Romans 12:9-13Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Dealing with the Zeal Killers

What is Zeal?

Fervor for a person, cause, or object; eager desire or endeavor; enthusiastic diligence.

Fervor = great warmth and earnestness of feeling.

Example of Zeal

Matt 21:12-13 – Jesus at the temple.

John 11:33-44 – Jesus raising Lazarus.

Matt 26:6-13 – Woman with the jar of perfume.

Zeal can be shown both through the amazing and the simple.

What kills our Zeal?

1. Life’s worries and troubles

2. My wants and desires

3. The ugly and unwanted

1. Life’s worries and troubles

• Matt 13:22 – parable of the sower.The one who received the seed that fell among

the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.

What kind of worries do we deal with?

• Work

• Finances

• How we fit it

• Sudrik’s

Stinky, ungrateful, dirty rotten, inconsiderate kids!

Solution

• Matt 6:28-34But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness,

and all these things will be given to you as well.

• Seek first his kingdom. Don’t loose your zeal. Heb 12:1 – Fix your eyes on Jesus…

• Life is short. James 4:14b – You are a mist that appears for a little while and vanishes.

2. My Wants and desires

• In short… This is just my sin.• Heb 12:1 - let us throw off everything that

hinders and the sin that so easily entangles…

• For me this is the three Ls– Laziness– Longings– Lack of faith

Solution

• Work harder and offset the bad stuff with your good actions?

• Heb 12:1 – Fix your eyes on Jesus…• GRACE… Only way we can even

remotely think about overcoming our life’s sinfulness is at the cross.

• Titus 2:12 - It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions

3. The Ugly and Unwanted

• This is personally my biggest area where my zeal is robbed from me.

• It’s part of the three Ls – Lack of Faith.

• Exodus 3:11 - But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?“

• I’m not good enough.

Solution

• You’re correct – You’re not good enough.• Heb 12:1 – Fix your eyes on Jesus.• Deut 32:9-10 - For the LORD's portion is

his people, Jacob his allotted inheritance. In a desert land he found him, in a barren and howling waste. He shielded him and cared for him; he guarded him as the apple of his eye.

What kills our Zeal?

1. Life’s worries and troubles

2. My wants and desires

3. The ugly and unwanted.

Solution

Heb 12:1-3 – Fix your eyes on Jesus