March 16, 2008
SoulTalk
Think Passion: Releasing the Power of Desiring God
SoulTalk8.mp3
Pastor Wade Burleson
Emmanuel Baptist Church
Enid OK

Psalm 16:11(ESV)

11. You make known to me the path of life;
    in your presence there is fullness of joy;
    at your right hand are pleasure forevermore.

In our study on SoulTalk we have seen the danger of the soul substituting secondary things for the primary passion of knowing and enjoying communion with God -- the very reason for which we were created. It is possible for each of us to learn a language that will ignite a passion for God in the soul of another. It requires the ability to think beneath to see the real battle, to think vision and see what a person would look like when God is the primary passion of his or her life. Now, we must think passion. You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16:11). Here is what is needed to release the power of desiring God.

1. Brokenness -- as I relate to myself
   The very think that keeps you and me from desiring God is often the successes of life. As they had their pasture, they became satisfied. And being satisfied, their heart became proud; therefore they forgot Me (Hosea 13:6). Larry Crabb points out that the treasure of Christ are often only experienced during times of unfulfilled plans. That which causes you the most pain is liable to wind up being your biggest blessing. God makes know the path -- and sometimes we wind up on a divergent, winding road. "I believe that most believers must go through a period of breaking as they come truly to know God's grace. Isn't that what faith is about? We must know the wretchedness of our sinful state before we turn to the Lord for the rescue," Chuck Colson.
2. Helplessness -- as I relate to the spiritual
   When one comes to the place of utter, complete brokenness, then there is helplessness. It is only through the embraced belief that you are helpless in earing the pleasure of God, but that He chooses to embrace people who fail, that we will experience Him. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me (II Corinthians 12:9). This weakness extends to others. If our vision for others is high enough, if we actually imagine our friends wanting God more than anything else, our estimate of our own ability to make it happen will humble us profoundly. At your right hand are pleasures evermore (Psalm 16:11). Who is at the right hand of God? (Hebrews 1:3). How can a person love Christ?
3. Openess -- as I relate to others
   We all at one time have lost our appetite for God. We are ruled by the consuming passion of self- need. We do not experience the joy of communing with God, but rather live to meet what we believe to be desperate needs. When we don't receive what we believe we need, we feel pain -- and when we get what we're after, health, money, great family, praise, etc., we still feel, in our quiet moments, an emptiness. Augustine said: We are completely caved in on ourselves. We are self-absorbed. At some point in our lives God reached down by His grace and brought us brokenness. It is through this holy breaking that the treasures of Christ are received -- how can we fault another for seeking secondary things? We don't. We listen. We feel with passion.