God's righteousness is His unwavering commitment to value what is supremely valuable—Himself. This God-centeredness is foundational to His nature and our understanding of His character. To truly know God, one must recognize that His righteousness is not about adhering to an external standard but is rooted in His supreme valuation of Himself. This understanding challenges us to see God as the ultimate source of value and worth, which in turn shapes our perception of righteousness. By acknowledging God's self-valuation, we align ourselves with His divine order, where His glory is the ultimate aim. [03:16]
Isaiah 42:8 (ESV): "I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols."
Reflection: In what ways do you find yourself valuing other things above God in your daily life? How can you begin to realign your values to reflect God's supreme worth?
Day 2: Joy in the Trinity
God's eternal joy is rooted in the fellowship of the Trinity, where the Father delights in the Son, and this joy is what God desires to share with us. Before creation, the joy within the Trinity was complete and perfect, and it is this joy that God extends to humanity. Our joy in God is a reflection of His joy in Himself, inviting us into a relationship that mirrors the divine fellowship. Understanding this joy helps us see that our ultimate satisfaction is found not in temporal pleasures but in the eternal delight of knowing and being known by God. [04:10]
John 15:11 (ESV): "These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full."
Reflection: How can you cultivate a deeper sense of joy in your relationship with God, reflecting the joy found within the Trinity?
Day 3: Passion as a Divine Gift
Our passion for God is not something we muster on our own; it is a gift from the Holy Spirit, who instills in us God's own zeal for Himself. This divine passion transforms our hearts, allowing us to experience God's love in its fullest form. It is a reflection of God's passion for Himself, given to us so that we might delight in Him. This understanding challenges the notion that spiritual fervor is self-generated, reminding us that it is a divine work within us. By embracing this gift, we open ourselves to a deeper, more authentic relationship with God. [05:32]
Romans 5:5 (ESV): "And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us."
Reflection: In what ways can you invite the Holy Spirit to deepen your passion for God today?
Day 4: True Love and God-Centeredness
True love from God is not about making much of us but freeing us to make much of Him. This challenges cultural notions of love and self-esteem, inviting us to find our satisfaction in God alone. God's love is transformative, shifting our focus from self-centered desires to a God-centered life. By understanding that God's love is about drawing us into His glory, we are freed from the need to be made much of, allowing us to delight in making much of Him. This shift in perspective leads to a more fulfilling and purpose-driven life. [09:55]
2 Corinthians 5:15 (ESV): "And he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised."
Reflection: How can you shift your focus from seeking self-esteem to finding satisfaction in making much of God in your daily interactions?
Day 5: Eternal Joy in God's Glory
Our eternal life is defined by knowing God and Jesus Christ, which is the essence of true life. This knowledge is not merely intellectual but relational, drawing us into the very heart of God's glory. God promises to fill us with His love, enabling us to delight in His glory forever. This eternal joy is not dependent on circumstances but is rooted in the unchanging nature of God. By pursuing a deeper knowledge of God, we enter into the fullness of life that He offers, experiencing a joy that transcends the temporal and leads us into eternity. [36:01]
Jeremiah 9:23-24 (ESV): "Thus says the Lord: 'Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.'"
Reflection: What steps can you take to deepen your knowledge of God and experience the eternal joy found in His glory?
Sermon Summary
In today's message, we explored the profound theme of passion, particularly our passion for God and Christ. The journey begins with understanding that our passion for God is deeply rooted in God's passion for Himself. This might sound unusual, but it is essential to grasp that God is the most valuable being in the universe, and His righteousness is defined by His supreme valuation of Himself. For us to truly know God, we must see Him as God-centered, which is the foundation of His righteousness and happiness. God's eternal joy is found in the fellowship of the Trinity, and this joy is what He desires to share with us.
Our passion for God is not something we muster on our own; it is a gift from God, a reflection of His own passion for Himself. The Holy Spirit works within us to instill this divine zeal, allowing us to experience God's love in its truest form. This love is not about God making much of us but freeing us from the need to be made much of, so we can delight in making much of Him. This is a challenging concept, especially in a culture that equates love with self-esteem and being made much of.
We examined the story of Lazarus in John 11, where Jesus' actions, though seemingly unloving, were ultimately about revealing God's glory. This teaches us that God's love is about drawing us into His glory, not necessarily making our lives easy. In John 17, Jesus prays for His glory to be revealed, which is an act of love because it draws us to the ultimate source of joy and satisfaction—God Himself. Our eternal life is defined by knowing God and Jesus Christ, which is the essence of true life.
Finally, we are reminded that our capacity to enjoy God is limited, but God promises to fill us with His love, enabling us to delight in His glory forever. This divine love will be in us, ensuring that our passion for God is sustained eternally.
Key Takeaways
1. centeredness is foundational to His nature and our understanding of His character. [03:16] 2. God's Eternal Joy: God's happiness is rooted in the eternal joy of the Trinity. Before creation, the Father delighted in the Son, and this joy is what God desires to share with us. Our joy in God is a reflection of His joy in Himself.
3. Passion as a Divine Gift: Our passion for God is a gift from the Holy Spirit, who instills in us God's own zeal for Himself. This divine passion transforms our hearts, allowing us to experience God's love in its fullest form.
4. True Love and God-Centeredness: True love from God is not about making much of us but freeing us to make much of Him. This challenges cultural notions of love and self-esteem, inviting us to find our satisfaction in God alone.
5. Eternal Joy in God's Glory: Our eternal life is defined by knowing God and Jesus Christ. This knowledge is the essence of true life, and God promises to fill us with His love, enabling us to delight in His glory forever.
In John 11:1-6, how does Jesus' response to Lazarus' illness demonstrate His priorities? What does this reveal about His understanding of love and glory? [19:06]
According to John 17:1-5, what is the relationship between Jesus' request for glory and His love for His followers? How does this prayer reflect His mission? [23:13]
In John 17:24-26, what does Jesus desire for His followers concerning His glory? How does this desire connect to the love between the Father and the Son? [30:05]
How does the sermon describe the connection between God's righteousness and His God-centeredness? Why is this important for understanding God's character? [03:16]
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Interpretation Questions:
How does the story of Lazarus in John 11 challenge common cultural notions of love and self-esteem? What does this imply about God's priorities in our lives? [19:06]
In what ways does Jesus' prayer in John 17:1-5 redefine eternal life? How does this understanding of eternal life differ from common perceptions? [25:00]
How does the sermon explain the concept of passion for God as a divine gift? What role does the Holy Spirit play in cultivating this passion within us? [05:32]
What does it mean to be loved by God according to the sermon, and how does this differ from the cultural understanding of love? [09:55]
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Application Questions:
Reflect on a time when you felt God's love in a way that freed you from the need to be made much of. How did this experience change your perspective on love and self-worth? [08:11]
How can you cultivate a passion for God that is rooted in His passion for Himself? What practical steps can you take to align your desires with God's desires? [05:32]
Consider the cultural emphasis on self-esteem. How can you shift your focus from seeking affirmation from others to finding satisfaction in making much of God? [09:55]
In what ways can you seek to know God and Jesus Christ more deeply, as described in John 17:3? What specific practices or disciplines can help you grow in this knowledge? [25:00]
How can you embrace the idea that God's love is about drawing you into His glory, even when it doesn't make your life easier? Share a personal challenge where this perspective could be applied. [20:14]
Reflect on the concept of eternal joy in God's glory. How can you prepare your heart and mind to delight in God's glory forever? What changes might you need to make in your daily life to focus more on God's eternal joy? [36:01]
Identify a specific area in your life where you struggle to see God's glory. How can you invite God to reveal His glory in that situation, and what steps can you take to be more open to His presence? [21:46]
Sermon Clips
We will not have a passion for God the way we should until we see and rejoice in God's passion for God. Or say it another way, we won't have a passion for Christ the way we should until we see, understand, embrace, and rejoice in how committed Christ is to exalting Christ. [00:00:29]
Until you see and savor how God-centered God is, you don't know him as righteous. For example, you don't know him as righteous. What is God's righteousness? God's righteousness is his doing what's right all the time, feeling what's right, thinking what's right, doing what's right. [00:01:47]
God's happiness, long before you ever existed, consisted supremely in the joy that he had in The Fellowship of the Trinity. The Father beholding all the perfections of his glory echoed reverberating back to him in the perfection of his Son. This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. [00:03:13]
You can't experience passion for God for what it really is until you realize that your passion for God is God's gift in you of his passion for God. I think that is the supreme work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit sheds abroad in your heart God's zeal for God. [00:05:21]
You won't know what it is to be loved until you know that God is God-centered. This is the one we're going to linger on, and almost everything else I have to say this morning is about this point because this is the hardest to get across, especially to the generation or generations represented in this room. [00:06:37]
Do you feel more loved by God when he makes much of you, or do you feel more loved by God when he frees you from the need to be made much of so that you can enjoy making much of him forever? That's a tough question because we have learned in America to define love as making much of somebody. [00:08:11]
I think that God's love to you is supremely manifested in doing whatever he has to do, and it cost him the life of his son, whatever he has to do to free you from the bondage of needing a good image in the mirror so that he becomes your absolutely ravishing, all-satisfying treasure. [00:09:31]
Why do people go to the Grand Canyon or the Alps or the Rockies? Why do people go on vacation, stand on the edge of a massive expanse of depth and width that took who knows how long to cut out of the Earth or that God cut out at a moment? [00:10:21]
They were made not to be made much of; they were made to make much of God and be satisfied making much of God forever. And written in little bitty letters because it's been so squashed down with sin is a mountain might get me what I'm after. [00:11:37]
If you want to know what it is to be loved by God, you've got to forget thinking you're ever going to be worthy of it. You'll never be worthy of it. It comes to you absolutely freely, and the form that it takes is to help you forget yourself in the experience of the all-satisfying Savior. [00:15:18]
This text has taught me that when Jesus loves us, he will do whatever it takes, whether it's his son's death or my brother's death, to show his glory to me so that I love his glory and not myself or my brother more than him. [00:21:05]
The love that the Father has for the Son will be in you, and he will be in you so that your passion will be his passion for God, and it is inexhaustible. [00:40:35]