Andy Hall writes:
“Zeal for your house consumes me…” John 2:17
In a dictionary zeal is defined as “earnestness and fervour in advancing a cause or rendering a service by wholehearted persistent endeavour…”
Jesus was passionate about that which his Father cared about. He cared about “your house”
The outer courts of the temple were set aside as a house of prayer for the nations (Gentiles) and yet the Jews had so set aside God’s heart that they turned it into a marketplace for convenience of the Jewish worshiper and totally overlooked the Father’s heart for the nations. Zeal always took Jesus back to God’s purpose.
“…consumes me” a fire that burns but does not destroy or burn out. Zeal does not lead to burn out instead it leads to a steady flame - like the burning bush in the wilderness. Burning fire produces effects:
Purification – single minded devotion to your love
Transformation – I am being changed into my future
Illumination – the flame of my zeal lights a path for others to follow.
There are six habits of zealous people:
Zeal leads to regular cleansing of our temple to remove competing affections.
Zeal allows for the overthrow of the established order.
Zeal is revolutionary.
Zeal results in a regular return to our first purpose and calling.
Zeal yields to a radical Jesus.
Zeal helps to keep the main thing, the main thing!
Paul writes in Romans 12:11 “never be lacking in zeal, keep your spiritual fervour serving the Lord…”
“never” is a command, always and at all times, this applies. “Be lacking” literally means don’t be a sloth, slowly ambling to practice of zeal. Be on fire and burning!
Those who are zealous for God will be at all times coming into counter cultural conflict with the norms of society. They will be labelled as unbalanced and extremist. They will have less “grey” areas than most. They will stand their ground and be marked people because of the fire on them.
The Jews lost zeal for the house and it departed from its purpose. The same for us today that our house of the lord can only stay in its purpose if zeal for its calling and purpose is in its people. A zealous church culture makes demands upon us. It demands more of our time, money, energy, passions, creativity, compassion and mercy to build His house!
Revelation 3:15-16 talks about a church losing God’s blessing because it has become “lukewarm”. Apathy is a common demonic stronghold in the lives of believers today. Apathy means to be without feeling or emotion. Apathy is a sort of local anaesthetic; you are awake but feel nothing. Apathy desensitizes us to God’s heart and plans, we seldom cry, feel anger, or rise up in rebellion, we acknowledge evil but seldom fight it. We become wary of the “fanatic” and the “crusading spirit”.
Zeal burns, fuels and wakes us up to God’s purpose, the way apathy goes is to start to embrace zeal!
Andy Hall Associate Minster CCBN