I’m going to go ahead and say it before you do. “Baptist preachers like Chicken!” I thought about that this week as I was preparing my sermon for Sunday. As a child growing up, for special occasions my mother and Grandmother would always want to go out and eat Kentucky Fried Chicken. Strange, I never figured out that God was going to call me into the ministry after eating all that chicken. I guess God has a sense of humor.
Whenever you sitting around eating a bucket of KFC, you know what somebody is wondering; “What are those 11 herbs and spices that make this chicken so good?”
Since I’m talking about food and making you hungry, let me go on a little longer. What about the world famous Big Mac? What makes it sooo good? The special sauce, right? Can you sing the Big Mac song?
KFC has their secret 11 herbs and spices, McDonalds has their special sauce and you know what? It seems that some Christians have a special ingredient in their lives that make them stand out in a crowd and work a little harder for Jesus than others. Have you ever wondered why some believers seem to be used more by God than others?
Is it that they are more talented? Are they more favored? What is it? I believe it can be summed up in one word. I believe the secret ingredient in some Christians is “PASSION!”
Passion is the Difference Maker!….And I believe it is two-fold: 1) Passion for God and 2) a Passion for the Unsaved!
If we are going to be used by God…
I) We Must Possess a Passion for God.
When you study the early church in the book of Acts you will be convicted and challenged as you learn of their great passion for God.
After the birth of the Church on the day of Pentecost, the Apostles became very visible in the streets preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In Acts 3, they preached the Gospel and were persecuted by the Religious leaders. The Religious elite threatened the Apostles and commanded them to not preach in the Name of Jesus anymore in Jerusalem.
That’s very important for us to understand. I fear that many Christians today would bow their head and walk away quietly if they were told they could not tell others about Jesus in the community. Think about it. Often, in large gatherings, Christians are asked not to pray in Jesus name because it may offend someone of another religion.
But the disciples didn’t quit. In Acts ch. 5, the Apostles are back on the streets preaching about Jesus. Even after the Religious leaders threw them into prison, they went right back to the Temple and started preaching again. When questioned as to why, they said, “We ought to obey God rather than men."
God was first on their heart and in their life! And that passion for God lead them to have a passion for the unsaved!
II) We Must Possess a Passion for the Unsaved.
Census experts tell us that there are now over 6 billion people on Planet Earth. 1/3 of them claim to be Christian. And I dare say that is a liberal number. But even if we give them the benefit of a doubt, that still means that 4 billion people on planet Earth are lost! Without Christ and will spend a Christ-less eternity.
According to the statistics, every second, three people die. If they die without Jesus, they will spend a Christ-list Eternity. That is Hell. Friends, it was for the Lost that Christ came to this world! Luke 19:10: “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” The Good Shepherd is out on a search for His lost sheep.
But He does not work alone, He has called US! Those of us who have already called on Him, He has called us to go in His name and share His message of Salvation. This is the Mission He has called us to dedicate our Lives too! This is Living Life on Mission. This is being a Life Transformer!
And without a Passion for the Lost that fuels us past the frustrations, discouragements, heartaches and heartbreaks, We Will Fail!
C. H. Spurgeon said; “If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies. If they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees. Let no one go there unwarned and unprayed for.”
May we have a Passion for God and a Passion for the Unsaved so that God can use us to make an eternal difference in the lives around us.
Amen.
