HEARTS ON FIRE
Rom. 12:11
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: THE RIGHT PASSWORD
1. "I’m getting worried about my memory," 75 year old Renee said to her best friend Judith. "Really? Why is that?" asked Judith.
2. "Because every time I go online, banking," replied Renee, "I just can’t remember my bank's password. I have to try many times before I enter the right code. Do you have any suggestions?"
3. "Yes!" replied Judith. "I thought of something and no longer have that problem." "So what do you do?" asks Renee.
4. "I changed my password to 'INCORRECT'," said Judith. "Then, if I enter a wrong code, my computer tells me, "Your password is incorrect."
B. TEXT: Rom. 12:11
"Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor."
C. THESIS
1. William Booth once had an audience with King Edward VII of England. His Majesty highly commended the salvationist for his unflagging zeal and wonderful work among the poor.
2. How revealing was Booth's reply to the King's glowing words! He said, "Your Majesty, some men's passion is for art. Some men's passion is for fame. My passion is for souls." [Aubrey Vaughan] What is your passion?
3. Count Nikolaus Zinzendorf said, “I have but one passion; it is He, He only.”
4. POEM – Francis Xavier, 1506-1552
My God, I love Thee; not because I hope in heaven to be,
Nor yet cause those who love Thee not are lost eternally.
Thou, O my Jesus, Thou didst me upon the cross embrace;
For me didst bear the nails, and spear, and manifold disgrace,
And griefs and torments numberless, and sweat of agony;
Yea, death itself; and all for me Who was thine enemy.
Then why, O blessed Jesus Christ, should I not love Thee well?
Not for the sake of winning heaven, nor of escaping hell;
Not from the hope of gaining aught, not seeking a reward;
But as Thyself hast loved me, O ever-loving Lord.
So would I love Thee, dearest Lord, & in Thy praise will sing;
Solely because Thou art my God, and my most loving King.”
5. What are you passionate about? Does anything stir your soul? Should we not be fired with love for God?
6. The title of our message this morning is “Hearts On Fire.” We’re talking about the most important aspect of our spiritual lives – God’s place in our hearts.
I. NEED OF THE AMERICAN CHURCH
A. WHY IS AMERICA STILL UNCONVERTED?
1. There’s a reason why Christianity in America is not growing but, in fact, it’s shrinking. The fault lies with the Christians. We’re guilty of a lack of passion for Jesus.
2. We’re passionate about getting material possessions – houses, cars, phones, ATVs, boats, etc.
We’re passionate about our kids/ grandkids;
We’re passionate about getting our retirement;
We’re passionate about our hobbies;
We’re passionate about our entertainments.
And the world is passionate about all those too. That’s why we don’t look much different.
3. The Church of Jesus, however, should be more passionate about Jesus than anything else! We should be so passionate about Jesus that we end-up talking about Him even if we don’t mean to. Don’t you just love it when people start talking about Jesus?
4. Case Keenum of the Minnesota Vikings clinched a chance at the divisional title a week ago with a 61-yard touchdown pass against New Orleans with two seconds to go. He’s a strong Christian with Fellowship of Christian Athletes! See this video: http://thebiglead.com/2018/01/14/stefon-diggs-touchdown-vikings-video/
5. When the reporters interviewed him after the game, his first words were, “This is the 3rd best thing to ever happen to me! The 1st was accepting Christ as my Savior, 2nd was marrying my wife, and the 3rd would be that pass we just scored on!" That’s the kind of passion America needs!
B. FIRE REQUIRES MORE WOOD TO KEEP BURNING
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 about it. Your sins are forgiven! You feel the peace of God. God’s blessing is on you! You’re going to heaven!
2. But as time goes by you begin to lose your steam, life becomes normalized.
3. When I was converted at 20 years of age, I fell in love with the Lord Jesus. I began to devour His Word….talked to Him constantly….witnessed….was so overzealous that I ran off all of my former friends.
4. This loss didn't affect me that much because I was so in love with Jesus that nothing else really mattered to me. But the newness can fade over time. We can’t COAST on the Christian journey, because it’s a “WALK.”
C. MANY BIBLE PEOPLE WERE PASSIONATE ABOUT GOD
1. David was “a man after God’s own heart,” passionate about God. That very trait endeared David to God. God encourages us to think that way.
2. John called himself "the disciple whom Jesus loved" (Jn. 13:23). Certainly Jesus loved ALL the disciples, but John was so overwhelmed by the love of Christ that he thought he was God’s favorite!
3. Mary the sister of Martha sat at Jesus’ feet and was captivated by His words. She later poured very expensive perfume on His head demonstrating her love.
4. Abraham was called the “friend of God” by God Himself (Isa. 41:8).
5. Moses was a man who spoke to God “face to face.”
6. The Apostle Paul, more than any other, expressed his love relationship with Jesus in his letters.
II. THE EARLY CHURCH: POWERED BY WONDER
First century believers went everywhere telling about Jesus because their lives had been filled with wonder!
A. THE WONDER THAT GOD LOVED THEM!
1. This is the greatest love story of all time!
2. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” Jn. 3:16.
B. THE WONDER OF GOD’S LOVE SHOWN IN JESUS’ SACRIFICIAL DEATH!
1. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” Rom. 5:8. Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command” Jn. 15:13-14.
2. There’re many people who love us; our parents, our spouses, our children, etc. In this verse, the Lord Jesus claims that He loves us more than any other person we’ve ever known!
3. This great love drove Jesus to abandon his throne, his honor, his riches (2 Cor. 8:9), and his eternity and enter a world of time, death, sweat, poverty, obscurity, and scorn. What Jesus did was infinitely more difficult than what He might have done. He could have destroyed us and started over.
4. Instead, he allowed himself to be treated as a criminal, suffer death by the cruelest means, become the bearer of all sin, and die forsaken by God the Father! No wonder a song was written, “Amazing Love, How can it be, that Thou, My God, should’st died for me!” Oh God! Give us our wonder back!
C. THE WONDER OF GOD’S JOY IN THEIR HEARTS!
1. “And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit” Acts 13:52.
2. The word “joy” is used 68 times in the N.T. “The joy of the Lord is our strength.” The joy of the Lord was one of the surest signs of conversion.
D. THE WONDER -- THAT GOD WILL SAVE EVERY PERSON WE COME INTO CONTACT WITH, IF THEY’LL RECEIVE CHRIST!
III. HOW TO CULTIVATE PASSION
A. JESUS STATED THE GOAL
1. "And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them" (John 17:26 NKJV).
2. How could I love Jesus like God the Father loves His own Son? He’s devoted to the Son. His eyes never leave the Son. All that the Father does He does for the Son. Jesus prayed that we would be driven by that same single-eyed passion.
3. It has to be something that God keeps alive in us and on the other hand, we have a part to play in keeping the fires burning too!
B. 4 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. We must set aside a regular time for personal meditation in the scriptures and prayer. We must never allow this time to become mechanical or ritualistic.
c. We must remember that it is possible to read the Bible like a Pharisee and never hear the voice of God (John 5:37). It is possible to let our prayer time degenerate into nothing more than taking a shopping list to God.
d. We must remind ourselves that the purpose is to meet with a real Person. The problem isn't that we don't know this, the problem is that we don't do it. We must DO IT!
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). Thus we should pray fervently and continually that God fill us with that love for Jesus.
b. If God doesn’t give me that passion for the Son of God, I will never acquire it. But it’s the task of the Holy Spirit to "shed abroad the love of God in our hearts" (Romans 5:5).
c. So we pray, "Father, grant me an impartation of the Holy Spirit to love the Son of God like You love Him!" When it happens, others will know it. Even the Jewish leaders “marveled and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus” Acts 4:13.
4. BE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT
A. W. Tozer said, “God dwells in a state of perpetual enthusiasm. He is delighted with all that is good and lovingly concerned about all that is wrong. He pursues His labors always in a fullness of holy zeal. No wonder the Spirit came at Pentecost as a sound of a rushing mighty wind and sat in tongues of fire on every forehead. ... Whatever else happened at Pentecost, one thing that cannot be missed by the most casual observer was the sudden upsurging of moral enthusiasm. Those first disciples burned with a steady, inward fire. They were enthusiastic to the point of complete abandon.”
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION
1. There was an extremely wealthy man who possessed vast treasures of art. The man had an only son, an ordinary boy, who passed away as a teenager. The sorrowing father died of a broken heart a few weeks later.
2. The father’s will provided that everything be sold by auction, and strangely, the father stipulated that an oil painting of his son be the first item offered by the auctioneer.
3. Large crowds came to bid on the widely reputed collection of art. In keeping with the will, the boy’s portrait was the first held up for bids.
4. No one cared about the portrait of the deceased boy. Some in the crowd yelled that it was unwanted and to move along to the valuable paintings and sculptures. But the auctioneer was steadfast in his attempt to sell it.
5. At last, a man servant of the house who had tended the boy when he was little, bid $50 for the boy’s painting. The crowd cheered and jeered.
6. The auctioneer banged his gavel and said, “Sold to Jeremiah Spivey for $50.” The he added loudly, “With that sale, the auction is now CLOSED!”
7. All the assembled crowd jumped to their feet, yelling and demanding an explanation. The auctioneer quieted them and said, “The will of Mr. Forbes says…
8. “The auction will cease when the portrait of my son is purchased. For whoever loved my son enough to buy his portrait shall receive everything that belonged to his father.”
9. So it is with our heavenly Father. If we love His Son, He is pleased to give us ALL THINGS!
B. THE CALL
1. If someone looked at your life, would they say YOU HAVE PASSION? God wants that to be the #1 thing in our lives: God wants us to love Him passionately.
2. That’s why He said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength.” God doesn’t want you to love Him half-heartedly, but with ALL your heart and ALL your soul.
3. 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)
4. 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.
5. It’s all about priority. Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” Mt. 6:21.
6. 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!
7. 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.
