Living Your Story with Zeal and Purpose
Summary
In today's message, we explore the profound significance of our personal stories and the necessity of living them with wholehearted engagement. Each of us is a protagonist in our own narrative, with desires and aspirations that drive us forward. Contrary to the misconception that Christianity calls for passivity, we are encouraged to live with zeal and fervor, much like Jesus, whose will was fully aligned with God's yet passionately active. This zeal is not about being busy for the sake of it but about being deeply committed to the things that matter, driven by a strong "want" or desire.
We delve into the life and teachings of Jonathan Edwards, a prominent theologian from the Great Awakening, who emphasized the importance of religious affections. Edwards argued that our emotions and desires are the springs of action, propelling us into motion. Without these affections, life would be stagnant. He highlighted that just as worldly affections drive worldly actions, religious affections should drive our spiritual pursuits. This means cultivating a fervent, vigorous engagement with our faith, not through mere duty but through genuine passion and love for God and others.
Edwards' insights remind us that our spiritual fervor should not be weak or lifeless but should be characterized by a wholehearted commitment to God. This involves doing our daily tasks with all our heart, being fully awake and alive to the presence of God in our lives. Our call is to focus on thoughts and pursuits that are noble and worthy, allowing our desires to align with God's story for us. By doing so, we cultivate a sense of zeal and emotional aliveness that propels us to live our stories with purpose and passion.
Key Takeaways:
- Wholehearted Living: Embrace your story with wholehearted engagement. This means living with zeal and fervor, not passivity. Jesus exemplified this by aligning His will with God's while actively pursuing His mission. Our call is to live with a strong "want" for God's purposes in our lives. [01:32]
- The Role of Affections: Our emotions and desires are the springs of action. Jonathan Edwards emphasized that without affections, life would be stagnant. Cultivate religious affections that drive your spiritual pursuits, allowing them to propel you into meaningful action. [06:52]
- Vigorous Engagement: God desires a fervent, vigorous engagement with our faith. This involves doing our daily tasks with all our heart, being fully awake and alive to God's presence. It's not about doing different things but doing the same things with renewed passion. [05:57]
- Aligning Desires with God: Focus on thoughts and pursuits that are noble and worthy, allowing your desires to align with God's story for you. This alignment cultivates a sense of zeal and emotional aliveness, propelling you to live your story with purpose. [08:28]
- Awakening to God's Presence: Don't sleepwalk through life. Wake up to the presence of God and the significance of your story. Deep thought, emotion, and desire are essential for living your story with your whole heart, fully engaged in God's purposes. [09:51]
Youtube Chapters:
[00:00] - Welcome
[00:49] - The Importance of Your Story
[01:16] - Understanding Your "Want"
[01:32] - Misconceptions About Christian Passivity
[02:18] - Jonathan Edwards and the Great Awakening
[03:05] - Learning from Historical Figures
[03:52] - The Nature of Sin and God's Protection
[04:22] - Spiritual Fervor and Zeal
[05:06] - Wholehearted Living
[06:36] - The Role of Affections in Action
[07:29] - Cultivating Religious Affections
[08:46] - Aligning Desires with God's Story
[09:51] - Awakening to God's Presence
[10:42] - Community and Connection
[11:33] - Conclusion and Invitation
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
1. Romans 12:11 - "Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord."
2. Deuteronomy 10:12 - "And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul."
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Observation Questions:
1. What does the sermon suggest about the common misconception regarding Christian passivity? How does it contrast with Jesus' example of zeal? [01:32]
2. How does Jonathan Edwards describe the role of affections in our spiritual life, according to the sermon? [06:36]
3. What does the sermon say about the importance of being "fully awake" and "fully alive" in our daily tasks? [06:08]
4. How does the sermon define "wholehearted living," and what does it mean for our everyday actions? [05:57]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. In Romans 12:11, Paul encourages believers to maintain their spiritual fervor. How does this align with the sermon’s emphasis on zeal and wholehearted engagement? [04:22]
2. The sermon mentions Jonathan Edwards' view on religious affections. How might these affections influence one's spiritual journey and actions? [06:52]
3. Deuteronomy 10:12 calls for serving God with all one's heart and soul. How does this command relate to the sermon’s call for vigorous engagement with faith? [05:42]
4. The sermon warns against "sleepwalking" through life. What might be the consequences of not being fully engaged in one's spiritual journey? [09:51]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your current level of zeal in your spiritual life. Are there specific areas where you feel you lack fervor? How can you reignite your passion for these areas? [04:22]
2. Consider the role of affections in your daily life. What are some practical ways you can cultivate positive religious affections that drive meaningful spiritual actions? [06:52]
3. The sermon encourages aligning our desires with God's story for us. Identify one area of your life where your desires might not align with God's will. What steps can you take to realign them? [08:28]
4. Think about your daily tasks. How can you approach them with a renewed sense of purpose and wholehearted engagement? What might change in your routine if you did so? [05:57]
5. The sermon emphasizes the importance of being "fully awake" to God's presence. What are some distractions in your life that prevent you from being fully present with God? How can you minimize these distractions? [09:51]
6. Reflect on a time when you felt deeply moved or stirred by the Spirit of God. What circumstances led to that experience, and how can you create an environment for similar experiences in the future? [06:22]
7. How can you actively seek to understand and learn from historical figures like Jonathan Edwards, as suggested in the sermon, to enhance your spiritual growth? [03:18]
Devotional
Day 1: Embrace Your Story with Passionate Engagement
Each of us is a protagonist in our own narrative, and we are called to live our stories with zeal and fervor, not passivity. This means aligning our desires with God's purposes and actively pursuing them with a strong "want." Jesus exemplified this by living His mission with wholehearted engagement, fully aligned with God's will yet passionately active. Our call is to live with a similar zeal, driven by a deep commitment to the things that truly matter. This is not about being busy for the sake of it but about being deeply committed to God's purposes in our lives. [01:32]
"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10, ESV)
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you feel called to engage more passionately? How can you align your desires with God's purposes in this area today?
Day 2: The Power of Religious Affections
Jonathan Edwards emphasized the importance of religious affections, arguing that our emotions and desires are the springs of action. Without these affections, life would be stagnant. Just as worldly affections drive worldly actions, religious affections should drive our spiritual pursuits. This means cultivating a fervent, vigorous engagement with our faith, not through mere duty but through genuine passion and love for God and others. By allowing our religious affections to propel us into meaningful action, we can live a life that is vibrant and spiritually alive. [06:52]
"Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth." (Colossians 3:2, ESV)
Reflection: What are some worldly affections that might be hindering your spiritual pursuits? How can you cultivate religious affections that drive you towards meaningful action today?
Day 3: Engage Vigorously with Your Faith
God desires a fervent, vigorous engagement with our faith. This involves doing our daily tasks with all our heart, being fully awake and alive to God's presence. It's not about doing different things but doing the same things with renewed passion. By being fully present and engaged in our daily activities, we can experience a deeper connection with God and a greater sense of purpose in our lives. This vigorous engagement is characterized by a wholehearted commitment to God, allowing us to live our stories with purpose and passion. [05:57]
"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men." (Colossians 3:23, ESV)
Reflection: How can you bring renewed passion to your daily tasks today? What would it look like to do your work as if you are doing it for the Lord?
Day 4: Align Your Desires with God's Story
Our call is to focus on thoughts and pursuits that are noble and worthy, allowing our desires to align with God's story for us. This alignment cultivates a sense of zeal and emotional aliveness, propelling us to live our stories with purpose. By aligning our desires with God's story, we can experience a deeper sense of fulfillment and joy in our lives. This involves being intentional about the thoughts and pursuits we choose to focus on, ensuring they are in line with God's purposes for us. [08:28]
"Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart." (Psalm 37:4, ESV)
Reflection: What desires in your life need to be aligned with God's story? How can you intentionally focus on noble and worthy pursuits today?
Day 5: Awaken to God's Presence
Don't sleepwalk through life. Wake up to the presence of God and the significance of your story. Deep thought, emotion, and desire are essential for living your story with your whole heart, fully engaged in God's purposes. By being fully awake and alive to God's presence, we can experience a deeper connection with Him and a greater sense of purpose in our lives. This involves being intentional about cultivating a sense of awareness and presence in our daily lives, allowing us to live with purpose and passion. [09:51]
"Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." (Ephesians 5:14, ESV)
Reflection: In what ways have you been sleepwalking through life? How can you awaken to God's presence and the significance of your story today?
Quotes
You have a story and your story matters and that means that you need to be engaged in your story with all of your heart. The biblical phrase for that capacity to be fully alive and fully committed is wholehearted. Nobody gets the story that they want, but your story matters to God. [00:00:37]
Very often people misunderstand and they think part of the message of Christ, Christianity, or the Bible is because we are to be surrendered to God, we're supposed to be kind of apathetic or kind of passive or whatever happens is okay with me. No, no, no, no, no. Jesus's will was wholly surrendered. [00:01:25]
The kind of religion God requires and will accept does not consist in weak, dull, and lifeless woodings. It's a wonderful word wood. Yeah, I would do that. I should do that. I ought to do that. Those weak inclinations that lack convictions that raise us but a little above indifferent. [00:05:02]
God in his word greatly insists that we being in good earnest, fervent in spirit, and that our hearts be engaged vigorously in our religion. And now he quotes from the prophet, what does the Lord your God require of you? To fear the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, to love him. [00:05:28]
This fervent vigorous engagement of the heart is the fruit of a real circumcision of the heart. So as you think about whatever it is that you're doing today, this kind of wholehearted living does not mean that you got to do different things. It means doing the same old things that you normally do. [00:05:50]
The nature of human beings is to be inactive unless influenced by some affection. This is profound observation about human nature. Edwards was a great psychologist, although they didn't have that word back then. Unless influenced by some affection, love or hatred, desire, hope, fear, so on. [00:06:36]
These affections are the spring of action, the things that set us moving in our lives that move us to engage in activities. Dallas Willard writes somewhere about how we call feelings emotions. They put us in motion, they make us move. And to be deeply emotionally engaged with God and with our lives. [00:06:55]
When we look at the world, we see that people are exceedingly busy. It is affections that keep them busy. If we were to take away their affections, the world would be motionless and dead. There would be no such thing as activity. It's the affection we call covetousness that moves a person. [00:07:39]
Just as worldly affections are the spring of worldly actions, so the religious affections are the spring of religious actions. So our call is to cultivate, to focus our mind and our activity on those thoughts and pursuits that are good and wholesome, where God is in them and they are worthy. [00:08:06]
The power of hope to be consumed today by hope, love of course above all, to think it is worthy, it is a good thing to be able to love God and love the people in my life and whoever I see. God, would you kindle an emotion, an affection of love towards them, holy desire. [00:09:01]
Don't sleepwalk through the day. Wake up, look around. God, would you activate my eyes, understand this. This is so often Richard Foster talks about this not understood in our day. People think that being objective or rational is opposed to being deeply passionate. [00:09:51]
If it were not for our affections, our emotions, our passions, we would have no life at all. We would never do anything. So today, deep thought, deep emotion, deep desire, deep wanting, live your story today with your whole heart. [00:10:16]
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