Incredible Zeal!

“Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the

Lord!”

“Zeal in religion is a burning desire to please God, to do His will, and to advance His glory in the world in every possible way. It is a desire which no man feels by nature--which the Spirit puts into the heart of every believer when he is converted--but which some believers feel so much more strongly than others, that they alone deserve to be called zealous men! This desire is so strong when it really reigns in a man, that it impels him to make any sacrifice--to go through any trouble, to deny himself to any amount-to suffer, to work, to labor, to toil--to spend himself and be spent, and even to die--if only he can please God an honor Christ!” (J.C. Ryle)

Who is your favorite superhero?●Just about every kid goes through a time

when more than anything they like to watch, read & play with superheroes!

●Superheroes have the ability to do things that are “impossible!”

●Fly

●Incredible strength

●X-ray vision

●I am afraid far too many read the Bible much like a comic book, as if the people in it are like superheroes that we can never really be!

Js 5:17 Elijah was a man of flesh and blood as we are, and he made a strong prayer that

there might be no rain; and there was no rain on the earth for three years and six months.

●We read about the amazing things God’s people were able to do and then think, they are out of our reach!

●The truth is that what we read are examples of how to live our lives and what God will do in us, if only we will let Him! (Rom. 15:4; 1 Cor. 10:1-11)

Do We Believe?●Joh 14:12 "Most assuredly, I say to you,

he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.”

●Mt 17:20 “So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.”

It is my prayer tonight, that we are not content with

where we are in our faith, but that we desire to

become an unstoppable force for Jesus!

I. Incredible Zeal Defined!●What is zeal? Before we can ask if we

have it, we first need to know what it is!

●Zeal = an earnest temper; may be enlightened Nu 25:11-13; 2Co 7:11; 9:2 or ignorant and misdirected Ro 10:2; Php 3:6 As a Christian grace, it must be grounded on right principles and directed to right ends Ga 4:18 It is sometimes ascribed to God 2Ki 19:31; Isa 9:7; 37:32; Eze 5:13 (Easton’s Bible Dict.)

What is zeal? Rev 3:15-16 "I know your works, that you are

neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. "So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My

mouth."

●Zeal = great energy or enthusiasm for a cause or objective (Oxford Univ. Dict.)

●Zeal = a strong feeling of interest and enthusiasm that makes someone very eager or determined to do something (Webster)

II. Incredible Zeal Described!If you had to pick a favorite Bible character

who would it be and why?●Who do you think was most zealous for

God?

●Most of us, at least in the New Testament would pick Paul or Peter, both of which often showed incredible zeal!

●Phil. 3:6 “Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.”

Peter’s Zeal!When Jesus was on the Mount of

Transfiguration it was Peter that desired to build three shelters, when Jesus foretold of His death it was Peter that declared he would die with Him, when the soldiers came it was Peter that drew the sword, it was Peter than ran to

the empty tomb!●Many often fault Peter for being overly

zealous, but no one can deny that he had a heart for the Lord

●Jn. 21:7

Peter Walks on Water!(Mt. 14:22-33)

●This has always been one of my favorite stories, because above all else I too want to be with Jesus, I too want to rise above the storms!

●Peter know that real safety is found in the arms of Jesus, not in the boat!

●How many of us are willing to leave the boat?

●Outside of the boat is where the real magic happens!

III. Incredible Zeal Demanded!So what does all of this mean to us, how is this

lesson important to you and me? ●God is still looking for those that will get

out of the boat, God is still looking for those that will drew the sword, God is still looking for those that will not only die for Him, but that will “live for Him!”

●Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

Imagine what we could do for Christ if we would learn to have “incredible zeal!”

●People will travel across the country to go to a game, but not across town to go to services, people will camp out for days to get a good deal, but are not willing to be bothered for the “greatest deal!”

●It is past time for us to regain “incredible zeal!”

●It is past time for us to become an unstoppable force for Jesus!

Conclusion:●How many of us are willing to trust God

enough to “walk on water?” How many of us are ready to stop looking at the stories of the Bible as things for them and start looking at them as things for us!

●Have you come to know the God of the Bible? Do you need a “lifeguard?” Ours walks on water!

●We that are Christians, who possess the truth should be the most excited people in the world!