Zeal For God Sermon | God’s Zealous Servant
Categories: Sermon Outlines, Topical Sermon Outlines Tags: Bible Lessons on ZealZeal for God Sermon
Date written: October 25th, 2002
Scripture ref: Titus 2:13-14
SUBJECT: Zeal For God
TITLE: God’s Zealous Servant
PROPOSITION: In this lesson we want to take a portrait of God’s zealous servant understanding that God’s zealous servant is one who 1) Bold, 2) Relentless, 3) Uncompromising.
OBJECTIVES: Each individual should be able to explain what zeal for God is and give at least two Bible examples.
AIM: To embolden each individual present to be zealous for the Lord and for His kingdom.
INTRODUCTION:
1. Read: Titus 2:13, 14
2. About the Text:
1) In this context, Paul is writing to Titus regarding the great grace of God that has been given to all men.
2) This grace bring salvation.
3) This grace teaches us.
a. To deny ungodliness.
b. To deny worldly lusts.
c. To live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world.
4) We accept the instruction of grace with the understanding that Jesus is coming again.
5) We accept that instruction understanding that it is Jesus who redeemed us from sin.
6) We accept that grace in the understanding that Jesus wants us to be zealous of good works.
3. What does it mean to be zealous of good works?
1) Zeal is not a word that is used very much in the English language today.
2) The idea behind zeal is an unwavering loyalty toward the accomplishment of a shared goal.
3) It involves an uncompromising attitude and adamant spirit toward the tasks at hand.
4) It is the concept of doing whatever it takes to get the job at hand done in the face of whatever obstacles stand in ones way.
5) Inasmuch as we are to be zealous of good works, let’s look at what the Bible says about zeal for God.
4. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.
DISCUSSION:
I. Zeal For God Is Bold
1. Boldness involves truly understanding that God is on our side.
1) The king of Syria had come to make war on Israel.
2) But Elisha, God’s prophet, warned the king of Israel where not to go.
3) The king of Syria was told that Elisha was warning the king of Israel.
4) So the king of Syria sent to capture Elisha.
5) Elisha was at the city of Dothan and it says a great host of Syrians surrounded the city to capture the prophet.
6) Read: 2 Kings 6:13-17.
7) Hebrews 13:5 says that the bold servant understands that God will never leave us or forsake us.
2. Boldness involves not fearing what man can do to us.
1) David — the battle is the Lord’s (1 Samuel 17:45-47).
2) Hebrews 13:5, 6 “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”
3. Boldness says what needs to be said at the time it needs to be said.
1) Nathan the prophet. “Thou art the man.” 2 Samuel 12
2) Peter in front of the Sanhedrim. Acts 4:7-20
3) Micaiah the lone prophet. 1 Kings 22:17
4. Will we, as God’s servants, be bold?
II. Zeal For God Is Relentless
1. Tenacious
1) Tenacity is the quality of holding onto something and never letting go.
2) Jeremiah — word was like a fire, could not contain. Jeremiah 20:9
a. He preached that captivity was coming to Israel and Judah.
b. He preached when it came.
c. Some carried him down to Egypt. He continued to preach it there in Egypt.
d. He preached regarding the destruction of Egypt, Philistia, Moab, Ammon, Edom, and Babylon.
e. He even had Seraiah take one of his books to Babylon and read it there.
f. He was a tenacious prophet–always making sure that God’s word got to where it needed to be.
3) Paul and Barnabus at Lystra (Acts 14:19-22).
2. Steadfast/Persistent
1) Example of family of Jonadab in Jeremiah 35.
a. Jeremiah brought the house of Rechab to the temple.
b. He set wine before them and told them to drink.
c. Notice the great response of this family in verses 6-10.
d. Notice Jeremiah’s response to their obedience in verses 12-19.
2) So we are exhorted. 1 Corinthians 15:58
3. Longsuffering
1) Joseph
a. What of all those years in Egyptian captivity as a slave to be falsely accused and brought to prison.
b. What of all those long years in prison when he had been forgotten by the butler who returned to Pharoah.
c. What of the continued years in exile from his father’s house.
d. Over twenty years he lived like this, yet he continued faithful to God.
e. His statement at the end of it all was as follows: “And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.”
2) Job
a. He lost his property.
b. He lost his family.
c. He said, “Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” (Job 1:21).
d. James wrote of him, ” Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.” (James 5:11).
4. Will we, as God’s servants, be relentless (Tenacious, Steadfast, and Longsuffering) in our pursuit of preaching the gospel?
III. Zeal For God Is Uncompromising
1. Means he has to know what is right first.
1) We can know the truth; John 8:32; John 17:17.
2) We can be sure about the gospel; Luke 1:4 “That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.”
3) We can understand it! Ephesians3:3-5.
2. Means that he will stand up and not compromise the truth.
1) Samuel in the face of Saul and King Agag. 1 Samuel15:22, 23; 33
2) Malachi 4:2, 3 “But unto you that fear my name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in its wings; and ye shall go forth, and gambol as calves from the stall (bulls from the chute). And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I make, saith Jehovah of hosts.”
3. Means that he will not waver in the face of opposition.
1) Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
a. Daniel 3:16, 17 “If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.”
b. Wouldn’t bend, bow, burn. They did not waver in the face of opposition.
2) Daniel and the lion’s den.
a. The law was passed.
b. The king regretted that he had done so.
c. Daniel believed that God would save him.
d. The text says, “Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever. My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt. Then was the king exceeding glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.”
e. Daniel did not waver in the face of opposition.
4. Means that he will do what needs to be done regardless of the circumstances.
1) Phineas.
a. Was a grandson of Aaron.
b. Was one of the priests.
c. The children of Israel had taken Midianite women among their midst for impure purposes.
d. God had then sent a plague upon them.
e. One of the men of Israel took a Midianite woman into the temple.
f. Phineas took a spear and killed both of them together.
g. Notice what God had to say about Phineas.
h. “Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy. Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace: And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel.”
i. He did what needed to be done regardless of the circumstances.
2) Stephen
a. He was doing a great work. (Acts 6:8)
b. Those who disputed with him were not able to resist his words. (Acts 6:10)
c. They brought him before the Sanhedrim and set up false witnesses against him (Acts 6:13).
d. He did exactly what he needed to do regardless of the circumstances.
e. He said, “Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.”
5. Will we as God’s servants be uncompromising?
CONCLUSION:
1. John speaks of Jesus zeal in John 2:17
1) Jesus was bold.
2) Jesus was relentless.
3) Jesus was uncompromising.
4) This is why he was put to death on the cross.
5) Will we have the same spirit of zeal in our lives today?
2. Invitation
1) If you are a Christian but have fallen away
a. Where is your zeal for God today?
b. Will you be bold and repent before God this very evening?
c. Will you turn your life around and live relentlessly for Him?
d. Will you then be uncompromising in your attitude toward the truth?
2) If you are not a Christian this morning . . .
a. We stand before you today and ask you to bring the zeal of God into your life.
b. Heed the plan that it has for man’s salvation today!
a) Hear the word; Romans 10:17 “Faith comes by hearing . . .”
b) Believe with all your heart; Hebrews 11:6 “For without faith it is impossible . . . .”
c) Repent of your sins (Acts 17:30).
d) Confess Jesus as the Son of God (Matthew 16:16).
e) Be baptized for the remission of your sins (Mark 16:15,16).