1. Christian Zeal
Tonight you are getting the Big Picture. We are going to take the plane up to about 20,000 feet and see what Christian Zeal is all about. That means we are going to get glimpse of a lot of information, but please don’t strain yourself trying to remember all of the DETAILS. If we took a literal plane and flew over the hills of eastern KY in the fall, you wouldn’t be trying to memorize the shape and color of every leaf, you would just soak in the richness of the colors as they blend together from hill to hill, and the beauty of the rushing river and the expansive sky.
Tonight, as we look at the big picture of Christian Zeal, I hope that you will appreciate the beautiful view that comes from seeing how many of the specific concepts we are going to study this month are related to each other. I want you to see the big picture. Then in the coming weeks we will all be on the same page in examining each concept in more detail.

2. Every Christian, A Zealous Christian TITUS 2:14
Question: What does it take to keep a fire going strong?
Answer: 3 Simple Things
Heat
Fuel
Environment
If you’ve read the Bible very much, you know that God uses metaphors pretty often to teach us complex ideas. He calls Jesus our great shepherd and us the sheep. He describes Jesus as the Groom and us the Bride. All of these metaphors are intended to help us live for Him.
Wonderfully, God uses a very familiar, very rich metaphor to teach us about zeal too: that is fire. I know, most of us microwave almost everything, or push a button to start a fire in the decorative fireplaces we enjoy. So we probably don’t know as much about fire as the people 2000 years ago who depended on fire for their food, their light, their safety – practically everything. But even today, we know enough about it to get God’s metaphor – because it is really as simple as lighting a candle.
God’s Metaphor: Greek word Zelos #2204 & # To Be Hot, Heat
God’s Vision: That Every Christian Be A Zealous Christian.
The Challenge: Many who desire to be zealous don’t know how to build a lifelong spiritual fire.
The Solution: We can build lifelong Christian Zeal with the right Heat, Fuel, & Environment.
***So tonight, I just want to give you the best of the best by looking at How God helped some of the most zealous people in the Bible succeed.

3. 7 Steps To Lifelong Zeal Enjoying A Really Great Campfire
Prepare A Place, Get A Lighter, Arrange Our Firewood, Shield It From Wind or Rain, Cook Our S’mores, Share Its Heat, Stir The Coals
Jesus Uses The Same Process To Build Lifelong Zeal In Peter & In Us…
Prepare, Ignite, Fuel, Protect, Use, Spread, Tend
Disciple

4. Lifelong Zeal Grows In 7 Steps
Step 1: Prepare Your Zeal
Purify Your Heart & Influences (Luke 1:17, Galatians 3:24)
Step 2: Ignite Your Zeal
Draw Near To God Through Jesus Christ (Matthew 4:17-22, James 4:8, John 14:6-9)
God’s Character, Motivators, Involvement, & His Will Can All Ignite Our Zeal (Matt. 8:14-17)
My goal is to give you the BEST of the BEST…
For More Info: See Josiah’s Reforms in 2 Kings 23:4-14,
Ingite: John 14:6-9

5. Lifelong Zeal Grows In 7 Steps
Step 3: Fuel Your Zeal
Courage (Matthew 14:26-33)
Wisdom (Matthew 16:23, 26:51-52)
Diligence (John 21:19)
Step 4: Protect Your Zeal
Matthew 10:16-22, Luke 22:31-34
God Knows It Is Tempting To “Lose Heart.”
2 Cor. – With help and HOPE from God we can persevere.
Courage (Judges 6:13-7:8)
Wisdom (John 18:36, Ephesians 6:12)
Diligence (Ezra 7:23, Romans 12:11)
Step 4: Protect Your Zeal – Satan ask to sift you, calling beezebub, if they persecute me… do not give thought to what you will say. Hebrews 12:3 - For (A)consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary (B)and lose heart.

6. Lifelong Zeal Grows In 7 Steps
Step 5: Use Your Zeal
Matthew 10:5-8, Acts 2:36-40
Step 6: Spread Your Zeal
Refine The Zeal of Others (Mark 3:18, Acts 10:33-36)
Mentor Your Replacements (John 15:12-17)
Step 7: Tend Your Zeal
Stirring, Managing, & Expanding It For God’s Glory (1 Peter 1:13, Ps. 71:17-18)
Use Your Zeal: Start Small & Build UP!
Worship, Evangelism, Holiness, Family, Service, & Hope (Philippians 3:20)
STEP 6: Refine The Zeal of Others (Mark 3:18)
Mentor Your Replacement (Philippians 2:19-22)
STEP 7: Reminders, Godly Sorrow, Friendly Competition, Looking To The Reward

7. God’s Solution Makes Sense
Every Christian Can Benefit From This 7 Step Process.
Step 1: Prepare Your Zeal
Step 2: Ignite Your Zeal
Step 3: Fuel Your Zeal
Step 4: Protect Your Zeal
Step 5: Use Your Zeal
Step 6: Spread Your Zeal
Step 7: Tend Your Zeal
With all God has done to teach us how to build Lifelong Zeal – we must put our hands to the work.
Drawing Closer To Our Heat Source: God
Developing The Essential Fuels: Desire, Courage, Energy, Wisdom, Diligence, Devotion, & Service
Drawing On A Favorable Environment: My Heart, My Relationships, My Works, My Obstacles
No matter what stage of spiritual maturity we are in, a lukewarm zeal can be easily examined and rekindled.
Building Zeal: Is There A Problem With My Concept of God? With My Spiritual Fuels? Within My Environment?
God’s Vision: God Has Provided Everything We Need To Honor Him With Christian Zeal.
Applying The Solution: It provides an approach to Christian zeal that is Biblical, specific, and immediately applicable.
Over the next 3 weeks we will look examine our HEAT SOURCE, our FUEL, and our ENVIRONMENT to help all of us grow in our zeal.
“God’s Vision” - LET US PUT OUR HANDS TO THE WORK & BUILD LASTING ZEAL.

8. Christian Zeal