Nuts Passion Series

Nuts Passion

2/10/2002 Psalm 116 Mark 14:3-9

I want to thank Leonard Sweets for his message given at the Beyond All Limits Pastors Conference for the inspiration behind this message. I hope to expand and make five additional messages out of this one as we are adopting the theme of NUTS for our church year. Thank you Leonard.

Tracy, was a little girl who was listening very closely to the preacher during the morning worship service. But she left service puzzled. She said, Mommy, didn’t our pastor say today that God is bigger than we are? Her mother was pleased to see her daughter was listening in service and said, “Yes, honey.” Tracy then proceeded on with her second question, “And didn’t our pastor say today that God lives inside of us.”

Her mother could sense a big question coming forth and she said, “ yes honey”. Tracy then put her points together and said, “well if God is bigger than us, and God is living inside of us, then shouldn’t God be popping out all over so that others could see God when they look at us. The great challenge for each believer in Christ is to have Christ popping out all over.

You know the greatest story ever told is that God so loved the world that that He gave His only Son that anyone who believes in Jesus should not perish, but have everlasting life. This is God’s story. The second most important story is that Jesus loves me and He changed my life. Saints, what is it that keeps these stories from popping out all over our lives. What is it that keeps people from seeing God in our lives.

Have you ever been to a basketball game and been on the side of the team that was behind by 15 points. Everybody’s head is just sort of going from side to side. But the moment the other team makes a few sloppy plays and your team scores on a few quick turnovers and hits 3 3 point shots, all of a sudden the entire side comes alive with a passion that you can feel.

Everybody is of one mind cheering the team on. People who were quietly sitting down, all of sudden are jumping up and down. They have passion, because they have a story to tell. There story is “look where we were, but now look where we are.” They are expecting to win.

The crowd that lacks passion is obviously behind in the game. A lack of passion will make others think you’re boring, you’re losers, you’re simply wasting your time. Few things have hurt the greatest story ever told than people trying to tell it with no passion about them or trying to live it with no passion. Do you know how people who never have entered the church, think about the church. Now part of their view is determined by how the church is portrayed by tv, and in part to how we live for Christ.

People view the church as being hypocritical, boring, and judgmental. How often do we help confirm what they think about it? We talk about God is love, but if they greet you do they think God is a grouch. We talk about being on fire for God, but do we sing praises in worship as though God has died and it’s the most boring thing to do is sing about God’s goodness. We talk about loving everyone but do we judge a person by how dirty they may look when they come into a church.

In a recent survey on churches, 75% of churches are declining or dying. 24% of churches are growing, but they’re basically getting members from other churches sort of a like a saints musical chairs. 1% of all churches are growing by reaching people who have never heard of having a relationship with Christ.

Jesus said he came to seek and to save those who were lost. The challenge before us today is, do we want to be a part of the 1% club that’s doing what Jesus commanded His church to do. In order to do it, we are going to need a passion for God. And not just any old kind of passion, but a crazy kind of a passion.

One day a pastor’s little four year old daughter was walking around the house singing, “crazy the Lord, crazy the Lord.” He was offended that his daughter was singing such a song. He said, “Sandra, what song is that you’re singing.” She said, “Crazy the Lord.” He said, “well where did you learn that?” She said “in Sunday School.” Shocked to find out such songs were being taught in his church, he said, “well, what’s the rest of the words.” She said, “Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelujah, Crazy the Lord.”