Sermon: Re-ignite Your Passion for Christ!
"Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." " (John 20:21)
Dearly Beloved,
Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
To be passionate for Christ is the only way to be Christian; and the only way to be passionate for Christ is to be filled daily with the Power of the Holy Spirit.
The fact is this - the greater your awareness of the fragility of human life and precariousness of all human construct of society, the greater your impulse would be to entrust your life to Christ, and the more passionate you would seek for the infilling of the Holy Spirit; empowering you to live solely for Jesus Christ!
Without the Presence and Power of the Holy Spirit, no person would remain passionate, yet alone, profess fundamental faith in Jesus Christ.
To be Christian is to be filled with the Holy Spirit; to be passionately ‘on fire’ for Jesus – manifested with the singular life purpose to live to the glory of God and as a witness for Jesus Christ.
To re-ignite your passion for Christ is to re-ignite your passion to evangelise the world around you to the reality of the Gospel.
It is that simple. Do not overthink this.
How passionate you are about the Gospel reveals how passionate you are about Christ's Salvation of your life.
But are you willing?
Preparation comes after the will.
When the will is set; the task is accomplished.
Set your will to be filled daily with the Power of the Holy Spirit; and fulfill your deepest desire to be used by God to accomplish His Gospel work set before you.
Nothing is more fulfilling than to be in service to your King, Saviour, and God.
2020 was tough, but 2021 will prove to be tougher.
And as always, through the unrelenting and raging storms of life, Christ is our only Way, Hope and Peace.
It is not ours to merely survive; but thrive; and through Christ and in His Spirit’s Power, we will.
But for that to happen, Christ alone must be our only passion!
Forging ahead into 2021, we must pray for the Holy Spirit to daily ignite our passion for our Lord Jesus.
Christ must be the sole object of your attention, enterprises, worship and love; and He must be your reason to live.
Your mind must be set on the things that are on the Mind of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Apostle Paul counsels us:
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. (Colossians 3:1-2)
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. (Romans 8:5)
Set your mind on His Mind.
You must seek first His Kingdom and Righteousness. (Ref: Matthew 6:33)
As you “walk in love”, your relationship with Him must be foremost of all your relationships (Ref: Ephesians 5:2); and His Commission (Ref: Matthew 28:18-20) - the foundation of all your relationships.
Christ must be your Way, Truth and Life (Ref; John 14:6); and only with His Love, Grace and Strength must you have a grip on life and a posture to live (Ref: Galatians 2:20).
You must daily strive to be passionate for Christ – and daily strive to be passionate for His Presence, Purposes and Power to be revealed in, and through, you.
You must expect miraculous signs and wonders to be so much a part of our lives because the God we serve is a God of Miracles! (Ref: Mark 16:17-18). His miracles are still happening every moment and every day; and we must be filled with the Power of the Holy Spirit so that we may be part of His glory and present Kingdom.
Do not expect anything less.
Do not shortchange yourself.
Do not fill your lives with anything less permanent.
Do not rob yourself of God’s gift of eternal life.
Do not be obsessed with anything other than Christ!
Let 2021 be the year that your passion for Christ sets you on the pathway to truly follow Him, and be increasingly transformed into His likeness daily!
To be passionate for Christ is to be passionate about His Mandate for us.
For upon His resurrection, His first words to the disciples were: “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” (John 20:21)
In 2021, passionately live in the reality of John 20:21!
If Christ be the true object of our passion, it follows that we must:
Be passionate about God’s Peace;
Be passionate about living in His Peace; and
Be passionate about sharing His Peace!
There is Power in Christ’s Peace.
The devil is defeated the moment we resolve to passionately live in His peace.
“The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.” (Romans 16:20)
We become resolute in our faith in Christ the moment we resolve to passionately live in His peace.
“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7)
In our personal experiences of the divine efficacy of Christ’s Peace; it remains that we must live radically for the purpose of sharing this heavenly Peace to all around us – lest and unless, we fall short of receiving this Peace fully ourselves.
Through our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ – we have “Peace with GOD”. (Ref: Romans 5:1, Colossians 1:20)
How dare we keep this Peace to ourselves?
Our hearts may remain untroubled and unafraid because of the Peace that Christ has given to us. (Ref: John 14:27)
How dare we keep this Peace to ourselves?
We have been bestowed heavenly strength and eternal rest to overcome this dark and troubled world because of the Peace that Christ has wrought. (Ref: Psalm 29:11, John 16:33)
How dare we keep this Peace to ourselves?
We have been armed with Peace that defeats the devil.
How dare we keep this Peace to ourselves?
We have been sent into the world to share Christ’s message of Peace and Reconciliation with God. (Ref: John 20:21)
How dare we keep this Peace to ourselves?
To withhold the sharing of Christ’s Peace to the world is to forfeit your right to His Peace.
Be very careful to never keep this divine Peace to ourselves.
We are sent by Christ; just as the Heavenly Father sent Him – to participate in the ongoing work of evangelizing the world.
How do we begin?
By simply being obedient to His divine Command and Commission to us to “make disciples of all nations… …” (Matthew 28:18-20), and to “receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you” to be Christ’s witness “in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
Manifest your passion for Christ through actively seeking out opportunities to evangelize and share His Peace.
Leave no stone unturned; and leave no one behind; for the Lord has placed every person in your life for the purpose of hearing the Good News through your participation in prayer, word or deed.
Every Christian is bound to the Love and Commission of Christ to share the Gospel – to evangelize.
It is not a question of sacrifice, but a question of obedience.
Always remember: Obedience is better than sacrifice. (Ref: 1 Samuel 15:22)
You have sacrificed nothing, until you are obedient to the Lord.
Every Christian must be – by default – an evangelist; one who proclaims the Gospel through word and deed.
Decide today to let 2021 be the year you reignite your love and passion for Christ and start to actively evangelize!
Know that “the harvest is plentiful” (Luke 10:2).
Actively partner with the Holy Spirit in asking “the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” (Luke 10:2).
Actively pray to receive the Power of the Holy Spirit to witness for Jesus! (Ref: Acts 1:8)
Actively participate with the Holy Spirit to pray for, and pray with the people around you; pray for your family, friends and colleagues, and as the Lord divinely appoints, offer to pray with them.
Always seek the Lord to move from praying for them, to praying with them.
For when you pray, you enter God’s Holy Presence – and when you pray with someone, know that you are sharing that divine moment with them; and that you are indeed, giving them a glimpse into the Heart and Kingdom of God.
Do not fear that the relationship will be jeopardized or strained. And even if it does, believe that God is at work.
Remember that our relationship with Christ must be first and foremost – the very foundation and framework in which we have all our other relationships.
Even if He was our only friend left, we are perfectly fine! We are in a good place!
Understand that the point of evangelism is to bring people into the presence of Jesus through prayer, deed, and word by the Power of the Holy Spirit – all of which, constitutes Spirit-Empowered Witnessing.
For those whom God has set-apart, they would be willing to take up your offer to pray together, and in time, give their lives to Christ as passionately as you have!
Bear in mind:
The more you believe in Christ, the more passionately you would live for Christ, and for His Mandate!
Believe in the Risen Christ!
Believe in Him who has filled you with the Holy Spirit!
Believe in Him who has sent you!
This year – and every year - would hold nothing for you unless you have purpose.
Christ has given us one – and a divine one at that.
Nothing can stand against you when you are sent by the Lord Jesus and filled with the Power of the Holy Spirit.
So, brethren, be sent into 2021 by our King and Saviour - to share His Gospel of Peace; and be utterly assured that you will live fully in His Peace.
May your 2021 be truly blessed in the Peace and Power of Christ alone!
Be set on fire for Jesus; be daily filled with the Holy Spirit!
Shalom.
Let us pray.
Our Father in Heaven,
Hallowed be Your Name.
Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done; on earth, as it is in heaven.
Thank You, Lord, for sending me into 2021 with the assurance of the incomparable and unrivaled Power of Your Peace in my life; and thank You, for sending me with the divine purpose of evangelizing Your Peace to all around me – through prayer, word and deed.
Holy Spirit, daily ignite and deepen my passion for the Lord Jesus Christ; touch my life once again, and fill me with Your POWER!
Grant me courage, strength, resolve and wisdom to live for Christ alone; that I may live in the fullness of God through my passion for Him.
I declare that You are the sole object of my life’s attention, enterprises, worship and love; for You, Lord Jesus, are the very reason that I live.
Set my mind, O Lord, on the things that are upon Yours.
Grant me more faith to expect Your miraculous signs and wonders in my daily life; and fill me with Your Spirit’s Power that I may be Your Holy witness to this world in dire need.
May 2021 be the year that my passion for You, Lord Jesus, set me truly on the pathway to follow You utterly, and be transformed increasingly into Your likeness!
Thank You for being my Peace; and for sending me into the world as a messenger of Your Peace.
May I daily be found passionate about Your Peace; passionate about living in Your Peace; and passionate about sharing Your Peace.
Grant that I may live in the full Power of Your Peace – remaining resolutely in faith relationship with You, and in resisting the forces of darkness.
May I never be found guilty of withholding Your Peace; but help me actively and passionately share Your Gospel of Peace in prayer, word and deed.
Teach me to be unconditionally obedient to Your Command and Commission to evangelize to the world around me.
In obedience, I declare 2021 to be the year that I would start to actively and passionately evangelize Your Gospel – help me, Lord!
Grant me the wisdom, revelation and Your Spirit’s Power to move from ‘praying for’, to ‘praying with’ those who have yet to know You.
May my every prayer usher them into Your Holy Presence; and may they experience Your irresistible Grace and irrefutable Mercy – just as I have.
May I be ever-passionate for You, Lord Jesus; and may all around me see my passion for You - that they, too, may come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ!
I love You, Lord Jesus – passionately - with all my heart, with all my soul and with all my strength.
Thank You for first loving me – passionately..
I thank You and pray all these in the Name of our King, Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
"Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." " (John 20:21)
Dearly Beloved,
Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
To be passionate for Christ is the only way to be Christian; and the only way to be passionate for Christ is to be filled daily with the Power of the Holy Spirit.
The fact is this - the greater your awareness of the fragility of human life and precariousness of all human construct of society, the greater your impulse would be to entrust your life to Christ, and the more passionate you would seek for the infilling of the Holy Spirit; empowering you to live solely for Jesus Christ!
Without the Presence and Power of the Holy Spirit, no person would remain passionate, yet alone, profess fundamental faith in Jesus Christ.
To be Christian is to be filled with the Holy Spirit; to be passionately ‘on fire’ for Jesus – manifested with the singular life purpose to live to the glory of God and as a witness for Jesus Christ.
To re-ignite your passion for Christ is to re-ignite your passion to evangelise the world around you to the reality of the Gospel.
It is that simple. Do not overthink this.
How passionate you are about the Gospel reveals how passionate you are about Christ's Salvation of your life.
But are you willing?
Preparation comes after the will.
When the will is set; the task is accomplished.
Set your will to be filled daily with the Power of the Holy Spirit; and fulfill your deepest desire to be used by God to accomplish His Gospel work set before you.
Nothing is more fulfilling than to be in service to your King, Saviour, and God.
2020 was tough, but 2021 will prove to be tougher.
And as always, through the unrelenting and raging storms of life, Christ is our only Way, Hope and Peace.
It is not ours to merely survive; but thrive; and through Christ and in His Spirit’s Power, we will.
But for that to happen, Christ alone must be our only passion!
Forging ahead into 2021, we must pray for the Holy Spirit to daily ignite our passion for our Lord Jesus.
Christ must be the sole object of your attention, enterprises, worship and love; and He must be your reason to live.
Your mind must be set on the things that are on the Mind of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Apostle Paul counsels us:
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. (Colossians 3:1-2)
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. (Romans 8:5)
Set your mind on His Mind.
You must seek first His Kingdom and Righteousness. (Ref: Matthew 6:33)
As you “walk in love”, your relationship with Him must be foremost of all your relationships (Ref: Ephesians 5:2); and His Commission (Ref: Matthew 28:18-20) - the foundation of all your relationships.
Christ must be your Way, Truth and Life (Ref; John 14:6); and only with His Love, Grace and Strength must you have a grip on life and a posture to live (Ref: Galatians 2:20).
You must daily strive to be passionate for Christ – and daily strive to be passionate for His Presence, Purposes and Power to be revealed in, and through, you.
You must expect miraculous signs and wonders to be so much a part of our lives because the God we serve is a God of Miracles! (Ref: Mark 16:17-18). His miracles are still happening every moment and every day; and we must be filled with the Power of the Holy Spirit so that we may be part of His glory and present Kingdom.
Do not expect anything less.
Do not shortchange yourself.
Do not fill your lives with anything less permanent.
Do not rob yourself of God’s gift of eternal life.
Do not be obsessed with anything other than Christ!
Let 2021 be the year that your passion for Christ sets you on the pathway to truly follow Him, and be increasingly transformed into His likeness daily!
To be passionate for Christ is to be passionate about His Mandate for us.
For upon His resurrection, His first words to the disciples were: “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” (John 20:21)
In 2021, passionately live in the reality of John 20:21!
If Christ be the true object of our passion, it follows that we must:
Be passionate about God’s Peace;
Be passionate about living in His Peace; and
Be passionate about sharing His Peace!
There is Power in Christ’s Peace.
The devil is defeated the moment we resolve to passionately live in His peace.
“The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.” (Romans 16:20)
We become resolute in our faith in Christ the moment we resolve to passionately live in His peace.
“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7)
In our personal experiences of the divine efficacy of Christ’s Peace; it remains that we must live radically for the purpose of sharing this heavenly Peace to all around us – lest and unless, we fall short of receiving this Peace fully ourselves.
Through our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ – we have “Peace with GOD”. (Ref: Romans 5:1, Colossians 1:20)
How dare we keep this Peace to ourselves?
Our hearts may remain untroubled and unafraid because of the Peace that Christ has given to us. (Ref: John 14:27)
How dare we keep this Peace to ourselves?
We have been bestowed heavenly strength and eternal rest to overcome this dark and troubled world because of the Peace that Christ has wrought. (Ref: Psalm 29:11, John 16:33)
How dare we keep this Peace to ourselves?
We have been armed with Peace that defeats the devil.
How dare we keep this Peace to ourselves?
We have been sent into the world to share Christ’s message of Peace and Reconciliation with God. (Ref: John 20:21)
How dare we keep this Peace to ourselves?
To withhold the sharing of Christ’s Peace to the world is to forfeit your right to His Peace.
Be very careful to never keep this divine Peace to ourselves.
We are sent by Christ; just as the Heavenly Father sent Him – to participate in the ongoing work of evangelizing the world.
How do we begin?
By simply being obedient to His divine Command and Commission to us to “make disciples of all nations… …” (Matthew 28:18-20), and to “receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you” to be Christ’s witness “in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
Manifest your passion for Christ through actively seeking out opportunities to evangelize and share His Peace.
Leave no stone unturned; and leave no one behind; for the Lord has placed every person in your life for the purpose of hearing the Good News through your participation in prayer, word or deed.
Every Christian is bound to the Love and Commission of Christ to share the Gospel – to evangelize.
It is not a question of sacrifice, but a question of obedience.
Always remember: Obedience is better than sacrifice. (Ref: 1 Samuel 15:22)
You have sacrificed nothing, until you are obedient to the Lord.
Every Christian must be – by default – an evangelist; one who proclaims the Gospel through word and deed.
Decide today to let 2021 be the year you reignite your love and passion for Christ and start to actively evangelize!
Know that “the harvest is plentiful” (Luke 10:2).
Actively partner with the Holy Spirit in asking “the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” (Luke 10:2).
Actively pray to receive the Power of the Holy Spirit to witness for Jesus! (Ref: Acts 1:8)
Actively participate with the Holy Spirit to pray for, and pray with the people around you; pray for your family, friends and colleagues, and as the Lord divinely appoints, offer to pray with them.
Always seek the Lord to move from praying for them, to praying with them.
For when you pray, you enter God’s Holy Presence – and when you pray with someone, know that you are sharing that divine moment with them; and that you are indeed, giving them a glimpse into the Heart and Kingdom of God.
Do not fear that the relationship will be jeopardized or strained. And even if it does, believe that God is at work.
Remember that our relationship with Christ must be first and foremost – the very foundation and framework in which we have all our other relationships.
Even if He was our only friend left, we are perfectly fine! We are in a good place!
Understand that the point of evangelism is to bring people into the presence of Jesus through prayer, deed, and word by the Power of the Holy Spirit – all of which, constitutes Spirit-Empowered Witnessing.
For those whom God has set-apart, they would be willing to take up your offer to pray together, and in time, give their lives to Christ as passionately as you have!
Bear in mind:
The more you believe in Christ, the more passionately you would live for Christ, and for His Mandate!
Believe in the Risen Christ!
Believe in Him who has filled you with the Holy Spirit!
Believe in Him who has sent you!
This year – and every year - would hold nothing for you unless you have purpose.
Christ has given us one – and a divine one at that.
Nothing can stand against you when you are sent by the Lord Jesus and filled with the Power of the Holy Spirit.
So, brethren, be sent into 2021 by our King and Saviour - to share His Gospel of Peace; and be utterly assured that you will live fully in His Peace.
May your 2021 be truly blessed in the Peace and Power of Christ alone!
Be set on fire for Jesus; be daily filled with the Holy Spirit!
Shalom.
Let us pray.
Our Father in Heaven,
Hallowed be Your Name.
Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done; on earth, as it is in heaven.
Thank You, Lord, for sending me into 2021 with the assurance of the incomparable and unrivaled Power of Your Peace in my life; and thank You, for sending me with the divine purpose of evangelizing Your Peace to all around me – through prayer, word and deed.
Holy Spirit, daily ignite and deepen my passion for the Lord Jesus Christ; touch my life once again, and fill me with Your POWER!
Grant me courage, strength, resolve and wisdom to live for Christ alone; that I may live in the fullness of God through my passion for Him.
I declare that You are the sole object of my life’s attention, enterprises, worship and love; for You, Lord Jesus, are the very reason that I live.
Set my mind, O Lord, on the things that are upon Yours.
Grant me more faith to expect Your miraculous signs and wonders in my daily life; and fill me with Your Spirit’s Power that I may be Your Holy witness to this world in dire need.
May 2021 be the year that my passion for You, Lord Jesus, set me truly on the pathway to follow You utterly, and be transformed increasingly into Your likeness!
Thank You for being my Peace; and for sending me into the world as a messenger of Your Peace.
May I daily be found passionate about Your Peace; passionate about living in Your Peace; and passionate about sharing Your Peace.
Grant that I may live in the full Power of Your Peace – remaining resolutely in faith relationship with You, and in resisting the forces of darkness.
May I never be found guilty of withholding Your Peace; but help me actively and passionately share Your Gospel of Peace in prayer, word and deed.
Teach me to be unconditionally obedient to Your Command and Commission to evangelize to the world around me.
In obedience, I declare 2021 to be the year that I would start to actively and passionately evangelize Your Gospel – help me, Lord!
Grant me the wisdom, revelation and Your Spirit’s Power to move from ‘praying for’, to ‘praying with’ those who have yet to know You.
May my every prayer usher them into Your Holy Presence; and may they experience Your irresistible Grace and irrefutable Mercy – just as I have.
May I be ever-passionate for You, Lord Jesus; and may all around me see my passion for You - that they, too, may come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ!
I love You, Lord Jesus – passionately - with all my heart, with all my soul and with all my strength.
Thank You for first loving me – passionately..
I thank You and pray all these in the Name of our King, Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.