1 00:00:01,560 --> 00:00:04,120 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. I'm the pastor of Elevation 2 00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:04,840 Speaker 1: Church and. 3 00:00:04,840 --> 00:00:05,840 Speaker 2: This is our podcast. 4 00:00:05,920 --> 00:00:07,800 Speaker 1: I wanted to thank you for joining us today. 5 00:00:08,119 --> 00:00:10,719 Speaker 2: Hope this inspires you. Hope it builds your faith. 6 00:00:10,800 --> 00:00:12,880 Speaker 1: Hope it gives your perspective to see God is moving 7 00:00:12,920 --> 00:00:13,600 Speaker 1: in your life. 8 00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:15,320 Speaker 2: Enjoy the message. 9 00:00:16,680 --> 00:00:19,160 Speaker 1: So over in the Book of Revelation, Chapter two, verse 10 00:00:19,239 --> 00:00:24,840 Speaker 1: two through five. There's a challenge, and I'm going to 11 00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:26,680 Speaker 1: try to be disciplined as I preach this one. I 12 00:00:26,720 --> 00:00:28,280 Speaker 1: got a little I got a little bit off my 13 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:31,640 Speaker 1: plan at the last one. This one, I'm gonna try 14 00:00:31,680 --> 00:00:33,720 Speaker 1: to just stay right right there and preach it, and 15 00:00:34,720 --> 00:00:37,839 Speaker 1: because there's so much there that I believe will help you. 16 00:00:37,880 --> 00:00:40,600 Speaker 1: But let's turn our attention now to the text. The 17 00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:47,000 Speaker 1: Angel at the church in emphasis is receiving a message, and. 18 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:49,479 Speaker 2: The word of the Lord comes. I know your works verse. 19 00:00:49,240 --> 00:00:55,040 Speaker 1: Two, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you 20 00:00:55,080 --> 00:00:57,720 Speaker 1: cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested 21 00:00:57,760 --> 00:01:01,480 Speaker 1: those who call themselves apostles and are not found them 22 00:01:01,520 --> 00:01:06,800 Speaker 1: to be false. I know you're enduring patiently and bearing 23 00:01:06,880 --> 00:01:10,919 Speaker 1: up for my Name's sake, and you have not grown weary. 24 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:12,560 Speaker 2: You're doing a lot of things right. 25 00:01:13,720 --> 00:01:15,920 Speaker 1: And I see it, and I see you struggling, and 26 00:01:15,959 --> 00:01:17,080 Speaker 1: I see you showing up. 27 00:01:17,400 --> 00:01:22,399 Speaker 2: But I have this against you. 28 00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:28,800 Speaker 1: There's something that's working against you. There's something that I 29 00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:32,080 Speaker 1: need to challenge you on today. I have this against 30 00:01:32,120 --> 00:01:35,760 Speaker 1: you that you have abandoned the love that you had 31 00:01:35,800 --> 00:01:43,480 Speaker 1: it first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen. Repent 32 00:01:44,800 --> 00:01:48,400 Speaker 1: It means to change your mind. It means to change 33 00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:57,560 Speaker 1: your direction. Repent therefore, repent, Remember and repent and do 34 00:01:57,680 --> 00:01:59,080 Speaker 1: the works you. 35 00:01:59,080 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 2: Did it first. 36 00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:04,080 Speaker 1: If not, I will come to you and remove your 37 00:02:04,160 --> 00:02:09,840 Speaker 1: lamp stand from its place unless you repent. I see you, 38 00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:16,040 Speaker 1: I love you, But if you don't remember and repent, 39 00:02:17,400 --> 00:02:18,120 Speaker 1: you're gonna. 40 00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:18,560 Speaker 2: Lose your place. 41 00:02:19,840 --> 00:02:21,240 Speaker 1: So I want to appreciate to you today on the 42 00:02:21,280 --> 00:02:28,680 Speaker 1: subject put your passion in its place, and I want 43 00:02:28,720 --> 00:02:30,520 Speaker 1: you to pray with me that I could communicate this 44 00:02:30,639 --> 00:02:34,960 Speaker 1: message in a powerful and clear way. Father, anoint your 45 00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:37,240 Speaker 1: word and open our hearts. May we hear it and 46 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:39,880 Speaker 1: do it never be the same. We declare it, and 47 00:02:39,919 --> 00:02:42,720 Speaker 1: thank you in advance for feeding us from your hand. 48 00:02:42,760 --> 00:02:45,560 Speaker 2: In Jesus' name, Amen, on your way to. 49 00:02:45,560 --> 00:02:47,600 Speaker 1: Your seat, touch somebody, say you're gonna get it back today. 50 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:49,120 Speaker 2: You're gonna get it back. You're gonna get it back. 51 00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:51,400 Speaker 1: I'm just telling you right now, you're gonna get it 52 00:02:51,440 --> 00:02:56,880 Speaker 1: back today. Hey, So bring up my props and put 53 00:02:56,880 --> 00:02:59,799 Speaker 1: my little picture up. I want to show you something 54 00:02:59,800 --> 00:03:01,880 Speaker 1: from last summer. I took my kids back to my 55 00:03:01,919 --> 00:03:06,200 Speaker 1: hometown and took them on a tour of Monk's Corner, 56 00:03:06,280 --> 00:03:07,080 Speaker 1: South Carolina. 57 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:09,200 Speaker 2: A lot of people want to go to the Holy 58 00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:11,360 Speaker 2: Land and then, and. 59 00:03:11,480 --> 00:03:13,320 Speaker 1: Some people on their bucket list, they just want to 60 00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:17,320 Speaker 1: see Monk's Corner. So I took my kids to all 61 00:03:17,400 --> 00:03:19,200 Speaker 1: of the sites that I could think of that were 62 00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:21,560 Speaker 1: memorable to me growing up, very proud of my small 63 00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:24,679 Speaker 1: town heritage, and very proud. 64 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:25,320 Speaker 2: Of the church I grew up in. 65 00:03:25,360 --> 00:03:28,840 Speaker 1: I took them by Monk's Corner United Methodist Church. A 66 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:31,880 Speaker 1: lady who recognized me saw us full up. She said, 67 00:03:31,960 --> 00:03:38,280 Speaker 1: little Stevie Verdick, her sister taught my Sunday school class, 68 00:03:39,320 --> 00:03:41,840 Speaker 1: and she knew I was pastoring. Now, proud of me 69 00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:43,400 Speaker 1: and all that said, we could walk in and do 70 00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:46,280 Speaker 1: whatever we wanted. She was there cleaning, and we went 71 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:49,920 Speaker 1: over to the choir room and I showed the kids 72 00:03:49,920 --> 00:03:52,520 Speaker 1: how I used to suit up on Sunday mornings when 73 00:03:52,520 --> 00:03:56,600 Speaker 1: I was about well was it ten, mom eleven? And 74 00:03:56,680 --> 00:04:01,000 Speaker 1: I was an acolyte at the Methodist church, and so 75 00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:02,760 Speaker 1: I kind of walked them through. I wanted to show 76 00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:08,200 Speaker 1: him how I did it back in the day, because 77 00:04:08,240 --> 00:04:10,880 Speaker 1: you know, not just anybody could be an acolyte. Took 78 00:04:10,920 --> 00:04:14,520 Speaker 1: a special talented kid, very spiritually elite children were called 79 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:18,200 Speaker 1: upon it. They didn't let you light your own wick. 80 00:04:18,279 --> 00:04:22,720 Speaker 1: They had a committee member for that. But I walked 81 00:04:22,760 --> 00:04:25,480 Speaker 1: them through it. And so that's me at the front 82 00:04:25,520 --> 00:04:28,720 Speaker 1: of the church there showing them how I used to 83 00:04:28,720 --> 00:04:30,320 Speaker 1: do it. And you had to do it a certain way, 84 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:32,960 Speaker 1: you know, you come down during the first song and 85 00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:36,640 Speaker 1: you I don't remember it exactly, it's been a while, 86 00:04:36,880 --> 00:04:39,560 Speaker 1: but there was a certain way you did the candles 87 00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:42,240 Speaker 1: and all of that, and then you light it, light 88 00:04:42,320 --> 00:04:48,080 Speaker 1: the well, it's been a while. Abby had a funny 89 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:50,400 Speaker 1: line when I was showing her all this. She said, Daddy, 90 00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:56,240 Speaker 1: did you have to practice that? I said, yeah, baby, 91 00:04:56,320 --> 00:04:58,360 Speaker 1: took a lot of practice, and do it just right, 92 00:04:58,720 --> 00:04:59,520 Speaker 1: can't mess it up. 93 00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:02,520 Speaker 2: And plus Melissa Hydric was sitting up there in the. 94 00:05:02,440 --> 00:05:04,400 Speaker 1: Balcony and I had a crush on her, and I 95 00:05:04,440 --> 00:05:06,120 Speaker 1: didn't want to burn down the church in front of 96 00:05:06,120 --> 00:05:10,360 Speaker 1: my childhood crush, light my robe on fire in front 97 00:05:10,400 --> 00:05:13,400 Speaker 1: of my crush. So you had to practice that. And 98 00:05:13,440 --> 00:05:16,400 Speaker 1: then at the end, how you put the fire out. 99 00:05:18,680 --> 00:05:25,640 Speaker 1: That's important there at the end. And while I'm standing 100 00:05:25,720 --> 00:05:28,719 Speaker 1: up there with them, it's memories, you know, because sometimes 101 00:05:28,720 --> 00:05:29,479 Speaker 1: you go back. 102 00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:31,440 Speaker 2: And you just you remember things. 103 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:34,440 Speaker 1: That was where I preached my first sermon on youth Sunday. 104 00:05:34,520 --> 00:05:37,120 Speaker 1: Now they only give you twelve minutes to preach in 105 00:05:37,160 --> 00:05:40,200 Speaker 1: the Methodist Church, And I know what some of you 106 00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:42,560 Speaker 1: are thinking, can we make this a Methodist church? 107 00:05:42,640 --> 00:05:43,800 Speaker 2: That sounds awesome. 108 00:05:45,920 --> 00:05:48,360 Speaker 1: It takes me twelve minutes to tell you, hello, how 109 00:05:48,360 --> 00:05:50,839 Speaker 1: many of you are glad I preached long sermons because 110 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:53,760 Speaker 1: you know you're jacked up. It's going to take me 111 00:05:53,839 --> 00:05:56,840 Speaker 1: a whole lot more than twelve minutes to straighten you out. 112 00:05:57,560 --> 00:06:02,400 Speaker 1: Weird though, touch somebody say it's gonna take more than 113 00:06:02,440 --> 00:06:04,599 Speaker 1: twelve You're a mess. 114 00:06:06,600 --> 00:06:07,000 Speaker 2: Me too. 115 00:06:08,560 --> 00:06:11,480 Speaker 1: Anyway, I was remembering that first sermon. I was preaching 116 00:06:11,520 --> 00:06:15,960 Speaker 1: on Peter walking on water, and I didn't even need 117 00:06:16,000 --> 00:06:19,320 Speaker 1: the full twelve minutes to be honest with you. Within 118 00:06:19,440 --> 00:06:22,160 Speaker 1: five minutes I had used all my notes and there 119 00:06:22,279 --> 00:06:25,080 Speaker 1: was seven minutes left. I had nothing more to say. 120 00:06:25,920 --> 00:06:29,839 Speaker 1: Because I was sixteen. I didn't have content. I was 121 00:06:29,880 --> 00:06:35,279 Speaker 1: preaching on the storms of life, sixteen years old, trying 122 00:06:35,279 --> 00:06:39,120 Speaker 1: to tell seventy three year old Methodist women about the 123 00:06:39,320 --> 00:06:42,679 Speaker 1: storms of life. I didn't have a lot of life experience. 124 00:06:42,680 --> 00:06:45,160 Speaker 1: But I tell you what I had. I had passion. 125 00:06:46,320 --> 00:06:49,840 Speaker 1: I had passion. I mean, if I could have walked 126 00:06:49,880 --> 00:06:53,320 Speaker 1: across the pews, I would have walked across the pews 127 00:06:53,360 --> 00:06:56,240 Speaker 1: to show them how Peter came out to Jesus on 128 00:06:56,279 --> 00:06:59,120 Speaker 1: that boat. And I didn't have much much sense, but 129 00:06:59,200 --> 00:07:02,040 Speaker 1: I had passion. In fact, they brought up a group 130 00:07:02,040 --> 00:07:05,120 Speaker 1: of people last night when I was preaching. They had 131 00:07:05,160 --> 00:07:07,240 Speaker 1: people up who have been in the church ten years, 132 00:07:07,520 --> 00:07:09,840 Speaker 1: and it made me remember back to all the things 133 00:07:09,840 --> 00:07:12,560 Speaker 1: that we have now as a church that we did 134 00:07:12,640 --> 00:07:16,160 Speaker 1: not have ten years ago when we started. We didn't 135 00:07:16,240 --> 00:07:21,280 Speaker 1: have all these lights and cameras for video, and all 136 00:07:21,480 --> 00:07:24,920 Speaker 1: this money to start campuses. God knows, we didn't have 137 00:07:24,960 --> 00:07:29,520 Speaker 1: a building our first capitol campaign, you remember, Greg Weinberger, 138 00:07:29,600 --> 00:07:32,480 Speaker 1: I didn't have a building, a blueprint to show the people. 139 00:07:32,680 --> 00:07:35,200 Speaker 1: We didn't have any of that. But we had passion. 140 00:07:35,680 --> 00:07:38,920 Speaker 1: Oh man, we had passion. We had the kind of 141 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:41,960 Speaker 1: passion that they were calling us a cult. Until they're 142 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:43,720 Speaker 1: calling you a cult, you ain't doing nothing. 143 00:07:44,040 --> 00:07:45,160 Speaker 2: We had passion. 144 00:07:45,720 --> 00:07:48,920 Speaker 1: I had passion preaching in that senior center. I wish 145 00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:50,800 Speaker 1: I could tell them, Josh, remember you wrote me that 146 00:07:50,920 --> 00:07:53,440 Speaker 1: letter the other day about my first green room. 147 00:07:53,480 --> 00:07:56,080 Speaker 2: It wasn't a green room, it was a closet. It 148 00:07:56,120 --> 00:07:56,800 Speaker 2: was a closet. 149 00:07:56,840 --> 00:07:59,000 Speaker 1: We would move the plants out the closet and you 150 00:07:59,040 --> 00:08:01,200 Speaker 1: would knock on it one minute less, so I come 151 00:08:01,240 --> 00:08:03,280 Speaker 1: out and lead the music. We didn't even have that 152 00:08:03,320 --> 00:08:07,000 Speaker 1: many people, but we had passion. How many know you 153 00:08:07,040 --> 00:08:08,400 Speaker 1: can push through a lot. 154 00:08:08,200 --> 00:08:15,800 Speaker 2: When you have passion. When you have passion, passion matters. 155 00:08:15,840 --> 00:08:18,840 Speaker 1: And I was standing there with my kids and thinking 156 00:08:18,880 --> 00:08:21,920 Speaker 1: about when I started appreciating and having conversations with my 157 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:25,960 Speaker 1: young self and checking my passion because in Revelation chapter 158 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:28,560 Speaker 1: two there is a challenge to passion, and I think 159 00:08:28,560 --> 00:08:31,120 Speaker 1: it's good every once in a while to challenge your 160 00:08:31,200 --> 00:08:34,840 Speaker 1: passion level. In contrast to the passion that you had, 161 00:08:34,920 --> 00:08:41,439 Speaker 1: do you still have passion? You remember the first apartment 162 00:08:42,200 --> 00:08:45,000 Speaker 1: that we lived in together, Holly, you remember it well. 163 00:08:46,080 --> 00:08:50,679 Speaker 2: You remember the mouse traps. You remember it well. You 164 00:08:50,720 --> 00:08:52,320 Speaker 2: remember how you cooked. 165 00:08:52,400 --> 00:08:56,920 Speaker 1: All that fried rice and pasta and made me fat 166 00:08:57,080 --> 00:09:00,000 Speaker 1: within a year and a half of being your husband, 167 00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:01,480 Speaker 1: And I think you were trying to make sure I 168 00:09:01,559 --> 00:09:04,679 Speaker 1: stayed with you. She got me so fat that first 169 00:09:04,760 --> 00:09:08,040 Speaker 1: year cooking for me. I found a picture the other day. 170 00:09:08,040 --> 00:09:09,400 Speaker 1: In fact, she brought it to me. I don't know 171 00:09:09,400 --> 00:09:11,160 Speaker 1: if she's trying to keep me motivated to stay in 172 00:09:11,200 --> 00:09:14,880 Speaker 1: the gym, but I was about forty five pounds heavier 173 00:09:14,960 --> 00:09:18,240 Speaker 1: bro not in the biceps this picture. I wish you 174 00:09:18,240 --> 00:09:20,080 Speaker 1: could see this picture. I thought about putting it on 175 00:09:20,120 --> 00:09:22,120 Speaker 1: the screen, but some of y'all are going to lunch 176 00:09:22,160 --> 00:09:23,959 Speaker 1: after this. I don't want to mess up your lunch. 177 00:09:24,480 --> 00:09:27,000 Speaker 1: And I'm standing there, got my eyes closed and my 178 00:09:27,080 --> 00:09:30,439 Speaker 1: shirt off and my belly out, looking like an infomercial 179 00:09:30,520 --> 00:09:38,520 Speaker 1: before picture. That little apartment a Juniper Terrorists apartment CEE fifteen. 180 00:09:39,480 --> 00:09:42,280 Speaker 1: It was very small and the insulation in the walls 181 00:09:42,440 --> 00:09:45,040 Speaker 1: was very thin. And the reason I know because Tammy 182 00:09:45,040 --> 00:09:49,840 Speaker 1: from Juniper Terrists Apartment C sixteen came over to us 183 00:09:49,880 --> 00:09:52,520 Speaker 1: after our first night and the apartment knocked on the 184 00:09:52,520 --> 00:09:54,680 Speaker 1: door and said I'm your neighbor, Tammy, and I just 185 00:09:54,679 --> 00:09:57,320 Speaker 1: want to let you know we can hear everything. It 186 00:09:57,360 --> 00:10:00,360 Speaker 1: was a duplex. I just want you to know here 187 00:10:00,559 --> 00:10:07,760 Speaker 1: everything that happens in fifteen and I mean everything, because 188 00:10:07,800 --> 00:10:08,440 Speaker 1: we didn't. 189 00:10:08,200 --> 00:10:11,880 Speaker 2: Have a lot of space, but we had all the. 190 00:10:23,120 --> 00:10:27,040 Speaker 1: Which brings us to Revelation chapter two. This is the 191 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:32,280 Speaker 1: connection obvious people. He said, you had something when you 192 00:10:32,320 --> 00:10:37,760 Speaker 1: were small that you lost now that you're significant. Ephesis 193 00:10:37,840 --> 00:10:41,320 Speaker 1: was not an imaginary place. So when the Book of 194 00:10:41,320 --> 00:10:44,720 Speaker 1: Revelation is issuing seven letters to seven churches, they're real 195 00:10:44,800 --> 00:10:48,319 Speaker 1: churches with real people, with real histories. And it's been 196 00:10:48,360 --> 00:10:52,560 Speaker 1: forty three years since Paul started this church, traveling Inland 197 00:10:52,640 --> 00:10:57,400 Speaker 1: with a group of compadres that are spreading the gospel 198 00:10:57,440 --> 00:11:00,640 Speaker 1: of Jesus Christ. That he spends a couple of years 199 00:11:00,679 --> 00:11:03,840 Speaker 1: with these people in Ephesis. And when he started out 200 00:11:03,880 --> 00:11:06,960 Speaker 1: he just met some people. There were twelve guys who 201 00:11:06,960 --> 00:11:11,040 Speaker 1: were disciples of John the Baptist, and Paul asked him 202 00:11:11,080 --> 00:11:12,320 Speaker 1: do you have the Holy Spirit? 203 00:11:12,360 --> 00:11:12,959 Speaker 2: And they said, we. 204 00:11:12,920 --> 00:11:15,480 Speaker 1: Don't even know that there is a Holy Spirit. They 205 00:11:15,480 --> 00:11:17,920 Speaker 1: didn't have a lot of theological knowledge, but you know 206 00:11:17,960 --> 00:11:22,040 Speaker 1: what they had passion. Paul laid his hands on him, 207 00:11:22,040 --> 00:11:24,600 Speaker 1: and when he did, they started to speak in tongues 208 00:11:24,640 --> 00:11:27,120 Speaker 1: and they received the Holy Spirit, and they didn't just 209 00:11:27,160 --> 00:11:30,679 Speaker 1: speak in another language. They started speaking about Jesus. They 210 00:11:30,679 --> 00:11:33,480 Speaker 1: were speaking in the synagogues, and their passion was so 211 00:11:33,559 --> 00:11:36,120 Speaker 1: strong that the crowds started coming out. And then they 212 00:11:36,120 --> 00:11:39,239 Speaker 1: didn't like it, because sometimes when you get passionate, apathetic, 213 00:11:39,280 --> 00:11:44,400 Speaker 1: people get threatened. And the Jewish religious system was not 214 00:11:44,520 --> 00:11:47,679 Speaker 1: a fan of the prevalence of the Gospel, so they 215 00:11:47,760 --> 00:11:50,240 Speaker 1: kicked Paul out of the synagogue. But how many know, 216 00:11:50,320 --> 00:11:53,800 Speaker 1: when you have passion, you'll find another place. Nobody can 217 00:11:53,840 --> 00:11:57,360 Speaker 1: shut you down. When you have real passion, if they 218 00:11:57,480 --> 00:11:59,760 Speaker 1: kick you out the synagogue, you'll go to the lecture hall. 219 00:12:00,040 --> 00:12:03,439 Speaker 1: And that's exactly what Paul did. And he preached powerfully 220 00:12:03,440 --> 00:12:10,320 Speaker 1: in emphasis. And it wasn't just an accident that he 221 00:12:10,440 --> 00:12:14,400 Speaker 1: ended up in emphasis. God strategically placed Paul in emphasis 222 00:12:14,520 --> 00:12:16,960 Speaker 1: because there were three hundred thousand people who lived there. 223 00:12:17,200 --> 00:12:19,400 Speaker 2: Fourth largest city in the world. 224 00:12:19,200 --> 00:12:22,080 Speaker 1: At that time, known as the Seventh Wonder of the World, 225 00:12:22,320 --> 00:12:25,120 Speaker 1: home of the Temple of Artemis, daughter of Zeus I 226 00:12:25,120 --> 00:12:28,200 Speaker 1: mean emphasis, was a place where people would come to 227 00:12:28,200 --> 00:12:30,560 Speaker 1: get their shipments, it was a port city, it was 228 00:12:30,640 --> 00:12:35,559 Speaker 1: well situated, it was an important place. So Paul is passionate, 229 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:39,839 Speaker 1: and Emphasis is an important place, and God says, I've 230 00:12:39,840 --> 00:12:40,480 Speaker 1: got to get the. 231 00:12:40,480 --> 00:12:43,000 Speaker 2: Guy with the passion in the right place. 232 00:12:43,520 --> 00:12:46,679 Speaker 1: When I look back over my life, I'm grateful that 233 00:12:46,760 --> 00:12:48,760 Speaker 1: God has directed. 234 00:12:48,559 --> 00:12:51,960 Speaker 2: My past and made sure that my passion had a 235 00:12:52,040 --> 00:12:53,600 Speaker 2: place to operate. 236 00:12:54,080 --> 00:12:56,960 Speaker 1: I'm grateful that God found me as a teenager and 237 00:12:57,040 --> 00:13:00,800 Speaker 1: gave me a place to preach because God saw a passion. 238 00:13:01,160 --> 00:13:03,880 Speaker 2: Now, as a parent, I'm always trying to look. 239 00:13:03,720 --> 00:13:06,400 Speaker 1: And make sure that if my kids have a passion, 240 00:13:06,840 --> 00:13:10,120 Speaker 1: I encourage it. If you're into a Rubic's cube, I'll 241 00:13:10,160 --> 00:13:14,760 Speaker 1: buy you three. If you like mindcraft, I'll tolerate and 242 00:13:14,800 --> 00:13:16,920 Speaker 1: pretend to listen to you as you explain it to me. 243 00:13:17,520 --> 00:13:19,200 Speaker 2: But I want you to have a passion. 244 00:13:19,640 --> 00:13:30,640 Speaker 1: Passion mattersh It matters no matter what position you're in. 245 00:13:30,760 --> 00:13:35,400 Speaker 1: Passion matters. And if you can't do it with passion 246 00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:37,800 Speaker 1: in a small place, why in the world would God 247 00:13:37,840 --> 00:13:43,280 Speaker 1: promote you to a bigger one. Paul didn't start an Emphasis, 248 00:13:43,280 --> 00:13:46,280 Speaker 1: but he ended up there. Started in Damascus, spending time 249 00:13:46,320 --> 00:13:49,880 Speaker 1: in isolation, but the same passion that was developing in 250 00:13:49,880 --> 00:13:50,600 Speaker 1: his isolation. 251 00:13:51,920 --> 00:13:52,520 Speaker 2: Did that make you. 252 00:13:52,440 --> 00:13:54,920 Speaker 1: Think of David when I said that, because that would 253 00:13:54,920 --> 00:13:57,720 Speaker 1: be a great Old Testament illustration of this New Testament 254 00:13:57,760 --> 00:14:05,040 Speaker 1: personality as a shepherd killing lions, killing bears and didn't 255 00:14:05,040 --> 00:14:07,680 Speaker 1: even know he was preparing for Goliath. But it was 256 00:14:07,720 --> 00:14:11,599 Speaker 1: the same passion in the pasture that got him to 257 00:14:11,640 --> 00:14:15,320 Speaker 1: the palace, same passion waiting for a place to happen. 258 00:14:16,520 --> 00:14:18,400 Speaker 1: And that's one of the frustrating things, is that you 259 00:14:18,480 --> 00:14:24,000 Speaker 1: can have the right passion in the wrong place. You 260 00:14:24,040 --> 00:14:26,360 Speaker 1: can have more passion than opportunity. 261 00:14:25,840 --> 00:14:28,120 Speaker 2: To express it. It's frustrating. 262 00:14:30,320 --> 00:14:32,240 Speaker 1: I know some of you who come to church here, 263 00:14:34,120 --> 00:14:37,240 Speaker 1: some of you would express yourself more in church, but 264 00:14:38,600 --> 00:14:39,760 Speaker 1: you don't know if it's appropriate. 265 00:14:40,120 --> 00:14:41,280 Speaker 2: I have one friend. 266 00:14:41,440 --> 00:14:44,840 Speaker 1: Who grew up in churches where it was more demonstrative. 267 00:14:44,840 --> 00:14:47,040 Speaker 1: He said, when he first came to elevation, it was 268 00:14:47,120 --> 00:14:49,440 Speaker 1: kind of hard for him. I said, really, He said, yeah, 269 00:14:49,440 --> 00:14:50,320 Speaker 1: because I would want to. 270 00:14:50,280 --> 00:14:53,600 Speaker 2: Stand up while you were preaching and shout you down. 271 00:14:54,280 --> 00:14:55,240 Speaker 2: There's a black guy. 272 00:14:55,040 --> 00:14:58,200 Speaker 1: By the way, okay, incidentally, he said, But I was 273 00:14:58,240 --> 00:15:00,400 Speaker 1: around a bunch of white people and god blos and 274 00:15:00,440 --> 00:15:04,720 Speaker 1: we all have different personalities but I stood up. When 275 00:15:04,760 --> 00:15:06,520 Speaker 1: I was stand up, I was the only one I 276 00:15:06,600 --> 00:15:08,560 Speaker 1: was stand up, and I was expecting everybody else to 277 00:15:08,600 --> 00:15:11,680 Speaker 1: be standing to he said, because you were preaching so passionately. 278 00:15:11,840 --> 00:15:14,120 Speaker 1: The word just got in me and I couldn't stay seated. 279 00:15:14,240 --> 00:15:19,040 Speaker 1: And I'm standing up, but I'm the only one all 280 00:15:19,080 --> 00:15:22,560 Speaker 1: these people around me. You know, sometimes you can let 281 00:15:22,600 --> 00:15:29,120 Speaker 1: other people minimize your passions and downplay your passion to 282 00:15:29,200 --> 00:15:33,800 Speaker 1: the level of other people. Don't ever let another person 283 00:15:34,640 --> 00:15:35,120 Speaker 1: become the. 284 00:15:35,080 --> 00:15:36,240 Speaker 2: Ceiling on your passion. 285 00:15:37,320 --> 00:15:41,160 Speaker 1: I'd rather change people than lose passion. I'd rather get 286 00:15:41,200 --> 00:15:43,800 Speaker 1: some new friends that want to. 287 00:15:43,760 --> 00:15:45,480 Speaker 2: Serve God and want to love God. 288 00:15:46,400 --> 00:15:49,440 Speaker 1: I'd rather move seats and stay in my seat when 289 00:15:49,440 --> 00:15:52,160 Speaker 1: the spirit of God hid me. In fact, if you're 290 00:15:52,200 --> 00:15:55,360 Speaker 1: sitting at a campus and nobody around you looks excited, 291 00:15:55,680 --> 00:15:58,320 Speaker 1: raise your hand and ask the I'm sure, and they'll 292 00:15:58,360 --> 00:16:01,360 Speaker 1: move your seating assignment because I need some room to 293 00:16:01,480 --> 00:16:05,000 Speaker 1: praise God, because when I think of the goodness of Jesus. 294 00:16:05,680 --> 00:16:11,200 Speaker 1: Come on, anybody got passion and see when you have passion. 295 00:16:11,600 --> 00:16:14,760 Speaker 1: Sometimes when you get around complacent people or people who 296 00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:17,880 Speaker 1: have a different personality, you feel funny. My friend Carl 297 00:16:17,920 --> 00:16:21,120 Speaker 1: Lynz came to preach out our code Orang's revival. He 298 00:16:21,240 --> 00:16:25,240 Speaker 1: pastors in New York City, and so his kids play 299 00:16:25,280 --> 00:16:28,200 Speaker 1: ball in Brooklyn, and he came to my kids little 300 00:16:28,240 --> 00:16:31,480 Speaker 1: league baseball game. He came to Graham's baseball game in 301 00:16:31,640 --> 00:16:35,240 Speaker 1: South Charlotte, and he tried to bring a Brooklyn passion 302 00:16:36,080 --> 00:16:40,040 Speaker 1: to a South Charlotte baseball game. I mean, no, sooner 303 00:16:40,080 --> 00:16:42,440 Speaker 1: had he got out there to the bleachers than he 304 00:16:42,520 --> 00:16:46,160 Speaker 1: was talking trash to the ump. Now, this is not 305 00:16:46,280 --> 00:16:49,560 Speaker 1: a high school baseball game. These are eight year old, 306 00:16:49,920 --> 00:16:53,720 Speaker 1: nine year old kids. And Carl's telling the ump. He's 307 00:16:53,720 --> 00:16:55,800 Speaker 1: telling the ump look good to. 308 00:16:55,760 --> 00:16:59,480 Speaker 2: Me, hump, be happy to get to some glasses. Ump. 309 00:17:01,800 --> 00:17:04,159 Speaker 2: Next thing, I know, he's talking trash to. 310 00:17:04,080 --> 00:17:07,560 Speaker 1: The kid on the other team on den to about 311 00:17:07,600 --> 00:17:11,360 Speaker 1: not today number eleven. I don't think so, little guy, 312 00:17:13,040 --> 00:17:15,280 Speaker 1: I said, Carl, we don't. 313 00:17:15,040 --> 00:17:15,640 Speaker 2: Do that here. 314 00:17:17,280 --> 00:17:20,040 Speaker 1: I appreciate your passion, but this is the wrong place. 315 00:17:21,119 --> 00:17:22,960 Speaker 1: I gotta come to the field with these people. 316 00:17:23,080 --> 00:17:25,600 Speaker 2: Oh season, some of them on the other team go 317 00:17:25,680 --> 00:17:30,760 Speaker 2: to my church. Shut out touch. 318 00:17:30,800 --> 00:17:37,520 Speaker 1: Somebody say, keep your passion in his place. Right place 319 00:17:37,560 --> 00:17:40,679 Speaker 1: for sex is in the marriage bag. I know you 320 00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:46,800 Speaker 1: got passion but passion needs a place to operate, like 321 00:17:46,840 --> 00:17:50,320 Speaker 1: a fire. If you're in disagreement with what I just said, 322 00:17:50,720 --> 00:17:53,840 Speaker 1: let me prove it using natural elements. When I started 323 00:17:53,840 --> 00:17:56,919 Speaker 1: this sermon, I lit this wik and none of you 324 00:17:57,000 --> 00:18:01,479 Speaker 1: had a problem. Why because it was in its proper place. 325 00:18:02,600 --> 00:18:06,119 Speaker 1: But I bet if I brought this wick down to 326 00:18:06,200 --> 00:18:07,760 Speaker 1: the crowd. 327 00:18:09,000 --> 00:18:13,240 Speaker 2: And put this fire in your hair, you say I. 328 00:18:13,280 --> 00:18:20,880 Speaker 1: Got it, preacher, Keep it in its place. Misplaced passion 329 00:18:21,000 --> 00:18:27,159 Speaker 1: is very dangerous. Misplaced passion, you know, it's even more 330 00:18:27,240 --> 00:18:30,439 Speaker 1: dangerous to let somebody with Brooklyn passion get around somebody 331 00:18:30,440 --> 00:18:33,600 Speaker 1: with a South Charlotte attitude. What I'm trying to say is, 332 00:18:33,640 --> 00:18:35,359 Speaker 1: I mean, I love my city. We're a great city. 333 00:18:35,400 --> 00:18:38,520 Speaker 1: I'm not saying we owe anything to those Yankees, but I'm. 334 00:18:38,320 --> 00:18:39,000 Speaker 2: Saying that. 335 00:18:41,840 --> 00:18:43,960 Speaker 1: Sometimes a new person will come into the church and 336 00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:46,960 Speaker 1: they're excited. I mean, they are fired up, they got 337 00:18:46,960 --> 00:18:49,959 Speaker 1: a passion, and let them get around Bobby who's been 338 00:18:50,000 --> 00:18:51,600 Speaker 1: a Christian for twenty three years. 339 00:18:52,240 --> 00:18:54,679 Speaker 2: And Bobby's looking at him saying, you don't do that 340 00:18:54,720 --> 00:18:55,200 Speaker 2: around here. 341 00:18:55,440 --> 00:18:57,520 Speaker 1: See, because people who are new to the faith, people 342 00:18:57,520 --> 00:18:59,720 Speaker 1: who have that first love, they don't know that you're 343 00:18:59,720 --> 00:19:01,080 Speaker 1: not so supposed to read your Bible. 344 00:19:01,160 --> 00:19:02,919 Speaker 2: Yet they don't know that. 345 00:19:02,960 --> 00:19:04,960 Speaker 1: We only listened to it on Sundays and we don't 346 00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:06,160 Speaker 1: bother with it during the week. 347 00:19:06,920 --> 00:19:08,119 Speaker 2: So if you don't watch. 348 00:19:07,840 --> 00:19:11,880 Speaker 1: Them, they don't bring that passion into your church. If 349 00:19:11,880 --> 00:19:20,760 Speaker 1: they don't get around, they are on people, and something's 350 00:19:20,800 --> 00:19:24,359 Speaker 1: happening in Ephesus because when they first started, they didn't 351 00:19:24,400 --> 00:19:26,880 Speaker 1: have the knowledge, but they had the passion. 352 00:19:27,600 --> 00:19:30,680 Speaker 2: They didn't have the people, but they had the passion. 353 00:19:33,160 --> 00:19:36,080 Speaker 2: They didn't have they didn't they didn't. 354 00:19:35,800 --> 00:19:39,560 Speaker 1: Have the political support of the government, they didn't have 355 00:19:39,600 --> 00:19:44,480 Speaker 1: a five oh one C three nonprofit tax exempt status, they. 356 00:19:44,400 --> 00:19:47,800 Speaker 2: Didn't have a Christian president, but they had passions. 357 00:19:49,560 --> 00:19:52,119 Speaker 1: They had false doctrine coming into the church. In fact, 358 00:19:52,720 --> 00:19:55,720 Speaker 1: Paul told Timothy one time, he said, Hey, I want 359 00:19:55,760 --> 00:19:57,719 Speaker 1: you to look at this in one Timothy one three. 360 00:19:57,760 --> 00:19:59,160 Speaker 2: Because Timothy was a young. 361 00:19:59,040 --> 00:20:03,040 Speaker 1: Man and he didn't have much experience, and the Bible 362 00:20:03,080 --> 00:20:06,040 Speaker 1: gives us reason to believe that Timothy had a timid personality, 363 00:20:06,040 --> 00:20:08,440 Speaker 1: Paul had to remind him over and over again, Hey, 364 00:20:08,640 --> 00:20:13,800 Speaker 1: God didn't give you a spirit of timidity. Timothy Timid 365 00:20:13,880 --> 00:20:18,280 Speaker 1: Timmy Timid. Timmy is pastor in a big city church, 366 00:20:19,080 --> 00:20:22,800 Speaker 1: and there's people teaching false doctrine, and there's people trying 367 00:20:22,840 --> 00:20:26,159 Speaker 1: to deny the gospel of Christ. And Timothy in his 368 00:20:26,200 --> 00:20:29,600 Speaker 1: twenties with a timid personality. By the way, passion is 369 00:20:29,640 --> 00:20:35,760 Speaker 1: not a personality type. Passion isn't how high you jump. 370 00:20:37,359 --> 00:20:39,760 Speaker 1: Passion is how straight you walk when your feet hit 371 00:20:39,800 --> 00:20:45,560 Speaker 1: the ground. Put this down. If you're passionate, you take 372 00:20:45,600 --> 00:20:53,040 Speaker 1: notes in church. The proof of passion is perseverance. I'll 373 00:20:53,040 --> 00:20:55,879 Speaker 1: prove it to you in the scripture. I'll prove it 374 00:20:55,880 --> 00:20:58,600 Speaker 1: to you from verse Timothy one to three. Paul says Timothy. 375 00:20:58,640 --> 00:21:01,200 Speaker 1: I urged you before when I was on my way 376 00:21:01,200 --> 00:21:05,280 Speaker 1: through Macedonia, and I'm telling you again. Remain in ephesis. 377 00:21:05,320 --> 00:21:07,520 Speaker 1: Now watch this. You don't have to tell somebody to 378 00:21:07,520 --> 00:21:10,960 Speaker 1: stay somewhere they want to be. I've never had a 379 00:21:11,000 --> 00:21:12,240 Speaker 1: massage therapist have to. 380 00:21:12,160 --> 00:21:13,320 Speaker 2: Tell me to stay on the table. 381 00:21:15,200 --> 00:21:17,560 Speaker 1: I have had a physical trainer have to tell me 382 00:21:17,600 --> 00:21:21,000 Speaker 1: to do another rep to urge me to keep going. 383 00:21:21,960 --> 00:21:24,120 Speaker 1: You don't urge people to do something they naturally want 384 00:21:24,160 --> 00:21:26,359 Speaker 1: to do. So there must have been an instinct in 385 00:21:26,440 --> 00:21:31,440 Speaker 1: Timothy to run. You're young, you're inexperienced. There's false doctrine 386 00:21:31,480 --> 00:21:32,639 Speaker 1: circulating in the church. 387 00:21:32,920 --> 00:21:35,359 Speaker 2: Timothy must not have been feeling it anymore. 388 00:21:37,080 --> 00:21:39,760 Speaker 1: Timothy's fire might have been going out. So Paul said, 389 00:21:39,760 --> 00:21:46,040 Speaker 1: I want you to remain there in Ephesus and do 390 00:21:46,119 --> 00:21:53,000 Speaker 1: the hard stuff and persevere and persevere and stick it out, 391 00:21:54,320 --> 00:21:56,240 Speaker 1: and come home to a family that might not even 392 00:21:56,320 --> 00:22:00,200 Speaker 1: appreciate you right now, and show up at a job 393 00:22:00,400 --> 00:22:04,480 Speaker 1: that might not even recognize your value right now, and 394 00:22:04,560 --> 00:22:07,400 Speaker 1: preach in a place where you're persecuted. 395 00:22:08,960 --> 00:22:12,120 Speaker 2: And the proof of your passion is your perseverance. 396 00:22:13,880 --> 00:22:15,600 Speaker 1: I don't know if I was really passionate when I 397 00:22:15,640 --> 00:22:19,800 Speaker 1: was preaching when I was sixteen. I was just excited. 398 00:22:20,960 --> 00:22:27,520 Speaker 1: There's a difference. Interest is not passion. Come on, Knowledge 399 00:22:27,560 --> 00:22:32,800 Speaker 1: is not passion. Passion is something different. When you watch 400 00:22:32,800 --> 00:22:34,760 Speaker 1: a movie and they go home after a night at 401 00:22:35,800 --> 00:22:37,760 Speaker 1: the first time they meet at a bar and rip 402 00:22:37,800 --> 00:22:42,440 Speaker 1: each other's clothes off, that's not passion. That's attraction. One 403 00:22:42,520 --> 00:22:47,000 Speaker 1: is from the heart. One is from the hormones. Passion 404 00:22:47,040 --> 00:22:49,200 Speaker 1: isn't I rip your clothes off after the first. 405 00:22:48,920 --> 00:22:51,360 Speaker 2: Time we met. That's not passion. 406 00:22:51,840 --> 00:22:54,800 Speaker 1: Passion is when I saw my mom taking my dad's 407 00:22:54,840 --> 00:22:57,679 Speaker 1: clothes off while he was dying. To give him a 408 00:22:57,680 --> 00:23:06,000 Speaker 1: bath because he couldn't move his own body. That's passionate passion, 409 00:23:06,080 --> 00:23:12,440 Speaker 1: June Am I right about passion. Passion is proven by perseverance. 410 00:23:12,840 --> 00:23:15,679 Speaker 1: Passion is proven when you kneel down in the garden 411 00:23:15,720 --> 00:23:19,560 Speaker 1: of gethsemine like Jesus and say, I'm under pressure right now. 412 00:23:19,800 --> 00:23:21,520 Speaker 2: I don't want to do it right now. 413 00:23:21,760 --> 00:23:25,359 Speaker 1: Nevertheless, not my will, but your will be done. You 414 00:23:25,520 --> 00:23:29,280 Speaker 1: haven't even found your passion until you've passed your feelings. 415 00:23:29,560 --> 00:23:33,400 Speaker 1: And I'm concerned about this because we've convoluted it. We've 416 00:23:33,480 --> 00:23:35,080 Speaker 1: talked to people that if you don't feel it, you 417 00:23:35,119 --> 00:23:37,840 Speaker 1: don't have to do it. But if you have real passion, 418 00:23:38,240 --> 00:23:40,080 Speaker 1: you'll do it when you're up, do it. 419 00:23:40,040 --> 00:23:40,720 Speaker 2: When you're down. 420 00:23:41,040 --> 00:23:43,080 Speaker 1: Do it when they pay you, do it when they go, 421 00:23:43,600 --> 00:23:45,439 Speaker 1: do it when they thank you, do it when they 422 00:23:45,520 --> 00:23:46,120 Speaker 1: look you over. 423 00:23:46,400 --> 00:23:48,400 Speaker 2: Do it when they hate you, do it when they 424 00:23:48,440 --> 00:23:50,000 Speaker 2: love you. I got passion. 425 00:23:51,560 --> 00:23:54,960 Speaker 1: I got passion to preach, I got passion to parent. 426 00:23:55,280 --> 00:23:57,840 Speaker 1: I got passion to pay down my debt. And if 427 00:23:57,840 --> 00:23:58,840 Speaker 1: it doesn't happen. 428 00:23:58,640 --> 00:24:00,400 Speaker 2: All at once, that's all all right. 429 00:24:00,600 --> 00:24:03,560 Speaker 1: I got the passion to stick it out. 430 00:24:05,920 --> 00:24:08,680 Speaker 2: I'm like Ruth Naomi. You can't run me off if 431 00:24:08,680 --> 00:24:09,280 Speaker 2: you want to. 432 00:24:09,600 --> 00:24:12,560 Speaker 1: I'm like alifsha Elia. You can tell me to leave, 433 00:24:12,720 --> 00:24:14,160 Speaker 1: but I won't because. 434 00:24:13,920 --> 00:24:22,399 Speaker 2: I got a passion. Where is your passion? Passion? Say it? 435 00:24:22,560 --> 00:24:26,400 Speaker 1: Passion, say like that with the concentration on the vow passion. 436 00:24:27,640 --> 00:24:33,480 Speaker 2: Passion. You can't say passion sounds ridiculous. Passion. 437 00:24:34,920 --> 00:24:36,359 Speaker 1: I mean, can you imagine if I preached how some 438 00:24:36,400 --> 00:24:43,320 Speaker 1: of y'all listen, that'd be horrible. Well, y'all know something 439 00:24:43,400 --> 00:24:45,439 Speaker 1: say today that's gonna get around to it. 440 00:24:45,440 --> 00:24:46,560 Speaker 2: And there's a Bible area. 441 00:24:46,720 --> 00:24:50,240 Speaker 1: The relationship to the Book of Ephesian gives us a 442 00:24:50,280 --> 00:24:50,879 Speaker 1: picture of the. 443 00:24:50,920 --> 00:24:53,400 Speaker 3: Church of Officis from a doctrinal standpoint, but now it's 444 00:24:53,440 --> 00:24:55,560 Speaker 3: been in a couple of decades. And then listen, the 445 00:24:55,640 --> 00:25:01,199 Speaker 3: passion lost their first love, first love, love, passions, love, passions. 446 00:25:00,920 --> 00:25:07,159 Speaker 1: The boy got me about the Church of Emphasis is 447 00:25:07,200 --> 00:25:11,040 Speaker 1: that he commends their labor, but they've lost their love. 448 00:25:13,480 --> 00:25:17,199 Speaker 1: See it isn't like they weren't making progress, but in 449 00:25:17,240 --> 00:25:21,800 Speaker 1: the process of making progress, of keeping the false doctrine out, 450 00:25:22,560 --> 00:25:25,680 Speaker 1: in the process of eliminating things from their life and 451 00:25:25,720 --> 00:25:27,440 Speaker 1: their church that didn't need to be there. 452 00:25:28,359 --> 00:25:29,520 Speaker 2: In the last forty three. 453 00:25:29,400 --> 00:25:31,239 Speaker 1: Years because now John is writing from a place called 454 00:25:31,280 --> 00:25:33,640 Speaker 1: the Island of Patmas, sending a messenger to the Church 455 00:25:33,640 --> 00:25:36,000 Speaker 1: of Emphasis, and he says, I see your progress. 456 00:25:37,160 --> 00:25:40,120 Speaker 2: You got a job, now, you got a wife now. 457 00:25:40,440 --> 00:25:44,240 Speaker 4: But the question is the question is do you still 458 00:25:44,320 --> 00:25:53,720 Speaker 4: laugh passion? You've got the apparatus, but you've lost your passion. 459 00:25:55,920 --> 00:26:01,320 Speaker 4: All this is kind of pointless. If nothing's burning passion, 460 00:26:03,240 --> 00:26:07,520 Speaker 4: you lost it. You lost your passion. 461 00:26:10,280 --> 00:26:13,600 Speaker 1: One thing I always ask our worship team is that 462 00:26:13,680 --> 00:26:17,160 Speaker 1: they lead you with passion, because I don't know what 463 00:26:17,280 --> 00:26:19,679 Speaker 1: kind of hell you went through this week or what 464 00:26:19,720 --> 00:26:20,800 Speaker 1: kind of hell you're going home to. 465 00:26:20,840 --> 00:26:22,400 Speaker 2: So let's make it heaven on earth in here. 466 00:26:24,480 --> 00:26:27,080 Speaker 1: And I think they do a really good job at 467 00:26:27,119 --> 00:26:33,880 Speaker 1: every campus. Kelly Summers and Jane Williams and John sal 468 00:26:34,480 --> 00:26:40,399 Speaker 1: Barrion tests you let me roll that out. Barri In tests, 469 00:26:40,480 --> 00:26:47,119 Speaker 1: Barrien test what bar in testest? This is a place 470 00:26:47,160 --> 00:26:51,080 Speaker 1: for passion. This is a place. Hey, hey, hey, you 471 00:26:51,119 --> 00:26:53,840 Speaker 1: want to cry in the church. You can cry. Here's 472 00:26:53,840 --> 00:27:00,480 Speaker 1: a hanky and shout. 473 00:27:00,520 --> 00:27:02,600 Speaker 2: You can shout. You want to run, just don't run towards. 474 00:27:02,359 --> 00:27:07,679 Speaker 1: The stage and makes me frightened, distracting me run in place? 475 00:27:10,000 --> 00:27:11,639 Speaker 2: What kind of running motion was that. 476 00:27:16,400 --> 00:27:19,560 Speaker 1: And sometimes your passion is waiting on a place to happen. 477 00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:25,800 Speaker 1: Sometimes your passion is waiting on a place to happen. 478 00:27:25,880 --> 00:27:27,840 Speaker 1: Graham's teacher told us the other day in the parent 479 00:27:27,880 --> 00:27:32,760 Speaker 1: teacher conference. She said, Graham just loves life, she said, 480 00:27:32,800 --> 00:27:36,200 Speaker 1: but sometimes I got to work with him on where 481 00:27:36,240 --> 00:27:42,159 Speaker 1: it is appropriate to express that love for life. I said, example, Please, 482 00:27:42,280 --> 00:27:45,919 Speaker 1: she's a great teacher, Kimberly Springs, teaching my third grader. 483 00:27:46,400 --> 00:27:47,760 Speaker 2: She said, though, that. 484 00:27:47,800 --> 00:27:50,080 Speaker 1: Sometimes Graham will just jump up in the middle of 485 00:27:50,119 --> 00:27:51,560 Speaker 1: class and. 486 00:27:51,560 --> 00:27:57,000 Speaker 5: Dab on a math problem and just dance across the room, 487 00:27:57,359 --> 00:28:07,800 Speaker 5: just jump up, and there's a time to dab. But uh, 488 00:28:10,560 --> 00:28:18,600 Speaker 5: but sometimes sometimes that flame becomes an ember. And I 489 00:28:18,600 --> 00:28:21,080 Speaker 5: felt like the Lord wanted somebody today to get your 490 00:28:21,119 --> 00:28:23,960 Speaker 5: passion back, and he. 491 00:28:23,920 --> 00:28:24,840 Speaker 2: Tells you how to do it. 492 00:28:25,800 --> 00:28:30,359 Speaker 1: He doesn't just challenge that you've lost your passion. I mean, 493 00:28:30,400 --> 00:28:32,479 Speaker 1: I don't know your reaction to the scripture, but I 494 00:28:32,520 --> 00:28:36,639 Speaker 1: take it as parental guidance that God is warning me. 495 00:28:37,760 --> 00:28:41,880 Speaker 1: If you lose your passion, you're going to lose your place. 496 00:28:44,040 --> 00:28:47,520 Speaker 1: Can I break that down? If you don't love that 497 00:28:47,600 --> 00:28:50,160 Speaker 1: woman now that you're married, to her the same way 498 00:28:50,200 --> 00:28:52,680 Speaker 1: and in increasing ways that you did when you dated her. 499 00:28:53,000 --> 00:28:58,080 Speaker 2: Somebody else might. Now that's not a threat, that's just reality. 500 00:28:59,760 --> 00:29:01,400 Speaker 2: I don't want to preach with passion. 501 00:29:01,720 --> 00:29:04,719 Speaker 1: You think God can't raise up another preacher who's smarter 502 00:29:04,840 --> 00:29:05,080 Speaker 1: than me. 503 00:29:06,120 --> 00:29:08,320 Speaker 2: No, no, no, no, no, no no no. I don't. 504 00:29:08,720 --> 00:29:11,520 Speaker 1: I don't operate out of the assumption that I'm entitled 505 00:29:11,560 --> 00:29:14,480 Speaker 1: to anything that God gave me. I got to keep 506 00:29:14,520 --> 00:29:18,960 Speaker 1: my passion. How can you have so much passion before 507 00:29:19,040 --> 00:29:20,800 Speaker 1: you have the position? 508 00:29:21,160 --> 00:29:24,960 Speaker 2: How do you get it back? He said, you've abandoned it. 509 00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:25,360 Speaker 2: You didn't. 510 00:29:25,720 --> 00:29:31,320 Speaker 1: You didn't lose your passion. You left it. You didn't 511 00:29:31,360 --> 00:29:31,840 Speaker 1: lose it. 512 00:29:32,120 --> 00:29:32,760 Speaker 2: You left it. 513 00:29:33,440 --> 00:29:39,400 Speaker 1: You abandoned your first love. You stopped doing the things 514 00:29:40,040 --> 00:29:43,680 Speaker 1: look at it. He said, you've abandoned your first love. 515 00:29:44,560 --> 00:29:47,080 Speaker 1: Remember therefore, from. 516 00:29:46,880 --> 00:29:47,760 Speaker 2: Where you have fallen. 517 00:29:47,800 --> 00:29:50,840 Speaker 1: I love God because he doesn't say that we should 518 00:29:50,880 --> 00:29:55,120 Speaker 1: regret where we are. He says, we should remember where 519 00:29:55,120 --> 00:29:59,840 Speaker 1: we were and get your eyes back to the hills 520 00:30:00,560 --> 00:30:01,720 Speaker 1: where your help comes. 521 00:30:01,720 --> 00:30:03,920 Speaker 2: Come on, I'm preaching with passion, but I could use 522 00:30:03,960 --> 00:30:10,880 Speaker 2: a little participation. I'm not staying where I am. I 523 00:30:10,880 --> 00:30:14,840 Speaker 2: want my passion back so much. Shout I want it back. 524 00:30:15,800 --> 00:30:18,840 Speaker 2: I want it back. I want it back. I don't 525 00:30:19,000 --> 00:30:21,440 Speaker 2: just want to look like a Christian. I want a 526 00:30:21,560 --> 00:30:29,840 Speaker 2: fire in my heart. I want to go through the emotions. 527 00:30:29,840 --> 00:30:34,400 Speaker 2: Here's what you do. Remember from where you were falling. 528 00:30:35,560 --> 00:30:39,120 Speaker 2: Remember from where you're fallen. Repent. 529 00:30:40,120 --> 00:30:46,600 Speaker 1: Let's look at the scripture together, repent, and let's read 530 00:30:46,640 --> 00:30:50,600 Speaker 1: the next part together and feel the feelings you felt 531 00:30:50,600 --> 00:30:59,280 Speaker 1: at first. Well, isn't that how we treat passion like 532 00:30:59,360 --> 00:31:04,240 Speaker 1: it's a sinsa But yeah, when he challenges their passion. 533 00:31:04,520 --> 00:31:11,960 Speaker 2: He calls them to action. Do the things you did 534 00:31:11,960 --> 00:31:19,400 Speaker 2: it first. It's a decision, not a sensation said. Let 535 00:31:19,440 --> 00:31:27,240 Speaker 2: me tell you something else. Do it? Do it? Do it? 536 00:31:28,960 --> 00:31:32,480 Speaker 2: Do it? How do I get it back? Okay, I'm 537 00:31:32,480 --> 00:31:40,760 Speaker 2: gonna pray, Lord, I want my passion back. It ain't coming. 538 00:31:41,040 --> 00:31:46,120 Speaker 2: Not like that. You don't pray to get it back. 539 00:31:47,120 --> 00:31:49,040 Speaker 2: You practice. 540 00:31:49,720 --> 00:31:55,400 Speaker 1: Do the things you did at first. I don't feel 541 00:31:55,400 --> 00:32:01,040 Speaker 1: grateful anymore. Be grateful. I don't feel excited anymore. Be excited. 542 00:32:02,440 --> 00:32:05,200 Speaker 1: I don't feel love anymore? Be loving? 543 00:32:06,280 --> 00:32:07,920 Speaker 2: Do it? 544 00:32:07,680 --> 00:32:08,120 Speaker 1: Do it? 545 00:32:09,120 --> 00:32:14,760 Speaker 2: Do it? What's it? What you did it first? Do it? Practice? 546 00:32:16,320 --> 00:32:19,520 Speaker 1: Got shay you something you got? A second is this 547 00:32:19,560 --> 00:32:24,600 Speaker 1: word good. I sure enjoyed preparing it. I think I 548 00:32:24,720 --> 00:32:27,000 Speaker 1: like cooking this better than you could ever like eating it. 549 00:32:28,360 --> 00:32:31,320 Speaker 1: While I was preparing it, watch this late need. The 550 00:32:31,320 --> 00:32:36,520 Speaker 1: Lord gave me an illustration of it. You guys may 551 00:32:36,560 --> 00:32:38,720 Speaker 1: not know the names of these musicians. I mentioned them 552 00:32:38,720 --> 00:32:44,160 Speaker 1: already on the platform. One of our musicians here, LJ. 553 00:32:44,680 --> 00:32:47,600 Speaker 1: He's a little newer to the team, but. 554 00:32:47,640 --> 00:32:48,600 Speaker 2: He's got passion. 555 00:32:49,280 --> 00:32:52,800 Speaker 1: And he's not some young buck who always wanted to 556 00:32:52,800 --> 00:32:58,560 Speaker 1: be on the stage. He's done some things, he's wasted 557 00:32:58,640 --> 00:33:04,920 Speaker 1: some seasons, and I didn't know about him. I was 558 00:33:04,960 --> 00:33:10,600 Speaker 1: looking for somebody in this particular position, and I wanted 559 00:33:10,640 --> 00:33:13,800 Speaker 1: somebody who would have not just the technical skills or 560 00:33:13,800 --> 00:33:17,800 Speaker 1: proficiency to be back here by someone who would have 561 00:33:17,800 --> 00:33:21,000 Speaker 1: the passion for it. You know how I knew he 562 00:33:21,080 --> 00:33:23,800 Speaker 1: was the guy. He said that when I send in 563 00:33:23,880 --> 00:33:27,000 Speaker 1: my scriptures for them to put on the screen, he 564 00:33:27,080 --> 00:33:29,520 Speaker 1: begs the people that get the email with the scriptures 565 00:33:29,560 --> 00:33:31,360 Speaker 1: if he can see them so he can figure out 566 00:33:31,560 --> 00:33:33,600 Speaker 1: what I'm going to preach on, so he can start 567 00:33:33,600 --> 00:33:35,880 Speaker 1: thinking through what song he might start playing when I 568 00:33:35,920 --> 00:33:45,800 Speaker 1: start closing. See that's passion, that's passion, And I brought 569 00:33:45,840 --> 00:33:47,720 Speaker 1: him up because I love all of our team. 570 00:33:48,080 --> 00:33:49,920 Speaker 2: Don't get me wrong, You're not my favorite or anything 571 00:33:49,960 --> 00:33:50,240 Speaker 2: like that. 572 00:33:52,240 --> 00:34:00,080 Speaker 1: But just something I heard that when he was he 573 00:34:00,120 --> 00:34:04,040 Speaker 1: was living in Canada, and which is known for its. 574 00:34:03,920 --> 00:34:11,080 Speaker 2: Passion of you, Wayne Finch, Stephen Finch, God bless you guys. 575 00:34:11,360 --> 00:34:16,080 Speaker 1: But he was he was going through season. I'm not 576 00:34:16,120 --> 00:34:18,319 Speaker 1: going to tell all of his details. Maybe maybe you 577 00:34:18,320 --> 00:34:21,759 Speaker 1: can ask him one day, but he would sit when 578 00:34:21,760 --> 00:34:23,000 Speaker 1: his wife would go to bed at night. 579 00:34:23,040 --> 00:34:25,600 Speaker 2: He would put on his headphones and. 580 00:34:25,600 --> 00:34:28,760 Speaker 1: He would practice playing with preachers online. 581 00:34:28,800 --> 00:34:32,520 Speaker 2: Now he didn't have a position, but he. 582 00:34:32,520 --> 00:34:38,919 Speaker 1: Had a what a what a passion and he would 583 00:34:38,920 --> 00:34:40,759 Speaker 1: put his headphones on so as not to disturb his 584 00:34:40,800 --> 00:34:44,880 Speaker 1: wife's sleep. I assume and sectually appreciated that, and he 585 00:34:44,920 --> 00:34:45,640 Speaker 1: would play. 586 00:34:45,400 --> 00:34:48,040 Speaker 2: Along with the preaching. 587 00:34:49,120 --> 00:34:52,160 Speaker 1: I heard that there was a season where you would 588 00:34:52,200 --> 00:34:54,120 Speaker 1: play along with me online. 589 00:34:55,360 --> 00:34:56,560 Speaker 2: And I didn't know who he was. 590 00:34:57,520 --> 00:35:01,879 Speaker 1: Never heard of him, never heard never even heard his name. 591 00:35:02,960 --> 00:35:05,719 Speaker 1: They didn't even call David's name when he was out 592 00:35:05,719 --> 00:35:09,319 Speaker 1: in the field tending sheets. Come on, I'm about to 593 00:35:09,360 --> 00:35:12,840 Speaker 1: preach right section of I sure could use your passion. 594 00:35:13,480 --> 00:35:17,359 Speaker 2: I sure could use it. I see he didn't have 595 00:35:17,400 --> 00:35:17,960 Speaker 2: a position. 596 00:35:19,320 --> 00:35:23,200 Speaker 1: But when you have a passion, you practice. You don't 597 00:35:23,200 --> 00:35:26,720 Speaker 1: wait for a position. You don't do it because somebody's watching. 598 00:35:27,200 --> 00:35:29,920 Speaker 1: You don't do it because there's a performance. You do 599 00:35:30,000 --> 00:35:33,600 Speaker 1: it because it's a passion. And he didn't know he 600 00:35:33,719 --> 00:35:34,960 Speaker 1: was just killing lions. 601 00:35:35,280 --> 00:35:37,360 Speaker 2: He didn't know he was just killing bears. 602 00:35:37,760 --> 00:35:41,600 Speaker 1: But when Goliath came stepping forward to the battle line, 603 00:35:41,640 --> 00:35:45,239 Speaker 1: he had been practicing. And now he's back there and 604 00:35:45,400 --> 00:35:47,840 Speaker 1: I'm up here because he had a passion. 605 00:35:48,320 --> 00:35:50,280 Speaker 2: Passion will bring you from. 606 00:35:50,040 --> 00:35:51,960 Speaker 6: The pastor to the palace. 607 00:35:53,160 --> 00:35:56,560 Speaker 1: Pastor will bring you from the lowest to the highest. 608 00:35:56,960 --> 00:36:04,480 Speaker 1: Repair again, passion back. Come on, take fifteen seconds and 609 00:36:04,640 --> 00:36:05,200 Speaker 1: praise him. 610 00:36:05,320 --> 00:36:09,200 Speaker 6: Passionate, passion, passionate. 611 00:36:10,200 --> 00:36:15,279 Speaker 1: Come on, Rondell, bame on, late Norman, come on, you'll see. 612 00:36:15,840 --> 00:36:20,000 Speaker 6: Get your passion back. God's not there, he's not going 613 00:36:20,040 --> 00:36:20,920 Speaker 6: with you. 614 00:36:20,920 --> 00:36:25,160 Speaker 2: Get your passion back in place. 615 00:36:27,560 --> 00:36:32,200 Speaker 1: David said, oh yeah, I've been practicing for this. I've 616 00:36:32,239 --> 00:36:42,319 Speaker 1: been waiting for an opportunity. I've been waiting for a 617 00:36:42,480 --> 00:36:50,759 Speaker 1: giant said, I can princh anyway I want to, and practicing. 618 00:36:51,360 --> 00:36:57,160 Speaker 1: You gotta practice your passion. Practice. I was riding home 619 00:36:57,640 --> 00:37:02,239 Speaker 1: with Elijah, just on't fry and we were filling up 620 00:37:02,280 --> 00:37:05,840 Speaker 1: the little gas cans with gas to put gas in 621 00:37:05,920 --> 00:37:11,920 Speaker 1: the four wheeler. Very spiritual activity. And we filled them 622 00:37:12,000 --> 00:37:17,000 Speaker 1: up and put them in Holly suburban. And I said, Elijah, 623 00:37:17,040 --> 00:37:19,960 Speaker 1: we gotta put them just right because if the gas 624 00:37:20,000 --> 00:37:23,680 Speaker 1: slushes around the back of the car, your mom isn't 625 00:37:23,680 --> 00:37:28,120 Speaker 1: going to be happy about our outing. And he said, Dad, 626 00:37:28,160 --> 00:37:31,840 Speaker 1: I'm worried because all the way here they were sliding 627 00:37:31,840 --> 00:37:32,720 Speaker 1: around in the back. 628 00:37:34,960 --> 00:37:36,719 Speaker 2: But I said, don't worry, boy. 629 00:37:37,520 --> 00:37:42,040 Speaker 1: They might have been sliding on the way, but they 630 00:37:42,040 --> 00:37:49,560 Speaker 1: were empty. Now that they're full, they're not going anywhere. 631 00:37:50,840 --> 00:37:57,600 Speaker 1: I started preaching to Eliza while I'm driving. I'm practicing. 632 00:37:57,880 --> 00:38:01,920 Speaker 1: Breaching is not just my professor, it's my passion. 633 00:38:02,600 --> 00:38:05,759 Speaker 2: If you got passion, you are a preaching the car. 634 00:38:06,480 --> 00:38:09,120 Speaker 6: You are a preach in the kitchen. You are a 635 00:38:09,160 --> 00:38:11,680 Speaker 6: worship gone Monday Tuesday. 636 00:38:12,000 --> 00:38:18,080 Speaker 1: It's my passion, my passion, a practice, my passion, a practice, 637 00:38:18,120 --> 00:38:24,200 Speaker 1: my passion. Practice practice, practice, practice, practice practice, Find. 638 00:38:24,080 --> 00:38:26,040 Speaker 2: Seven people, tell them practice. 639 00:38:25,640 --> 00:38:31,120 Speaker 1: Practice, practice, practice, practice practice. You never know, you never 640 00:38:31,239 --> 00:38:33,480 Speaker 1: know what God might want to do through you. You 641 00:38:33,600 --> 00:38:38,080 Speaker 1: gotta practice. You gotta practice well. I would pray, but 642 00:38:38,160 --> 00:38:41,000 Speaker 1: I just don't feel anything. When I pray, you hadn't 643 00:38:41,040 --> 00:38:44,680 Speaker 1: practiced enough. If you would pray two minutes, you would 644 00:38:44,760 --> 00:38:48,000 Speaker 1: see the peace that two minutes brings, and tomorrow you 645 00:38:48,040 --> 00:38:51,800 Speaker 1: want to pray five. If you practice, if you'd open 646 00:38:51,880 --> 00:38:54,879 Speaker 1: your Bible and read a verse, you'd want to read two. 647 00:38:55,400 --> 00:38:59,000 Speaker 1: You might read four, you might read ay. You might 648 00:38:59,040 --> 00:39:01,279 Speaker 1: finish the Book of the Relations before. 649 00:39:01,000 --> 00:39:01,879 Speaker 2: The week is over. 650 00:39:02,239 --> 00:39:07,080 Speaker 7: If you would practice practice, I'm practicing. 651 00:39:08,080 --> 00:39:09,960 Speaker 1: So if you ever see me in the grocery store 652 00:39:09,960 --> 00:39:13,600 Speaker 1: and I'm mumbling, I'm not crazy. 653 00:39:13,920 --> 00:39:20,680 Speaker 2: I'm practicing. I'm practicing. I'm practicing. I'm practicing. What are 654 00:39:20,719 --> 00:39:22,839 Speaker 2: you doing throwing that stick on the ground, Moses. 655 00:39:22,560 --> 00:39:25,120 Speaker 7: I'm practicing because I got to use this stick to 656 00:39:25,160 --> 00:39:30,160 Speaker 7: park the waters. But until I practice, I can't perform it. 657 00:39:32,080 --> 00:39:38,120 Speaker 7: And you've lost your passion because you stopped practicing. 658 00:39:40,600 --> 00:39:43,399 Speaker 2: Even the best. 659 00:39:44,680 --> 00:39:52,560 Speaker 1: Lose their passion without practice, even the best, even David, 660 00:39:53,800 --> 00:39:58,320 Speaker 1: even David, the kid who ran to the battle line 661 00:39:58,840 --> 00:39:59,359 Speaker 1: and said, I. 662 00:39:59,280 --> 00:40:00,880 Speaker 2: Don't need a position. I got passion. 663 00:40:02,080 --> 00:40:04,320 Speaker 1: I don't need the endorsement of Saul. I've got passion. 664 00:40:05,080 --> 00:40:06,680 Speaker 1: I don't even need my brothers to like me. 665 00:40:07,320 --> 00:40:08,080 Speaker 2: I got passion. 666 00:40:09,760 --> 00:40:13,439 Speaker 1: That kid who ran to the battle. A kid who 667 00:40:13,440 --> 00:40:20,960 Speaker 1: practiced found himself decades later. He was in the palace, 668 00:40:22,280 --> 00:40:27,560 Speaker 1: but he had lost his passion. He sat down and 669 00:40:28,080 --> 00:40:33,440 Speaker 1: wrote a psalm, and he cried out to God and 670 00:40:33,520 --> 00:40:37,880 Speaker 1: asked the Lord to recreate and restore his passion, create 671 00:40:38,640 --> 00:40:41,600 Speaker 1: a clean heart in me, O God, I had a 672 00:40:41,640 --> 00:40:45,720 Speaker 1: pure passion when I started. And I've allowed some things 673 00:40:45,719 --> 00:40:47,760 Speaker 1: to come into my life. And I've allowed some people, 674 00:40:47,760 --> 00:40:52,240 Speaker 1: and I've allowed some memories, and I've allowed some decisions 675 00:40:52,280 --> 00:40:54,400 Speaker 1: and some distractions and even some good things. I've been 676 00:40:54,440 --> 00:40:58,560 Speaker 1: trying to keep the false stuff out. I've left my 677 00:40:59,480 --> 00:41:05,880 Speaker 1: first love, and I want my passion back. He was 678 00:41:06,360 --> 00:41:11,799 Speaker 1: home one day, walking around on his roof. That same 679 00:41:11,920 --> 00:41:19,000 Speaker 1: kid who was willing to run to the battle lines. 680 00:41:20,560 --> 00:41:24,000 Speaker 1: He's seen a lot of years now, maybe not forty 681 00:41:24,000 --> 00:41:26,879 Speaker 1: three like the Church of Ephesus, but it's been quite 682 00:41:26,880 --> 00:41:31,080 Speaker 1: a few years since that time, and he's not running 683 00:41:31,760 --> 00:41:32,800 Speaker 1: toward the battle anymore. 684 00:41:32,840 --> 00:41:33,560 Speaker 2: He's avoiding it. 685 00:41:35,040 --> 00:41:37,640 Speaker 1: And the Bible says that in the springtime, when the 686 00:41:37,680 --> 00:41:44,560 Speaker 1: kings go off to war, David stayed home. The king 687 00:41:46,000 --> 00:41:51,839 Speaker 1: in the palace had lost that passion of the kid 688 00:41:51,840 --> 00:41:57,520 Speaker 1: and the pastor, and he got out of place, and 689 00:41:57,560 --> 00:41:59,600 Speaker 1: so we saw a beautiful woman bathing on the roof. 690 00:42:00,640 --> 00:42:02,440 Speaker 1: He called for her and she had no choice but 691 00:42:02,560 --> 00:42:04,759 Speaker 1: to come, and when he slept with her, they conceived. 692 00:42:04,440 --> 00:42:09,480 Speaker 2: A child that resulted in a national scandal. Her husband 693 00:42:09,520 --> 00:42:10,319 Speaker 2: was murdered. 694 00:42:10,040 --> 00:42:15,120 Speaker 1: At the behest of David's henchman, and David received word 695 00:42:15,160 --> 00:42:18,640 Speaker 1: that the child born to his wife would die, and 696 00:42:18,680 --> 00:42:22,680 Speaker 1: he cried out from that place. I want my passion back. 697 00:42:24,560 --> 00:42:31,480 Speaker 1: I've lost my baby, I've compromised my integrity. But if 698 00:42:31,520 --> 00:42:34,759 Speaker 1: it took me losing some things to realize that I 699 00:42:34,800 --> 00:42:35,840 Speaker 1: had lost my passion. 700 00:42:38,320 --> 00:42:39,520 Speaker 2: God, all I can do now. 701 00:42:41,840 --> 00:42:45,920 Speaker 1: I can't get back the baby, but I can get 702 00:42:45,960 --> 00:42:46,720 Speaker 1: back my passion. 703 00:42:49,280 --> 00:42:52,799 Speaker 2: I can't get back last week, last month, last year. 704 00:42:55,520 --> 00:42:57,160 Speaker 2: Would you redeem the time I've wasted? 705 00:42:57,239 --> 00:42:57,279 Speaker 1: Go? 706 00:42:57,719 --> 00:43:01,479 Speaker 2: I want my passion back. I want my passion back. 707 00:43:03,120 --> 00:43:06,520 Speaker 1: I just know somebody's heart is crying out, maybe even 708 00:43:06,560 --> 00:43:09,279 Speaker 1: watching online. You couldn't even get the church, didn't even 709 00:43:09,320 --> 00:43:13,040 Speaker 1: come today, and your heart is crying out as I preach. 710 00:43:13,120 --> 00:43:16,040 Speaker 1: Stand to your feet. It's a holy moment in the sanctuary. 711 00:43:16,120 --> 00:43:16,960 Speaker 2: Stand to your feet. 712 00:43:17,400 --> 00:43:21,160 Speaker 1: I want my passion back. I want my passion back. 713 00:43:22,360 --> 00:43:24,520 Speaker 1: I want my passion back, and I'd be asking me 714 00:43:24,520 --> 00:43:29,920 Speaker 1: a question. She said, Daddy, Daddy, did you have to 715 00:43:29,960 --> 00:43:35,240 Speaker 1: practice that? And I just I was standing there thinking 716 00:43:35,280 --> 00:43:40,480 Speaker 1: about my kids. Maybe one day they'll take their kids 717 00:43:40,520 --> 00:43:43,879 Speaker 1: to the church they grew up in, and I wonder 718 00:43:43,920 --> 00:43:46,560 Speaker 1: what they'll be telling them about our church. 719 00:43:47,680 --> 00:43:49,560 Speaker 2: Will they be telling them what God used to do? 720 00:43:51,239 --> 00:43:53,200 Speaker 1: Will they be telling them about the people who used 721 00:43:53,200 --> 00:43:58,040 Speaker 1: to give sacrificially, who didn't have a building but had passion. 722 00:43:59,080 --> 00:44:01,840 Speaker 1: Will this be the place where they had revival one time? 723 00:44:03,320 --> 00:44:05,400 Speaker 1: Or will it be a place where the revival fire 724 00:44:05,520 --> 00:44:08,840 Speaker 1: never die because of the people. 725 00:44:10,840 --> 00:44:17,080 Speaker 2: With a passion. And I want to pray for you. 726 00:44:18,719 --> 00:44:23,200 Speaker 1: Because when David got done lamenting what he had lost, 727 00:44:24,560 --> 00:44:26,880 Speaker 1: and he prayed out, God, don't take your spirit from me. 728 00:44:28,280 --> 00:44:31,360 Speaker 1: I can lose anything, but I don't want. 729 00:44:31,239 --> 00:44:32,080 Speaker 2: To lose my place. 730 00:44:34,000 --> 00:44:38,719 Speaker 1: To the Angel of the Church at Ephesus, to the 731 00:44:38,800 --> 00:44:45,120 Speaker 1: husband of for at Valentine, to the teenage girl in Rockhill, 732 00:44:46,880 --> 00:44:54,719 Speaker 1: write these words, if you will find your purpose, you 733 00:44:54,800 --> 00:44:56,160 Speaker 1: will recover your passion. 734 00:45:01,880 --> 00:45:03,760 Speaker 2: I think the worst advice. 735 00:45:04,880 --> 00:45:07,960 Speaker 1: That we could give a young person is to follow 736 00:45:08,000 --> 00:45:17,040 Speaker 1: your passion. That might sound exciting, but it's self destructive. 737 00:45:17,880 --> 00:45:19,280 Speaker 2: You don't follow your passion. 738 00:45:20,280 --> 00:45:22,760 Speaker 1: If you follow your passion, you're gonna get your passion 739 00:45:23,120 --> 00:45:26,640 Speaker 1: confused with your feelings, and the first time the wind 740 00:45:26,719 --> 00:45:29,320 Speaker 1: blows real good, your flame will go out. Don't follow 741 00:45:29,320 --> 00:45:32,480 Speaker 1: your passion because sometimes you can't tell your passion apart 742 00:45:32,480 --> 00:45:38,080 Speaker 1: from your preference. Sometimes you can't tell your faith apart 743 00:45:38,120 --> 00:45:41,600 Speaker 1: from your feelings. So you don't stay in ephesis. You 744 00:45:41,640 --> 00:45:46,480 Speaker 1: don't stay in the hard places. Don't follow your passion. 745 00:45:47,880 --> 00:45:54,040 Speaker 1: Follow your purpose. Remember the reason God saved you. Get 746 00:45:54,160 --> 00:45:55,520 Speaker 1: your lamps stand back. 747 00:45:55,960 --> 00:45:57,720 Speaker 2: Every candle needs a stand. 748 00:45:58,800 --> 00:46:02,719 Speaker 1: The passion is the flame, and the purpose is to stand. 749 00:46:02,880 --> 00:46:12,680 Speaker 1: Put your passion on your purpose. My passion follows my purpose. 750 00:46:13,440 --> 00:46:17,279 Speaker 1: My passion follows my purpose. So when I feel it, 751 00:46:17,480 --> 00:46:24,200 Speaker 1: when I don't, same purpose, same purpose. And you've been 752 00:46:24,239 --> 00:46:30,600 Speaker 1: here and there and everywhere, losing time, losing joy, losing passion. 753 00:46:30,920 --> 00:46:36,719 Speaker 8: Following your passion, that's ridiculous. Follow your passion. How ridiculous 754 00:46:36,800 --> 00:46:39,520 Speaker 8: is that? Follow your passion? You know you would have 755 00:46:39,520 --> 00:46:42,000 Speaker 8: married that crazy girl. Follow your passion. 756 00:46:44,320 --> 00:46:45,040 Speaker 1: No, no, no, no. 757 00:46:47,120 --> 00:46:51,040 Speaker 2: Find your passion and teach your passion to follow your purpose. 758 00:46:52,160 --> 00:46:54,880 Speaker 2: Tell your passion where. 759 00:46:54,640 --> 00:46:57,280 Speaker 1: To show up in the place of your purpose. 760 00:46:57,920 --> 00:46:59,600 Speaker 2: I mean, imagine church. 761 00:47:00,000 --> 00:47:02,800 Speaker 1: Imagine if the people running the cameras at this church 762 00:47:04,160 --> 00:47:07,520 Speaker 1: it got it flipped. Imagine if the people running the 763 00:47:07,560 --> 00:47:11,400 Speaker 1: cameras while I'm preaching, Imagine if they all of a 764 00:47:11,440 --> 00:47:14,960 Speaker 1: sudden thought that it was my job to follow the camera. 765 00:47:16,480 --> 00:47:20,279 Speaker 1: How ridiculous would that be? How ridiculous would it be 766 00:47:20,520 --> 00:47:24,120 Speaker 1: if they? In fact, I'm gonna illustrate it. I'm gonna 767 00:47:24,160 --> 00:47:27,560 Speaker 1: show you how ridiculous it is when you follow your passion, 768 00:47:28,400 --> 00:47:30,799 Speaker 1: Show them real quick on the camera. So I got 769 00:47:30,800 --> 00:47:42,759 Speaker 1: to preach now, and while I'm preaching that camera, so 770 00:47:42,840 --> 00:47:46,319 Speaker 1: now I gotta follow the camera. How ridiculous is it 771 00:47:46,600 --> 00:47:50,799 Speaker 1: when you run around in life letting your feelings tell 772 00:47:50,840 --> 00:47:53,360 Speaker 1: you what job to take and what job to quit, 773 00:47:53,800 --> 00:47:54,120 Speaker 1: and what. 774 00:47:54,200 --> 00:47:55,440 Speaker 2: Relationship to be in. 775 00:47:56,120 --> 00:47:59,440 Speaker 1: No, no, no, I don't follow the camera. The camera 776 00:47:59,560 --> 00:48:03,800 Speaker 1: follows me. You gotta stay with me. I don't follow passion, 777 00:48:04,160 --> 00:48:07,480 Speaker 1: My passion follow my purpose. 778 00:48:08,000 --> 00:48:09,640 Speaker 6: Does anybody have purpose? 779 00:48:10,960 --> 00:48:15,240 Speaker 2: Looking up to Jesus? Be after the better? 780 00:48:15,320 --> 00:48:15,480 Speaker 1: Sir? 781 00:48:15,880 --> 00:48:16,799 Speaker 2: Top my bag? 782 00:48:17,239 --> 00:48:19,480 Speaker 6: Oh brother John set before. 783 00:48:19,160 --> 00:48:24,440 Speaker 2: It endured the cross, despising as shame. 784 00:48:25,400 --> 00:48:29,280 Speaker 1: I want my passion back, and my passion is waiting 785 00:48:29,320 --> 00:48:31,200 Speaker 1: in the place of my purpose. I want to pray 786 00:48:31,239 --> 00:48:34,080 Speaker 1: for you if this message hit your heart today, If 787 00:48:34,080 --> 00:48:36,759 Speaker 1: it was for you, I want you to know that 788 00:48:36,840 --> 00:48:40,160 Speaker 1: after David laid down and prayed and asked God to 789 00:48:40,160 --> 00:48:43,960 Speaker 1: give him the baby back, the Bible says that he 790 00:48:45,040 --> 00:48:49,760 Speaker 1: made a decision to get up, to get up, to repent, 791 00:48:50,360 --> 00:48:54,040 Speaker 1: to get up. After he had been there long enough. 792 00:48:54,920 --> 00:48:58,560 Speaker 1: He got up and he went in and he. 793 00:48:58,520 --> 00:49:04,359 Speaker 2: Had another baby. He got his passion back. Could this 794 00:49:04,440 --> 00:49:08,839 Speaker 2: be the day that you get your passion back? 795 00:49:11,080 --> 00:49:15,399 Speaker 1: Not just goosebumps, not just a comfortable feeling. 796 00:49:16,000 --> 00:49:17,680 Speaker 2: But an inner determination and. 797 00:49:17,719 --> 00:49:26,320 Speaker 4: Resolve that says, I will, I will, I will. 798 00:49:26,880 --> 00:49:29,919 Speaker 2: I don't feel it, but I will. I don't even 799 00:49:30,000 --> 00:49:32,200 Speaker 2: want to sometimes, but I. 800 00:49:32,160 --> 00:49:38,560 Speaker 1: Will, because my passion serves for permantness. 801 00:49:39,640 --> 00:49:43,439 Speaker 2: Bow your head. Created me a clean heart, O God, 802 00:49:43,440 --> 00:49:45,000 Speaker 2: and renew a right spirit within me. 803 00:49:45,760 --> 00:49:48,520 Speaker 1: Cast me not away from your presence, and do not 804 00:49:48,560 --> 00:49:50,719 Speaker 1: take your holy spirit for me. Restore unto me the 805 00:49:50,800 --> 00:49:54,840 Speaker 1: joy of your salvation, and renew a right spirit, and 806 00:49:55,040 --> 00:49:57,320 Speaker 1: grant me a willing spirit. 807 00:49:57,400 --> 00:50:00,800 Speaker 2: Somebody say I will, I will, say. 808 00:50:00,560 --> 00:50:05,040 Speaker 1: I will, I will, I will, I will, even when 809 00:50:05,040 --> 00:50:07,279 Speaker 1: I don't feel I will. 810 00:50:07,600 --> 00:50:13,000 Speaker 2: Because I have a passion I will, I will I'm 811 00:50:13,000 --> 00:50:14,120 Speaker 2: not waiting on the position. 812 00:50:15,120 --> 00:50:23,640 Speaker 1: I have a passion. Father, we thank you today for 813 00:50:23,760 --> 00:50:27,080 Speaker 1: returning us to our first love. We don't want to 814 00:50:27,120 --> 00:50:30,360 Speaker 1: labor without love, and we don't want to serve you 815 00:50:31,560 --> 00:50:32,360 Speaker 1: without passion. 816 00:50:32,440 --> 00:50:35,160 Speaker 2: We don't want to lose our place. We don't want 817 00:50:35,160 --> 00:50:38,279 Speaker 2: to miss our chance. So while the. 818 00:50:39,800 --> 00:50:42,160 Speaker 1: While the lamps stand is still in place, while we 819 00:50:42,200 --> 00:50:45,239 Speaker 1: still have breadth in our bodies, while we still have 820 00:50:45,320 --> 00:50:50,360 Speaker 1: an opportunity, we call out to you God, and we 821 00:50:50,400 --> 00:50:53,000 Speaker 1: don't ask you to restore our passion, because the fact 822 00:50:53,160 --> 00:50:57,640 Speaker 1: is you didn't take it away. It's still in us. 823 00:50:59,080 --> 00:51:02,120 Speaker 1: It was just waiting for this word, for this moment. 824 00:51:02,600 --> 00:51:06,040 Speaker 2: To be awakened. So God, we call our passion to 825 00:51:06,120 --> 00:51:06,680 Speaker 2: the surface. 826 00:51:07,680 --> 00:51:10,800 Speaker 1: Like Elisha called the iron of the accent to float 827 00:51:10,840 --> 00:51:13,360 Speaker 1: to the top of the water, We're calling our passion 828 00:51:13,440 --> 00:51:16,840 Speaker 1: forth today. We're calling our victory forth today. 829 00:51:17,840 --> 00:51:21,640 Speaker 2: Like David got up, we're getting up. We want our 830 00:51:21,680 --> 00:51:25,200 Speaker 2: passion back. We command our passion. 831 00:51:25,360 --> 00:51:27,960 Speaker 1: To serve your purpose in our lives. 832 00:51:28,360 --> 00:51:31,399 Speaker 2: We will by your spirit, we will. 833 00:51:31,280 --> 00:51:33,080 Speaker 1: By your power, we will. 834 00:51:33,280 --> 00:51:36,040 Speaker 2: We're getting up today. We're getting up today. 835 00:51:35,920 --> 00:51:40,319 Speaker 1: Not staying down, not staying lost, not staying lonely, we're 836 00:51:40,360 --> 00:51:40,920 Speaker 1: getting up. 837 00:51:41,120 --> 00:51:44,040 Speaker 6: I'm getting up. I'm getting up. I'm getting up. I'm 838 00:51:44,080 --> 00:51:44,680 Speaker 6: getting up. 839 00:51:44,680 --> 00:51:49,200 Speaker 1: Right now, right here, right now, right here, right now. 840 00:51:49,400 --> 00:51:52,760 Speaker 2: How about my passion about. 841 00:51:54,600 --> 00:51:57,120 Speaker 1: Thank you for joining us special things to those of 842 00:51:57,160 --> 00:52:00,200 Speaker 1: you who give generously to this ministry. Is because of 843 00:52:00,200 --> 00:52:03,120 Speaker 1: you that this ministry is possible. You can click the 844 00:52:03,160 --> 00:52:06,880 Speaker 1: link in the description to give now, or visit Elevationchurch 845 00:52:07,040 --> 00:52:10,319 Speaker 1: dot org slash podcast for more information and if you 846 00:52:10,400 --> 00:52:12,720 Speaker 1: enjoyed the podcast, you can subscribe. 847 00:52:13,000 --> 00:52:14,320 Speaker 2: You can share it with your friends. 848 00:52:14,600 --> 00:52:16,880 Speaker 1: You can click the share button, take a screenshot and 849 00:52:16,960 --> 00:52:19,080 Speaker 1: share it on your social stories and tag us at 850 00:52:19,080 --> 00:52:19,919 Speaker 1: Elevation Church. 851 00:52:20,000 --> 00:52:26,640 Speaker 2: Thanks again for listening. God bless you