This is a script of the message i was led to share at the recent God’s Clay Retreat@ Praisehaven (26 to 28 December 2009) after coming across an article from the tidings... part of this message has been adapted from that article...
PASSION! - Ben Lau (adapted from Tidings 2009 Quarter 4 pg 12-13 Passion to Glorify God by Ng Kwee Choo
Questions:
What’s Passion to you?
Pas⋅sion (DICTIONARY.com)
1. any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling,.
6. a strong or extravagant fondness, enthusiasm, or desire for anything:
11. a. the sufferings of Christ on the cross or His sufferings subsequent to the Last Supper.
b. the narrative of Christ's sufferings as recorded in the Gospels.
Acts 1:3, meaning suffering, referring to the sufferings of our Lord.
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1) What’s your primary purpose on earth?
Westminster Shorter Catechism
Q. 1. What is the chief end of man?
A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.
Isaiah 43:7 (New International Version)
7 everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made."
Isaiah 42:8 (New International Version)
8 "I am the LORD; that is my name!
I will not give my glory to another
or my praise to idols.
"Let me forget the world and be swallowed up in a desire to glorify God!"- Henry Martyn
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2) How do you Glorify God?
We must first be passionate and excited about the God in whom we believe, the God we love, the God we worship. Putting in another way, unless we are deeply, intimately and passionately in love with God, we would have little interest in honouring and glorifying Him. It’s Imperative for us to cultivate a deep close, intimate relationship with God.
It than changes our CORE NATURE in us! Our ideas,likes, our desires, our dreams are all-CENTERED around GOD . Leading to how we portray our daily lives, in our conversations with people, how we treat people around us, what people will perceive of us EVERYTHING will change for the glory of GOD! And that’s what just BEING it is! When we truly LIVE FOR OUR KING!
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31
Imagine if every member in God’s Clay can be like this! Wouldn’t it start creating a huge impact in wherever we are, be it in the U.S, Australia, Ireland, Singapore! SMU,NUS, NTU, the army! We can be that living SALT & LIGHT whose GLORY OF GOD shines in us! As we minster to people around us!
PASSION! - Ben Lau (adapted from Tidings 2009 Quarter 4 pg 12-13 Passion to Glorify God by Ng Kwee Choo
Questions:
What’s Passion to you?
Pas⋅sion (DICTIONARY.com)
1. any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling,.
6. a strong or extravagant fondness, enthusiasm, or desire for anything:
11. a. the sufferings of Christ on the cross or His sufferings subsequent to the Last Supper.
b. the narrative of Christ's sufferings as recorded in the Gospels.
Acts 1:3, meaning suffering, referring to the sufferings of our Lord.
--------------------------
1) What’s your primary purpose on earth?
Westminster Shorter Catechism
Q. 1. What is the chief end of man?
A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.
Isaiah 43:7 (New International Version)
7 everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made."
Isaiah 42:8 (New International Version)
8 "I am the LORD; that is my name!
I will not give my glory to another
or my praise to idols.
"Let me forget the world and be swallowed up in a desire to glorify God!"- Henry Martyn
--------------------------
2) How do you Glorify God?
We must first be passionate and excited about the God in whom we believe, the God we love, the God we worship. Putting in another way, unless we are deeply, intimately and passionately in love with God, we would have little interest in honouring and glorifying Him. It’s Imperative for us to cultivate a deep close, intimate relationship with God.
It than changes our CORE NATURE in us! Our ideas,likes, our desires, our dreams are all-CENTERED around GOD . Leading to how we portray our daily lives, in our conversations with people, how we treat people around us, what people will perceive of us EVERYTHING will change for the glory of GOD! And that’s what just BEING it is! When we truly LIVE FOR OUR KING!
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31
Imagine if every member in God’s Clay can be like this! Wouldn’t it start creating a huge impact in wherever we are, be it in the U.S, Australia, Ireland, Singapore! SMU,NUS, NTU, the army! We can be that living SALT & LIGHT whose GLORY OF GOD shines in us! As we minster to people around us!
God's Clay Small Group!
(Concept of multiplication (from Pay it Forward)... Where if we can all impact & minister to just that few person that come across our lives, imagine in the long run how that impact can spread to so many people all over the world!)
“Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. Proverbs 16:3" .
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Can you keep that Passion?
Being Christians for so long? How you can keep BEING IT?
3) How do you KEEP & GROW that PASSION to Glorify GOD?
Paul as an Example…
8What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Philippians 3:8-11 (New International Version)
He has a STRONG desire to KNOW CHRIST
1) We need to PRAY & SURRENDER our personal desires to the LORD!
2) We need to ask God for forgiveness
3) We need fellow like-minded brothers and sisters in our lives to encourage us on!
That’s what SMALL GRP is for!
A small group- a place for sharing of lives!
“If we intentionally put ourselves in the right environment, it will help our spiritual growth and journey in this whole Christian life. We definitely need to be in a group of other on fire passionate Christians who really want to be that "Change maker" for Christ! As take this analogy, when there are other Christians around you in your school or work place where you have constant interaction with and encouragement from the fire in them and in you can spread and grow even stronger. And this increase the fire and passion for Christ for everyone even more. I can't imagine living this Christian life alone, we definitely need each other!”
4) We need the LIVING WORD of GOD
And last of all, the most important thing i believed ALL Christians out there need to follow strictly is meditating and dwelling in the WORD of GOD everyday. Remember "We live by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7".And as we mature more in Christ each day, we need that spiritual discipline to maintain that close walk with our Lord each day. And its wanting to know him by the act of our own will. Reading his WORD and He will then start working and changing your heart inside out with that continuous renewing of our mind and surrender to Him. His grace will help us start living into His will more easier than before!
Can you imagine what revival from the passion of people for Christ is like?
* *Show video of A movement that started from praying! (facing the giants!)
The clip of the video below... is what a glimpse of revival is like to me…
“14May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ …”Galatians 6:14 (New International Version)
Can this be your personal statement in life?
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