GROWING IN THE PASSION FOR THE LORD

Do you agree that our church is always spirit filled with the presence of God at all services in church? Isn’t that great to experience God in such a way? How many of you want to feel that all the time?

All living organisms *grow when they’re healthy.

- Growth is natural for any living thing in the right circumstances. Whether you like it or not, you still have to grow. Remember Peter Pan’s story? He doesn’t want to grow old and he actually gathered a bunch of people to Neverland so that everyone will not grow old. Tell your neighbours that is not right.

Since the church is a living organism, it will naturally grow if it’s healthy.

- The church is a Body, not a business.

- It is an organism, not an organization.

- It is alive.

It is important that we grow in our passion for the Lord everyday and every year.

If a healthy church is a *growing church, then it is right to say that a church will only be as healthy as its *individual members and its *CG.

- A church will only grow as much as each member is growing in faith.

So, we need to ask ourselves: How healthy am I spiritually? How do I know if I am growing in my faith?

# John 2:17 Growing a healthy church begins with having a consuming passion for God.

The disciples remembered this prophecy from the Scriptures concerning having passion for God’s house.

- Jesus had a passion for God and His presence!

Do you have the same passion that Jesus had in their lives?

What is passion?

The dictionary states that - An intense emotion, strong feeling, a *great devotion and intense conviction which fuels or *motivates us toward compelling action.

Passion is the difference between acting enthusiastically, and simply going through the motions.

· Passion is the fire in our belly that causes us to get up in the middle of the night thinking about what needs to get done the following day.

In the Bible, the word passion is referred to as “zeal.”

“Zeal” = Gk. zealos = a *fervent devotion to a cause.

- It is also closely related to the word: “fire, enthusiasm, jealousness, earnestness.”

- In other words, a person who possesses zeal, has fire in his bones which cannot be easily quenched.

# Rom. 12:11 (NLT)“Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.”

# 2 Cor. 7:11 (NLT)“Just see what this godly sorrow produced in you! Such earnestness, such concern to clear yourselves, such indignation, such alarm, such longing to see me, such zeal …”

#2 Cor. 9:2 (NLT) For I know how eager you are to help, and I have been boasting to the churches in Macedonia that you in Greece were ready to send an offering a year ago. In fact, it was your enthusiasm that stirred up many of the Macedonian believers to begin giving.”

This passion needs to be found in the life of every believer. We should be excited about Jesus, more than anything else.

We get excited about all kinds of things. We get passionate about:

· The type of music we listen to

· Our possessions

· Fashion

· Gathering with old friends

· But … what about our passion for the Lord?

# Acts 2:37-47

There was a strong passion for God among the believers.

They together constantly and shared everything they had.

And they paid a price for what they believed and practiced.

Likewise, we also need to have this type of passion.

Here in Acts 2, we are going to look at the three areas they were passionate about …

1. They were passionate about their SPIRITUAL DEVOTION.
   

# Acts 2:41-42 They were hungry for the Word of God and for fellowship with one another.

# Prov. 3:5-6 In all our ways we are to acknowledge the Lord.

Trust = having confidence with heart and intellect (mind).

Acknowledging Him = being dependent upon the Lord and seeking Him daily to know His ways and His heart.

What is the level of your passion in prayer and daily Bible reading? Get back the passion for the things of God in your life today.

2. They were passionate about SERVING ONE ANOTHER.

# Acts 2:45 They were willing to bless others.

They lived like a family and were passionate about their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

# Phil 2:4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

Let’s not just look to get our own needs met, but to meet the needs of others.

When we are saved, we become a part of Gods *spiritual family. So we should be passionate in our love for one another because in a family there is love and support.

3. They were passionate about LIVING THEIR LIVES FOR GOD.

# Acts 2:46-47 The believers were happy in their everyday life.

They were happy because they gave up their old lifestyle (their past) and found a reason to live for, something so much better—a life in Jesus.

The most fulfilling life that we can live is the life of a *believer. When we walk with God, life becomes an *adventure and we can experience *fresh encounters with Him everyday.

# Col. 4:2 Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant about it ...

As we seek the Lord in prayer, God will give us a greater passion for:

- Spiritual devotion.

- Serving one another.

- Living our lives for Him.

Prayer is the key to restoring passion in your life, ministry, and your relationships.

John Wesley was once asked the secret to his ministry. He replied, 'I asked God to set me on fire and let people watch me burn'

- This should also be our prayer.

- That we will have greater passion for God in our own lives and in our CG.

Paul told Timothy:

# 2 Tim. 1:6 Fan into flame the gift of God which is in you...

What about you today? What is your passion level?

p/s: A sermon i preached in CG a week ago. Be blessed! XD