Post Pandemic Preaching

"Dear brothers and sisters, the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved. I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal. For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law."

Romans 10:1-3 in the New Living Translation Version

[This is the 5th lesson of this series]

Planet earth is now entering the 3rd year of living in pandemic protocols. Granted many places around the world have gone back to some semblance of pre-pandemic normalcy (although not really sure if we may go back to what was the old normal) but overall, today most people are getting back their zeal.

Discouragement

For the last 24 months, the pandemic has brought about discouragement after discouragement to people the world over. Slowly going back to normal is both a good and a bad thing. For what was the old normal may or may not be the best for everyone.

The Apostle Paul knows all about zeal. Before he became a Christ follower, (as Saul) he was the most zealot of zealots. He was feared for it, and for good reason. He had people punished and killed because of his zeal.

Zeal

But after meeting Christ he has directed that zeal for the cause of Christ, and spreading the gospel to the whole world. And it has become his mission (not to kill because of it but to die for it, when necessary).

Paul wrote to the believers in Rome in the 1st century, telling them what they may not be aware of, that zeal without knowledge is not good. It never was.

The chosen people of God, the Jewish people has what Apostle Paul called as misdirected zeal. Their enthusiam is not in line with the truth. In fact it was the opposite. Theirs is of legalism, tradition and works, religion.

Normal

Now zeal for anything, however misguided is something that makes everyone human, alive. Without it, one might not even be healthy or of sound mind. As children, adults just love those among us who have zeal, zest, vitality, life. And we tend to label those without as not normal, unhealthy and even needing a visit to the doctor.

I feel the same is with Our Father in heaven, He is looking for zealots. There were some even from the original disciples who were Zealots, those devouts among the Jews who sought non peaceful means to overthrow their Roman masters. And the Pharisees, the Saducees and for sure Nicodemus, Saul (the old Paul) and those scribes, teachers of the law, priests and Levites were all zealots in what they believed in.

Sadly, only a handful of them became zealots for Christ, or for the Truth.

Their zeal is not a prerequisite but having one is a sign that one will fight for what they believe in. We saw this in Jesus Himself when He made a whip and overturned tables after He saw those who were making His Father's house into a money making and scheming business. He would be doing this again in our churches today, if I may add.

Zeal is neither good or bad. It is in all of us, although in varying degrees. Now when our zeal meets the light of Christ, this light illuminates our heart, our soul and our mind, and fills them with a love, real love, a joy, real joy and a gratitude that is so overpowering, it is uncontainable. It will make us leave the 99 to search for the one lost sheep. That is what God is seeking. This the reason why there is this church.

Those with misguided or misdirected zeals can be the hardest or the easiest to turn to Christ. The Holy Spirit knows how just to do it. I feel many of those without passion and anything to live for, would be harder.

Even harder though are those already professing to be Christians but whose zeal are really (or if we are to be honest) on anything else but Christ.

We all need to check where our zeal is directed and based on. The Truth is out there, He is looking for us, but are we looking for Him?

[Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Light. No one comes to the Father except through Him]