Every year for the past several years, the trophy that is given to the winning Super Bowl team is called “The Vince Lombardi Trophy” because it is so named for the first coach who won the first two Super Bowls in 1967 and 1968– Vince Lombardi of the Green Bay Packers.
Vince Lombardi became a legend during his tenure as coach in the 1960’s of a team that was less than a legend when he arrived in 1959 to lead a team that had 1 win, 10 losses, and 1 tie in the previous season. He was quoted as saying, “I have never been associated with a loser and I don’t expect to be now.”
Passion was a driving force for Lombardi. He loved football throughout his life time and David Maraniss, in a recent biography of Lombardi, describes this passion after a prep school game he had played in. “Lombardi... felt anything but a loser when it was over. [His team had lost.] He experienced what he later described as a locker room epiphany. As he slumped on the bench in his grass-stained red and blue uniform, he was overcome by joy, a rare feeling for him... He felt fatigue, soreness, competitive yearning, accomplishment-all of this, he said later, left him surprisingly elated.”
We are concluding this morning our series, “Getting In Shape For God,” with a look at something that we see much of in our society, and even in our own lives, but perhaps something that we overlook as part of being spiritually fit for service and ministry - passion.
I would remind us one last time that we get in shape for God by: (overhead 1)
Accepting ourselves as God’s greatest creation.
Learning to serve others and be God’s servant
Discovering and accepting our place on God’s “team”- the church
Accepting ourselves for who we are while growing in Christian maturity
Letting God use all of our life experiences-including our failures and disappointments
Discerning and discovering our God given passion - the “thing” that we want to do the most for God
This morning I ask each of us here: If you could do one thing for God what would that be? Your answer to this question reveals your ministry passion. This morning I offer you one way to answer this question. It is an insert this morning that gives a listing of the most current and potential ministry positions in our church. (I say most because it is very possible that some positions have been overlooked.)
Notice there are two columns, “C” and “I.” “C” represents an area where you currently serve. “I” represents an area that you have an interest in serving. I call your attention to this insert now because in a few moments I am going to give you time to fill it out and turn it in to us at the end of the service. As you listen and read through this insert this morning reflect on the question, “If you could do one thing for God what would that be?”
Passion is a word that we hear a lot these days. It is used in a variety of contexts notably regarding what motivates you to work and live. But what exactly is passion?
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines passion as “an object of affection or enthusiasm.” When it comes to being in shape for the Lord what gives you (or would give you) enthusiasm in serving Him?
In our main text for this morning, Paul shares his ministry passion. I want to read 1:29 and 2:1 in a couple of different versions of the Bible:
“That’s what I am working so hard at day after day, year after year, doing my best with the energy God generously gives to me. I want you to realize that I continue to work as hard as I know how for you, and also for the Christians over at Laodicea.” (The Message)
“I work hard at this, as I depend on Christ’s mighty power that works within me. I want you to know how much I have agonized for you and for the church at Laodicea, and many other friends who have never known me personally.” (NLT)
What is Paul working hard at? What is the object, the purpose of Paul’s passion?
That people accept Christ and become mature in their faith! This is what Paul worked hard at doing. This is what Paul was passionate about throughout his travels and ministry. This is where Paul’s heart was!
And Paul was so passionate about this ministry that he was willing to endure anything and everything to make it happen as we read in 1:28 (again in two different versions): “So everywhere we go, we tell everyone about Christ. We warn them and teach them with all the wisdom God has give us for we want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship with Christ.” (NLT)
We preach Christ, warning people not to add to the Message. We teach in a spirit of profound common sense so that we can bring each person to maturity. To be mature is to be basic. Christ! No more, no less.’ (The Message)
Now there are many avenues to this goal of helping people come to the Lord and grow in their personal faith with Him. There are those whose passion is to be “at the front” telling the story and helping people come to Him.
There are those whose passion is to help others begin to walk in their faith. They may have been a part of a person’s initial commitment to Christ but they now want to help that person get established in their new life in Christ.
Some have a passion to teach the Bible to others so that they understand it and grow in both their knowledge of scripture and their application of it. The Bible comes alive and understandable in their teaching and even preaching.
Another passion for some is a one-on-one ministry to people who need a listening heart. Their passion is “a compassion” for those who are hurting and in need of some very important care.
Others have a passion for music, art, drama, even dance, as a way of expressing their commitment to the Lord and leading others in the worship of Him. They love to praise God and help others praise and thank Him for all that He has done and is doing.
I could go on and on and give other examples of how our passion is expressed in ministry and service. But, there are also some important things we need to be reminded about regarding passion.
The passion of which we speak this morning, while connected to a God who is unlimited in His resources and power, it can, and does, run low in us from time to time. It needs to be restored.
Elijah is a clear example of this as we read in I Kings 18. The Israelites were in need of a spiritual rebirth and needed to return to God and Elijah’s passion, His calling, was to help the people return to the Lord. He was God’s spokesperson.
The contest between Elijah and the prophets of Baal, the pagan God of the Philistines, on Mount Carmel is a classic passage of scripture for on this mountain God proved that He was God! But, it was an exhausting contest and it spiritually and emotionally drained all involved especially in chapter 19 when Elijah, running high from a victory, runs smack dab into reality in the form of a death threat from Queen Jezebel.
He takes off into the desert as he runs for his life. He goes far, far away from people and collapses in a heap and declares, “I have had enough, take my life Lord!”
Elijah is exhausted from his work. His emotions are shot, his spirit is tired and weak, and his passion is gone. The same thing happens to us when we give and give and give without the necessary time to rest and be renewed.
But, as we continue to read I Kings 19, God restores Elijah’s passion by giving him “time off” in the form of a 40-day and 40-night journey to a place of worship and rest at Mt Sinai as we read in verses 7-9.
Then in verses 10 through 14, God cares for Elijah by asking Him, “What is going on?” and allowing Elijah to personally and openly express his feelings in a healthy way. Let’s think about this for a moment.
When we are passionate about something we are intense and we often move into high gear. We think that nothing can stop us and if something does try to stop us we are going to bowl over that obstacle. But sometimes the obstacles strikes back and we are devastated.
I think that Elijah may have expected the King Ahab and Queen Jezebel to immediately repent after God consumed the altar that he built. But they did not and when Elijah hears the threat, his passion drains and he runs.
Well God does not stop renewing Elijah’s passion at allowing him to express his feelings. In verses 15-21, He gives Elijah a couple of low intensity tasks – anointing some kings.
Granted anointing a king is important but when compared to what had taken place on Mt Carmel, this was less demanding. Elijah’s passion and mission was being rebuilt because these kings would be part of God’s plan to bring Israel back to Him.
Finally God tells Elijah to bring his replacement on board and so he anoints Elisha. Now, at first this might appear to be a slap in the face to Elijah. But it isn’t.
It is a passing on of the torch as well as a sharing of the passion that will help Elijah to come back to full strength. Today we would call it mentoring.
What is your greatest passion for the Lord? It is probably one that God gave you and so it is a long-term passion; it is a God-given passion. But it runs low and needs to be recharged from time to time.
Another important thing about our passion is that God, because of His plans, redirects our passion. We need to be prepared for this and accept the fact that this sometimes happens..
A good illustration of this is found in Acts 16 verses 6-10. Paul and Silas were ready to “go north,” as verse 6 says, “into the province of Asia.” But the Holy Spirit did not direct them to go that way.
Instead, Paul had a vision, as verse 9 indicates, of “a man pleading, “Come over here and help us.” So they headed further west.
Paul’s passion was to help people come to the Lord and follow Him. And he was ready to go anywhere he could to make that happen. But, the Lord had other plans.
Vision and passion go together. When we have a desire to serve the Lord we have a vision of what that desire is. And so we strike out on a path. But God, in His good wisdom, sometimes directs us in a different direction for His purpose.
This does not mean that our passion is wrong or even misdirected. It means that God sees a better place for our passion to be expressed.
For example, maybe we have a passion to teach. We love to learn and we love to share the results of our study with others and help them learn as well.
Well, an opportunity to teach a children’s class comes along. And we dive in and give a full throttle effort to our teaching! But it does not turn out like we thought that it would!
We keep trying and carefully follow the lesson plans. But still our best efforts do not yield fruit and we begin to think, “Well maybe my passion is not teaching!” Maybe. But, maybe not!
Sometimes we need to simply keep moving forward and eventually our efforts bear fruit. And sometimes we need to teach a different group because our ability lies in teaching either teens or adults.
Paul’s passion did not diminish in this episode of his ministry it was redirected by the Spirit. The same holds true for us!
If you could do one thing for God what would that thing be? Where is your heart for ministry?
Is it behind the scenes? Is it up front? Is it teaching? Is it visiting those who need a good word?
Is it organizing an event? Is it using your creative abilities in some way?
Take out the insert that I mentioned a few minutes ago. I am going to pray and then we are going to spend a few minutes and fill out the survey. Please mark your current areas of service as well as areas that you are interested in. We are going to take this information and use it wisely and carefully for future reference, so please fill it out completely.
(After 2 to 3 minutes time was called and the surveys were passed to the center aisle)
In the spring of 1962, the leaders of Green Bay honored Vince Lombardi for his success at leading the Packers to the 1961 League Championship. One of the speakers was now what would be called a sports information director who had been at Fordham University when Lombardi was a student.
As he traced Lombardi’s coaching career from prep school, back to Fordham, then on to Army, then to the New York Giants, and finally to Green Bay, he spoke of a conversation a few years earlier when Lombardi wondered if the “right” head coaching job would ever come along. Well, according to the speaker, it did and then he said, “Now we know the answer to why he did not become a head coach until he was forty-five years old. When God has reserved real greatness for somebody, God makes sure he is ready for it.”
God has a great place for us! God has a place that is our place of service!
It is a place of service that fits who we are! It is a place of service that uses our experiences to help others come to the Lord and be strengthened in their faith and relationship with Him!
It is a place of service that uses the spiritual gifts that He has given to us!
It is a place of service that helps us serve others enabling them to grow and become more responsible people and followers of Christ!
It is a place of service that helps us to fully understand and believe that we are God’s workmanship created by the Lord to do great things that the Lord has already planned for us to do!
The Lord needs you and wants you on this team. The team called First Church of God!
The team needs you! Your church needs you!
We are beginning a new chapter in our history and we need everyone, everyone involved and doing what God Himself has called and gifted each of us to do!
Lets go! Amen!
(If you would like overhead from this sermon, please e-mail me at pastorjim46755@yahoo.com and ask for 022204 svgs. Quotes from David Maraniss’ book, When Pride Still Mattered: A Life of Vince Lombardi, are from pages 30 and 301 and photo 26 caption in photo section)
