WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:01.439 You guys love your Bibles, right? 00:00:01.520 --> 00:00:02.479 I've heard that about you guys. 00:00:02.640 --> 00:00:03.680 You love your Bibles, yes? 00:00:03.919 --> 00:00:04.719 Yes, okay? 00:00:05.440 --> 00:00:09.599 And in gateway fashion, I want you to turn to two passages of Scripture. 00:00:10.000 --> 00:00:10.400 All right? 00:00:10.480 --> 00:00:13.679 And I have a whole lot more than that, but it sounds so annoying when he does that. 00:00:15.039 --> 00:00:18.640 Turn to two passages of scripture, John chapter 2 and Revelation 2. 00:00:18.800 --> 00:00:22.000 Put the bookmark that he talks about in Revelation 2. 00:00:22.160 --> 00:00:25.280 All right, your your hand, your hand or your friend's hand, alright? 00:00:25.359 --> 00:00:27.760 I put put in Revelation chapter 2. 00:00:27.839 --> 00:00:30.320 I want you to go to John chapter 2. 00:00:30.399 --> 00:00:33.759 And we're gonna talk today a little bit about passion. 00:00:33.920 --> 00:00:41.359 And I want to say this right off the bat if you've ever heard a message about passion, you probably think it's gonna be a message about how you need to get some. 00:00:41.439 --> 00:00:46.079 I want to go ahead and make the case that I believe that everybody has passion. 00:00:46.240 --> 00:00:47.359 It already is there. 00:00:47.600 --> 00:00:51.280 I just think that most of our passions are misdirected. 00:00:51.840 --> 00:00:55.200 It's not that you don't have it, it's often in the wrong place. 00:00:55.359 --> 00:01:00.079 And this has been the constant struggle of my life and even currently. 00:01:00.320 --> 00:01:01.920 Passion, I've got plenty of it. 00:01:02.000 --> 00:01:06.560 I mean, in fact, I'm an incredibly passionate person, and it's often in the wrong place. 00:01:06.719 --> 00:01:07.359 It's in things. 00:01:07.519 --> 00:01:08.799 In fact, let me let me prove it right now. 00:01:08.879 --> 00:01:10.159 How many guys, anybody out there? 00:01:10.239 --> 00:01:13.519 I am, anybody excited about the college football season? 00:01:13.599 --> 00:01:14.560 Come on, anybody? 00:01:14.640 --> 00:01:15.120 Yeah. 00:01:15.599 --> 00:01:16.799 See, I got some woo. 00:01:16.959 --> 00:01:19.680 Some of you guys didn't even do that much in the worship service a few minutes ago. 00:01:19.760 --> 00:01:20.959 I was like, whoo, oh yeah. 00:01:21.040 --> 00:01:22.400 And anybody around here fired up? 00:01:22.480 --> 00:01:26.079 I think uh about about pro football, you cowboy fans, right? 00:01:26.400 --> 00:01:27.760 Yeah, see, there you go. 00:01:28.159 --> 00:01:32.159 And uh, and not to disappoint you, but those are probably misdirected passions. 00:01:32.239 --> 00:01:33.760 Uh all of those. 00:01:33.920 --> 00:01:35.599 And uh, in fact, we tell this story. 00:01:35.680 --> 00:01:38.799 I'm from South Louisiana, and boy, Cajuns are very passionate people. 00:01:38.959 --> 00:01:40.000 Have you ever been around them? 00:01:40.159 --> 00:01:42.480 Yeah, little Cajun action going on back here. 00:01:42.560 --> 00:01:42.959 All right, yeah. 00:01:43.120 --> 00:01:48.159 Cajuns love to eat, love to play, love to fight, they love to do a lot of things. 00:01:48.239 --> 00:01:53.200 I mean, they just the Cajuns are very passionate people, very passionate about their football as well. 00:01:53.359 --> 00:02:04.079 We tell these stories in South Louisiana about this stereotypical Cajun named Boudreau, and we call them now Boudreaux jokes, but Boudreaux did not live that great of a life and he went to hell. 00:02:04.239 --> 00:02:08.479 Now, Pastor, I'll just tell you up front, this is not theologically correct, but it's really funny. 00:02:08.639 --> 00:02:16.240 All right, so Boudreaux did not go to go to uh heaven, he went to hell. 00:02:16.400 --> 00:02:20.400 But he's used to the heat of South Louisiana, so so it wasn't a big deal, you know. 00:02:20.560 --> 00:02:22.960 See, it just happened, see, that's where it's not theologically correct. 00:02:23.039 --> 00:02:29.039 And he's and he's just having the best time of his life, just man, just living it up, it's all great. 00:02:29.199 --> 00:02:34.000 And uh so Satan wanted to go see how he was doing, make sure he was nice and miserable, but Boudreaux's having the time of his life. 00:02:34.080 --> 00:02:37.039 He's like, man, this is Satan says, Why are you so happy? 00:02:37.199 --> 00:02:40.879 He says, reminds me of a July day in New Orleans, man. 00:02:40.960 --> 00:02:41.599 I love this place. 00:02:41.759 --> 00:02:45.759 Well, that made Satan really mad, so he went and cranked up hell as hot as hell could possibly go. 00:02:45.840 --> 00:02:47.280 I mean, like cranked it up. 00:02:47.520 --> 00:02:49.360 Went and found Boudreaux the next day. 00:02:49.439 --> 00:02:53.280 He just having the time of his life, high five and everybody, having a just partying. 00:02:53.360 --> 00:02:55.360 He said, Why are you so happy still? 00:02:55.599 --> 00:02:56.960 He said, Man, this is not hot. 00:02:57.039 --> 00:02:58.479 This reminds me of an August day and left. 00:02:58.639 --> 00:02:59.599 Yeah, this is awesome, you know. 00:03:00.000 --> 00:03:03.280 Well, Satan didn't have anything else he could he could do, you know. 00:03:03.360 --> 00:03:04.879 So he just said, I know what I'm doing. 00:03:04.960 --> 00:03:08.319 I'm gonna turn it down, we're gonna freeze it up, but we're gonna freeze it out, baby. 00:03:08.400 --> 00:03:10.479 So he turned the thermostat down on hell. 00:03:10.560 --> 00:03:14.479 It was just next day, it's freezing cold, went and found Boudreaux. 00:03:14.639 --> 00:03:24.639 Boudreaux's over in the corner, just all huddled up, just huddled up, I mean blue from head to toe, icicles coming off of his face, but the biggest smile ever on his face. 00:03:25.599 --> 00:03:27.599 He says, Why are you still so happy? 00:03:27.680 --> 00:03:29.919 He said, The Saints done won the Super Bowl. 00:03:33.680 --> 00:03:35.120 Some of y'all get that later. 00:03:37.919 --> 00:03:41.599 Some of you are laughing, some of you going, hell froze over. 00:03:41.680 --> 00:03:42.800 Uh anyway, sorry. 00:03:43.360 --> 00:03:44.080 You get that. 00:03:44.719 --> 00:03:45.280 You're with me. 00:03:45.439 --> 00:03:47.120 All right, John chapter 2. 00:03:47.199 --> 00:03:48.479 Let's get let's get to work here. 00:03:48.639 --> 00:03:49.280 All right. 00:03:51.280 --> 00:03:52.960 Don't you love to laugh? 00:03:53.280 --> 00:03:53.599 All right. 00:03:53.759 --> 00:03:56.319 In the temple courts, Jesus found men. 00:03:56.639 --> 00:03:59.599 They were at church, but look what they were doing. 00:03:59.680 --> 00:04:05.599 They were selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others were sitting at tables exchanging money. 00:04:05.840 --> 00:04:17.040 And so he made a whip out of cords and drove them from the temple area, both sheep and cattle, and he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 00:04:17.279 --> 00:04:20.480 And to those who sold doves, he said, Get these out of here. 00:04:20.560 --> 00:04:27.519 And I want you to notice that he's challenging what had actually become the norm and very accepted even among the church people. 00:04:28.000 --> 00:04:33.519 And he said to them, he said, How dare you turn my father's house into a market? 00:04:34.079 --> 00:04:39.040 And his disciples remembered, it's actually a prophecy that comes out of the book of Psalms. 00:04:39.120 --> 00:04:43.920 A lot of you don't know, may not know, that actually the Psalms are actually very prophetic. 00:04:44.000 --> 00:04:51.279 There's a lot of prophecies about Jesus in the book of Psalms, and this is one of them, Psalm 69, if you're taking notes, you want that as a future reference. 00:04:51.360 --> 00:05:04.800 But he's in Psalm 69, the disciples remember this prophecy about the Messiah, about Jesus, where it would be said that the zeal directed in the right place, the zeal for God's house would consume him. 00:05:04.959 --> 00:05:09.680 In one place it says, the zeal of God has consumed me. 00:05:09.920 --> 00:05:14.399 I want to talk with us a little bit today just about zeal in the right place. 00:05:14.480 --> 00:05:15.680 And I want to give you four areas. 00:05:15.759 --> 00:05:18.000 I'm gonna tell you how I found these four areas. 00:05:18.160 --> 00:05:21.920 They just happen to be four areas that I personally struggle with. 00:05:22.079 --> 00:05:29.519 These are four areas that I am constantly and actually currently having to make sure my passions are in the right place. 00:05:30.160 --> 00:05:34.319 These four I will give you often have a tendency to get off of track. 00:05:34.480 --> 00:05:40.319 But they also found these four by just going through Old and New Testament and just looked up the word zeal. 00:05:40.480 --> 00:05:49.519 Zeal is actually a biblical word that we actually got, we have in the Bible that we have now an English word because zealos in the Greek. 00:05:49.920 --> 00:05:54.879 It actually the the the definition of zealos is white hot boiling over. 00:05:55.040 --> 00:06:00.240 It means uh the the Websters would call it an ardent pursuit or a passion towards something. 00:06:00.399 --> 00:06:02.000 It's something that you're very focused on. 00:06:02.079 --> 00:06:04.560 Here's my definition for you guys that like to take notes. 00:06:04.720 --> 00:06:07.199 I would say it is defined by three things. 00:06:07.360 --> 00:06:11.839 It's always defined by how you spend your time, your money, and by the things you talk about. 00:06:12.000 --> 00:06:14.959 It's how you spend your time, how you spend your money, and it's what you talk about. 00:06:15.120 --> 00:06:18.319 That will always expose where your passions are. 00:06:18.399 --> 00:06:23.600 So basically, where whatever the conversation is after church, that would pretty much show your passions. 00:06:23.680 --> 00:06:39.839 If it's about, you know, football or shopping or your kids or and it can be some places that are really good and some that aren't so good, and some that actually compete against the passion that God wants to have for us, but it's it's what basically encompasses those three things. 00:06:40.079 --> 00:06:48.800 And I just say, I think from time to time, as the people of God, we need to kind of check the passion levels. 00:06:48.959 --> 00:06:55.360 And I'm currently doing that, and I think this is the season two in the year where I think there's two where you do that. 00:06:55.519 --> 00:06:59.279 I think obviously we do that at the first of the year, kind of in that New Year's resolution time. 00:06:59.360 --> 00:07:02.480 It's time to kind of get my mind and my life back in order. 00:07:02.639 --> 00:07:17.040 But I think something about the going back to school season tends to do that for us as well, because we, if you're like me, kind of let go of some things perhaps during the summer, kind of relax everything, and it's easy to get your passions and some things that aren't the most important things to be passionate about. 00:07:17.279 --> 00:07:18.399 So let's talk about the four. 00:07:18.560 --> 00:07:24.800 Four things that the Bible, Old and New Testament, lists as uh things we ought to be passionate for. 00:07:24.879 --> 00:07:26.480 And let's just check ourselves in these. 00:07:26.720 --> 00:07:27.759 Here's the first one. 00:07:28.000 --> 00:07:29.920 And that is a passion for worship. 00:07:30.079 --> 00:07:34.399 And when I say worship, I'm not talking about praise and worship like we just had here in church. 00:07:34.480 --> 00:07:38.000 Now that is worship, but that's not the kind of worship I'm talking about. 00:07:38.160 --> 00:07:43.360 When I'm talking about worship, I'm talking about where your love for God is right now. 00:07:44.000 --> 00:07:47.439 A proscuneo in the Greek is the word worship. 00:07:47.600 --> 00:07:49.439 It literally means to kiss. 00:07:49.600 --> 00:07:58.319 If it was literally translated, the Greek word for the word worship is the word proscuneo, to kiss, but it's not like the kiss of lovers. 00:07:58.480 --> 00:08:02.879 It's the kiss like, it's this is the best definition I've ever seen. 00:08:02.959 --> 00:08:08.079 I saw it in some commentary out of uh uh di uh uh translating the Greek word. 00:08:08.319 --> 00:08:22.079 It's like it's like when you come home and you've been gone a while, and the dog you have, you have a dog that that's just getting real excited when you get home, when he runs around the house real fast, is excited to see you, and then jumps up on you and licks your hand, that's the word. 00:08:23.839 --> 00:08:30.319 And in John 4, the Bible says that God is seeking worshipers. 00:08:30.639 --> 00:08:40.960 Proscuuneo, those who are who will, when they hear about him, talk about him, read about him, around him, have that kind of love reaction and response to him. 00:08:41.360 --> 00:08:42.960 I think it's so important. 00:08:43.120 --> 00:08:50.159 I think that's why David, King David, although he messed up a ton, always had God's incredible favor on his life. 00:08:50.320 --> 00:08:57.440 I mean, this is an adulterer, murderer, kind of a guy who messed up quite a bit, but always saw God's favor and grace on his life, always. 00:08:57.600 --> 00:09:05.440 And it's because David did have a heart that was very directed, a passion very directed toward God. 00:09:06.159 --> 00:09:10.720 In fact, I was reading a story, I put the reference there in your notes. 00:09:11.120 --> 00:09:18.559 There's a story when the Ark of the Covenant was captured, was taken, and David and his armies went to get it back. 00:09:19.279 --> 00:09:29.600 And some don't read this part of the story, but there's actually a point where they they captured the ark back, but they had to bring it back to Jerusalem, to to the city of David. 00:09:29.759 --> 00:09:36.639 And as they were coming back with the ark, what David decided to do, I actually looked up the history of it. 00:09:36.720 --> 00:09:40.000 It's an eight-mile journey from where it was to where they needed to bring it. 00:09:40.240 --> 00:09:48.639 And it says in 2 Samuel that every six steps, David stopped and worshiped. 00:09:49.519 --> 00:09:53.919 And they did a sacrifice, an animal sacrifice, and worshiped God. 00:09:54.080 --> 00:09:56.879 So I calculated what that might actually look like. 00:09:57.039 --> 00:10:04.879 First of all, I found out that if you take a one, if you take a three-foot step, a one-yard step, which is a pretty much the natural gate of most people. 00:10:05.039 --> 00:10:09.120 If you take a one-yard step, that would be 14,000 steps. 00:10:09.360 --> 00:10:14.399 If you divide it time every six of them, that's over 2,300 sacrifices. 00:10:14.559 --> 00:10:15.200 Can you imagine? 00:10:15.279 --> 00:10:16.000 Just picture it. 00:10:16.080 --> 00:10:22.159 I mean, can you see the eight miles that every six steps there's a pile of blood and a dead animal? 00:10:23.120 --> 00:10:25.679 I mean, every six steps and they worship. 00:10:25.919 --> 00:10:29.519 And when he got back to town, they the party let out. 00:10:29.600 --> 00:10:35.039 I mean, he was worshiping and having, I mean, it was with all his might, and this is the verse, this is the part of that you know. 00:10:35.120 --> 00:10:42.399 And you remember his wife looked out from the window and he embarrassed her because of his deep passion for his God. 00:10:42.559 --> 00:10:44.639 It was like you went over a little top there. 00:10:44.879 --> 00:10:51.519 And basically he said, This is the Chris Hodges International Version, he basically said, honey, you ain't seen nothing yet. 00:10:51.759 --> 00:10:55.039 He said, I will be yet more undignified than this. 00:10:55.519 --> 00:11:00.000 Because he understood how important it was to have a passion for his God. 00:11:00.320 --> 00:11:02.399 It's actually a personal pet peeve of mine. 00:11:02.480 --> 00:11:05.279 It's actually what attracted me to the church for the first time. 00:11:05.440 --> 00:11:15.679 Because I grew up in a church where we talked about joy, but there wasn't any, you know, and just in fact, my pastor, God bless him, I love him, I really do. 00:11:15.759 --> 00:11:23.679 But growing up, he would he would grab the pulpit like this and says, I just thank the Lord, because he's filled us with joy. 00:11:23.919 --> 00:11:26.960 And I thought, I've just seen it, and that's not what it looks like. 00:11:27.120 --> 00:11:41.200 I mean, I'm just, you know, and the first time I came to a worship experience like what you guys had tonight, that's actually what won me to the Lord, which is why I'm a huge proponent of having services that are so spirit-filled, so dynamic, so full of the love of God. 00:11:41.360 --> 00:11:44.480 So, I mean, guys, I mean, don't fake it, obviously. 00:11:44.559 --> 00:11:49.679 But I mean, you need to passionately love God because when people see you do that, they're gonna want what you have. 00:11:49.919 --> 00:11:50.559 That's a fact. 00:11:51.279 --> 00:11:52.080 That's a fact. 00:11:52.960 --> 00:11:57.679 Just in love with the Lord, a passionate, a passionate pursuit of God. 00:11:57.840 --> 00:11:59.840 I I'm a musician, grew up a musician. 00:12:00.000 --> 00:12:05.600 My dad played organ in the Baptist church for 30 years, so I grew up in a playing classical music. 00:12:05.679 --> 00:12:09.840 I was classically trained, so I can get after it with all the all that all that stuff. 00:12:09.919 --> 00:12:13.360 All right, and so, which wasn't much use for growing up, but I like it now. 00:12:13.440 --> 00:12:17.600 But uh, but but because of that, I also love the classics. 00:12:17.679 --> 00:12:20.240 I love classic, classic uh movies. 00:12:20.320 --> 00:12:22.080 Like, and I love, I know this is embarrassing. 00:12:22.159 --> 00:12:27.279 You guys probably, the guys in the room probably respected me, might even like me a little bit until I said this. 00:12:27.440 --> 00:12:29.039 I even like musicals. 00:12:29.279 --> 00:12:32.879 Um yeah, and so I just do. 00:12:33.039 --> 00:12:38.960 I just, I mean, so I'll because I can appreciate what it goes, what goes into all of that, and but guys, really I am cool. 00:12:39.120 --> 00:12:47.279 Uh so but but but one of my favorite, all my all-time favorite, how many of you guys have seen the old uh musical Fiddler on the Roof? 00:12:47.360 --> 00:12:47.759 You've seen that? 00:12:47.840 --> 00:12:48.879 Come on, NRH, you've seen that? 00:12:49.039 --> 00:12:49.440 You've seen that? 00:12:49.600 --> 00:12:49.840 Okay. 00:12:49.919 --> 00:12:51.279 Um Fiddler looks great. 00:12:51.679 --> 00:12:54.559 If you've not seen it, it's like 14 hours long. 00:12:54.639 --> 00:12:56.080 It's a long, it's really long. 00:12:56.240 --> 00:13:04.960 But it's the story of this Jewish family, and in the old Jewish tradition, uh you didn't select a husband. 00:13:05.200 --> 00:13:10.639 The dad and a matchmaker got together and basically picked your husband for you. 00:13:10.720 --> 00:13:14.720 And this guy in the in the in the movie, the the lead character had its five daughters. 00:13:14.879 --> 00:13:16.159 So he goes to the matchmaker. 00:13:16.240 --> 00:13:18.639 That's where the song, matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match. 00:13:18.879 --> 00:13:20.879 All right, that's where it that's where the song came from. 00:13:21.039 --> 00:13:22.960 So they get together and he does that, all right? 00:13:23.039 --> 00:13:31.600 Well, the only problem is the girls start to fall in love with other people than what the ones that dad and the matchmaker picked out. 00:13:31.840 --> 00:13:40.720 And the movie is about the struggle between girls, the girls falling in love, and and the dad wanting to keep with the tradition. 00:13:40.879 --> 00:13:45.120 And he, and that's for the song tradition, tradition, and he really does this. 00:13:45.200 --> 00:13:49.039 I don't know why, but you might want to watch it just to see a guy do that. 00:13:49.120 --> 00:13:49.600 I don't know. 00:13:49.679 --> 00:13:56.720 But it but he does that, sings the song, and and and he's basically there's this war going on between the daughters and the dad. 00:13:56.799 --> 00:13:58.240 All right, that's the movie. 00:13:58.639 --> 00:14:09.759 But in the struggle, he goes into his house, shuts the door when the girls are not around, wondering if his wife loves him because they were match-made. 00:14:10.320 --> 00:14:14.240 So he goes in when no one's looking around and he shuts the door and he sings, and I don't know the song. 00:14:14.320 --> 00:14:16.480 It's like he goes, Do you love me? 00:14:17.519 --> 00:14:23.120 And she's over there ironing this stuff on the stove, and she turns and looks at him like, Are you kidding? 00:14:23.440 --> 00:14:24.799 And she comes back, and I don't know the song. 00:14:24.879 --> 00:14:30.799 I wish I did, but she kind of goes, she goes, like, for 25 years, I've washed her clothes, I've cooked your meals, I've had him, I had it right now. 00:14:30.960 --> 00:14:37.519 Yeah, she she goes, she goes to this song of all, check it out, of all the stuff she does for him. 00:14:38.080 --> 00:14:39.519 She mean, what do you mean, do I love you? 00:14:39.679 --> 00:14:40.879 Look what I do for you. 00:14:41.039 --> 00:14:45.759 And he's basically coming back and saying, I know what you do for me, but do you love me? 00:14:46.480 --> 00:14:50.480 And I'm gonna tell you, that's why this first passion is a struggle for me, because I'm a doer. 00:14:51.279 --> 00:14:53.360 I would rather serve God than love God. 00:14:53.440 --> 00:14:54.480 I'm just being honest. 00:14:54.720 --> 00:14:58.720 I would rather do something for him than stop and just sit at his feet. 00:14:58.879 --> 00:15:01.120 That's hard for me because I'd rather I like action. 00:15:01.200 --> 00:15:02.159 I want to do something. 00:15:02.320 --> 00:15:04.480 And God appreciates the doing. 00:15:04.720 --> 00:15:05.919 But we know the stories. 00:15:06.000 --> 00:15:07.440 We have the Mary Martha story. 00:15:07.519 --> 00:15:11.840 We know he would prefer us to be close to him, he wants us to love him. 00:15:12.080 --> 00:15:13.440 Can I hear a good amen to that? 00:15:14.000 --> 00:15:21.120 And I'm telling you, the Spirit of God sees all that we do and he sings to us today, Do you love me? 00:15:21.759 --> 00:15:24.240 And we may respond, but Lord, look what all I've done for you. 00:15:24.320 --> 00:15:27.600 I went to church, I mean, I I came to the very first service there was it. 00:15:28.159 --> 00:15:30.720 I mean, boy, there Lord, what are you talking about? 00:15:30.879 --> 00:15:32.000 I uh yes, I love you. 00:15:32.159 --> 00:15:33.039 Yes, I love you. 00:15:33.200 --> 00:15:35.759 I mean, I've been to the Christian bookstore four times this week. 00:15:35.919 --> 00:15:36.879 I love you. 00:15:37.679 --> 00:15:40.720 Eat angel's food cake, no devil's food cake, yes, I love you. 00:15:40.879 --> 00:15:44.559 I mean, and he he just he he wants to know if we love him. 00:15:44.799 --> 00:15:47.600 Checking our passion for worship, our love for God. 00:15:47.679 --> 00:15:49.279 Here's a second one, here's the second one. 00:15:49.519 --> 00:15:51.360 And that is the passion for prayer. 00:15:51.519 --> 00:15:55.600 This is another struggle one for me, and this is probably not something a pastor should confess to. 00:15:55.919 --> 00:16:03.120 But again, because I'm a doer, I'd rather, I'd like, I'd like want to get to the bottom line, God bless this, this, and that, and let's go get after it. 00:16:03.440 --> 00:16:19.759 And prayer, my whole life, has been a struggle for me, which is why I've actually built it into the system of our church to have two 21-day prayer focuses where we get up every morning at 6 a.m., hundreds of us gathering, seeking God, big prayer focus, you know the truth about it, I do it for me. 00:16:21.039 --> 00:16:24.960 Because there are times in the year I just need to get back to this is more important. 00:16:25.120 --> 00:16:34.080 More is accomplished by our time and our and our the amount of passion we have toward prayer than me doing all of the time. 00:16:34.159 --> 00:16:38.320 And I just I just wonder if you wouldn't look at your own life and say, you know, how's your prayer life? 00:16:38.399 --> 00:16:40.320 Is that as strong as it needs to be? 00:16:40.399 --> 00:16:46.799 And I would just submit to you a thought that this is a good time of the year to say, you know what, it's not where it needs to be, and I need to get it back. 00:16:47.279 --> 00:16:48.000 We know this. 00:16:48.240 --> 00:16:53.679 James chapter 5 says, the effectual fervent prayer, fervent prayer. 00:16:54.000 --> 00:16:56.639 That's the word zealous in the Greek. 00:16:56.799 --> 00:17:01.840 The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man produces a lot, it avails much. 00:17:02.000 --> 00:17:06.640 So when you get your passions back toward prayer, things start happening again. 00:17:06.720 --> 00:17:12.559 I grew up in the, I already told you, in the Baptist church, and and and prayer always kind of intimidated me. 00:17:12.720 --> 00:17:13.359 You might be like that. 00:17:13.519 --> 00:17:20.640 You might be where, I mean, I know I need to do it, but I do it a little bit, but I really don't know what to say, and I definitely don't know how to do it when I'm with people. 00:17:20.720 --> 00:17:24.559 And I remember the first time I was in a prayer meeting where y'all remember circle prayer? 00:17:24.640 --> 00:17:26.000 Come on, you guys that grew up in church. 00:17:26.160 --> 00:17:27.039 Remember circle prayer? 00:17:27.200 --> 00:17:36.079 It's like where y'all you hold hands, and like and the leading leading person says, now everybody's gonna pray, and then you'll know it's your turn because when they finish, they're gonna squeeze your hand. 00:17:36.880 --> 00:17:38.799 And then it's your turn. 00:17:39.039 --> 00:17:47.519 And I remember, and you know, you remember that where it's coming, it's like two people away, and the closer it gets, it's like you start sweating because it's like it's your turn coming up real soon here, you know. 00:17:47.920 --> 00:17:49.599 First time, this is true, true story. 00:17:49.680 --> 00:17:50.559 I'm not making this up. 00:17:50.640 --> 00:17:55.119 I mean, got to me, I'm sweating, got to me, closer, closer, squeeze, squeeze it right on around, baby. 00:17:55.200 --> 00:17:55.680 Just send it. 00:17:56.880 --> 00:17:58.640 Right back in that shit, you know. 00:17:59.359 --> 00:18:01.039 Send that dude right on around here. 00:18:01.119 --> 00:18:02.240 I'm not going there, you know. 00:18:02.319 --> 00:18:03.839 Just freaked out. 00:18:04.000 --> 00:18:06.960 I panicked, you know, nothing know what to say, you know. 00:18:07.920 --> 00:18:09.599 It's true story. 00:18:11.119 --> 00:18:14.640 And and I think sometimes, in a sense, it's kind of like how we are. 00:18:14.880 --> 00:18:18.079 In fact, growing up, we had the we had the who has a prayer request? 00:18:18.160 --> 00:18:18.880 I remember this growing up. 00:18:19.200 --> 00:18:21.759 I've always thought this was the most idiotic thing you could do. 00:18:22.079 --> 00:18:23.440 I have a prayer request, yes, what is it? 00:18:23.519 --> 00:18:24.720 It's unspoken. 00:18:26.480 --> 00:18:28.079 All right, we'll we'll remember that. 00:18:28.240 --> 00:18:28.880 We'll remember that. 00:18:28.960 --> 00:18:33.039 I was like, and I just think it kind of characterizes sometimes how we are. 00:18:33.279 --> 00:18:38.720 I'm just I'm just offering you some thoughts here, some things that are deserving of your passions. 00:18:38.880 --> 00:18:52.000 That while the pull is to the passion that we all gave toward our summer, the passion that we give toward getting our kids back to school, the passion we have toward college football or professional football start, there's a lot of things competing for your passion right now. 00:18:52.480 --> 00:19:02.480 I'm telling you, it's important for us to not be like those who were in the temple courts, who had it all in the wrong places, and you don't want Jesus coming through your life with a whip right now. 00:19:02.559 --> 00:19:11.920 I'm just telling you, kicking over things, but I'm telling you, the zeal of God, the zeal of God needs to consume us for worship, for prayer. 00:19:12.079 --> 00:19:14.160 Here's the third one, and that is for purity. 00:19:14.880 --> 00:19:17.519 You know why purity needs to be on the list? 00:19:18.720 --> 00:19:21.599 Because impurity is passionate about Jesus. 00:19:23.920 --> 00:19:28.160 In fact, the Bible says that the devil is working overtime. 00:19:28.319 --> 00:19:37.119 In fact, I think the devil oftentimes has more passion about causing us to become impure than we are to fight to make sure it never happens. 00:19:38.319 --> 00:19:41.680 And I'm just saying purity is not just a value. 00:19:41.839 --> 00:19:45.039 It's not something you can say, you know what, I'm just gonna be a person of integrity. 00:19:45.200 --> 00:19:48.559 I'm saying to you, church, you have to work on it. 00:19:48.880 --> 00:19:54.000 It has to be something you're focused on and passionate about in order for it to happen. 00:19:54.079 --> 00:19:55.359 I want to read a verse of scripture. 00:19:55.440 --> 00:19:59.920 I referenced it there in your notes in Romans chapter 12, verse 9. 00:20:00.000 --> 00:20:05.279 It says, love must be sincere, hate what is evil. 00:20:05.680 --> 00:20:08.000 Cling, notice the passionate words here. 00:20:08.160 --> 00:20:16.000 Cling to what is good, be devoted to one another in brotherly love, honor one another above yourselves. 00:20:16.799 --> 00:20:22.480 Never, I want to stop right there and say to you, find out how many times in the Bible that word is used. 00:20:22.720 --> 00:20:24.240 It's not that often. 00:20:25.519 --> 00:20:30.079 So when it does say, never on this one, never do it. 00:20:30.400 --> 00:20:31.920 I think it like needs our attention. 00:20:32.400 --> 00:20:33.200 Wouldn't you agree? 00:20:33.519 --> 00:20:35.920 Never be lacking in zeal. 00:20:36.640 --> 00:20:40.319 But keep your spiritual fervor serving the Lord. 00:20:40.480 --> 00:20:41.279 What's the Bible saying? 00:20:41.359 --> 00:20:42.720 It's saying, check where you're at. 00:20:42.799 --> 00:20:44.559 Are you how do you hate sin? 00:20:44.880 --> 00:20:48.319 And if you get around it long enough, it's easy to tolerate. 00:20:49.359 --> 00:20:51.519 We kind of almost become immune to it a bit. 00:20:51.599 --> 00:20:52.240 Isn't that true? 00:20:52.559 --> 00:20:53.680 Because we see it all the time. 00:20:53.759 --> 00:20:55.680 It's like, oh, that's they didn't have to do that. 00:20:55.759 --> 00:20:58.640 And we don't even react to it the same way anymore. 00:20:58.799 --> 00:21:00.880 And the Bible says, no, hate it. 00:21:01.279 --> 00:21:04.960 Cling to the good, make sure your passion level's right. 00:21:06.559 --> 00:21:11.839 A few weeks ago, my son had a fever, we just took him to the doctor, didn't think it was any big deal. 00:21:12.160 --> 00:21:13.440 Swine flew. 00:21:14.400 --> 00:21:15.920 Swine flew. 00:21:16.720 --> 00:21:18.079 That's just for the news, y'all. 00:21:18.160 --> 00:21:20.240 You know, you don't suppose to happen in your own house. 00:21:20.319 --> 00:21:21.759 It's like swine flu. 00:21:22.079 --> 00:21:23.839 I just went, the swine flu? 00:21:24.400 --> 00:21:27.039 The doctor said, Yeah, that's like it said, is it contagious? 00:21:27.119 --> 00:21:28.480 He goes, Oh yeah. 00:21:29.039 --> 00:21:32.000 I said, like, like, so we had we can't really touch him. 00:21:32.079 --> 00:21:34.079 Like, oh, he said, oh no, it's airborne. 00:21:34.160 --> 00:21:36.079 You can breathe his air and get it. 00:21:36.720 --> 00:21:37.519 How many of them? 00:21:37.599 --> 00:21:38.799 We put him in a different county. 00:21:38.880 --> 00:21:42.880 I mean, my my poor 13 year old son, I'm telling you, bless his heart. 00:21:42.960 --> 00:21:45.839 We put him in a corner of the house and just like threw him food. 00:21:46.000 --> 00:21:46.640 All right, we'll see you. 00:21:46.880 --> 00:21:48.160 We'll see you later, dude. 00:21:48.559 --> 00:21:50.319 We stay so far away from him. 00:21:50.400 --> 00:21:52.720 I mean, I washed my hands 50 times a day. 00:21:52.799 --> 00:21:53.680 I'm not kidding. 00:21:54.000 --> 00:21:58.960 My passion for sterilization and cleanliness went to a whole nother level. 00:22:00.000 --> 00:22:01.839 I mean, I was like, we gotta get this right, man. 00:22:02.079 --> 00:22:05.039 We just cleaning, washing, drying all the time. 00:22:05.200 --> 00:22:07.039 And the Lord spoke to me in that. 00:22:07.279 --> 00:22:11.440 And if we would have that kind of attitude towards sin, isn't that right? 00:22:12.000 --> 00:22:13.680 I said, isn't that right, everybody? 00:22:14.000 --> 00:22:16.079 I'm telling you, it needs to be something new. 00:22:16.240 --> 00:22:18.079 It can't be just a value. 00:22:18.720 --> 00:22:22.559 You have to be passionate about purity. 00:22:23.680 --> 00:22:29.119 My son, my oldest son, I do have five children, as Pastor Robert said. 00:22:29.279 --> 00:22:31.119 I have a daughter and four boys. 00:22:31.440 --> 00:22:34.960 And um, and and shows, yeah, yeah, wow. 00:22:35.039 --> 00:22:36.160 It's like, Lord help him. 00:22:36.880 --> 00:22:37.359 All right. 00:22:37.519 --> 00:22:38.880 And you're actually right. 00:22:38.960 --> 00:22:41.119 I have four teenagers right now at the same time. 00:22:41.279 --> 00:22:43.119 Now really say, Lord help him, right there. 00:22:43.440 --> 00:22:44.559 That's that's serious. 00:22:44.799 --> 00:22:53.839 And um, and it is true, as Pastor Robert says, I uh people say you must really like kids, and I say, no, I really like my wife, that's my problem. 00:22:54.079 --> 00:22:58.559 But anyway, um, another story there. 00:22:58.720 --> 00:23:00.559 Um different series. 00:23:00.720 --> 00:23:02.240 We'll cover that another time. 00:23:02.400 --> 00:23:03.039 All right. 00:23:05.920 --> 00:23:13.440 But my oldest son, and it pains my soul because I am an LSU tiger, it pains my soul that he is an entering freshman at the University of Alabama. 00:23:13.680 --> 00:23:17.119 I can somewhat tolerate it because they're paying the way. 00:23:17.279 --> 00:23:19.599 Uh he got a full ride academic scholarship. 00:23:19.680 --> 00:23:21.119 He made a 33 on his ACT. 00:23:21.200 --> 00:23:23.759 In fact, he's never made a B in his life, and he let me know about it the other day. 00:23:23.839 --> 00:23:29.039 He walked in with his report card, his final report card as a senior from high school said, you know what, Dad? 00:23:29.200 --> 00:23:29.680 Look at that. 00:23:30.079 --> 00:23:31.759 I never made a B in my whole life. 00:23:31.839 --> 00:23:32.880 And I said, That ain't nothing. 00:23:32.960 --> 00:23:34.480 I never made a B either, so just hush. 00:23:37.039 --> 00:23:39.119 Stop your bragging, you know. 00:23:39.920 --> 00:23:42.640 Come on, can you feel me, all you guys that work for C's your whole life? 00:23:42.720 --> 00:23:43.599 Come on, y'all with me? 00:23:43.839 --> 00:23:45.839 Yes, look, that's praise the Lord. 00:23:45.920 --> 00:23:46.640 I love you too. 00:23:46.799 --> 00:23:47.359 All right. 00:23:47.680 --> 00:23:49.920 So, dummy. 00:23:50.160 --> 00:23:53.839 Anyway, so he did that, and he's there and they are paying for it, and that's okay. 00:23:54.079 --> 00:23:58.400 One week, Pastor Robert, before he went to the University of Alabama, he came up to me. 00:23:58.480 --> 00:24:01.519 We were getting his stuff ready, packing him, getting all ready to go. 00:24:01.759 --> 00:24:04.240 He came up to me and shocked me with a statement. 00:24:04.400 --> 00:24:13.039 He came up to me and said, in fact, we had just gotten back from uh going to Best Buy to get him a new laptop for him to take to school. 00:24:13.279 --> 00:24:16.400 And he came to me, said, Dad, he says, Is there any way? 00:24:16.720 --> 00:24:25.359 Is I I've heard about these programs that you can install on people's computers where every website you visit, it goes to somebody. 00:24:25.519 --> 00:24:29.039 He says, like, can we get can we get that on my computer and it goes to you? 00:24:29.359 --> 00:24:31.359 He says, No, Dad, Dad, I don't have any issues. 00:24:31.519 --> 00:24:34.160 He says, I didn't, I just I just don't want any. 00:24:34.480 --> 00:24:38.480 And I step back, I said, I've raised a genius. 00:24:40.319 --> 00:24:41.599 I've raised a genius. 00:24:41.680 --> 00:24:44.559 I mean, it blew my mind. 00:24:44.640 --> 00:24:46.480 I I told the whole church that. 00:24:47.759 --> 00:24:49.119 And he gets it. 00:24:49.440 --> 00:24:56.160 He knows that as soon as he gets there, all of hell is gonna compete for his passion in an area it doesn't need to be in. 00:24:56.240 --> 00:24:57.279 Are you listening to me today? 00:24:57.759 --> 00:25:00.640 All right, I'm just talking about read redirecting our passion. 00:25:01.279 --> 00:25:01.920 Here's the fourth one. 00:25:02.000 --> 00:25:05.119 This is a big one, and that is the passion for people. 00:25:05.680 --> 00:25:09.839 I mean, for heaven's sakes, that is the motto of Gateway Church. 00:25:09.920 --> 00:25:11.119 We're all about people. 00:25:11.759 --> 00:25:16.640 But if you're like me, it's easy to for that not to be the motto of your life. 00:25:16.960 --> 00:25:20.079 In fact, it's a pain to be all about people. 00:25:24.240 --> 00:25:30.400 Because if we really make it all about people, we're gonna have to add more sources, you're gonna lose your parking space, we're gonna have to be. 00:25:32.000 --> 00:25:32.559 It's hard. 00:25:32.720 --> 00:25:33.680 Come here, I don't agree with it. 00:25:33.759 --> 00:25:34.960 It's hard to be all about people. 00:25:35.039 --> 00:25:36.880 It's just a lot easier to be all about me. 00:25:36.960 --> 00:25:38.079