If you want to preach a sermon fresh fire and you are at a loss for ideas, this guide is going to help you. With the help of the Holy Spirit, I have come up with just the perfect sermon outline that will help you with the preparation for the sermon on fresh fire.
Whether you are a preacher who wants to get help building your sermon or you are trying to find out what it takes to get fresh fire, this article has got you covered. Without further ado, let’s get into the sermon outline.
Sermon on Fresh Fire Outline
- Introduction
- Objective
- Understanding the need for fresh fire
- How to receive fresh fire
- Hindrances to fresh fire baptism
- Fresh fire prayers
Introduction
Father, we are gathered before you today, believing that you are going to bless our hearts and cause us to be enlightened and empowered through the entrance of your word. Thank you, Lord, in the name of Jesus.
Today, we are faced with a crucial and very important subject and it is on fresh fire. The goal of fire in the lives of believers cannot be overemphasized. In Matthew 3:11, we see that one of the things Jesus came to do was to baptize us with the Holy Ghost and fire.
This fire is essential for kingdom service, for living courageously, and for witnessing to God. There is no disputing the fact that the Christian needs fire.
If you are feeling dry, weak, and stagnant in faith, then it is a sign that you need fresh fire. Let’s consider the need for fresh fire.
Objective
To understand what it means to receive fresh fire, how to get fresh fire baptism, and what are some of the hindrances to receiving fresh fire baptism.
Understanding the Necessity for Fresh Fire
The disciples received the baptism of the Holy Ghost in Acts 2 and they began to do great things. The fire was so intense on the day of baptism that 3000 people joined the church but you see that was not all. It was growing in intensity around Jerusalem with miracles, healing, and bold-faced preaching going on around the city.
This made the Sadducees and priests so angry, they decided to get hold of Peter and John in Acts 4. After threatening them, Peter and John returned to their company in Acts 4:23. In verses 24-30, they prayed and by verse 31, there is a record of a rebaptizing of the Holy Spirit.
Let us read the account;
This rebaptizing is typical of what fresh fire is about. From the verses, the following are things we can see as reasons why fresh fire is necessary:
- It brings the impartation of boldness (Acts 4:31)
- It creates a hunger for God, an undying desire for more of God
- It makes brotherly love easy and binds believers together in unity (Acts 4:32)
- It brings the impartation of power against the demonic supernatural (Acts 4:33)
- It makes giving to kingdom work and charity causes easier (Acts 4:34-37)
It is safe to say that fresh fire is indeed a necessity in our lives as believers.
How to Receive Fresh Fire
There are four important steps that can be used to receive fresh fire. If you need that fresh baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire, then the following steps are important to be taken.
Hunger and Desperation
One of the best texts in the Bible about hunger and desperation for fresh fire is in Psalm 63:1-5.
The first verse of that scripture shows desperation and hunger. It takes desperation and hunger to make statements like:
- Early will I seek thee
- My soul thirsts for you
- My flesh longs for you
You will understand this better when you consider that David was in a dry and thirsty land where there was no food or water. Now, in such a scenario, you will most likely be thinking of what to eat and drink or how to get out of there.
But here, we have David who is not bothered about all the things which we would naturally think about. Instead, he was hungry and desperate for God and His presence. This is what makes it an important prerequisite for getting fresh baptism.
Hunger and desperation is a state of the heart and the posture of the mind. This arrangement is what brings us to the other step.
Intense Prayer and Fasting
Every time there was a case of the baptism of fresh fire, you would find prayer and fasting as components that aided the baptism.
Before Acts 2 when the day of Pentecost was fully come, what gave permission to the baptism of the Holy Ghost was highlighted in Acts 1:14;
Intense prayers and supplications were recorded for as many days as they had to wait. Praying for fresh fire baptism and praying in the Spirit intensely is an important criterion for receiving fresh baptism.
When your heart is set with hunger and desperation and then you begin to spend time praying, you invite the Spirit and He comes with fresh fire.
Fasting is another side of the coin and we see that in the life of Jesus as recorded in Luke 4. Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness and after fasting and praying, in Luke 4:14;
Jesus returned in the power of the Holy Ghost. Power is a residue of fresh fire baptism and fasting creates the ambiance for the reception of this baptism.
While the baptism of the Spirit comes to us a lot of times without necessary preparation, if you want the kind of fire that comes with the fresh baptism of fire, then fasting and praying is crucial.
Take time to fast, praying earnestly for the baptism of fire.
Diligent Study of the Word
The study of the Word is another important step to take for fresh fire baptism and it is typically because the study of the Word of God gives room for the move of the Spirit.
In Ezekiel 2:2;
As the word of God entered the prophet, then the Spirit entered. God’s word gives His Spirit the chance to move and with His move comes fresh fire.
Also, see what Jeremiah 23:29 says,
God’s word burns like fire. This is what Jeremiah also says in Jeremiah 20:9,
The Spirit of God moves in the direction of the word as we study and He brings fire with Him and then the word burns in our heart like fire. So, it is a double-edged arrangement.
A Life of Holiness & Purity
Last and certainly not the least, fresh fire only comes on holy and pure vessels. No one who lives in sin or has a problem with staying pure can access this fresh fire baptism.
See what Jesus says in Luke 5:37-38;
God will not put fresh fire on you when you have an old wineskin. An old wineskin is a life that has not decided to change in purity and holiness. It is not in the character of God to put fresh fire in a vessel that is not given to holiness.
Now that we have seen how we can receive fresh fire, it is important to note that there are things that can hinder fresh fire baptism. This is what we should consider.
Hindrances to Fresh Fire Baptism
The following are ways that our prayers and desire for fresh fire baptism might be hindered:
Sin
One of the major hindrances to fresh fire baptism is a life of sin. This is not just a hindrance to fresh fire baptism but a hindrance to anything we want to receive from God.
Selfish Desire
A lot of us ask for fresh fire because we want to put on a show. Our goal for asking that God puts fresh fire on us is because we want to pray more than our neighbor, we want to sound more revelational than others, we want to be considered more spiritual, and much more.
We do not receive what we ask for when we intend to consume it on our lust. If we are ever going to receive anything from God, it will be because He will profit from handing it to us.
Whether every other thing is in place, your hunger and desperation, fasting and praying, diligent study of the word, and you are living a life of holiness, if you need fresh fire because of your own pleasures, you are not getting it.
A Lack of Desperation
This lack of desperation is often expressed in how approach praying and studying for the baptism of fresh fire.
You can tell that someone is not desperate enough when they plan to fast for three days and on the first day decide that it is safer to eat and continue the next day which they never do.
It is easy to see that someone is not desperate for the fire when he or she begins to study their Bible and after a few minutes are scrolling on Instagram.
There are so many things that we do that show that we are not ready for this fresh fire baptism. This is why the first thing I said we needed to receive fresh fire was hunger and desperation. They make doing other things easier.
Without hunger and desperation, you are not going to want to fast and pray as you should, you are not going to study the word as you ought to, and living a life of purity will feel like too great a sacrifice.
Fresh Fire Prayers
The best way to close out this sermon on fresh fire is to pray for the baptism of fresh fire. Let us pray the prayers below:
- Father, inspire a zeal in me, a burning desire for you and your presence. That like David, the only desire I will have is to see your power and your glory in my life. (Psalm 63:1-5)
- O Lord, I ask that you pour on me the Spirit of Grace and Supplication. Quicken me to pray and always call on your name. May I never see praying as a boring exercise, in the name of Jesus. (Zech 12:10; Psalm 80:18)
- Father, I ask for an undying appetite for your word. Every day, I will feast on the word and be guided by it. (Psalm 119:18; Job 23:12)
- Father, help me to live a life that is void of sin. May you find pleasure in my life and give me the grace to live a holy and pleasing life. (Jude 1:24)
Final Thoughts
I believe that you have been blessed by this powerful sermon on fresh fire. You can lead the congregation into praying the fresh fire prayers that I have provided. Note that this sermon outline is not a final authority. It can be built on which is what I expect you to do.