Passion For God - Part 4

A New Heart for a Passionate Life

Welcome back to Emerge. We're continuing the final part of our series, Passion for God. We've been learning that God wants to set our hearts burning with holy fire — with a pure passion for His kingdom.

Let's do a quick recap from Ezekiel 36:26:

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

This is what God wants to do. A heart of stone is impassionate, cold, unresponsive — dead towards God. God wants to remove that heart of stone and, in its place, implant a heart of flesh: one that is alive, warm, tender, and capable of an intimate relationship with Him.

Look at the next verse:

And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

The word "moved" in Hebrew is assa, which also means to fashion. God will put His Spirit in us, pouring His love into our hearts. The Spirit's love and power will refashion our desires, renew our minds, and empower us to live in righteousness and holiness.

The Holy Spirit will keep moving in us — convicting our hearts, changing us, transforming us. But we must respond. You must open your hearts to Him. When the Holy Spirit moves, convicts, and works in you, surrender to His working:

"Yes, Lord, I want more of you. Yes, Lord, I will obey. Yes, Lord, change me and help me to become more and more like Jesus."

The more you surrender and obey, the more you are transformed from glory to glory into the image of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Recap of the Commandments

The Holy Spirit writes God's law in our hearts. We've been looking at the Ten Commandments.

The first four address our devotion to God, calling us to love Him with an undivided heart:

1. You shall have no other gods — give God your affection.
2. You shall not make for yourself an image — give God your imagination.
3. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord — give God your speech.
4. Remember the Sabbath — give God your time.

As we immerse ourselves in deep holy communion with God, a love for people flows out from within. The fifth to tenth commandments address our relationship with people:

5. Honor your father and mother — honor others above yourself.
6. You shall not murder — be patient with others.
7. You shall not commit adultery — be pure in your relationships.
8. You shall not steal — be honest with others.

Today, let's look at the final two.

Commandment Nine: Be Truthful in Love

You shall not bear false witness.

First of all, God is truth. Numbers 23:19 tells us that God is not human, that He should lie. Proverbs 6:16–19 says God hates a lying tongue and a false witness who pours out lies. Lying goes against His very nature. And in John 14:6, Jesus declares:

I am the way, the truth and the life.

If we want to follow Jesus, we too must be truthful people. There is no godliness, no Christlikeness, without truthfulness — because Jesus is truth.

Who Is a False Witness?

A false witness lies to harm someone or to damage a person's reputation. Proverbs 25:18 says:

Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow is one who gives false testimony against the neighbor.

Every time you speak what is untrue, exaggerate, tell half-truths, or remain silent when you ought to speak — you are releasing weapons of mass destruction. You're releasing a sword, a club, or a sharp arrow that tears the other person down.

Your words have the power to either build people up or tear them down. The ninth commandment causes us to consider how our words affect the well-being of others. So here is the challenge, Emerge: How are your words affecting the people around you?

Guard What You Say

James 3:2 says:

We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.

If you want to be Christlike, you must guard your lips. James continues in verse 5:

Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.

Like a spark, a few small lies can spread like wildfire, leaving great destruction in their wake. Never treat your words lightly. Every sentence, every word matters.

Don't excuse careless or false speech with, "Oh, I was just joking. I didn't mean it." Too late — the spark has ignited a wildfire in the forest.

Jesus says in Matthew 12:36–37:

But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.

We must be careful. Restrain and think before we speak. Do people feel discouraged after talking to you, or do they feel built up?

Five Kinds of Hurtful Speech

1. Reviling. To revile is to openly use speech to attack another person, damaging their reputation, dignity, and standing in the community. In short, it is verbal abuse. 1 Corinthians 6:10 (Amplified) speaks of revilers — those whose words are used as weapons to abuse, insult, humiliate, intimidate, or slander. Sometimes we want to feel stronger, so we use words to humiliate others. That is reviling, and it is against the nature of God.

2. Backbiting. Backbiting is the companion to reviling — but where reviling is done openly, backbiting is done in secret. It is speaking about someone behind their back with the intent of damaging their reputation. Even when the information is true, if it is shared with the intent to tear the other person down, it becomes malicious.

We often tell ourselves there's nothing wrong with it as long as what we say is true. But the truth does not justify harmful speech. Each person deserves the opportunity to speak for himself — yet in backbiting, the person isn't there to defend himself.

We are not obliged to tell everyone everything we know about others. You can zip your lips. It is called wisdom. Before you speak, ask yourself:

• Is it true?
• Is it necessary?
• Is it loving?
• Will it build up or tear down?

3. Gossip. Gossip goes beyond backbiting because it stirs others up against a person. It damages trust, destroys friendships, breaks down relationships, and fractures communities — even connect groups and cell groups. Proverbs 16:28 says:

A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends.

Verse 19 of that same chapter tells us God hates a person who stirs up conflict in the community. Gossip is against the nature and character of God, because God is communion — the Holy Trinity. He doesn't tear relationships apart. That's why we must practice zero gossip.

4. Mockery. Mockery uses laughter as a weapon to shame and embarrass another person in order to hurt or humiliate them.

Consider St. Thomas Aquinas, one of the most influential thinkers in Christian theology and Western philosophy. As a young man he was very trusting, without deceit, so his classmates nicknamed him "the dumb ox." One day, wanting to make fun of him, they told him a cow was flying outside the window. Of course he knew it was impossible, but nonetheless he went to look — and they all laughed at how stupid he was. He turned and said:

"Well, brothers, I would rather believe that a cow could fly than that my brothers would lie to me."

The brothers were silenced, embarrassed, and ashamed of their mockery. Every word we say matters. Watch what you say.

5. Lying. To lie is to speak or act against the truth, to lead someone into error. Some lie out of malice — to hurt or discredit others. Others lie out of pride — to impress people, protect their image, or conceal their faults.

There is always an underlying reason why people lie. So you must ask not only what did I say, but why did I say it? Why were you afraid? Why were you trying so hard to protect your image or impress your friends and parents? Why are you so angry, seeking revenge? Why do you demean others?

The Root of Hurtful Speech

Ephesians 4:29–32 says:

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Notice your speech affects your relationship with the Holy Spirit. And notice the root: bitterness, rage, anger, malice. No wonder that after we speak hurtfully, we feel terrible — but it's too late, the spark has already ignited the forest.

Why do we say hurtful things? Because hurting people hurt people.

The Holy Spirit has come to remove that heart of stone and put in us a heart of flesh. He wants to heal all your hurts and draw out the poison of bitterness. He wants to remove the stench of rage and anger and fill you with kindness and compassion, so that wholesome speech that builds people up flows from within.

But you must respond. Will you surrender all the turmoil within your heart to Jesus? Give Him all your hurts and the angry words that have wounded you. Give Him every lie, every betrayal, every disappointment you have endured. Place your broken heart into His hands, and let the Holy Spirit renew you, heal you, and transform you from the inside out.

Commandment Ten: Be Content in God

You shall not covet.

To covet means to desire what belongs to another inordinately, excessively, immoderately — an insatiable feeling of I have to have that. Coveting is closely related to envy: you see what someone else has and want to grab it for yourself. This is not love, because love does not envy.

In Colossians 3:5, Paul says that covetousness — greed — is idolatry. Why? Because whatever you covet becomes your master. It captures your heart and begins to control your life.

The Chain Reaction of Covetousness

Think about King David. David coveted Bathsheba, another man's wife. From that point his craving took control of his life and set off a chain of sins:

1. He took Bathsheba for himself — breaking the seventh commandment (adultery).
2. To cover his sin, he lied — breaking the ninth commandment (false witness).
3. When his plan failed, he had Uriah killed — breaking the sixth commandment (murder).

One covetousness led to one broken commandment after another.

Why Do We Still Covet?

If covetousness leads to so much pain and social evil, why do people still chase after possession, power, and prestige — after girls or guys, gold, and glory? St. Augustine gave the answer:

"You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you."

The only thing that can satisfy our hearts is God Himself. Covetousness reveals something deeper on the inside — it is caused by the loss of the presence of God, a loss of interior union with God. When that union is lacking, we start chasing after other things. But no amount of material possessions or achievements can bring the lasting satisfaction that only God can give.

The Woman at the Well

In John 4, Jesus came to Samaria and met a woman searching for love, acceptance, and security. In verse 18 He said:

You have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband.

She had spent years trying to find satisfaction in one relationship after another, but the thirst in her soul remained. Then Jesus gave the answer (John 4:13–14):

Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

Only Jesus can satisfy the deepest thirst of the human heart. The Holy Spirit wants to draw you into the loving communion of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. When you drink deeply of that divine communion, you no longer have to chase after the world's wells of power, possession, prestige, or people.

If God is not the satisfaction of your heart, something else will become that substitute. What are you chasing? You have your high when you stand on the podium, but when you go home, you crash. Those things can never satisfy.

Desire Is Good — When Surrendered

Desires and passions in themselves are neither moral nor immoral. God created us with desires and affections; in themselves they are good gifts. Before I was a Christian, I practiced a way of life trying to cut off all desire — to live detached. But God created us with desires.

The problem comes when our desires or expectations go unmet. Disappointment follows. If we don't bring that disappointment to God, it grows into discontentment. And discontentment, left unchecked, becomes an insatiable craving for what God has not given us — the path of covetousness, a cycle that never ends.

That's why Jesus said to the woman, "You have five husbands, and the one you're with is not yours. Why are you searching? Why are you so thirsty? Come to Me, to the living water."

Rebuild your communion with God — in prayer, in worship, in the Word, in fellowship with one another. In that communion is where living water wells up and satisfies you. Walk in step with the Holy Spirit. Reject the flesh. Surrender to Him. Only the Holy Spirit can satisfy — He is the well of living water springing up from within.

The Empty Seat at the Table

As I prepared this message, I remembered the story of Abraham in Genesis 18. Abraham had a visitation from God in the form of three men. When he saw them, he bowed to the ground, recognizing that the divine had come. He invited them to a meal and to rest — but he did not join them at the table. Scripture says he stood by them under the tree as they ate.

Perhaps Abraham thought, Surely I'm not invited at the table. I have so many weaknesses and shortcomings. Who am I to sit with the divine?

The Russian artist Andrei Rublev painted this scene and named it The Trinity. You see three divine figures — symbolically the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit — seated around the table in loving fellowship. But look carefully: there is an empty space at the table. That empty place symbolizes God's invitation for Abraham to come and share the meal. Yet in the story, Abraham was absent.

Emerge, God wants deep communion with you. There is a table, and there is an empty seat — and it is your seat. So my question is: Where are you?

God is waiting for you to fill that seat. Are you too busy? Have you neglected your communion with God? No wonder there is dissatisfaction on the inside. You try to fill it with sports, games, and fun — but every day when the sun goes down and your friends go to sleep, you crash again. A cycle of insatiable chasing that cannot satisfy.

But I'm here to tell you there is a place at the table, and it is where you can find satisfaction.

My Own Testimony

I accepted Christ when I was 16 — about 37 years ago. Since then, every single day, I have come to this table in my quiet time, because God is my only satisfaction.

When I was younger, my family went bankrupt. Everyone wanted the latest bag, the best shoes. My friends came to school with Nike Air Max — the best at the time. I also came with air, but mine came with a hole. Natural air-flow! The shoes I wore were "Panda" brand; sometimes I'd upgrade to "Double Swan." My school bag was an old harvest sack — one strap broke and it became a sling bag, then both straps broke and I carried it like a briefcase until it had holes, which I sewed up with needle and thread.

Everybody was chasing after something. If that were what I went after, I'd never be satisfied — how could I compete? But every day I came to the table, and Jesus was my satisfaction. For 37 years, whether on the mountaintop or in the valley, God has been my satisfaction.

You must make God your satisfaction. If not, covetousness will be the name of your game, and you'll never stop. Build an altar. Come to the table of communion.

Closing: Love God, Love People

The Ten Commandments teach us to love God wholeheartedly and to love people fervently.

From the first four, we learn to love God practically:

1. Give God your affections.
2. Give God your imagination.
3. Give God your speech.
4. Give God your time.

From the next six, we learn to love people practically:

5. Honor others above yourself.
6. Be patient with others.
7. Be pure in your relationships.
8. Be honest with others.
9. Be truthful in love.
10. Be content in God.

I close with Deuteronomy 30:16, the same charge Moses gave the Israelites:

For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.

Emerge, God has a destiny for your life — a land for you to possess. You will increase, and the Lord will bless you. But there must be a radical change in our lifestyle. Gossip is not God. Backbiting is not God. The ways of life many of us learned growing up — the dramas we watch, the lifestyles we've absorbed — that is not God. We must surrender to Him and allow Him to heal us.

Altar Call

Let's rise to our feet. How many of you want more of the Holy Spirit in your life? How many want to open your hearts to God and allow Him to change and transform you? Wherever you are, lift your hands to the Lord and pray in tongues. Open your hearts to the Holy Spirit. Come to the table — to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Today God is inviting us to consider how our words affect the well-being of others. Why do you revile and openly attack people? Why do you backbite? Why do you gossip and stir up strife? Why do you mock? Why do you lie? What are you afraid of? What's going on inside?

Hurting people hurt people. Perhaps you have faced much suffering; words have been spoken against you, your dignity is broken, and now there is rage, anger, and bitterness on the inside. When you close your eyes, all you can hear are the condemning, angry, demeaning voices.

But today the Holy Spirit is here. He loves you. He wants to heal you, drain out the poison of bitterness, and remove the stench of rage and anger. He wants to remove that heart of stone and put in you a new heart — a heart of flesh, alive, full of His love, kindness, and compassion.

But you must respond and hide no more:

"Lord, here I am. I don't know how to say it or express it, but You know what is going on inside. Here I am. I am open. Come and heal me. Deliver me. Forgive me my sins. Wash me clean."

Maybe you say, "Pastor, that's me. I've been chasing and searching, and there's an insatiable craving inside I cannot satisfy." Then pray:

"Here I am, Jesus. Father, I'm coming back to the altar, back to the table. Holy Spirit, I'm hungry for You. Only You can satisfy. Come, Holy Spirit."

Lift both hands in surrender. Open your mouth and cry out to the Lord — let it be a longing, a thirst, a hunger rising from your soul to the throne of God. Give Him all your pain.

Let's pray this together:

Jesus, forgive me. Wash my heart clean. Forgive me for all the hurtful speech. Forgive me for being absent at the table. Today I decide I'm coming back to this divine communion — to eat with You every day, to see Your face, to worship, to pray, to listen to Your word. Help me, Lord. Change me, Lord. Pour Your Holy Spirit in me.