Controlled Passion or Desire

Today I want to talk to you about a pretty serious dilemma I am facing. I have a pretty important decision to make and to be honest even though the answer seems quite clear I am still struggling with it. If I make the wrong decision there are some that will say that I am really not committed. If I make the other decision some will say all I care about is myself. It’s really tough…so here it is.

Should I go to Kansas or South Dakota for my annual Pheasant hunt? If I go to Kansas the trip is shorter the weather will be a little warmer and there is a pretty good chance I will harvest some birds.

If I go to South Dakota it is farther, more expensive and I will stand a good chance of being terribly cold, but South Dakota has a lot more opprotunity for birds.

Can you see the problem?

I know this is not an end of the world decision but the answer does reveal something about me when in comes to Bird hunting.

You see it could be argued that if I choose Kansas I am not as passionate about Bird hunting and if I chose SD. And that truth is that is exactly correct. The intensity of my desire for Bird hunting is directly connected to which one I choose.

All of us have things in our life that our desire or passion for dictate our decisions about them. We all know people that would move heaven and earth for sports events, hunting trips, career decisions and even their Spiritual pursuits because those things are their passions…its what they live for.

Our passions are directly connected to the decisions we make about everything in this life…including the practical aspects of our Spiritual lives…the things we choose to spend our time, money and talents on.

If this is true...it stands to reason that it matters what our passions really are.

When we allow God to Entirely sanctify us that means we allow God to make God’s Passions and Desires our Passions and Desires.

This means that our hope is no longer in how this world operates or what we can get from the world or other people but our hope is in letting God direct every step of our lives from the seemingly insignificant to the most essential.

When this happens we begin to emulate God’s nature in a natural way.

This was not happening among the dispersed Christians during the time of James…James was writing to Christians that becuase of persecution were dispersed all throughout the known world....They were citizens of the Kingdom of God living amongst the power and influence of their current age.

We too are citizens of the Kingdom of God living amongst the power and influence of the current age.

James 4:1-10

James 4:1–10 NLT

1 What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? 2 You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. 3 And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure. 4 You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. 5 Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him. 6 And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. 9 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

James: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition Chapter 9: The Problem of Double-Minded Desires (James 4:1–5)

...There has never been a time in history when more people make professions of faith without that faith making a difference in their lives. “Virtual Christianity” is a sad fact of life. And the source of the problem has not changed one iota from the days when James originally wrote these words. The divided human heart—trying to have it both ways—continues to deliver the chaos of unsatisfied desire.

This quote was not written in the last few months but it was given several years ago in the commentary. So while it may seem like I am dealing with our current season This double mindedness that James is teaching on is in fact a timeless issue.

Verses 6- highlights just how much God dislikes this type of behaviour…God does not just disapprove but He despises those who live to exalt themself (The Proud)

But God honors the humble. Those people who live the best way they can in the midst of difficult circumstance…or those who live not for self but to Bring honor and glory to God even if it cost them everything.

True Humility is necessary to Live in the constant presence of God.

This can only happen by allowing God to Entirely Sanctify our desires and Passions. Until we allow God access and control to every passion and every desire in our lives those worldly passions will continue to sabotage our Spiritual life.

Making ourselves “subject” to God or as verse 7 says submitting our live in its entirety to God is when God is able to sanctify us entirely.

This is where real power is...Power does not lie in money, fame, the military, what country we live in or even our political philosophy.

Power comes from submitting to the leading of God. Choosing to humble ourselves before God and yes even man. As I said a couple of weeks ago this does not mean to think less of ourselves it means to thing of ourselves less.

8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.

Just a word here about our current political situation. Do not lose your witness to a worldly process. The kingdom of God is more important than that.

Fear is Fed in our lives by putting our hope in the wrong things. If you and I are overcome by fear in these moments then we have not Entirely submitted to God’s sanctifying power.

The people James is writing to are Christians far from home. Persecution had dispersed them all over the known world. They were dealing with the same things you and I are. Political turmoil, poverty, uncertainty in the world, even disease.

James is saying to them and to us…not to lose our focus. Do not let fear of man or this world distract you from your real mission.

Let God sanctify us completely. Those of us who will humble ourselves before the Lord will be exalted.

The prophet Isaiah says it best in Is 40:30-31

New Living Translation Chapter 40

30 Even youths will become weak and tired,

and young men will fall in exhaustion.

31 But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength.

They will soar high on wings like eagles.

They will run and not grow weary.

They will walk and not faint.

Will you allow God to sanctify you entirely today? Will you give up your worldly aspirations and trust that God wants to lift you up above the fray?

This is not a message telling you to do better with your life…it is a message of how much God wants to perfect your life and give what your soul truly desires not what the world tells you it desires.

I cannot tell you what that is per say…but when you allow God to give you this gift you will never be the same.

Will you pray with me today to start that process? Pray

Communion

New Living Translation Chapter 10

14 So, my dear friends, flee from the worship of idols. 15 You are reasonable people. Decide for yourselves if what I am saying is true. 16 When we bless the cup at the Lord’s Table, aren’t we sharing in the blood of Christ? And when we break the bread, aren’t we sharing in the body of Christ? 17 And though we are many, we all eat from one loaf of bread, showing that we are one body.

Let us Eat....Let us Drink

Benediction:

May the LORD bless you and protect you. May the LORD smile on you and be gracious to you. May the LORD show you his favor and give you his peace.

Amen