Fresh Passion

13 while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. 14 He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.

That word here “totally committed” means zealous… on fire… the idea of boiling hot.

Spurgeon said,

You might as well have a chariot without horses, or a sun without sunbeams, or heaven without joy, as to have a follower of Jesus without Zeal.

What our culture needs is right now is red hot Christians with a burning, emotional and joyful love of Jesus. We need never to be ashamed of loving Jesus.

Look at the passage Titus 2:11-15

Titus 2:11–15 NLT

11 For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. 12 And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, 13 while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. 14 He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds. 15 You must teach these things and encourage the believers to do them. You have the authority to correct them when necessary, so don’t let anyone disregard what you say.

God wants us to be on fire for him… to be Zealous. As a matter of fact, Jesus would rather you be cold than lukewarm. Look at Rev 3:15-16

Revelation 3:15–16 NLT

15 “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! 16 But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!

When we are willy nilly or lukewarm Jesus said you make me sick. So we ought to be on fire for Jesus.

Now having said all that there is a misguided passion or zeal that is ugly. It becomes fanaticism. It’s ungodly extremism.

First let’s look at

Ungodly Extremism distorts the Grace of God.

If the devil can’t keep you from following Jesus, and he can’t keep you from being excited and passionate about your faith in Christ, he will do his best to make you and extremist. Take a look at Titus 3:8-11

Titus 3:8–11 NLT

8 This is a trustworthy saying, and I want you to insist on these teachings so that all who trust in God will devote themselves to doing good. These teachings are good and beneficial for everyone. 9 Do not get involved in foolish discussions about spiritual pedigrees or in quarrels and fights about obedience to Jewish laws. These things are useless and a waste of time. 10 If people are causing divisions among you, give a first and second warning. After that, have nothing more to do with them. 11 For people like that have turned away from the truth, and their own sins condemn them.

Paul is talking about misguided passion or zeal, a fanaticism that’s divisive… destructive… deadly and it will divide churches, families, and culture.

The Bible is full of principles that we should live by, but you can take a principle and move it to the extreme and distort it. Anything good can be taken to an extreme and ruined.

Steak is to be cooked not cremated. You want your steak cooked.

Principles are like a hammer. You can take a hammer and build a house, or you can take a hammer and beat someone to death with it.

People can take any issue and become extremist over even a good issue.

Look at this.

We are to be passionate and considerate at the same time.

Philippians 4:5 NLT

5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.

We are to be considerate. We are to be on fire for the Lord, but considerate at the same time.

Have you ever met unreasonable people?

2 Thessalonians 3:1–2 NLT

1 Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we ask you to pray for us. Pray that the Lord’s message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes, just as when it came to you. 2 Pray, too, that we will be rescued from wicked and evil people, for not everyone is a believer.

These people have no flexibility… they are fanatics and extremist.

Extremism is foolish.

Titus 3:9 NLT

9 Do not get involved in foolish discussions about spiritual pedigrees or in quarrels and fights about obedience to Jewish laws. These things are useless and a waste of time.

There are people who think they are theologians and they can split a theological hair into 16 equal divisions, but they have no relationship to what matters in the church.

RG Lee - giving an invitation with people coming to the altar to give their hearts to Jesus. A woman came down the aisle to him and said, “Pastor, did you know there were people on earth before Adam? He replied no and neither do you now go back to your seat. She had gotten some crazy idea and had no better sense than to bring that up in the middle of an invitation.

Paul is saying to avoid foolish discussions.

Real quickly…

Extremism is divisive.

Titus 3:9 NLT

9 Do not get involved in foolish discussions about spiritual pedigrees or in quarrels and fights about obedience to Jewish laws. These things are useless and a waste of time.

Paul says to avoid foolish arguments because they cause division, bickering, judging, criticizing. Almost always these people are self centered and self willed. Jude describes them in Jude 19

Jude 19 NLT

19 These people are the ones who are creating divisions among you. They follow their natural instincts because they do not have God’s Spirit in them.

People can divide churches over incidental things that do not make a difference for the Lord.

Argument in a church about the American Flag… or not…

Color of the carpet…

Church music… some like traditional hymns… some like modern worship music like we do… mama called it Happy Clappy…

Worship - raise hands or not… clap or not…

Liver and Onions example…

Extremism waste of time

Titus 3:9 NLT

9 Do not get involved in foolish discussions about spiritual pedigrees or in quarrels and fights about obedience to Jewish laws. These things are useless and a waste of time.

Paul says it’s a waste of time. It doesn’t get you anywhere. There are several ways you can get yourself into an unprofitable exercise just by becoming a fanatic. It can mess up all sorts of things… your QT, Bible study, separation, service to the Lord… all sorts of things.

Paul told Titus to be passionate about good works but to avoid ungodly extremism.

Extremism is fatal.

Titus 3:10–11 NLT

10 If people are causing divisions among you, give a first and second warning. After that, have nothing more to do with them. 11 For people like that have turned away from the truth, and their own sins condemn them.

Many people will never come to Jesus because of misguided zeal. Not only of their own lostness but because of others fanaticism.

Examples -

Jesus with disciples when Samaritans would not receive him and they wanted to call down fire from heaven… Jesus rebuked them because even though they didn’t see it, God had a plan for Samaria

Peter in the Garden when he cut off Malchus’ ear. Jesus rebuked Peter and put the ear back on.

Abortion Clinics - some have murdered abortionists or set fire to abortion clinics… that did not help the pro-life movement at all nor did it help the cause of Christ.

Those are examples of extremism.

Now let’s look at

Godly passion that displays the Grace of God.

Look at Titus 2:14

Titus 2:14 NLT

14 He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.

God wants us to be on fire for Him…

Jesus modeled this for us.

Story of Jesus cleansing the temple.

John 2:14–17 NIV84

14 In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market!”

One of the characteristics of the Messiah would be his zeal or passion for God and the church. Something got stirred in him because the thing he was most passionate about was being desecrated. Then is says,

John 2:17 NLT

17 Then his disciples remembered this prophecy from the Scriptures: “Passion for God’s house will consume me.”

They remembered that His Zeal for God would set him apart from all the others. Zeal means white-hot.

If you go to a football game and just study the plays and never get excited… ok. But it drives me crazy that we can get all excited about food, football, dogs… not cats, parades, hobbies, hunting all sorts of things and NOT be excited about our God and his church. I don’t want to get all excited about 22 guys who I don’t know and who don’t’ know me and not be all excited about the God who created me.

We need to look like we do on Saturday on Sunday. Come to the level of your Saturday.

We want to ask God to stir up our passions…

Romans 12:11 NIV84

11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

We want to keep our spiritual fervor.

Things we should be passionate about.

Passion for the presence of God

Praise and Worship. We should be passionate about our worship. Jesus was passionate about His worship as we just saw.

John 4 says God is looking for worshippers. He is seeking worshippers. John 4:23-24

John 4:23–24 NLT

23 But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. 24 For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

Worship - GK - Litterly translates as “to kiss”. Like a dog licking his master’s hands. When you come home, your dog knows you are there and they will come and greet you and lick you… Cats will not.

God is looking for people who are passionate about being in His presence.

Matthew 22:37 NLT

37 Jesus replied, “ ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’

On verse adds and all your strength.

A passion for Truth.

Titus 2:11–15 NLT

We need to be passionate about the Word of God. Look at these truths he just spoke of.

Grace - if there is not Grace, there is no Christianity.

Deity of Christ - Our great God and Savior…

2nd coming - We are looking forward to that wonderful day when Jesus comes back… The only hope for all of this mess we are in to be corrected is the 2nd coming of Jesus.

A Passion for Prayer

James 5:16 NLT

16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

This is why we say pray out loud. We might temper it here because we don’t want to draw attention to ourselves.

In the NT, they raised their prayers up to the Lord and the leader could not even hear himself. Pray with your outside voice. Raise the roof.

A Passion for purity.

We are to be passionate about living pure and holy lives. Look at Titus 2:12

Titus 2:12 NLT

12 And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God,

Titus 2:14 NLT

14 He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.

We are to live holy lives… which means we are to live different lives from the culture.

The world is passionate about their impurity. So we need to be passionate about our purity.

A passion for people.

God loves people so we need to love other people too.

Lost people. God so loved the world. We need to so love the world too.

John 3:16 NIV84

16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Godly Passion will fix Problems.

Godly passion will fix attendance problems.

When you are passionate about your relationship with Jesus you want to worship him with others. Jesus loves us so much that he shows up every time we meed.

Matthew 18:20 NLT

20 For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.”

Godly passion will fix giving problems.

Who hasn’t bought something they could not afford for someone they love? We all have. Why? Love. When you love, you want to give. It’s the same with God. Some wonder should I give on my net or my gross…. If it were coming to you, you would have an answer to that question.

You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.

Godly passion will fix serving problems.

When you are passionate about your faith, you will want to serve… to volunteer. When your child is sick, you don’t have to be begged to take care of your child. Why? Love. Jesus said to Peter in John 21:16-17

John 21:16–17 NLT

16 Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.” “Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said. 17 A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.

Godly passion will fix disagreement problems.

If we love God, then we will love each other.

Passion. If your neighbor’s house is on fire, you don’t say moderately in an uncaring manner, your house is on fire. You get his attention and get him to safety.

God wants us to be on fire for him.

Wrap up…

Salvation Prayer

Let’s pray that we don’t get caught up in these distortions - foolish arguments… divisiveness… wasting our time

Pray for passion for the presence of God…

Pray for passion for prayer… Truth

Let’s pray for those who don’t know the Lord.

Pray and then praise

Prayer time

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