Walking in the Footsteps of a Zealous Jesus-2

Zealous for God’s Will

God is calling us to walk through our lives in the same way His Son did…

1 John 2:3–6 (NASB95) By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; 5 but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: 6 the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.

Last week I explored a facet of walking like Jesus that may have surprised you.

A facet many would not want to adopt it as part of their lifestyle.

I talked about the zeal of Jesus.

We saw last week that …

Jesus was zealous for His Father’s house.

We read in John and in the synoptics about how He drove the merchandizers and money-exchangers out of the Temple.

About how He was zealous to see God’s gatherings to be characterized …

By bringing in the outcasts.

By healing the sick.

As being a place of prayer FOR all the nations BY all the nations.

Yes, that was another thing we looked at last week —Jesus was zealous about prayer.

He was zealous for His personal prayer life.

Over and over again we read in the Gospels that Jesus would get alone to pray.

He gave us that example because He wants us to pray.

In Luke 18:8 (NIV) [Jesus asks] … when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”

He asks that question in the context of prayer.

He is asking if, when He comes again — and He surely is coming again — will He find His followers walking in faith because they constantly prayed?

Doing what says

Because they spent time with Him.

Because they positioned themselves to hear what the Holy Spirit would say — to encourage, to guide, to strengthen, to give revelation, discernment?

The Apostle Paul highlighted a praying individual in:

Colossians 4:12 (NASB95) Epaphras, who is one of your number [he is a fellow believer just like you, facing the same things you face], a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, [as he is] always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God.

Epaphras was one who prayed not half-heartedly but zealously that people would do well in their walk with the Lord.

How many people miss out with God because we lack a zeal for prayer?

I wonder how often we miss out on that which the Lord would do for us, in us, and through us because, we give up too soon? rather than energetically, zealously, and expectantly praying with great fervency.

Why must we pray zealously?

Why must we keep asking, keep seeking, and keep knocking as Jesus tells us to do in Matthew 7:7?

Why does the Lord want us to come to Him continually?

After all, according to Matthew 6:8, He knows what our need is before we even ask Him.

Does He want us to grovel and beg?

No.

The reason He tells us to keep coming, to keep seeking, and to keep beating the arrows is simply because He enjoys our company. He enjoys hearing from us. He enjoys spending time with us.

So, like Jesus, let’s be zealous to pray individually AND corporately.

What is Zeal?

But what does it mean to be zealous?

Do you remember the definition of zeal from last week?

Zeal is defined as great energy, enthusiasm, or eagerness in pursuit of a cause or objective, often leading to action.

A key Biblical concept is to live zealously.

Romans 12:11 (TPT) Be enthusiastic to serve the Lord, keeping your passion toward Him boiling hot! Radiate with the glow of the Holy Spirit and let Him fill you with excitement as you serve Him.

How?

The only way I know to get hot and to stay hot is to live near the Son.

If we stay close to Jesus, if we purpose in our hearts that He will have priority in our day, if we determine to walk in the Spirit, we will find the zeal of Jesus reflected toward us and radiating from us.

We will see zeal in OUR lives that looks like the zeal of Jesus.

Like we saw last week…

If we are zealous for God’s house, our gatherings we will take action to make our gatherings line up with what Jesus saw for His Father’s house.

And we know that the Father’s House is NOT the Temple.

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 (NASB95) … do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.

1 Peter 2:5 (NASB95) you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house … to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

The Apostle Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 3:15 (NASB95) … I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.

A zeal for God’s house will compel us to gather often for discipleship, for worship, for fellowship, for prayer ...

And if we are zealous for prayer, we will take action...

To spend time in personal prayer.

To spend time in corporate prayer — there is something powerful about corporate prayer that cannot be replicated in personal prayer.

Why do you think that when we read the History of the Church in the book of Acts that we see over and over that the church prayed corporately — NOT just individually.

Righteous Zeal

But we need to be careful to walk zealously according to knowledge.

The Apostle Paul tells of the Jews in Romans 10:2 (NKJV) [He says… ] For I bear them [the Jews] witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.

Last week I encouraged us to follow zeal in a knowledge of Jesus.

I reminded us that …

You will always know that zeal is a false religious zeal if it is partial, if it is boastful, or if it is hurtful. The only zeal God can use is the zeal seen in Jesus—not religious zeal, but righteous zeal.

How do we develop this righteous, Christ-like, zeal?

By being humble and repentant

Being humble because we recognize 2 Corinthians 3:5–6 (NASB95) Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, 6 who also [makes] us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

As we walk in humility we know we miss it, we make mistakes … so we repent.

Over and over Jesus commanded the 7 churches of Asia to repent.

They were missing the mark, making mistakes.

The word “repent” means “to change direction one hundred eighty degrees.”

2 Corinthians 7:10 (NASB95) For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.

True, godly sorrow manifests itself in turning one’s back on that which is wrong and moving in a brand new direction.

Service

By being a servant.

There is no place in righteous zeal for pride and haughtiness.

Jesus’ zeal requires a servant’s heart.

Jesus said in Mark 9:35 (NASB95)… “If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”

Zeal leading to Righteous Works

By knowing that RIGHTEOUS Zeal leads to Godly action…

Acts 3:1–10 (NASB95) Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ninth hour, the hour of prayer. 2 And a man who had been lame from his mother’s womb was being carried along, whom they used to set down every day at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, in order to beg alms of those who were entering the temple. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he began asking to receive alms. 4 But Peter, along with John, fixed his gaze on him and said, “Look at us!” 5 And he began to give them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. 6 But Peter said, “I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—walk!” 7 And seizing him by the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened. 8 With a leap he stood upright and began to walk; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God; 10 and they were taking note of him as being the one who used to sit at the Beautiful Gate of the temple to beg alms, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

Zeal for God’s House and for prayer led Peter and John to go to the Temple each day.

But that zeal for God, led to a zeal for doing God’s work — an act of miraculous compassion — healing the man who had been born lame.

Zeal for God led to doing a righteous work of God.

We always need to pray.

But there are times to act, to reach out to the lost, the hurting, the broken.

Zeal for the Father’s Will

So, may we begin to walk in the righteous zeal of Jesus.

Zealous for the things about which HE was zealous.

God’s house.

Prayer.

But also, zealous about the will of God.

Walking according to the Father’s will permeated Jesus’ earthly life.

Jesus’ zeal for and delight in God’s will was prophesied of Him in …

Psalm 40:7–8 (NASB95) Then I said, “Behold, I come; In the scroll of the book it is written of me. 8 I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your Law is within my heart.”

We see a zeal for the Father’s will at age 12 in Luke 2:49 (NASB95) [when Jesus] said to [His parents], “Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?”

We see it in the scripture on the front of the bulletin:

John 4:34 (NASB95) Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.

We see it in the scripture I put inside the bulletin:

John 6:38 (NASB95) “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

In John 5:30 (NASB95) “I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

Several weeks ago I made a bodacious statement about Jesus and the walking in the Holy Spirit.

I made the assertion that Jesus ALWAYS walked according to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

But that we rarely do — because we don’t seek His leading.

I believe that if we seek to walk according to the leading of the Holy Spirit we will walk according to God’s will.

If the Holy Spirit prays according to God’s will (Romans 8:26-27), He will certainly LEAD us according to God’s will.

Forgive me, but I believe we Pentecostals have an advantage over nonPentecostals in this respect.

We have the potential to walk in God’s will more often because we are more sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

In fact, we earnestly PRAY for the leading of the Holy Spirit, for the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

We want to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit.

We believe in the Gifts of the Spirit that help us to DISCERN and DO God’s will.

Jesus was zealous for knowing and doing the will of the Father.

We are called to walk in that same pattern.

Prayer

The Lord’s Supper

Could someone call the children who wish to partake of the Lord’s Supper?

Among many other things, the Lord’s Supper is also an expression of Jesus’ zeal for His Father’s will.

In Matthew 26:18 (NASB95) And He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is near; I am to keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.” ’ ”

The time of the ultimate fulfilment God’s will to which Jesu was committed.

Matthew 26:27–29 (NASB95) And when [Jesus] had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; 28 for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. 29 “But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”

Luke 22:14–16 (NASB95) When the hour had come, He reclined at the table, and the apostles with Him. 15 And He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; 16 for I say to you, I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”

Jesus committed to doing God’s will which meant this supper was the final time He would eat and drink the Passover.

We see the same mindset in…

John 13:1–3 (NASB95) Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. 2 During supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God,

This last supper was one more time of Jesus saying what He had said to the Father for His whole ministry…

The same words He spoke in the Garden…

Luke 22:42 (NASB95) … “Father, … not My will, but Yours be done.”

Preparation

Before WE partake of the Supper together, we need to prepare our hearts.

1 Corinthians 11:27–31 (NLT) So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup. 29 For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died. 31 But if we would examine ourselves, we would not be judged by God in this way.

Faith says that through prayers of repentance and confession I can be made worthy to partake of the Lord’s Supper.

That as says 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Maybe this morning we can ask God to forgive us for not being zealous for God’s will — that the Holy Spirit will lead us into a greater sensitivity to the Father’s will.

Time of Prayer

Distribute Elements

Amy Gill is coming to serve us the Bread.

As the worship team comes and receives the elements…

Could we all stand?

You don’t have to be a member to partake.

Receive the symbols of the Lord’s Supper and hold them until we all partake at the same time.

Could we stand together across the front of the sanctuary?

Song:

Bread

Audacious faith says that the stripes laid of the Body of Jesus — portrayed through this bread we use for the Lord’s Supper this morning — audacious faith says those stripes paid for the miraculous healing of our bodies.

1 Peter 2:24b (NASB95) … for by His wounds you were healed.

Therefore we partake of this bread …

1 Corinthians 11:23–24 (NLT) For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread 24 and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

Prayer over Bread (Brother Broadhead)

End prayer with prayer from Seder:

Blessed are you, O Lord our God, who brings forth bread from the earth.

Cup

Audacious faith says that the shed Blood of Jesus is sufficient for our salvation.

WE BELIEVE Hebrews 9:11–14 (NLT) … Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. 12 With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever. 13 Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity. 14 Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins.

1 Corinthians 11:25 (NLT) In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.”

Prayer over cup (Brother Joe King)

End prayer with prayer from Seder:

Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.

He’s Coming Again

Audacious faith says that Jesus is coming again.

1 Corinthians 11:26 (NLT) For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again.

James 5:7–8 (NLT) Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. 8 You, too, must be patient. Take courage, [have audacious faith that believes that] … the coming of the Lord is near.

Chorus: Come Jesus Come