00:00:00.000 - 00:00:22.000

[Pause] 425. Set my soul afire. Three stanzas to this. Set my soul afire, Lord. Set my soul afire.

00:00:22.000 - 00:00:38.280

Make my life a witness of thy saving power. millions grope in darkness, waiting for thy word. Set my soul afire, Lord, set my soul afire. Everybody, please.

00:00:38.280 - 00:01:14.380

(gentle piano music) [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] [ Music ]

00:01:14.380 - 00:01:47.520

Set my soul afire, Lord, for the Holy Word. Burdened with within me, let thy voice be heard. ♪ Will your truth in my depths ♪ ♪ In this day and hour ♪

00:01:47.520 - 00:02:10.720

♪ I will be a witness ♪ ♪ Fill me with thy power ♪ ♪ Set my soul on fire, Lord ♪ Set my soul a-birth.

00:02:10.720 - 00:02:46.160

Make my life a witness of Thy saving power. Millions roam in darkness waiting for Thy Word. Set my soul on fire, Lord. Set my soul on fire.

00:02:46.160 - 00:03:25.100

Set my soul on fire, Lord, for the Lord's sake. Give to me a passion as I seek to live. Help me not to falter, never let me melt. ♪ Fill me with Thy Spirit ♪

00:03:25.100 - 00:03:49.900

♪ When I will repent ♪ ♪ Set my soul on fire ♪ ♪ Set my soul on fire ♪ ♪ Make my life a witness ♪

00:03:49.900 - 00:04:19.840

of thy saving power. Millions roam in darkness, waiting for thy word. Set my soul on fire, Lord. Set my soul on fire.

00:04:19.840 - 00:04:34.320

Now let's take our seats and sing that softly while we are seated. Softly. Set my soul on fire, Lord, in my daily hour.

00:04:36.820 - 00:05:25.240

For too long I've wandered in this veiled strife. Nothing else will matter but to live for thee. I will be a witness for Christ lives in me. Set my soul afire, Lord.

00:05:25.240 - 00:05:52.520

Set my soul afire. ♪ Make my life a witness ♪ ♪ Of thy saving power ♪ ♪ Millions moan in darkness ♪

00:05:52.520 - 00:06:30.380

♪ Waiting on thy word ♪ ♪ Set my soul on fire ♪ ♪ Set my soul on fire ♪ Then said Elijah,

00:06:30.380 - 00:07:04.060

unto the people. I, even I only, remain a prophet of the Lord. But Baal's prophets are 450 men Let Them give us two bulls

00:07:04.060 - 00:07:26.580

And let them choose one bull for themselves and cut it in pieces and lay it on wood And put no fire under And I will dress the other bull and lay it on wood and put no fire under and

00:07:26.580 - 00:07:43.660

Call on the name of your gods and I will call on the name of the Lord and The God that answers by fire. Let him be God And all the people answered and said

00:07:43.660 - 00:07:57.820

It is well spoken 1st Kings chapter 18 verses 22 through 24 the subject Trial by fire

00:07:57.820 - 00:08:17.820

Trial by fire The Hebrew name Elijah Means My God is Yah, my God is Yahweh

00:08:17.820 - 00:08:39.260

Elijah Lived during a critical period in Hebrew history The strong United Kingdom

00:08:40.780 - 00:09:06.820

established by David had been divided. The glory and prosperity of Solomon had passed away. Instead of a nation united in peace, there were two rival kingdoms,

00:09:09.060 - 00:09:33.940

Israel in the north and Judah in the south. It was in Israel that Elijah lived and performed his prophetic ministry. Ahab was the king.

00:09:36.740 - 00:10:24.940

Ahab was a shrewd and sagacious monarch, skilled in the art of diplomacy. He gave to the nation military might and political strategy. This position was fortified against the growing threat of the Assyrian Empire by the formation of an unholy alliance with the king of Tyre.

00:10:24.940 - 00:11:06.140

This relationship was cemented by Ahab's marriage to the king's daughter, Jezebel. Jezebel was a heathen princess. She was reared in a foul and filthy atmosphere. She served gods that were symbols of iniquity and lust.

00:11:06.140 - 00:11:31.300

When she became Queen of Israel, she brought her idol worship with her. She persecuted the prophets of the Lord. Many were slaughtered. Hundreds were driven from the land.

00:11:31.300 - 00:12:12.680

She brought 450 prophets of Baal from her native land and set about to snap out the true religion of Israel. prophets, ate the deities of the king's table, and preached to the people a gospel that suited their fancy and soothed their itching ears. Under the

00:12:12.680 - 00:13:02.520

disguise of godly worship they gave license to the worst passions of men and women. It is not surprising that such a religion had a popular appeal to the hot bloodied people of the Orient. In the midst of such strange and unfamiliar or rather unpleasant circumstances, Elijah suddenly and mysteriously appears on the

00:13:02.520 - 00:13:42.960

stage of human history. He enters unannounced and without introduction. The Bible merely says Elijah the Tishbite. The town of Tishbe was located near the tree-clad hills of Gilead on the fringe of the desert. It was located in a rugged mountainous area.

00:13:42.960 - 00:14:36.520

The personality of the prophet Elijah was reflected by the environment in which he lived. Elijah was tall and erect with untrimmed bushy hair and a long shaggy beard. His face and chest were tanned with exposure to the heat and the wind. was a country preacher. His dress was simple. He had no costly robes, exquisitely tailored,

00:14:36.520 - 00:15:18.920

as was the case with the prophets of Baal. He had no elaborate waist belt. His wardrobe consisted of a leather girdle around his loins and a hairy mantled forest cloak. Elijah was just a simple country preacher, but he was God's prophet. He did not eat the dainties of the king's table, he feasted on the wild berries of the

00:15:18.920 - 00:15:59.480

field. He was fearless. He was fearless because he was free. Those who eat the dainties of the king's table are not at liberty to cry out against the evils of of the palace. As a prophet, Elijah possessed spiritual vision which enabled him to see the truth and moral fortitude to speak the truth. He was uncompromising

00:15:59.480 - 00:16:45.280

in his stand for truth and righteousness. He was a man of invincible courage and undaunted faith. He had a faith that would not shrink though pressed by many a foe that would not tremble on the brink of any earthly woe. Elijah was God's prophet. He endeavored to live up to his name, "My God is Yahweh." It matters not how

00:16:45.280 - 00:17:20.360

peculiar you may look, or how cheap may be your clothes, if you're God's servant you have a special niche in history. Elijah was God's prophet. The Lord God Almighty had kindled a flame on the altar of his heart and it was a fire that no water could put out. He was God's prophet. There was a conflict in

00:17:20.360 - 00:17:50.080

the land concerning who is God, Baal or Yahweh? Who is God? So Elijah is chosen to engage in conflict resolution. You know, many people in that day, as they do today, they served Baal, and they also served Yahweh.

00:17:50.080 - 00:18:09.720

Little of this and a little of that. Like the man who was praying, "Oh Lord, oh devil, "Oh Lord, oh devil." And the man asked him, "Why are you praying,

00:18:09.720 - 00:18:19.000

"Oh Lord and oh devil?" He said, "Well, I don't know whose hands "I'm gonna end up in, "and so I wanna be on good terms with both."

00:18:19.000 - 00:18:41.220

That was the attitude of people in that day, and it's still the attitude of many people in our day. So the contest is at Mount Carmel. Each is to appear.

00:18:41.220 - 00:19:17.340

The 450 prophets of Baal are to come, and Elijah is to be with them. The prophets of Baal are given a sacrifice of a bull. given no fire and since they are more in number Elijah gives them the courtesy of you go first and call on the name of your God let us see if he answers by

00:19:17.340 - 00:20:05.020

fire. So it was they called on their God from early in the morning until noon they called on Baal. They cried, "Baal hear us!" But there was no answer. You know some prayers are not answered because they are prayers to Baal. They cried and they jumped upon the altar, they cut themselves and the blood came out and

00:20:05.020 - 00:20:39.540

was sprinkled upon the altar but nothing happened. Some sacrifices really don't really don't matter because they are sacrifices to Baal. We may put ourselves on the altar but it may be on the altar for Baal. So their sacrifices, their cries were not heard because they were offered to Baal. So they continued

00:20:39.540 - 00:21:11.540

this until evening. It was a time for the evening sacrifice. It was time for Elijah, the prophet of the Lord. Elijah took 12 stones according to the number of the tribes of Israel. Twelve symbol of unity. Twelve the symbol of the community. unity in prayer, there is always power

00:21:11.540 - 00:21:36.840

where there is unity in prayer. In fact, Jesus says that if two of God's servants agree on earth concerning that which is asked in prayer, God the Father in heaven will answer.

00:21:36.840 - 00:21:54.000

There is power when there is unity in prayer. So Elijah has the people to come near. I want you to draw near so you can get a close look at what's going to happen.

00:21:54.000 - 00:22:14.160

He repairs the altar of the Lord. Oh, that's the problem today. The altar, the throne from which prayers are offered, the altar is in a state of disrepair.

00:22:14.160 - 00:22:35.580

Elijah repairs the altar. A deep trench is made around the altar so that the people might not think that Elijah is engaging in some magic.

00:22:35.580 - 00:22:51.820

I want you to draw close, look at this. They have this trench there, and after this deep trench is made, Elijah says, "Now take four barrels of water

00:22:51.820 - 00:23:09.340

"and pour it upon this bull, this sacrifice." and they poured four barrels of water upon it. He said, "Do it a second time." And they poured four barrels of water the second time.

00:23:09.340 - 00:23:24.140

He said, "Do it a third time." And they poured four barrels of water a third time. Some say that they did it once for the father, they did it a second time for the son,

00:23:24.140 - 00:23:50.060

and a third time for the Holy Spirit. And then Elijah says to them, listen, as I fall on my knees and make my prayer to God, and he got on his knees and prayed to God,

00:23:50.060 - 00:24:35.240

and he said, Lord, let it be known that I am your servant. I am your servant and that you are the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I'm out here on your word. Answer me." And the fire fell. The fire fell. Whenever prayers ascend, the fire descends. When prayers

00:24:35.240 - 00:25:26.120

go up to God, God answers with fire. Fire. Fire that cleanses. Fire that purifies. Fire that destroys. Fire that refines. God answers by fire, because our God is a consuming fire. He answers by fire, and when the fire fell, it burned up the sacrifice. When the fire fell, it burned

00:25:26.120 - 00:25:59.080

up the rocks. When the fire fell, it burned up the dust. When the fire fell, it lit up all of the water in the trenches. There's power, yes, power, when the fire falls. Now, do you do you have any rocks in your life? When the fire falls from heaven

00:25:59.080 - 00:26:23.920

it'll destroy those rocks. Do you have any dust that would make you dirty and get in your eyes? The fire that falls from heaven will destroy the dust. And if you've had water, and certainly all of us have had that, you've had water, of people people want to dampen your spirit they they throw some water on you

00:26:23.920 - 00:26:55.720

and and and if you have some water that is there to dampen your zeal for goodness and for righteousness sake let the fire of heaven fall in your life when the fire falls there's a radical change whenever the fire falls ask, ask, ask, ask Isaiah. Well before asking Isaiah, let's stop there and ask Moses about

00:26:55.720 - 00:27:30.060

the fire. And Moses will say, "Yes, I was on the back side of the desert. I was just busy going about my work, but I looked and I saw fire. Fire in the form of a burning bush and I decided that I would draw close and see that great sight and when I got near I heard the voice of God. Our God is a consuming fire. You see he

00:27:30.060 - 00:28:01.920

consumes but we cannot consume him. Our God is a consuming fire. Well let's ask I said, "Isaiah, what about God?" He said, "Well, I was in the temple and while I was there, the heavens opened and I had a vision of God. And when I saw God, I took another look at myself and I said, 'Woe is me, for I am undone. I'm a man of unclean lips,

00:28:01.920 - 00:28:27.680

and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips.'" And he said, "One of the seraphims took a tongue from the altar and touched my lips and said your iniquity is forgiven. Things happen when the fire falls. Ask Jeremiah if you will, ask him, ask him, and Jeremiah said, "Well I was prophesying in his name, but so many

00:28:27.680 - 00:28:55.760

terrible things happened to me that I decided that I'd give it up. I would just give him my resignation, but he said his word was like a fire, shut up in my bones. Things happen when the fire falls. Ask John Wesley about the fire. He said, "Well it happened that I was with a group and something happened to me. I was strangely

00:28:55.760 - 00:29:27.860

warmed." Whenever the fire falls, it's a difference in your life. It's a wonderful thing when the fire falls, because when the fire falls you can no longer remain the same. And when the people looked and they said one to another, "The Lord is God." The Lord is God. You know God has a way of making us

00:29:27.860 - 00:29:59.100

know who he is. And they had a celebration in the camp when they witnessed this miraculous experience. They said, "We know of a truth that the Lord is God, that the God of Elijah is our God. This is the God that has brought us out of of Egypt. This is the God that has led us through valleys and over hills. This God

00:29:59.100 - 00:30:31.380

is our God. Thanks be to God that he does give us a flame. You know he's a wall of fire around us. He's a wall of protection and I know know something about it, because in the walk that I've had with God that I know that when you've been placed in some rather cold circumstances that he has a

00:30:31.380 - 00:31:05.940

way of warming your heart. He's a fire, the fire that nobody can put out. A lot of water get dashed against you, a lot of stones in the path, but God is a fire that destroys the stones. God is a fire that warms and refines. God is a fire that purifies. Thanks be to God that he is a fire. He's a fire that falls. That's

00:31:05.940 - 00:31:33.640

that's what makes the church the church. That's what makes the church. Can't you see that that band of believers gathered in the upper room and the door is locked and they're all afraid and and something miraculously happens that there is a mighty rushing wind and and fire falls from heaven and they were never never

00:31:33.640 - 00:32:00.120

the same because fire failed that day and we are here today celebrating the fact that this same God has appeared in our lives and has changed our lives and continues to change our lives and it's all because of something rather mysterious. Oh we can't explain it, we can't explain it, all of the books of

00:32:00.120 - 00:32:33.180

philosophy and all of that and all of the books of Theotokos can't really explain what has happened in my life and your life, but we do know that our God is a consuming fire and he tries us by fire. He put the Hebrew children in a fiery furnace, but he had conditioned the furnace. He's there as a fire, consuming

00:32:33.180 - 00:33:06.020

fire in our lives. As we come to this time of invitation, there may be someone here who is not rightly related to Christ and the church, we ask you to come, Make a decision for him. You may be here in Austin without a church home. We invite you to join with the family of God here at Ebenezer. We invite you to come.

00:33:06.020 - 00:33:53.700

Come. [ Music ] [ Music ] Preachers and teachers would make their appeal.

00:33:58.700 - 00:35:19.680

Fighting as soldiers on great battlefields, when to their pleadings my poor heart did yield. All I could say. There is something with him. Something within me that holeth the range. Something within me that banishes pain.

00:35:19.680 - 00:35:52.080

♪ Something within me ♪ ♪ I cannot explain ♪ ♪ All that I know ♪ ♪ There is something within ♪

00:35:52.080 - 00:36:25.420

♪ Have you that something ♪ ♪ That burning desire ♪ ♪ Have you that something ♪ ♪ That never does tire ♪

00:36:25.420 - 00:36:50.600

♪ Oh, if you have it ♪ ♪ That heavenly fire ♪ ♪ And let the world know ♪ ♪ There is something ♪

00:36:50.600 - 00:37:10.820

♪ Within ♪ This one we can identify with. ♪ I met God one morn ♪ ♪ My soul feeling bad ♪

00:37:10.820 - 00:37:38.300

♪ Heart heavy laden ♪ ♪ With a bowed down head ♪ ♪ He lifted my burden ♪ ♪ That make me so glad ♪

00:37:38.300 - 00:37:55.860

♪ Oh, that I know ♪ ♪ There is something ♪ ♪ Within me ♪ All join in that chorus, "Something Within Me."

00:37:55.860 - 00:38:16.880

♪ Something within me ♪ [ Music ] ♪ Oh rain ♪ ♪ Something within me ♪

00:38:16.880 - 00:39:02.560

♪ That I can't explain ♪ ♪ Something within me ♪ [Music] Amen. That's enough.

00:39:02.560 - 00:39:57.580

[BLANK_AUDIO] [BLANK_AUDIO] [silence] her say aye. Opposed no it's carried. We have the mother and son Valerie Owusu and

00:39:57.580 - 00:40:17.740

Christopher Hicks coming to us from the New Faith Missionary Baptist Church in Houston. All right would you stand please. All right. What's that last name again? Owusu and brother Hicks. All right they come would you face the audience please. You unite with our church on the basis of that

00:40:17.740 - 00:40:37.660

Christian experience all who are in favor of accepting them would you say aye those no it's carried and we are happy to have you to make this decision to Jesus Christ and we trust that together we shall be found being faithful in his service you may be seated let's all say amen amen amen

00:40:37.660 - 00:41:05.240

beg pardon the rent froze are they here today all right well they are related to of the rent froze and we're delighted to have this additional part of the family. Amen. Amen. All right now those persons who stood earlier celebrating birthdays this week would you go now to the rear of the sanctuary. You're invited to the

00:41:05.240 - 00:41:43.080

fellowship period that follows the benediction in the fellowship hall. We need all the children to report to Fellowship Hall immediately. Thank you. [BLANK_AUDIO]