A Holy Passion From On High

There is a passion from God that can burn so fiercely in the souls of men that they cannot hold it in and, therefore, must express it verbally or through written words. They are increasingly weary of holding it in, lest they explode from holy zeal or sin against a holy God who is compelling them to speak. Jeremiah experienced this passion, as he describes in Jer. 20:8 -

But if I say, "I will not mention him or speak any more in his name," his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.

I have also experienced this passion on a number of occasions. It is something that can either come upon you suddenly, or it can be built up over a period of time. When this passion comes upon you, there is nothing but God alone that can stop you from expressing it. All fear, anxiety, concerns about one’s reputation, and anything else that might hinder this passion from being expressed will all disintegrate in the blazing fires that are being experienced in the soul. It is a passion that is far above and beyond any other passion that one might experience, because the object that is fueling this passion is infinitely superior and more worthy of such zeal.

Preaching that comes out of such a passion as this is greatly superior to other varieties of preaching. First, a man consumed with holy zeal for God will speak about him in a manner that far better displays his greatness, holiness, love and other attributes to the audience. In my experience, people can really see the difference between men who preach accurately about God but without much passion and men who preach in a way that shows they have been deeply affected with the glorious realities they are speaking about. Secondly, those who are filled with a holy passion for God will be much less influenced by the desire to please men during their sermons. As I described above, this holy zeal for God completely consumes one’s soul, leaving no room left for the fear of man or a desire to please one’s audience. With God being the supreme object that is fueling this passion, the man who experiences a Jeremiah-like zeal in his heart will have his mind set fully on pleasing the LORD. Therefore, his sermon will best honor the LORD and will also be more beneficial to the audience insofar that the motive behind it would surely be to tell the people what the preacher thinks God wants them to hear rather than what would be pleasing to them.

In conclusion, brothers, I exhort you to pray for experiences of this all-consuming zeal that you may best glorify the amazing God that we serve, and that you may be of the most benefit to those who listen to you preach. Cut off the arm of the flesh in your preaching, brothers, and pray that God would equip you with the holy power that Paul describes in 1 Cor. 2:4-5 -

My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.