Discovering Godly Passion Print

Pastor David Koop 

In order to “make it count” in 2008 we must live with a Godly passion.

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  1. Everyone has a passion (an intense desire or enthusiasm) for something.

  2. Only a deep passion for God will truly satisfy us.
    1. Our passion needs to revolve around Jesus Christ in order for our lives to be stable.

  3. Passion for God can be stifled.
    1. We are born with a natural interest in God.
    2. 1Thessalonians 5:19
      Do not stifle the Holy Spirit.
    3. Revelations 3:15
      ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I would that you were cold or hot.’
    4. Matthew 13:15
      For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.

  4. The church in Colosse was in danger of losing their passion for Christ.
    1. Colossians 2:4
      I am telling you this so that no one will be able to deceive you with persuasive arguments.
    2. Colossians 2:8
      Don’t let anyone lead you astray with empty philosophy and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the evil powers of this world, and not from Christ.

  5. Paul along with the other church leaders deeply cared about their passion for Christ. Paul reinforces this holy passion by:
    1. Affirming them as saints. (Colossians 1:2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse)
    2. Affirming their pastor. Just as Jesus needed to hear these words from the Father, so did this pastor. (Colossians 1:7 … just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf)
    3. Praying for them a lot. (Colossians 1:3  We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you.)
      1. He prayed for wisdom. Verse 9
      2. He prayed for spiritual fruit in their lives. Verse 10
      3. To grow in the knowledge of God, to know how God works. Verse 10
      4. To have strength and power in their lives. Verse 11 and note verse 29 as from the Amplified version. (Colossians 1:29 For this I labor [unto weariness], striving with all the superhuman energy which He so mightily enkindles and works within me.) 
    4. Affirming their spiritual position and how they got it.
      1. Jesus bought us a new passport into the kingdom of the Son. (Colossians 1:13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,)
      2. Jesus paid for this change of spiritual citizenship with His own blood. (Colossians 1:14 God has purchased our freedom with his blood and has forgiven all our sins.)
      3. Jesus won the battle for our peace with God. We don’t have to “make peace with God” we only have to accept it. (Colossians 1:20  ... and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.)
      4. The great mystery (the secret of God’s riches) has been revealed for us – (Colossians 1:27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.)