What are you passionate about?

As we step into a new year, I’ve spent many hours, days, weeks, and even months thinking and praying about the direction of our church. And the more I thought and prayed, the more my mind kept coming back to one central idea: the culture of our church.

So when I talk about “culture,” what exactly do I mean? Culture is simply the shared way of life among a group of people. It’s the collection of our beliefs, values, behaviors, and the rules that shape how we live, how we relate to God, and how we relate to one another.

Simply put:

Culture is the way we do things around here.

And as I thought about our church and what I want to define our culture here at Legacy, two words kept coming to mind. Passion and urgency. And we are going to focus heavily on these two words throughout this teaching series.

I read an article a few months ago that talked about the importance of passion within the church and the author said,

“It’s shocking to me how little passion many church leaders exude. We have the most amazing mission on planet Earth. And we have a generation of young adults in front of us who want to give their lives to a cause that’s bigger than themselves”.

Man, I can’t tell you how strongly I agree with this statement. We have the most amazing mission on planet Earth. We have work to complete that has eternal significance, and we have a younger generation that wants to buy into the mission. And yet, somehow we as a body of believers end up living with passion and urgency regarding all the temporary things in this life, while being lukewarm concerning the things of eternity.

You see, we end of giving our best energy to hobbies, careers, and temporary pleasures and comforts, while giving God the leftovers. And so, as we begin this new year. I want us to look at our culture, and I want us to reflect on what we as individuals are passionate about. And finally, I want us to realize that we need to gain an sense of urgency about our mission.

One of the truths that the NT repeats consistently is that time is short. We as believers have an extremely limited amount of time to complete our work. Listen to Paul words to the church at Rome.

Romans 13:11–12 NKJV

11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.

Man, I read these verses and I can feel Paul’s urgency, can’t you. Paul is saying, Church we’ve got to wake up. He says, “it is high time to awake out of sleep”. In other words, Paul is saying church it is already past time for us to be awake. Paul is saying church we’ve slept past our alarm clock. We should be awake right now. We should be up and working because the Lord’s return is almost here.

Now of course Paul is speaking metaphorically when he talks about sleep in verse 11. Paul isn’t commanding his readers to physically wake up. No, Paul is talking about the moral and spiritual sleep that we fall into when we live like the world does.

I talk about this subject a lot because it affects us everyday. The world constantly pulls us into a moral and spiritual sleep. The world wants us to drift away from God and adopt its values and lifestyle. In other words, this current age wants us to fall into a spiritual sleep that is characterized by the rest of the world.

And Paul says, Church we have to wake up from this spiritual sleep we have to cast of the works of darkness. Paul says, we can’t live like the rest of the world in this age of spiritual darkness. And Paul says, we have to wake up now because the night is far spent and the day is at hand.

When Paul says, “night” is referring to this current age we are living in. He is speaking of this spiritually dark age when Christ is away. You see, this spiritual “night” will last until Christ returns, and Paul’s point is “the night is far spent”. In other words, Christ could come back at any moment. This age of spiritual darkness is almost over. Therefore, we as believers must be awake and working. We must complete the work the Master has given us and we need to be working with a sense of urgency.

And this brings me to one of the takeaways of today’s lesson.

We lose our sense of urgency when the world steals our passion

You know, as I look back over the past fifteen years of serving in ministry and teaching God’s Word, I’ve watched a heartbreaking pattern repeat itself. I’ve seen families who were once faithful, once hungry, once deeply involved… slowly drift away. And here’s the thing: most of the time, it wasn’t because of some major moral failure. It wasn’t scandal. It wasn’t some dramatic fall.

Most of the time, it was something far more subtle.

It was life getting busy. It was hobbies taking priority. It was kids’ sports dominating the calendar. It was careers demanding more and more. It was good things slowly becoming ultimate things.

And that’s the danger — the things that pull us away from church aren’t always inherently evil. They’re not always sinful in themselves. In fact, many of them are blessings. But when blessings become replacements… when good things become first things… when the world steals our passion… that’s when we become spiritually lukewarm.

Not cold. Not hot. Just lukewarm.

It’s the church once or twice a month routine when we don’t have travel ball or it isn’t deer season.

And being lukewarm is the most dangerous place of all, because you don’t feel it happening. You don’t notice the drift. You don’t realize the fire is dying out. You just wake up one day and the urgency is gone. The hunger is gone. The passion is gone. And then we find ourselves living just like the world around us.

This is what happened to the church of Laodicea. You might not know this, but in the opening chapters of the book of Revelation the Lord Jesus Christ Himself writes letters to seven churches. And these letters are basically progress reports. They are report cards given by the Lord Jesus Christ. And in these letters Jesus let’s these churches know what they are doing good, and He lets these seven churches what they are doing bad. Now most these seven letters have a mix of good and bad things written in them. The Lord says, “Well you doing good in these areas, but not so good in these other areas”. However, there is one church that has nothing good said about it. This is the church at Laodicea.

The Lord has nothing positive to say about this church. But nevertheless, this is a letter to the church. Meaning that even though this church is in a poor spiritual condition it is still the church. What I’m getting at is that this letter is written to believers. And I want us study the beginning of this letter for an extremely important reason.

We cannot let lukewarmness define the culture at Legacy. If for no other reason than being lukewarm makes the Lord Jesus Christ sick.

Ok, with that being said let’s read part of the Lord’s letter to the Laodicean Church.

Revelation 3:14 NKJV

14 “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God:

Again, I don’t want us to lose sight of who is speaking. These are the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, “the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness”. And this is what the Lord says to the Laodicean church. Let’s look at verses 15 & 16,

Revelation 3:15–16 NKJV

15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.

Wow! What a scathing rebuke by the Lord Jesus Christ. The spiritual temperature of the Laodicean church is lukewarm, and the Lord says I will vomit you out of my mouth. Let’s talk about water temperature for a second. Both cold and hot water have uses. Good cold water refreshes us when we’re thirsty. I mean think about when you’ve been outside working, and you come in a chug an ice-cold drink of water. Think of how refreshing that is.

And hot water has several uses. We cook with it. Hot water is soothing. If you’re really sore and you take a nice hot bath it relaxes the muscles, and it not only soothes our muscles but our minds as well. It helps us relax and relieves stress. The point is, hot and cold water both have uses. But now let’s talk about lukewarm water. What is lukewarm water? Here is the best way I can describe lukewarm water to you.

Have you ever left a water bottle in your car during the summer? I’m really bad about having a few water bottles laying around in my car. And usually, the water bottles have about this much water left in them. What happens is I usually open a water bottle when I leave the gym, drink most of it on the way home, and then I end up leaving the water bottle sitting in the console of my car. I think were all guilty of doing that at some point.

But have you ever been in a situation when you’re really thirsty and you have to take a sip of that lukewarm water that’s been baking in the sun? I have and let me tell you something, it’s disgusting. And actually, it’s worse than disgusting. Lukewarm water can be used an emetic. An emetic is something that is used to make you throw up. That is what lukewarm water is good for. It’s good you make you throw up. And that is what the Lord says in this verse. He says, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.

Now of course, what the Lord is talking about is the spiritual condition of the Church. This church wasn’t cold, they weren’t hot, they were lukewarm. And being lukewarm is a dangerous spiritual condition for a couple of different reasons. Number one, just like lukewarm water, spiritual lukewarmness is useless. Think about this for a second. What good is a lukewarm Christian to the body of Christ? I’m talking about the people that make it to church every once and a while because they are so busy, the people that won’t commit to anything because they don’t have the time. There isn’t a whole lot of spiritual value being given by these people, and usually their testimony out in the world isn’t a lot better because they generally live exactly the way the world does.

Now, I speak from experience because I spent years in this spiritual state. And being spiritually lukewarm is a place that bears no fruit for the Lord. That is what the Lord is telling the Laodicean Church. I wish you were cold or hot because the spiritual state that you are in is going to cause me to vomit you out of my mouth. You see this is strong language that let’s us know how displeasing their spiritual condition was to the Lord, but it also is a warning that the Lord was going to disciple this church. In other words, their sin was going to have consequences.

But there is another reason why their lukewarm condition was so dangerous—because it blinded them to their true spiritual condition. Verse 17 says,

Revelation 3:17 NKJV

17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—

Look at what the end of the verse says, “and you do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. You see, the Laodiceans were so wrapped up in their material success that they had become blinded to their true spiritual condition.

Let me back up and give a quick context clue here. The city of Laodicea was a large and prosperous city where many wealthy people retired. It was a renowned banking center, as well as medical center that produced an eye ointment. And not to mention it was heavily involved in the wool trade which made fancy clothes. In other words, this city had some money. And apparently as a byproduct of the wealth of the city, the members of the Church had grown wealthy. This is evident by the Lord’s statement, and apparently, it’s what the Laodiceans were saying about themselves. See that, because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’.  The Laodicean church had become materially wealthy. They were prospering in the material world.

Now let me quickly say this. There is nothing inherently evil about money. Money is simply a medium of exchange between people and businesses. What I’m saying is money isn’t the root of all evil, as is so often misquoted. The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.

Well, what does this mean? It means that money isn’t the problem, it is our heart’s attitude towards money that gets corrupted. Jesus Himself talks about this.  Sin flows out of the heart of a man. So, when we begin to lust for more and more money because of all the things it provides for us, then this love of money becomes the root of all kinds of evil, and this is what has happened to the Church of Laodicea. Their love of money had caused them to become lukewarm spiritually.

And I want us to study this letter because what happened to this church can easily happen to us. We live in the most prosperous country in the world, and praise God for that. But, if we are careful our prosperity can cause us to lose our passion for the things of God and become Lukewarm.

It’s the oh, I don’t can’t make it to church today because Billy’s got travel ball. Or we don’t go to church much over the summer because we like to spend our weekends at the lake. Or it’s, “Well, Sunday is the only day we can sleep in.” Or, “We’ll get back in church once things slow down.”

But things never slow down, do they? Life just keeps adding more, and before long the things of God get pushed further and further to the margins of our lives. And here’s the danger: none of these things feel sinful. None of them feel rebellious. They feel normal. They feel justified. They feel like “just a season.”

But that’s exactly how lukewarmness works.

It doesn’t show up with a loud announcement. It doesn’t come crashing through the front door. It slips in quietly through small compromises, small distractions, small shifts in priority.

That’s what happened to the church in Laodicea.

They didn’t reject Jesus. They didn’t deny the faith. They didn’t walk away from the church.

They just got lukewarm.

And listen to what the Lord tells them to do in verse 19,

Revelation 3:19 NKJV

19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.

Jesus says, as many as I love… this let’s us know Jesus is speaking to believers. The author of Hebrews lets us know that God disciplines His children, and that is what Jesus says here. As many as I love, “I rebuke and chasten”. Jesus is letting this church know that if they continue in this lukewarm state, He was going to discipline them. He was going to rebuke them and chasten them. And in light of this fact, He tells the church what they need to do. Jesus says, “therefore, be zealous and repent”.

He says repent. He wants them to turn from there sinful lukewarm lifestyle. But before we tells them to repent look what else He tells them. He says, “be zealous”.

Now, I realize “zealous” is not a word that is often used today so let’s define it.

Lexham Research Lexicon of the Greek New Testament ζηλόω

ζηλόω (zēloō) -

So we can say to be zealous means to be passionate! Do you see what the Lord is telling this church? He is telling them to be passionate. He is telling them to find their passion for the mission. And this brings us to the major point of today’s lesson.

The Lord wants His church to be full of passion.

So, the last thing I want to talk about this morning is passion. What exactly is passion?

Here is how the Merriam Webster Dictionary defines passion.

Passion - Intense, driving, or overmastering feeling or conviction.

So, the word passion to me captures the idea of a deep internal fire that moves a person toward action. Let me say that again. The word passion captures the idea of a deep internal fire that moves a person toward action. Here is what I want you to remember about the word passion.

Passion is an internal fire that produces consistent, intentional action toward what you love most.

Passion is an inward drive that expresses itself with consistent action toward what we love. In other words, when we are truly passionate about something it will show up in how we live. Let me give you an example that will resonate with many of the men in here.

Let’s talk about our hobbies. Men, we love our hobbies don’t we? And you can pick whatever your hobby is, maybe its deer hunting, fishing, or golf. And he’s another major one that many parents can relate to, your kids sports. Now, I want you to think about how much energy you put into your hobbies. How much money do you spend? How many hours do you spend mentally obsessing over the details.

Maybe it was a deer that was just out of range or a deer that showed up on your trail cam the one day you decided not to hunt. Think about the suffering we endure for our hobbies? Right. I mean men will get up at 3am and drive 100 miles to get in the woods before sun up, sit there for hours in the freezing cold, and call that a good day. But somehow they can’t get to an 11am Church service consistently.

And then there are the sacrifices we make for our hobbies—the time away from home, the weekends given up, the money spent, the energy invested. We don’t even think twice about it because we love it. We do it because we are passionate about it.

Now, I not trying to beat anyone up for having hobbies. Hobbies in and of themselves are not bad. In fact, hobbies are a good thing. However, hobbies can become idols that control your lives. And when hobbies leave no time for family and God, then you don’t have a hobby anymore. You’ve got a idol that you are worshipping. But that is a different sermon for a different day.

Today, what I want you to realize is that when we are passionate about something it drives us to action. Again passion is a deep internal fire that drives a person toward what they love. Passion produces action. We might even say it this way.

Passion is love in motion.

And so when we see the guy who willing to get up a 3am and drive a 100 miles to go freeze in a deer stand for hours. That is an example of passion. That is a passionate hunter.

And just so you know. Here is where I’m heading with this. If this church becomes as passionate about the word of God as we are about our hobbies, we can turn Paulding County upside down. I believe that 100%. If we develop a true passion for God and His word then we are going to transform lives and glorify the Lord Jesus Christ in ways we never thought possible.

But to get there, first we need to do an honest assessment of ourselves. We need to look at our lives, and we need to determine what we are passionate about. And then we need to determine if we are passionate about God and the things of God. So with that being said, let me give you a good test to determine what you are passionate about.

You can tell what a person is passionate about by watching:

where they spend their time,

where they spend their money,

where their mind drifts when nothing else is demanding their attention,

and what they’re willing to sacrifice for.

You see, these are the things that reveal what truly holds our hearts. Passion always leaves a trail. It leaves a trail in our calendars. It leaves a trail in our bank statements. It leaves a trail in our conversations. It leaves a trail in our priorities. You don’t have to guess what a person loves most—you just have to watch what they consistently choose.

And so, here is the million dollar question and the title of today’s lesson.

What are you passionate about?

Not what you say has your passion. Not what you intend to have your passion. But what actually has it.

And maybe an even more important question is this, Are you passionate about the Lord Jesus Christ and the work that He has given us to complete?

So Legacy, as we begin this new year, I want us to follow the command of the Lord Jesus Christ. I want us to be zealous. I want our culture to be defined by urgency and passion for the Lord Jesus Christ. Why? Because passion is what the Lord wants from His Church. Because passion is what is going to reach the next generation. And because passion is what is going to grow the church.

And so as I start working to close here. Let me tell you something I’ve noticed over the past year. I stepped in right around a year ago, when our last pastor left, and at that time I would describe our church as lukewarm. Somewhere along the way we lost the fire. We just started going through the motions. There was no excitement about the future, and frankly we were behaving like a dying church.

But, over this past year God has begun to work among this body of believers. God has started reviving us again, and the fruit of the spirit is coming back. This place is once again displaying love, joy peace, patient, kindness, and the like. And that is a testimony that we have turned back to God. That is the fruit of indivdual hearts turning back to God. That is proof that we have turned the page on the past hurts, the unforgiveness, the bitterness, the strife, and the divisions.

And Legacy, I can’t even begin to express how much excitement and hope I have for 2026. I believe with everything in me that God is getting ready to do great things in this church. The fire is coming back. The passion is returning. And the best days of Legacy are not behind us — they are right in front of us. And as much spiritual progress as we made this year. I want us to make infinitely more over this next year. I want to see God set this place of fire, and I want to see passion and urgency oozing from our very pores.

And here is the thing about passion. Passion is contagious. I know it is contagious because I am watching it spread throughout the church. And so as we begin this new year, we are going to be talking a lot about urgency and passion. And I’m going to be teaching us ways to kindle our fire for God. Were are going to talk about ways to keep that inward fire of faith burning for God. But the first step is being honest with God. The first step is taking a look at our lives to determine if we are passionate about the things of God.

And if the answer is no. Then today, right now, we need to confess that before the Lord. We need to say, “God I confess just like the Laodiceans, I’ve become Luke warm. Lord I’ve let the things of this world pull we away from you. But not anymore Lord. I want to be zealous. I want to be full of passion for you. Lord, I repent. I turn from the worldliness and lukewarm attitude towards You. Create in me Lord a passion for you and use me Lord for your purposes and your plan.”

Legacy, I’m chopping at the bit to attack this new year. My prayer is that you are too. Let’s pray.