The Miracle of Life Ignited by Passion
A person full of passion, regardless of the environment, can always live a wonderful life! Passion can drive away darkness, passion can drive away pain, passion can unleash human potential, passion can inspire creativity, and passion can influence many people's lives!
- Today's Topic: Rekindling the Fire of Life!
The Sunday before last, the topic I shared was Prospering in the Place of Suffering. While sharing, I myself was inspired by the Word of God! Later, I put this sermon on the website, and as a result, in two weeks, this sermon became the most clicked one! There are so many people who like to prosper! May everyone prosper! However, prosperity brings another problem, which is that one feels rich and becomes a lukewarm life! That is not what God wants. God makes us prosper so that we can serve Him better! Not to lose life!
Today, the topic I am sharing with you is – Rekindling the fire of life within us!
Joseph, the son of Jacob, recorded in Genesis, is a wonderful person! It is not easy for someone to endure ten years of slavery and three years of prison life. If it were not for faith, faith in God, it would be really unbearable! No matter how you look at it, a person in Joseph's situation, relying on human logic, cannot believe that he would become the prime minister of Egypt! But a miracle happened! We humans live, those who live in suffering, those who live in a situation where it is logically incomprehensible that they will become great princes, what they need most is a miracle! Thank God, our God is a God who performs miracles! With God, there are miracles, and with miracles, we break through our logic! What we need is not human logic, but God's presence! Amen!
So we have to ask, how did Joseph make it through? It is the passion for doing things inside! Joseph not only had faith in God in his heart, but also had God's nature in his body, which is the passion for doing things! Know that our God is a God full of passion! Our God's nature is very rich, a very professional mathematician, a very professional scientist, a very professional biologist, and a passionate engineer!
You will find that people who have the image of God in them are full of enthusiasm when doing things! They are very practical, doing things in a down-to-earth manner! If Joseph were here today, he would definitely be a professional with a high degree of enthusiasm for doing things! I think Joseph saw with his own eyes how his father Jacob became wealthy! His father Jacob was a very professional shepherd! His father-in-law, Joseph's grandfather, changed his father's wages ten times, not a salary increase, but a deduction! But what Joseph saw was that his father did not have a negative attitude, did not make a fuss, nothing, and continued to take good care of his father-in-law's sheep! He would never walk over, kick the sheep, and yell, What are you yelling about? Don't you know I'm in a bad mood today? Get out of here! What are you eating? Are you hungry? Didn't you eat yesterday? It turns out that God has been watching our attitude towards doing things! What does the Bible say? Do everything as if doing it for God! I think if Jacob didn't have such a professional attitude, God would not have been able to bless him! That's how Joseph was a slave!
Can you imagine? Joseph was only 17 years old when he went! A seventeen-year-old child is just a little slave, being summoned and ordered around, sometimes being bullied, scolded, and suffering a lot of grievances. He didn't speak the language, and even if he later spoke Egyptian, he still had a Hebrew accent. He was often laughed at. When I spoke fluent Northeastern dialect and went to Beijing, I was often laughed at. We say 吃肉 (chī ròu, eat meat), not 吃肉 (chī ròu), but 吃右 (chī yòu)! That's how we say it in our hometown! But in Joseph's mind, there was a passion for doing things, an attitude for doing things, a professional and serious demeanor for doing things. In a few years, he became the head of the master's house!
The Power of Passion and Faith
Even in this world, all those who have achieved success are people who are full of passion in doing things! As Christians, we must be even more enthusiastic Christians!
When doing things, you will definitely encounter difficulties and setbacks, but with passion, you can overcome everything! Because the fire of life can swallow everything! That's my topic for today!
I had a boss who once said something very interesting. He said, If you want to date, make boyfriends or girlfriends, the most important thing is that she/he has passion inside! Compassionate! This is true! Passion is not spoken, it is shown in doing things!
Today, what we want to say is
Let's look at today's scriptures.
2) Today's Scripture: Revelation 3:14-19
Choosing to be Zealous for God
Rev 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; Rev 3:15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. Rev 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Rev 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: Rev 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. Rev 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
3) Prayer
... Pray in the name of the Lord Jesus, Amen!
4) What does this passage in Revelation illustrate?
In this passage of scripture, God is criticizing the lukewarmness of the church! In fact, what God hates most is a lukewarm disposition! The problem is not just lukewarmness, the problem is that people feel good about themselves in this state! They feel that they are rich, have made a fortune, and lack nothing! But God's view is the opposite. In God's eyes, they are wretched, miserable, poor, and blind. Finally, God says, Be zealous therefore, and repent!
It turns out that a fervent attitude of service is what God wants!
Today, I want to tell you that God wants to bless us and make us rich. I often feel in my prayers that God's intention is to make us rich! God does not want us to be poor. But what do we do after we become rich? Do we work hard? I want to tell you that it is not that the higher your salary, the easier it will be! It will definitely get busier and busier! It is not that the richer you are, the easier it will be, it will definitely get busier and busier! But being busy with work will make our eyes begin to be unable to see the real things!
We know that HTC mobile phone is the company of Wang Yongqing's daughter Wang Xuehong in Taiwan. It is very big. It was once the star of Taiwan. But do you know that she works hard every day, and the lights in her office are still on late at night. Is she rich? Yes, but does she have time? No!
Today, I want to take a risk, that is, everyone may feel uncomfortable after listening.
Let's read this passage again, isn't it referring to you and me?
Rev 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; Rev 3:15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. Rev 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Rev 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: Rev 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. Rev 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
If these words make you and me feel pricked, if we feel God's rebuke and discipline, then let us be zealous for God again! Being zealous for God is nothing else, but to let us truly be rich and obtain gold tried in the fire!
We have many reasons! The people of the Laodicean church are not without reasons! They are really busy! No time! Managing money can make people very busy! But God did not mention their busyness. God said, Be zealous, which means that zeal is our choice! We can choose to be lukewarm, but we can also choose to be zealous for God!
5) Zeal is the attitude of service that God wants!
Human Resources – Hiring people, hiring for attitude
Elijah's Zeal and God's Grace
1Ki 19:3 And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. 1Ki 19:4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers. 1Ki 19:5 And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. 1Ki 19:6 And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again. 1Ki 19:7 And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee. 1Ki 19:8 And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God. 1Ki 19:9 And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah? 1Ki 19:10 And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. 1Ki 19:11 And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: 1Ki 19:12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. 1Ki 19:13 And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah? 1Ki 19:14 And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. 1Ki 19:15 And the LORD said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria: 1Ki 19:16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room. 1Ki 19:17 And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay. 1Ki 19:18 Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him. 1Ki 19:19 So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him. 1Ki 19:20 And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee? 1Ki 19:21 And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.
Later, Elijah was taken away alive by God!
What grace!
I want to be zealous for God!
Professional attitude and work ethic
Attitude of serving God
Hiring people – what is being measured? Attitude
Attitude can solve many problems!
- Zeal is the nature of God!
Inner Life
Victory lies in inner zeal
Fervent Service and the Perfection of Life
Isa 59:16 He saw that there was no one to help, and was appalled that there was no one to intercede; so his own arm achieved salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him. Isa 59:17 He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.
What is inner life, inner living – molding our character to resemble God!
God favors fervor.
God dislikes lukewarmness the most.
Like squeezing a dry bamboo pole and getting nothing, or pricking with an awl and drawing no blood.
Stubbornness.
Mat 3:11 “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
During healing and deliverance – a chilling presence – demons; a surge of heat is the Spirit of God (fire can solve many problems).
Death – the fire goes out! Fire is inseparable from life.
The amount of fire in your heart determines the extent of your accomplishments.
The fire of love, the ice of love.
The passion of creation – no one speaks of the coldness of creation.
Passion – to solve problems.
- Fervor enables us to triumph and accomplish tasks well!
In doing things and serving, one encounters setbacks.
Achieving success requires overcoming many difficulties: the fire within.
Victory lies in inner fervor.
Those filled with zeal are not easily fatigued.
Zeal.
In the process of redemption, God repeatedly faced setbacks! Therefore, God said to Himself – the zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this!
Isa 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isa 9:7 Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.
Sennacherib – the Assyrian army attacks Judah –
Isa 37:30 “This will be the sign for you, O people of Judah: “This year you will eat what grows by itself, and the second year what springs from that. But in the third year sow and reap, plant vineyards and eat their fruit. Isa 37:31 Once more a remnant of the kingdom of Judah will take root below and bear fruit above. Isa 37:32 For out of Jerusalem will come a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors.”The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this. Isa 37:33 “Therefore this is what the Lord says concerning the king of Assyria: “He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow here. He will not come before it with shield or build a siege ramp against it. Isa 37:34 By the way that he came he will return; he will not enter this city, declares the Lord. Isa 37:35 “I will defend this city and save it, for my sake and for the sake of David my servant.” Isa 37:36 Then the angel of the Lord went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies!
- Fervor can infect, influence, and transform people!
Daniel – Prime Minister – yet still had time to pray (the emperor was moved by Daniel).
Junxiu’s work – transforming customers.
The detergent salesman – poured it on the ground, winning customers!
Fervor can transform the boss’s impression!
Fervor can make our evangelism more effective.
Fervor can unleash our creativity!
Fervor can release our potential!
Fervor can please God!
Fervor can make us truly prosperous! – Prosperity without trouble! - Conclusion: Fervent service perfects our lives!
Passionate Service and the Meaning of Life
On September 8, 1944, a guard, while burning charcoal on a mountain, was buried alive in a collapsed kiln. Chairman Mao then impromptu published the article Serve the People. It was a eulogy delivered at Zhang Side's memorial service.
Although spoken by an atheist, I believe his words are worth listening to for us Christians! To stimulate ourselves!
He said:
People have to die, but death can vary in its significance. A Chinese writer of ancient times, Sima Qian, said, 'Though death befalls all men alike, it may be heavier than Mount Tai or lighter than a feather.' To die for the people is weightier than Mount Tai, but to work for the fascists and die for the exploiters and oppressors is lighter than a feather. Comrade Zhang Side died for the people, and his death is indeed weightier than Mount Tai.
Because we serve the people, we do not fear criticism from anyone. Any person, whoever he may be, if he points out our mistakes, we will correct them. If what you say is good for the people, we will act accordingly. The idea of 'better troops and simpler administration' was put forward by Mr. Li Dingming, a non-Party person; it was a good suggestion beneficial to the people, and we adopted it. If we persist in doing what is good for the people and correct what is wrong in the interests of the people, our ranks will certainly thrive.
All men must die, but death can vary in its significance. The ancient Chinese writer, Sima Qian, said, 'Though death befalls all men alike, it may be heavier than Mount Tai or lighter than a feather.' To die for the people is weightier than Mount Tai, but to work for the fascists and die for the exploiters and oppressors is lighter than a feather. Comrade Zhang Side died for the people, and his death is indeed weightier than Mount Tai.
We have come together from all corners of the country and are doing so for a common revolutionary objective. And we must continue to march along this road with the great majority of the people of the whole country. Today, we already lead base areas with a population of 91 million, but this is not enough; we must lead more so as to achieve the liberation of the whole nation. In times of difficulty, we must not lose sight of our achievements, must see the bright future and must pluck up our courage. The Chinese people are suffering; it is our duty to save them and we must exert ourselves in struggle. Where there is struggle there is sacrifice, and death is a constant occurrence. But we have the interests of the people and the sufferings of the great majority at heart, and when we die for the people it is a worthy death.
As a Christian, knowing God, recognizing God, and also knowing God's mission, and also knowing that the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few, if your passion for service is not even comparable to what Chairman Mao said about Zhang Side, shouldn't you reflect?
Rom 12:11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Rom 12:12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Today, I also want to tell you, however one lives, one lives, so live out God's nature, live out the passion for service!
Rev 3:20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. Rev 3:21 To the one who is victorious, I will grant to sit with me on my throne, as I myself was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. Rev 3:22 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Those who are earnest in their words, those who are fervent in prayer, those who are fervent in service – will receive benefits! Since we all live, let us live out God's fervent nature! Living listlessly is also living, living with passion is also living, so let us live with passion! - Studying listlessly, working listlessly - serving listlessly is serving, serving with passion is also serving, so let us serve with passion!