The Fire That Never Goes Out (transcript)

com. If any of you were gone and out and away for spring break, don’t worry. We’re still in the book of Leviticus. Good answer. And today is probably going to be our last week in the book of Leviticus.

Take your cues from Amanda. So we’ve been, we’ve been in the book of Leviticus for quite some time. And this week, I I’m pretty sure not absolutely sure, but I’m pretty sure this will be the last week that we’re in the book of Leviticus. And this week, our conversation is going to revolve around, a passage in Leviticus that’s been in your Bible this whole time, but you might not have seen it before and or seen what the lord has for us in the midst of this passage. And so we’re not gonna go back and review all of the weeks, but what I thought I would do was just talk about the last two weeks by way of quick review before we get into today’s content.

And as you know, we’ve been in a series that we’re calling Two Men Enter, One Man Leaves. And the idea is that when we step into the arena of our will, somebody’s going to live and somebody’s going to die. And the idea is that Jesus invites us to lay down our life and to surrender our will so that he can, as you’ve heard me say so many times, be the boss of our life, be the leader of our life. And back in maybe like my parents’ generation, people would say, well, yes, but is Jesus your personal Lord and savior? And that resonated with that generation.

To me, if I hear that, that kind of throws me off. Like, ew. Is Jesus your personal lord and said, it’s theologically very accurate. I wish I but I’m like, oh, why do you have to say it like that? But for me, I really resonate with the idea, the concept of, is Jesus the boss of your life?

Is Jesus the leader of your life? Well, yes, he’s my savior, but I’m- I believe my own life. Well, he might be your savior, but is he the leader of your life? And so this series of conversations that we’ve been in called two men enter, one man leaves, there is a beautiful invitation for us as we step into the combat arena of our will to lay our life down and die so that he gets to live his life through us. And there is an entire book of the Bible dedicated and devoted to this idea of dying and sacrifice.

And it’s the old Testament book of Leviticus. And maybe you’ve skimmed through Leviticus before. Maybe you’ve like tried to like soldier your way through as you’re like trying to read the Bible in a year. And you’re like, why am I reading all this old temps up? There’s a lot of bodily fluids.

There’s a lot of blood and there’s a lot of animal parts being thrown about Well, as we have endeavored to discuss, to be able to see the beauty of the book of Leviticus as a divine blueprint for the great links that God will go through in order to create the avenue for us to have right relationship with him. Yeah. So we’ve been talking about the sacrifices. And last two weeks, we have talked specifically, we’ve kind of drilled down into two specific sacrifices. One of the sacrifices was called a a free will offering.

And there are some interesting conditions in which a person would make that sacrifice. And then there are some interesting stipulations about that sacrifice. So by way of review, if you can jog your memory, the free will sacrifice was what would the occasion be for a free will sacrifice? What circumstances may occur where you would bring a free will sacrifice? Baby being born?

A baby being born. Yes. Question. Yes. Yes.

This is an example. What else? What’s the idea behind it? Celebrating a great heart. There you go.

Celebrating could be the first of your crop. It could be the last of your crop. It could be the birth of a baby. It could be a wedding. It could be a fulfilled vow.

It could be a fulfilled promise from from the Lord. I want to celebrate and praise the Lord. So I bring a free will offering to the tent to be sacrificed by the priest. Now what was the interesting condition about that sacrifice? You had to share it.

And does it say this sacrifice must be shared? It doesn’t say that. What does it say? The whole thing must be beaten in one day. Now we’re not talking about, like, a little turtle dove.

We’re not talking about, like, a guinea pig, some chicken wings. Okay. I could maybe eat that. This is bull, ram, heifer, a huge animal. What is the only way that a the stipulation of the entire sacrifice must be eaten in one day.

How can that happen? Party. Party. There you go. There you go.

So you bring your sacrifice to the lord. The animal is killed. Some of the blood is sprinkled on the altar, and the stipulation is that entire animal must be consumed by the person who brought it in one day. And the only way to eat an entire cow is with a lot of help. And the takeaway, the idea is that the goodness of God is intended to be shared in community.

The goodness of God is intended to be shared in community. Had God done something great for you in your life and in your heart? In Leviticus in Leviticus, we can read, you gotta tell people all about it. So one type of sacrifice, the animal was was sacrificed, small portion given to the priest, but the idea is you got to take that animal and eat it. And then last week, wait, there you go.

Then last week, we talked about a different kind of sacrifice. And what was noteworthy or interesting about that sacrifice? A whole thing, Angela. The whole thing had to be burned up. Interesting.

Sometimes you bring an animal and you get like to take it home in England. Different type of sacrifice, the whole thing goes on the altar. And what’s the takeaway for us about that type of sacrifice? It’s called an Ola offering. That’s the Hebrew word Ola.

What’s the idea behind that sacrifice? It is never a waste to give God your very best. And he asks for all of us. He asks for all of So you’ve heard preachers from the stage talk about bring the Lord your cares and your burden and cast them at the foot of the cross. The Lord loves you just the way you are.

You can bring him your pain. You can bring him your loneliness. You can bring him your sorrow. All of that is true. But here’s what we tend to do as people.

We tend to hold on to the very best of our bandwidth, the very best of our emotional, available RAM on our hard drive, and we devoted to to all kinds of other things. The the we take the best, we keep and hold on to the best of our free time. And they’re like, well, I had to get up early this morning for this thing. And I’ll I’ll get around to talking with the Lord like this afternoon or or this evening as I’m laying my head on the pillow. And if you do that in the evening, well, that’s fine.

That’s fine. But when we give God the leftovers, we’re completely missing the point behind the Allah offering. Because the Bible says in that what we talked about last week that we’re to take the first from our herd, the very best from our flocks, and give the entire thing. When that entire animal is laid on the altar, how much of it can you use for other things later? None of it.

It’s all consumed. So the Allah offering is, Lord, I give you all of me and the very best of me. I was thinking in this culture we live in today, it’s just like self care. It’s like it becoming a god, the God. And absolutely, it’s okay to share for yourself.

Like, you know, but I would just encourage folks like seeking the Holy Spirit’s balance of where you are taking care of yourself, that you’re not putting yourself first because that’s the message of the world. You first. You first. And it’s beautiful. Like, you fill your tank that you can give to others.

Like, there is truth in that. But if you’re a believer and you get so important to just ask the holy spirit, like, where’s the balance of that? Because if we are giving ourselves to god, he’s gonna take care of us. If we give all of our everything, like, the he’ll pockets where you can do natural things to care for yourself, pretend whatever. So, yeah, it’s just it’s the message of the world, and it’s the trick of the enemy.

Oh, yeah. Self care. Self care. You first. You first.

So just be. Yeah it’s it’s a tricky job that’s really good tricky watch out for that and so yep I also believe we’re in a culture too where where because of the soft care thing we just want to be And I remember being equals personally, like, talking about going to a denominational church, and I’m not beginning at denominational church. But the reason that she tabulate within her work, she’s just even. Yep. And I can go to church.

I can do the things. I can check off the lid and the TV. And it’s true that church has never required any laying down of the body. You know? That leads to the pilgrims.

And if you stand spiritually, you die. Spiritually, you die. That’s good. This week, let’s turn for the last time, at least for now, to the book of Leviticus chapter six. We’re going to read a passage together and unpack it together.

And yes, things will be asked of you today in this service. Leviticus chapter six verse eight through 13. Why don’t we take turns reading this? You can Well, not that one person can read the whole thing. Leviticus chapter six verse eight through 13, whoever would like to read that, go for it.

Does the lord spoke to Moses saying, man, Aaron, and his son saying, this is the law of the burnt offering. The burnt offering shall remain on the hearth that is on the altar all night until morning. And the fire is to be kept burning on the altar. The priest is to put on his linen robe with his linen undergarment back to his body. Then he shall take up the ashes of the burnt offering, which the fire has consumed on the altar and put them beside the altar.

Then he shall take off his garments and put out something else and take the action up that decant to a ceremonially clean slate. The fire on the altar shall be kept burning. It shall not be allowed to go out. The priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and he shall arrange the burnt offering on it and offer the fat portions of the peace offering of the smoke on it. The fire shall be burning continually on the altar.

It shall not be allowed to go out. Quiet. Okay. If you’re taking notes this morning, at the top of your notes, you can write the title of our conversation, Keep the Fire Burning. So as we dig deeper into Leviticus chapter six verse eight through 13, I always say this, but I love this.

Here’s what I’m asking of you. Look at this passage, consider it, examine it, and I would love to hear from you what details or observations do you see in this passage? We don’t need to jump to like, like spiritual things or connections. Right now we’re just looking for, this kind of stands out to me. I’ll never forget when Lissa and I first went to, we took our kids to The Bahamas for spring break and we were sea kayak camping and we go from beach to beach.

And, some of these white beaches, every now and then you would find a sand dollar. And Sala loved looking for these little sand dollars on the beach, but the sand dollars were the same color as the beach sand. So she would walk along and look and her eyes are looking and looking and every now and then she would reach down and all it was just a clump of sand. But every now and then she would kick the sand away and find the sand dollar and it was a special little treasure to her. And in a similar way, there are all kinds of amazing treasures in God’s word, but we have to be looking with careful lies.

And what do we look for? We look for what’s something interesting that stands out. Just like Selah along the beach. Oh, hey. Something caught my eye.

I’m gonna bend down and investigate it. It might it might be nothing, but it might be a treasure. So what are some details or observations that you have about this passage? What do you see? Like, the letter is stand out to me.

You could see burning stuff, and they’ve learned put on me. It’s pure white letter. And I’m sitting there in the hallway. Why not? That’s gonna be true.

Yeah. And so even I can imagine to do it all during the Yes. No. It’s something in the show without that. So I have always kind of skipped over that sentence or two.

Normally when we talk about observations like yes, interesting observation, but I do want to address that one just briefly. In going the time that we’ve spent in Leviticus, I am, I have learned that God told Moses to have undergarments made and then the uniform goes on top of that. The undergarments are made out of linen, so you stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter. And the idea is the priest gets up in the morning, he gets dressed to go on duty, he puts on the linen undergarments and then his uniform. And his uniform has like a turban and a sash and a thing and it’s stuffed in the jingle bells on the hem of his garment, things like that.

Then he goes into work. And the first thing that he has to do is take off his priestly garments so that his underclothes, his his, the linen undergarments are there. Then he’s doing the work, shoveling out the ashes and doing the thing, put them in a bucket or whatever, transporting them to a place outside of the camp. Then he come well, no. He takes out the ashes, then he puts it back on his priestly garments, and then goes and does with the ashes.

But there is something interesting about showing up in your uniform, undergarments, back into the uniform. That is an interesting detail. What else do you see? I would, I’m sure, highlight it to the linen clothing as well. And I think about linen, linen represented absolute purity and righteous.

And me, it’s like, okay, the priest come covered in absolutely purity and righteousness, but then he runs into the outskirts. We know it can make heaven. City. He was light as snow, and now he’s not. Yeah.

I don’t know. I just thought for that to be true. So, I’d say I have a slide with that, Leviticus Scroll podcast. Yeah. If you haven’t, either gone to this website or, download the app by the project.

And when you go through the Leviticus Scroll, I think it’s 10 episodes, they talk about the linen undergarments and how when you put together the entire picture of what was visually happening in the Tabernacle. There are pomegranates. There are date trees embroidered on there. There’s a big wash basin, fresh water there. There’s the presence of the Lord with the fire and the smoke.

There are cherubim, on the arc. There are the idea through, through visually and, smelling the incense. The idea is it’s a picture of going back to the garden. And part of going back to the garden was the Bible says in the book of Genesis that in the cool of the evening, the Lord would come down and walk with Adam. And in the podcast, they talk about how linen undergarments keep you cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

And it’s this idea of being dressed in in the climate of Eden. Pretty cool. Okay. We used to use this door for reenactment like culinary and they told us that we were making our costume, we could only use linen, linen or wool. And the reason for, because for women working with the fire, those two fabrics don’t burn and they don’t melt your skin, molder, but you won’t get burned if flames or sparks touch the floor.

With every head bowed, every eye closed. That’s good. Do you have to remember which is obviously at every single passage you say, but just how detailed the instructions are. Yeah, like, yeah, like, like, the minutia of it. Yeah, yeah, Yeah.

Okay. Let’s look at, a a specific detail. This idea of, keeping the fire burning among our group of friends, we often talk about, like, passages that stand out to us or life verses or how does the Lord speak to us. And Amanda has shared before that one of the ways that she knows the Lord is trying to get her attention is through the idea of repetition. So she sees it like everywhere she turns, like, Okay, Lord, you’re trying to tell me something.

And we can use that same investigative technique when looking at scripture. God, you there’s something here because I’ve seen this repeated more than once. So what is repeated here several times? What idea or theme or concept or instruction? McPaperdock.

There you go. Thus, the title of our conversation this morning, keep the fire burning. How many times in these few verses does the lord remind us of that? Give that instruction. How many times can you count?

Three times. Three times. I think at I think at the nine, somebody came up with the fourth. Perfect. At least three.

I have to four. But, yeah, better. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Okay. So something about keeping the fire burning is really important. Now, if you, in your backyard, had an altar of uncut stones heaped in a pile that you regularly, daily, killed an animal, splashed its blood, and then burned it on that pile of rocks every day, this would be very helpful. They Ah, this is how we do it. The daily burnt offering, here’s how it happens.

How many of you do that in your backyard? I would assume your backyard and maybe not your front yard too. That’s gonna be a little bit weird. But maybe it’s in your front yard. How many of you do that in your front yard or in your backyard?

Yard? None of us do that. We don’t do that. You’d get especially here in this town. You’d get called out so fast.

Your yeah. Your h o a would be really mad and the town of Jackson would have to gather on the town square again for that. But what does this have to do with us now? That’s the real trick. That’s where the meat, if you will, of Leviticus comes into sharp focus.

Yes, this was written to Israelites and priests for that day, but it is for us. It was written to them, but it is for us today. So what does the lord have for us today in this particular passage of Leviticus? That’s where we’re gonna really drill down into it. You see, keeping the fire burning or the fire on the altar is a metaphor for our relationship with the lord.

Maybe that’s like, blah, mind, but or maybe you’re like, yeah, I get it. Fire on the altar is a metaphor for our relationship with the Lord. That’s the key that unlocks these few verses here. We’re gonna go through and and look at this. Question, whose job is it to keep the fire burning on the altar?

God’s job? Our job? That’s all. Our job. And you were like you’re pointing to yourself.

How do you know that to be true, Bethany? You put the instruction. Okay. That’s correct. Keep the fire burning.

Simple. Am I? It’s so simple, and so many Christians miss it. But I can see how you could miss the translation from the old Kamala where it’s the priest’s job. You could forget that we are now the priest and think, oh, it’s the pastor’s job No.

To feed me. Keep the fire. I wear myself out for keeping all your fires going. What’s the that’d be a problem. Oh, yeah.

Because I I had to tell you real quick. Except we’re about told if you’re a quorum, you didn’t get spun out. Billings. That’s pretty clear, isn’t it? Stay hot.

Keep clogged about it. Stay hot. Keep the fire burning. You might get spat. Get spat out.

Spit. Right. It’s not good. I’ve been there. It’s not a good place.

You will suffer loss. So here’s the here’s the instruction. Keep the fire burning. So many if you’ve been so many of us, if you’ve been walking with with the lord for a while, you can remember a time or a season or an event or a moment that was very impactful to you. You know?

Young Life camp, FCA camp, a conference, some, you know, worship concert that you went to. Mission trip. A mission trip, some life changing sermon that you hear weekly or something, you know, just something. And you’re like from Leviticus, like, wow, that was so, so amazing. And you feel like you’re on this high and you come back from student camp or from the mission trip, man, Lissa and I have led lots of mission trips with with teenagers and high school students over their years.

We’ve been to New Orleans after the hurricane, Haiti after the earthquake, The Dominican Republic, Panama, Peru, uh-huh, Brazil. Yeah. Kenya. Egypt. Egypt.

Yes. These various places around the world. And when students come back from these mission trips, they’re like, you know, they’re just so fired up. And when they would, what? They’re just, they’re just so fired up.

I’ve been to high school with Bibles and oh yeah. Yep, yep, yep. And so, and so you watch them and you see this fire be ignited in their heart. And then when they come back from that event or that camp, or, you know, it’s like, like week one, they’re like, week two, they’re like, you know, by like month three, they’re like, and like, Oh, when is when’s our next mission trip or when’s our next conference that we can go to? Or even for us, maybe on a weekly basis, you know, we come dragging our sorry butts into the weekend and we’re like, Oh, come crawling into church.

Like, oh, I gotta, like, have that fire restoked. And this passage tells us very, very clearly whose responsibility is it to maintain the fire? Ours. Ours. And and how do you do it?

I mean, we heat our whole of ours with weed. Now that means you have to clamp it. Yes. Is it dry? Is it available?

That’s it. Yes. Okay. So it’s not just a matter of detach it or keep the fire. Well, how do you keep fire?

Well, did you do what did you well, she tells us. The fire. And and and you tell us It has to be a priority for your Oh, but you go you have to get cold. Yes. Yes.

Okay. Speak out if you don’t keep it out. Oh, yes, you will. Go go get some wood. So listen.

So many, especially young Christians, think that it is God’s job to keep the fire burning? If not, many Christians think that it’s their youth pastor’s job to keep the fire burning or their pastor’s job. He better bring the heat this week. Boy, I’ve had a rough one and I need that word of encouragement. You might need it.

That’s great. But I also will say this many well intentioned pastors because they have a heart to shepherd the flock. They pick it upon themselves to maintain the fire of the sheep. And that is a that is a tough beast to have to continue to feed. I better come up with more catch phrases.

I better come up with more clever things. And now we need skits and now we need props and now we need special effects. And, and I’ve, I’ve been to what smoke machines and haters in like, we’ve done that and angels coming in on the wires and things. Oh, let me, like, let me keep your fire going. Like, ah, they mean well, but it sets a person up for failure because they think it’s the job of their pastor or that, that, that podcast that they keep listening to, or, or that author like Wendy coming out with another book.

I mean, and the Bible is super, super clear. It is your job to maintain the fight. Question. Who sends the fire? God.

Are you sure? Leviticus chapter nine. This is not on the on the notes, but look at Leviticus chapter nine, and would somebody read verses twenty three and twenty four out loud, and here’s the background. God has given these instructions to Moses. Hey, have Aaron, just like you mentioned a moment ago, Janine, with the the detail, have, the priest dress in this kind of manner, have the tent of meeting decorated this way, set up this way, put this here and all of the instructions have been carried out by Moses faithfully.

The nation of Israel is assembled there. It is now time to consummate or institute or start the sacrificial system. And here’s the moment of events unfolding. Leviticus chapter nine, would somebody just read out loud verses twenty three and twenty four. You’re with me?

Mhmm. The note that Mary went into her tabernacle when she came back out, they’ve left the people again, and the glory of the Lord appeared to the whole community. Fires laced voids from the Lord spread an interesting, the birds’ coughing and the staff on a. When the people plodded, they shuddered with joy. Without they down the grass.

God will send the fire of a passionate love relationship with him. He will send the fire. How many of you ever were like, you know, I’m kind of a sinner. I should like get saved and that’s what I’m going to do. No.

The Lord will like came to you, revealed himself to you, showed you you, and you’re like, good, save me, please help. And he’s like, I got you. God will send the fire of a passionate love relationship with him. But whose job is it to maintain that fire? Out of hours.

That this is what Ian was getting at just a moment ago. How we do that? How we do that? What we gotta keep reading? So not only this is the first and foremost, it’s our job to keep the fire burning, but here’s the second thing.

He says the fire has to be burning on the alter. How long all night, all night Says right here, all night. Then the next thing that happens in the morning is what? You have to take out the ashes of yesterday. Every morning, you have to take out the ashes of yesterday.

When you’ve messed up, when you’ve blown it, when you’ve fallen flat on your face, when you’ve given in the temptation or fear, Wow. The Bible says that his mercies are near. How often? Every morning. Done.

So you come to him in the morning, but messed up. I’ve blown it. Help me, Lord. Let’s just the Bible says in first John one nine, if we confess, I’ll send you faithful and just to forgive us of our sin and forgive us of all unrighteousness so we can have that right standing with him again every morning. Let go of our fears and failures, our pain.

But that’s only one side of the coin. There’s another side to that exact same coin. Taking out the ashes of yesterday’s failures and the ashes of yesterday’s what? Sacropods. Sacrifice.

Joy. Taking out the ashes of yesterday’s victories, triumphs, wins. Because it’s one thing to be like, I’ve messed up and I’ve blown it. Can I have another chance today? And he’s like, I got you.

But what happens when we come back from that camp, that speaker, whatever, the mission trip, and we’re like, well that was awesome yesterday, wow that was awesome two days ago. How many have ever been the first up at camp and tried to build a fire the next morning when there’s nothing but ashes in their campfire ring. Like, doesn’t doesn’t go so well. Great campfire last night, but what is it this morning? I shit.

Here’s where a lot of Christians get stuck. They’re trying to build today’s fire on top of yesterday’s ashes, And it never intended to be that. I Janet said it’s at 9AM. She said, that totally tracks what the nature and character does to keep us in close relationship. They would just like the man.

Yeah. The queen didn’t last. They didn’t keep. The man was beautiful from heaven, but he’d only lasted one day so that he might have to go out and get new men. Every day?

Yeah. Every day. Mhmm. What does the Bible say? Around Saturday or Friday.

Yeah. Yeah. What does the bible say? I ask not for riches or for wealth, but for my daily bread. Jesus said, don’t worry about tomorrow.

Tomorrow’s got enough stuff of its own. Just worry about today. Today. Yesterday was amazing, Lord. Today, I seek you fresh.

Our leadership team, we do a lot of events, and we’ve done a lot of events together as a leadership team. And some of those events go better than others. There are sometimes we get done with that and we’re like, whew, I’m glad that’s ashes. Whew, let’s shake the dust off our feet and move on. Won’t tell you which events those were because you probably had a great time.

Other events, like we get done, we get done with Easter and and people are getting saved and we’re seeing faces that we haven’t seen since Christmas. And there’s just like everybody’s excited about Jesus and it’s so great. And, all of y’all go home, and then our leadership team has left it clean up. That was amazing. That was incredible.

Thank you, Lord, so much. And now it is Ashes. Ashes. It’s just Ashes. Bad stuff and the good stuff.

Can I just introduce a little bit complexities to this? Sure. Ian, I would expect you to do nothing less. And I and and I so when I come down in the morning and the stove is still hot and there’s ash in there, You take the ash out, but you leave the growing embers. And I get an incredible satisfaction from lighting the flower of our ears in a match.

The Oh, yes. Oh, yes. I placed the growing coals. I get one blow on it. Yeah.

Perhaps you can’t even knock. So it’s not totally throw away everything from yesterday. Keep it. Keep it. That, but as you keep the dump and the pit.

And what what what is it? Is it some some small in which? Yes. Yes. A bruised reed or a small in which will not sweat down.

Yeah. I think that’s Isaiah. But I think it’s attention to manage too because we are called to remember. I I mean, we’re just saying that they’re like, remember what ideas you That thing is that can it out. Build the what’s that thing called?

An Ebenezer. Mhmm. You know? It should break they can burn what he’d done to face the battles for tomorrow. But I think he would enhance attention minutes, keep that goal.

Keep the gold and build on it. But if you didn’t blow on that, that thing would go out as well. Yep. You know? You gotta keep that pecan out in fuel, not just once a day.

It’s a continual. Yeah. That is my job when we can. I’m gonna start giving you my notes so that you don’t preach a 100 me. That’s my job when we can.

I get up super early in my track, keep one ember and Oh, no. It’s so satisfying. You gotta get those ashes out of the way, blow on it, see what’s still there. Yes. So that’s, we talked about this at the 9AM also.

The like, how are we supposed to take out the ashes of yesterday and celebrate pecky day I’m pointing to our pecky door around the corner. How we do that? How do we take out the ashes of yesterday, but then celebrate pecky day and remember there’s attention to manage and like both of you just said there’s an ember there that we can build off of so that today’s fire can be fresh. And here’s another pitfall that many Christians fall into is they they say, well, Lord, especially young people and students. Lord, I’ve seen that you’ve come through for my mom, for my dad, like, oh, you’re going to come through for for me and yes, but if you’re relying on your parents to build today’s fire for you, you’re going to be out of luck.

If you’re if you’re waiting or relying on, if you think that it’s your pastor’s job to build your buyer, you’re you’re missing out. If your pastors have intentionally or unintentionally, either intentionally to feed their own ego and increase their platform or unintentionally because they love you so much, try to feed your fire or you’re you’re missing out as well. Fresh wood every day so that the Lord can lead you in new and unique ways. There’s an example of David going to battle with the Philistines And he says, Lord, will you get the Philistines into our hands? Will you deliver us?

And God’s like, yes. And I want you to attack straight on. Just just ramming speed and hit them with everything you got. David’s like on it and gets a great victory. Few pages later, he’s fighting them again.

David does not say, I’m gonna build today’s battle plan off of yesterday’s victory. It’s a new battle. It’s a new day. So he goes to the lord and says, okay, lord. Will you deliver the Philistines into our hands?

And he goes, yes. But this time, wait for the wrestling and the sound of the trees, and then I want you to outflank them. Come in from their side, and they would like, that’s a good idea. Because who’s coming in the trees? The angel armies marching a bloody gun.

And so and so new days require new tactics and strategies. And it’s only if we understand the concept of taking out yesterday’s ashes do we have room in our life and our heart for today’s fresh fire. Now he’s been talking about this and talking about this and talking about this. Now what do we do once the ashes have been removed? What do we do?

What does it say right here? Every day, the priest will, after he takes out the ashes, what’s it say? That’s right. You have to add fresh wood to the fire. Every day, you have to add fresh wood to the fire.

Now we could we’ve talked about a lot of other things. And so to be fastidious with our time, the best way to add wood to the fire is right here. This thing right here. Not your pastor reading it to you, not Jay reading in a men’s Bible study, but you getting into God’s word for yourself, taking out the ashes, adding fresh wood to the fire. Very simple equation.

Little bit of wood yields. What little fire. Now come on, firefighter. A lot of wood, a lot of wood. Fifty eight o’clock.

Equals a big fire. Lot of fuel is a lot to burn. Slow down on the back, please. We’re getting close to lunch. Yeah.

Yeah. That’s funny. But the equation is so simple and it’s so true. When you were at camp, when you were on the mission trip, you’re doing devos every day and you’re going to sessions and you’re with your small group and you’re getting into God’s word and you’re praying and you’re talking and then you come back and you’re like, that was so amazing and incredible. And you’re trying to build today’s fire on yesterday’s ashes when there’s so much fuel right here in front of you.

I know you’ve heard me say it, but I always have to quote it. I love what you cooked up to make me look up. You said I could pick your brain if I just pick your book up. And ever since the day we hooked up, life has been super fly like Jimmy Snowpelt. I don’t think anyone’s heard you say that.

Good. Just forget it. I know I said it again. I can say it again. I say this all the time.

Stop it. I love what you cooked up to make me look up. You said I could pick your brain if I just picked your book up. Adding small amount of wood equals small fire. A lot of wood, big fire.

And then here’s the last thing, let’s get there. What do you see before it goes up on the screen? You’ve been so good, keeping up with me, Hux. The last sentence of verse 12. We’re in, still in six.

Yes. Never really left. Except for, oh, a little detour. Oh, you guys are still on it. Alright.

Okay. Come on back. Chapter six, last sentence of verse 12. And write note that of the fellowship offering. There you go.

Look. We’ll put it up on the screen here. You’ve got to let the fat drip. You’ve got to let the fat drip. Now let’s if you’re like, what?

Let’s think in terms of making hamburgers on the grill. What happens when you take that spatula and mash it down on that hamburger patty? What what what, Leo? You’re saying it? Wire for there’s a Beaker.

You haven’t added necessarily any more wood, but the flame. Oh, so many individuals. Sacrifice feeds the fire. Sacrifice feeds the fire. So many individuals and even entire theological camps and denominations Don’t let the fat drip clean.

I’m good with God the Father. God the Son? Oh, yeah. But the oil and the person and the ministry of the Holy Spirit, I’m not too sure. The, the, the, the, the.

So you’re saying fat is the Holy Spirit? Yes. Let the fat drip. It’s the, it’s the oil and the fat that’s combustible that causes the flame to erupt. So many churches are like, we’re good with God the Father, God the Son all day.

And they’re like, meh, only bigger. And even some would, they would acknowledge the person of the Holy Spirit, but deny His gifts and His ministry. Either because of incorrect demonic teaching that would misinterpretation of scripture that would say the ministry of the Holy Spirit is not for today, but the work of the Holy Spirit ceased when, when the scriptures were canonized, and now we have the perfect, which is the Bible, and therefore we don’t need the ministry of the Holy Spirit, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the expression of the Holy Spirit. And when it and when they do see it, it’s and when it and when they do see it, they’re like, that’s fake. And they they poo poo it.

Or folks that just might not know about the person in ministry of the Holy Spirit. And out of ignorance, they don’t let the fat drip. You run the risk of, what? Better be wearing linen and wool. But as long as you’re wearing linen and wool, we’ll spend that.

You know when I see that in the practical, because I heard you obviously we’ve talked about this a lot in the years, but I’m just it’s like coming in a really practical way for me. So you get up, let’s say practical things like, okay, fresh wedding. I come, I open my bible, like reading your song. So The songbirds. And I read it, I get something out of it, but then I just close the Bible and I just kind of go on and I skip a whole step of just sitting and saying, okay, Holy Spirit, like, what do you want us to make to me for today and through this and just be still?

Did I just come with my request? Did I just come and do go through these, you know, steps that I know I’m supposed to do as a good Christian, like opening my Bible reading already? But if I never actually sit and let the oil, the fat drip down, like I’m missing a huge section of that relationship, like keeping the fire. And it doesn’t behoove me because now I’m having to put more wood, more time and, you know, rather than just sit with them as their fat just drips down, like what a gift, what a gift from the Lord to let the fat drip down, like that’s effortless, all we have to do is say, okay, I’m here. Just be still and just say what he wanna speak to me.

That was for me. Good. Jesus says, it’s better for you that I go because when I go, I will send him the Holy Spirit, and he will guide you into all truth. Did they actually, I must go. Must, it’s better for you.

Yes. I must go. Good. The Holy Spirit leads us to Jesus and Jesus will lead us to the Holy Spirit. So let’s take a moment for a few minutes that we have left and let’s let the fat drip.

Just speak to our hearts. Holy Spirit, come and minister to us. Would that be all right if I prayed for you? Please stand up. Lord Jesus, I command a blessing over each and every person here today.

It’s always as a sight that always blesses my heart to see folks who close their eyes and hold their little hands out like they’re receiving because, Lord Jesus, I command a blessing over each and every person here. Lord, thank you for sending the fire and help us, Lord, to maintain that fire so that we burn brightly for you. And Lord, would you let the fat of the Holy Spirit drip all over our lives so that everything we do would make your name famous. We pray these things in Jesus name, the strong son of God, and everybody said, Amen. Amen.

I love you so very much. I hope to see all y’all at Town Square at five. Have a great weekend. Remember, you got this.