How Jesus Kept the Passion in His Ministry
Illustration:I have but one passion; it is He, He only.
Count Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf.
Zinzendorf launched the Moravian missionary movement that spawned the modern missionary thrust around the world. One person’s passion can make a world of difference.
1. Jesus loved His Father with all His heart, soul, strength and mind allowing Him to love His neighbor as Himself. (Luke 10:27) He never left His first love despite all of the troubles, persecutions, worries, fears, or feelings of anger that tempted Him to become depressed.
Ask the Lord for the ability to let the fires of your love for the Lord to never grow dim. Without love we are nothing.
Quote: Moody always prayed before He preached. "Lord, light me on fire."
2. Jesus’ fervency for ministry allowed Him to realize that He was not just doing a job, but ministering through the power of the Spirit in a way that would have eternal influence. Ask the Lord to help you maintain the focus on Jesus for your example, empowerment, and eternal perspective.
3. Jesus’ did not become distracted by non-essential activities. Many people came to Jesus asking Him to carry out their agenda, but He kept to His priorities. Pray that the Lord would help you to focus your attention of giving God greater glory, helping the church grow in quantity and quality and fulfilling the great commission
4. Jesus enthusiastically approached each new day with renewed vision to do 100% of the will of God. The Lord did not allow yesterday’s problems to limit His passion for overcoming all obstacles. Each day Jesus went out to a lonely place and prayed to commune with the Father and to receive clear direction and motivation for life’s new challenges. (Mark 1:35)
5. Jesus’ hearts desire was for the winning of the lost. He said, "I did not come to healthy, but to the sick. I have come to seek and to save those which are lost." (Matt. 18:11) Jesus did not allow good things to become enemies of the most important ministries.
6. Jesus’ passion did not diminish in the face of Calvary. Jesus said, "Take this cup from Me, yet nevertheless, not as I will, but let Your will be done." (Matt. 26:42) Most people allow their passions to run cold in the face of stiff opposition.
People will try to break your heart - do not let them! Greater is He who is in you than He who is in the world. (I John 4:4)
7. Jesus’ zeal did not decrease in the face of satanic attacks. Three times the devil came to Jesus in His dessert experience to tempt the Lord. Jesus replied, "Man does not live by bread alone - when tempted by fleshly enticements; Do not put the Lord your God to test - when tempted with invincibility. "Away from me, Satan! For it is written, Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only, when tempted with false worship." (Matt. 4:4-11)
God will give you the power to resist satanic temptations if you meditate on the scriptures and choose to obey Him in all things. (Josh 1:8,9)
8. Jesus’ purposes did not waver because of betrayal from His closest friends. Jesus said, "Look, the hour is near and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer." (Matt. 26:45,46)
The Lord remained confident that God could use even the worst of betrayals for His sake
9. Jesus’ eagerness for making disciples did not ebb and flow according to His emotions. Just before His departure to heaven the Lord said, "Go into all the people groups of the world and make disciples of all nations." (Matt. 28:18-20) The Lord did not let his emotions dictate His agenda for ministry.
Jesus knew that His multiplying ministry of disciple-making would work best through the natural networks found in each people group, its culture, language, geographical proximity and inter-personal and family communications.
10. Jesus did not allow sickness, death or physical handicaps deter anyone from doing 100% of the will of God. Two blind men cried out to Jesus, "Have mercy on us, Son of David! The Lord asked them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" Yes, Lord, they replied." Then He touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith will it be done to you."
And their sight was restored." (Matt 9:28,29) Nothing can keep us from doing the will of God except our own disobedience or lack of faith.
11. Jesus did not allow a shortage of godly manpower to discourage Him. He said, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field." (Matt. 9:36-38)
Application:
Do not let small numbers discourage you from trusting the Lord to raise up workers for His fields.
12. Jesus did not grow discouraged when He ran into closed doors. He said, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." (Matt. 7:7) When we ask God answers, when we seek we will find and when we knock, the Lord will open a door for us.
Ask the Lord for a persevering heart regardless of the overwhelming discouragement that you may be facing.
13. Jesus did not let the judgmental Pharisees and religious leaders to put out the fire of His passions. He said, "Do not give dogs (Pharisees) what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces." (Matt. 7:1-6) Perhaps, the greatest opposition you will face in ministry will come from the religious authorities.
Application: Be bigger than any problem through Christ who gives us the strength and power to do everything He asks you to do with the help of Christ who empowers you. (Phil. 4:13)
Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might, take up the full armor of God - breastplate of righteousness, helmet of salvation and the belt of truth
14. Jesus’ passion grew stronger every day as He grew in wisdom, stature, and in favor with God and men. Lk 2:52.
Prayer: Ask the Lord to help you grow in all dimensions in Christ - socially, mentally, organizationally, Biblically, emotionally, culturally, economically, in ministry skills, love, joy, self-control, & spiritually. Paul wrote, "But speaking the truth in love, let us grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ." (Eph. 4:15)
Conclusion: There is a tale told of that great English actor Macready. An eminent preacher once said to him: "I wish you would explain to me something." "Well, what is it? I don’t know that I can explain anything to a preacher."
"What is the reason for the difference between you and me? You are appearing before crowds night after night with fiction, and the crowds come wherever you go. I am preaching the essential and unchangeable truth, and I am not getting any crowd at all."
Macready’s answer was this: "This is quite simple. I can tell you the difference between us. I present my fiction as though it were truth; you present your truth as though it were fiction."
G. Campbell Morgan, Preaching, p. 36.
