1 00:00:04,960 --> 00:00:06,200 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. 2 00:00:06,240 --> 00:00:09,280 Speaker 2: I'm the pastor of Elevation Church and this is our podcast. 3 00:00:09,440 --> 00:00:11,600 Speaker 2: Be sure to subscribe so we can get you these 4 00:00:11,640 --> 00:00:13,680 Speaker 2: new sermons every week. 5 00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:22,520 Speaker 1: Hope you're blessed today. So over in the Book of Revelation, 6 00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:28,880 Speaker 1: Chapter two, verse two through five, there's a challenge, and 7 00:00:28,880 --> 00:00:30,600 Speaker 1: I'm going to try to be disciplined as I preach 8 00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:32,200 Speaker 1: this one. I got a little I got a little 9 00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:35,519 Speaker 1: bit off my plan at the last one. This one, 10 00:00:35,520 --> 00:00:37,479 Speaker 1: I'm gonna try to just stay right right there and 11 00:00:37,520 --> 00:00:41,720 Speaker 1: preach it because there's so much there that I believe 12 00:00:41,760 --> 00:00:44,280 Speaker 1: will help you. But let's turn our attention now to 13 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:48,360 Speaker 1: the text. The Angel at the church in emphasis is 14 00:00:48,400 --> 00:00:52,320 Speaker 1: receiving a message, and the word of the Lord comes. 15 00:00:52,360 --> 00:00:56,800 Speaker 1: I know your works verse two, your toil and your 16 00:00:56,840 --> 00:01:00,680 Speaker 1: patient endurance, and how you cannot be with those who 17 00:01:00,720 --> 00:01:03,800 Speaker 1: are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles 18 00:01:03,840 --> 00:01:08,360 Speaker 1: and are not found them to be false. I know 19 00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:13,040 Speaker 1: you're enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, 20 00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:16,160 Speaker 1: and you have not grown weary. You're doing a lot 21 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:19,440 Speaker 1: of things right. And I see it, and I see 22 00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:23,080 Speaker 1: you struggling, and I see you showing up. But I 23 00:01:23,160 --> 00:01:30,720 Speaker 1: have this against you. There's something that's working against you. 24 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:34,760 Speaker 1: There's something that I need to challenge you on today. 25 00:01:34,800 --> 00:01:38,080 Speaker 1: I have this against you, that you have abandoned the 26 00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:45,400 Speaker 1: love that you had at first. Remember therefore from where 27 00:01:45,520 --> 00:01:50,600 Speaker 1: you have fallen. Repent It means to change your mind. 28 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:59,080 Speaker 1: It means to change your direction. Repent therefore, repent, Remember 29 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:04,200 Speaker 1: and repent and do the works you did it first. 30 00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:08,440 Speaker 1: If not, I will come to you and remove your 31 00:02:08,520 --> 00:02:14,200 Speaker 1: lamp stand from its place. Unless you repent. I see you, 32 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:20,400 Speaker 1: I love you. But if you don't remember and repent, 33 00:02:21,760 --> 00:02:25,000 Speaker 1: you're gonna lose your place. So I want to appreciate to 34 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:29,040 Speaker 1: you today on the subject put your passion in its place, 35 00:02:32,639 --> 00:02:34,000 Speaker 1: and I want you to pray with you that I 36 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:38,680 Speaker 1: could communicate this message in a powerful and clear way. Father, 37 00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:41,280 Speaker 1: anoint your word and open our hearts. May we hear 38 00:02:41,320 --> 00:02:44,160 Speaker 1: it and do it never be the same. We declare it, 39 00:02:44,200 --> 00:02:46,840 Speaker 1: and thank you in advance for feeding us from your 40 00:02:46,840 --> 00:02:50,280 Speaker 1: hand in Jesus' name. Amen, on your way to your seat, 41 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:52,120 Speaker 1: touch somebody say you're gonna get it back today, You're 42 00:02:52,120 --> 00:02:54,320 Speaker 1: gonna get it back. You're gonna get it back. I'm 43 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:59,280 Speaker 1: just telling you right now. You're gonna get it back today. Hey, 44 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:02,240 Speaker 1: so bring up my props and put my little picture up. 45 00:03:03,320 --> 00:03:05,080 Speaker 1: I want to show you something from last summer. I 46 00:03:05,120 --> 00:03:08,560 Speaker 1: took my kids back to my hometown and took them 47 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:12,400 Speaker 1: on a tour of Monk's Corner, South Carolina. A lot 48 00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:14,320 Speaker 1: of people want to go to the Holy Land and then, 49 00:03:15,639 --> 00:03:17,600 Speaker 1: and some people on their bucket list, they just want 50 00:03:17,639 --> 00:03:21,360 Speaker 1: to see Monk's Corner. So I took my kids to 51 00:03:21,480 --> 00:03:23,400 Speaker 1: all of the sites that I could think of that 52 00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:25,600 Speaker 1: were memorable to me growing up, very proud of my 53 00:03:25,639 --> 00:03:29,320 Speaker 1: small town heritage and very proud of the church I 54 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:31,200 Speaker 1: grew up. And I took them by Monk's Corner United 55 00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:35,840 Speaker 1: Methodist Church. A lady who recognized me saw us pull up. 56 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:41,960 Speaker 1: She said, little Stevie Verdick, her sister taught my Sunday 57 00:03:41,960 --> 00:03:46,080 Speaker 1: school class, and she knew I was pastoring. Now. Proud 58 00:03:46,080 --> 00:03:47,520 Speaker 1: of me and all that said, we could walk in 59 00:03:47,560 --> 00:03:50,000 Speaker 1: and do whatever we wanted. She was there cleaning, and 60 00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:53,960 Speaker 1: we went over to the choir room and showed the 61 00:03:54,040 --> 00:03:56,720 Speaker 1: kids how I used to suit up on Sunday mornings 62 00:03:56,720 --> 00:04:00,960 Speaker 1: when I was about what was it ten mom, and 63 00:04:01,040 --> 00:04:05,360 Speaker 1: I was an acolyte at the Methodist Church, and so 64 00:04:05,440 --> 00:04:07,119 Speaker 1: I kind of walked them through. I wanted to show 65 00:04:07,160 --> 00:04:12,600 Speaker 1: them how I did it back in the day, because 66 00:04:12,600 --> 00:04:15,280 Speaker 1: you know, not just anybody could be an acolyte. Took 67 00:04:15,280 --> 00:04:18,880 Speaker 1: a special talented kid, very spiritually elite children were called 68 00:04:18,920 --> 00:04:22,560 Speaker 1: upon it. They didn't let you light your own wick. 69 00:04:22,640 --> 00:04:23,960 Speaker 1: They had a committee member for that. 70 00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:26,720 Speaker 2: Well. 71 00:04:26,720 --> 00:04:28,880 Speaker 1: I walked them through it, and so that's me at 72 00:04:28,920 --> 00:04:32,719 Speaker 1: the front of the church. They're showing them how I 73 00:04:32,800 --> 00:04:34,039 Speaker 1: used to do it. And you had to do it 74 00:04:34,080 --> 00:04:36,599 Speaker 1: a certain way. You know, you come down during the 75 00:04:36,640 --> 00:04:40,480 Speaker 1: first song and you I don't remember it exactly, it's 76 00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:43,159 Speaker 1: been a while, but there was a certain way you 77 00:04:43,200 --> 00:04:45,279 Speaker 1: did the candles and all of that, and then you 78 00:04:45,400 --> 00:04:51,839 Speaker 1: light it, light the well. It's been a while. Abby 79 00:04:51,920 --> 00:04:53,840 Speaker 1: had a funny line when I was showing her all this. 80 00:04:54,040 --> 00:05:00,600 Speaker 1: She said, Daddy, did you have to practice that? I said, yeah, baby, 81 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:02,760 Speaker 1: took a lot of practice, and do it just right, 82 00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:06,360 Speaker 1: can't mess it up. And plus, Melissa Hydrick was sitting 83 00:05:06,440 --> 00:05:08,359 Speaker 1: up there in the balcony and I had a crush 84 00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:09,720 Speaker 1: on her, and I didn't want to burn down the 85 00:05:09,800 --> 00:05:13,160 Speaker 1: church in front of my childhood crush. Light my robe 86 00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:15,760 Speaker 1: on fire in front of my crush, So you had 87 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:19,800 Speaker 1: to practice that. And then at the end, how you 88 00:05:19,839 --> 00:05:24,400 Speaker 1: put the fire out, that's important there at the end. 89 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:32,200 Speaker 1: And while I'm standing up there with them, it's memories, 90 00:05:32,240 --> 00:05:34,160 Speaker 1: you know, because sometimes you go back and you just 91 00:05:34,880 --> 00:05:37,599 Speaker 1: you remember things. That was where I preached my first 92 00:05:37,640 --> 00:05:40,640 Speaker 1: sermon on youth Sunday. Now, they only give you twelve 93 00:05:40,680 --> 00:05:43,960 Speaker 1: minutes to preach in the Methodist Church, And I know 94 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:45,880 Speaker 1: what some of you are thinking, can we make this 95 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:51,080 Speaker 1: a Methodist church? That sounds awesome? It takes me twelve 96 00:05:51,080 --> 00:05:53,400 Speaker 1: minutes to tell you, hello, how many of you are 97 00:05:53,400 --> 00:05:56,560 Speaker 1: glad I preached long sermons because you know you're jacked up. 98 00:05:57,400 --> 00:05:59,680 Speaker 1: It's gonna take me a whole lot more than twelve 99 00:05:59,680 --> 00:06:05,880 Speaker 1: minutes to straighten you out. Weird though, touch somebody say 100 00:06:05,880 --> 00:06:13,360 Speaker 1: it's gonna take more than twelve You're a mess me too. Anyway, 101 00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:16,000 Speaker 1: I was remembering that first sermon. I was preaching on 102 00:06:16,040 --> 00:06:20,440 Speaker 1: Peter walking on water, and I didn't even need the 103 00:06:20,480 --> 00:06:24,520 Speaker 1: full twelve minutes to be honest with you. Within five minutes, 104 00:06:24,640 --> 00:06:27,159 Speaker 1: I had used all my notes and there was seven 105 00:06:27,200 --> 00:06:30,599 Speaker 1: minutes left and I had nothing more to say because 106 00:06:30,600 --> 00:06:34,640 Speaker 1: I was sixteen. I didn't have content. I was preaching 107 00:06:34,680 --> 00:06:39,760 Speaker 1: on the storms of life, sixteen years old, trying to 108 00:06:39,800 --> 00:06:44,240 Speaker 1: tell seventy three year old Methodist women about the storms 109 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:47,040 Speaker 1: of life. I didn't have a lot of life experience. 110 00:06:47,080 --> 00:06:49,520 Speaker 1: But I tell you what I had. I had passion. 111 00:06:50,680 --> 00:06:54,239 Speaker 1: I had passion. I mean, if I could have walked 112 00:06:54,240 --> 00:06:57,239 Speaker 1: across the pews I would have walked across the pews 113 00:06:57,720 --> 00:07:00,200 Speaker 1: to show them how Peter came out to geez us 114 00:07:00,440 --> 00:07:03,479 Speaker 1: on that boat. And I didn't have much sense, but 115 00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:06,400 Speaker 1: I had passion. In fact, they brought up a group 116 00:07:06,440 --> 00:07:09,520 Speaker 1: of people last night when I was preaching. They had 117 00:07:09,520 --> 00:07:11,640 Speaker 1: people up who have been in the church ten years, 118 00:07:11,920 --> 00:07:14,200 Speaker 1: and it made me remember back to all the things 119 00:07:14,240 --> 00:07:16,920 Speaker 1: that we have now as a church that we did 120 00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:20,560 Speaker 1: not have ten years ago. When we started. We didn't 121 00:07:20,600 --> 00:07:25,680 Speaker 1: have all these lights and cameras for video, and all 122 00:07:25,840 --> 00:07:29,280 Speaker 1: this money to start campuses. God knows, we didn't have 123 00:07:29,320 --> 00:07:33,880 Speaker 1: a building our first capitol campaign, you remember, Greg Weinberger, 124 00:07:33,960 --> 00:07:36,840 Speaker 1: I didn't have a building, a blueprint to show the people. 125 00:07:37,080 --> 00:07:39,520 Speaker 1: We didn't have any of that. But we had passion, 126 00:07:40,080 --> 00:07:43,320 Speaker 1: Oh man, we had passion. We had the kind of 127 00:07:43,400 --> 00:07:46,320 Speaker 1: passion that they were calling us a cult. Until they're 128 00:07:46,360 --> 00:07:49,560 Speaker 1: calling you a cult, you ain't doing nothing. We had passion. 129 00:07:50,080 --> 00:07:53,360 Speaker 1: I had passion preaching in that senior center. I wish 130 00:07:53,400 --> 00:07:55,160 Speaker 1: I could tell them, Josh, remember you wrote me that 131 00:07:55,280 --> 00:07:57,920 Speaker 1: letter the other day about my first green room. It 132 00:07:57,960 --> 00:08:00,560 Speaker 1: wasn't the green room, it was a closet. It was 133 00:08:00,600 --> 00:08:03,040 Speaker 1: a closet. We would move the plants out the closet 134 00:08:03,200 --> 00:08:05,160 Speaker 1: and you would knock on it with one minute less 135 00:08:05,200 --> 00:08:07,160 Speaker 1: so I'd come out and lead the music. We didn't 136 00:08:07,200 --> 00:08:10,440 Speaker 1: even have that many people, but we had passion. How 137 00:08:10,440 --> 00:08:12,920 Speaker 1: many know you can push through a lot when you 138 00:08:12,960 --> 00:08:20,440 Speaker 1: have passion. When you have passion, passion matters. And I 139 00:08:20,520 --> 00:08:23,720 Speaker 1: was standing there with my kids and thinking about when 140 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:26,880 Speaker 1: I started appreciating and having conversations with my young self 141 00:08:26,920 --> 00:08:30,800 Speaker 1: and checking my passion because in Revelation chapter two there 142 00:08:30,880 --> 00:08:33,360 Speaker 1: is a challenge to passion, and I think it's good 143 00:08:33,400 --> 00:08:36,360 Speaker 1: every once in a while to challenge your passion level. 144 00:08:36,600 --> 00:08:39,560 Speaker 1: In contrast to the passion that you had, do you 145 00:08:39,679 --> 00:08:46,880 Speaker 1: still have passion? You remember the first apartment that we 146 00:08:46,920 --> 00:08:51,000 Speaker 1: lived in together, Holly, You remember it well. You remember 147 00:08:51,040 --> 00:08:55,719 Speaker 1: the mouse traps, You remember it well. You remember how 148 00:08:55,760 --> 00:09:00,800 Speaker 1: you cooked all that fried rice and pasta made me 149 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:04,480 Speaker 1: fat within a year and a half of being your husband. 150 00:09:04,520 --> 00:09:06,240 Speaker 1: I think you were trying to make sure I stayed 151 00:09:06,240 --> 00:09:09,360 Speaker 1: with you. She got me so fat that first year 152 00:09:09,840 --> 00:09:12,400 Speaker 1: cooking for me. I found a picture the other day. 153 00:09:12,440 --> 00:09:13,760 Speaker 1: In fact, she brought it to me. I don't know 154 00:09:13,760 --> 00:09:15,560 Speaker 1: if she's trying to keep me motivated to stay in 155 00:09:15,559 --> 00:09:19,280 Speaker 1: the gym, but I was about forty five pounds heavier 156 00:09:19,320 --> 00:09:22,599 Speaker 1: bro not in the biceps this picture. I wish you 157 00:09:22,600 --> 00:09:24,440 Speaker 1: could see this picture. I thought about putting it on 158 00:09:24,480 --> 00:09:26,480 Speaker 1: the screen, but some of y'all are going to lunch 159 00:09:26,520 --> 00:09:28,319 Speaker 1: after this. I don't want to mess up your lunch. 160 00:09:28,880 --> 00:09:31,360 Speaker 1: And I'm standing there got my eyes closed and my 161 00:09:31,480 --> 00:09:34,840 Speaker 1: shirt off and my belly out, looking like an infomercial 162 00:09:34,920 --> 00:09:42,880 Speaker 1: before picture. That little apartment a Juniper Terrorists apartment CEE fifteen. 163 00:09:43,840 --> 00:09:46,680 Speaker 1: It was very small and the insulation in the walls 164 00:09:46,800 --> 00:09:49,400 Speaker 1: was very thin. And the reason I know because Tammy 165 00:09:49,440 --> 00:09:54,200 Speaker 1: from Juniper Terrists Apartment c sixteen came over to us 166 00:09:54,240 --> 00:09:56,880 Speaker 1: after our first night and the apartment knocked on the 167 00:09:56,920 --> 00:09:59,040 Speaker 1: door and said, I'm your neighbor, Tammy, and I just 168 00:09:59,080 --> 00:10:01,679 Speaker 1: want to let you know we can hear everything. It 169 00:10:01,720 --> 00:10:04,160 Speaker 1: was a duplex. I just want you to know we 170 00:10:04,280 --> 00:10:08,960 Speaker 1: can hear everything that happens in fifteen and I mean 171 00:10:09,040 --> 00:10:13,680 Speaker 1: everything because we didn't have a lot of space, but 172 00:10:13,760 --> 00:10:28,840 Speaker 1: we had all the fashion, which brings us to Revelation 173 00:10:29,000 --> 00:10:34,800 Speaker 1: chapter two. This is the connection obvious people. He said, 174 00:10:34,840 --> 00:10:38,200 Speaker 1: you had something when you were small that you lost 175 00:10:38,280 --> 00:10:44,040 Speaker 1: now that you're significant. Ephesis was not an imaginary place. 176 00:10:45,000 --> 00:10:47,640 Speaker 1: So when the Book of Revelation is issuing seven letters 177 00:10:47,640 --> 00:10:50,480 Speaker 1: to seven churches, they're real churches with real people, with 178 00:10:50,559 --> 00:10:53,960 Speaker 1: real histories. And it's been forty three years since Paul 179 00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:59,200 Speaker 1: started this church, traveling inland with a group of compadres 180 00:10:59,360 --> 00:11:03,000 Speaker 1: that are spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. That he 181 00:11:03,679 --> 00:11:07,120 Speaker 1: spends a couple of years with these people in Ephesus. 182 00:11:07,120 --> 00:11:09,440 Speaker 1: And when he started out he just met some people. 183 00:11:09,760 --> 00:11:13,840 Speaker 1: There were twelve guys who were disciples of John the Baptist, 184 00:11:13,880 --> 00:11:16,680 Speaker 1: and Paul asked him do you have the Holy Spirit? 185 00:11:16,720 --> 00:11:18,840 Speaker 1: And they said, we don't even know that there is 186 00:11:18,880 --> 00:11:21,840 Speaker 1: a Holy Spirit. They didn't have a lot of theological knowledge, 187 00:11:21,920 --> 00:11:25,320 Speaker 1: but you know what they had, they had passion. Paul 188 00:11:25,400 --> 00:11:27,160 Speaker 1: laid his hands on him and when he did, they 189 00:11:27,200 --> 00:11:30,440 Speaker 1: started to speak in tongues, and they received the Holy Spirit, 190 00:11:30,840 --> 00:11:33,320 Speaker 1: and they didn't just speak in another language. They started 191 00:11:33,360 --> 00:11:36,600 Speaker 1: speaking about Jesus. They were speaking in the synagogues, and 192 00:11:36,640 --> 00:11:39,760 Speaker 1: their passion was so strong that the crowds started coming out. 193 00:11:40,080 --> 00:11:42,120 Speaker 1: And then they didn't like it, because sometimes when you 194 00:11:42,160 --> 00:11:47,559 Speaker 1: get passionate, apathetic, people get threatened. And the Jewish religious 195 00:11:47,559 --> 00:11:51,720 Speaker 1: system was not a fan of the prevalence of the Gospel, 196 00:11:51,800 --> 00:11:54,240 Speaker 1: so they kicked Paul out of the synagogue. But how 197 00:11:54,280 --> 00:11:57,040 Speaker 1: many know, when you have passion, you'll find another place. 198 00:11:57,600 --> 00:12:00,880 Speaker 1: Nobody can shut you down. When you have a real passion, 199 00:12:01,520 --> 00:12:03,400 Speaker 1: if they kick you out the synagogue, you'll go to 200 00:12:03,440 --> 00:12:06,400 Speaker 1: the lecture hall. And that's exactly what Paul did, and 201 00:12:06,440 --> 00:12:10,480 Speaker 1: he preached powerfully in emphasis. And it wasn't it wasn't 202 00:12:10,559 --> 00:12:16,120 Speaker 1: just an accident that he ended up in emphasis. God 203 00:12:16,160 --> 00:12:19,959 Speaker 1: strategically placed Paul in emphasis because there were three hundred 204 00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:23,200 Speaker 1: thousand people who lived their fourth largest city in the 205 00:12:23,240 --> 00:12:26,000 Speaker 1: world at that time, known as the Seventh Wonder of 206 00:12:26,000 --> 00:12:29,120 Speaker 1: the World, home of the Temple of Artemis, daughter of Zeus, 207 00:12:29,400 --> 00:12:32,320 Speaker 1: I mean emphasis, was a place where where people would 208 00:12:32,320 --> 00:12:34,440 Speaker 1: come to get their shipments. It was a port city. 209 00:12:34,679 --> 00:12:38,120 Speaker 1: It was well situated it was an important place. So 210 00:12:38,240 --> 00:12:43,319 Speaker 1: Paul is passionate, and emphasis is an important place, and 211 00:12:43,360 --> 00:12:45,440 Speaker 1: God says, I've got to get the guy with the 212 00:12:45,520 --> 00:12:49,120 Speaker 1: passion in the right place. When I look back over 213 00:12:49,200 --> 00:12:53,600 Speaker 1: my life, I'm grateful that God has directed my past 214 00:12:53,960 --> 00:12:57,960 Speaker 1: and made sure that my passion had a place to operate. 215 00:12:58,480 --> 00:13:00,960 Speaker 1: I'm grateful that God found me he as a teenager 216 00:13:01,240 --> 00:13:04,080 Speaker 1: and gave me a place to preach because God saw 217 00:13:04,120 --> 00:13:07,360 Speaker 1: I had a passion. Now, as a parent, I'm always 218 00:13:07,400 --> 00:13:09,920 Speaker 1: trying to look and make sure that if my kids 219 00:13:09,960 --> 00:13:13,319 Speaker 1: have a passion, I encourage it. If you're into a 220 00:13:13,400 --> 00:13:17,120 Speaker 1: Rubic's Cube, I'll buy you three. If you like Minecraft, 221 00:13:17,960 --> 00:13:20,440 Speaker 1: I'll tolerate and pretend to listen to you as you 222 00:13:20,480 --> 00:13:22,880 Speaker 1: explain it to me. But I want you to have 223 00:13:22,920 --> 00:13:34,480 Speaker 1: a passion. Passion matters. It matters no matter what position 224 00:13:34,600 --> 00:13:39,120 Speaker 1: you're in. Passion matters. And if you can't do it 225 00:13:39,160 --> 00:13:41,800 Speaker 1: with passion in a small place, why in the world 226 00:13:41,800 --> 00:13:46,720 Speaker 1: would God promote you to a bigger one. Paul didn't 227 00:13:46,720 --> 00:13:50,160 Speaker 1: start an Emphasis, but he ended up there. Started in Damascus, 228 00:13:50,160 --> 00:13:53,640 Speaker 1: spending time in isolation, But the same passion that was 229 00:13:53,679 --> 00:13:57,040 Speaker 1: developing in his isolation did that make you think of 230 00:13:57,120 --> 00:13:59,400 Speaker 1: David when I said that, because that would be a 231 00:13:59,440 --> 00:14:02,800 Speaker 1: great old time estimate illustration of this New Testament personality. 232 00:14:03,960 --> 00:14:09,400 Speaker 1: David is a shepherd killing lions, killing bears, and didn't 233 00:14:09,400 --> 00:14:12,040 Speaker 1: even know he was preparing for Goliath. But it was 234 00:14:12,080 --> 00:14:16,000 Speaker 1: the same passion in the pasture that got him to 235 00:14:16,040 --> 00:14:19,680 Speaker 1: the palace, same passion waiting for a place to happen. 236 00:14:20,920 --> 00:14:22,800 Speaker 1: And that's one of the frustrating things, is that you 237 00:14:22,880 --> 00:14:28,360 Speaker 1: can have the right passion in the wrong place. You 238 00:14:28,400 --> 00:14:32,520 Speaker 1: can have more passion than opportunity to express it. It's frustrating. 239 00:14:34,720 --> 00:14:36,600 Speaker 1: I know some of you who come to church here, 240 00:14:38,480 --> 00:14:41,600 Speaker 1: some of you would express yourself more in church, but 241 00:14:42,960 --> 00:14:45,320 Speaker 1: you don't know if it's appropriate. I have one friend 242 00:14:45,800 --> 00:14:49,200 Speaker 1: who grew up in churches where it was more demonstrative. 243 00:14:49,240 --> 00:14:51,400 Speaker 1: He said, when he first came to elevation, it was 244 00:14:51,480 --> 00:14:53,800 Speaker 1: kind of hard for him. I said, really, He said, yeah, 245 00:14:53,840 --> 00:14:56,320 Speaker 1: because I would want to stand up while you were 246 00:14:56,360 --> 00:14:59,560 Speaker 1: preaching and shout you down. There's a black guy by 247 00:14:59,560 --> 00:15:03,000 Speaker 1: the way. Incidentally, he said, when I was around a 248 00:15:03,000 --> 00:15:04,880 Speaker 1: bunch of white people, and God bless them, and we 249 00:15:04,920 --> 00:15:09,200 Speaker 1: all have different personalities, but I stood up when I 250 00:15:09,280 --> 00:15:11,040 Speaker 1: was stand up. I was the only one I was 251 00:15:11,080 --> 00:15:13,040 Speaker 1: stand up, and I was expecting everybody else to be 252 00:15:13,080 --> 00:15:16,040 Speaker 1: standing to he said, because you were preaching so passionately. 253 00:15:16,200 --> 00:15:18,520 Speaker 1: The word just got in me and I couldn't stay seated. 254 00:15:18,600 --> 00:15:23,440 Speaker 1: And I'm standing up, but I'm the only one all 255 00:15:23,440 --> 00:15:26,960 Speaker 1: these people around me. You know, sometimes you can let 256 00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:33,480 Speaker 1: other people minimize your passions and downplay your passion to 257 00:15:33,600 --> 00:15:38,160 Speaker 1: the level of other people. Don't ever let another person 258 00:15:39,040 --> 00:15:43,240 Speaker 1: become the ceiling on your passion. I'd rather change people 259 00:15:43,400 --> 00:15:47,680 Speaker 1: than lose passion. I'd rather get some new friends that 260 00:15:47,800 --> 00:15:51,000 Speaker 1: want to serve God and want to love God. I'd 261 00:15:51,080 --> 00:15:53,960 Speaker 1: rather move seats and stay in my seat when the 262 00:15:53,960 --> 00:15:56,920 Speaker 1: spirit of God hid me. In fact, if you're sitting 263 00:15:56,920 --> 00:16:00,320 Speaker 1: at a campus and nobody around you looks excited, raise 264 00:16:00,400 --> 00:16:03,160 Speaker 1: your hand and ask the ushers if they'll move your 265 00:16:03,200 --> 00:16:06,560 Speaker 1: seating assignment, because I need some room to praise God, 266 00:16:06,880 --> 00:16:10,320 Speaker 1: because when I think of the goodness of Jesus. Come on, 267 00:16:10,440 --> 00:16:16,560 Speaker 1: anybody got passion and see when you have passion. Sometimes 268 00:16:16,560 --> 00:16:19,280 Speaker 1: when you get around complacent people or people who have 269 00:16:19,360 --> 00:16:22,720 Speaker 1: a different personality, you feel funny. Touch somebody say, keep 270 00:16:22,760 --> 00:16:29,360 Speaker 1: your passion in this place, right place, for sexist in 271 00:16:29,400 --> 00:16:34,080 Speaker 1: the marriage bag. I know you got passion, but passion 272 00:16:34,600 --> 00:16:39,480 Speaker 1: needs a place to operate, like a fire. If you're 273 00:16:39,520 --> 00:16:42,320 Speaker 1: in disagreement with what I just said, let me prove 274 00:16:42,360 --> 00:16:46,040 Speaker 1: it using natural elements. When I started this sermon, I 275 00:16:46,120 --> 00:16:48,760 Speaker 1: lit this wick and none of you had a problem. 276 00:16:48,800 --> 00:16:53,880 Speaker 1: Why because it was in its proper place. But I 277 00:16:53,960 --> 00:16:57,720 Speaker 1: bet if I brought this wick down to the crowd 278 00:17:00,080 --> 00:17:04,199 Speaker 1: and put this fire in your hair, you say I 279 00:17:04,320 --> 00:17:11,920 Speaker 1: got it, preacher, Keep it in its place. Misplaced passion 280 00:17:12,040 --> 00:17:18,199 Speaker 1: is very dangerous. Misplaced passion, you know, it's even more 281 00:17:18,280 --> 00:17:21,479 Speaker 1: dangerous to let somebody with Brooklyn passion get around somebody 282 00:17:21,480 --> 00:17:24,639 Speaker 1: with a South Charlotte attitude. What I'm trying to say is, 283 00:17:24,680 --> 00:17:26,399 Speaker 1: I mean, I love my city. We're a great city. 284 00:17:26,440 --> 00:17:29,119 Speaker 1: I'm not saying we owe anything to those Yankees, but 285 00:17:29,160 --> 00:17:34,520 Speaker 1: I'm saying that sometimes a new person will come into 286 00:17:34,560 --> 00:17:37,600 Speaker 1: the church and they're excited. I mean, they are fired up, 287 00:17:37,640 --> 00:17:40,560 Speaker 1: they got a passion, and let them get around Bobby 288 00:17:40,600 --> 00:17:43,880 Speaker 1: who's been a Christian for twenty three years. And Bobby's 289 00:17:43,920 --> 00:17:46,680 Speaker 1: looking at him saying, you don't do that around here. See, 290 00:17:46,720 --> 00:17:48,720 Speaker 1: because people who are new to the faith, people who 291 00:17:48,760 --> 00:17:50,919 Speaker 1: have that first love. They don't know that you're not 292 00:17:50,960 --> 00:17:53,960 Speaker 1: supposed to read your Bible yet, they don't know that 293 00:17:54,000 --> 00:17:56,040 Speaker 1: we only listen to it on Sundays and we don't 294 00:17:56,040 --> 00:17:58,560 Speaker 1: bother with it during the week. So if you don't 295 00:17:58,600 --> 00:18:02,920 Speaker 1: watch them, they'll bring that passion into your church if 296 00:18:02,920 --> 00:18:12,199 Speaker 1: they don't get around the wrong people. And something's happening 297 00:18:12,240 --> 00:18:15,520 Speaker 1: in emphesis because when they first started, they didn't have 298 00:18:15,600 --> 00:18:19,119 Speaker 1: the knowledge, but they had the passion. They didn't have 299 00:18:19,160 --> 00:18:24,760 Speaker 1: the people, but they had the passion. They didn't have 300 00:18:25,680 --> 00:18:29,280 Speaker 1: they didn't they didn't have the political support of the government, 301 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:32,840 Speaker 1: they didn't have a five oh one C three nonprofit 302 00:18:32,880 --> 00:18:37,800 Speaker 1: tax exempt status, they didn't have a Christian president, but 303 00:18:37,840 --> 00:18:42,680 Speaker 1: they had passions. They had false doctrine coming into the church. 304 00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:45,760 Speaker 1: In fact, Paul told Timothy one time, he said, Hey, 305 00:18:46,400 --> 00:18:48,440 Speaker 1: I want you to look at this in one Timothy 306 00:18:48,480 --> 00:18:51,439 Speaker 1: one three. Because Timothy was a young man and he 307 00:18:51,440 --> 00:18:54,720 Speaker 1: didn't have much experience, and the Bible gives us reason 308 00:18:54,760 --> 00:18:57,520 Speaker 1: to believe that Timothy had a timid personality, Paul had 309 00:18:57,520 --> 00:19:00,199 Speaker 1: to remind him over and over again, Hey, God, and 310 00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:07,040 Speaker 1: give you a spirit of timidity. Timothy, timid, Timmy timid, 311 00:19:07,080 --> 00:19:10,480 Speaker 1: Timmy is pastor in a big city church, and there's 312 00:19:10,480 --> 00:19:14,359 Speaker 1: people teaching false doctrine, and there's people trying to deny 313 00:19:14,440 --> 00:19:17,760 Speaker 1: the gospel of Christ. And Timothy in his twenties with 314 00:19:17,760 --> 00:19:20,959 Speaker 1: a timid personality. By the way, passion is not a 315 00:19:21,000 --> 00:19:28,960 Speaker 1: personality type. Passion isn't how high you jump. Passion is 316 00:19:29,000 --> 00:19:31,320 Speaker 1: how straight you walk when your feet hit the ground. 317 00:19:33,720 --> 00:19:37,280 Speaker 1: Put this down. If you're passionate, you take notes in church. 318 00:19:40,359 --> 00:19:44,520 Speaker 1: The proof of passion is perseverance. I'll prove it to 319 00:19:44,560 --> 00:19:47,320 Speaker 1: you in the scripture. I'll prove it to you from 320 00:19:47,400 --> 00:19:50,120 Speaker 1: verse Timothy one to three. Paul says Timothy. I urged 321 00:19:50,160 --> 00:19:53,200 Speaker 1: you before when I was on my way through Macedonia, 322 00:19:53,359 --> 00:19:56,840 Speaker 1: and I'm telling you again. Remain in ephesis. Now watch this. 323 00:19:57,240 --> 00:19:59,320 Speaker 1: You don't have to tell somebody to stay somewhere they 324 00:19:59,320 --> 00:20:03,080 Speaker 1: want to be. I've never had a massage therapist have 325 00:20:03,119 --> 00:20:06,520 Speaker 1: to tell me to stay on the table. I have 326 00:20:06,720 --> 00:20:08,840 Speaker 1: had a physical trainer have to tell me to do 327 00:20:08,880 --> 00:20:13,280 Speaker 1: another rep to urge me to keep going. You don't 328 00:20:13,359 --> 00:20:15,399 Speaker 1: urge people to do something they naturally want to do. 329 00:20:15,680 --> 00:20:18,680 Speaker 1: So there must have been an instinct in Timothy to Ron. 330 00:20:18,920 --> 00:20:23,640 Speaker 1: You're young, you're inexperienced. There's false doctrine circulating in the church. 331 00:20:23,960 --> 00:20:29,000 Speaker 1: Timothy must not have been feeling it anymore. Timothy's fire 332 00:20:29,119 --> 00:20:31,120 Speaker 1: might have been going out. So Paul said, I want 333 00:20:31,119 --> 00:20:37,520 Speaker 1: you to remain there in Ephesus and do the hard 334 00:20:37,560 --> 00:20:45,479 Speaker 1: stuff and persevere and persevere and stick it out, and 335 00:20:45,560 --> 00:20:47,919 Speaker 1: come home to a family that might not even appreciate 336 00:20:47,960 --> 00:20:51,520 Speaker 1: you right now, and show up at a job that 337 00:20:51,640 --> 00:20:55,959 Speaker 1: might not even recognize your value right now, and preach 338 00:20:56,359 --> 00:21:00,679 Speaker 1: in a place where you're persecuted. And the proof of 339 00:21:00,720 --> 00:21:05,520 Speaker 1: your passion is your perseverance. I don't know if I 340 00:21:05,600 --> 00:21:08,040 Speaker 1: was really passionate when I was preaching when I was sixteen. 341 00:21:08,960 --> 00:21:15,120 Speaker 1: I was just excited. There's a difference. Interest is not passion. 342 00:21:16,760 --> 00:21:21,679 Speaker 1: Come on, Knowledge is not passion. Passion is something different. 343 00:21:23,240 --> 00:21:25,320 Speaker 1: When you watch a movie and they go home after 344 00:21:25,359 --> 00:21:28,240 Speaker 1: a night at the first time they meet at a 345 00:21:28,280 --> 00:21:30,560 Speaker 1: bar and rip each other's clothes off, that's not passion. 346 00:21:31,440 --> 00:21:35,560 Speaker 1: That's attraction. One is from the heart. One is from 347 00:21:35,560 --> 00:21:39,560 Speaker 1: the hormones. Passion isn't I rip your clothes off after 348 00:21:39,600 --> 00:21:43,399 Speaker 1: the first time we met. That's not passion. Passion is 349 00:21:43,440 --> 00:21:46,480 Speaker 1: when I saw my mom taking my dad's clothes off 350 00:21:46,720 --> 00:21:49,359 Speaker 1: while he was dying, to give him a bath because 351 00:21:49,359 --> 00:21:50,719 Speaker 1: he couldn't move his own body. 352 00:21:50,920 --> 00:22:00,000 Speaker 3: Now that's passionate passions? Am I right about passion? 353 00:22:01,359 --> 00:22:05,359 Speaker 1: Passion is proven by perseverance. Passion is proven when you 354 00:22:05,440 --> 00:22:08,920 Speaker 1: kneel down in the garden of gethsemine like Jesus and say, 355 00:22:09,080 --> 00:22:11,760 Speaker 1: I'm under pressure right now. I don't want to do 356 00:22:11,800 --> 00:22:15,520 Speaker 1: it right now. Nevertheless, not my will, but your will 357 00:22:15,560 --> 00:22:19,160 Speaker 1: be done. You haven't even found your passion until you've 358 00:22:19,200 --> 00:22:23,160 Speaker 1: passed your feelings. And I'm concerned about this because we've 359 00:22:23,160 --> 00:22:25,600 Speaker 1: convoluted it. We've talked to people that if you don't 360 00:22:25,640 --> 00:22:27,600 Speaker 1: feel it, you don't have to do it. But if 361 00:22:27,640 --> 00:22:30,480 Speaker 1: you have real passion, you'll do it when you're up, 362 00:22:30,760 --> 00:22:33,159 Speaker 1: do it when you're down. Do it when they pay you, 363 00:22:33,400 --> 00:22:35,879 Speaker 1: do it when they go, do it when they thank you. 364 00:22:35,920 --> 00:22:37,880 Speaker 1: Do it when they look you over, do it when 365 00:22:37,920 --> 00:22:40,119 Speaker 1: they hate you, do it when they love you. I 366 00:22:40,200 --> 00:22:45,480 Speaker 1: got passion. I got passion to preach, I got passion 367 00:22:45,520 --> 00:22:48,440 Speaker 1: to parent. I got passion to pay down my debt. 368 00:22:48,560 --> 00:22:51,400 Speaker 1: And if it doesn't happen all at once, that's all right. 369 00:22:51,640 --> 00:22:57,320 Speaker 1: I got the passion to stick it out. I'm like 370 00:22:57,480 --> 00:23:00,280 Speaker 1: Ruth Naomi. You can't run me off if you want to. 371 00:23:00,640 --> 00:23:03,119 Speaker 1: I'm like the Light Show Eli. You can tell me 372 00:23:03,160 --> 00:23:06,040 Speaker 1: to leave, but I won't because I got a passion. 373 00:23:07,640 --> 00:23:13,439 Speaker 1: Where is your passion? Passion? Say it? 374 00:23:13,600 --> 00:23:17,440 Speaker 3: Passion, say like that with the concentration on the vow passion. 375 00:23:18,680 --> 00:23:26,159 Speaker 1: Passion. You can't say passion sounds ridiculous. Passion. I mean, 376 00:23:26,160 --> 00:23:28,000 Speaker 1: can you imagine if I preached how some of y'all listen, 377 00:23:30,160 --> 00:23:35,280 Speaker 1: that'd be horrible. Well, y'all, you know something, say, today's 378 00:23:35,320 --> 00:23:37,679 Speaker 1: gonna get around to it. There's the Bible area over 379 00:23:37,760 --> 00:23:41,240 Speaker 1: the relationship to the Book of Ephesian gives us a 380 00:23:41,320 --> 00:23:43,920 Speaker 1: picture of the Church of Officis from a doctrinal standpoint. 381 00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:46,040 Speaker 1: But now it's been a couple of decades, and then 382 00:23:46,119 --> 00:23:49,280 Speaker 1: it lisn't the passion lost their first love and love 383 00:23:49,400 --> 00:23:52,679 Speaker 1: first love, love, passions, love, passions. I said, what got 384 00:23:52,760 --> 00:23:59,160 Speaker 1: me about the Church of Efasism is that he commends 385 00:23:59,280 --> 00:24:05,280 Speaker 1: their labor, but they've lost their love. See it isn't 386 00:24:05,320 --> 00:24:08,879 Speaker 1: like they weren't making progress, but in the process of 387 00:24:08,960 --> 00:24:13,760 Speaker 1: making progress, of keeping the false doctrine out, in the 388 00:24:13,880 --> 00:24:17,160 Speaker 1: process of eliminating things from their life and their church, 389 00:24:17,280 --> 00:24:20,200 Speaker 1: that didn't need to be there in the last forty 390 00:24:20,240 --> 00:24:22,080 Speaker 1: three years, because now John is writing from a place 391 00:24:22,119 --> 00:24:24,399 Speaker 1: called the Island of Patmas, sending a messenger to the 392 00:24:24,480 --> 00:24:26,960 Speaker 1: church in emphasis, and he says, I see your progress. 393 00:24:28,160 --> 00:24:31,120 Speaker 1: You got a job, now, you got a wife now. 394 00:24:31,440 --> 00:24:35,280 Speaker 1: But the question is the question is do you still 395 00:24:35,359 --> 00:24:44,720 Speaker 1: have passion. You've got the apparatus, but you've lost your passion. 396 00:24:46,960 --> 00:24:52,280 Speaker 1: All this is kind of pointless. If nothing's burning passion, 397 00:24:54,280 --> 00:25:01,720 Speaker 1: you lost it. You lost your passion. One thing I 398 00:25:01,840 --> 00:25:05,240 Speaker 1: always ask our worship team is that they lead you 399 00:25:05,359 --> 00:25:08,800 Speaker 1: with passion, because I don't know what kind of hell 400 00:25:08,880 --> 00:25:11,119 Speaker 1: you went through this week or what kind of hell 401 00:25:11,160 --> 00:25:12,840 Speaker 1: you're going home to. So let's make it heaven on 402 00:25:12,920 --> 00:25:16,600 Speaker 1: earth in here. And I think they do a really 403 00:25:16,640 --> 00:25:22,800 Speaker 1: good job at every campus. Kelly Summers and Jane Williams 404 00:25:22,880 --> 00:25:28,600 Speaker 1: and John sal Barrient tests. You let me roll that out. 405 00:25:30,560 --> 00:25:37,800 Speaker 1: Barri intest, Barrient test, what barri intest. This is a 406 00:25:37,840 --> 00:25:41,600 Speaker 1: place for passion. This is a place. Hey, hey, hey, 407 00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:43,760 Speaker 1: you want to cry in the church. You can cry. 408 00:25:44,640 --> 00:25:52,040 Speaker 1: Here's a hanky. You want to shout, you can shout. 409 00:25:52,080 --> 00:25:53,800 Speaker 1: You want to run, just don't run towards the stage 410 00:25:53,880 --> 00:25:58,639 Speaker 1: and it makes me trying, distracting me run in place? 411 00:26:01,040 --> 00:26:08,679 Speaker 1: What kind of running motion was that? And sometimes your 412 00:26:08,720 --> 00:26:13,600 Speaker 1: passion is waiting on a place to happen. Sometimes your 413 00:26:13,600 --> 00:26:17,560 Speaker 1: passion is waiting on a place to happen. Graham's teacher 414 00:26:17,600 --> 00:26:19,680 Speaker 1: told us the other day in the parent teacher conference. 415 00:26:20,200 --> 00:26:24,359 Speaker 1: She said, Graham just loves life. She said, but sometimes 416 00:26:24,400 --> 00:26:27,480 Speaker 1: I got to work with him on where it is 417 00:26:27,560 --> 00:26:33,159 Speaker 1: appropriate to express that love for life. I said, example, please, 418 00:26:33,320 --> 00:26:36,919 Speaker 1: She's a great teacher, Kimberly Springs, teaching my third grader. 419 00:26:37,440 --> 00:26:40,480 Speaker 1: She said, though, that sometimes Graham will just jump up 420 00:26:40,520 --> 00:26:43,360 Speaker 1: in the middle of class and dab on a math 421 00:26:43,480 --> 00:26:49,080 Speaker 1: problem and just dance across the room, just jump up, 422 00:26:50,960 --> 00:27:04,400 Speaker 1: and there's a time to dab. But but sometimes sometimes 423 00:27:04,480 --> 00:27:10,080 Speaker 1: that flame becomes an ember. And I felt like the 424 00:27:10,160 --> 00:27:14,720 Speaker 1: Lord wanted somebody today to get your passion back, and 425 00:27:14,840 --> 00:27:17,480 Speaker 1: he tells you how to do it. He doesn't just 426 00:27:17,720 --> 00:27:21,720 Speaker 1: challenge that you've lost your passion. I mean, I don't 427 00:27:21,760 --> 00:27:23,840 Speaker 1: know your reaction to the scripture, but I take it 428 00:27:25,000 --> 00:27:29,040 Speaker 1: as parental guidance that God is warning me if you 429 00:27:29,200 --> 00:27:35,200 Speaker 1: lose your passion, you're going to lose your place. Can 430 00:27:35,240 --> 00:27:38,920 Speaker 1: I break that down? If you don't love that woman 431 00:27:39,040 --> 00:27:41,240 Speaker 1: now that you're married to her the same way and 432 00:27:41,400 --> 00:27:43,639 Speaker 1: in increasing ways that you did when you dated her, 433 00:27:44,040 --> 00:27:49,080 Speaker 1: somebody else might. Now that's not a threat, that's just reality. 434 00:27:50,800 --> 00:27:53,040 Speaker 1: If I don't want to preach with passion, you think 435 00:27:53,119 --> 00:27:58,119 Speaker 1: God can't raise up another preacher who's smarter than me. No, no, no, no, no, 436 00:27:58,280 --> 00:28:00,840 Speaker 1: no no no. I don't. I don't operate out of 437 00:28:00,880 --> 00:28:03,879 Speaker 1: the assumption that I'm entitled to anything that God gave me. 438 00:28:04,880 --> 00:28:08,399 Speaker 1: I got to keep my passion. How can you have 439 00:28:08,600 --> 00:28:12,399 Speaker 1: so much passion before you have the position? How do 440 00:28:12,520 --> 00:28:16,400 Speaker 1: you get it back? He said, you've abandoned it. You didn't. 441 00:28:16,720 --> 00:28:22,320 Speaker 1: You didn't lose your passion. You left it. You didn't 442 00:28:22,400 --> 00:28:27,120 Speaker 1: lose it. You left it. You abandon your first love. 443 00:28:27,760 --> 00:28:32,480 Speaker 1: You stopped doing the things look at it. He said, 444 00:28:32,520 --> 00:28:38,200 Speaker 1: you've abandoned your first love. Remember therefore, from where you 445 00:28:38,320 --> 00:28:41,320 Speaker 1: have fallen. I love God because he doesn't say that 446 00:28:41,440 --> 00:28:44,720 Speaker 1: we should regret where we are. He says we should 447 00:28:44,800 --> 00:28:49,920 Speaker 1: remember where we were and gets your eyes back to 448 00:28:50,040 --> 00:28:53,440 Speaker 1: the hills where your help comes. Come on, I'm preaching 449 00:28:53,600 --> 00:28:57,200 Speaker 1: with passion, but I could use a little participation. I'm 450 00:28:57,280 --> 00:29:03,040 Speaker 1: not staying where I am. I want my passion back 451 00:29:04,360 --> 00:29:07,640 Speaker 1: so much, shout. I want it back. I want it back, 452 00:29:08,320 --> 00:29:10,720 Speaker 1: I want it back. I don't just want to look 453 00:29:10,880 --> 00:29:13,800 Speaker 1: like a Christian. I want a fire in my heart. 454 00:29:17,160 --> 00:29:21,480 Speaker 1: I want to broke through the emotions. Here. What you do, 455 00:29:23,360 --> 00:29:30,080 Speaker 1: Remember from where you were falling. Remember from where you're fallen. Repent. 456 00:29:31,160 --> 00:29:37,640 Speaker 1: Let's look at the scripture together, repent, and let's read 457 00:29:37,640 --> 00:29:41,600 Speaker 1: the next part together and feel the feelings you felt 458 00:29:41,640 --> 00:29:50,280 Speaker 1: at first. Well, isn't that how we treat passion like 459 00:29:50,440 --> 00:29:54,840 Speaker 1: it's a sensation. But yeah, when he challenges their passion, 460 00:29:55,560 --> 00:30:03,440 Speaker 1: he calls them to action the things you did it first. 461 00:30:04,400 --> 00:30:10,480 Speaker 1: It's a decision, not a sensation. Said. Now, let me 462 00:30:10,520 --> 00:30:18,120 Speaker 1: tell you something else. Do it? Do it? Do it? 463 00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:23,480 Speaker 1: Do it? How do I get it back? Okay, I'm 464 00:30:23,520 --> 00:30:31,080 Speaker 1: gonna pray, Lord, I want my passing back. It ain't coming. 465 00:30:32,080 --> 00:30:37,120 Speaker 1: Not like that. You don't pray to get it back, 466 00:30:38,160 --> 00:30:45,880 Speaker 1: you practice. Do the things you did at first. I 467 00:30:45,960 --> 00:30:51,040 Speaker 1: don't feel grateful anymore. Be grateful. I don't feel excited anymore. 468 00:30:51,320 --> 00:30:57,600 Speaker 1: Be excited. I don't feel love anymore? Be loving? Do it? 469 00:30:58,680 --> 00:31:03,000 Speaker 1: Do it? Do it? What's it? What you did it first? 470 00:31:04,080 --> 00:31:04,320 Speaker 2: Do it? 471 00:31:05,240 --> 00:31:10,320 Speaker 1: Practice. Got shay you something you got a second? Is 472 00:31:10,400 --> 00:31:15,440 Speaker 1: this word good? I sure enjoyed preparing it. I think 473 00:31:15,520 --> 00:31:17,440 Speaker 1: I like cooking this better than you could ever like 474 00:31:17,520 --> 00:31:22,200 Speaker 1: eating it. While I was preparing it, watch this late ney, 475 00:31:22,280 --> 00:31:27,360 Speaker 1: the Lord gave me an illustration of it. You guys 476 00:31:27,400 --> 00:31:29,560 Speaker 1: may not know the names of these musicians. I mentioned 477 00:31:29,600 --> 00:31:35,160 Speaker 1: them already on the platform. One of our musicians here, LJ. 478 00:31:35,720 --> 00:31:39,640 Speaker 1: He's a little newer to the team, but he's got passion, 479 00:31:40,320 --> 00:31:43,760 Speaker 1: and he's not some young buck who always wanted to 480 00:31:43,840 --> 00:31:49,560 Speaker 1: be on the stage. He's done some things, he's wasted 481 00:31:49,640 --> 00:31:55,920 Speaker 1: some seasons, and I didn't know about him. I was 482 00:31:56,000 --> 00:32:01,600 Speaker 1: looking for somebody in this particular position, and I wanted 483 00:32:01,680 --> 00:32:04,800 Speaker 1: somebody who would have not just the technical skills or 484 00:32:04,840 --> 00:32:08,760 Speaker 1: proficiency to be back here by someone who would have 485 00:32:08,840 --> 00:32:11,920 Speaker 1: the passion for it. You know how I knew he 486 00:32:12,120 --> 00:32:14,800 Speaker 1: was the guy. He said that when I send in 487 00:32:14,920 --> 00:32:17,960 Speaker 1: my scriptures for them to put on the screen, he 488 00:32:18,120 --> 00:32:20,520 Speaker 1: begs the people that get the email with the scriptures 489 00:32:20,600 --> 00:32:22,360 Speaker 1: if he can see them so he can figure out 490 00:32:22,600 --> 00:32:24,600 Speaker 1: what I'm going to preach on, so he can start 491 00:32:24,640 --> 00:32:26,880 Speaker 1: thinking through what song he might start playing when I 492 00:32:26,960 --> 00:32:36,800 Speaker 1: start closing. See that's passion. That's passion. And I brought 493 00:32:36,880 --> 00:32:39,280 Speaker 1: him up because I love all of our team. Don't 494 00:32:39,280 --> 00:32:41,160 Speaker 1: get me wrong, You're not my favorite or anything like that, 495 00:32:43,280 --> 00:32:50,960 Speaker 1: but just something I heard that when he was he 496 00:32:51,120 --> 00:32:55,280 Speaker 1: was living in Canada, which is known for its passion 497 00:32:59,680 --> 00:33:02,040 Speaker 1: of you, Wayne Finch, Stephen Finch, God bless you guys. 498 00:33:02,400 --> 00:33:07,040 Speaker 1: But he he was, he was going through season. I'm 499 00:33:07,040 --> 00:33:09,080 Speaker 1: not going to tell all of his details. Maybe maybe 500 00:33:09,280 --> 00:33:12,360 Speaker 1: you can ask him one day, but he would sit 501 00:33:12,640 --> 00:33:14,120 Speaker 1: when his wife would go to bed at night. He 502 00:33:14,120 --> 00:33:17,880 Speaker 1: would put on his headphones and he would practice playing 503 00:33:18,720 --> 00:33:23,240 Speaker 1: with preachers online. Now he didn't have a position, but 504 00:33:23,400 --> 00:33:29,720 Speaker 1: he had a what a what a passion and he 505 00:33:29,760 --> 00:33:31,640 Speaker 1: would put his headphones on so as not to disturb 506 00:33:31,720 --> 00:33:35,760 Speaker 1: his wife's sleep, I assume and surely appreciated that, and 507 00:33:35,840 --> 00:33:41,440 Speaker 1: he would play along with the preaching. I heard that 508 00:33:41,880 --> 00:33:43,840 Speaker 1: there was a season where you would play along with 509 00:33:44,000 --> 00:33:48,760 Speaker 1: me online. And I didn't know who he was. Never 510 00:33:48,840 --> 00:33:52,880 Speaker 1: heard of him, never heard never even heard his name. 511 00:33:53,960 --> 00:33:56,720 Speaker 1: They didn't even call David's name when he was out 512 00:33:56,760 --> 00:34:00,240 Speaker 1: in the field. Tend and she come on, I'm about 513 00:34:00,280 --> 00:34:03,360 Speaker 1: the preach right section up, I sure could use your 514 00:34:03,440 --> 00:34:08,200 Speaker 1: passion I sure could use it. I see he didn't 515 00:34:08,239 --> 00:34:13,160 Speaker 1: have a position. But when you have a passion, you practice. 516 00:34:13,880 --> 00:34:16,400 Speaker 1: You don't wait for a position. You don't do it 517 00:34:16,440 --> 00:34:20,200 Speaker 1: because somebody's watching. You don't do it because it's a performance. 518 00:34:20,640 --> 00:34:24,239 Speaker 1: You do it because it's a passion. And he didn't 519 00:34:24,320 --> 00:34:27,080 Speaker 1: know he was just killing lions. He didn't know he 520 00:34:27,280 --> 00:34:30,960 Speaker 1: was just killing bears. But when Goliath came stepping forward 521 00:34:31,320 --> 00:34:34,719 Speaker 1: to the battle line, he had been practicing. And now 522 00:34:34,840 --> 00:34:38,160 Speaker 1: he's back there and I'm up here because he had 523 00:34:38,239 --> 00:34:42,160 Speaker 1: a passion. Passion will bring you from the pastor to 524 00:34:42,360 --> 00:34:46,800 Speaker 1: the palace. Pastor will bring you from the lowest to 525 00:34:46,960 --> 00:34:54,000 Speaker 1: the highest. Repent again the passion back. Come on, take 526 00:34:54,080 --> 00:35:02,200 Speaker 1: fifteen seconds and praise him. Passionate passion, Come on, Rockdll 527 00:35:03,280 --> 00:35:07,279 Speaker 1: blame on, Let Norman blame on. You'll see. Get your 528 00:35:07,480 --> 00:35:11,400 Speaker 1: passion back. God's not dead, He's not God. Let you 529 00:35:11,960 --> 00:35:20,439 Speaker 1: get your passion passion place. David said, oh yeah, I've 530 00:35:20,480 --> 00:35:29,400 Speaker 1: been practicing for this. I've been waiting for an opportunity. 531 00:35:30,880 --> 00:35:35,600 Speaker 1: I've been waiting for a giant said, I can print 532 00:35:35,680 --> 00:35:41,799 Speaker 1: anyway I want to pay and practicing. 533 00:35:42,400 --> 00:35:46,000 Speaker 3: You gotta practice your passion practice. 534 00:35:46,960 --> 00:35:52,239 Speaker 1: I was riding home with Elijah just on Friday, and 535 00:35:52,360 --> 00:35:55,200 Speaker 1: we were filling up the little gas cans with gas 536 00:35:56,000 --> 00:36:00,000 Speaker 1: to put gas in the four wheeler. Very spiritual activity. 537 00:36:02,120 --> 00:36:05,120 Speaker 1: And we filled them up and put them in Holly suburban. 538 00:36:06,120 --> 00:36:09,279 Speaker 4: And I said, Elijah, we gotta put them just right 539 00:36:09,960 --> 00:36:13,200 Speaker 4: because if the gas slushes around the back of the car, 540 00:36:14,000 --> 00:36:17,040 Speaker 4: your mom isn't going to be happy about our outing. 541 00:36:18,360 --> 00:36:20,040 Speaker 1: And he said, Dad, I'm worried. 542 00:36:20,120 --> 00:36:23,279 Speaker 4: Because all the way here they were sliding around in 543 00:36:23,360 --> 00:36:23,719 Speaker 4: the back. 544 00:36:26,000 --> 00:36:29,239 Speaker 1: But I said, don't worry, boy. They might have been 545 00:36:29,360 --> 00:36:36,960 Speaker 1: sliding on the way, but they were empty. Now that 546 00:36:37,080 --> 00:36:43,200 Speaker 1: they're full, they're not going anywhere. I started preaching to 547 00:36:43,320 --> 00:36:49,719 Speaker 1: a lives while I'm driving. I'm practicing. Preaching is not 548 00:36:50,080 --> 00:36:54,800 Speaker 1: just my profession, it's my passion. If you got passion, 549 00:36:55,360 --> 00:36:58,400 Speaker 1: you are breaking the car. You are a breach in 550 00:36:58,520 --> 00:37:04,160 Speaker 1: the kitchen, a worship gone Monday Tuesday. It's my passion, 551 00:37:05,920 --> 00:37:09,760 Speaker 1: my passion, a practice, my passion, a practice, my passion. 552 00:37:10,120 --> 00:37:15,680 Speaker 1: Practice practice practice, practice, practice practice. Five to seven people 553 00:37:15,760 --> 00:37:21,160 Speaker 1: tell them practice practice, practice, practice, practice practice. You never know, 554 00:37:21,760 --> 00:37:24,000 Speaker 1: you never know what God might want to do through you. 555 00:37:24,440 --> 00:37:28,640 Speaker 1: You got to practice. You gotta practice well. I would pray, 556 00:37:29,040 --> 00:37:31,560 Speaker 1: but I just don't feel anything when I pray. You 557 00:37:31,719 --> 00:37:35,440 Speaker 1: hadn't practiced enough. If you would pray two minutes, you 558 00:37:35,480 --> 00:37:38,760 Speaker 1: would see the peace that two minutes brings, and tomorrow 559 00:37:38,920 --> 00:37:42,480 Speaker 1: you want to pray five. If you practice, if you'd 560 00:37:42,520 --> 00:37:45,400 Speaker 1: open your Bible and read a verse, you'd want to 561 00:37:45,440 --> 00:37:48,840 Speaker 1: read two. You might read four, you might read a 562 00:37:49,600 --> 00:37:52,359 Speaker 1: You might finish the Book of Relations before the week 563 00:37:52,560 --> 00:37:59,160 Speaker 1: is over. If you would practice practice, I'm practicing. So 564 00:37:59,320 --> 00:38:01,040 Speaker 1: if you ever seen me in the grocery store and 565 00:38:01,080 --> 00:38:09,080 Speaker 1: I'm mumbling, I'm not crazy. I'm practicing. I'm practicing. I'm practicing. 566 00:38:09,800 --> 00:38:12,800 Speaker 1: I'm practicing. What are you doing throwing that stick on 567 00:38:12,880 --> 00:38:15,640 Speaker 1: the ground, Moses, I'm practicing because I got to use 568 00:38:15,719 --> 00:38:19,440 Speaker 1: this stick to park the waters. But until I practice, 569 00:38:20,120 --> 00:38:26,760 Speaker 1: I can't perform it. And you've lost your passion because 570 00:38:26,840 --> 00:38:39,160 Speaker 1: you stopped practicing. Even the best lose their passion without practice, 571 00:38:39,680 --> 00:38:47,640 Speaker 1: even the best, even David, even David, the kid who 572 00:38:47,760 --> 00:38:50,640 Speaker 1: ran to the battle line and said, I don't need 573 00:38:50,680 --> 00:38:54,160 Speaker 1: a position. I got passion. I don't need the endorsement 574 00:38:54,200 --> 00:38:56,800 Speaker 1: of Saul. I've got passion. I don't even need my 575 00:38:56,880 --> 00:39:01,359 Speaker 1: brothers to like me. I got passion. That kid who 576 00:39:01,440 --> 00:39:07,680 Speaker 1: ran to the battle, a kid who practiced, found himself 577 00:39:07,800 --> 00:39:13,680 Speaker 1: decades later. He was in the palace, but he had 578 00:39:13,719 --> 00:39:19,760 Speaker 1: lost his fashion. He sat down and wrote a psalm, 579 00:39:21,400 --> 00:39:25,120 Speaker 1: and he cried out to God and asked the Lord 580 00:39:25,200 --> 00:39:30,279 Speaker 1: to recreate and restore his passion, create a clean heart 581 00:39:30,320 --> 00:39:33,440 Speaker 1: in me, O God, I had a pure passion when 582 00:39:33,440 --> 00:39:37,279 Speaker 1: I started. And I've allowed some things to come into 583 00:39:37,320 --> 00:39:39,400 Speaker 1: my life. And I've allowed some people, and I've allowed 584 00:39:40,680 --> 00:39:44,160 Speaker 1: some memories, and I've allowed some decisions and some distractions 585 00:39:44,200 --> 00:39:46,040 Speaker 1: and even some good things. I've been trying to keep 586 00:39:46,080 --> 00:39:51,200 Speaker 1: the false stuff out. I've left my first love, and 587 00:39:52,840 --> 00:39:58,000 Speaker 1: I want my passion back. He was home one day, 588 00:39:59,160 --> 00:40:04,920 Speaker 1: walking around on a roof, that same kid who was 589 00:40:06,360 --> 00:40:12,040 Speaker 1: willing to run to the battle lines. You've seen a 590 00:40:12,080 --> 00:40:15,520 Speaker 1: lot of years now, maybe not forty three, like the 591 00:40:15,600 --> 00:40:18,520 Speaker 1: church at Ephesus, but it's been quite a few years 592 00:40:19,320 --> 00:40:23,840 Speaker 1: since that time, and he's not running towards the battle anymore. 593 00:40:23,840 --> 00:40:28,400 Speaker 1: He's avoiding it. And the Bible says that in the springtime, 594 00:40:28,440 --> 00:40:31,759 Speaker 1: when the kings go off to war, David stayed home. 595 00:40:34,560 --> 00:40:42,440 Speaker 1: The king in the palace had lost that passion of 596 00:40:42,520 --> 00:40:45,960 Speaker 1: the kid and the pastor, and he got out of place, 597 00:40:48,480 --> 00:40:50,600 Speaker 1: and so he saw a beautiful woman bathing on the roof, 598 00:40:50,680 --> 00:40:53,319 Speaker 1: and he called for her, and she had no choice 599 00:40:53,360 --> 00:40:55,000 Speaker 1: but to come, and when he slept with her, they 600 00:40:55,040 --> 00:41:00,120 Speaker 1: conceived a child that resulted in a national scandal. Her 601 00:41:00,200 --> 00:41:05,120 Speaker 1: husband was murdered at the behest of David's henchman, and 602 00:41:05,239 --> 00:41:07,680 Speaker 1: David received word that the child born to his wife 603 00:41:07,719 --> 00:41:12,480 Speaker 1: would die, and he cried out from that place. I 604 00:41:12,600 --> 00:41:19,319 Speaker 1: want my passion back. I've lost my baby. I've compromised 605 00:41:19,360 --> 00:41:23,879 Speaker 1: my integrity. But if it took me losing some things 606 00:41:23,960 --> 00:41:29,719 Speaker 1: to realize that I had lost my passion. God, all 607 00:41:29,760 --> 00:41:34,000 Speaker 1: I can do now. I can't get back the baby, 608 00:41:36,360 --> 00:41:40,839 Speaker 1: but I can get back my passion. I can't get 609 00:41:40,880 --> 00:41:47,280 Speaker 1: back last week, last month, last year. Would you redeem 610 00:41:47,320 --> 00:41:50,040 Speaker 1: the time I've wasted? God, I want my passion back. 611 00:41:51,200 --> 00:41:55,319 Speaker 1: I want my passion back. I just know somebody's heart 612 00:41:55,400 --> 00:41:58,799 Speaker 1: is crying out, maybe even watching online. You couldn't even 613 00:41:58,800 --> 00:42:02,480 Speaker 1: get to church, didn't even even come today, and your 614 00:42:02,520 --> 00:42:04,880 Speaker 1: heart is crying out as I preach. Stand to your feet. 615 00:42:05,080 --> 00:42:07,880 Speaker 1: It's a holy moment in the sanctuary. Stand to your feet. 616 00:42:08,440 --> 00:42:12,120 Speaker 1: I want my passion back. I want my passion back. 617 00:42:13,360 --> 00:42:15,520 Speaker 1: I want my passion back. And I'd be asking me 618 00:42:15,560 --> 00:42:20,920 Speaker 1: a question. She said, Daddy, Daddy, did you have to 619 00:42:21,000 --> 00:42:26,239 Speaker 1: practice that? And I just I was standing there thinking 620 00:42:26,280 --> 00:42:31,440 Speaker 1: about my kids. Maybe one day they'll take their kids 621 00:42:31,560 --> 00:42:34,879 Speaker 1: to the church they grew up in, and I wonder 622 00:42:34,960 --> 00:42:39,000 Speaker 1: what they'll be telling them about our church. Will they 623 00:42:39,040 --> 00:42:42,560 Speaker 1: be telling them what God used to do? Will they 624 00:42:42,600 --> 00:42:46,080 Speaker 1: be telling them about the people who used to give sacrificially, 625 00:42:46,920 --> 00:42:50,400 Speaker 1: who didn't have a building but had passion. Will this 626 00:42:50,560 --> 00:42:54,400 Speaker 1: be the place where they had revival one time? Or 627 00:42:54,400 --> 00:42:56,759 Speaker 1: will it be a place where the revival fire never 628 00:42:56,960 --> 00:43:07,160 Speaker 1: die because of the people with a passion. And I 629 00:43:07,239 --> 00:43:11,839 Speaker 1: want to pray for you, because when David got done 630 00:43:12,960 --> 00:43:16,520 Speaker 1: lamenting what he had lost, and he prayed out, God, 631 00:43:16,600 --> 00:43:20,280 Speaker 1: don't take your spirit from me. I can lose anything, 632 00:43:21,680 --> 00:43:25,239 Speaker 1: but I don't want to lose my place. To the 633 00:43:25,280 --> 00:43:30,520 Speaker 1: Angel of the Church at Ephesus, to the husband afore 634 00:43:30,560 --> 00:43:38,160 Speaker 1: at Valentine, to the teenage girl in rock Hill, write 635 00:43:38,200 --> 00:43:46,000 Speaker 1: these words, if you will find your purpose, you will 636 00:43:46,080 --> 00:43:56,160 Speaker 1: recover your passion. I think the worst advice that we 637 00:43:56,239 --> 00:43:59,560 Speaker 1: could give a young person is to follow your passion. 638 00:44:01,840 --> 00:44:09,239 Speaker 1: That might sound exciting, but it's self destructive. You don't 639 00:44:09,280 --> 00:44:13,080 Speaker 1: follow your passion. If you follow your passion, you're gonna 640 00:44:13,080 --> 00:44:16,560 Speaker 1: get your passion confused with your feelings, and the first 641 00:44:16,640 --> 00:44:19,799 Speaker 1: time the wind blows real good, your flame will go out. 642 00:44:19,840 --> 00:44:22,719 Speaker 1: Don't follow your passion because sometimes you can't tell your 643 00:44:22,760 --> 00:44:28,359 Speaker 1: passion apart from your preference. Sometimes you can't tell your 644 00:44:28,400 --> 00:44:32,440 Speaker 1: faith apart from your feelings. So you don't stay in ephesis. 645 00:44:32,560 --> 00:44:37,440 Speaker 1: You don't stay in the hard places. Don't follow your passion. 646 00:44:38,920 --> 00:44:45,080 Speaker 1: Follow your purpose. Remember the reason God saved you. Get 647 00:44:45,160 --> 00:44:49,880 Speaker 1: your lamp stand back. Every candle needs a stand. The 648 00:44:50,040 --> 00:44:53,480 Speaker 1: passion is the flame, and the purpose is the stand. 649 00:44:53,920 --> 00:45:03,680 Speaker 1: Puts your passion on your purpose. My passion follows my purpose. 650 00:45:04,480 --> 00:45:08,120 Speaker 1: My passion follows my purpose. So when I feel it, 651 00:45:08,520 --> 00:45:15,200 Speaker 1: when I don't, same purpose, same purpose. And you've been 652 00:45:15,280 --> 00:45:21,160 Speaker 1: here and there and everywhere, losing time, losing joy, losing 653 00:45:21,239 --> 00:45:27,000 Speaker 1: passion following your passion. That's ridiculous. Follow your passion. How 654 00:45:27,120 --> 00:45:30,439 Speaker 1: ridiculous is that? Follow your passion? You know you would 655 00:45:30,480 --> 00:45:35,719 Speaker 1: have married that crazy girl. Follow your passion. No, no, no, 656 00:45:38,160 --> 00:45:42,040 Speaker 1: Find your passion and teach your passion to follow your purpose. 657 00:45:43,200 --> 00:45:47,439 Speaker 1: Tell your passion where to show up in the place 658 00:45:47,520 --> 00:45:51,759 Speaker 1: of your purpose. I mean, imagine church. Imagine if the 659 00:45:51,840 --> 00:45:57,040 Speaker 1: people running the cameras at this church got it flipped. 660 00:45:57,160 --> 00:46:01,840 Speaker 1: Imagine if the people running the cameras while I'm imagine, 661 00:46:01,880 --> 00:46:04,279 Speaker 1: if they all of a sudden thought that it was 662 00:46:04,400 --> 00:46:08,800 Speaker 1: my job to follow the camera. How ridiculous would that be? 663 00:46:09,920 --> 00:46:13,360 Speaker 1: How ridiculous would it be if they? In fact, I'm 664 00:46:13,400 --> 00:46:16,440 Speaker 1: gonna illustrate it. I'm gonna show you how ridiculous it 665 00:46:16,600 --> 00:46:20,200 Speaker 1: is when you follow your passion. Show them real quick 666 00:46:20,239 --> 00:46:26,279 Speaker 1: on the camera. So I gotta preach now. And while 667 00:46:26,320 --> 00:46:35,240 Speaker 1: I'm preaching the camera so now I gotta follow the camera. 668 00:46:36,080 --> 00:46:38,959 Speaker 1: How ridiculous is it when you run around in life 669 00:46:39,320 --> 00:46:43,239 Speaker 1: letting your feelings tell you what job to take and 670 00:46:43,360 --> 00:46:47,680 Speaker 1: what job to quit, and what relationship to be in. No, no, no, 671 00:46:48,200 --> 00:46:51,759 Speaker 1: I don't follow the camera. The camera follows me. You 672 00:46:51,920 --> 00:46:56,000 Speaker 1: gotta stay with me. I don't follow passion. My passion 673 00:46:56,560 --> 00:46:59,480 Speaker 1: follows my purpose. Does that that? 674 00:46:59,600 --> 00:46:59,840 Speaker 2: I am? 675 00:47:00,120 --> 00:47:06,200 Speaker 1: No Christ? Looking like that? Jesus be out there, come better. 676 00:47:06,400 --> 00:47:12,040 Speaker 1: Shirt to my back by the joy said before endured 677 00:47:12,160 --> 00:47:17,600 Speaker 1: the cross, despising as shame. I want my passion back, 678 00:47:19,040 --> 00:47:21,600 Speaker 1: and my passion is waiting in the place of my purpose. 679 00:47:21,640 --> 00:47:24,239 Speaker 1: I want to pray for you if this message hit 680 00:47:24,280 --> 00:47:27,279 Speaker 1: your heart today, if it was for you, I want 681 00:47:27,320 --> 00:47:29,720 Speaker 1: you to know that after David laid down and prayed 682 00:47:29,760 --> 00:47:33,960 Speaker 1: and asked God to give him the baby back, the 683 00:47:34,040 --> 00:47:37,319 Speaker 1: Bible says that he made a decision to get up, 684 00:47:39,000 --> 00:47:43,440 Speaker 1: to get up, to repent, to get up. After he 685 00:47:43,520 --> 00:47:47,920 Speaker 1: had been there long enough. He got up, and he 686 00:47:48,000 --> 00:47:52,040 Speaker 1: went in, and he had another baby. He got his 687 00:47:52,160 --> 00:47:58,000 Speaker 1: passion back. Could this be the day there you get 688 00:47:58,040 --> 00:48:06,000 Speaker 1: your passion back, not just goosebumps, not just a comfortable feeling, 689 00:48:07,040 --> 00:48:11,719 Speaker 1: but an inner determination and resolve that says, I will, 690 00:48:13,040 --> 00:48:19,839 Speaker 1: I will, I will. I don't feel it, but I will. 691 00:48:20,320 --> 00:48:25,160 Speaker 1: I don't even want to sometimes, but I will because 692 00:48:25,239 --> 00:48:33,520 Speaker 1: my passion serves a firmness. Bow your head. Created me 693 00:48:33,560 --> 00:48:35,560 Speaker 1: a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit 694 00:48:35,640 --> 00:48:39,160 Speaker 1: within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and 695 00:48:39,280 --> 00:48:41,480 Speaker 1: do not take your holy spirit from me. Restore unto 696 00:48:41,520 --> 00:48:45,600 Speaker 1: me the joy of your salvation, and renew a right spirit, 697 00:48:45,760 --> 00:48:49,319 Speaker 1: and grant me a willing spirit. Somebody say I will, 698 00:48:50,120 --> 00:48:54,160 Speaker 1: I will, say I will, I will, I will, I 699 00:48:54,280 --> 00:48:58,960 Speaker 1: will even when I don't feel I will, because I 700 00:48:59,000 --> 00:49:04,440 Speaker 1: have a passion, I will, I will. I'm not waiting 701 00:49:04,480 --> 00:49:11,879 Speaker 1: on the position. I have a passion. Father, we thank 702 00:49:11,960 --> 00:49:17,680 Speaker 1: you today for returning us to our first love. We 703 00:49:17,719 --> 00:49:19,640 Speaker 1: don't want to labor without love, and we don't want 704 00:49:19,680 --> 00:49:24,160 Speaker 1: to serve you without passion. We don't want to lose 705 00:49:24,200 --> 00:49:28,680 Speaker 1: our place. We don't want to miss our chance. So 706 00:49:28,880 --> 00:49:32,719 Speaker 1: while the while the lamps stand is still in place, 707 00:49:32,840 --> 00:49:35,759 Speaker 1: while we still have breath in our bodies, while we 708 00:49:35,920 --> 00:49:39,560 Speaker 1: still have an opportunity, we call out to you God, 709 00:49:41,160 --> 00:49:43,600 Speaker 1: and we don't ask you to restore our passion, because 710 00:49:43,640 --> 00:49:48,239 Speaker 1: the fact is you didn't take it away. It's still 711 00:49:48,320 --> 00:49:52,000 Speaker 1: in us. It was just waiting for this word, for 712 00:49:52,160 --> 00:49:56,480 Speaker 1: this moment to be awakened. So God, we call our 713 00:49:56,560 --> 00:50:00,320 Speaker 1: passion to the surface. Like Elisha called the eye of 714 00:50:00,400 --> 00:50:02,879 Speaker 1: the accent to float to the top of the water, 715 00:50:03,200 --> 00:50:07,120 Speaker 1: We're calling our passion forth today. We're calling our victory 716 00:50:07,239 --> 00:50:12,160 Speaker 1: forth today. Like David got up, We're getting up. We 717 00:50:12,280 --> 00:50:16,839 Speaker 1: want our passion back. We command our passion to serve 718 00:50:16,920 --> 00:50:21,200 Speaker 1: your purpose in our lives. We will by your spirit, 719 00:50:21,520 --> 00:50:25,440 Speaker 1: we will buy your power. We will. We're getting up today. 720 00:50:25,600 --> 00:50:29,360 Speaker 1: We're getting up today, not staying down, not staying lost, 721 00:50:29,800 --> 00:50:33,239 Speaker 1: not staying lonely. We're getting up. I'm getting up. I'm 722 00:50:33,280 --> 00:50:34,680 Speaker 1: getting up. I'm getting up. 723 00:50:34,920 --> 00:50:39,080 Speaker 4: I'm getting up right now, right here, right now, right here, 724 00:50:39,600 --> 00:50:40,040 Speaker 4: right now. 725 00:50:40,440 --> 00:50:42,200 Speaker 1: How about my passion about it? 726 00:50:43,520 --> 00:50:46,040 Speaker 2: Hey, I hope you enjoyed the podcast, and if you did, 727 00:50:46,640 --> 00:50:49,200 Speaker 2: make sure to share it and subscribe so we can 728 00:50:49,280 --> 00:50:51,840 Speaker 2: get you all of these new messages as soon as 729 00:50:51,880 --> 00:50:54,600 Speaker 2: they're available. I also want to take a moment and 730 00:50:54,760 --> 00:50:56,520 Speaker 2: thank all of you who are a part of Elevation. 731 00:50:57,080 --> 00:51:00,200 Speaker 2: Whether you support us financially, or serve with us US, 732 00:51:00,320 --> 00:51:03,279 Speaker 2: or just share these messages, it's because of you that 733 00:51:03,360 --> 00:51:06,239 Speaker 2: we're able to reach people all around the world. And 734 00:51:06,320 --> 00:51:08,759 Speaker 2: if you want more information on how to be a 735 00:51:08,800 --> 00:51:12,640 Speaker 2: part of Elevation, click the link in the description. Thanks 736 00:51:12,680 --> 00:51:15,279 Speaker 2: again for listening. Make sure to leave a review, share 737 00:51:15,360 --> 00:51:16,759 Speaker 2: the message, and subscribe. 738 00:51:17,080 --> 00:51:17,680 Speaker 1: God bless you.