Mark 9:1-10
ZEAL FOR GOD
LIFE OF CHRIST #32
ZEAL FOR GOD
When he pastored the Methodist church in Scarborough, William Sangster had an eccentric member who tried to be a zealous Christian. Unfortunately, the man was mentally deficient and usually did the wrong thing. While working as a barber the man lathered up a customer for a shave, came at him with the poised razor, and asked, “Are you prepared to meet your God?” The frightened man fled with the lather on his face! Wycliffe Handbook of Preaching & Preachers, W. Wiersbe, p. 215, http://www.bible.org/illus.asp?topic_id=1722
ZEAL FOR GOD!
In England, in the last generation, Robert Arthington was a shining example of Christian stewardship. He lived in a single room, cooked his own meals, and shared his friendship with students who were in need. Yet he gave to Christian missions more than $25,000,000 during his lifetime. After his death these words were found on a slip of paper: "Gladly would I make the floor my bed, and a box my chair, and another box my table rather than that men should perish for want of the knowledge of Christ." {- G. Ernest Thomas} - Paul E. Holdcraft, {Cyclopedia of Bible Illustrations }( New York: Abingdon-Cokesbury) http://elbourne.org/sermons/index.mv?illustration+2935
It is good to have zeal or be zealous for God. Of course there are right and wrong kinds of zeal. The barber had the wrong type of zeal. Robert Arthington had the right kind of zeal.
I think that most of us would like to be more excited about God than we are.
I think that most of us would like to be more zealous for the things of God than we are.
How can we get such zeal?
· Can we manufacture it ourselves? No!
· Can we take a pill? No!
· Can someone give it to us? No!
True zeal comes from God and God alone.
There are conditions I feel that we must meet to have zeal for God, but ultimately God must be in it for it to be real.
As we continue our study of the Life of Christ, we come to a familiar story recorded by Matthew, Mark and Luke. It is the story of our Lord’s transfiguration. It follows right after Peter made his wonderful profession of faith, and then tried to rebuke the Lord Jesus for saying he was going to be killed. Jesus rebuked Peter and gave a stirring call to discipleship when he said in part … If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. [25] For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. (Matthew 16:24-25)
In studying our Lord’s transfiguration I believe that I have found some guidelines for allowing God to develop true zeal for him in our lives.
The outline is really quite simple.
The old time railroad crossings without any flashing lights or dropping gates gave this simple advice, and it is the advice I share with you for developing zeal for God. The advice is:
STOP!
LOOK!
LISTEN!
In Mark 9:1 we see a promise from our Lord. He announces that there were some who would not see death until they saw the Kingdom of God come with power.
This verse was fulfilled when three of the Apostles witnessed the transfiguration of Christ on the Mount.
Peter gave his testimony of seeing this when he states in
2 Peter 1:16-17 - For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. [17] For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Peter, James and John became zealous for God because they were eyewitnesses of His majesty!
To develop zeal for God we see that we must first
STOP! – Vs. 2
In order for these men to be witnesses of what God was going to do, they had to be taken apart by themselves.
They left the majority of the disciples.
They left the busy ministry.
They left the multitudes.
It was when they were alone.
It was when they had stopped that God gave them an experience that would ultimately affect their zeal.
Think of some of the men in the Bible who were zealous for God.
· Both Enoch and Noah walked alone with God.
· God appeared to Moses on the backside of the desert.
· Elijah spent time by the Brook Cherith alone with God.
· David the shepherd boy would have spent much time alone with God.
My friend, to become zealous for God you must stop.
· You must stop such a maddening pace so there is significant time to read the Bible.
· You must stop having the wrong priorities so you can spend time alone with God in prayer.
· You must stop your whirlwind of family and social activities long enough to wait on God!
· You must stop worrying and start privately casting your problems on the Lord.
Isaiah 40:31 - But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
The ones who wait on the Lord will zealously soar for the Lord!
The ones who wait on the Lord will enthusiastically run for the Lord.
The ones who wait on the Lord will patiently walk with the Lord.
Take time each day with the Lord, and your enthusiasm or zeal just might build.
STOP!
LOOK!
At the end of verse 2 it says that Jesus was transfigured before them.
Luke tells us that our Lord was praying and the disciples were sleeping.
The word transfigured here is related to our word “metamorphosis”.
According to Dwight Hiebert, the word “…denotes a visible change of the outward form as expressive of the true inner nature.” Dwight E. Hiebert, Mark, A Portrait of the Servant, (Chicago, Moody Press, 1974), p. 213
In other words, what’s inside comes out so you can see it.
As we study this transfiguration, we find some things to look at that will help make us zealous for God!
· LOOK AT HIS GLORY
Vs. 3 – While Matthew and Luke comment on the brilliance of the Lord’s face, Mark tells us about the brilliance of His garments.
His garments were so white that no fuller, who cleaned and dyed woolen garments could get them this white.
These clothes were so white no laundry on earth could have done it.
They were seeing Jesus in His glory as the Son of God.
My friend, we will not have visions of the glory of God but we can look intensely at His glory when we read His Word.
As we search the Scriptures, we can look at His glory as creator.
We can look at His glory as God in the flesh.
We can look at His glory as God’s master teacher.
We can look at His glory as the sinless Son of God.
We can look at His glory as the one who shed his blood for us.
We can look at His glory as the friend that sticks closer than a brother.
We can look at His glory as the resurrected Son of God.
We can look at His glory as the intercessor for the saints.
We can look at His glory as the Son of God, the messiah who coming to earth in power.
We can look at His glory as the ruler of the Millennium.
We can look at His glory as the judge of both the saved and the unsaved.
The more you look at his glory the more you will see his deity.
READ ISAIAH 6:1-8
The more you see His deity, the more you will be zealous for Him, because you are serving the living God.
· LOOK AT HIS FULFILLMENT
Vs. 4 – Here we find Moses and Elijah appearing with Jesus in this remarkable scene.
Moses represents the Law which when Jesus came, He fulfilled.
Elijah represents the Prophets, and Jesus came to fulfill the words of the Prophets.
Luke 9:30-31 - And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: [31] Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.
Luke tells us that they talked about the ultimate fulfillment that Jesus accomplished, His sacrificial death for our sins in Jerusalem.
If you want to be zealous for God, look at all that Jesus did on the cross for you!
He made it possible for you to be accepted by God.
He made it possible for you to be forgiven by God.
He made it possible for you to be cleansed by God.
He made it possible for your to have communion with God.
He made it possible for you to live eternally with God.
If you have been born again, all these things are not only possible, but true!
You are accepted by God.
You are forgiven by God.
You are cleansed by God.
You do have communion with God.
You will live eternally with God.
Look at Christ’s fulfillment, and be zealous for the one who has loved you so.
· LOOK AT CHRIST ALONE
Vss. 5-6 – Peter is awakened from sleep.
He is afraid, but felt that he needed to say something.
And he didn’t even know what he was talking about.
He suggested that three tabernacles or booths be made by him and the others. Perhaps he was thinking of prolonging the experience.
I see Peter’s primary mistake as trying to put the men Moses and Elijah on the same level as the Lord. Jesus.
Vs. 7 – The glory of God appears in a cloud, and God attests to the deity of His Son.
Vs. 8 – When the experience was over, and it ended suddenly, there was no one more to look at by Jesus only.
They were back to just being able to see Jesus!
And, that’s just what zeal for the Lord should be, being able to see Jesus only!
Only see Jesus as God.
Only see Jesus as boss and master.
Only see Jesus as Lord.
Only see Jesus as the number 1 love in your life.
Only see Jesus as the source for your supreme joy.
Only see Jesus as your ultimate interest for living.
Only see Jesus as the builder of His church in West Valley.
“It is said that Cyrus, the founder of the Persian Empire once had captured a prince and his family. When they came before him, the monarch asked the prisoner, “What will you give me if I release you?”
“The half of my wealth”, was his reply.
“And if I release your children?”
“Everything,” was his reply.
“And if I release your wife?”
“Your majesty, I will give you myself.”
“Cyrus was so moved by his devotion that he freed them all. As they returned home, the prince said to his wife, “Wasn’t Cyrus a handsome man?”
Wit a look of deep love for her husband she said, ‘I didn’t notice. I could only keep my eyes on you, the one who was willing to give himself for me.”
Where are your eyes?
Are they on another person?
Are they on worldly possessions?
Are they on your job?
Are they on yourself?
Or, are they on the one who gave His all for you, the Lord Jesus Christ.
H.A. Irsonside – “Moses and Elijah disappeared and Jesus Christ alone remained to be worshipped and adored.”
H.A. Ironside, Expository Notes on Mark, (Neptune, New Jersey, Loizeaux Brothers, 1975), p. 135
STOP!
LOOK!
LOOK AT HIS GLORY
LOOK AT HIS FULFILLMENT
LOOK AT JESUS ALONE!
LISTEN! – Vs. 7
Have you ever been told, “You should hear this guy preach”?
Or, “You should read this book”?
Or, “You should listen to so and so’s advice”?
What if God gave you a recommendation of someone to listen to?
Going back to our story, right after Peter puts his foot in his mouth, there is the cloud representing the Shekinah glory of God.
This cloud symbolized God’s presence.
God speaks to the three disciples and says, “This is my beloved Son, hear ye him!”
God attests to the deity of Jesus Christ and is saying, “Because this is my Son, hear Him!”
I think of hearing here as having two parts.
The first part is hearing with a desire and a mind to understand what is said.
This is not the type of hearing which lets something “to in one ear and out the other with nothing to stop it in between.”
This is hearing which grasps, which catches on, which learns, which understands.
This is active hearing.
And when you truly hear someone, you do what they say!
You are obedient to the teaching!
So God is saying secondly, “Hear by obeying!”
It is the Christian who hears and obeys who becomes zealous for God.
It is the Christian who hears and obeys who is also a wise Christian.
Matthew 7:24-27 - Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: [25] And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. [26] And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: [27] And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
Would you like to have zeal for God?
STOP!
LOOK!
LOOK AT HIS GLORY
LOOK AT HIS FULFILLMENT
LOOK AT JESUS ALONE!
LISTEN
HEAR HIM
OBEY HIM