When we speak about church, many people say , there are a lot of churches , Church is not important !
But this is not what Jesus think about Church or what Jesus taught about Church !
We are going to see that Jesus had a strong Zeal for the Church !
John 2:14-17 “In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.””
NKJ version : “ The zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.””
Zeal means : passion , love , fire , devotion , enthusiasm, intensity
I think one of the keys to understand why we are here / is to vitality connect your life to the Church – the local church is not something that you can be passive about, and discover the purpose of God
The local church that you call your home , your church has a lot of influence in your life !
Genesis 28:12 Jacob put like this – when he found Bethel = which means House of God – where he saw the vision of angels ascending and descending / He said speaking about the house of God for his life : I have found the gate of heaven , meaning most of things God will send down from heaven when he saw the Angels ascending and descending, much of things God will do in my life will come trough the gates of heaven which is the local church
Let’s see what Jesus said about the Church :
Matthew 16:18 Jesus said I will built my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it !
Church doesn’t belong to any man , any pastor : The true Church belong to Jesus !
When you are an active part of this Church you are protected by God ! The Gates of Hell are not to prevail against the Church !
Are you an active part of Jesus Church or are you an Church’ visitor ?
Jesus was saying : if you attached yourself to the kingdom of God and specially to the local church your life will prosper , you will find purpose,
Matthew 18:18 Jesus said : ““Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
All that is connected (by the Church) here on earth will be connected in Heaven.
All that is disconnected on earth will be the same in heaven.
No one can live without belonging to a church, for the church is the authority here on earth that can put someone in Heaven.
The Bible says : Every person that is activated here on earth is also activated in Heaven.
There are many people who do not value the church , it’s sad that many people do not get involved with the church
Serving God trough the local church is a vital part of been a Christian
That’s why The Bible said about Jesus : The Zeal for God’s house has eaten him up
The word zeal means : a passion, the passion for God’s house has eaten him up
Jesus was a passionate man !
When you think of Jesus , what do you picture ?
Do you see Jesus as the quiet man from historic paintings ?
Or do you see Jesus pictured in the Bible , the man who cast out devils, confronted Pharisees to their faces , he called them snakes , he chased the money changers out of the temple .
The Bible says He prayed with many tears
Jesus wasn’t just gentle , walking Peace , peace !
he also was passionate and filled with zeal .
Who would like to be like Jesus ?
If you want to be like Jesus , You need to be passionate about the same things that Jesus was passionate about
He had a Zeal and passion for the House of God
If you want to be like Jesus you need to
We need to connected vitality to the house of God a,
If you barely show up , missing your attendance, far from the house of God – we are showing not passion for Gods house
The word passion means focus energy!
Where do you focus your energy on ?
Many people are passion about football, get passion about work , passion about motorcycles, passion about computers , games , TV ,
We better understand we can not loose our passion for the house of God
Passion is a desire , a willingness to give yourself Holy, a willingness to go the extra mile .
Jesus was a passionate man who turn the world upside down
If you wanna be like Jesus the first thing He had was passion for God’s house !
Ephesians 1:22 The Church which is his body !
The Church is not optional as many people view it
Matthew 16:18
I will built my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against my church !
Did you hear the passion of Jesus , saying :Devil you’re not coming against my church !
If you are linked with your Church / the gates of hell are not prevail against your life !
Church is protection for your life , family (Repeat)
The problem is many people are church’s visitors only !
Or they have no passion , no zeal , they go from Church to Church and doesn’t belong to any church ! Many people they just critics and speak against Church , jumping from Church to Church !
There is no perfect Church but The Church is the body of Christ and we need to be faithful to our church !
Did you know ?
How you treat Gods house is how He will treat your house !
Malachi 3:10 says : If you Bring the tithes and offerings to the house of the Lord and I will open the windows of heaven over your house !
He will build your house if you help to build his house !
If you poor and give yourself , not not just in money but labouring, doing what you can do for the kingdom of God / God says I will build your house if you build my house !
Is not okay to talk negative about the Church !
Some people say : I love the Lord / but I don’t love the Church /
I have passion for God but not passion for the church !
Some people say : I don’t go to church , I don’t need go to church !
Jesus was the head and he said the Church was his body !
What happens if you go to your wife and say : Honey I really love your hair ! But I don’t like your body at all !
This is what are you saying: I love Jesus but I don’t need his body !
The Body of Christ is the Church ! (Repeat )
Psalm 92:12-14 “The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green,”
Those who are planted in the House of The Lord will flourish in the courts of our God
Attention: They will still bear fruit in old age !
Listen this word : If you are planted in the House of God , if your family is planted in the house of God , if your marriage is planted in the house of God , if your kids is planted in the house of God , They will flourish, they will bear fruits !
These is so true ! Are you planted in the house of the Lord ? Many people doesn’t give fruits because they are not planted !
If you’re planted , Church is not optional for you !
If you’re planted you don’t give to God your leftovers!
If you’re planted you have intimate relationship with our brothers and sisters
So you encourage one another , you strengthen one another , you pray for one another , you help one another , you visit one another , you talk one another on the phone !
But if you just show up to hear sermons on Sunday , your not planted in the Church ! Something wrong with you !
If you don’t serve anywhere in the Church , somehow doing something for the Kingdom, you’re not planted
If your kids come to church more than you do , if you love your house , your dog , more than you love God’s house , something is wrong !
Jesus said : The Zeal for Your House has eaten me up ! Jesus had a passion for God’s house !
We need to live with excellence, with purpose , worthy, do not be faultless, have excellence in what you do for the Kingdom of God , for the House of God
The Bible says : If expect you to go 1 mile , go an extra miles , be excellent!
Understand the will of God for your life , you can know it , When you know it , do with all your heart
Here is the deal :We need to have passion, zeal for the House of God ! If you don’t , the opposite of that is boring !
When life is boring , when you have no more passion or zeal the devil are going to set you up for sin !
Because you were not designed and made to live a boring life.
Look in the Bible and see when people mess up , is when they get bored , they lost their passion for God’s house , they lost their zeal , they became lazy , they stopped going to God’s house and the devil set them up for sin !
When humans get bored , our spirit and our soul are not happy!
When we get bored in the Christian life , our spirit and soul are not happy !
You’re are not here just to survive, just to work , make money , to have things …. you’re here for more , to serve God , to be an instrument to bless others ,
If you don’t find that passionate life about God , about his Kingdom, about serving the house of God , you get bored spiritually, you get bored with your life , you get bored with your relationship, you get bored with your marriage, you get bored with your church !
Let’s see an example in the Bible !
“In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem. One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful,” 2 Samuel 11:1-2
When the kings went to war – David stayed home ! And he was bored , doing nothing, just watching TV , them he look to window and see Bathsheba because he should be out , not at home ,
Fighting the good fight of faith !
Because the kings had gone to war , but he was lazy at home !
When you get bored / the enemy will set you up for sin !
You need to have passion, Zeal for God’s house like Jesus , you can not afford to get bored !
We need to stay an fire , we need zeal , we need passion , to be burning in our soul for Jesus !
Stir up the gift that is in you ! Stir it up
Revelation 3:15 , 16 “I know your deeds, (your works) that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”
Here is Jesus saying: I know your works , you’re doing stuffs , (you’re going to church) – but you’re not cold or hot
Because you’re lukewarm/ listen Jesus word : I will vomit you out of my mouth!
Jesus , he doesn’t want a bunch of people in Church on Sundays Lukewarm !
You need to change your life been Hot or Cold – Not Lukewarm !
Don’t bring to me this lukewarm passion Christianity!
Jesus say : this lack of passion make me sick ! You will not be in my mouth!
I another words : The mouth of Lord is from the Word of God comes from ! You loose the word of God !
Every letter was written in the boob of revelation says : To the Church Of , To The Church of !
If you’re not connected to the Church you gonna loose the Word of God !
Stay connected to the church because God has a Word for your family ,
If you’re connected to the Church – will be a Word for you !
I Close with this :
God Said : I know your works , you’re not Hot or Cold – but you’re mediocre guys ! No passion, I’m about to vomit you out of my mouth and no Words for you , because you’re half hearted about life !
You need to get up every day and say I’m gonna live with passion , in fire for God ! This could be the last day of my life and I’m gonna enjoy it!
I’m gonna love God , I’m gonna love People and I’m gonna make disciples !
Passion for God , passion for God’s house , passion for the body of Christ that is the Church !
If you have this passion God will raise you up , and give you life , give you purpose, give you his plan !
It never to late even now , if you still alive – means that God has a plan for the rest of your life