WEBVTT 00:00:03.839 --> 00:00:07.200 Welcome to the Rock Family Sermon of the Week. 00:00:07.440 --> 00:00:12.960 For more information about our church, please visit therockfamily.tv. 00:00:14.720 --> 00:00:18.960 Now join us for a message from our special guest speaker. 00:00:19.199 --> 00:00:25.760 Another thing I love about this church, uh, I believe firmly I've been a part of it since 2002, since I was nine years old. 00:00:25.839 --> 00:00:28.239 Uh, and uh I believe this is a healthy church. 00:00:28.320 --> 00:00:29.920 I don't know if anybody agrees with me. 00:00:30.160 --> 00:00:31.839 Um yeah. 00:00:32.399 --> 00:00:33.759 And maybe you're new here. 00:00:33.920 --> 00:00:39.039 I believe that this is a safe place, I believe this is a healthy place, you're in a good place today, you're in a good church. 00:00:39.119 --> 00:00:48.960 Uh, and the two main reasons I have for that are this might surprise some of you, it's not branding, it's not, you know, even vision or money or LED walls or anything like that. 00:00:49.119 --> 00:00:54.799 The two primary reasons I believe that this is a healthy church is because of babies and grandparents. 00:00:58.320 --> 00:00:59.679 Babies and grandparents. 00:00:59.759 --> 00:01:06.159 If you spend any longer than five minutes in the lobby after service today, watch where you step. 00:01:06.799 --> 00:01:12.400 Because there will be babies just running around, grabbing your ankles and trying to steal things out of your wallet. 00:01:14.560 --> 00:01:17.519 But I'm thankful that it's not just young families and young babies. 00:01:17.599 --> 00:01:19.040 This happened uh uh to me this week. 00:01:19.200 --> 00:01:26.000 There's a guy in this church who he rides his electric bike on one of my running routes, and I saw him this week on his way to work, and he's like, Hey, how are things going? 00:01:26.159 --> 00:01:27.439 I was like, Things are going great. 00:01:27.599 --> 00:01:31.920 You know, uh my wife is pregnant right now, we're expecting our fourth child. 00:01:32.079 --> 00:01:35.280 Um don't clap yet, we don't know. 00:01:36.000 --> 00:01:38.079 We don't know if we're ready. 00:01:39.120 --> 00:01:41.519 And I told him that, and I was like, How are things going for you? 00:01:41.599 --> 00:01:43.359 And he's like, Well, the same. 00:01:45.200 --> 00:01:46.400 Expecting our fourth child. 00:01:46.480 --> 00:01:50.799 I was like, that's a preposterous response to what I said. 00:01:50.959 --> 00:01:58.959 But I'm thankful that there's a bunch of young families here that feel comfortable that have been inspired to do what God's commanded us to do and raise families and raise godly children. 00:01:59.040 --> 00:02:00.319 But I'm also very, very thankful. 00:02:00.400 --> 00:02:07.599 One of my favorite things to do, and this might be surprising to some of you, one of my absolute favorite things to do on a Sunday morning, is to hug Pat and Henry Lee. 00:02:08.080 --> 00:02:19.120 Uh mostly because I feel like, yeah, I don't know that I'm saying this, and he probably hates that I'm saying this right now, but it's mostly because I feel like I'm like paying respects to the Godfather or like the conciliary or something. 00:02:19.280 --> 00:02:24.479 I come and he like kisses me on the cheek, and he's like, You come to me on the day of Rock Group's Fair. 00:02:24.719 --> 00:02:29.360 Um uh but it's not just that, it's that I feel safe that they're here. 00:02:29.840 --> 00:02:40.879 Uh Pat and Henry Lee were in a prayer closet with me 15 years ago when they taught me things about the Holy Spirit that I'll never be able to learn from any book, any YouTube video, any sermon. 00:02:40.960 --> 00:02:47.360 They taught me things about the Holy Spirit that have stuck in my heart and stuck in my mind for 15 years now, and so thank you guys very much. 00:02:47.520 --> 00:02:49.919 And it's not just them, I mean there's grandparents all over the room. 00:02:50.000 --> 00:02:52.800 There's grandparents that that invest in us young families. 00:02:52.960 --> 00:02:59.120 Is anybody thankful for the grandparents, the spiritual grandfathers and grandmothers that have made this a safe place? 00:02:59.280 --> 00:03:00.639 I mean, that's something that's rare. 00:03:00.800 --> 00:03:11.919 You can find, you can throw a rock in Huntsville and find a church that has young families because they got cool branding, or because they have the new fresh vision, or because they have better coffee or whatever it is. 00:03:12.159 --> 00:03:24.159 But to find a place that has young families that feel safe and that feels supporting, that feel connected, and also has people that have been in ministry and been doing this for decades and decades and decades is a unfortunately it's a rare thing. 00:03:24.560 --> 00:03:28.719 People that have uh a history, an inheritance, something to give. 00:03:28.960 --> 00:03:30.960 That's something that we should be incredibly grateful for. 00:03:31.039 --> 00:03:38.879 I mean, like last week Wendy, Wendy came over and brought us uh crock pot chicken and then just drop it off. 00:03:39.360 --> 00:03:42.719 She came over and she was Grandma Wendy to our kids for a couple hours. 00:03:43.039 --> 00:03:47.280 I can't tell you what she called the chicken, the crock pot chicken recipe. 00:03:52.479 --> 00:03:56.080 Okay, I don't think I don't think I should say this. 00:03:56.400 --> 00:03:57.680 Alright, maybe I'll ask this. 00:03:58.240 --> 00:03:58.879 This is a safe room. 00:03:58.960 --> 00:04:00.000 This is a safe place, right? 00:04:00.080 --> 00:04:04.560 I said that I was really just gaslighting you all into not, you know, complaining about my jokes. 00:04:04.879 --> 00:04:06.879 Okay, am I the only one who's recognized this? 00:04:06.960 --> 00:04:11.039 What is it with southern families and naming recipes after drugs? 00:04:15.120 --> 00:04:19.279 Am I the is that a okay, yeah, so you guys know what it is. 00:04:19.439 --> 00:04:20.639 I didn't even have to say. 00:04:20.879 --> 00:04:23.040 It's like, yes, it's good, but like, alright. 00:04:23.120 --> 00:04:29.040 I don't know if that's no one's pawning their mother's jewelry for your casserole. 00:04:37.120 --> 00:04:38.480 I'm thankful for this church. 00:04:38.560 --> 00:04:44.480 I'm thankful for the healthy church that we have with the grandparents and the grandmothers and the children and the young families that are supported. 00:04:44.560 --> 00:04:48.079 And, you know, this is not just some random, you know, rant or ramble. 00:04:48.399 --> 00:04:58.079 I believe that the family is important and is evidence of God's moving and his inspiration in this church because before God created the church, he created the family. 00:05:00.240 --> 00:05:07.360 And the entire testimony of scripture is that God loves and has plans and purposes and intentions for the family. 00:05:07.920 --> 00:05:10.480 And God loves families that glorify Him. 00:05:10.639 --> 00:05:15.920 The number one way that we image God is through the way that we tend our families. 00:05:16.000 --> 00:05:17.120 Did anybody know that? 00:05:18.399 --> 00:05:21.519 God loves fathers who stay in the home. 00:05:22.079 --> 00:05:25.360 God loves mothers who nurture and raise their children. 00:05:25.519 --> 00:05:28.800 God loves children who honor their parents and promises them things. 00:05:28.959 --> 00:05:29.839 Did you guys know that? 00:05:30.160 --> 00:05:34.879 And before you get discouraged and say, oh, maybe that's not my situation or where I came from, let me tell you this. 00:05:35.040 --> 00:05:40.879 The entire history of mankind has been an exercise in family restoration. 00:05:42.319 --> 00:05:43.519 Did anybody know that? 00:05:43.839 --> 00:05:45.360 Are you thanked for that? 00:05:45.920 --> 00:05:50.560 That in the beginning God created the family and then he created a garden so he could stay with them. 00:05:50.800 --> 00:05:54.000 And then almost immediately the family rebelled. 00:05:55.920 --> 00:05:58.160 And brothers started killing each other. 00:05:59.680 --> 00:06:08.319 And God had to send a flood to start the earth over, and then even more in Genesis 11, God had to divide the family because they were rebelling against him at the Tower of Babel. 00:06:08.639 --> 00:06:13.279 And he confused their language and he dispersed them into nations. 00:06:15.279 --> 00:06:21.600 And then through this whole process of time, we still hear God's heart and his desire to mend and to restore families. 00:06:21.920 --> 00:06:27.519 That he wants to turn hearts of fathers and mothers to their children and hearts of sons and daughters to their parents. 00:06:27.600 --> 00:06:35.600 And he wants prodigal sons and daughters to come home, and he wants parents to put rings on their fingers and sandals on their feet and coats on their shoulders. 00:06:35.839 --> 00:06:37.680 God wants to restore families. 00:06:37.839 --> 00:06:39.759 Did anybody want that today? 00:06:44.480 --> 00:06:49.199 And we see that so purely when God sends Jesus, the Messiah. 00:06:49.680 --> 00:06:59.040 He reserves this remnant for himself after the division of these nations, and God, through this remnant, uh births a new son, the firstborn among brethren. 00:06:59.680 --> 00:07:02.639 And this is the beginning of his plan to restore the family. 00:07:02.720 --> 00:07:09.839 And before you think this is just some convoluted long metaphor or allegory in scripture, this applies directly to your family. 00:07:11.360 --> 00:07:17.199 This applies to your immediate situation, your material situation, your family. 00:07:17.279 --> 00:07:24.319 I'm not talking about your spiritual family, I'm talking about your mothers, your fathers, your sons and daughters, your brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles. 00:07:24.720 --> 00:07:29.040 That this is all evidence of God's desire for your family. 00:07:29.279 --> 00:07:36.480 And I'm not saying this, okay, I didn't just read a Substack article about families on the way in this morning. 00:07:36.560 --> 00:07:43.519 I'm telling you about my personal experience that God has the desire and ability to restore your family today. 00:07:44.720 --> 00:07:52.160 I'm so thankful that Pastor Chris prayed for prodigals last week, but listen, if we can take up an offering every week, we can pray for prodigals every single week. 00:07:53.360 --> 00:07:55.439 We can pray for people that are far off. 00:07:55.519 --> 00:08:00.560 That seems again I'm talking from I'm talking from a very personal experience. 00:08:00.720 --> 00:08:07.439 My wife and I are sitting on the couch the other day and just rehearsing how good God has been in our family. 00:08:08.399 --> 00:08:14.879 And then we start thinking of maybe more distant relatives or some that we have, you know, maybe never even talked to ever at all. 00:08:14.959 --> 00:08:18.959 And I, you know, start thinking of it's like, well, you know, they're too far gone, you know. 00:08:19.519 --> 00:08:22.319 Oh man, it's a shame, but at least we have what we have. 00:08:23.439 --> 00:08:24.399 Anybody ever get like that? 00:08:24.560 --> 00:08:34.720 Like you've seen God do insane, unreal, supernatural things in your life, and then for whatever reason your faith just turns into praying for for those things to just stay intact. 00:08:36.559 --> 00:08:41.360 Oh man, it's amazing that God brought our family back together from the corners of the earth. 00:08:42.000 --> 00:08:48.960 God, I pray that you could just maybe, in the kindness of your heart, just keep it, just maintain it. 00:08:50.639 --> 00:08:56.960 It's like I've seen God do unbelievable, unreal, supernatural things that only he could do. 00:08:57.120 --> 00:09:07.120 I mean, bringing family members and bringing relationships and restoring things in such a way, and for some reason I'm so determined in my mind to not believe that he could do it again. 00:09:09.600 --> 00:09:12.080 Does anybody feel like that this morning? 00:09:12.399 --> 00:09:22.559 Has anybody ever felt a lack of belief? 00:09:24.879 --> 00:09:26.240 We don't hear anything else today. 00:09:26.320 --> 00:09:32.720 I want to tell you that God wants to, God has the ability to, God has the desire to restore your family today. 00:09:39.360 --> 00:09:46.720 And if you have a son, a daughter, a brother, a sister, an aunt, an uncle, a nephew, a niece, uh, I don't know, is there any more? 00:09:46.799 --> 00:09:47.840 Are there any other options? 00:09:48.080 --> 00:09:52.240 A dog that needs to be made right with God. 00:09:52.320 --> 00:09:53.600 I want you to, even right now, let's do that. 00:09:53.679 --> 00:09:55.679 Let's think in our mind, even say names out loud. 00:09:55.759 --> 00:10:01.840 I know we did this last week, but again, like I'm I'm believing for families to be restored here at the Rock Family Worship Center. 00:10:01.919 --> 00:10:13.919 I'm believing for people that are on the other side of the planet to come home, people that have that have uh accursed God, people that have gone as far away as you possibly can go to be drawn back to the Father. 00:10:14.159 --> 00:10:15.360 I'm believing that today. 00:10:15.600 --> 00:10:19.039 God, we thank you that it's in your heart to restore families. 00:10:20.399 --> 00:10:22.320 We thank you that it's in your ability. 00:10:22.799 --> 00:10:24.720 God forbid, in your ability. 00:10:27.440 --> 00:10:29.440 God help us with our unbelief. 00:10:30.559 --> 00:10:33.039 We call out names right now, Jesus. 00:10:35.120 --> 00:10:37.759 Names that we're gonna see in that baptism tank. 00:10:39.039 --> 00:10:48.399 Names that we're gonna see in our next step classes and in our rock groups, Lord, and we're gonna see in these chairs, and we're gonna see lifting their hands, and we're gonna see worshiping Jesus. 00:10:49.360 --> 00:10:51.840 We call out their names right now, Lord. 00:10:52.080 --> 00:10:58.159 Restore our families as your family is reconciled and drawn closer to you. 00:10:58.240 --> 00:10:59.600 We love you today, Jesus. 00:10:59.840 --> 00:11:02.000 We pray over every detail of the service, Lord. 00:11:02.080 --> 00:11:03.919 We thank you that your presence has already been here. 00:11:04.000 --> 00:11:05.039 We thank you that it's not. 00:11:05.200 --> 00:11:07.759 We really, really thank you that it doesn't depend on me. 00:11:10.320 --> 00:11:35.679 And Lord, we ask for your Holy Spirit to illuminate, to move on hearts and minds right now, Lord, that your word becomes so evident and so manifest in the room today, and we would all have an opportunity to respond to it, interact with your word, that it would uh uh uh be written on our hearts, reflected in our words, our thoughts, on our actions, Lord, that it would discern the intentions of our hearts, it would be a mirror. 00:11:36.399 --> 00:11:41.600 We'd be able to evaluate ourselves today because of your word, so evident in the room. 00:11:41.840 --> 00:11:55.120 And Lord, more than anything else, we pray that every single individual and family represented in the sermon would have an opportunity to encounter, experience, and respond to you, to your word, to your saving grace, to that blood that we sang about earlier today. 00:11:55.600 --> 00:12:01.279 The redeeming blood, the healing blood, the saving blood, the reconciling blood, Lord. 00:12:03.519 --> 00:12:04.639 Draw us closer to you. 00:12:04.799 --> 00:12:06.480 We love you today, Lord, and we thank you. 00:12:07.039 --> 00:12:08.799 We give you all the glory, honor, and praise. 00:12:08.879 --> 00:12:11.440 In Jesus' name, everybody said, Amen. 00:12:11.600 --> 00:12:12.240 Alright. 00:12:12.559 --> 00:12:17.600 Um, yeah, I should probably I have notes too. 00:12:17.759 --> 00:12:18.480 Alright, that's good. 00:12:18.639 --> 00:12:19.440 Okay, cool. 00:12:20.480 --> 00:12:22.639 I'm gonna talk about families a little bit today. 00:12:22.879 --> 00:12:23.679 That sounded bad. 00:12:23.759 --> 00:12:27.840 That sounded like not like, you know, alright, not gossip about families. 00:12:27.919 --> 00:12:29.120 We're gonna talk about families a little bit. 00:12:29.840 --> 00:12:32.159 God's family, our church family. 00:12:32.320 --> 00:12:34.399 But before we do that, I want to talk about our series. 00:12:34.480 --> 00:12:35.440 How many guys have enjoyed it? 00:12:35.519 --> 00:12:37.759 Our all-in, all flame series. 00:12:38.000 --> 00:12:39.200 Wanna kinda- yeah, it's been cool. 00:12:39.279 --> 00:12:40.320 I've I've enjoyed it. 00:12:40.559 --> 00:12:41.519 Love Pastor Chris. 00:12:41.600 --> 00:12:43.519 You guys like Pastor Chris's message last week? 00:12:43.840 --> 00:12:49.600 Came up here like an old sage, like Merlin sitting on a hill with his little cane, his wand. 00:12:50.240 --> 00:12:55.279 So I have the seat up here, and then Pastor Chris sat in it, and now I feel like I'm not cool enough to do it anymore. 00:12:55.600 --> 00:12:56.720 Because I don't have a reason. 00:12:56.799 --> 00:13:01.679 He had hip surgery and sat in the seat, and I'm just up here, just like, alright, I'm lazy, you know, whatever. 00:13:01.919 --> 00:13:03.600 I love the series, I've really enjoyed it. 00:13:03.759 --> 00:13:08.240 Also, all in all flame is written on the side of our building, so we feel like we owe you an explanation. 00:13:08.399 --> 00:13:10.960 Uh, all in all flame is our series. 00:13:11.200 --> 00:13:13.200 All in, I feel like nobody has a problem with, right? 00:13:13.360 --> 00:13:14.000 All in. 00:13:14.399 --> 00:13:14.639 Right? 00:13:14.720 --> 00:13:17.840 We're like, yeah, yeah, yeah, okay, we should be all in for Jesus. 00:13:18.000 --> 00:13:23.279 My time, my resources, my energy should all go to the kingdom work, to the cause of Christ. 00:13:23.440 --> 00:13:23.600 Right? 00:13:23.679 --> 00:13:24.320 That's an easy one. 00:13:24.399 --> 00:13:26.240 And sometimes you're like, all flame? 00:13:26.720 --> 00:13:27.840 Like arson. 00:13:30.240 --> 00:13:32.080 What do you mean, all flame? 00:13:32.639 --> 00:13:34.799 So I want to kind of like continue talking about that. 00:13:34.879 --> 00:13:36.960 And then today specifically, we can go to this first slide. 00:13:37.039 --> 00:13:39.519 Thank you, Dobby, David Willis in the back for doing stuff. 00:13:39.600 --> 00:13:40.559 We can give it up for him. 00:13:40.720 --> 00:13:44.320 My dear friend, we lived in neighboring apartment buildings for many, many years. 00:13:44.480 --> 00:13:48.720 This doesn't mean anything to you, but for him, this is gonna probably also mean nothing. 00:13:48.879 --> 00:13:50.000 Um, our first slide. 00:13:50.159 --> 00:13:52.320 Today we're gonna be talking about tongues of fire. 00:13:52.639 --> 00:13:54.799 This is very some of you guys just got fired up. 00:13:54.960 --> 00:14:03.200 Some of you guys remember that third week of AG Youth Camp, uh, Assemblies of God, where you were gonna speak in tongues no matter what, or else you weren't allowed to go home. 00:14:03.440 --> 00:14:06.399 Um, at least it was my experience. 00:14:07.039 --> 00:14:10.879 Uh but we love tongues of fire here in a charismatic, spirit-filled church. 00:14:10.960 --> 00:14:16.480 I don't know if you knew that, or if I just ripped the band-aid off, or surprise, we're a charismatic church. 00:14:16.720 --> 00:14:26.080 We believe in the gifts of the spirit, we believe that they've continued and should continue, and the spirit moves on people and fills people for the purpose of kingdom ministry. 00:14:26.480 --> 00:14:29.279 And not in just like uh, oh, people are nicer. 00:14:29.840 --> 00:14:32.080 I'm talking about in supernatural ways. 00:14:32.799 --> 00:14:45.200 Where people are healed where they otherwise would not have been healed, where people are given visions and dreams and prophecies and prophetic words in order to encourage, in order to empower, and ultimately to build up the church. 00:14:45.279 --> 00:14:47.440 And tongues of fire is one that we really, really like. 00:14:47.519 --> 00:14:49.360 Uh, you know, we like I like talking in tongues. 00:14:49.440 --> 00:14:50.799 You guys like talking in tongues? 00:14:51.279 --> 00:14:53.759 Such a silly thing to be fighting over, right? 00:14:54.000 --> 00:14:55.440 It's like, alright, you don't have to do it. 00:14:55.519 --> 00:14:57.120 It's like Wendy's crack chicken, you know. 00:14:57.200 --> 00:14:59.679 Like, alright, you don't have to have it, but it's really good. 00:15:00.559 --> 00:15:01.759 I like it. 00:15:02.000 --> 00:15:09.679 We like talking in tongues, but today we're gonna talk about a couple different kinds of uh uh um uh tongues of fire, unfortunately. 00:15:10.559 --> 00:15:12.960 I'll do the big reveal, the twist later on. 00:15:13.200 --> 00:15:24.480 But all flame is something that's kind of like, you know, should be specific to our our context or something that we are particularly familiar with in our kind of tradition or our kind of you know more Pentecostal leaning church. 00:15:24.639 --> 00:15:34.639 And all flame is really this that we understand as spirit-filled believers that yes, God is everywhere all the time, he's omnipresent, but he's not always everywhere in the same way. 00:15:36.480 --> 00:15:38.399 Otherwise, why would we be praying? 00:15:38.559 --> 00:15:40.559 Holy Spirit, you're welcome here. 00:15:42.080 --> 00:15:45.039 Jesus, come be here with us today. 00:15:45.279 --> 00:15:49.440 Please, Lord, move on the service, move on our worship, move in our lives. 00:15:49.600 --> 00:15:52.639 If he's everywhere, why would we be we be praying those things? 00:15:52.879 --> 00:15:59.759 It's because we know that God manifests himself in supernatural ways, in specific ways, in tangible ways, and physical way, physical ways. 00:16:00.000 --> 00:16:01.360 Anybody felt that this morning? 00:16:03.200 --> 00:16:04.159 Doesn't sound like it. 00:16:04.240 --> 00:16:05.840 That felt forced a little bit. 00:16:06.159 --> 00:16:11.519 Did anybody feel or experience or encounter the manifest presence of God this morning? 00:16:14.639 --> 00:16:15.600 I love it. 00:16:16.080 --> 00:16:17.519 I don't know if you could tell. 00:16:18.000 --> 00:16:19.679 Hopefully you love it. 00:16:20.159 --> 00:16:22.080 This is what we believe. 00:16:22.559 --> 00:16:29.120 And specifically with that manifest presence of God, when we see it in scripture, most often we see it depicted as a flame. 00:16:29.440 --> 00:16:31.039 And what does that flame do? 00:16:31.279 --> 00:16:33.039 It takes up an offering. 00:16:37.039 --> 00:16:37.759 It does. 00:16:38.240 --> 00:16:43.759 We see it in the law, we see it in Leviticus and Exodus that the people of God in Israel, uh, this is is this pop? 00:16:44.000 --> 00:16:44.879 What is this doing? 00:16:46.399 --> 00:16:54.720 Like I said, this is we're we're chill, this is, you know, I don't know if you could tell, this is not gonna be some like really like polished deal. 00:16:54.799 --> 00:17:01.120 So if at any point like I'm doing something embarrassing or there's something on my face, just like wave and be like, oh hey, you got, you know, you look dumb. 00:17:01.440 --> 00:17:03.840 Damani, you do it, please, help me. 00:17:07.599 --> 00:17:21.039 That God gives very specific instructions for how to give an offering, how to worship him, what the liturgy is, what the language is, what the words are, and then the people bring an offering together, a collective offering, and they lay it on an altar. 00:17:21.119 --> 00:17:22.799 And God provides the what? 00:17:23.680 --> 00:17:24.559 The fire. 00:17:25.279 --> 00:17:27.279 And the people tend the flame. 00:17:27.759 --> 00:17:29.359 That's what the service was about. 00:17:29.599 --> 00:17:35.920 We're providing an offering to God, our worship, not just a praise, not just a song, but every single part of us. 00:17:36.799 --> 00:17:41.519 Every part of my life, all in is what we do, all flame is who we are. 00:17:42.160 --> 00:17:44.480 Presenting my body as a living sacrifice. 00:17:44.640 --> 00:17:47.119 Lord, I don't just want what I do to be pleasing to you. 00:17:47.200 --> 00:17:49.119 I don't just want my ministry to be pleasing to you. 00:17:49.279 --> 00:17:56.240 I want every single part of me, every part of my intellect, every part of my mind, my will, my emotions, every my innermost thoughts, Lord. 00:17:56.319 --> 00:18:00.400 Let the meditations of my heart and the fruit of my lips be pleasing to you, Lord. 00:18:00.480 --> 00:18:01.920 That's what all flame is. 00:18:02.400 --> 00:18:03.519 Not just on Sunday. 00:18:03.599 --> 00:18:06.079 I don't want to just be able to be consumed on Sunday. 00:18:06.240 --> 00:18:09.839 I want to be a delight to the Lord every minute of every day of the week. 00:18:10.079 --> 00:18:12.400 That's what it means to be all flame. 00:18:12.799 --> 00:18:18.559 That it's not just some position that I take or some sort of uh uh a part that I play. 00:18:18.799 --> 00:18:22.640 That I become my true self when I worship. 00:18:23.519 --> 00:18:26.640 When my life is worship and it's a living sacrifice. 00:18:26.720 --> 00:18:27.680 That's what all flame is. 00:18:27.839 --> 00:18:28.559 That's what I want to be. 00:18:28.720 --> 00:18:30.240 That's what I want us to be. 00:18:30.880 --> 00:18:32.240 Is all flame. 00:18:32.960 --> 00:18:39.440 Always, always ready to be an offering to the Lord, always pleasing, always an acceptable sacrifice. 00:18:40.240 --> 00:18:43.599 So this is our job is to tend the flame. 00:18:43.680 --> 00:18:49.279 We get the most immediate application to this, and one of our favorite chapters of the Bible, Acts chapter 2. 00:18:50.559 --> 00:18:50.880 Right? 00:18:50.960 --> 00:18:54.000 This is the Pentecostal uh mantra, right? 00:18:54.079 --> 00:18:59.200 Some of you guys have only read this chapter in the Bible, and honestly, it's not a bad one to pick. 00:19:00.960 --> 00:19:02.240 We have it on the screen right here. 00:19:02.319 --> 00:19:03.359 Yeah, there we go. 00:19:03.680 --> 00:19:06.400 Acts 2, verses 1 through 4, and this is the tongues of fire. 00:19:06.640 --> 00:19:09.039 Many of us are familiar with this, and this is a good one. 00:19:09.200 --> 00:19:13.759 This is again one of these divine presence motifs or pictures. 00:19:14.000 --> 00:19:17.119 The divine presence of God manifesting as fire. 00:19:17.200 --> 00:19:33.680 And it says this when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place, and suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting, and divided tongues as of fire appeared among them. 00:19:33.839 --> 00:19:35.519 And a tongue rested on each of them. 00:19:35.680 --> 00:19:42.079 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them ability. 00:19:42.240 --> 00:19:46.000 Everybody say divided tongues as of fire. 00:19:47.759 --> 00:19:55.680 Now give you a little bit of context for this, and then also we're gonna jump to some other interconnected passages and hopefully give us more context than just Acts chapter 2. 00:19:55.759 --> 00:19:56.880 But this is the day of Pentecost. 00:19:56.960 --> 00:20:01.039 This is a holiday celebration, and every holiday has a place that you're supposed to go. 00:20:01.200 --> 00:20:03.759 Right on Christmas, you're supposed to be in New York, right? 00:20:04.000 --> 00:20:05.200 So you can see the tree. 00:20:05.440 --> 00:20:08.319 Pentecost, you're supposed to be in Jerusalem, so you can get filled with the Spirit. 00:20:08.400 --> 00:20:10.000 And so that's what's happening here. 00:20:10.079 --> 00:20:18.880 Uh, Pentecost is a uh uh feast, a Jewish feast or a Jewish holiday from the people of Israel celebrating the giving of the law. 00:20:20.400 --> 00:20:26.400 That God spoke, he gave the law to Moses, and Moses stands on a mountain and gives the law to the people. 00:20:26.559 --> 00:20:29.680 It's kind of sad because it doesn't really go all that well. 00:20:30.960 --> 00:20:42.880 If you guys remember, uh, you know, Moses comes down and the people aren't really doing what they're supposed to be doing, and God disciplines them, and 3,000 of them die. 00:20:44.079 --> 00:20:45.039 You guys remember this? 00:20:45.119 --> 00:20:54.240 That 3,000 people die when the law comes down, but thankfully here in Acts chapter 2, the Spirit comes down, and 3,000 people are saved. 00:20:54.880 --> 00:20:55.119 Right? 00:20:55.279 --> 00:21:01.920 Luke's drawing a direct parallel that the law comes down and death comes, the spirit comes down, fulfills the law, and life comes. 00:21:02.160 --> 00:21:06.000 This is God's plan of reconciling his people together. 00:21:06.240 --> 00:21:30.079 Um, also, more specifically, it seems like Luke is drawing another parallel here that we see, you know, all these people from all across the region, from from Judea, from Galilee, from even further away, the corners of the earth, come, and then these divided tongues of fire come down, and people go out and they're speaking in tongues, and people think they're drunk, but then they ask a question how is it that we each hear the gospel in our own language? 00:21:30.799 --> 00:21:36.079 So now it seems like Luke is drawing a parallel to that passage we referenced earlier, Genesis 11, the Tower of Babel. 00:21:36.400 --> 00:21:42.480 That in rebellion the children of God rise up against him to make a name for themselves, and God divides the nations. 00:21:42.799 --> 00:21:46.720 He confuses their language and he divides the nations, and so everyone gets scattered. 00:21:46.880 --> 00:21:47.599 There's division. 00:21:47.680 --> 00:21:48.799 Everybody say division. 00:21:49.839 --> 00:21:56.319 Division comes, and then here in Acts chapter 2, where God begins or fulfills this plan of unifying his family. 00:21:56.400 --> 00:21:57.599 He brings unity. 00:21:57.759 --> 00:21:58.880 Everybody say unity. 00:21:59.200 --> 00:22:01.200 So this is Really, what we're getting at here. 00:22:01.359 --> 00:22:06.000 You know, I'm not going to be, you know, you know, super cagey about it. 00:22:06.160 --> 00:22:09.200 But where God previously divided, he has now harmonized. 00:22:09.359 --> 00:22:13.359 One language specifically for the purpose of kingdom ministry. 00:22:14.799 --> 00:22:17.920 And what we see here in Acts chapter 2, we see kingdom ministry happen. 00:22:18.079 --> 00:22:19.519 We see Peter give this amazing sermon. 00:22:19.680 --> 00:22:21.920 We see life come down on the people. 00:22:22.000 --> 00:22:24.720 We see this plan of reclaiming the nations. 00:22:24.880 --> 00:22:30.319 Jesus says before his ascension that I want you to go and make disciples of all nations. 00:22:30.720 --> 00:22:31.039 Right? 00:22:31.119 --> 00:22:35.680 So this is this process of God reclaiming his family and reconciling his family. 00:22:35.759 --> 00:22:49.759 But if we can take one thing from this passage, right here in Acts chapter 2, with the contrast of the Tower of Babel, it seems like the primary function, the primary purpose of the Holy Spirit and these tongues of fire that come down in Acts chapter 2 in this upper room. 00:22:49.839 --> 00:22:52.400 The primary purpose is unity. 00:22:53.119 --> 00:22:54.319 Everybody say unity. 00:22:54.880 --> 00:22:56.079 This is what we want to talk about today. 00:22:56.160 --> 00:22:56.960 We're going to talk about unity. 00:22:57.039 --> 00:23:00.240 I know this is not maybe the normal thing that you hear when you talk about tongues of fire. 00:23:00.480 --> 00:23:03.359 You know, I don't know what the nor I don't know if that is a normal thing. 00:23:03.920 --> 00:23:13.759 You know, like I, you know, I I don't know what you heard growing up or whatever it is, but today we're talking about a spirit-filled church is a unified church. 00:23:15.440 --> 00:23:17.200 Some of you guys need to hear that today. 00:23:17.839 --> 00:23:22.400 A spirit-filled church is a unified church. 00:23:23.039 --> 00:23:24.559 Listen, okay. 00:23:25.920 --> 00:23:28.799 I don't know why I'm acting like I'm gonna say something that's crazy. 00:23:28.960 --> 00:23:31.359 I already made the drug comment. 00:23:34.079 --> 00:23:34.880 Here's the point. 00:23:35.039 --> 00:23:38.640 I don't care how powerful you think your spiritual gifts are. 00:23:40.000 --> 00:23:56.319 I don't care how prophetic you say you are, how you can read people's mail, I don't care how big your platform is, I don't care how supernatural you think you are, if your primary function isn't pursuing a unified church, then you ain't Pentecostal. 00:24:00.640 --> 00:24:10.640 If your primary purpose isn't harmonizing and bringing the body of Christ together and building up the church, I don't care how often you speak in tongues, you ain't Pentecostal. 00:24:10.799 --> 00:24:18.480 And there's all these prophets, self-proclaimed prophets and apostles and and ministers that'll come to your church and say, Hey, how can I get on the stage? 00:24:18.640 --> 00:24:24.720 Hey, I got a word for the people, hey, I got a ministry for the people, I operate in this function and that function, and you gotta hear me. 00:24:24.799 --> 00:24:40.400 And then as soon as you ask them to attend your membership class, as soon as you ask them to serve in a department, as soon as you ask them to actually build up the church, they don't want to be a part anymore. 00:24:40.720 --> 00:24:48.240 But listen, the Holy Spirit didn't come down to build your platform, the Holy Spirit came down to add to his church. 00:24:48.720 --> 00:24:53.039 So I'm telling you today that a spirit-filled church is a unified church. 00:24:53.200 --> 00:24:55.519 This is the last like positive part of the message. 00:24:55.599 --> 00:24:57.920 So if you want to clap, now's the time. 00:24:58.720 --> 00:25:02.160 The rest of it, it's just going downhill from here. 00:25:03.759 --> 00:25:05.039 A spirit-filled church. 00:25:05.119 --> 00:25:06.559 Is anybody spirit-filled in the room? 00:25:06.640 --> 00:25:07.359 Maybe let's do this. 00:25:07.519 --> 00:25:08.960 Man, I remember growing up. 00:25:09.119 --> 00:25:10.000 This is so funny. 00:25:10.079 --> 00:25:12.799 I remember growing up, and you know, like, you know, we're in the South. 00:25:12.880 --> 00:25:15.440 You got people from all different traditions and all different walks of life. 00:25:15.519 --> 00:25:17.039 Brothers and sisters of Christ. 00:25:17.200 --> 00:25:18.000 I love it. 00:25:18.240 --> 00:25:27.359 But this, you know, there's something that we do here in like the spirit-filled church where it's like, oh, you know, did you hear about so-and-so from the, you know, you know, from the Krispy Kreme, you know, whatever. 00:25:27.519 --> 00:25:30.799 You know, like I heard she got I heard she got filled with the spirit. 00:25:31.200 --> 00:25:32.000 You know what I mean? 00:25:32.319 --> 00:25:34.079 Maybe that wasn't a good example. 00:25:35.039 --> 00:25:35.519 I don't know. 00:25:35.599 --> 00:25:41.759 I'm trying not to say names, but has anybody ever grow up in a family where you find out about somebody that maybe went to a different denomination? 00:25:41.920 --> 00:25:47.680 Or one that kind of has maybe a different view of the gifts of the spirit or the fruits of the spirit of continuationism, right? 00:25:47.839 --> 00:25:51.039 And then you find out that, oops, somebody got filled with the spirit. 00:25:52.079 --> 00:25:53.279 Has anybody ever had that? 00:25:53.440 --> 00:25:54.400 Am I the only one? 00:25:54.559 --> 00:26:03.599 There's a lady on our street where mom was like, kept talking to her like while she was pushing her kids in the stroller, and then finally one day she came up, she's like, Don't tell anybody, but I got filled with the spirit. 00:26:04.880 --> 00:26:06.480 Anybody experienced that? 00:26:07.839 --> 00:26:20.799 The purpose of that, spirit-filled believers, the reason why God gives us these gifts, the reason why he puts them here in this church, the reason why we operate them in an orderly fashion in service is to build up the church. 00:26:22.240 --> 00:26:30.400 When people come in destitute and burden and broken, gifts of the spirit are for recovery, for restoration. 00:26:30.799 --> 00:26:35.680 When people come into this church confused, gifts of the spirit are for clarity and unity. 00:26:36.559 --> 00:26:49.359 When people come into this church ready to be empowered for ministry, gifts of the Spirit exist for anointing, for the Spirit to move in and on people's lives for the purpose of building the church. 00:26:49.680 --> 00:26:51.440 I'm just gonna tell you this right now. 00:26:51.599 --> 00:26:52.960 There is no other plan. 00:26:54.799 --> 00:27:00.000 God is not building the church and then doing some side project over here in case the church fails. 00:27:01.599 --> 00:27:09.200 God is not like, hey, the church is going pretty good, but let me just like hedge my bets with some other, you know, secret plan. 00:27:09.359 --> 00:27:13.440 God is building the church that the gates of hell will not prevail against. 00:27:14.640 --> 00:27:23.519 And he's doing that through the moving, the inspiration, the temperance, and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, often in supernatural manifestations of his presence. 00:27:24.240 --> 00:27:29.519 And let me tell you, if you want to see a spirit-filled church, it better be a unified one. 00:27:30.160 --> 00:27:32.799 I don't care what kind of gifts you say you operate in. 00:27:32.960 --> 00:27:35.920 I don't care how sweaty your preacher gets on a Sunday morning. 00:27:38.079 --> 00:27:39.359 I'm gonna start saying names. 00:27:39.519 --> 00:27:48.960 I used to come home every day to my dad, had TVN on the TV, and there was some new guy in a three-piece suit, and I'm talking about he looked like he ran a marathon. 00:27:49.119 --> 00:27:55.680 And I was like, oh, he need some electrolytes or like one of those backpacks to have the straw or something. 00:27:59.440 --> 00:28:02.559 Alright, so what might get in the way of this church unity? 00:28:02.799 --> 00:28:04.319 What do we need to be aware of? 00:28:04.480 --> 00:28:06.400 What are some of the diagnostics that we need to do? 00:28:06.480 --> 00:28:09.039 What is the thing that's maybe hindering us from this? 00:28:09.119 --> 00:28:12.960 You know, tongues of fire came down to unify the church, to build up the church for ministry. 00:28:13.039 --> 00:28:16.880 What is maybe the thing that uh uh um, you know, is gonna get in the way? 00:28:16.960 --> 00:28:18.240 What do we need to be aware of? 00:28:18.559 --> 00:28:21.920 Tell a story about another, you know, uh grandfather in the church. 00:28:22.160 --> 00:28:31.279 Twenty years ago, even before my Holy Spirit class, Commander Dan Spiegelberg used to take the kids, the Royal Rangers, out into the parking lot of the hotel next door to the church. 00:28:31.359 --> 00:28:32.240 What was the hotel? 00:28:32.559 --> 00:28:35.200 The apartment, what was it next to the on university? 00:28:35.519 --> 00:28:35.839 Sheridan. 00:28:36.160 --> 00:28:36.480 Sheridan. 00:28:36.720 --> 00:28:37.279 Sheridan, yeah. 00:28:37.440 --> 00:28:41.839 He used to take us in the park in the parking lot of the Sheridan and have us build bonfires. 00:28:44.559 --> 00:28:46.480 In the parking lot of the Sheridan, right? 00:28:46.640 --> 00:28:49.599 This is back when you could do stuff in church, you know what I mean? 00:28:50.000 --> 00:28:51.839 Back when things were cool. 00:28:52.079 --> 00:28:54.160 You know, back when men were men, right? 00:28:54.240 --> 00:28:55.200 We were Royal Rangers. 00:28:55.279 --> 00:28:59.920 We used to go in the parking lot of the Sheridan, and he Commander Dan would make us build little bonfires, right? 00:29:00.000 --> 00:29:00.880 And it was cool. 00:29:01.039 --> 00:29:07.039 Now they have all these city ordinances and stuff, and it's boring. 00:29:07.200 --> 00:29:10.000 Can't shoot fireworks in the you know, whatever. 00:29:10.160 --> 00:29:11.200 That's specific. 00:29:11.359 --> 00:29:13.839 I'm sorry, but I'm sorry about that. 00:29:14.079 --> 00:29:19.119 Yeah, no, so we used to go and build these fireworks, Commander Dan, and also too, man, he's alright, I'm gonna get emotional. 00:29:19.440 --> 00:29:20.880 I can't say Commander Dan again. 00:29:21.119 --> 00:29:22.319 Still taking care of our family. 00:29:22.400 --> 00:29:24.079 This is the grandparents' thing, right? 00:29:24.160 --> 00:29:26.480 Man, I'm so thankful for the inheritance that we have. 00:29:26.640 --> 00:29:28.880 So inheritance, oh man, alright, okay. 00:29:29.200 --> 00:29:36.799 We build shanty towns in the parking lot of the Sheridan, and we would just you know all be down there, you know, grilling hot dogs, you know, on these little things. 00:29:36.880 --> 00:29:39.759 But you know how he used to make us put the fires out? 00:29:40.799 --> 00:29:42.240 This is how he taught us to put the fires out. 00:29:42.319 --> 00:29:52.400 He would take a little stick and he would divide the fire, and he would push the logs of the fire away from each other, and then the fire would go out. 00:29:58.400 --> 00:30:03.119 You want the fire in this church to go out, start sowing division. 00:30:05.599 --> 00:30:12.240 The presence, the experience, the encounter that you had this morning that was available and evident in the room. 00:30:12.480 --> 00:30:17.200 You want that manifest presence to leave this room so fast, start sowing division. 00:30:18.960 --> 00:30:20.720 Start sowing seeds. 00:30:21.680 --> 00:30:23.359