What Do You Want?
Thesis: Desire is the inner power and motivation
of the heart. One’s life moves in
response to one’s desires. Our fallen
desires are naturally in opposition to the heart of God. Most remedies for this problem are
self-destructive. Only by re-orienting
our desires toward the heart of God can we live a life that is both “eternal”
and “full.”
I.
Introduction
A. Nearing Christmas, it is often asked,
“What do you want for Christmas?” <<Distribute
cards, Collect in Gift. >>
B. John 5:1-9 (part 1)
1. Setting definite. Located north of the
temple complex, near the fortress Antonia. (pictures)
2. Vs 3b-4 omitted from most manuscripts.
a) Oldest manuscripts do not include it.
b) Perhaps a scribal addition based on
extra-biblical historical accounts.
3. Main purpose: vs. 6. Do you want to be made
well?
a) How do you hear Jesus here? Mocking?
Super-gracious invitation?
b) What do you want?
II.
Desire Defined
A. 88 Occurrences in the ESV, translating 9
Hebrew and 7 Greek words.
B. Hebrew Words:
1. תְּשׁוּקָה tᵉshûwqâh, tesh-oo-kaw'; from H7783 in the original sense of stretching
out after; a longing:—desire.
2. נֶפֶשׁ nephesh, neh'-fesh;
from H5314; properly, a breathing
creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality;
3. .אָוָה ʼâvâh, aw-vaw'; a primitive root; to wish for:—covet,
(greatly) desire, be desirous, long, lust (after).
4. שָׁאַל shâʼal, shaw-al'; or שָׁאֵל shâʼêl; a primitive root; to inquire; by
implication, to request; by extension, to demand:
5. חָשַׁק châshaq, khaw-shak'; a primitive root; also interchangeable for H2820 to cling, i.e. join,
(figuratively) to love, delight in;
6. חֵפֶץ chêphets, khay'-fets; from H2654; pleasure; hence
(abstractly) desire;
8. רָצוֹן râtsôwn, raw-tsone'; or רָצֹן râtsôn; from H7521; delight
9. מַחְמָד machmâd, makh-mawd'; from H2530; delightful; hence, a
delight, i.e. object of affection or desire:—
C. Greek Words:
1. θέλω thélō, thel'-o;
apparently strengthened from the alternate form of G138; to determine (as an
active option from subjective impulse; whereas G1014 properly denotes rather a
passive acquiescence in objective considerations), i.e. choose or prefer
3. ἀξιόω axióō,
ax-ee-o'-o; from G514; to deem entitled or fit:—desire,
think good, count (think) worthy.
4. εὐδοκία eudokía,
yoo-dok-ee'-ah; from a presumed compound of G2095 and the base of G1380; satisfaction, i.e.
(subjectively) delight,
5. θέλημα thélēma,
thel'-ay-mah; from the prolonged form of G2309; a determination, will.
6. ζηλόω zēlóō,
dzay-lo'-o; from G2205; to have warmth of feeling
for or against:—
7. σάρξ sárx, sarx; probably
from the base of G4563; flesh (as stripped of the
skin), i.e. (strictly) the meat of an animal (as food), or (by extension) the
body (as opposed to the soul (or spirit),
D. The Hebrew and Greek words
use fundamental descriptors of our being (spirit, soul, body, heart,
will). They employ shades of meaning
that describe natural functions of our life like breathing and special
exercises of our mind, like making a decisive choice. They have to do with things that we passively
find good and things that we set our aspirations on. Every level of existence is involved in
desire. We are not creatures with
desires. We are rather beings of
desire. Desire is who we are and the
constant reality of our lives.
E. The original design of God in making
beings of desire was that we would find the satisfaction of our desire in Him
and in His good creation. We are created for pleasure.
III.
Deformed Desire
<<Open Gift, Poster>>
A. The fall did not lessen our desire. We are still beings of desire.
B. The difference is in the object and
purpose of our desire.
1. (Gen 6:5) God is no longer the object of
our desires. Instead, we are made up of a sea of sinful desires:
a) Power (Gen 3:16) first mention of desire
is in its curse.
b) Money (1 Tim 6:9-10)
c) Sex (Matt 5:28)
d) Diverse sinful longings (Col 3:5-7)
2. The purposes of our desire are no longer
to lead us to God-exalting pleasure and into the joyful roles he intended for
us in Eden.
a) Instead, our desires lead us away from
God’s plan (Eph 2:1-3; Jas 1:14-15).
b) Our desires lead us away from unity and
toward conflict (Jas 4:1-3).
C. Our natural inclinations are still
active, but they are perverted, and so we are constantly in a state of war
between the desires that define us and our conscience, which God has given to
everyone to know what is right and wrong
D. The Law’s role in combatting our sinful
desires:
1. The law establishes the standards of
behavior, all of which lie contrary to our fallen desires (Ex 18)
2. The law, by showing us what righteousness
is, highlights our own sinfulness and amplifies our inner struggle (Rom
7:13-24).
IV.
Diminished Desire
A. Caged Desire. We have to put limits upon our natural
inclinations and ask God to help us put to death the things of our flesh so
that we might walk rightly (Col 3:5-10).
<<Gift in Cage>>
B. As we distance ourselves from our natural
sinful desires, we risk a dangerous compromise, Denial of all desire
altogether.
<<Exchange Gift>>
C. It can sound spiritual (Luke 22:42)
D. However, if you say that the goal of your
spiritual life is to conquer your desires, you aren’t describing a Christian
ethic. You’re describing Buddhism:
Buddha taught that the cause of all suffering is desire, which cannot be
satisfied. If desire can be
extinguished, suffering will be removed.
E. Parable of the Sea Lion
F. If righteousness is about killing our
desires, then deadness is next to Godliness (JE).
1. Jesus, however, talked about coming to
give us life, and that more abundantly (John 10:10)
2. The sanctified life is called the road
that leads to life, not deadness (Matt 7:14)
3. Jesus says that he is the “bread of life”
and the “living water.”
4. 31 times in the book of John alone, Jesus
said that he, his words, and his body and blood bring life.
G. John 5:1-9 (part 2)
1. (vs 5) How long had he been there,
failing to get well? 38 years. How long
would it take for you to lose hope?
2. (vs 7) He stayed by the pool, but by now
it was a habit. Every time he failed to
be healed, it reinforced his hopelessness.
3. Jesus is calling the man’s desire back to
life.
4. Jesus’ question is not mocking or a
general invitation to everyone. He was
there to heal the man’s heart much more than his legs.
V.
Delighted Desire
A. Scripture calls us to submit our broken
desires to the will of God, but notice that the commands don’t end there.
B. We are to replace our broken sinful
desires with a desire for God.
<<God Box>>
1. Isa 26:9 At
night my soul longs for You, Indeed, my spirit within me seeks You diligently;
For when the earth experiences Your judgments The inhabitants of the world
learn righteousness.
2. Jer 29:11 You will seek me and find me,
when you seek me with all your heart.
3. Ps 27:4 One thing have I asked of the
Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the
days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his
temple.
4. Ps 37:4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and
he will give you the desires of your heart.
5. Ps 42:2 My
soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and appear before
God?
6. Psa 73:25 Whom
have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth.
7. Ps 63:1 O God, You are my God;
I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You,
In a dry and weary land where there is no water.
8. 1 Jn 5:14 And this is the confidence that
we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.
And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the
requests that we have asked of him.
C. Matt 6:25-34
1. Food, clothing, and lifespan cannot be
guaranteed by hard work or worry.
2. Vs 32: The gentiles seek after these
things. Set their desires and mind upon them.
Not the way of God’s people.
3. God knows you need these things. You don’t have to educate God about your
needs.
4. Vs 33: Our focus is to be the adoration
of God. He will “worry” about our needs.
D. When Jesus promises “eternal life” for
those who follow him, he is not only referencing a life that never ends. He is also talking about a full life in the
meantime (John 10:10).
E. If you desire your needs, God leaves them
for you to manage. If you desire God’s glory, He will manage them for you.
1. Not a formula for prosperity. That’s exactly the point!
2. If you are seeking God so that He will
give you prosperity, you aren’t seeking God!
3. Trust that God knows your needs (vs 32)
and will provide for you.
<<Open Box>>
