Zeal

By Robert C. Archer

What caused Jesus to react?• Zeal

• John 2:17 17 Then His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up."

What is Zeal?• Zeal is passion

• Lk. 24:27 & 32• Zeal is the burning desire to please God, to do His

will• Acts 22:3

3 "I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers' law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today.

• Zeal is having a single focus in life• Examples from world

Bible examples• Paul

• Acts 20:24 24 But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

• Philippians 3:13-14 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

• Early Christians• Acts 8:4

4 Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.

Let’s pause and ask some questions before we go further

Questions

• Do we have enough passion to make us zealous?

• Do we have the burning desire to make us zealous to please God and to do His will?

• Do we have the single focus in life to make us zealous?

But true zeal

• Must be according to knowledge• Romans 10:2 - 3

2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.

True zeal• Must be generated from true motives

• Not a “Party spirit”• Matthew 23:15

15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.

• Not from the love of praise• 2 Kings 10:16 (Jehu)

16 Then he said, "Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD." So they had him ride in his chariot.

What will zeal cause us to do?• Repent of our sins

• Revelation 3:19 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.

• Stand against evil practices• John 2:17

17 Then His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up."

• Be zealous of good works• Titus 2:14

14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

What will zeal cause us to do?• Sacrifice for others

• 2 Corinthians 9:2 2 for I know your willingness, about which I boast of you to the Macedonians, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal has stirred up the majority.

• Seek the salvation of souls• Romans 1:14-15

14 I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise. 15 So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also.

How do we develop this zeal?• By focusing upon Jesus

• Hebrews 12:2 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

• By seeking first the kingdom of God • Matthew 6:33

33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

• By seeking those things above• Colossians 3:1-2

1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

Conclusion

We are zealous for salvation of your soul – that you might share with us the joy of salvation.