PASSION FOR GOD
Mk. 12:28-34
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: HOW TO SURVIVE 50 YEARS OF MARRIAGE
1. A Pastor was having a discussion on, ‘How to stay happily married for a 50 Years’ and invited church members who’ve been married for 50 years or more to give the reasons for their success.
2. One member who turned up was Cyril; he’d been married for almost 60 years. The Pastor invites Cyril to give the audience an insight into how he’s been able to survive 50 years with the same woman.
3. Cyril stood up and said to the audience, "Well, it’s simple really. I treated my Betty with respect, gave her whatever she asked for, and took all her flack with a smile on my face." "Is that ALL you did?" asked the Pastor.
4. "No, not all," replied Cyril, "on special occasions, I sometimes took Betty to far-away places."
5. "So tell us, Cyril," asked the Pastor, "where’d you take Betty on your 50th wedding anniversary?" "I took Betty to Beijing in China," replied Cyril.
6. "Wow!" said the Pastor. "If only all Christian husbands would follow your example. But before you sit down, Cyril, can you tell us what you're planning to do on your 60th anniversary?"
7. Cyril replied, "I'm going to go back to Beijing and bring Betty back."
B. VIDEO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gez-NEqM944 (only show the first 41 seconds, please....)
C. THESIS
1. What are you passionate about? I don’t believe LOVE just means “doing right” or “keeping God’s commands” or even “being patient and kind.” That’s what love looks like when it walks & talks. BUT LOVE…IS…PASSION!
2. Q -- DO YOU HAVE PASSION -- FOR GOD? If someone looked at your life, would they say YOU HAVE PASSION?
NOT for missions, NOT for ministry, NOT for evangelism – BUT FOR GOD!!!
3. I can’t stand it when Christians tell lost people, “You’ve got it all – a good job, great spouse, good kids, money, house, car – all you need to add is Jesus.”
4. NO! YOUR LIFE IS WORTHLESS APART FROM JESUS CHRIST!
5. Someone told me, “I have a new relationship with the
Lord.” Really? Do you have a new relationship with SIN? Because if you don’t have a new relationship with sin, then you don’t have a new relationship with the Lord!
6. Heaven’s going to be a wonderful place – a place without sin. Many say they want to go there, but they really don’t. I can prove it to you – because they don’t want heaven NOW!
7. We’re looking this morning at having “Passion for God.”
I. GOD’S CALL TO BE PASSIONATE
A. GREATEST COMMAND? BE PASSIONATE!
1. One day a man happened to walk up to Jesus. Listen in.
28 “One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is the foremost of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord; 30 and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32 The scribe said to Him, “Right, Teacher; You have truly stated that He is One, and there is no one else besides Him; 33 and to love Him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as himself, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 When Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently [wisely], He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that, no one would venture to ask Him any more questions.” Mk. 12:28-34, NASB.
2. To say something is foremost means that NOTHING else matters more. It’s the #1 thing in life. God wants us to love Him passionately. God doesn’t want you to love Him half-heartedly, but with ALL your heart and ALL your soul.
3. Today in America, it’s OK to be passionate about everything – except God! Most Americans think of themselves as good Christians, but they’re not.
4. God says: “These people claim to worship me, but their words are meaningless, and their hearts are somewhere else. Their religion is nothing but human rules and traditions…” Isa. 29:13, GNT. (Good News Testament)
5. God wants RELATIONSHIP with you! He doesn’t want just a nod on Sunday, but to be in your thoughts and on your hearts all week long.
6. Paul said, “For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings” Phip 3:10, AMP. Ver.
B. RELATIONSHIP MUST BE KEPT FRESH
1. Everything in life conspires to keep you from being passionate. When you first become a believer and you discover God’s love for you – you’re so excited. Your sins are forgiven! God’s blessing’s on you! You have a future home in heaven! But as time goes by, it loses its newness. Familiarity sets in. But it doesn’t have to be that way!
2. Have you ever noticed that some people who are old seem young? They’ve got spunk! They still like to have fun. And then there’s young people who seem like old fuddy-duddies.
3. I believe you’re as “young as you feel!” You can be old, but “young at heart.” Likewise, I believe you can stay as fresh and young in your relationship with the Lord if you want to.
4. It’s all about priority. Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” Mt. 6:21. What’s first?
5. In Rev. 2:4, Jesus told the church at Ephesus they’d lost their first love, but that they could get it back! So if you’ve “left” yours, you can get it back too!
C. PASSION BRINGS GOD’S BLESSINGS
1. David was “a man after God’s own heart,” passionate about God. He wanted to do what was on God’s heart or as close as he could get to it.
2. That very trait endeared David to God and God blessed him and raised him up. God always pours out His blessings/ His Spirit on those who put His kingdom first, who’re seeking His best will.
3. THE KEY IS NOT TO ASK GOD TO BLESS WHAT YOU’RE DOING, BUT FIND OUT WHAT GOD IS BLESSING, AND BEGIN TO DO THAT!
II. WHY SHOULD WE BE PASSIONATE?
Of all the noble causes that ever existed in this world; if anyone ever merited the love and devotion of the human race -- Jesus Christ does!
A. NO ONE EVER LOVED US AS JESUS DOES!
1. “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.” John 15:13-14.
2. THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO LOVE US:
a. OUR PARENTS, especially our mothers. What love can compare with a mother’s love?
b. OUR SPOUSES love us "at least... some do!”
c. OUR CHILDREN love us, especially when they get old enough to appreciate us.
3. But in this passage, the Lord Jesus claims that He loves us with a greater love than our mother or father, spouse or child. “Greater love has no one than this…” Jesus!
4. HE PROVED HIS LOVE FOR YOU! He left Heaven with it’s beauties and perfection & entered this world of violence, disease, and death because He loved you. He humbled Himself and suffered many indignities for you & me.
B. HE DIED THE MOST HORRIBLE DEATH FOR YOU!
1. By all accounts, crucifixion was the most hideous means of dying ever devised by humans. Think how Jesus suffered!
2. SCOURGING -- beaten to death with a cat of nine tails. CRUCIFIXION -- the horrible pain of hanging on nails, cramps, bones out of joint; "excruciating" -- means "out of the cross." DEATH By SUFFOCATION!
C. HE BECAME OUR SIN BEARER
1. Jesus, though morally perfect and separate from sin, was made, during the crucifixion to take on all the sins of the world.
2. As Martin Luther, the great Reformer put it, Jesus became the “greatest transgressor, murderer, adulterer, thief, rebel, blasphemer, etc., that ever was or could be in all the world.”
3. He became the embodiment of all evil, then died a horrible death! How could He do it? Why did He do it? Because HE LOVED YOU!
4. The agonies He suffered were for you! The bitter tears He wept were for you! He watched each drop of His blood fall to the ground, and He watched the horrible darkness of sin descend on Him – He did it all for YOU!
5. If Jesus can do all that for us, what could we not sacrifice for Him? May God open your eyes to know this isn’t a nice story, but what the Son of God suffered because He loved YOU! 1 John 3:16 says, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.”
III. HOW TO KEEP THE PASSION ALIVE
A. WATCH THE PASSION KILLERS
1. UNBALANCED SCHEDULES – with work night and day, 4 kids born and raised by us (babies & toddlers); piano lessons, karate, baseball, football, school band, ballet, hunting, fishing, church events, family functions, business meetings & a million other things to distract people from focusing on the Lord. Jesus
called them the “cares & affairs of life.”
2. UNCONFESSED SINS
a. HUMOR: Boy Confessed the Wrong Sins
*Catholic School; each week the students went to confessional to confess sins. Priest asked them to write them down to save time. Priest heard boy open his list, "I lied to my parents. I disobeyed my mum. I fought with my brothers and…" There was a long pause. Then a small angry voice said, "Hey, this isn't my list!"
b. Few things rob us of joy, of confidence, and of our passion, more quickly than guilt. We try to rationalize sin, "It’s ok. Everybody’s doing it. It’s no big deal."
c. But subconsciously, we know it’s not right. When we go before God to pray, the enemy points his crooked finger at us and says, “You know that sin is displeasing to God.” So we’re robbed of confidence/ faith before God.
d. God wants you to be free from guilt. 1 John 1:9 says "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
e. God promises that when you confess and forsake your sins, He will freely & completely forgive of those sins!
3. UNFORGIVENESS cuts us off from the grace of God. “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” Mt. 6:14-15.
4. AN UNCLEAR PURPOSE Prov. 29:18, “Where there’s no…”
a. If you don’t know the purpose for your life, you’ll certainly never accomplish it. Passion and purpose go together.
b. When you have a clear purpose, living for a cause greater than yourself, it can fuel your passion. If you’re only living for yourself, that’s pretty pathetic.
5. AN UNDERNOURISHED SPIRIT will kill your passion.
a. All the distractions, disappointments, conflicts, challenges, problems, pressures, and fears you face drain you. They shrivel your heart and shrink your spirit. So you must intentionally nourish your spirit.
b. If YOU don’t do it, no one else is going to do it for you. You need times of worship … fellowship … God’s word … to
serve … to share your faith, to help keep your passion alive.
c. HUMOR: You need to be in church! A Pastor knew a young man who always overslept and had excuses why he wasn’t in church. The young man joined the Marines. Later the Pastor asked him, “What have you learned?” “Well Sir, I’ve learned what “NOW” means!”
B. 3 INDISPENSABLE THINGS WE MUST DO
1. TIME TO KNOW HIM
a. We must set aside time to get to know Jesus. If we don’t spend time meditating in His Word, talking with Him, and listening to Him, we’ll never progress very far in acquiring passion for Him.
b. ILLUS. Certain plants come with the instructions, “needs full sun.” If you plant this plants in a clearing in the woods or between houses where they only get a few hours of direct sunlight, they will not thrive. We too need constant exposure to the Son of God if we would thrive.
c. We’re developing a relationship with a real Person. It requires time. We MUST carve out quiet time with Jesus!
2. REMOVE BARRIERS
a. Correct our lifestyle deficiencies. Begin to act out the Word. Steal no more, stop lying, stop looking at your neighbor’s wife, don’t watch filth, begin living as holy a life as you can. Try to be kind and patient.
b. God knows we won’t be perfect, but He wants us to try as much as we can. Don’t make excuses. Own up to your sins and try to change! The blood of Jesus has the power to free you from guilt and bondage. Receive it!
3. ASK FOR PASSION
a. Jesus stated that “the love with which You[the Father] loved Me may be in them" (John 17:26 NKJV).
b. Thus we should pray fervently and continually that God fill us with that love for Jesus. God will give it to us if we ask for it!
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION
1. One of the most famous Christian paintings is Holman Hunt’s, “Christ at the Door.” In it the Lord Jesus stands outside, seeking admittance to the human heart and home.
2. Jesus is pictured as longingly listening for the sound of someone answering His knock.
3. After Holman Hunt had completed the picture, it was hailed as a masterpiece. However, one critic said, “Holman, something is missing. The door doesn’t have a handle. Was that an oversight?”
4. “No,” answered the artist, “it was no oversight. I painted that intentionally. You see, when Christ knocks at your heart’s door, you must open it from the inside. He won’t force His way in.”
5. Jesus is waiting right now for you to open the door to Him. The question is, will you say “Yes” to the Lord and open the door of relationship to Him?
B. THE CALL
1. C. S. Lewis said it like this, "The only thing Christianity [Jesus] cannot be is moderately important." He’s either not important at all or the most important thing in the world!
2. Keeping the fires going in your life isn’t automatic, it’s a choice. Paul said, “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you…” 2 Tim. 1:6. So there’s something we can do determine our level of fire for God.
3. HOW MANY OF YOU NEED A NEW PASSION FOR GOD?
Let’s come to the altars and ask God to fill us with a new passion! …and help up us to enthrone God on our hearts!
4. How many would like to make certain their sins are washed away? We’re going to pray for the blood of Jesus to cleanse us. Join me in prayer.
[This message is mostly a synthesis of Rick Warren’s “Reigniting Your Passion for God” and Jack Deere’s “Passion for Jesus,” with a little Paul Washer in the introduction.]
