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Passion and Power
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Acts 2:1-5 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. |
I. Passion is an intense, powerful emotion.
A. Passion speaks of ardent love.
B. It denotes a boundless enthusiasm.
1. No boundaries to capture or hold prisoner an enthusiasm for something or someone.
C. Passion is probably one of the greatest motivating forces, if not THE greatest.
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“I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the Earth.”
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D. It was a passion to reach the moon that caused J.F. Kennedy to give a rousing speech that included excerpts like this:
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“No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important for the long-range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish,”
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E. The expense could not match the passion.
1. The difficulties were no comparison to the passion.
F. The enthusiasm to reach the moon first literally became boundless.
1. There was nothing and no one that could stop, block or hinder the progress of the fledgling space movement.
G. This passion gave America the power to achieve this goal.
II. God has passion.
A. The first recorded account of God’s passion was for creation.
1. Read Genesis chapter 1.
a. His passion caused suns to burst into existence, planets and asteroids to be flung across the expanse of the universe, galaxies to rotate and life to begin.
B. God did not create man for the express purpose of worshiping Him, but to create a free moral agent in His image. This was His passion!
C. God’s boundless enthusiasm for creation provoked a surge of unstoppable power to perform this act of creation.
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2 Chronicles 16:9 9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect (complete or full) toward him. |
III. People that are passionate about God receive His Power
A. God is passionate about showing His power to those completely in love with Him.
B. This passion drives Him to look for someone who will let Him.
C. God is looking for someone who has the same passion as Him.
D. The people who are consumed with the same passion as God are the ones God will demonstrate His power through.
E. Is it possible we don’t see the power of God like we would like to see it is because we are not as passionate about it as God is?
IV. Moses was passionate about the release of Israel from Egypt.
A. The passions of Moses matched the passions of God.
B. Imagine Moses going to the thrown of Pharaoh.
1. 7 times Moses informed Pharaoh God said to “Let my people go.”
C. As the passion of Moses increased, so did the demonstration of the Power of God.
D. The magicians could duplicate the water to blood.
1. They could duplicate the frog plague.
2. Then God increased the demonstration of power. He created life from the dust again. Lice came forth from the ground.
3. The magicians finally had to back off and declare, “this is the finger of God.”
4. As the passion of Moses and God increased, so did the power.
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1 Corinthians 2:1-4 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: |
V. Paul was a man of great passion.
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Romans 8:38-39 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. |
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2 Corinthians 11:21-27 21 I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also. 22 Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I. 23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. 24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. 25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. |
A. No wonder God was able to show His power in Paul’s life.
B. Acts 19:11 says God wrought special miracles by the hand of Paul.
1. The word special in this verse denotes not ordinary.
C. The passion of Paul for the gospel moved God to the point to work special, or extraordinary miracles through him.
VI. If we can become consumed with a passion for the things of God, He will respond with His power.
A. Remember, passion is boundless enthusiasm.
B. Our enthusiasm for the things of God needs to become limitless.
C. That limitless enthusiasm, passion, will open the door for the limitless demonstration of the power of God.
D. We need to be passionate about our praying, praising, witnessing, giving, church attendance, love for each other and passionate about our love for God.
VII. Passion and power.
A. They are inseparable.
B. We will never have the power of God unless we get the passion of God.
C. We need to pray for God to help us bank the fires of passion in our lives.
D. I believe this is the fire mentioned in conjunction with the baptism of the Holy Ghost.
He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and fire.
