Passion For God

Passion for God

Pastor E. Keith Hassell

Revelation 3:14-22 “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: 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. 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— 18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. 19As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. 21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

I.              What is passion?

A.               Passion comes from the Greek word zelos (Strong’s #G2205) and is interpreted as “passion” or as “zeal.”

B.                The word literally means “heat” and figuratively means “zeal.” In the favorable zeal can mean “ardor” (emotional warmth). In the unfavorable sense it can mean the jealousy of a husband or enemy.

C.               Regarding sin it is usually interpreted as “passion”

D.               Regarding good and God it is usually interpreted “zeal”

II.           We are to avoid destructive passions

A.               Romans 1:26 “For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature.”

B.                Romans 7:5 “For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death.”

C.               1 Corinthians 7:9 “but if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.”

D.               Galatians 5:24 “And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

E.                Colossians 3:5 “Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”

F.                1 Thessalonians 4:5 “not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God;”

III.        God has passion or zeal

A.               Numbers 25:11 “Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath from the children of Israel, because he was zealous with My zeal among them, so that I did not consume the children of Israel in My zeal.”

B.                He is zealous to preserve a remnant

1.          2 Kings 19:31 “For out of Jerusalem shall go a remnant, and those who escape from Mount Zion. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.”

2.          Isaiah 37:32 “For out of Jerusalem shall go a remnant, and those who escape from Mount Zion. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.”

C.               He is zealous to establish His kingdom

1.          Isaiah 9:7 “Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”

D.               He is zealous against His enemies

1.          Isaiah 42:13 “The Lord shall go forth like a mighty man; He shall stir up His zeal like a man of war. He shall cry out, yes, shout aloud; He shall prevail against His enemies.”

2.          Isaiah 59:17 “For He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on His head; He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak.”

3.          Ezekiel 5:13 “Thus shall My anger be spent, and I will cause My fury to rest upon them, and I will be avenged; and they shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it in My zeal, when I have spent My fury upon them.”

E.                He is zealous for His land and His people

1.          Joel 2:18 “Then the Lord will be zealous for His land, and pity His people.”

F.                He is zealous for Jerusalem

1.          Zechariah 1:14 “So the angel who spoke with me said to me, ‘Proclaim, saying, “Thus says the Lord of hosts: I am zealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with great zeal.”’”

IV.       We are to be zealous for God

A.               We are to be zealous with God’s zeal

1.          Numbers 25:11 “Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath from the children of Israel, because he was zealous with My zeal among them, so that I did not consume the children of Israel in My zeal.”

2.          2 Kings 10:16 (Jehu) “Then he said, ‘Come with me, and see my zeal for the Lord.’ So they had him ride in his chariot.”

B.                We are to have a zeal for God’s house

1.          Psalm 69:9 “Because zeal for Your house has eaten me up, and the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.”

C.               We are to have a zeal to promote God’s word

1.          Psalm 119:139 “My zeal has consumed me, because my enemies have forgotten Your words.”

D.               We are to be zealous for the fear of the Lord

1.          Proverbs 23:17 “Do not let your heart envy sinners, but be zealous for the fear of the LORD all the day.”

E.                We are to be zealous according to truth

1.          Romans 10:2 “For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.”

F.                We are to be zealous for spiritual gifts

1.          1 Corinthians 14:12 “Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel.”

G.               We are to be zealous for those doing God’s work

1.          2 Corinthians 7:7 “and not only by his coming, but also by the consolation with which he was comforted in you, when he told us of your earnest desire, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more.”

H.               We are to be zealous in repentance

1.          2 Corinthians 7:9-11 “Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. For observe this very thing that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.”

V.          What produces passion?

A.               As fire begets fire, so passion begets passion

1.          2 Corinthians 9:2 “for I know your willingness, about which I boast of you to the Macedonians, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal has stirred up the majority.”

B.                Addictions and uncontrolled drives come from sinful passion (“fire”)

C.               The only way to burn for God in your heart is to refocus on God.

D.               The word “focus” comes from a word meaning fire.  It was coined by an Italian scientist while using a parabolic (magnifying) lens. The light converged into a small point of light that produced heat and fire. That point where fire was produced he called “focus” to acknowledge the point of fire.

VI.       God’s heart burns for you. Does your heart burn for God?

A.               You will burn where your heart is focused.