Passion

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 Read and Discuss III. Passion Experience Gods Passionate Heart God looks for men and women who share Gods passionate love for people. The Bible tells the story of Gods passionate love for people. His actions reveal his love for those he has made. When God comes to earth in the person of Jesus Christ, we see a man relentless in the pursuit of others, including those who have been discounted, rejected, and despised. With a simple touch, Jesus heals lepers. While others push lepers away, Jesus reaches out in love. A blind beggar cries out loudly as Jesus nears. The crowd tries to silence him, but Jesus stops to give him full attention and heals him too. Nicodemus, a religious leader with sincere questions, approaches Jesus at night. Jesus speaks straight to his heart, letting him know there is something more he needs he needs to be born again. After Jesus death, Nicodemus is the one who asks for his body and buries him. Yet, Gods ultimate heroic moment comes when Jesus allows himself to be betrayed into the hands of those who wanted him dead. After putting him through a show-trial, he is handed over to the brutal power of Rome to be hung on a cross until dead. By this sacrificial act, Jesus pays the price for our sins. Like a lamb led to the slaughter, he goes to his death, taking the sins of the world upon himself. Scripture shows that God asked Jesus to do this because of God's love for people. Now he invites us to share his passion for others and be his instrument of love for a hurting world. The root word of passion in Latin means to suffer for. Passion is what you hunger for so intensely that you will sacrifice anything to have it. 1. What is Passion? Passion is a force burning in you, which seizes you and provides a power that moves you beyond ordinary human activity. For the Christian, as you experience Gods passionate love for people, you are motivated to be an instrument of Gods love. 2. Passionate Leaders in the Bible The Bible is full of individuals who demonstrate Gods passionate heart for others. From Moses who led his people out of slavery in Egypt, to a young shepherd boy named David who stood against a giant named Goliath, we see common people with an uncommon passion for others.

The Bible also tells the story of Jeremiah. As a young man, perhaps a teenager, God filled him with passion. Jeremiah explains, But if I say, I will not mention him or speak any more in his name, his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot. Jeremiah 20:9 (NIV) Q: Have you ever felt a passion that stirred you with a Jeremiah-like intensity? Describe that experience and what it felt like. 3. Examples of Gods Passionate Love There are many people who are great examples of God's passionate love for others. William and Catherine Booth founded the Salvation Army in 1852 with the purpose to share God's love through "education, relief of poverty, and other charitable acts without discrimination." Today, the Salvation Army is one of the largest relief agencies in the world. The King of England asked Booth what the ruling force of his life was. Booth replied, Sir, some mens passion is for gold, other mens passion is for fame, but my passion is for souls. Much of the world knows Billy Graham as the greatest evangelist of the 20th century. As a young man preaching to Americas youth, he wrote, We are kindling a fire in this cold old world full of hatred and selfishness. Our little blaze may seem to be unavailing, but we must keep our fire burning. Mother Theresa, founder of Missionaries of Charity and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, expressed deep passion when she said, If I ever become a SaintI will surely be one of darkness. I will continually be absent from Heavento light the light of those in darkness on earth. Q: Can you name a person who is an example of Gods passionate love for others? Describe that person and why they are an example to you. 4. Jesus and His Passion Jesus uses an interesting word to describe those who do not have a personal relationship with God. He calls them the lost. He then explains, in Luke 19:10, that his purpose in coming to earth was to seek and to save that which was lost. Just as Jesus sought lost people when he walked on earth, today he still

 seeks the lost. But since he is in heaven, he looks for men and women who will be his messengers of love. Jesus also uses another image to describe those who do not yet know him. He calls them the harvest and he says that the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. In other words, there are many people who will respond to Gods offer for a personal relationship with him through Jesus Christ, but God needs you to help share his love with others. As you grow deeper in your relationship with God, it is natural that you will want others to personally know God and his love. Q: Use BibleGateway.com to look up Matthew 9:36-38. What did Jesus say to his disciples that would also apply to you? 5. The Challenge to Join God in His Harvest Field The population of planet earth is now over seven billion. More than two billion people are followers of Christ. This includes each of the different Christian denominations and groups around the world. These people are saying, Thank you, Jesus. They have a Bible in their language, a local church to attend, and a commitment to Jesus. More than two billion people are non-Christians who have access to the Gospel. They live in a place where they can hear, learn, and respond to the Gospel, but they are not following Christ. These people are saying, No thank you, Jesus. Then, there is a third group that numbers almost two billion people. This group is called the "unreached." They have little or no access to the Gospel, little or no Christian influence in their lives, no churches in their areas, and usually no Bibles in their languages. These people are saying, Who is Jesus?" Because two-thirds of the world has yet to respond to Gods love and follow Jesus Christ, there is a great opportunity to be an instrument of Gods love among those who are not yet followers of Christ.

 6. The Challenge to Meet Practical Human Needs In Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus tells the story of a King who comes to judge the nations by separating them into two groups: those who are found faithful to meet the needs of others, and those who are unfaithful. The unfaithful are judged harshly. To the faithful, the King says, Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me. Matthew 25:34-36 (NASB) Some of the needs in our world today include: I Was Hungry and Thirsty: Approximately 850 million people across the world are hungry. Every five seconds, one child dies from hunger-related causes. Approximately one in every eight people lack access to safe water supplies, resulting in easily preventable diseases. I Was in Prison: Approximately 2.7 billion people in the world live on less than $2 a day. More than 385 million human beings have to survive on less than $1 a day. More than 9.8 million people around the world are in prison, where they struggle with loneliness, rejection, and the cost of their crimes. In addition, many Christians have been unjustly imprisoned for their faith. In one nation, more than 3,000 Christians have been jailed during the last decade. In addition to imprisonment, more Christians were martyred in the 20th century than in the previous 19 centuries. I Was Sick: Malaria is the leading cause of death and illness worldwide. Dysentery, which is easily preventable by simple sanitation, continues to kill 1.4 million children every year. More than 30.8 million adults and two million children live with HIV/AIDS. In 2009, more than 2.7 million people became infected with this virus. We live in a world of pressing need. God expresses his passion for those in need through the actions of those willing to respond in the name of Christ. Q: As you look at the world around you, where do you see that Gods love needed to meet a real need? is

 7. How Gods Passion Becomes Our Passion Although the challenges in the world are great, we know that all things are possible through God who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13). As you grow in your relationship with God, you will grow in your desire to be an instrument of God's love to others. Consider the following three key facts about passion: Passion is the Direct Result of Our Love for Christ and Our Commitment to Him For Christs love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for him who died for them and was raised again. 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (NIV) Passion Must be Nurtured As God feeds and nurtures our soul through spiritual disciplines and his presence, our passion increases. Passion must be nurtured and maintained like a fire. Just as our intimacy must be continually rekindled, so must our passion. Passion Comes from God Wesley Duewel writes in Ablaze for God, We cannot light this fire. In ourselves we cannot produce it. No man can kindle in himself that celestial fire; it must come from the coal from the altar above. Q: Read Matthew 7:7-8 and write out the three steps that will enable you to fully experience Gods passion for the harvest.

 Apply God looks for men and women who will share God's passionate love for others. The needs of the world can seem overwhelming; however, as Gods love and passion for others fills your heart, you will be empowered to share Gods love with lost and hurting people so they, too, can be transformed by Gods love through Jesus Christ. To be filled with Gods passionate love for others, Jesus calls us to ask, to seek, and to knock. How will you apply this teaching to your life? Have you asked God to fill you with his love? Have you sought to have more of God's heart in your heart? Have you knocked on the door of heaven and asked God to use you as an instrument of love? Take a few minutes right now and pray to God. Ask him to fill you with his love. After you have prayed, share your thoughts on how you will apply this session in your life. Share How do you love people you have never met? Post your thoughts about that question on Facebook, Twitter, and email. Also remember to discuss with your group in the Group Forum and in the Read and Discuss content above. Interesting Thoughts We are living in the time of the largest ingathering of people into the Kingdom of God that the world has ever seen. Patrick Johnstone The way to love anything is to realize that it may be lost. G.K. Chesterton You have nothing to do but to save souls. Therefore spend and be spent in this work. And go not only to those that need you, but to those that need you most. John Wesley The root word of passion in Latin means 'to suffer for.' Passion is what you hunger for so intensely that you will sacrifice anything to have it. Christian to the Core At one time Knox was so greatly burdened for Scotland that he retired for secret prayer, but was soon discovered by some of his friends, by his groans. They heard him groan out, Give me Scotland, or I die! John Knox