1. Introduction
- Passion = strong feeling, burning desire
that expresses in words and emotions.
- Jesus was a passionate person – He
expressed life passionately
John 2:17. “The zeal of your home
has eaten me up.”
Zeal = 2205 = to boil; glow with heat, i.e. boiling love, anger.
Eaten = 2719 = to consume, totally engulf in flames.
- Jesus commended passion for Himself.
Luke 7:37-50. “To whom little is
forgiven loves little.”
- The women was a sinner (v37)
- Her love for Jesus was passionate (v38)
- i.e. expressive and extravagant – rooted
in deep gratitude for His love.
Passionate Love = (i)
Sacrifice – not holding back
(ii) Expressive
(iii) Respect and Honour – places his value.
(iv) Truth – nothing covered, vulnerable.
2. Passion Can be Lost.
Revelation 2:1-7. Message to the
Church at Ephesus – left 1st Love.
· Works reveal our faith – our heart condition.
- (vs2) “I know your works” – God
constantly observes our actions not just intentions.
- We need to see if our actions are in line
with our intentions.
- God evaluates our actions – what we are
doing with view to promote.
· First Love is important to God.
Jer 2:2. “I remember how eager you
were to please me us a young bride long ago, how you loved me and followed me
even through barren deserts?” (TLB)
- 1st Love = Unashamed affection,
abandoned love, vulnerable affection.
- First = 4413 = foremost in time, order,
importance.
- Church still had enough love to do good
works but left 1st love.
- Left = 863 = yield up, send it
away, to leave and go another place
= to lay it aside in favour of something else.
2Cor 11:2-3. I am anxious for you
with the deep concern of God himself, anxious that your love should be for
Christ alone, just as a maiden saves her love for one man only, for the one who
will be her husband…I fear you will be led away from your pure simple devotion
to our Lord. (TLB)
Why People Lose their Passion
- All relationships require investment,
just like a bank account.
- Why people lose passion – become
indifferent.
(i) Conflicts that are resolved e.g.
David/Michal
·
Disappointments
•
Ridicule
·
Offence
•
Unresolved issues accumulate
·
Guilt
and the Heart closes up
·
Shame
(ii) Compromise – i.e. something
that endangers the relationship
- Defilements – pictures, memories, unresolved
attachments
- Affections for someone else. E.g.
2Tim 4:10 Demas
James 4:4. Adulterers…Do you not
know that friendship with the world is enmity with God. Whoever wants to
be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God”
- Adulterer is a person in a covenant but
seeks relationship with someone else
- World = the value system and priorities
and culture we live in.
- E.g. – Lot = compromised cost him his
character and family and destiny
- Gods answer – not withdraw from life and
become monastic
- to be consumed with a passion for Christ and His kingdom
(iii) Control – any ungodly
restraint that holds a person back
- Inner vows
- reactions to hurt
- Controlling spirits
- shut down the soul e.g. Elijah. e.g. Timothy
- Rebellious/stubbornness
- refining to gold
- Passionately – capable of feeling,
suffering but does not speak/act
- ‘shut down’;
with holding; meaningful words and actions of love and gratitude.
· No longer vulnerable, no longer expressive, no longer extravagant
· Still in relationship but no fire of passion burning.
3. How to Restore 1st love.
Example. Luke 7:47. To whom
little is forgiven – loves little
· The woman’s passion was ignited out of her personal encounter with
Jesus love, acceptance and forgiveness – she was full of gratitude.
(i) “Remember” (Rev 2:5)
- Remember = forgotten something, become
distracted, attention elsewhere
- Mind must be refocused again or developed
intimacy.
- Fasting is a way of refocusing the inner
life. (Is 58)
- Fasting wrenches the hold of body and
soul, exposes unresolved issues
(ii) Repent (Rev 2:5)
- Repent = to change the mind and
affections to turn around
- Confront those things that separate from
intimacy with God
- Disappointment, sin, affections, images
in mind, habits
- Take responsibility; bring to the cross
for cleansing
- Choose to open heart, become vulnerable,
yield to Love God
- May need to take dominion over controlling
spirits
- Refocus mind by meditating using
imagination to picture God.
- Open heart to embrace him, love
him. Ps 39:3.
(iii) Do the 1st Works (Rev
2:5)
- Luke 24:32.
Fellowship
- John 14:23.
Simple prompt obedience in little matters