August 12, 2007
“The Glorious Zeal of Christ”
John 2:12-25; Psalm 69:9
I. The glory of Christ’s zeal is seen in His heart for the house of God –
1. At this time the temple in Jerusalem was still considered the house of God – John 2:16-17
2. Yet, Christ’s Body was the true temple of God’s Spirit – John 2:18-21
3. Now, we are Christ’s Body, the Temple of God’s Holy Spirit – Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:19-23
4. His zeal for cleansing the church is shown in that we are washed in His blood – Revelation 1:5; 7:14
II. Christ’s zeal is something we should first admire and second imitate –
1. We should admire it because it is often despised, ungodly people think any anger is sin – John 2:15-16
A. Christ’s priorities were right – Matthew 6:33; John 4:34
B. He never sinned – Hebrews 4:15
2. Righteous zeal is applauded by God – Numbers 25
3. Yet, even “righteous” zeal can be misled – Philippians 3:3-6; Romans 10:1-3
4. We must be careful in our zeal – James 1:19-20
5. In fact, a great deal of zeal / especially angry zeal is sinful –
A. Muslims who destroyed the Twin Towers
B. Orgy – Greek word for wrath / also describes unrestrained passions / lusts
C. Jehu who did the right thing with the wrong motives – 2 Kings 10:16-31
Applications of this point:
1. Be humble about handling this fire!
2. Realize that mastering ZEAL is a work of God -
3. Realize that expression of zeal should be held for the right time and place (limited)
III. Let your ZEAL be like Christ’s
1. For the things of God – Matthew 6:33; Deuteronomy 6:4-5
A. Think of the first table of the Law / the first part of the Lord’s Prayer – Exodus 20:1-11;
B. Let it be Holy Spirit inspired – not worked up by the flesh – Galatians 5:16-23
2. Let it be multi-faceted – Deuteronomy 6:4-5
3. Let it be a group effort – Hebrews 10:24-25
4. Gain it through:
A. Bible Reading – Psalm 119:11
B. Prayer – 1 Thessalonians 5:17
C. Fellowship with serious Christians – Hebrews 10:24-26
5. Some things Christ did not need to do (regarding Himself)
D. Watchfulness over a sinful and sluggish, yet sometimes fitful heart – Proverbs 4:23
E. Our aim should be to be most extreme in our closets and first with ourselves – Matthew 6:6; Acts 20:28
6. Yet true “zeal” is shown in Christ-like actions – 1 John 3:18
“The visual image' of zeal, as Coleridge calls it, is a boiling pot. Zew, to boil, is the Greek root of our well-known English word zeal. Like other such words, zeal soon passes over from the material and the sensible world into the intellectual and the moral and the spiritual world. Till we find this so vivid word exclusively made use of to describe a boiling heart; a heart boiling up and boiling over with the intense heat of its own affections, and passions, and emotions. Properly speaking, there is only one kind of boiling water, but there are two entirely opposite kinds of boiling blood. There is the boiling of the blood of a bad heart, and there is the boiling of the blood of a good heart, with all the wholly opposite results that boil over from these so opposite boiling hearts.”
Alexander Whyte
