Passion led us here. Not programs. Not convenience. Not ambition. Passion—Holy Ghost passion—burning like fire shut up in our bones (Jeremiah 20:9).

It’s the passion we saw first in Jesus, “who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross” (Hebrews 12:2). It’s the passion that turned fishermen into apostles, tax collectors into evangelists, and a young apostolic movement into a worldwide force for revival. It’s the passion that drove our pioneers to plant churches in living rooms, brush arbors, and rented storefronts with nothing but a Bible, a burden, and a belief that God would move.

The Pattern of Jesus’ Passion

Jesus’ ministry was never comfortable—it was costly. He left the glory of Heaven to walk dusty roads, heal the broken, and face relentless opposition. He poured Himself into imperfect disciples who often misunderstood Him, yet He never wavered. His passion wasn’t a passing emotion—it was a total surrender, even when that meant Gethsemane’s agony and Calvary’s cross.

If we call ourselves Spirit-filled leaders, our passion must mirror His. We can’t lead from lukewarm hearts and expect book-of-Acts results. Revival doesn’t come to the casual; it comes to those who pray until their knees ache, fast until their flesh is broken, preach with tears in their voice, and love without quitting. Passion led us here, and only passion will keep us here.

The Apostles’ Fire in Action

When the Holy Ghost fell in Acts 2, fear was replaced with fire. Peter, who had once denied Jesus, stood before thousands and boldly declared, “This Jesus whom you crucified is both Lord and Christ.” That sermon cut to the heart, and 3,000 souls were added to the church that day.

Their passion didn’t stop there:

• In Acts 3, Peter and John went to pray and, seeing the lame man at the temple gate, didn’t simply pass by. With Holy Ghost boldness, Peter said, “Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have give I thee”—and the man leaped up healed. Passion drove them to stop for the one as much as to preach to the many.
• In Acts 4, after being threatened by the religious council, they didn’t shrink back. They prayed for more boldnessand went right back into the streets, preaching Jesus.
• In Acts 5, after being beaten for the Gospel, the apostles rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name—and they kept right on preaching, daily, in the temple and from house to house.
• In Acts 16, Paul and Silas sang praises at midnight in a Philippian jail. Their passion didn’t depend on freedom or comfort—it was anchored in the joy of serving Jesus. That night, an earthquake opened the prison doors and a jailer and his household were baptized in Jesus’ name.

Everywhere they went, their passion broke chains—spiritual and physical. They could not be silenced because passion led them there.

We owe much to those who walked before us in the Apostolic movement. They were misunderstood, mocked, and sometimes mistreated. They built altars in rented halls, preached under open skies, and labored in towns that didn’t welcome them. They lived by faith, often unsure where the next meal would come from—but they pressed forward because passion led us here.

Some traveled on foot or by bus to hold revivals in distant towns. Others set up tents in muddy fields, braving weather and ridicule to declare Acts 2:38 salvation. They believed holiness was necessary, the Name of Jesus was powerful, and the baptism of the Holy Ghost was essential for salvation.

A Call Back to Passion

Pastor, leader, shepherd—hear this: the Kingdom won’t advance on autopilot. You can have strategies, systems, and schedules, but without Holy Ghost passion, ministry becomes maintenance instead of mission.

The early church was fueled by a cause worth dying for. Our pioneers carried that same torch. Will we let the fire fade, or will we fan it into flame?

The world doesn’t need another polished program; it needs leaders consumed with Jesus. Leaders who will pray until the heavens shake again, preach until sinners run to the altar, and serve until revival breaks out in our cities.

When we feel weary, let us remember—passion led us here, and passion will carry us to the harvest.

Check out our sermons on passion over at PreachIt.org’s sermon prep page here—and let the Word of God spark fresh fire in your heart as you lead your congregation.

About Pastor James Smith

Pastor James Smith, Valparaiso, Indiana – Founder of PreachIt.org, OpportunityHope.org, and PastoralHelps.com.

He equips pastors worldwide with sermons, leadership tools, and encouragement, while also caring for orphaned and at-risk children in West Bengal, India through OpportunityHope. Beyond the orphanage and school, OpportunityHope provides clean water wells, livestock, and other humanitarian helps to families and villages in need. Additional books, leadership training, and mentoring resources are available through PastoralHelps.com.