Latest / Near East Christian Fellowship Sermons / Quench not the spirit

Transcript

Quench not the spirit · Near East Christian Fellowship Sermons

• 0:00
  Welcome to NECF sermons.
• 0:05
  Each message here is designed to uplift and strengthen you in your walk with God.
• 0:11
  Don't miss out, stay with us until the end for our rewarding experience.
• 0:17
  Let's dive right in.
• 0:18
  Hallelujah.
• 0:19
  We thank God for this great opportunity to be able to come together to share God's Word
• 0:32
  with us again.
• 0:35
  We don't take it for granted, we take it with utmost importance and seriousness when we
• 0:44
  are called upon to share the Word of God because in sharing the Word of God, lives are impacted.
• 0:56
  If you share the wrong doctrine, then you will also be impacting lives but you will
• 1:00
  be affecting them in the wrong way.
• 1:03
  Are we together?
• 1:05
  So we thank God for the opportunity to be able to share and we take it very seriously.
• 1:09
  Thank you, lead pastor, pastor Frederick and the associate pastors for this opportunity.
• 1:16
  Today I want to teach on something, I don't know, it's going to be a teaching and a charge
• 1:21
  at the end of it.
• 1:24
  Something that we probably have heard about before, right?
• 1:28
  Something we have heard about before, probably a language you have used before, right?
• 1:34
  A language you have used before, a statement that you have made before, however you really
• 1:41
  don't know the meaning, maybe, or you have not done sufficient study on that topic.
• 1:50
  So today I want to open our eyes to something that will help us also in our conduct as believers,
• 1:56
  right?
• 1:58
  In our conduct as believers.
• 1:59
  You know, in every field, let me put it this way, in every field there is a language of
• 2:04
  every field, right?
• 2:08
  In every field, if you are in engineering, there is a language they use.
• 2:12
  One day I was sharing, I think we were talking about it in pastor, and I said, if someone
• 2:17
  in engineering uses the word power and the person is talking to international relations
• 2:25
  students or scholars, you will be meaning something different in their ears.
• 2:34
  Because every field has its own language and what those concepts, let me call it concepts,
• 2:40
  what those concepts mean.
• 2:41
  So if you talk to an engineer about power, you are probably talking about something related
• 2:45
  to electricity, right?
• 2:47
  Something related to energy or something related to other areas.
• 2:51
  But if you are talking about power within the context of politics, right?
• 2:57
  You are actually talking about something totally different, not something visible.
• 3:01
  You are talking about influence, right?
• 3:04
  Political influence, you are talking about the ability to make someone do something they
• 3:08
  probably wouldn't want to do.
• 3:10
  That's actually power.
• 3:11
  So in church, in the body of Christ, in the scripture, right?
• 3:17
  We cannot also transpose out of context the concept that we found somewhere and use it
• 3:26
  in the scripture.
• 3:28
  So also in the scripture when you say the Spirit of God is strengthening you, is empowering
• 3:33
  you, right?
• 3:34
  That you'll be filled with power.
• 3:35
  It's not talking about electricity.
• 3:36
  It's not talking about influence.
• 3:38
  It's not talking about any manipulation politically, you know?
• 3:44
  It's talking about something that comes from the Holy Ghost, hallelujah.
• 3:48
  So today we'll talk about something that will help us to understand much more about the
• 3:56
  concept of fire.
• 3:57
  But the title of this sermon is not fire, right?
• 4:00
  The title of the sermon is not fire, but the title of the sermon will lead us to understand
• 4:04
  what fire is, right?
• 4:06
  What fire is, right?
• 4:07
  So the title of the sermon is Quench Not the Spirit.
• 4:09
  You can write it down.
• 4:11
  Quench not the Spirit.
• 4:14
  Quench not the Spirit.
• 4:16
  First Thessalonians 5, 12 to 28.
• 4:21
  That's our key scripture for today.
• 4:23
  Quench not the Spirit.
• 4:27
  First Thessalonians 5, 12 to 28.
• 4:32
  So growing up, what we learned or what we understood about quench not the Spirit, it's
• 4:40
  like you are holding the Holy Spirit down from walking, hallelujah.
• 4:46
  So most of the time we've understood this to mean that you can actually block the Holy
• 4:51
  Spirit from walking.
• 4:52
  And when we say block, we are envisaging the person of the Holy Spirit, like you are hindering
• 4:57
  the Holy Spirit from walking.
• 5:01
  As much that could be true, right, we need to explain it.
• 5:04
  We need to give an explanation to what quench not the Spirit means.
• 5:10
  So Paschini was just closing the prayer and he said something.
• 5:13
  And he said that if you worry, right, there are some expressions in the Spirit that you
• 5:20
  cannot manifest.
• 5:24
  That when worry comes into your mind, you worry about many things, it hinders your manifestation
• 5:29
  of the Spirit.
• 5:30
  And it really hits so well because it comes close to what I want to teach you today.
• 5:35
  So quench not the Spirit.
• 5:36
  The first thing we need to understand when studying quench not the Spirit is to look
• 5:43
  at the context in which it is used.
• 5:46
  Okay?
• 5:47
  Quench not the Spirit.
• 5:48
  Why did Paul make that statement?
• 5:51
  What was he saying before he made that statement?
• 5:54
  And what did he say after he made that statement?
• 5:58
  So we will understand what it means by what, quench not the Spirit.
• 6:01
  So we need to check the context.
• 6:04
  First is Ezekiel 5, 12.
• 6:07
  Yes.
• 6:08
  And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you and are over you in the
• 6:14
  Lord and admonish you.
• 6:17
  So here he's talking about pastors, right, people who lead you.
• 6:21
  The next, please.
• 6:23
  And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake, be at peace among yourselves.
• 6:31
  Now we exhort you, brethren, want those who are unruly, comfort the fainted hearts, uphold
• 6:39
  the weak, but patient with all.
• 6:43
  See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for both yourselves
• 6:50
  and for all.
• 6:52
  Always, always.
• 6:54
  Pray without season.
• 6:57
  In everything, give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
• 7:04
  Then the word, the phrase, quench not the Spirit.
• 7:08
  Do not quench the Spirit.
• 7:09
  The next one.
• 7:13
  The next verse, please.
• 7:14
  Do not despise to prophesy.
• 7:17
  Test all things, all first, what is good.
• 7:20
  We're going to 28, abstain from every form of evil.
• 7:24
  Now may the God of peace, right, now the God of peace himself, sanctify you completely
• 7:29
  and your whole spirit and soul embody the preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord
• 7:34
  Jesus Christ.
• 7:35
  Let's stop here.
• 7:37
  Now if you observe from verse 12, right, we are in school, we are learning.
• 7:41
  If you observe from verse 12, what you will observe is that he's explaining the conduct
• 7:48
  of a believer to their pastors, right?
• 7:52
  Is that what it says?
• 7:53
  It says, esteem those who label among you words highly.
• 7:56
  It's saying honor your pastors, right?
• 7:59
  That is what it's saying.
• 8:00
  Hold them with high regard.
• 8:02
  Those who teach will label, yes my NIV says, all them in the highest regard in love because
• 8:09
  of their work.
• 8:10
  That is the conduct of a believer, right?
• 8:12
  It's an activity of a believer.
• 8:14
  Good.
• 8:15
  The next one says, live in peace with one another.
• 8:18
  Is that a conduct of a believer as well?
• 8:20
  Good.
• 8:21
  All right, live in peace with one another.
• 8:23
  And we urge you brothers and sisters, one, those who are idle and disruptive.
• 8:28
  So they are people who are not engaged in doing anything.
• 8:31
  They are just idle, right, disruptive.
• 8:36
  So they are idle, disruptive.
• 8:37
  Their job, right, the activities they are engaging in is disruption, right, disrupting
• 8:41
  what is happening in church.
• 8:43
  So it's just talking about words, the conduct of a believer.
• 8:47
  So let's see.
• 8:48
  It said encourage the disheartened, right?
• 8:50
  Is that a conduct?
• 8:51
  Yes.
• 8:52
  Can you encourage your brother?
• 8:54
  Yes.
• 8:55
  Help the weak.
• 8:56
  That's a conduct as well.
• 8:58
  Be patient with everyone.
• 9:00
  So we see that those are conduct, those are actions, right, that a believer performs,
• 9:05
  right, a believer performs.
• 9:07
  Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good.
• 9:13
  So we see that in the context of all that is saying, the foundation of it is that it's
• 9:19
  talking about what the believer should do, what a believer should do, right?
• 9:25
  Is an activity that a believer should engage in.
• 9:27
  Verse 16 says rejoice always, the conduct of a believer, and pray continually giving
• 9:32
  thanks.
• 9:33
  Then in a reverse statement, right, it says do not quench the spirit.
• 9:41
  To put it in the way, in the pattern of Paul's writing that he has started, we can say that
• 9:46
  continue in the spirit.
• 9:48
  Can we say that?
• 9:49
  If you want to turn it and put it in a positive direction, right, rather than saying do not
• 9:53
  quench the spirit, we can say continue in the spirit.
• 9:56
  Good.
• 9:57
  So what we see here is that the foundation of the statement quench not the spirit is
• 10:04
  actually talking about the conduct of a believer.
• 10:07
  In surrounding it is talking about the activities of the believer.
• 10:13
  Activities of the believer.
• 10:15
  So that is the context.
• 10:18
  So now let's check the word quench.
• 10:21
  Let's check the word quench because quench will help us understand what should not be
• 10:25
  done to the spirit, right?
• 10:26
  Quench, we need to understand quench and we need to understand what the spirit is.
• 10:30
  So let's check the word quench.
• 10:32
  The word quench in Greek is spenemi.
• 10:37
  I'm going to spell it.
• 10:38
  The word quench in the Greek, right, is spenemi, S-B-E, S-B-E-N-N-Y-M-I.
• 10:54
  S-B-E-N-N-Y, then MI.
• 11:01
  S-B-E-N-N-Y-M-I.
• 11:05
  It simply means to extinguish or to suppress, right?
• 11:10
  It means to extinguish or to suppress, to suppress something.
• 11:15
  The word quench means to extinguish or to suppress something.
• 11:19
  So it means to suppress not, I mean to mean not to suppress the spirit.
• 11:26
  It will mean not to suppress the spirit, not to extinguish the spirit.
• 11:33
  So you know that you can actually not extinguish the Holy Ghost.
• 11:38
  That is the first thing you must note.
• 11:40
  That although when we explain this quench, it says that do not extinguish the spirit,
• 11:48
  right?
• 11:49
  But we know that you cannot put out the Holy Spirit, right?
• 11:51
  As a person, that's God.
• 11:53
  So you can extinguish God.
• 11:55
  So it will also mean that the word spirit there needs to be explained.
• 12:02
  Extinguish not the spirit.
• 12:05
  And I said that spirit is not talking about God because man cannot extinguish God.
• 12:12
  So the spirit needs to be explained.
• 12:16
  And I've said quench, which is extinguish, means to suppress.
• 12:20
  So let's look at the context in which quench is also used in other part of the scriptures.
• 12:25
  Can we check Matthew 12 20?
• 12:28
  Matthew 12 verse 20, a bruised reed it will not break and smoking flax it will not quench
• 12:39
  till it sends forth justice to do what?
• 12:42
  To victory.
• 12:44
  So we are saying quench used in the context of a smoking flax.
• 12:50
  That is in relation to what?
• 12:52
  Fire.
• 12:53
  What we see here that it says a smoking flax it will not quench is using quench in relation
• 13:01
  to fire.
• 13:02
  Okay.
• 13:03
  Mark 9 44 and 46.
• 13:07
  Mark 9.
• 13:09
  So we want to see how quench is used so that we can know what is, what can be quenched.
• 13:14
  What is being quenched?
• 13:16
  What is Paul telling us not to quench?
• 13:19
  Because we already said that cannot be God.
• 13:22
  The worm does not die and the fire is not what?
• 13:27
  Quenched.
• 13:28
  Quenched.
• 13:29
  Fire again, right?
• 13:30
  Fire again consistently we see the context that Mark 9 is telling us the fire is not
• 13:38
  quenched.
• 13:39
  The word quench used in relation to what?
• 13:41
  To fire.
• 13:42
  All right.
• 13:43
  Ephesians 6.
• 13:44
  Can you give me verse 14 of this Mark 9 44?
• 13:51
  Again, so just a repetition.
• 13:54
  Their worm does not die and their fire is not quenched.
• 13:57
  Again used repeatedly in this place.
• 14:00
  Actually this quotation is an Old Testament quotation from Isaiah 66 verse 24.
• 14:06
  Can we go there?
• 14:09
  Mark 9 44 and 48 is a quotation from Isaiah 66 verse 24.
• 14:17
  It says, and they shall go forth and look upon the corpses of the men who have transgressed
• 14:23
  against me.
• 14:25
  For their worm does not die and their fire is not quenched.
• 14:29
  They shall be an aberrant to whole flesh.
• 14:33
  So from the Old Testament brought into the New Testament we see that it is used in context
• 14:38
  of fire.
• 14:39
  Fire can be quenched.
• 14:41
  Ephesians 6.
• 14:42
  16.
• 14:43
  Let's go to Ephesians now.
• 14:46
  Overall taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fairy deaths
• 14:53
  of the wicked one.
• 14:55
  Right?
• 14:56
  Quench all the fairy deaths of the wicked one.
• 14:58
  So we shall also use it right?
• 15:01
  Relating to fire.
• 15:02
  Hebrews 11.
• 15:03
  34.
• 15:04
  The last scripture.
• 15:08
  Quench the violence of fire.
• 15:09
  You see that?
• 15:10
  Quench the violence of fire.
• 15:11
  Escape the urge of sword out of weaknesses.
• 15:16
  We are made strong, became valiant in battle, torn to flight the armies of the aliens.
• 15:21
  So from all the scriptures what we can observe is that quench is regularly used in relation
• 15:28
  towards fire.
• 15:29
  Good.
• 15:30
  All right.
• 15:31
  So now let's now check what is fire.
• 15:35
  Because first of all I'm explaining that quench not the spirit, that spirit is not God because
• 15:43
  you can't quench God.
• 15:45
  Now we can confidently replace it with quench not the fire.
• 15:49
  Right?
• 15:50
  Quench not the fire.
• 15:51
  So from that you should already know.
• 15:54
  I don't need to even finish this.
• 15:55
  You should already know that fire is not what the Holy Spirit is.
• 16:03
  Because by this explanation we have already settled that fire is not the Holy Spirit.
• 16:10
  So fire needs to be what's explained.
• 16:12
  We'll be explaining everything.
• 16:13
  All right.
• 16:14
  Good.
• 16:15
  So the text shows that the word spenemi is used in relation to fire.
• 16:23
  Right.
• 16:24
  So we can say quench not the fire.
• 16:28
  Now because I grew up in a Yoruba church and I actually knew this scripture by heart.
• 16:36
  In the Yoruba version of the scripture it is explained as emashepa ino emi.
• 16:43
  It means do not quench the fire of the spirit.
• 16:47
  I think that's a better rendition.
• 16:49
  Right.
• 16:50
  That's a better rendition.
• 16:51
  Yes.
• 16:52
  So I had to go back to that to check it and I saw that that was what was there.
• 16:57
  So it means that there is something called the fire of the spirit.
• 17:01
  Glory to God.
• 17:04
  All right.
• 17:05
  So let's check.
• 17:06
  We need to check from the scriptures what is the fire of the spirit.
• 17:09
  So Paul is telling us not to quench the fire of the spirit.
• 17:13
  So what is the fire of the spirit?
• 17:19
  So we can say that Paul took an illustration from the Old Testament.
• 17:22
  Right.
• 17:23
  He is referring to the fact that there's a fire that must not be quenched.
• 17:27
  There's a fire that must not be quenched.
• 17:30
  So let's see how fire has been used in the Old Testament.
• 17:32
  Right.
• 17:33
  Let's see how fire has been.
• 17:34
  Genesis 8 20.
• 17:37
  Genesis 8 verse 20.
• 17:39
  He said, I now built an altar to the Lord and took of every clean animal and of every
• 17:47
  clean bread and offered burnt offerings on what? on the altar.
• 17:53
  Right.
• 17:54
  He offered what?
• 17:55
  Burnt offering.
• 17:56
  So it means that the offering was burnt.
• 17:59
  It was lit up.
• 18:00
  Right.
• 18:01
  I mean, can somebody come to me burnt without fire?
• 18:04
  No.
• 18:05
  So it was lit up.
• 18:06
  It set up the offering that it was given to the Lord.
• 18:10
  Good.
• 18:11
  So we see he's using the context of what?
• 18:13
  An offering.
• 18:14
  He's using the context of an offering.
• 18:17
  Genesis 22 verse 7 quickly.
• 18:22
  Genesis 22 verse 7.
• 18:25
  He said, but Isaac spoke to Abraham, his father, and said, my father, he said, here I am my
• 18:32
  son.
• 18:33
  Then he said, look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for what?
• 18:39
  For the burnt offering.
• 18:40
  Right.
• 18:41
  Where is the lamb for the burnt offering?
• 18:44
  So we're going to see fire right first as something in relation to what?
• 18:49
  Offering.
• 18:50
  Okay.
• 18:51
  Fire is used in relation to offering.
• 18:54
  Now let's go to where fire is mostly regularly used in the Leviticus era.
• 19:04
  So first of all, we can establish that fire is used as part of an element for offering.
• 19:12
  We can say that fire is used as part of the elements for offering.
• 19:19
  For offering, at least from these two verses, we can establish that.
• 19:26
  So let's go to Leviticus 1.17.
• 19:30
  Let's go to Leviticus 1.17.
• 19:33
  Then he shall split it at his wings, but shall not divide it completely.
• 19:37
  The priest shall burn it on the altar, on the wood that is on the fire.
• 19:42
  It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the Lord.
• 19:49
  A sweet aroma to what?
• 19:51
  To the Lord.
• 19:52
  So an offering made by what?
• 19:54
  Fire.
• 19:55
  Again, right, offering made by fire.
• 19:59
  Leviticus 2 verse 3.
• 20:03
  Leviticus 2 verse 3 quickly.
• 20:05
  The rest of the grains offering shall be errands and a son.
• 20:10
  It is most holy of the offering to the Lord made by fire.
• 20:15
  Made by fire again, right?
• 20:17
  Leviticus 3.11.
• 20:19
  Let's just write the scriptures down.
• 20:23
  Leviticus 3.11.
• 20:24
  All right.
• 20:25
  And the priest shall burn them on the altar as food, an offering made by fire to the Lord.
• 20:32
  Now I'm not going to read the remaining scriptures.
• 20:34
  I'm just going to list them out.
• 20:35
  Then you can go home and read them.
• 20:38
  Now the other scripture is Leviticus 4.35.
• 20:45
  Leviticus 4.35.
• 20:50
  Leviticus 5 verse 12.
• 20:57
  Leviticus 5 verse 12.
• 21:00
  Leviticus 6 verse 10.
• 21:03
  I just took one from each chapter up until 6.
• 21:07
  Leviticus 6 verse 10.
• 21:09
  Now media team, can you give me 6 verse 10?
• 21:12
  Can you give me 6 verse 10?
• 21:15
  Leviticus 6 verse 10.
• 21:16
  It said, and the priest shall put on his linen garment and his linen trousers, he shall put
• 21:22
  on his body and take out the ashes of the burnt offering which he has consumed on the
• 21:27
  altar and shall put them beside the altar.
• 21:31
  The next verse.
• 21:34
  Then he shall take off his garment and put on the garment and carry the ashes out of
• 21:37
  the camp to clean the place.
• 21:39
  Verse 12.
• 21:40
  And the fire of the altar shall be kept what's burning on it shall not be what's put out.
• 21:47
  Can you see that?
• 21:49
  So we can say that Paul was writing something related to this section of the scriptures.
• 21:55
  Did you see where something about quenching has been talked about?
• 22:00
  Right?
• 22:01
  It shall not be quenched, it shall not be put out.
• 22:03
  And the priest shall burn wood on it every morning and lay the burnt offering in order
• 22:08
  on it.
• 22:09
  And he shall burn it on the fat, shall burn it the fat of the piece offering.
• 22:15
  Now we can see from the scriptures that fire is actually used in the service of the priesthood.
• 22:26
  Fire is used when the priest is offering something.
• 22:32
  That is one.
• 22:35
  Fire is used when the priest is making an offering.
• 22:41
  You can also put it down.
• 22:42
  That putting up fire is the responsibility of the priest.
• 22:50
  Putting on fire is the rest.
• 22:52
  You can say the instruction is going to Aaron and his sons.
• 22:55
  Aaron and his sons.
• 22:56
  So putting up fire is the responsibility of the priest.
• 23:03
  Fire is used when the priest is making an offering.
• 23:10
  You can also write down that fire is part of the authorized.
• 23:14
  You can say the fire, sorry, you can put it this way.
• 23:18
  Fire is authorized for offering.
• 23:21
  Yes.
• 23:22
  You can write it that way too.
• 23:23
  That fire is authorized for offering.
• 23:29
  So we can say therefore in the priesthood service, fire is authorized for offering.
• 23:37
  So we can say the fire is actually the activities, it's part of the activities that is granted
• 23:41
  to the priesthood to carry out.
• 23:45
  In all what they do, fire is part of the activities of the priesthood.
• 23:50
  It's part of the activities of the priesthood.
• 23:52
  Now in another context, you will see the priests use fire to burn an incense.
• 23:57
  Leviticus 10 verse 1.
• 23:58
  You can write that down.
• 24:00
  In this context, he uses fire to burn an incense so that the smell would go up.
• 24:07
  The smell of the incense would go up.
• 24:11
  So fire is therefore what is part of the activities of the priesthood.
• 24:17
  Now there are other contexts where fire is used.
• 24:20
  Just like I said, you can juxtapose one concept and use it all across the scripture.
• 24:26
  So I'm just going to give you two other scriptures where fire is used differently.
• 24:31
  Different from an offering.
• 24:33
  Different from being, yes, different from an offering.
• 24:37
  So you can write it down in brackets.
• 24:39
  Just put it in brackets.
• 24:41
  Other use of fire in the scriptures.
• 24:47
  So just write it down.
• 24:48
  Other use of fire in the scriptures.
• 24:54
  Other use of fire in the scriptures.
• 24:55
  Leviticus 10 verse 2.
• 24:57
  Media team, you have to give me this one so that I can show you, right?
• 25:02
  You have to put this up.
• 25:05
  Leviticus 10 verse 2.
• 25:10
  So that when you use the fire, even in songs or you use it in your day-to-day life as a
• 25:15
  believer, you know what it means.
• 25:17
  So fire went out from the Lord.
• 25:18
  Give me from verse 1.
• 25:20
  Then, Nara ben Abi, the sons of Aaron, each took a censer and put fire in it, right?
• 25:28
  Put incense on it and offered a profane fire before the Lord, which he had not what commanded
• 25:35
  them, right?
• 25:36
  So there's an instruction at which fire should be used in the offering, right?
• 25:41
  And in this context, they use fire in a way that it was not authorized.
• 25:45
  Now let's see.
• 25:46
  Here's what it says, so the fire went from the Lord and devoured them and they died before
• 25:50
  the Lord.
• 25:51
  Now, what you should see here first is that this is used in the context of judgment, okay?
• 25:58
  Is used in the context of judgment and whether it came from the Lord or is not from the Lord,
• 26:03
  we are going to discuss that in subsequent teachings, right?
• 26:07
  Especially in the interpretation of the New Testament, Old Testament.
• 26:10
  What we see here is that fire became what judged them, right?
• 26:16
  Okay, so you can put Jude 1 to Jude verse 23 as another use of fire as judgment, right?
• 26:26
  As another use of fire as judgment.
• 26:28
  Jude 23 immediately, please.
• 26:33
  Jude 23, it talks about delivering people from fire.
• 26:36
  It said, and others save with fear, pulling them out of fire, hating even the garments
• 26:43
  defiled by the flesh.
• 26:45
  So it's talking about pulling people out of fire, right?
• 26:48
  Pulling people out of judgment, pulling people out of condemnation.
• 26:53
  So these are the two other contexts.
• 26:55
  So what we can see is that fire is used as offering, right?
• 26:59
  Is used as offering and in this context is used as judgment, but we're not focusing on
• 27:03
  this context.
• 27:04
  Lastly, can we check 1 Samuel 2, 23, 28.
• 27:10
  1 Samuel 2, 28.
• 27:13
  Did I not choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon my
• 27:21
  altar, to burn incense, to wear the effort before me?
• 27:25
  And did I not give to the house of your father all the offerings of the children of Israel
• 27:30
  made by fire?
• 27:31
  1 Samuel 3, 3.
• 27:34
  Can you go to 1 Samuel 3, verse 3?
• 27:43
  And the lamp, and before the lamp of the gold went out in the Tabernacle of the Lord, we
• 27:48
  had the act of gold wars.
• 27:50
  And while Samuel was lying, can I come from verse 1?
• 27:54
  Come from verse 1, please, of this chapter.
• 27:58
  Now the boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli, and the word of the Lord was read
• 28:03
  in those days.
• 28:04
  There was no widespread revelation.
• 28:07
  And it came to pass at that time while Eli was lying down in his place, and when his
• 28:13
  eyes had gone, had begun to grow so deep that he could not see.
• 28:17
  And before the lamp of God went out in the Tabernacle of the Lord, where the act of gold
• 28:24
  wars.
• 28:25
  Now stop on this verse.
• 28:26
  Now fire also symbolizes, symbolizes the presence.
• 28:31
  Okay?
• 28:32
  Symbolizes the presence.
• 28:33
  So in the Old Testament, fire must keep burning in the temple.
• 28:38
  Okay?
• 28:39
  It symbolizes the presence.
• 28:41
  It must keep burning.
• 28:42
  Fire must keep burning.
• 28:43
  So the fire must not go out.
• 28:45
  The fire must keep burning.
• 28:47
  Right?
• 28:48
  It must keep burning.
• 28:49
  It must keep burning.
• 28:50
  So it's an offering, and it's also seen as symbolism of the presence of God, which is,
• 28:56
  which shows that it must keep burning.
• 28:57
  And we see that in the context of, in the context of the Leviticus era.
• 29:02
  So we can conclude and say that fire is actually an activities by those of the Old Testament.
• 29:08
  Right?
• 29:09
  It's an activities by those who believe in God in the Old Testament.
• 29:14
  So fire, reading from Genesis to Leviticus, is an activity.
• 29:18
  They engage with fire when it comes to their offering and sacrifice and worship of God.
• 29:25
  So let's come to the New Testament and see what fire is in the New Testament and see
• 29:30
  how that applies to you.
• 29:35
  Acts chapter two, Acts chapter two, Acts chapter two, from verse one.
• 29:45
  Just Acts chapter two from verse one.
• 29:48
  All right.
• 29:49
  When the day of Pentecost has fully come, they were all in one, they were all with one
• 29:53
  accord in one place.
• 29:55
  And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as a Russian mighty wind and it filled the
• 30:01
  whole house where they were sitting.
• 30:04
  And there appeared to them divided tongues as a fire and one sat upon each of them.
• 30:13
  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and they began to speak with other tongues
• 30:18
  and the spirit, as the spirit did what gave them all trends.
• 30:21
  So here again, we can see that verse three, can you go to verse three?
• 30:26
  It said something appeared to them as divided tongues as a fire, something.
• 30:32
  Then verse four says that they were now filled, they were filled with the Holy Spirit.
• 30:37
  So therefore what appeared to them is not the Holy Spirit.
• 30:42
  Now we have to explain these because if you have been attending some meetings, you should
• 30:46
  know the explanation of this, that this part is not the Holy Spirit coming upon them.
• 30:52
  I mean, it's not the first time they are receiving the Holy Spirit.
• 30:57
  Do we get it?
• 30:59
  So this has been taught regularly as the time that the Holy Ghost began its operation on
• 31:03
  earth.
• 31:04
  And that was the first time the Holy Ghost was launched into earth and every believer
• 31:08
  received it.
• 31:09
  Actually that is not because that is what makes us equate the fire.
• 31:15
  Right?
• 31:16
  So the spirits in verse four.
• 31:20
  Do we get it?
• 31:22
  So this is not the first time, this is not a time the believers, right?
• 31:26
  The disciples received the Holy Spirit.
• 31:29
  So you can write John 14 down as the scripture to explain that the believers had the Holy
• 31:37
  Spirit before the day of Pentecost.
• 31:41
  So John 14, verse 20, verse 28 and 29.
• 31:54
  John 14 verse 20 verse 28 and 29.
• 31:57
  We'll really just write it down first.
• 32:02
  Write it down.
• 32:04
  Luke 24 verse 25.
• 32:08
  I think we've been dealing with this.
• 32:13
  And thank God for that teaching that I said the foundation.
• 32:15
  24, 25, Luke, then verse 44 as well and verse 51.
• 32:22
  So just put that in brackets, right?
• 32:24
  And right, this is the explanation for how the believer received the Holy Ghost.
• 32:30
  Just keep it there and I'll just quickly explain that.
• 32:36
  So when Jesus said that I am in the Father and the Father in me in John, can you go to
• 32:41
  John 14, 20 for me?
• 32:43
  I'll just be on one verse.
• 32:45
  Me that's in, please can you quickly help me?
• 32:49
  John 14 verse 20.
• 32:52
  He said, and that day you will know that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you.
• 33:01
  Are you seeing something here?
• 33:03
  Jesus is saying that there is a day that the disciples will realize that they are in union
• 33:09
  with Christ.
• 33:10
  Okay?
• 33:11
  There is a day that they will realize that they are in union with Christ.
• 33:18
  That is the day they received the Holy Spirit.
• 33:22
  The day the believers, the disciples realized that they are one in union with Christ, they
• 33:28
  understood that and believe it.
• 33:30
  That is the day they received the Holy Ghost.
• 33:34
  And that day is in Luke 24 verse 44.
• 33:38
  Okay?
• 33:39
  So Luke 24 verse 44 now.
• 33:44
  And he said to them, these are the words which I spoke to you while I was with you, that
• 33:48
  all the things must be fulfilled which are written the Lord of Moses and the law of Moses
• 33:51
  and the prophets and the Psalms concerning me.
• 33:54
  Next verse.
• 33:56
  And he opened their understanding and that they might do what?
• 34:01
  Comprehend the scriptures.
• 34:03
  So it means that what Jesus told them in John is taking place here.
• 34:08
  In this day, they understood after Jesus explained to them.
• 34:15
  Verse 44 verse 46.
• 34:20
  And he said to them, thus it is written and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer
• 34:24
  to rise from the dead and the third day.
• 34:27
  To rise from the dead and the third day.
• 34:29
  The next.
• 34:30
  And that repentance and remission of sin should be preached in his name to all nations beginning
• 34:34
  at Jerusalem.
• 34:35
  Next.
• 34:36
  And you are witness of these things.
• 34:38
  Next.
• 34:39
  Behold, I send the promise of the Father upon you, but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until
• 34:43
  you are endured with power from an eye.
• 34:47
  Which is referring to Acts chapter 2.
• 34:50
  Hallelujah.
• 34:51
  So we can say that when the believers believe in Luke 24, they receive the Holy Ghost.
• 34:57
  Right?
• 34:58
  Therefore, in Acts 2, it is not that they are receiving the Holy Ghost for the first
• 35:04
  time.
• 35:05
  So that now brings us to explaining what is tongues of fire.
• 35:08
  Right?
• 35:09
  As of the tongues of fire.
• 35:10
  Okay.
• 35:11
  This time is running too fast.
• 35:14
  But we'll move.
• 35:17
  So three things happened on the day of Pentecost.
• 35:18
  Please write it down.
• 35:19
  Three things happened.
• 35:20
  They heard, they saw, and they spoke.
• 35:24
  On the day of Pentecost, they heard, they saw, and they spoke.
• 35:31
  They heard, they saw, and they spoke.
• 35:36
  They heard, they saw, and they spoke.
• 35:40
  So therefore, these are activities that is touching in the believers, in the new creation.
• 35:50
  So this is an empowerment of activities that were in the new creation, in the believer
• 35:56
  that have believed.
• 36:01
  They saw, they spoke.
• 36:04
  They heard the voice.
• 36:07
  And this is the first time this is happening.
• 36:09
  This empowerment.
• 36:10
  Are we together?
• 36:12
  So we've never seen them speak in tongues before.
• 36:14
  We've never seen them interpret the tongues before.
• 36:15
  We've never seen them see as a fire, write a tongue.
• 36:22
  So we can say that what happened on the day of Pentecost is that the believers began an
• 36:29
  activity through empowerment of the Holy Ghost.
• 36:34
  The believers, the disciples of Christ, they started an activity, or I don't understand
• 36:40
  what you're talking about, activities of the Spirit through what?
• 36:46
  The empowerment of the Holy Ghost.
• 36:48
  The believers started an activity from the Holy Ghost that is within them.
• 36:52
  They began to speak in tongues, interpreting tongues, preaching with boldness, and the
• 37:00
  Church increased.
• 37:03
  So the tongue of fire as seen, right?
• 37:07
  It's only a symbol of the activities that they have begun.
• 37:12
  The tongue of fire is what?
• 37:14
  Is a symbol of the activities.
• 37:15
  It refers to the activities that these disciples started doing.
• 37:20
  The spiritual activities that the disciples are engaging in from that moment.
• 37:29
  Now let me just explain again that the tongue of fire is not the Holy Spirit as well.
• 37:35
  Acts chapter 10, let me show you somewhere.
• 37:41
  Acts chapter 10.
• 37:44
  Acts chapter 10.
• 37:49
  We can't have the whole reading, but can you go to verse 34?
• 38:05
  When Peter opened his mouth in truth, I perceive that God shows no partiality.
• 38:11
  Now before that, verse 44.
• 38:18
  Go to verse 44.
• 38:19
  Acts 10 verse 44.
• 38:21
  He said, while Peter was still speaking, this word, the Holy Ghost fell upon those who
• 38:27
  heard the words, the word of God, right?
• 38:31
  The Holy Ghost fell upon those who did what, who heard.
• 38:35
  In this place, there is no tongue of fire.
• 38:37
  You realize there is no seen as anything as the tongue of fire, but the Holy Ghost was
• 38:43
  what was in operation, fell upon them.
• 38:46
  It means they received the Holy Ghost.
• 38:49
  They are believing for the first time, right?
• 38:51
  They are believing for the first time and therefore they received the Holy Ghost.
• 38:55
  These ones are receiving here.
• 38:57
  The disciples receiving Luke 24.
• 39:01
  And their activities is in Acts chapter two.
• 39:05
  Do we get it?
• 39:08
  Good.
• 39:10
  So therefore the Holy Ghost is not tongue of fire.
• 39:12
  Again, the Holy Ghost is not tongue of fire.
• 39:16
  The Holy Ghost is not tongue of fire, but the activities through the Holy Ghost is fire.
• 39:23
  The activities through the Holy Ghost can be referred to as fire.
• 39:30
  So let's go back to 1 Thessalonians 5.
• 39:33
  Then you will do the work here.
• 39:36
  First Thessalonians 5 verse 18.
• 39:40
  Or go to verse 19.
• 39:46
  Okay.
• 39:47
  All right, everybody.
• 39:48
  If you have been following, now you should be able to interpret this correctly.
• 39:55
  So do not quench, replace the spirit.
• 39:58
  How would you replace the spirit with activities of what?
• 40:04
  Of the spirit.
• 40:05
  Glory to God.
• 40:06
  That is it.
• 40:07
  So Paul was saying that don't quench the activities of the spirit.
• 40:15
  So it brings us to some things that we need to tell ourselves.
• 40:23
  A believer can quench the activity of the spirit.
• 40:27
  A believer can be on fire and can also be so cool and lackadaisical about the things
• 40:32
  of the spirit.
• 40:34
  Okay?
• 40:36
  So you must know that you are a new creation.
• 40:38
  You have the identity of Christ.
• 40:40
  You have the Holy Ghost in you, but you can be as cold as ice.
• 40:47
  Okay?
• 40:50
  The believer can extinguish it.
• 40:51
  It means that the believer can stop the activities.
• 40:55
  Can say, it's okay.
• 40:56
  Don't prophesy.
• 40:57
  We don't want the believer to say, it's okay.
• 41:00
  Don't speak in tongues.
• 41:01
  Yeah, we will do that.
• 41:05
  So in this case, the activity of the spirits with empathy that Paul was talking about was
• 41:11
  prophesying.
• 41:12
  Go to the next verse, verse 20.
• 41:16
  Verses 520.
• 41:17
  He said, do not despise what prophesying.
• 41:21
  Don't despise prophesying.
• 41:25
  Don't despise prophesying.
• 41:26
  Don't despise prophesies.
• 41:29
  Does it make sense now?
• 41:31
  So when we combine the two together, do not stop the activities of the spirit.
• 41:34
  Don't stop prophesying.
• 41:36
  Don't despise prophesies.
• 41:42
  When you go to Acts chapter 2, what happened there is that they spoke in tongues and they
• 41:48
  explained what they said.
• 41:51
  And that is prophecy.
• 41:54
  Acts chapter 2, you can put it there.
• 41:55
  Acts chapter 2, they spoke in tongues and they explained what they said.
• 42:02
  So let's go to Acts chapter 2.
• 42:05
  Acts chapter 2, from verse 7.
• 42:08
  He said, utterly amazed, okay, from verse 7, yes.
• 42:12
  They were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, look, are not all these who
• 42:17
  speak Galileans?
• 42:19
  And how is it that we hear each in our own language in which we were born?
• 42:23
  Patients and maids and the elements and those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia,
• 42:28
  Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya, Adjoining Cyrene,
• 42:35
  visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Christians and Arabs, we hear them speaking
• 42:41
  in our own tongues, the wonderful works of God.
• 42:44
  The next.
• 42:45
  So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, whatever could this mean?
• 42:53
  As Morkin say, they are full of wine.
• 42:55
  Stop.
• 42:56
  So on the day of Pentecost, when the believers began to operate in the activities of the
• 43:02
  spirit, we find them speaking in tongues and interpreting and the people understood it,
• 43:08
  right?
• 43:09
  And we also find those who do what?
• 43:11
  Who despise prophecy.
• 43:12
  That is what I say.
• 43:13
  Or as Morkin said, they were full with what?
• 43:17
  They are full with wine.
• 43:20
  They are full with wine.
• 43:21
  So first, to quench the spirit is to extinguish the activities of the spirit, because you
• 43:28
  cannot extinguish the spirit himself, he's a person.
• 43:32
  So you extinguish the activities of the spirit.
• 43:35
  Now, let me come back to the illustration of Aaron and his sons, right?
• 43:42
  When Aaron and his sons were serving in the priesthood, right?
• 43:50
  They were serving in the priesthood.
• 43:52
  They were using fire as part of the offering, right?
• 43:56
  As part of the offering.
• 43:58
  And that offering is for service to what?
• 44:03
  To the people of Israel, right?
• 44:05
  The offering is for service for the people of Israel.
• 44:07
  The burnt offering for himself and his son, right?
• 44:10
  The incense for himself and the people of Israel, right?
• 44:15
  So fire was used as part of what is being used to serve people, right?
• 44:20
  Therefore we can see that the activities of the spirit, it is used to serve the church.
• 44:29
  The activities of the spirit is used to serve the church.
• 44:37
  Who are the priesthoods today?
• 44:39
  The believer.
• 44:41
  The believer is the priesthood that can participate in the activities of the spirits for the edification
• 44:50
  of the church.
• 44:55
  We are the priesthood that can participate in the activities of the spirits for the building
• 45:02
  up of the church.
• 45:05
  We are the priesthood.
• 45:08
  We can also write this down.
• 45:10
  The activities of the spirit, it is authorized to believers.
• 45:14
  Just the way the fire was authorized, right?
• 45:16
  The priesthood was authorized to Aaron to offer.
• 45:21
  Then you can offer.
• 45:22
  If you offer, if you are not in the priesthood, you have a problem.
• 45:26
  Maybe a fire will just come out from the midst of the fire.
• 45:29
  But today we are part of that priesthood.
• 45:34
  Glory to God.
• 45:35
  We are part of that priesthood that can participate in the activities of the spirit of God for
• 45:41
  the edification, for the building up of the body of Christ.
• 45:47
  So we can say that when we prophesy, we are serving each other, right?
• 45:52
  When we speak in tongues, we are serving each other, right?
• 45:57
  So therefore I said that a believer can actually quench it.
• 46:01
  It simply means to extinguish it, to stop it, to interrupt it, to make more create of
• 46:09
  it.
• 46:10
  So when you make more create of the things of the spirit, actually, you are quenching
• 46:15
  it.
• 46:16
  You are quenching the fire.
• 46:20
  When you make more create of the, someone is speaking in tongues, you are listening
• 46:23
  to the sound of the songs, the tongues.
• 46:26
  You are not serious.
• 46:27
  You are supposed to be praying.
• 46:30
  Or you are wondering, someone is speaking in tongues and interpreting, you are saying,
• 46:34
  I don't believe anybody in this church should do that because you have been taught well.
• 46:38
  But when you see people do that, they are quenching.
• 46:41
  Or another one, when you say it is over, it doesn't exist again.
• 46:47
  You are quenching the spirit.
• 46:50
  When you say the activities of the spirit, like prophecy and tongues, don't exist, it's
• 46:55
  ended with the apostles.
• 46:56
  If you hear such a thing, in such places, they are quenching the spirit, right?
• 47:04
  They are quenching the activities.
• 47:05
  They are stopping it from operating.
• 47:07
  It means that the church cannot benefit from the things that come from those activities.
• 47:13
  You can benefit from it.
• 47:15
  Right?
• 47:16
  You cannot benefit from it because you say it's over.
• 47:23
  Now let me show you another word.
• 47:25
  First is aloneness.
• 47:26
  Go back to first is aloneness please.
• 47:28
  Despise not prophesying.
• 47:30
  Let's check the word despise.
• 47:31
  What it means to despise.
• 47:34
  What does it mean to despise?
• 47:37
  To not despise prophecies.
• 47:40
  So to despise, the word despise means to not take serious.
• 47:46
  To take with content, like treat something with content.
• 47:52
  To not take serious is the word exaltanil.
• 47:56
  Despise means to not take something serious, to treat with content.
• 48:05
  Exaltanil, exou, exou, the, exou, the, neo.
• 48:16
  Exou, the, neo.
• 48:23
  To make fun of something, you're making fun of it.
• 48:29
  To say they are drunk, those that are participating in it.
• 48:34
  So please, as a believer, another way you can actually quench the spirit is when you
• 48:40
  see people making fun of it and you join.
• 48:44
  When you see people making fun of the things of the spirit and it does not shake you, it
• 48:51
  does not get you angry, it does not make you look, why are they doing this?
• 48:56
  You are participating in quenching the activities of the spirit.
• 49:03
  So whether it's online, whether it's online, people are on chat, or you're in a group chat,
• 49:09
  or you're anywhere, the moment you realize that the miracles of God and the prophecies
• 49:16
  and the speaking in tongues are being used for a joke, do not participate in it.
• 49:23
  Hallelujah.
• 49:24
  Are we with me?
• 49:27
  So the activities of God, you don't join them in making fun of it.
• 49:31
  Right?
• 49:32
  You don't join them.
• 49:33
  You don't use tongues for comedy.
• 49:34
  You don't use prophets for comedy.
• 49:37
  They are for the edification of the church.
• 49:41
  I know today everybody online just doesn't do anything they want, but as a believer you
• 49:44
  must have a caution.
• 49:45
  You must have a caution.
• 49:50
  It is what makes people not to take it seriously.
• 49:53
  Right?
• 49:54
  They don't take it seriously because it's being made fun of.
• 49:59
  So to despise me, not to take it seriously, to make fun of something.
• 50:03
  Therefore a believer can be on fire, right?
• 50:07
  Coming to fire now, a believer can be on fire, which means that you are full of the activities
• 50:11
  of the spirit.
• 50:12
  Okay?
• 50:13
  So when we say a believer is on fire, we mean that the believer is full of the activities
• 50:18
  of the spirit.
• 50:19
  You can perceive that this person is full of the activities of the spirit.
• 50:23
  This person gives himself to speaking in tongues and prophecy.
• 50:27
  When you come to a place and they are praying and you are seeing the word, that is fire.
• 50:31
  It is not the Holy Ghost.
• 50:32
  It is the activities of the spirit.
• 50:36
  So therefore, fire also represents your engagements with the things of the spirit.
• 50:41
  Your engagement with the things of the spirit.
• 50:45
  Your engagement with the things of the spirit.
• 50:52
  Your engagement.
• 50:53
  So as a believer you need to engage the things of the spirit regularly.
• 50:57
  If you want to be on fire, it is not a one moment thing.
• 51:00
  Ah, that's another thing I must say.
• 51:02
  That fire is not a one moment thing.
• 51:05
  He said the fire must continue to burn on the altar.
• 51:09
  The fire must continue to burn on the altar.
• 51:11
  It's not a one moment thing.
• 51:13
  Fire is not only in catharsismos.
• 51:15
  Fire is not only in our third Sunday service, which is prayer service.
• 51:19
  Fire is not only when you are in believers meeting.
• 51:25
  Fire is not a one moment thing.
• 51:27
  It's a continuous thing that must continue in the life of a believer.
• 51:33
  Fire is not a one moment.
• 51:34
  It must continue.
• 51:35
  It must participate in prophesying.
• 51:41
  Now we can also say, right, we can also say that fire means your walk in the spirit.
• 51:47
  Galatians 5.
• 51:48
  Galatians 5.
• 51:49
  Your walk in the spirit.
• 51:52
  Galatians 5 verse 16.
• 51:55
  Can you put that up?
• 51:58
  Galatians 5 verse 16.
• 52:01
  I said, and walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.
• 52:06
  So a believer can choose not to walk in the spirit.
• 52:09
  You can choose not to participate in the activities of the spirit.
• 52:13
  You can choose to neglect it.
• 52:15
  You know, Paul would tell Timothy, said, neglect not what's the gifts that is given to you
• 52:21
  by the laying of hands of the Presbyterian.
• 52:27
  That's first Timothy 4 verse 14.
• 52:29
  You can put second Timothy 1 verse 6 as well.
• 52:33
  To stir up the flame that is in you.
• 52:36
  Stir up something.
• 52:39
  So you can write it down.
• 52:43
  First Timothy 4 verse 14.
• 52:50
  Second Timothy 1 verse 6.
• 52:53
  So fire can be seen as the walk in the spirit, right?
• 52:58
  It can also be seen, walk in the spirit, we'll put Galatians 5.16.
• 53:04
  It can also be seen as walking in love.
• 53:10
  Ephesians 5 verse 1 to 2.
• 53:17
  Spirit of the spirit can be seen as a walk in the spirit, can be seen as walking in love.
• 53:21
  Walking in love is Ephesians 5, 1 to 2, then verse 15 and 20.
• 53:31
  Verse 15 and 20.
• 53:32
  Can we just read out verse 15 and 20 and we'll close?
• 53:36
  We'll read verse 15 and 20 and we'll close.
• 53:40
  And we'll practice a little bit.
• 53:42
  We'll continue on Wednesday.
• 53:43
  We still have a few things to say.
• 53:46
  So see then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise.
• 53:56
  Redeeming the time because the days are evil.
• 54:00
  And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation, but be filled with the spirit.
• 54:07
  What do we do now?
• 54:08
  Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody
• 54:15
  in your hearts to the Lord.
• 54:17
  Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
• 54:24
  Can you see that this is an activity, right?
• 54:26
  It's an activity of the spirit.
• 54:29
  The last thing I'll say is that it is your responsibility to be on fire for God.
• 54:34
  It is not God's responsibility.
• 54:37
  To be on fire for God is your responsibility and you can choose not to.
• 54:44
  But I encourage you to.
• 54:46
  To be on fire for God is your responsibility.
• 54:51
  We appreciate you being here today.
• 54:53
  We hope you carry this word with you throughout your week.
• 54:57
  Don't forget to check the show notes for additional insights.
• 55:00
  Stay connected with us through our website or follow us on social media.
• 55:05
  If you were encouraged, share this message with someone you care about.
• 55:09
  Until next time, stay blessed.