Many of us are grounded by our fears. And what you need is some fire. Dr. Tony Evans says it's time to light up your faith. And when you get hot enough, other folks around you will scorch.
This is the alternative broadcast, featuring the timeless biblical teachings from the archives of Dr. Tony Evans. God not only wants you to follow His plan for your life. He wants you to be excited about it. Today, Dr.
Evans looks at how to ignite your passion for God so His priorities become your vision. Let's join him. Today I want to talk about your passion and your call. Your passion. There's no such thing as a calling without a passion.
There's no such thing as God calling you to do something. And you're in his will, and you don't want to do it. It's a passion. Everybody doesn't have it the same way. Everybody doesn't express it the same way.
But everybody has at least the potential for fire. Passion has to do with your spiritual intensity. The fire within. That thing that causes you to burn. I've seen folk who told me they weren't emotional.
at a basketball game or football game and it was a great play. They like to knock me simple. Because given the right set of circumstances. and the right environment. The dullest people you know will find some fire.
One reason why people don't have fire is that they're not where they're supposed to be.
So there's nothing there to burn. It's hard to have fire in a fireplace if there's no wood on the grill. If you're not where you're supposed to be. Fire will be missing. Today I want to talk a little bit about Passion.
What is passion? Generally, we talk about intensity or fire. When I add the spiritual component to it. It is the God-given capacity to fervently attach ourselves to something. to someone.
Over an extended period of time in order. To meet a need. It is the ability to, or capacity to fervently. That's where the fire is, to attach yourself to something or someone. over an extended period of time in order to meet a need.
Romans 15 verse 20 puts it this way. Paul speaking of his own. calling if you will And thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named. That I might not build up another man's foundation. The word aspired there means deeply desired.
In Romans 15, 20. Deeply desired. Because a passion is a fire. Paul's passion was to preach the gospel.
Now, your attitude about that may be: well, he was in the ministry. He was supposed to have one. No. We've already seen every Christian is gifted, every Christian is called. To be involved in God's eternal drama.
Ecclesiastes. was written by a very passionate man. He makes a statement in chapter 3, verse 11, that helps us to connect passion with calling in terms of derivation or tenure or timing. He spent the first eight verses saying there's a time for everything. Then he says he has made everything appropriate in its time.
He has also set eternity in their heart. Yet so that no man will find out the work which God has done from the beginning to the end. God has set eternity in men's hearts. That's the phrase I want. Eternity in the hearts.
Men without God have eternal questions they can't answer. Who am I? Why am I? Where am I going? Where did I come from?
McDonald's may want to supersize you. God wants to eternalize you.
Now here's the secret to your calling and its passion. Whenever you seek your calling, From the perspective of time. rather than the perspective of eternity. You live life on regular. Life is flat.
Because God has set eternity in your heart. See, all of us have this one ominous thing hanging over us. Let me tell you, we all have it. I don't care who you are, how good you are, what you do, how much you have. We all have this one big neon sign all over us, and it reads temporary.
If you haven't discovered this yet, either you're not very old or not very smart. It's all temporary. The movie star is a star. Temporarily. It's going to end.
They're going to get old.
Somebody younger is going to take their place. It's temporary. You put all those years into raising your kids, they become an adult guy on their own, don't need you anymore, forget where you live, forget your phone number. Telling me money. You finally get what you want, only to discover you want it new and improved.
You want something better? Today's front page star becomes tomorrow page 20 footnote. I don't know whether this ever bothered you, but it Sometimes bothers me. It's all temporary. God has set eternity in our hearts.
That is, life. can only be lived with an eternal perspective in mind.
So, what does God do?
Well, you don't have to turn there. Deuteronomy 8 says, This is what he does: he makes you hungry. The coach will ask his football players, how hungry are you? He's not talking about steak and potatoes. He's talking about how hungry are you to win?
How hungry are you to compete? How hungry are you to be out front? How hungry are you? How hungry are you to know your calling? Or have you been busy squelching your passion?
Therefore, missing your calling. All through the Bible, it says God stirred men's heart. He stirred them up to do something bigger. He stirred up their hearts, it says. To do the work on the house of God or to.
To build the community back, he says, and God stirred their hearts. Is there an area of interest that you just can't shake? If it wasn't for money, family, or time... Is there something in your life that you would go and do? If it wasn't for family obligations, money, or the time.
And you could chuck it all away. And go do it. What would that be? Because many times we use those as an excuse. for not following our dreams.
and fulfilling our passions. When they are never meant to be an excuse. Oh, they may be an excuse for how you do it, it may be an excuse for how fast you can do it. But it has nothing to do with your passion, your burn. Do you have a secret ambition?
Maybe you haven't told anybody. It's just deep down. You think about it. You may say, oh, you could never do that. Do you know you could be saying never to God?
Let me tell you a secret. Unless you Pursue your passion. We're gonna die. You gotta die. And by that, I mean you're going to shrivel up.
And die. I don't mean physical death necessarily. I'm just talking about you're going to exist. We're just going to exist. We're just going to get up and go to work and.
Come home and look at television and go to sleep and get up and go to work and come home and look at television and eat and go to sleep. You know. It's gonna die. Die. You're not fulfilling your calling because you're not listening to your passion.
But God stirs the heart. And that's like marriage. The passion that you had when you were dating. You say, what happened to that? Simple.
That's not a hard answer. What happened to the fire? Same thing that happens to the fire in your fireplace left unattended. It dies. You go to bed and leave the fire on.
Okay. You're not going to find one in the morning. Because passion has to be cultivated to stay hot. Most guys, they date to marry. Wine them and dynamite.
pull a chair out and open the car doors and compliment and and whispering and Surprise notes and unexpected flowers and compliments when none are deserved and That's true. She gets up in the morning, having done her hair, having brushed her teeth. You know. And in spite of that, you look over and say, you're the prettiest thing I have ever seen in my life. Passion left unaddressed.
Dies. Or it's it's may not die, it just stays. Squelched.
So How do we connect this thing of passion with eternity so that we get clarification on calling?
Well remember our definition of calling. It's your customized purpose. For which you have been ordained and equipped, but here it is to service the kingdom of God. Because remember, It has an eternal perspective always. Your calling is always linked with The kingdom of God.
Once you Extricated from the kingdom of God, you may not have any idea what it is, which is why most people don't know their calling. Why don't most people know their calling? Because of meism. I'm living here to make my money. I'm living here to buy my house.
I'm living here to drive my car, raise my kids. I'm here to make my mark. And the kingdom of God is nowhere to be found. Jesus said it. Matthew 6, 33.
He makes it absolutely clear. Siki, what? First. Sikki what? First, one more time, Siki.
What? First. Not seek ye when you have time, not seek ye when there's leftovers, seek ye first. the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these thing stuff. Will be added to you.
Now, that's not what we do. We seek first the stuff, and if there is anything left over, In my time, talents and treasures, then the kingdom may have them. God will never show you your calling. If it's not. First.
Which got me first? Seek ye first the kingdom of God. In other words, the promotion of God's glory and God's program. Thine is the kingdom, thine is the power, thine is the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Dr. Evans will return shortly with the story of a man who really understood the relationship between his career and his calling. Don't go away. Sunlit beaches, calm blue waters, and a week set aside just to breathe again. That's what's waiting for you on an unforgettable Caribbean cruise with Dr.
Tony Evans. From February 28th through March 7th, you'll set sail on a seven-day Caribbean journey, visiting Nassau, Grand Turk, Amber Cove, and Relax Away Half Moon Cay, a private island known for its peaceful beauty and white sandy shores. This time of year, the Caribbean offers the perfect escape, warm weather, gentle breezes, and a setting that invites you to slow down and truly rest. And while the destinations are incredible, what makes this cruise truly special is what happens on board. You'll experience powerful Bible teaching, meaningful worship, authentic connection with friends and family of the urban alternative.
and the company's special guests, Priscilla Shire and Anthony Evans. Come be refreshed, encouraged, and renewed. Find out more today at tonyevans.org. That's tonyevans.org. Before we return to our message, I want to tell you about the perfect follow-up resource package for our current series.
It begins with Tony's inspiring Called-for-a-purpose devotional book. specially written to reinforce the Biblical principles we've been learning about your one of a kind, God given calling. God has something special He intends for you to do. and these daily readings will help you keep your focus on his plan as you faithfully pursue it. As Dr.
Evans has been discussing, there's no greater source of satisfaction and success. than finding and fulfilling your purpose. And because these principles are so important, We'd like to send you the devotional as part of a unique resource package we put together for supporters of the alternative. Along with it, we'll also include all 12 full-length audio messages from Tony's current two-volume series, Called for a Purpose. You can get all the details on this special offer when you visit tonyevans.org.
That's tonyevans.org. or call our 24-hour resource center at 1-800-800-3222. and let one of our helpful team members assist with your request. That's 1-800-800-3222.
Well, Dr. Evans is back now with more of today's message. Man, one day. was saying goodbye to his pastor after church. Pastor didn't really know him, shook his hand and said, what do you do, sir?
Oh, he says, huh? I'm a disciple of Jesus Christ. Yeah, I think disguised as a machine operator. I hope you caught that. That was the kingdom answer.
He wasn't just doing a job from eight to five. He supersized it. He wasn't just out making widgets. He was using that platform as an opportunity to promote God's interest in history.
Now, God is going to show somebody like that their calling. But in America The lawyers don't want to be disguised. Mm-hmm. The doctors don't want to be disguised. The operators don't want to be disguised.
We want to keep up with the Joneses. No, no. Don't get me wrong. I'm not talking about having nice things versus not having nice things, having a nice car versus not having a nice car. I'm not talking about those things.
I'm talking about what comes first. If the kingdom is first, it doesn't matter much about anything else because you're going to keep that in perspective.
So it's not about amount versus not amount. Materialism is not having material. Materialism is an attitude toward your material that produces an independence because of what you have. I'm sure you all saw Titanic. And what a Titanic film it was.
True story. The Maiden Voyage. from England to America. of this Ship. It hit an iceberg.
Holes were punched in it. And you saw it graphically portrayed on the screen. The awesome Titanic. Sank. There were 20 lifeboats, not enough for the amount of people on the Titanic.
They got women and children off the Titanic. They got in the boats. The boats began to row away. The only problem is they left 1,500 people in frigid water.
Well, it wouldn't be long before hypothermia would set in and they would freeze to death as their organs. could no longer function in the coldness of the water. But do you know? Tragedy of Titanic. Let me tell you the tragedy.
The tragedy is That two-thirds of the boats. the smaller boats. We're only partially full. You see? The folks who were saved.
got so comfortable in their salvation. They forgot other folk was still drowned. And only one of the 20 boats. Returned. If Most of them that were not filled would have returned.
Hundreds of more people would have been saved, but After all, they were already... saved.
So since I'm saved I hope you make it too. Kingdom folk don't think like that. Kingdom folk want to know how I can use the opportunities that God has given me and called me to to provide a lifeboat for somebody else because God's kingdom call will always involve indirectly or directly impacting people. The lady applied to work for Billy Graham, and she said, Dr. Graham, I want to come work for you.
And I am an expert in computers. I believe God has called me. to keep the computers working sharp.
So that the resources that you get out get into the hands of people so that their lives can be transformed.
Now, this lady may never be on a crusade platform. But she's using her gifts. to service eternity. And we'll hear well done.
So it doesn't mean everybody's a preacher. It means everybody understands that there is a kingdom operating here. It means that there's an eternal perspective.
So my challenge to you today. It's to examine your passion. To look deep down inside and begin to ask yourself some strategic questions. What captures my attention? What do I dream about?
Mm-hmm. We ask kids that all the time. What do you want to be when you grow up? That's a passion question. That's a passion question.
Well, we're not too shaken up if they're not sure then and they're guessing, but we ask them again in high school, why do you want to be when you grow up? Maybe they're a little clearer. Maybe don't get too upset. After all, they're going to college. We ask them in college: what do you want to major in?
Well, maybe the first year they're not sure they want to take a general course until they narrow it down. The problem is long after college is over. If you were to ask some folks, what is your calling? I don't know. Is it that you don't know because God hasn't shown it to you or you don't know because You haven't had enough kingdom focus to find out.
Because here's what you're going to find. Many of you who have discovered your passion for the marketplace have also discovered your passion for the kingdom. You just didn't make the connection. Many of you have discovered your passion for the marketplace. Have at the very same time discovered your passion for the kingdom, you just never saw what you do in the marketplace as valuable to the kingdom.
You never made that connection.
So your marketplace is only connected to time. There is no eternal perspective. The Space Shuttle. Sits on a launch pad. It says on a launch pad.
You've seen it on TV. It has a mission and a direction. It's going somewhere. That has already been predetermined. By NASA.
The only problem, it's grounded because of gravity. Gravity says to the shuttle: you're not going anywhere. Be still. And that huge space shuttle with all its equipment, all these power, all this personnel, is grounded. That is until.
It is set on fire. Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven.
Six. Five. Four! Three. Two.
One! Blast off all of a sudden. The engines roar and you see Fire! All of a sudden, this earth limited vehicle. Multi-ton is now able to soar, all because fire was lit under it.
Many of us are grounded by our fears. And what you need is some fire. Many of us are grounded by What we were told. We've got such poor self-esteem that even though we desire it, we don't even believe God can create enough fire to lift this mess off the ground. When you got something as big as the space shuttle, you just need a lot more fire.
That's all. There's just a lot more fire. You're going to go home today, and the reason you're going to get home is because some spark plugs underneath your hood are going to produce fire. And they're going to produce fire. And when they produce fire, that fire of those little plugs will ignite the engine cooperating with the battery.
And your car will take you home all because there was. Fire! It moves trucks that way, submarines that way, boats that way. It moves planes that way. Planes fly because of fire.
Passion. And you have it. I don't care how dull you look. How thick your glasses are. How nerdish you are told.
God has given you fire. You say, well, how do I find it if I don't know where it is?
Well then you go to God every day and you ask him. to light your fire. You go to God and say, Firestada. Ignite it. You ask God to ignite the fire for whatever it is.
It doesn't mean you're going to do cartwheels. That may not be your personality trait. Doesn't mean that you're going to shout and scream because we're all different. It will mean you are lit. and fit the beat tide.
Because you're on fire. And when you get hot enough. Other folks around you will scorch. Because when you get fires loose. They start other fires too.
So God's richest blessing on you. as you look deep within and find your passion. because your passion is always designed. to lift your coffin right up off. Oops.
Dr. Tony Evans, encouraging you to let the Lord set fire to your faith. part of his series called for a purpose. This two-volume 12-message collection will help you find and fulfill God's unique plan for your life. As I mentioned earlier, if you make a contribution to help support the work of Dr.
Evans and the alternative, We'll say thanks by sending you the complete series on CD, USB flash drive, or instantly downloadable MP3s. along with Tony's inspiring Called for a Purpose devotional book. You can get the details and make your request today at tonyevans.org. That's TonyEvans.org. or by phone at 1-800-800-322.
That's the number to our resource center where team members are ready to help 24-7. Again, that's 1-800-800-3222. It often seems like those who've accomplished the most for God have been through the worst life has to offer.
Well, tomorrow, Dr. Evans explains how your painful experiences can be used to bless and build up others in the body of Christ. Be sure to join us for that.
