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Review. Text: Titus 2:11-14 Goals: Building a spiritual fire Scriptural ways to enhance zeal Mature understanding of zeal Satisfaction of imitating the zeal of Christ. Review. Zeal Defined: 5 Qualities: Courage Knowledge/Wisdom Energy Diligence Loving Service.
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Review • Text: Titus 2:11-14 • Goals: • Building a spiritual fire • Scriptural ways to enhance zeal • Mature understanding of zeal • Satisfaction of imitating the zeal of Christ
Review • Zeal Defined: • 5 Qualities: • Courage • Knowledge/Wisdom • Energy • Diligence • Loving Service Christian zeal is the courage to exercise great wisdom, great energy, and great diligence in loving service to God.
Review • Why be zealous? • Jesus’ Mission (Tit. 2:14) • Jesus’ Commandment (Rev. 3:14-19) • We are to imitate Christ (1 Jn. 2:6) • God demands a zealous people! • God has equipped us to be what He demands!
Christian Zeal = Intense Heat • Zeal • Greek zelos • Strong’s: properly, heat • From primary verb zeo: to be hot (boil, of liquids; or glow, of solids) • Fire/Heat a prominent figure in Scripture
Elements – Fire Triangle • Three elements for a proper fire: • Heat • Fuel • Air • Three elements for a proper spiritual fire: • Proper source of HEAT • Proper source of FUEL • Proper ENVIRONMENT
Elements – Fire Triangle • Our Heat Source: GOD • How deeply does God care for mankind? • Eph. 1:4; 1 Pet. 1:20 • Rom. 5:6-11 • How deeply is God concerned with justice? • Heb. 12:28-29 • 1 Thess. 2:8 • Rom. 1:16-18 • How can we draw closer to God to provide heat for our spiritual fire?
Elements – Fire Triangle • Our Fuel Source: Character of CHRIST • We are to walk as Christ walked (1 Jn. 2:6) • Where to start? • Courage • Energy • Diligence • Wisdom/Knowledge • Loving Service • What if one or more of these is missing?
Elements – Fire Triangle • Our Optimum Environment: Purity • We cannot build the proper fire when influenced by sin and the world. • Be prepared to face an impure world (Mt. 10:16; Eph. 6:11ff) • Attune our minds to purity (Phil. 4:8) • Replace the “old spirits” with good things (Mt. 12:43-45) • Seek purity where we have influence, esp. in our hearts (Mal. 3:3; 1 Jn. 2:15)
God Character of Christ Purity