Passion for the Love of God!
Revelation 1:1-6; Jeremiah 1:1-10
Michael H. Koplitz
I’m sure most of you have heard of the old adage that two things are guaranteed in this life. I’m sure that if I asked around the sanctuary this morning, each of you would tell me what those two things are. The old adage says two things are guaranteed in life and they are: death and taxes. However, as a good Christian, you know that this adage is incomplete even before I tell you.
There are actually three things that are guaranteed in this life. The one that I haven’t mentioned yet is the most important one there is. Do you know what I’m talking about? Can you tell me what that third item is that is guaranteed for you during your life?
Well, to state it simply and succinctly: it is that God loves you.
In the opening prayer of the book of Revelation, we are told that God loves us so much that He sent His son Jesus to die for us on the cross. That it is through Jesus’ blood that we are washed clean of our sins and made right again with God. To put it simply and plainly, God loves us. God loves us just as we are.
There are three constants in this universe, and that is: that God loves us, and unfortunately, there is death and taxes. This opening prayer from the book of Revelation makes it so clear that God proved His love for us by sending His Son to die for us so that we could be washed clean from our sins by his blood. God created the one and only way to bring us back into communion with him.
Jeremiah was told, and we are told today through his prophecy, that God knew us before we were even conceived in our mother’s womb. God knew us and loved us before we were even born. Before we were conceived, God knew us, and God loved us. When a baby is born, it is not the miracle of the birth but rather the miracle that God has created another soul to love, and that is the true miracle. You and I, as human beings, are given the power by God to create the flesh. Nevertheless, it is God who creates the soul. So whenever you get to hold a newborn baby think about the fact that God has created another soul and that God loves this new soul even though the new soul doesn’t know God.
Even when we didn’t know God, God still loved us and cared for us, and wanted us to always be in communion with Him. Even when we are sinners, God still loves us and wants us to be with Him. God would like us all to stop sinning, and God knows that none of us are perfect, but God’s love is so strong that he sent Jesus our Christ to take our place when we sin.
Let’s take a left turn, shall we?
If I asked you to identify or to name a passion of mine, you probably would not have much trouble doing it. You probably would not have to come over to the parsonage to figure out what it is. If you’re not sure what my passion is, you have to ask Sandy or one of my children. Yes, I have a passion for computerized gadgets. If it has buttons, takes batteries, or is plugged in the wall, if it is a gadget, I will find it fascinating to look at and play with it.
We all have passions. We all have passions for different things. But I developed one passion over the last 10 years, which is stronger than even my computer and gadgets passion. I developed a passion when I discovered and created a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. It came into being when I learned that God loved me even though I turned my back and walked away from God. That God was willing to accept me and love me even though for a time I really didn’t love him.
I found out that God sent his son Jesus to die on the cross for me. I came to know the Lord Jesus Christ personally, and I developed a passion for Jesus. My passion for Christ is so strong that when my Lord and Savior came to me and said, " Leave your computer job and go out and preach the Gospel, " Jesus told me that he would get me trained in how to do this, I said, “yes.” Without any hesitation, without any question in my mind, I said, “yes, Lord.”
I hope that you can see and hear and feel my passion for Christ in the ministries that we do together for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Let me tell you it is a wonderful passion to have.
You can see the same kind of passion for the Lord when you look at people like Jonathan sitting over there. You can feel Jonathan’s passion for His Lord and Savior when He sits down at the piano and play the Lord’s music for us. I have heard many people play the piano, but it sounds so much better, richer, and fuller when you can feel the person’s passion for Christ coming through. We feel that same passion coming through when Lenny or Terry are playing the organ or piano.
Other folks in this congregation show their passion for the Lord by visiting folk in the hospital. He visits folks that are in nursing homes. They give of themself to be on several different committees, and he just doesn’t sit on those committees; no, he actively works on those committees. When we needed a new treasure a member’s passion for the Lord kicked in. He stood up to the plate and said to the Nominations Committee, “let me show the Lord my passion for Him by serving Him.”
Many other folks in this congregation show their passion for the Lord in many different ways. Let me tell you that you should have passion for the Lord. That is to go out and to do whatever the Lord calls you to do because God loved you first, and don’t you want to show God your love and passion for Him.
Suppose you don’t have a passion for some Ministry to serve the Lord. In that case, all you have to do is pray upon it and talk to any of us who already have the burning passion for the Lord, and we will help you find and express your passion for Christ. We all need to express our passion for the Lord to the world because this enables us to spread the Gospel.
The Holy Spirit is inside every one of us, and it will allow us to express that passion for God. Look at the symbol for the United Methodist Church, which is a cross with flame. That flame represents the Holy Spirit. It is that flame, the Holy Spirit, inside each of us that fuels our passion for the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is that shining, that glow, that is inside us that allows us to show the world what it means to be a disciple and have a passion for Jesus Christ. You have an opportunity here at worship every Sunday to show your passion for Jesus. You are given a chance to show your passion by an offering of yourself, your tithes, and gifts to the Lord this morning. And at the same time, we are going to sing a passionate song to Christ, which expresses our willingness and our desire to shine in the world just like Jesus shines all the time.
So I want you to stand up with me if you’re passionate for the Lord. Stand up with me if you love God and you want to be passionate for the Lord.
Stand up with me now and prepare yourself to sing as passionately as you can for the Lord this morning. At the same time, I am asking the ushers to come forward so that you get pour forth your passion and offerings to Christ this morning. Bring forward your passion and show it to the Lord through your gifts and tithes this morning.
So come on, stand up with me and show your passion this morning.
