Our Primary Passion

Matthew 4:18-20

And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a

net into the sea: for they were fishers.

19 And he saith unto them, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.

In this passage Jesus called Simon Peter, and his brother Andrew, to follow him he said. “Follow me and I will make you ‘Fishers of Men.’”

That word follow does not mean simply to come behind like a human trailer. Within these words, there was an invitation to become like Him. That was the meaning that gave those words their power, they had seen in Jesus’ a supernatural manifestation of God’s presence, and they wanted to experience for themselves.

They wanted to observe His character, to study His words, to walk where he walked, they wanted to learn with the expectation of doing the same thing. They watched Jesus cast out devils, heal the sick, open blind eyes, touch the untouchables, and they saw Jesus speak to the storm and the storm had to obey his voice. But it all started with an invitation to follow Him, an invitation to make to make Jesus their Primary Passion.

In this world, people have many heroes, entertainers, athletes, and politicians. And these ‘celebrities’ produce, besides the casual admirers, followers who are so obsessed they become stalkers. Stalkers go beyond a casual appreciation or enjoyment, they become obsessed. That's when the police get involved because at this point they feel that the stalker is now a threat to the object of their obsession.

As I was praying, I heard the Holy Spirit ask me, ‘Is Christ your Primary Passion? Are you consume with a desire to know Him, so intensely that nothing will stop you? Are you consumed with a desire to be like Him?’

And as I pondered these words the stalker illustration came to my mind and the Holy Spirit began to speak to me about Jesus: How far beyond any celebrity status he is: Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga, Elvis Presley, or any actor or any performer, or any sports hero all rolled together, don't hold a candle to how excellent, how perfect, how beautiful, and how holy He is.

And I heard again ‘are you consumed with Jesus?’ And I begin to understand that the Holy Spirit Was issuing an invitation to become Jesus’ stalker. An invitation to be consumed with Jesus, to be obsessed with knowing Him, watching Him, listening to Him, learning what makes Him happy, and what makes Him sad. It was an invitation to walk in His footsteps, to sit where He sits, to love like He loves, to forgive like He forgives, and to hate what He hates.

And then I begin to feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit when He showed me, that most people in the church today are just casual Jesus fans. They’re like a fan who sits in their home and watches their favorite celebrity or movie star or performer on TV. They enjoy the performance for a while then we go to bed and forget all about them.

But I heard the Holy Spirit say to my heart: He is raising up a new breed of Believers in the church and they are not just going to be Jesus admirers or Jesus fans, they're going to be Jesus stalkers, they're going to be consumed with Jesus. Jesus is going to be their Primary Passion.

Every waking hour and even while they sleep they're going to be stalking Jesus studying His Word, listening to His voice, watching where he puts His hands, they're going to follow Him everywhere, they're going to be right on His heels just like Elisha was on Elijah's heels.

I hear the Holy Spirit saying the day for the Casual Christian is over. The Casual Christian is the person who just adds Jesus to their life like one of their television programs, they just add him into to their programming, like a little sprinkling of salt on your food, like coming to church at least once or twice a month so you can convince yourself that you're still saved.

There is a group of people in the church who are sick and tired of dead religion and tradition and they are once again falling in love with Jesus! Not a historical Jesus, not a religious Jesus, not a dead Jesus, but a living Resurrected Jesus. They're hearts are on fire again! And they are being consumed by Him!

Listen to what I am saying! The spirit of Ananaias and Saphira is being executed! The Holy Spirit is sick and tired of the Ananaias and Saphira spirit in today’s church! What is the spirit of Ananaias and Saphira? It's the spirit that offers Jesus bits and pieces of their lives and say that they have given him everything. It's a religious spirit, it goes through all the Motions but there's no heart in it. It's a spirit that gives what is easy, comfortable, a little change in the offering, a little thank you Jesus hallelujah, maybe even clap the hands, and possibly even speak in tongues a little bit.

But when you get home you never pick up your Bible, your spouse and your children never hear you pray. You watch and listen to things on TV and the internet that would embarrass a sailor. And you tell yourself that you’re all right because you know all the religious protocol, and you know how to look the part.

My friends: I love you, so I’m going to tell you the truth - That is a deceiving spirit. It looks the religious part, talks the part, but is lying to the Holy Spirit. Friend you can fool some of the people some of the time, and all the people some of the time, but you can never fool the Holy Spirit, not for one minute.

Let me go farther: If the world doesn’t see Jesus manifested in and through the church, they will never see Him!

The world doesn’t need a history lesson on Jesus. They world needs to see a vibrant demonstration and manifestation of a living savior that can save them, that can heal them, that can deliver them, and set them free. They need to see Jesus lovers, not just Jesus fans. They need to see us obsessed with Jesus, and possessed by the Holy Spirit! We need to be on fire with his Love, consumed with every part of Him, Jesus must become our Primary Passion.

I’m not embarrassed to tell you: I am obsessed with Jesus! He is my Primary Passion! Piece by piece He’s taking me over, until eventually, I hope to become unrecognizable, and I want it that way.

What I’m saying is this: being a Jesus fan may be enough for you, but it’s not enough to deliver the homosexual or set the drug addict free, and it’s not enough to open blind eyes and unstop deaf ears.