Passion
Identity: The Shape of a Movement • Sermon • Submitted
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· 6 viewsOur passionate commitment is to be a meaningful relationship with Christ. This means to be found in Christ, to wear his righteousness and participate in his passion: become like him in death and to be raised again like him. The outflow of that relationship is to inspire a hunger for that as we serve them in love because that was Jesus' passionate commitment.
Notes
Transcript
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[SLIDE] Introduction
[SLIDE] Introduction
Word meanings /understanding
Cellfish - someone who continues to talk on their phone being rude or inconsiderate of other people.
Textpectation - the anticipation you feel when waiting for someone to reply to your text.
After clap - the last person who claps after everyone else has stopped.
Chairdrobe - piling clothes on a chair in place of a closet or dresser; see also floordrobe.
Carcolepsy - a condition where a passenger falls asleep as soon as the car starts moving.
Destinesia - when you get to where you were intending to go, but forget why you were going there in the first place.
Words that don’t mean what you think they do
Winter - A season from Mid December to mid-march. In the Midwest - dreariness that starts around Halloween and lasts until April.
Shorts weather - Summer time. In the midwest - 40 degrees.
Pop - a loud noise. In the Midwest - a carbonated drink.
Fair - honorable or just. In the midwest - the best part of summer with corn dogs and lemon icees.
Passion
Passion
Passion
Romantic
Deep emotion
What matters to you
Follow/pursue your passion/interest with everything you have - you can do anything you want! There’s a perfect job (just like mate) waiting for you.
We’ve been telling that to young people long enough there is now research data that shows it was bad advice.
NO! Bad advice. You are uniqely you; gifted in some ways and not others.
Too much passion
Paul is addressing a burning issue. Emotions are running high. He's going on the attack.
Gets personal
Vivid, emphatic and abusive language (dung)
Pursue Your Passion
Pursue Your Passion
Pursue your passion
Passion about something = what matters to you
Passion as zeal - eagerness and ardent interest in pursuit of something
Zealots - Jewish patriotic party resistant to Roman aggression. Resorted to violence and assassination; fanatical violence eventually provoked the Roman war.
and assassination; fanatical violence eventually provoked the Roman war.
Zeal - being hot for something or cold against something. Eagerness. Passion. A single minded desire, characterized by enthusiasm and devotion. In scripture often directed toward God also has zeal for his people. Misdirected or inappropriate zeal can disintegrate into fanaticism.
[SLIDE] Passion Defined
[SLIDE] Passion Defined
[SLIDE BUTTON] Zeal
[SLIDE BUTTON] Zeal
Zeal - being hot or eager for something or cold as in against something.
A single minded desire with focused enthusiasm and devotion.
In OT, God’s zeal for his people.
Zealots - Jewish patriotic party resistant to Roman aggression. Resorted to violence and assassination; fanatical violence eventually provoked the Roman war.
Zealots - Jewish patriotic party resistant to Roman aggression. Resorted to violence and assassination; fanatical violence eventually provoked the Roman war.
Misdirected or inappropriate zeal can disintegrate into fanaticism.
In the NT - passion is not an emotion but conviction.Zeal
Zeal - being hot for something or cold against something. Eagerness. Passion. A single minded desire, characterized by enthusiasm and devotion. In scripture often directed toward God also has zeal for his people.
Zealots - Jewish patriotic party resistant to Roman aggression. Resorted to violence and assassination; fanatical violence eventually provoked the Roman war.
Misdirected or inappropriate zeal can disintegrate into fanaticism.
In the NT - passion is not an emotion but conviction.
To Suffer
To Suffer
[SLIDE BUTTON] Intense, Powerful emotions are involved
[SLIDE BUTTON] Passion can be good and bad, and can certainly be overwhelming and override rationality.
[SLIDE BUTTON]The word passion originates from the Latin word “passio” which is closely related to the Greek root “path”
[SLIDE BUTTON] meaning “to suffer.” - a feeling which the mind suffers
Go down a path means to walk the way of suffering
Intense
When Paul wrote that God gave them up to their (sinful) passions () the Greek word “pathos” was used and can mean several things; “an affliction of the mind, emotions,” and “a feeling which the mind suffers” so the word passion can swing in many different areas but almost always is extremely intense.
Zeal - being hot for something or cold against something. Eagerness. Passion. A single minded desire, characterized by enthusiasm and devotion. In scripture often directed toward God also has zeal for his people.
Zealots - Jewish patriotic party resistant to Roman aggression. Resorted to violence and assassination; fanatical violence eventually provoked the Roman war.
Misdirected or inappropriate zeal can disintegrate into fanaticism.
In the NT - passion is not an emotion but conviction.
[SLIDE BUTTON] TOGETHER: TO SUFFER FOR A CONVICTION
Zealous and Passionate People in the Church
Zealous and Passionate People in the Church
Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you. Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
Paul is addressing a burning issue. Emotions are running high. He's going on the attack.
Gets personal
Dogs, evil workers, mutilators - Judaizers, false teachers
Circumcision - a practice and an identity. To be known as “the Circumcision” was to be known as belonging to God.
Carried over to the church: Have to be circumcized to be a Christian and welcome here.
a physical means of securing salvation (rule following).
A physical means of securing salvation (rule following).
Paul: Had passion/conviction, just the wrong kind.
What was their teaching: circumcision - Now that Christ has come, this is wicked. They lost sight of the spiritual significance of it. Relied on it for their salvation rather than Christ. They forfeited the title of being "the circumcision."
You’re getting the gospel half right. It’s just a sign. Doesn’t make you good like you think.
You’ve lost what it means. Now that Christ has come, not necessary.
Misunderstanding of righteousness. It won’t make you good enough.
To the church: beware of these people - observe, take not of; study them so as to understand them and avoid adopting their destructive beliefs and practices.
Misunderstanding of righteousness
Provided a nuanced understanding of passion.
[SLIDE]Paul’s Passion Shift
[SLIDE]Paul’s Passion Shift
Paul's conversion was a sudden and dramatic renunciation of his heritage and achievements. NOT a model to be followed.
Passion shift - renounce selfish desires and say yes to Christ who called him to conform himself to his death by daily taking up his cross in self-sacrificing service to others.
Old passion - letter of the law and making sure everyone else followed it as well to the point of persecuting those who refuse and follow Christ.
Law - instruction, rules of conduct
Culturally or divinely prescribed regulations for living. The regulations always carry a punishment for disobedience. connected with God’s covenant with Moses (10 commandments
New passion - righteousness from God, through faith in Christ; sharing in Christ's passion - sufferings, death, resurrection.
[SLIDE]Chosen for Relationship
[SLIDE]Chosen for Relationship
We are chosen of God for meaningful relationship.
Why chosen?
Why chosen?
Marriage metaphor: No relationship to intimate relationship. Requires a choice to enter into it. Once person extends the invitation and the other either says yes or no.
With God: previous relationship that was broken and now needs mended. How?
Broken trust - the person breaking trust tries to earn it back. NEVER WORKS.
Always left up to the offended party to choose to forgive, put in the past, not hold the offense against the other person.
Must choose to give the person back their rights/standing in the relationship - to restore the relationship or not. On their terms.
Justified
Justified
If I try to earn God's favorable verdict by my own goodness, achievement, etc, I can never experience true goodness because it's not based on merit. Faith is opposite of merit; it admits I cannot earn God's approval but can accept the free offer of forgiveness, grace and love. Because the offer is made in the life, death of Christ, goodness and being in right/meaningful relationship with God, must come through him.
Legal term
In court, the judge had to decide between two parties was forced to justify the one and condemn the other (decide in favor of one and against the other). The one justified was given back his or her rights.
In justifying us (making us good), God decided in favor of us and gave us back our rights in our relationship with him.
If I try to earn God's favorable verdict by my own goodness, achievement, etc, I can never experience true goodness because goodness cannot be earned or made. We are made good through faith.
Goodness and being in right/meaningful relationship with God, must come through him.
Faith - Means trust - trusting the offer of God’s forgiveness, grace and love made in the life, death of Christ.
[SLIDE] Chosen to Know Christ
[SLIDE] Chosen to Know Christ
being found in Christ, incorporated in him, united with him to the degree that all that Christ is and has done is received by the person who trusts Christ.
being found in Christ, incorporated in him, united with him to the degree that all that Christ is and has done is received by the person who trusts Christ.
Reliance on Jesus.
Participate in his passion (sufferings)
Becoming like him in his death to be raised again like him.
Continual confession of dependence on Christ and surrender to him.
Wear his righteousness
Continual confession of dependence on Christ and surrender to him.
Wear his righteousness
Wear his righteousness
Reliance on Jesus.
Reliance on Jesus.
Participate in his passion (sufferings)
Participate in his passion (sufferings)
Becoming like him in his death to be raised again like him
Becoming like him in his death to be raised again like him.
Knowledge is personal and relational. He is saying, I want to know him IN the power of his resurrection. Not as a fact of history, but the resurrected ever-living Lord of his life.
Knowing Christ
Knowing Christ
Knowing Christ - not intellectual knowledge about him (he had that when he was persecuting the church). Rather, a personal encounter with Christ that is the beginning of a special intimacy with him that is life changing and on going.
Newness of life
Knowledge is personal and relational. He is saying, I want to know him IN the power of his resurrection. Not as a fact of history, but the resurrected ever-living Lord of his life.
Paul wants to know Christ alive and creatively at work to save him from himself, to transform him from death to life, to move him forward to a life of service to others, to birth newness of life (life in the Spirit) aligning him with the moral and spiritual character of Christ.
[SLIDE] Chosen to Know Christ’s Passion
[SLIDE] Chosen to Know Christ’s Passion
Suffer.
Jesus is in command, he gives the orders. He knows what is going to happen and speaks it to happen.
Passover meal - I’m making a new and lasting agreement. No longer will you have to live up to the bar set. I’ve done that for you because as you know, you will always fall short.
Gethsamane. Deep anguish, sorrowful to the point of death, troubled. Knew the kind of death he would die. He who didn't know sin became sin for us (). Brought unimaginable disturbance to his soul. Jesus was in command.
Let this pass. We want to pray away our pain and suffering.
Betrayal and trial
Beating
Crucifixion. The word excruciating originated from the word crucifixion.
Resurrection.
The power of the resurrected Christ and the fellowship of his passion/sufferings are not two separate experiences but as two parts of the same experience.
Found in Christ
Found in Christ
Continual confession of dependence on Christ and surrender to him.
Wear his righteousness by participating in his passion (sufferings) . Suffer with Christ.
Participate in his passion (sufferings)
Becoming like him in his death to be raised again like him
Suffer with Christ (). Knowing Christ in the power of his resurrection is an inward experience and knowing Christ in the fellowship of his sufferings is also inward (died with Christ).
Physical suffering and death have a transforming role in the life of a Christian.
Passover meal - I’m making a new and lasting agreement. No longer will you have to live up to the bar set. I’ve done that for you because as you know, you will always fall short.
Continual confession of dependence on Christ and surrender to him.
Gethsamane. Deep anguish, sorrowful to the point of death, troubled. Knew the kind of death he would die. He who didn't know sin became sin for us (). Brought unimaginable disturbance to his soul. Jesus was in command.
Let this pass. We want to pray away our pain and suffering.
Wear his righteousness
Betrayal and trial
Participate in his passion (sufferings)
Beating
Crucifixion
Becoming like him in his death to be raised again like him
Resurrection. “He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.”
The “He” in this sentence is Jesus Who presented Himself alive after His scourging (highly torturous) crucifixion, death, and resurrection. Jesus’ last week and consequent illegal trial, torture and crucifixion is known as the Passion Week. The word in this verse “suffering” is closely related to passion and is from the Greek “paschō” and means “to be affected,” or “to have been affected” and His suffering was unlike any man that has ever lived. In fact the word excruciating originated from the word crucifixion.
New Identity
New Identity
6. Faith in Christ =
To justify - give a person his rights. Legal term. ).
6. Faith in Christ =
1. All humans are alienated from God
2. No one can reestablish our relationship with God by our own efforts
3. God must take the initiative to restore this right relationship; the source of righteousness is the redemptive action of God.
4. God has taken this initiative in Christ - life, death, rez, ascension.
5. This initiative requires human response - faith in Christ. By our continual confession of dependence on Christ for the necessary righteousness; personal trust in and surrender to Christ.
6. Faith in Christ = being found in Christ, incorporated in him, united with him to the degree that all that Christ is and has done is received by the person who trusts Christ.
The circumcision = chosen of God. What Israel was called.
Sign of God’s covenant with them.
We are the new circumcision - loving, honoring and and serving God from the heart.
Not concerned with a right way of doing things or how cool our worship or ministries are.
The privilege of Israel to love and serve God from the heart has been given to the New Israel because the Jews turned form inner spiritual worship of God from the heart to an external religion of ritual where human practices displaced divine commands and where people honored God with their words but not their hearts.
The Christian, regardless of the forms we use in worship is not distracted by them from worshiping God in spirit and truth.
-People talking about how cool their worship is...ministries. This church does it this way...the best!
Knowledge is personal and relational. He is saying, I want to know him IN the power of his resurrection. Not as a fact of history, but the resurrected ever-living Lord of his life.
And the power is the power that raised Christ from the dead.
Paul wants to know Christ alive and creatively at work to save him from himself, to transform him from death to life, to move him forward to a life of service to others, to birth newness of life (life in the Spirit) aligning him with the moral and spiritual character of Christ.
The power of the resurrected Christ and the fellowship of his passion/sufferings are not two separate experiences but as two parts of the same experience.
Suffer with Christ (). Knowing Christ in the power of his resurrection is an inward experience and knowing Christ in the fellowship of his sufferings is also inward (died with Christ).
Physical suffering and death have a transforming role in the life of a Christian.
Christ’s Passion
Isaiah - God will save the human race because of his love and mercy (passion)
Passover meal - I’m making a new and lasting agreement. No longer will you have to live up to the bar set. I’ve done that for you because as you know, you will always fall short.
Gethsamane. Deep anguish, sorrowful to the point of death, troubled. Knew the kind of death he would die. He who didn't know sin became sin for us (). Brought unimaginable disturbance to his soul. Jesus was in command.
Gethsamane. Deep anguish, sorrowful to the point of death, troubled. Knew the kind of death he would die. He who didn't know sin became sin for us (). Brought unimaginable disturbance to his soul. Jesus was in command.
Let this pass. We want to pray away our pain and suffering.
Betrayal and trial
Beating
Crucifixion
“He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.”
Resurrection. “He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.”
The “He” in this sentence is Jesus Who presented Himself alive after His scourging (highly torturous) crucifixion, death, and resurrection. Jesus’ last week and consequent illegal trial, torture and crucifixion is known as the Passion Week. The word in this verse “suffering” is closely related to passion and is from the Greek “paschō” and means “to be affected,” or “to have been affected” and His suffering was unlike any man that has ever lived. In fact the word excruciating originated from the word crucifixion.
What’s Next: The Outflow
What’s Next: The Outflow
Damascus road () left Paul with the understanding that knowing Jesus as his Lord was the one thing of any value in this life. Nothing compared.
After experiencing Christ and deliberate, careful thought, his values changed.
His decision was not to go from good to better, nor was it the surrender of a valued possession. It was an abandoning.
Those good things weren't so good after all. What he had put into his worth chest, cherished, banked on bankrupted him. They were achieved from self-reliance which is destructive. They were like a drug - never enough and hid him from seeing his need for real goodness that God required and only God could provide.
What we would allow to compete is filth/dung (what Paul, meant…)
To keep it and lose Christ was the ultimate disappointment, failure, place of poverty.
Knew he was going to have to replace old priorities and passion with new.
New Life Priorities and Passion
Reprioritize our lives
Talks of it as having suffered the loss of these things…read: passioned the loss of them to enjoy knowing and being known by Jesus.
The point here is that if there is anything in our lives that lead to us becoming proud or self-reliant and unaware of our need of God and the goodness/righteousness that only he can provide, then when we become aware of it, we are to throw away from the privileges and achievements as we would throw overboard valuable cargo to save a ship sinking in a storm.
). This new passion has to do with my great, deep desire like a fire burning within me to help rescue the perishing or as Jeremiah puts it “there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot” (
What I once thought important are gone from my life. They don't compare to knowing Christ. They are dung (Paul meant…)
Advantages such as status, education, accomplishment ultimately lack value. By those standards, Paul was the best of the best and according to those standards, had every right to promote himself and believe in his own goodness.
).
Advantages such as status, education, accomplishment ultimately lack value. By those standards, Paul was the best of the best and according to those standards, had every right to promote himself and believe in his own goodness.
Found in Christ
Found in Christ
Means “suffer to know.”
Therefore, Paul's passion was to know Christ more fully - not as a theological topic to be discussed but as a person to be enjoyed.
I have let go of them and taken hold of Christ and all he was and is. I have passioned the loss of these things.
Reliance on Jesus.
To gain Christ, be found in him, and wear his righteousness,
righteousness The Greek word used here, dikaiosynē, can be associated with a range of meanings, including ethical uprightness, right legal standing before God, right relationship with God, covenant faithfulness, vindication, and deliverance. Regardless of how the term is understood, Paul’s usage here concerns the function of dikaiosynē to designate God’s people—the righteous. Those who put confidence in the flesh rely on the law for their righteousness; in contrast, Paul has come to rely on Christ
Participate in his passion (sufferings)
and participate in his passion (sufferings) becoming like him in his death to be raised again like him.
Becoming like him in his death to be raised again like him.
To Serve Him
To Serve Him
The spirit inspires, implants a passion that profoundly changes our lives in order that we would live lives of love and service so as to generate a life for others.
That they would hunger for a meaningful (biblically passionate) relationship with Jesus.
Life with Jesus is not just for our benefit and deeper intimacy with Christ but so as to serve others that they might hunger for a meaningful (biblically passionate) relationship with Christ.
Repentance
Jack Wellman, Pastor: Jesus Passion Week showed that He set His mind on suffering, dying, and being raised to life again so that we might receive eternal life if we repent and trust in Him. Today, my passions have changed and one of the greatest passions I now have is based upon compassion. The Spirit of God normally changes our passions from being evil into good. The word compassion is a compound word of “with” (com) “passion” (strong emotional feelings). Not the sinful passions of my previous days but as Jude wrote I now desire to “have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh” (). This new passion has to do with my great, deep desire like a fire burning within me to help rescue the perishing or as Jeremiah puts it “there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot” (Jeremiah 20:9).
More here than just showing the difference between external and internal religion.
Inspiration for hungering Christ in new and deeper ways
And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.
Not enough to make a decision. Must be reinforced every day - choices made against depending on ourselves, what we possess, accomplished for enjoying a meaningful relationship with God.
4 -
This new passion has to do with my great, deep desire like a fire burning within me to help rescue the perishing or as Jeremiah puts it “there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot” (
). This new passion has to do with my great, deep desire like a fire burning within me to help rescue the perishing or as Jeremiah puts it “there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot” (
He gives up superiority (it is loss) after careful, deliberate thought, judgment on account of Christ.
Not enough to make a decision. Must be reinforced every day - choices made against depending on ourselves, what we possess, accomplished for enjoying a meaningful relationship with God.
Great Commission: We were saved not for us but for the world. God so loved the world…It's not about you/me
Conclusion
Another Reading on Patheos to Check Out: What Did Jesus Really Look Like: A Look at the Bible Facts
Article by Jack Wellman
Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren church in Mulvane Kansas.
We want to make God fit our accepted patterns of thinking, of life, needs, desires. Creating him in our image.
We look at the box of life first and then form our thought about God. Rather, need to understand God and how he defines the life he's created and called us to live.
Passion is not what we want or desire to do it is what must be done. Loving the world to the point of being willing to lay down our desires, plans, wants, needs, life so that others might live. It must be done.
“I have learned that the main difference between a congregation in decline and one with a future is the difference between practicing the faith for the exclusive benefit of “insiders” or passionate concern for the “outsiders." ~ The Welcoming Congregation: Roots and Fruits of Christian Hospitality
When the preferences of the church members are greater than their passion for the gospel, the church is dying. Thom Rainer
Thom Rainer
Our Call
Our Call
Mark Labberton in his book Called:
Mark Labberton in his book Called:
[SLIDE BUTTON] First Things - matters of character and faith, obedience and influence, of priorities.
[SLIDE BUTTON] First Things - matters of character and faith, obedience and influence, of priorities.
Love God first, neighbors second by the power of the spirit and bear the fruit of the spirit in our lives.
[SLIDE BUTTON]Next things - move into specific places
[SLIDE BUTTON]Next things - move into specific places
Where our gifts, talents, education, opportunity, passion etc draw us to serve. Maybe volunteer, maybe job.
Temptation is to make the next things the first things and to ignore the next things because we think we don’t have the first things right.
Meant to pursue and develop first things as we go about next things - simultaneously in the midst of the ordinary activities of daily life (next things).
We live out the extraordinary call of following Jesus (first things) in the midst of the ordinary actions of daily life (next things).
Labberton, Called.