Zeal Acts 9:1-9

Introduction Importance of zeal –Prompts inventions –Might still be walking Essential for us –In service to God –Self-examination

Definitions Four different words in NT –Forty times in NT –Greek zelos is “excitement of mind, ardor, fever of spirit” (Thayer) –Noun (zelotes) “lit., a zealot, an uncompromising partisan (Vine’s)

Zealots in New Testament Name applied to an extreme sect of the Pharisees, bitterly antagonistic to the Romans (Vine’s) Josephus refers to them as the “fourth sect of Jewish philosophy, and founded by Judas of Galilee” (Antiquities, Book 18, Chp.1, paragraphs 1&6)

Zealots in New Testament After his rebellion in AD 6, the zealots nursed the fires of revolt leading to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 Simon, one of the apostles, belonged to this sect (Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13)

Zeal Is Fervor Simply put, it is a “desire to have” –Used negatively (James 4:2) –Their desires were not satisfied Often used in a bad sense –Peter and John experienced “indignation” (Acts 5:17) –Filled with “envy” (Acts 13:45; 21:30) –Zealous for traditions (Galatians 1:14)

Zeal Without Knowledge Worse than the absence of zeal –Endeavor not justified (Galatians 4:18) –Jews (Romans 10:2, 3) Need zeal and knowledge –False teachers (Galatians 4:17) –Paul before his conversion (Acts 9:1) –Cults of our day

Necessary For Us Essential for us to have such desire –To be free from sin (Revelation 3:19) –To be full of good works (Titus 2:11-14) –Kept pure by love (1 Corinthians 13:4) Mandated by God –Add to our faith (2 Peter 1:5-11) –In receiving the word (Acts 17:11) –Fervent in spirit (Romans 12:11)

Conclusion Become a child of God Be zealous in serving God