AUTHENTIC PASSION 4
“WORD”
TEXT: Multiple
INTRO: This morning we are continuing our Series “Authentic Passion. This series is based on the 4 passions that a Christian should have in there lives. Authentic Passion 4 Worship, Word, Work, & World. As a Christian we are marked by our passion… Our Passion for God. People are always looking and observing us. This morning we want to continue our series by looking at:
“Having Authentic Passion 4 The Word.”
I want to start by looking at a few Definitions:
Authentic: Means not false or imitation but REAL. I would say... genuine, the real McCoy, the real deal.
Passion: A strong liking, desire for or devotion to some activity, object, or concept.
Word: logos: refers to scripture as a whole, the revelation and teaching of Jesus. The Love story that the father has written to humanity in all 66 books that make up the Bible.
If we were to combined these definitions for this message it would be:
“We as Christ Followers are to have a REAL, Genuine desire,
a zeal for the revelation and teachings that all of scripture
implore us to live by.”
This brings me to my first point…
I. THE WORD SHOWS US HOW TO LIVE
Psalm 119:105 says… “Your Word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path.
The Message Bible put it this way: (VS 105-112)
“By your words I can see where I'm going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path. I've committed myself and I'll never turn back from living by your righteous order. Everything's falling apart on me, God; put me together again with your Word. Festoon [drape, decorate, or Join], me with your finest sayings, God; teach me your holy rules. My life is as close as my own hands, but I don't forget what you have revealed. The wicked do their best to throw me off track, but I don't swerve an inch from your course. I inherited your book (Scriptures- Word) on living; it's mine forever—what a gift! And how happy it makes me! I concentrate on doing exactly what you say—I always have and always will.
Wow, that’s powerful???
Lamps or Lanterns…. They only gives you enough light for the path in front of you. Its not like a fog lamp or a Big lighthouse bulb that shines in the night. God only gives you a glimpse of where your going. This is so you are trusting Him and not yourself.
See if you are working for God then you tend to live in your own strength, but if you are working with God, you are relying not on your strength and resources but in His in this life.
1 Cor. 10:13 says...
“No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it. “
Bottom Line: Having Authentic Passion for the Word is key to having a true life in God. If you don’t have a passion for the Word your life is like straw blowing in the wind. In other words the Word grounds, and keeps you planted firmly and securely. The Word helps you live-life-to-the-fullest in Jesus.
II. THE WORD IS OUR LIFE FILTER
Hebrews 4:12 says:
“...the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.
The Word of God helps us in this life, it is our grid our filter that we process life through.
(ILL) When I use to paint cars, I would mix up the paint add reducer or hardeners to the paint but then filling my spray gun I would take a paint filter and filter the paint mixture getting out any dirt or contaminates… I did this so no dirt would get painted onto the cars surface and ruin the finish. See the word of God is our Life filter it filters out the bad containments and junk that is constantly thrown at us.
The Word filters content and renews our minds as we read it, it cause faith to grow in us and then we move from just faith in Gods promises to believing Gods promises.
Bottom Line: The Word filters/renews/rewires our minds and we begin to look at life in a NEW way, because everything is filtered through it. We begin to experience the True Life that scripture promises us..
This brings me to my next point…
III. THE WORD IS OUR GPS
(Global Positional Systems) NO..no..no but... God's Peoples Security
What do I mean by that? Simply put that our security in this Life is based on God, not our money, politics, not even our military… but in God and God only.
The Scriptures declare in Deuteronomy 8:3, Matt 4:4, & Luke 4:4 all says the same thing and that is… “ Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
Psalm 16: 7-11 in the Message says…
“The wise counsel God gives when I'm awake is confirmed by my sleeping heart. Day and night I'll stick with God; I've got a good thing going and I'm not letting go. I'm happy from the inside out, and from the outside in, I'm firmly formed. You canceled my ticket to hell—that's not my destination! Now you've got my feet on the life path, all radiant from the shining of your face. Ever since you took my hand, I'm on the right way.”
God has given us his Love letter the “Holy Scriptures as our GPS for this life... God is all the security that you will ever need.
(ILL) True Story: A women who was awakened in the middle of the night by a burglar braking into her house. She came out of her bedroom hollering Acts 2:47, Acts 2:47, Acts 2:47… the burglar fearful of the women, did not move and then when cops came they arrested the guy. An Officer was taking her statement, he asked her what she said to the burglar, to make him not move until they got there? She said, “all I did was hollerd Acts 2:47, Acts 2:47, Acts 2:47 repeatedly. Huh the officer said, then preceded to tell the women that the burglar was afraid to move because all he heard was I got an Acts an 2 47’s and that was enough to keep he from moving an inch. He knew you where serious because you kept repeating it! PTL The Word Protected this women. The Word was her security. She was completely trusting Her God who loves her and died for her so that she could live.
You have heard me say it before the WORD/Bible is our road map and the holy spirit is or compass you put the two together and you can never get lost.
Bottom Line: Knowing that the WORD is our security, our GPS… Even the spiritual food that we must eat to nurture ourselves…. Let’s passionately seek God in His Word and Never let them depart from your hearing or your heart. As David says, in Psalm 119:11
“Your Word have I hidden in my heart
that I might not sin against you.”
The Message Bible says….
“...By carefully reading the map of your Word. I'm single-minded in pursuit of you; don't let me miss the road signs you've posted. I've banked your promises in the vault of my heart so I won't sin myself bankrupt.”
CLOSING: This morning you have been challenged to have Authentic Passion 4 the word of God. The Word of God shows us how to live, it’s our filter for this life, and the Word of God is our security.
This Morning if you have been lacking in this area you can ask God to renew you passion, or fill you again with a new passion and new zeal for the Word. Will you stand as we pray….
Lets Pray...
