Review Text Titus 2 11 14 Goals Building

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: Christian zeal is the courage to • Courage exercise great wisdom, great • Knowledge/Wisdom • Energy energy, and great diligence in • Diligence • Loving Serviceservice to God. loving

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: 11 ff) – 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)

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