Randall Caselman
Bella Vista Church of Christ
November 25, 2001 AM
Restoring Our Christian Zeal
Reading - Acts 2.37-47
We... In the churches of Christ are restorationists. I mean by that, that we are calling for a return to genuine New Testament Christianity... as it was practiced in this Book. You see... Restoration is an ongoing process... It never ends until WE... corporately and individually... become the people and the person that God wants us to be.
Restoration was the theme of Paul... John... James... and the writer of Hebrews. These New Testament authors were calling the church back to the mind of God... The will of God in matters of FAITH AND PRACTICE. Restoration was the message from Jesus to the Seven Churches of Asia.
Even the Old Testament is filled with the restoration motif. The Prophets were constantly calling the people back to God. Restoring the faith and pattern of authentic Judaism as given in the Law of Moses.
You see... The people of God in every generation struggle to rise above their humanity... Their sinful... flesh nature to become the people God wills them to be.
While we usually focus our attention on restoring the outward pattern of the church...
-Her organization...
-Her worship and practice.
This morning, I want us to focus our attention on the spirit of New Testament Christianity. Yes... It is important that we restore the Letter of the Law... But, it is also important that we restore the Spirit of our religion... of our Christianity. So, our lesson this morning is on restoring the Spirit of Zeal.
First... Let's notice some definitions for our word ZEAL
Our English word comes from the Greek which literally means heat or hot. Webster says... Zeal is intense enthusiasm. Zeal can be defined as diligence... determination... an active enthusiasm.
You see... Christian Zeal is:
A burning desire to do God's will.
An intense desire to be His person.
It is a faith and love that can't help but act upon what it knows to be right.
Zeal is what Jeremiah expressed in chapter 20 verse 9 when he said... The word of God is like burning fire in my bones... I cannot hold it... I must spread his name. Zeal is what the Apostles felt in Acts 4.20 when Peter said... We can't stop... We can't help but speak about what we have seen and heard.
OK... Let's notice some spiritual attributes of Zeal... and the Zealous?
Beginning at Pentecost, and continuing into the early days of the primitive church, we find a spirit providing of ZEAL in the church of God. The points for our lesson this morning come from Luke's record of their fire for the Lord.
First... Being zealous for God means that we must become changed, obedient people. As the Book of Acts opens... We see a group of changed men.
In the crowd at Jesus' arrest... They were wimps... In Acts 2 they were bold.
At his death some went fishing... In Acts 2 they where Jesus instructed them to be.
At his arrest they scattered in faithless confusion... In Acts 2 they were united.
So... Point number one is that being zealous means we become converted people... Changed men... women... boys... and girls.
Church... When we really believe... When we are really convinced that Jesus IS God come to die for us... To forgive us... To save us... Then we will be zealous folk. When we are convinced... Convicted... and Converted...
We will not question repentance and baptism for forgiveness of sins.
We will not question the purpose nor the mode of baptism.
We'll be baptized because we can't help but respond to God's amazing grace.
I believe that when we are genuinely converted...
-We'll be anxious to come worship God at every opportunity.
-We will want to live pure moral lives.
-We'll be loving and benevolent to all men... Especially to those in the household of faith.
-We'll be anxious to speak of Jesus to others.
-We'll give as we've been prospered... As we've been blessed by God.
Like the New Testament converts... We won't be able to help ourselves.
You see, genuine conversion places a burning fire in our soul... An avid desire to do ALL... ALL that God asks of us. No... Not out of duty... But out of appreciation for what He has done for us. We'll be like the prophet... Speak Lord... Thy servant heareth. We'll have a burning desire to do whatever God asks us to do with no questions asked, no excuses given... RIGHT?
The second attribute of zeal is a daily passion... a DAILY commitment. One of the reasons we have lost much of our zeal in religion today is that we only practice it once or twice a week... Sunday... and sometimes Wednesday. You see, Christianity has become a dress suit that hangs in the closet. Sunday comes... and we go get it out, put it on and come to church. O yes... We keep it cleaned and pressed... With a demand for doctrinal soundness. But Monday through Saturday, we behave much like the world around us... Having the same values... Wearing the same garments that they wear.
Note some scriptures with me which encourage a DAILY ZEAL for God and things spiritual...
Acts 2.46-47... Every day... Daily... They continued to meet together in the temple. They ate together in their homes with glad and sincere hearts - praising God and having the favor of all the people - and the Lord added to the church... Daily... those being saved.
Acts 6.1... In those days when the number of disciples was increased, the Grecian Jews among them complained against those of Aramaic speaking decent because their widows were being neglected (overlooked in the DAILY distribution of food). Did you hear it? They were serving meals-on-wheels daily!
Acts 16.5 says... The churches were strengthened in the faith and grew in number DAILY.
Acts 17.11... Now the Bereans were more noble than those of Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the scriptures... (What?)... Daily.
Here it is audience... Are we ready for this?
-The early church met DAILY;
-They fellowshipped DAILY;
-They were evangelizing DAILY;
-They were benevolent DAILY;
-They studied DAILY;
-And, as a result they were strengthened and grew DAILY.
The true restored church of Christ today is the church that is involved in its religion daily... Seven days a week... not just a Sunday-only faith and practice.
A true disciple of Jesus never takes his or her Christianity off or hangs it in the closet. NO... Not even at home... of all places... Home is where we should wear it! We must put on Jesus for the sake of our souls and the souls of our children.
The zealous live for Jesus daily. God... Help us to restore a spirit of zeal daily... A daily burning commitment...A DAILY passion for you and things spiritual... AMEN?... AMEN!!
Thirdly,... We notice that zeal is displayed in unity.
One of the most obvious attributes of the primitive church in these early chapters of Acts was...
-Their unity,
-Their fellowship,
-Their togetherness,
-Their one-anotherness,
-Their singleness of heart and purpose.
It really began even before Pentecost... Didn't it?
Acts 1.14 says... These all continued with one accord.
Acts 2 opens with... When the Day of Pentecost was fully come they were all together in one place... Our King James says... They were of one accord.
Acts 2.42... And they devoted themselves to the apostles doctrine... And to what? ... Fellowship... Togetherness... Unity... Oneness.
Acts 2.45... They shared together... Had all things common.
Acts 2.46... They met together with gladness of hearts... They enjoyed one another's company.
Acts 4.32 sums it up perfectly for us... All the believers were of one heart... one mind.... I don't
believe this is an accident... Do you?
In fact... I believe it is an answer to the prayer of Jesus in John 17... When he prayed that those who would be His disciples would be one.
You see church:
-Unity breeds... Zeal... Enthusiasm... Excitement...
-Unity encourages... edifies... and lifts us up...
While division inhibits... cools... hurts... ruins... and spoils. When a church is suffering disunity, members become discouraged, the spirit of zeal begins to cool., the work of the Lord slows. And, if that disunity is allowed to continue... The church will die because:
Folk... Disunity and discouragement are tools of the devil... And those involved in causing such need to understand their true position... They are instruments of Satan.
We will have restored zeal when unity in our churches is the rule, rather than the exception.
OK... Number four... Note that zeal results in a spirit of generosity.
The New Testament church was a generous group of people... Note these scriptures...
Acts 2.44 & 45... All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.
Acts 2.32... 34 & 35... All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.
Church... What we are seeing here is...
-Giving with NO STRINGS ATTACHED.
-Pure unselfish generosity.
-Giving JUST for the good of others.
-Giving just because it is the right thing to do... because God commanded it. This is genuine New Testament ZEAL demonstrated by pure generosity.
Church... Do you want to know what motivates us to be zealous in our giving? I believe Paul tells us as he writes to the church at Corinth... For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. They did not do as we expected... (Here it is)... But they First gave themselves to the Lord.
Restoration of zealous, generous giving begins with first giving ourselves to the Lord.
The missionary, David Barnard, tells of drawing a circle on the ground and asking the native people to place their gifts to God in the circle. An old Indian had nothing to give. Tears began to fill his eyes, then suddenly he jumps into the circle, declaring I give myself. Folk... Some of us need to jump into the circle... RIGHT??
Then finally... Christian zeal means that we have a social conscienceness. These early Christians had an influence on those about them.
Look at verse 47... Praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people and the Lord added those being saved
Acts 5.13 & 14 tells us that the believers were highly regarded by the people which resulted in many being saved.
I believe one of the greatest evangelistic tools we have today is our influence. These early Christians were well thought of in their communities because they practiced genuine New Testament Christianity with ZEAL... So will we!... So will we!
You see... A sermon witnessed is worth more than a sermon heard. We'll lead more to Christ through our proper behavior... And genuine New Testament zeal than through our preaching.
When Paul wrote to the church at Philippi he said, Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life.
We need to understand this morning that... We may be the only Bible some folk will ever read. We must restore our zeal for being a Christ-like example to all those around us. The true Church of Christ is made up of people who are zealous... hot... EXCITED... Enthused about doing what is good... What God commands... Before others. Paul says that... God is interested in redeeming us from our wickedness... and purifying for Himself a people of His own possession... A people zealous for good works..
Question... Do we have a desire to restore Christian zeal in the life of this church and in our personal life daily?... I pray we do.
Perhaps you have a desire to become a child of God this morning. You can, by:
-Faith in Him.
-Repenting... Turning from your sins,
-And having them washed away in New Testament baptism.
Maybe you need the prayers of the church to restore your Christian zeal.
Or perhaps you've been worshipping with us and desire to help us... as a church family to restore genuine New Testament Christianity in our world.
If this lesson calls for you to make a public response... Do so now as we stand and sing together.
