Reviving Our Passion: Genuine Love for Jesus

 

Summary

In today's reflection, I shared a deep concern that resonates with many of us: the diminishing expression of genuine love and passion for Jesus Christ. In our conversations, we often hear about churches, speakers, bands, and songs, but rarely do we hear the heartfelt declaration, "I was with Jesus this morning, and I love Him so much." This absence of fervent love for Jesus is troubling. When someone falls in love, it's evident in their words and actions. Similarly, when people have children, their lives revolve around them. This kind of obsession and fascination should be evident in our relationship with Jesus, yet it seems to be lacking.

The greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. This love should be so consuming that it overflows into every aspect of our lives. The church's role is to cultivate worshippers who are devoted to God, who can't get enough of His presence. However, there's a stark contrast between the excitement for a popular band and the lack of enthusiasm for a prayer meeting. This discrepancy highlights a deeper issue within our spiritual lives.

We live in a consumer-driven society where our preferences dictate our experiences, even in worship. We often leave gatherings critiquing the music or the message, forgetting that worship is not about us. It's about God and His glory. The angels in heaven continually cry out, "Holy, holy, holy," without concern for their preferences. This should be our posture as well. We must recognize the strangeness of our times and realign our hearts to focus on God's presence, not the performance or the people leading us.

Key Takeaways:

1. Genuine Love for Jesus: Our conversations should reflect a deep love for Jesus, similar to how we speak about those we are passionate about. This love should be evident and consuming, driving us to seek His presence daily. [00:32]

2. The Greatest Commandment: Loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength is the core of our faith. This commandment should be the foundation of our lives, influencing our actions and desires. [01:19]

3. The Role of the Church: The church is meant to produce worshippers who are devoted to God, not just attendees of events. Our gatherings should be centered on experiencing God's presence, not on entertainment. [01:41]

4. Consumer-Driven Worship: We must move away from a consumer mindset in worship, where our preferences dictate our experience. Worship is about God, not about what we like or dislike. [02:32]

5. Focus on God's Presence: Our focus should be on God's presence, not on the people or the performance leading us. Like the angels, our worship should be centered on God's holiness and glory. [03:08]

Youtube Chapters:

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:16] - Concern for Genuine Love
[00:32] - Obsession with Jesus
[01:01] - The Greatest Commandment
[01:19] - Devoted Worshippers
[01:41] - Discrepancy in Enthusiasm
[01:58] - Presence Over Performance
[02:15] - Consumer-Driven Worship
[02:32] - Worship Beyond Preferences
[02:48] - Angels' Unwavering Worship
[03:08] - Realigning Our Focus
[03:24] - Worship for God's Glory
[03:43] - Conclusion and Reflection

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. Mark 12:30 - "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength."
2. Revelation 4:8 - "Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.'"

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Observation Questions:

1. What does the sermon suggest is missing in our conversations about Jesus? ([00:16])
2. How does the sermon describe the difference in enthusiasm between attending a concert and a prayer meeting? ([01:41])
3. According to the sermon, what is the role of the church in cultivating worshippers? ([01:41])
4. How does the sermon illustrate the concept of consumer-driven worship? ([02:32])

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Interpretation Questions:

1. What does it mean to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and how might this look in daily life? ([01:19])
2. How does the sermon challenge the way we typically evaluate worship experiences? ([02:32])
3. In what ways does the sermon suggest our current worship practices differ from the biblical example of worship? ([03:08])
4. How might the angels' continuous worship in Revelation 4:8 serve as a model for our own worship practices? ([02:48])

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on your recent conversations. How often do you express your love for Jesus compared to other interests or passions? What changes can you make to prioritize this expression? ([00:16])
2. Consider your level of enthusiasm for different church activities. What steps can you take to cultivate a deeper passion for prayer and worship? ([01:41])
3. How can you shift your mindset from a consumer-driven approach to worship to one that is focused on God's presence and glory? ([02:32])
4. Identify one way you can love God more fully with your heart, soul, mind, and strength this week. What specific actions will you take to demonstrate this love? ([01:19])
5. Think about a recent worship service you attended. How did you evaluate it, and how might you change your perspective to align more with the sermon’s message? ([02:32])
6. How can you incorporate the angels' model of unwavering worship into your personal worship practices? ([02:48])
7. What practical steps can you take to ensure your worship is centered on God’s holiness and not on personal preferences or performances? ([03:08])

Devotional

Day 1: Cultivating a Passionate Love for Jesus
Our conversations often reflect what we are passionate about, yet it seems that the expression of genuine love for Jesus is diminishing. When someone is truly in love, it is evident in their words and actions. This same fervor should be present in our relationship with Jesus, driving us to seek His presence daily. The absence of this passion is concerning, as it suggests a disconnect from the core of our faith. We are called to love Jesus with a consuming passion that overflows into every aspect of our lives. [00:32]

"Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth." (Colossians 3:2, ESV)

Reflection: Think of a recent conversation you had. How often did you mention Jesus? What can you do today to make your love for Him more evident in your words and actions?


Day 2: Embracing the Greatest Commandment
The greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. This commandment is the foundation of our faith and should influence every action and desire. Loving God in this way means prioritizing Him above all else and allowing His love to guide our lives. It is a call to a deeper, more committed relationship with God, where His presence is the central focus of our existence. [01:19]

"And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might." (Deuteronomy 6:5, ESV)

Reflection: Identify one area of your life where you struggle to love God fully. What practical steps can you take to align this area with the greatest commandment today?


Day 3: The Church's Role in Fostering Devotion
The church is meant to cultivate worshippers who are devoted to God, not just attendees of events. Our gatherings should be centered on experiencing God's presence, rather than entertainment. This requires a shift in focus from consumer-driven worship to a genuine pursuit of God. The church's role is to guide believers into a deeper relationship with God, where His presence is the ultimate goal. [01:41]

"Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another." (Hebrews 10:24-25, ESV)

Reflection: Reflect on your attitude towards church gatherings. How can you contribute to creating an environment focused on God's presence rather than personal preferences?


Day 4: Moving Beyond Consumer-Driven Worship
In a consumer-driven society, our preferences often dictate our experiences, even in worship. However, worship is not about us; it is about God and His glory. We must move away from critiquing the music or message and focus on the true purpose of worship. Like the angels in heaven, our worship should be centered on God's holiness and glory, not on our likes or dislikes. [02:32]

"Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe." (Hebrews 12:28, ESV)

Reflection: Consider your approach to worship. What changes can you make to ensure your worship is focused on God and not on personal preferences?


Day 5: Realigning Our Focus on God's Presence
Our focus should be on God's presence, not on the people or the performance leading us. The angels' unwavering worship serves as a model for us, as they continually cry out, "Holy, holy, holy," without concern for their preferences. We must recognize the strangeness of our times and realign our hearts to focus on God's presence, allowing His holiness and glory to be the center of our worship. [03:08]

"One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple." (Psalm 27:4, ESV)

Reflection: How can you intentionally seek God's presence in your daily life? What practices can you incorporate to ensure your focus remains on His holiness and glory?

Quotes


and my biggest concern and I hope it's a concern of yours is as I don't hear people talking about their love for Jesus the person of Jesus Christ I hear a lot of talk about churches that you're allowed to talk about speakers I talked about different bands and songs and sermons but where are those voices that are just saying oh I was with Jesus this morning I love him so much this is the one thing I pray for all the times I just want to be in his presence [00:00:06]

man you guys know when one of your friends falls in love with someone right you know when they get obsessive about it right some of you guys know exactly what I'm talking about it's some of you guys are in that world where you're just obsessed with this person and you know you've seen meet other people who once they have a child it's like all they can talk about is that child and it's this obsession this fascination you know what it's like when someone is in love [00:00:39]

my concern is I don't hear that kind of language when people talk about Jesus he doesn't love him with all of her heart soul mind and strength would just be like oh man I love being alone with them it's so good it's so good it's him and this is the great command is that what we see coming out I mean that's kind of a big deal the church was supposed to produce these devoted worshippers of God [00:01:11]

where they can't get enough of him and there's something so wrong when if we announce Cahill songs coming and the place is packed versus hey we're gonna have prayer tonight and a handful of people show up there's something really wrong with that we can't be okay with that I mean we're talking about this being up there all those angels up there just gonna whoa it's so amazing it should just be coming into us who cares who's leading me into his presence [00:01:42]

it's his presence that we're just obsessed with it's right so we know there's something desperately wrong when people walk out of these gatherings and go oh it was really good today or I didn't really like it today I really like the worship it didn't really work for me I didn't like those songs I didn't like that band like somehow we've lost sight of the opti think those angels that are screaming out holy holy holy day and night ever go looking again I really like it today [00:02:21]

do you think ever in human history man seriously man you we've got to understand how weird of a time we are living in how consumer-driven everything's gotten like it doesn't make sense biblically you think ever in the Old Testament and I don't know if I'm gonna go to the sacrifices a who's who sacrificing who's gotten the ball I love it one was you know it's just it wasn't about that how did we turn everything where it's perfectly normal [00:03:00]

to walk away from our gatherings and go no I didn't really like it wow it ever occurred to you that it wasn't for you I mean does it ever enter your mind [00:03:37]

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Transcript
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