jesus is coming talks about going to church it's about increase and government and peace and reigning and the throne and the kingdom an establishment and justice and righteousness and see what accomplishes this things says the zeal of God would accomplish when Jesus was beaten people in the temple the disciples were surprised and hear what they said in John chapter 16 he was weeping people then they thought back and said what exactly is Jesus doing so those who sold doves says take these things away do not make my father's house a house of merchandise next verse please and his disciples remember what was written that seal for your house you know normal body temperature about 37 degrees anything law and 35 dispose issued to death by hypothermia let me ask you what is your spiritual temperature and how can you tell this seal was a man called jail in second Kings this second Kings 1016 Jill spoke to someone he said please come with me and see my my zeal for the Lord that means you can see the zeal someone else for God Jesus was speaking in Revelation 3:15 he said I know your works says you are not cold but you are not hot either because fire should bring heat but he says but you call yourself a Christian you go to church but I don't see a father I don't see the passion I don't see the energy I don't see the service I don't see what you bring to the table he said but because you will look one neither heart do you know God actually prefers you not to go to church at all prevents you to go try to play Bible ow but you feel a form and you say oh we're Christians that's our and the north those are battle over some girls who are arrested by the police they said they were Christian prostitute so the police said okay within hours Muslims they said all the girls they said they're Christians is that it's like a Christian prostitute so you call yourself a Christian Jesus the same but you are not he says says because you're not hot or cold I will perform it's that's what Jesus said can imagine what makes a person form it is it not when you are sick so Jesus ascends this lukewarmness actually makes me sick [Music] baba says the eyes of the Lord every Sunday runs one for the whole searching for people who are on fire the truth is as a child of God you and I we have needs we have needs we need breakthroughs we need help we need wealth we need money but do you know that God need and gods need today is the people on fire gods needs today is the people with passion to see what happened when the fire then fell the people who were who were completely silent their worship changed they said the Lord they fell on their faces all of a sudden revelation of God brought removed inhibition they began to worship they began to shout the Lord he is God something that happened knowledge of God had come they began to focus on God then they looked around and said where are these prophets of bail they were actually 850 they took them and kill them they all of a sudden came into the place of warfare sometimes people know they have been oppressed by demonic powers but they don't have the zeal they don't have the fire they don't have the passion so fire lights fire burns and brings sheets and fire consumes that means it burns away impurities fire refines [Music] you know if M so some media I know there's a challenge going on right now and people listen to that challenge and listen there's not even sign of you know no conviction that anything is wrong sometimes all of us we will quickly tell a lie it doesn't matter then we'll press down at night we each know a dream we have sex in our trips with invisible beings and with it that's life I was asking have you ever seen a fly on a hot stove when this fire you can do warfare when this fire this language when this fire does power when this fire this authority fire burns away impurities fire brings refinement into our hearts and minds there's a post going on around now it's not another new church but we need someone said it says what we need is for the church to be the church what we need is for the church to get on fire again so we know that God needs you to be on fire needs you to have to be the light of the world needs you to have zeal for his work need you to be a strong worshiper it's you to be sanctified but how do we get there and this is where I begin to prepare us for our Thanksgiving [Music] when Elijah asked the people where is the altar so we can put the sacrifice on them there was no altar in those days when a man or a woman wanted to commune with God they built an altar made of stone in a food made of Earth and no place an animal on the altar the altar was the place where the commune with God no one would have fire fall from heaven without an altar the same way to do [Music] goddess said I want you to be on fire but God is asking where is your altar and what is your altar the place between where the meeting place between you and God the place of prayer the place of worship the place of repentance a place of crime before God jesus said when you pray go into your closet and suspect your father this morning I was asking people how many hours sleep do you need in a day mahjongg she said I need five hours and it's six some said I need aids someone said I need three then I asked what happens when you don't sleep well medically you get cranky you get irritable another headache it's called sleep deprivation we cannot survive without sleep the same way each person needs to determine how much sleep they need at the same time I asked you how much prayer do you need to sustain your fire what would you say because you need prayer to sustain your fire and so you pray for five minutes a day and then wonder why there's no clarity you don't know where you're going you go around in circles you're confused you wonder where the demons are oppressing you wonder why things are listen we all have challenges but the difference is the man or woman who's in the with God the Bible says many eyes afflictions but it's like God delivers him just keeps bringing him through affliction keep bringing through trouble so that you featuring Christ is not the absence of problems Bravo says greater is He that's in you that needeth in the world so you become a world of a comma because you're in touch with God that fire just burns away so your personal prayer life and the truth is no matter how much we pray as a church about your personal prayer life Jesus said couldn't you tell me even an hour with me so some people may need 30 something an hour but this morning I asked majority of people at the leaders meeting Iman said average we need two hours to survive that means in 24 hours we spend - with God and the remaining 22 we wait for God but some are looking for fire but they haven't paid the price it's time to Kindle a fire in your life of Playa that says brain all manner of Prayer how can you get up and go to work no prayer how can you plan a wedding no prayer how can you plan an interview nor prayer how can you have a driver doing school runs for your kids no prayer how can you plan to leave your kids abroad no prayer will even serpent territory I've got to go back to brown prayer kindled the fire and then the Word of God feeds the fire [Applause] you've got to stay in the word you've got to learn to open the Bible where are the parents in the other day and we're all sort of joking about the ways of God's concept is God's ways hard so we said what alternative Christianity is hard but the alternative is worse then someone feel like it's like God is saying okay I'm hard final other God final thought and see I'm doing this for your for your benefit we've got to stay in the world [Applause] we've got to plumb the word we've got to study the word we have to speak the word we have to memorize the word the word gives us light the word gives us ammunition to fight the enemy so we have a many Christians who don't have the word I can explain in a theory call this survival of the fittest let me tell you how it works if you studied anthropology at some point in history of of the world of species some species just died out and one day we woke up dinosaurs are died out when they check the DNA of the species that died out they find that those the DNA could not withstand the environmental catastrophe but then they find some species close to the dinosaurs that have survived what happened when they study like this new reptiles they finally a DNA has morphed has become something stronger tougher so they survived the environment the same way do you know it is said that the best time for Christians is what we are going through the reason is this the weak ones then the ones that survived then become the new normal so that the new species then become the new normal form Phoebe ins or reptiles the only ones have died away so people say persecution is good for the church this crazy thing is not working but the ones who survive and are able to cope with challenges and what happens is because we want people to come to church so we raise the crowd please call police Co I will you are the DME and then we're surprised when they can survive the environment they don't have the light they don't have the seal which I said smoking it's okay takes us to number three how about when you've prayed up how about when you have the word you must then express what you have if you're cause a friend told me a story they said he went to a Baptist Church in America and then there was a dedication in the in an african-american church a black church so he went I never went back to his church because what he saw the expression of life the hands lifted the demonstrative worship he said agreed with something in his soul so his old church was looking for him and he said sorry I've gone to the african-american church and it told me mean those emotional people he said is Jesus emotional is God emotional if you go through the Bible God has gone up with a shout it writes on the wings of the wind it makes the clouds Cheerios this demonstration the still there's hands lifted up people worshipping [Music] me a few weeks ago I think was the day I preached this message the first parts of it that I had preached the same message of the water book which has a younger audience a younger congregation and I was thinking that day Wow when I preached out the door I think they received the message but I think they internalize their responses why the beat and I went to this younger church and through a job I said hold on hold on which do you think I would like to go back to to preach which do you think I was encouraged in which do you think the atmosphere brought joy and limits so why don't other people express themselves I'll tell what happens is as you get older issues of life problems majority arthritis you know it's like we just began to manage yourself then you look at young people you so can be jumping up and down but what you don't know is that you become an adult of God and then when you see people who are jumping you actually treated with them that please sit down are you there are you defense but who does God prefer the one with the fire now [Music] [Applause] [Music] when you got born again many of us who got born again when you print and loan when she's shouting headlong with God so let me ask you when last did you enter it profit us out when last did you lie on the floor in worship God is like you understand I'm even tired we asked the why what is your greatest fear when you perform a special number they said the faces of the people so I used to think maybe is an age thing but then you get to America and older people are full of expression full of banter full of joy [Music] I think it's a cultural failure because sometimes you think it's because we have poor is like look at my problems the same people are we gonna mericans have problems but when you're in the abyss there's life there's joy there's noise [Music] one of the ways to sustain your fire prayer candles your fire the word feeds your fire but your unrestrained worship finds your fire let people know your fear when you come into a church and some of us are too dignified for God you've got too much dignity sometimes when you come to church please take off your dignity keep another chair and worship God and then when you're going to take your dignity away or better still live it and believe it or not the church the promises only the living can praise God have you ever been in a mortuary before have you listen have you ever watched have you ever watched mythology have you ever watched a post mortem before so undignified only the living comes into a star [Applause] Oh someone licks your hands and shout unto God myths of noise the sport [Applause] so we have to begin to practice you see someone said to me but but I I may not like what's going on I know but do you know sometimes when you smile continually your brain actually begins to believe you're happy which is just because it's always a stress hormone it reduces your stress level so you've got to keep joyous around yourself and then some of us who are parents then want our kids to follow us in the faith they don't see a fire let me tell you the person who was it who said set yourself on fire and people will come and watch you burn rivers sea of fire when the seal not sure they want to know what is it about you oh god wants you to be on fire God wants you to have fear God wants you to lift up your hand God wants you to mix up noise God wants you to talk he wants you to shout someone drop your hands clap your hands clap your hands [Music] at home ideally who wants to go to a church that's boring ideally when we come into a church and we say good morning everyone what you see the greatest pain of the posture is to crank up people because they don't have a fire if you've prayed an hour before you come to church if you've spent time in the weekend the word if you've expressed your love and your joy everywhere and we come back to church and I said good morning come on let me respond good morning [Applause] [Music] if we said let's celebrate one nation bad [Music] [Applause] if I said gentlemen let's celebrate the ladies in the house gentlemen let's celebrate the ladies thank you men who are standing let's encourage the other men to join us to celebrate the ladies the right way gentlemen let's celebrate the ladies let's thank God for our mothers our sisters our wives our daughter ladies shall we celebrate the man of God in the house [Applause] [Music] and everyone can we make some noise in this house can we give it up to God's appear hallelujah [Music] finally Kindle the fire feed the fire found the fire and spread the fire [Music] [Applause]

Channel: TPH MEDIA

Views: 6,753

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Keywords: This Present House, Pastor Tony Rapu, Keeping the fire burning, TPH, TPH Media, TPH Messages, TPH Lekki

Id: qlF0jHern80

Length: 37min 44sec (2264 seconds)

Published: Mon Apr 08 2019