Where Do Our Passions Lie?

Main Idea: Pursue a passionate grace-dependent, word centered desire to see God’s Will accomplished.

Where do our passions lie?

This can definitely be a loaded question…

We can have so many passions, and we most definitely have different levels of passions.

I have a passions for sports (more specifically football and baseball),

I also have a passion for my girls (family) (wife and daughters). I love being with them anytime I can.

I have a passion for friends. (Relationships)

I have a passion for God. I love Jesus.

He is the one who began a good work in me in 2003 and He is who He said He was then and throughout my years in following Him. He has transformed me in ways I couldn’t have imagined as a 13 year old boy and He continues to show me how to follow Him better every day.

We have these different passions, and certainly different levels of these passions.

A question to pose about our passions…—->

Which of these passions have stirred within you the emotions to the point of tears?

Well, here lies another loaded question…

I most assuredly might cry if the Cowboys are ever able to win another Super Bowl before pass from this world. (I know, pathetic)

My girls, most assuredly make me cry. I couldn’t imagine this life without my best friend. And since becoming a father, I have cried more than I ever had before. The love that I feel for them as their husband and father doesn’t come close to anybody else on this earth. Just thinking about them at times brings me close to tears.

Emotions can certainly be a deceptive thing.

Just because we are emotional about something, doesn’t necessarily make it important in the grand scheme of things.

But, many times, emotions can be a good gauge to what God is doing inside our hearts.

Inside our soul.

AND SO, when we feel these emotions.. how do we know that they are right emotions? Are our emotions being directed toward the right things?

A question I want to pose tonight as we take a look at Psalm 119:129-136 is,

“When was the last time I wept over sin?”

As one commentator put it,

“When was the last time tears streamed down my face because my God was being dis-honored and disrespected?

Answers to these questions help reveal to us what we are most passionate about.

This section of Psalm 119 has us think about what we are most passionate about and shows us what SHOULD BE our highest passion.

What do we love and value the most.

Our passion, each and everyday should be after a grace-dependent, word centered desire to see God’s Will accomplished.

THIS SHOULD BE OUR PASSION.

Well, how do we get there?

Or, what are some questions we should be asking ourselves to see where we’re at on this scale.

Do we have a passion for the Word of God?

Do you seek God’s Favor so that you may honor Him?

Do you grieve when you see people disobey God’s Word?

Psalm 119:129–136 ESV

129 Your testimonies are wonderful; therefore my soul keeps them. 130 The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple. 131 I open my mouth and pant, because I long for your commandments. 132 Turn to me and be gracious to me, as is your way with those who love your name. 133 Keep steady my steps according to your promise, and let no iniquity get dominion over me. 134 Redeem me from man’s oppression, that I may keep your precepts. 135 Make your face shine upon your servant, and teach me your statutes. 136 My eyes shed streams of tears, because people do not keep your law.

Do you have a Passion for the Word of God? (Vv. 129-131)

Psalm 119:129–131 ESV

129 Your testimonies are wonderful; therefore my soul keeps them. 130 The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple. 131 I open my mouth and pant, because I long for your commandments.

God’s Word is wonderful (v. 129)

The Psalmist begins by the reality that there is nothing like this Word! This is literally an out of this world Word! (How many times do you come to a text in which you sit there and think to yourself… God I need help understanding this… this wisdom is beyond me. This wisdom is beyond anything that the world has to offer! God I need your help in understanding!) It’s a out of this world WORD.

Many of us can attest to this… thinking back to the first time we heard God’s Word, the first time in which the Spirit of our Lord began to draw us near to Him through the Word. I don’t know about you, but I remember thinking to myself… I’ve never heard anything like this. My young self didn’t realize this at the time, but I had heard a wisdom that had not been introduced to me before.

Because this Word is out of this world, nothing like it, the wisdom’s of it reach far beyond our understanding, the only reasonable response is to obey it.

From the core of my being Lord, I keep your Word.

God’s Word gives light (v. 130)

The expression here may picture Yhwh’s words as contained on a scroll, rolled up until one unrolls it; the words’s mere presence on the scroll brings no light until someone opens the scroll.

You can think of a few things here. Bible’s around our country sitting on a book shelf collecting dust, not exposing ourselves to these words being read daily, or not exposing ourselves to the authority and preaching of God’s Word weekly.

We have the most sophisticated access to God’s Word than any other time in the history of the world… and at the same time we may have one of the more biblically illiterate times in the history of our world.

(TELL THEM SHORTLY ABOUT JARED’S BIBLE MOVING FROM THE BOOK SHELF TO THE NIGHT STAND, “I NOTICED THAT I DIDN’T HAVE ANY ROOM ON MY NIGHT STAND.”

God’s Word does little, when we allow it to be rolled up, un-opened.

The glorious thing about the Word WHEN IT IS OPENED… Who would have thought… great things happen!

People are changed, lives are transformed. (Dear Christian, counsel with the Word of God.) HELP PEOPLE TAKE THE SCROLL AND UNROLL IT TO REVEAL THE WORDS OF WISDOM THAT GOS HAS GIVEN TO US.

William VanGemeren says, “when the door is opened to God’s Word, “even those inexperienced in the realities of life may gain wisdom.

OPEN THE SCROLL OF GOD’S WORD BEFORE OURSELVES AND OTHERS TO LET IT SHINE LIGHT UNTO OUR PATHS AND TO LET US THINK WISELY ABOUT OUR WAYS.

God’s Word leaves you insatiable (v. 131) (uhn·say·shuh·bl)

Insatiable is not a word often used, but I liked one commentator’s use of it because it refers to a desire that is impossible to fully satisfy.

One can think of baby birds, I’m sure you have seen videos of momma birds going out to grab food and bringing it to their babies. They drop the regurgitated food into the babies mouths who just seem like they will never be full. They swallow the food whole as quick as she can place it in their mouths and then they’re back to begging for more.

This is a necessary nutrition that they’re body’s need. They’re little bodies are never satisfied.

This isn’t a optional snack.

The birds pant for a NEED OF MORE AND MORE

The Psalmist pants God’s Word. He can’t get enough of it.

This is far from a sense of obligation, he pants and LONGS FOR GOD’S WORD. BECAUSE IT IS THE NUTRITION OF HIS SOUL.

Do we have a passion for God’s Word?

God wanted us to realize the importance of His Word by giving us not just the totality of His Word that we hold here in our hands but also a chapter, right in the middle of His Word, the longest chapter in His Word, 176 verses talking about the importance of His Word.

Now I know there weren’t chapters and verses obviously in the original manuscripts, that is something we have added, but you get my point. You get God’s point. We are to have a passion for God’s Word. As Pastor Nathan says, and as I have taken on as well… SWIM IN THE PAGES OF SCRIPTURE DAILY.

Do you seek God’s Favor so that you May Honor Him? (Vv. 132-135)

Psalm 119:132–135 ESV

Turn to me and be gracious to me, as is your way with those who love your name. Keep steady my steps according to your promise, and let no iniquity get dominion over me. Redeem me from man’s oppression, that I may keep your precepts. Make your face shine upon your servant, and teach me your statutes.

Something that we must remind ourselves, is that yes God gives us forgiving grace.

And thanks be to God for this!

Without the grace bestowed upon us and applied through the atoning work of God’s Son, we are hopeless!

Left to ourselves.

Without any possibility of reconciliation, without justification, without the possibility of progressive sanctification.

It starts there…

But through this forgive grace, we are opened up to the reality of transforming grace. This enablement to live in a transformative life.

Romans 6:4 ESV

4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

God’s grace gives us strength to live in new ways. It’s this grace to live like Jesus!

Yes, we should confess and repent of our sins and walk in the forgiving grace of our Lord,

but Christian do not forget to pursue His transforming grace through believing the good news and walking in faith and obedience to the gospel!

God’s Grace empowers you to live differently.

One of the ways we do this is by ASKING For transforming grace.

Don’t forget the warning that is too often true of os us prayerless followers of Jesus:

James 4:2 (ESV)

2 …You do not have, because you do not ask.

We need to ask God for the specific grace to be different.

And that’s exactly what the Psalmist does in verse 132…

Ask God to be Gracious to you (v. 132)

Psalm 119:132 ESV

132 Turn to me and be gracious to me, as is your way with those who love your name.

He directly ask God here to be gracious to him, and he does this because he has put in the earnest.

He is confident in going before God and making this request because of His respect and love for who God is, what He has done, His name, His reputation.

Spurgeon says, “If God looks and sees us panting [for Him], He will not fail to have mercy on us.

Ask God to protect you from sin (v. 133)

Psalm 119:133 ESV

133 Keep steady my steps according to your promise, and let no iniquity get dominion over me.

So, coming from verse 132, how is God gracious to us?

1. Keep my steps steady through your promise (WE NEED FIRM FOOTING TO RUN THIS RACE GOD): This is an idea of God making his life safe and secure… fixed and firm.

2. Lord, don’t let any sin dominate me! Christian, sin will try to gain dominion over you. It can have a destabilizing effect on us (both our own and other’s sins.)

But, we must long to honor God. (COACH: YOU GOTTA WANT IT) (That desire changes your actions.)

*We ask God to protect us from any and all sin so that we may succeed and we realize that God provides this for us according to His promises.

It’s because of His promises that my feet are stable and that my life begins to be shielded from sin.

Heb. 12:12 comes to mind.

Hebrews 12:12–13 ESV

Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.

Ask God to deliver you from enemies (v. 134)

Psalm 119:134 ESV

134 Redeem me from man’s oppression, that I may keep your precepts.

Again we see the oppressor appear.

We have seen this time and time again, it’s something that I believe Pastor Nathan touched on last week…

Being the Lord’s servant does not come without opposition and persecution, don’t fall into this trap of thinking that because we believe in Jesus, all will be well on this side of glory.

BUT, HE STILL ASK! He ask God for deliverance. He’s asking God to set him free from those who would take him down with them and cause him to dishonor the name of the Lord.

Notice too, the reason behind his request. He’s not asking God to set him free of oppression for the sake of him. For the sake of him losing his things of life, his relationships, his accomplishments.

No, He request for God to set him free from the oppression so that he may FOLLOW GOD’S WORD. (We’ll touch on this more in a sec, about Godly Sorrow.)

It’s this asking of God to rescue us from those who oppress us, and from ourselves so that, I may FOLLOW HIS WORD AND HONOR HIS NAME.

Ask God to bless you with His presence. (v. 135a) (The real meaning of “Blessed”)

Psalm 119:135 (ESV)

135 Make your face shine upon your servant,…

One commentator comments that the first part of verse 135 “is a conscious echo of the OT benediction, known as the Aaronic blessing” in Num. 6.

May the Lord bless you and protect you; may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; may the Lord look with favor on you and give you peace.

Like Moses on behalf of Aaron and his sons, the psalmist is asking to see the face of God in his life.

SO THAT, he may experience His presence and His favor.

The writer is presenting himself as the LORD’S SERVANT…

Also acknowledging that God showing us His glory is by His will and not by our own. (“DESPITE ME, USE ME”)

There is nothing we ourselves can do to receive anything from God.

It’s purely by His unmerited favor, His grace given to us.

Ask God to be your teacher. (v. 135b)

Psalm 119:135 (ESV)

135 …, and teach me your statutes.

Not only is he presenting himself as a servant, he’s also presenting himself as the student.

Something that we should be recognizing in our lives on every front!

Is that the Lord is the MASTER, we are, by His will the student.

The forever student that never arrives on this side of glory to understand the full mystery of who He is.

1 Corinthians 3:18 ESV

Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise.

He is the Master, and therefore, He is our teacher, who instructs us in His decrees, His words, His commands, His promises, His precepts, His statutes, His judgements, His instruction.

Do you seek God’s Favor so that you may honor Him?

Let us do this by asking Him to be our teacher, asking Him for HIs presence, to deliver us from our enemies, to deliver us from sin, and to be gracious to us with this transforming grace.

Do you Grieve When People Disobey God’s Word? (v. 136)

Psalm 119:136 ESV

136 My eyes shed streams of tears, because people do not keep your law.

There is a reaction: tears and grief (v. 136a)

There is a reason: disregard of the Word of God. (v. 136b)

We see here an expression of what we see in so many parts of scripture.

The writer is expressing what we call this Godly Sorrow.

It stands in such contrast to what you see of the world which is Worldly Sorrow.

This is something that we as Christians should be mindful of.

Watching how we react to sin in the world. Sin outside of ourselves but also the sin within ourselves.

WORLDY SORROW:

It’s legitimate sorrow for the sinful things that take place on this earth. The things that we do.

There is actual sadness, brokenness, there are actually felt tears that stream from worldly sorrow.

The issue with Worldly Sorrow isn’t wether a person is sad, instead it’s what they are sad about.

The focus of worldly sorrow that we see in much of the world today is on the things of the world.

People who are focused on worldly sorrow are people who are sorrowful because they are losing things that are associate with this world. Reputation, job, money, fulfillment, security, comfort, losing STUFF and SELF.

WORLDLY SORROW LEADS TO DEATH.

GODLY SORROW on the other hand is what we see exhibited by the Psalmist.

On the surface level it may look the same as worldly sorrow, as far as the tears and sadness goes. But something very different is happening in the heart.

Worldly sorrow is sad over losing things of this world, but the focus of Godly sorrow is GOD HIMSELF.

GODLY SORROW is pained over the sin in which entangles the world and breaks relationship with God.

It’s this heartbreak that happens because of the reality that God has been grieved by this present sin.

THE TEARS FLOWING FROM GODLY SORROW FLOW FROM THE SADNESS THAT GOD’S LOVING AND HOLY LAW HAS BEEN BROKEN.

This is what is seen in the Psalmist here in verses 129-136.

We see this Godly sorrow that leads to repentance, and leads to this pure concern for what God says is right or wrong. A concern to live for His glory and not our own.

Spurgeon says, “Spiritual men feel a Holy Fear of the Lord Himself, and most of all lament when they see dishonour cast upon His holy name.

Conclusion

Where do our passions lie?

Is our passion set on the pursuit of God’s Will being accomplished?

Is it a grace dependent, Word centered desire?

Evaluate yourself within this litmus test and see where you are at.

Repent of where we have failed at this, and ask God for the ability to pursue these things within our lives.

Do we have a passion for the Word of God?

Do you seek God’s Favor so that you may honor Him? (In all of our decisions… Are you asking yourself, Does this honor God? Does this please God?)

NOT… will this honor a certain person, or does this please them…

Do you grieve when you see people disobey God’s Word?

Are you grieved when you catch yourself in sin. Does this grieve you?

Our passion, each and everyday should be after a grace-dependent, word centered desire to see God’s Will accomplished.

Let this be what we chase after.