Passion for the Lord
Great 8 “Culture Makers” of the Compass Leadership Team
“Passion for the Lord”
Whenever a group of people (such as us) attempt to articulate what their culture is going to be, it’s important they realize who they are (currently), but who they also want to become (in the future). The scriptures talk about the Kingdom of God being here now, and still yet to come in the future. I love to think about the Kingdom as the Culture of God, the culture and environment the Lord desires to set up in his church, even though it may not look exactly that way right now.
I once saw something that changed my life. I was sitting at the top of the Onyx House guys’ floor as a sophomore in college and was doing my devotions. It happened to be a very early morning, like 5 or 6. As I studied the word, I looked outside and saw a young man walk by bouncing a basketball. It made no sense. No one plays basketball at 5 in the morning.
Since I knew someone who worked in Macarthur court, I asked him if he knew anyone that played basketball at 5 in the morning. He told me something that stayed in to my mind to this day. He said, “Every night during practice, Luke Ridnour leaves Mac Court and puts a piece of tape over the lock of the back door so that in the morning he can get up, before the rest of the world can even spell snore, and shoots free-throws, over and over and over.” The guy that walked by was Luke Ridnour.
Luke Ridnour is one of the best up and coming NBA stars that the Oregon Ducks has ever put out.
Something about that totally inspired me! I was inspired because I realized that this guy was willing to suffer and struggle to see his dreams come true. If it meant he got up early before the rest of us, he would do it. No doubt it was painful.
Why the story? When we talk about Passion for the Lord, it is important to know that Passion goes beyond just a feeling. Passion has little to nothing to do with feeling or emotion, rather, it means in Latin “to struggle”. That is why the cross of Christ is called “the Passion”. It was His pain, His struggle to save humanity at Calvary.
Two weeks ago I met with a woman from college-age who told me she took a night off from sleep to read the book of Mark…that was Passion.
I just got done talking to a guy at the House who is very frustrated with a friend but knows loving, encouraging, and supporting him is more important than “being right”…that was Passion.
I often meet college-age people who are frustrated with “the Church” and yet choose not to bicker and get mad, but to serve with all of their heart in the fashion of Jesus…that is Passion.
Jesus came to build a people of Passion. A people who will die for his cause. Not to kill or win battles, but to go to the cross and give up their very life after their savior.
There are two ways that I want to grow in Passion, and I invite you as a Leadership Team to grow as well.
• Be Passionate about Obedience – The book of Hebrews reads, “In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.” (Heb. 12:4) We should be passionate to give up anything that hinders our relationship with Jesus. Not to the point of being legalists and Pharisees, but I rarely am willing to “cut off my hand when it causes me to sin”. Jesus, though ever graceful and merciful, never allows his people to use that freedom as a license to do as they please. Remember this saying:
The People of the Lord are marked by their willingness to cut off anything that slows them down in their Love for their Lord.
May we strive to be a people who are willing to lie anything down for the sake of following Jesus. May the Lord show each of us what that is!
• Be Passionate about Relationship – Not just relationship with God, but also in regards to people! Paul, once when writing to a group of friends in Colossae wrote, “I want you to know who much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally.” (Col. 2:1). He was referring mostly to his huge desire to pray for them and the struggle that that brought. Paul learned this lesson very well. He knew that suffering and pain were part of the game. Remember this as well:
Ministry without Struggle is an illusion.
There is no way that ministry can take place without hard core, painful, neck-breaking, long-suffering, struggle. Why though? Because in Jesus’ brilliant plan to take over the world, he decided a long time ago that he didn’t just want to change the world through us, but he wanted to change us.
To truly learn how to love someone means you embark on an adventure of pain and suffering. People make you grumpy. People hurt your feelings. People are people. If Jesus would have asked us to come and love a bunch of robots, he would have. He didn’t. Our mission field is a bunch of lonely, hurt, weird, happy, sad, mad, rebellious, stinky, smelly people. Jesus called them sheep.
Let us be passionate about loving people. Meaning, let us be willing to put aside comfort for the sake of loving people as Jesus did.
Jesus calls his followers to a lifestyle of Passion for his Name and Cause. Are you game? As we embark on this year together as a leadership team, one of the phrases you can never expect us to use is “that’s too hard”. Jesus calls us on his mission to see all people of every nation come to the throne of grace. Our comfort just might be our price.
Next week, I want us to talk about being a team. Why and how is that something that should be important for us?
Be blessed and have a great week!
AJ