Godly Enthusiasm
Rom 12:9-12
9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.
11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Former Secretary of Defense, Melvin Laird, has called the Polaris Submarine a “priceless asset” in the Cuban Missile Crisis. The man responsible for the development of the Polaris was Rear Admiral William Raborn, Jr. He carefully recruited his top management personnel. When they came on the job he would give them and their families a patriotic pep talk on the importance of their assignments. On those occasions when it appeared that someone was not doing his best, he would call him into his office for what he termed, “rededication.” One officer, recalling one of those emotional sessions, said, “When I walked out, I knew I was ready to die for someone. I didn’t know whether it was for the admiral, the president, my mother, or the head of the Boy Scouts, but brother, I was ready to die if necessary!”
Now that’s what I call enthusiasm! Enthusiasm has been defined as “energy that boils over and runs down the side of the pot.”
One of the exciting characteristics of the New Testament Church was that they really enjoyed what they were doing and did it with fervor. But just in case they needed reminding, Paul exhorts them here in Romans 9:11 to never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor.
This is what I call “Godly enthusiasm.” As a matter of fact, the word enthusiasm comes from two Greek words, en (in) and thous (God). One who is enthusiastic is “in God.”
ENTHUSIASM IS A FRAGILE THING. It can be destroyed very easily. In his book, Spirit of St. Louis, Charles Lindbergh recounts the trip home from his solo trans-Atlantic flight. After several days on board ship, he went up on the bridge during a severe storm. He watched it for a while and then said, “I didn’t know the sea was so big. I didn’t know it was so vast. If anyone had told me I wouldn’t have tried it.”
Vince Lombardi: “If you aren’t fired with enthusiasm, you will be fired with enthusiasm.”
ENTHUSIASM, that certain something that makes us great—that pulls us out of the mediocre and commonplace—that builds into us power. It glows and shines—it lights up our faces—
ENTHUSIASM, the keynote that makes us sing and makes men sing with us.
ENTHUSIASM—the maker of friends—the maker of smiles—the producer of confidence. It cries to the world, “I’ve got what it takes.”
ENTHUSIASM—the inspiration that makes us “wake up and live.” It puts spring in our step—spring in our hearts—a twinkle in our eyes and gives us confidence in ourselves and our fellow men.
ENTHUSIASM—it changes a dead pan salesman to a producer—a pessimist to an optimist—a loafer to a go-getter.
ENTHUSIASM—If we have it, we should thank God for it. If we don’t have it, then we should get down on our knees and pray for it.
EVERY PERSON GETS EXCITED AT TIMES…some for 30 minutes, some for 30 days, and some perpetually. Enthusiasm immediately captures the attention of others. Why? Because it glows. It radiates. It shines. It permeates.
Did you hear about the man who was trying to raise some money for a worthy cause and he said, “Enthusiasm is the yeast that raises the dough.”
Of course, enthusiasm must be under the control of the Holy Spirit. Otherwise it will be known as “wildfire.” Like the fellow who was zealous for his faith, but his enthusiasm was misdirected. He was a barber and one day he had a man in his chair to get a shave. The barber had him all lathered up and as he began to shave him with his straight razor, he said, “Are you prepared to meet God?” The man jumped out of the chair and ran out of the shop!
I was impressed several years ago when I read that Eugene Ormandy, the famous conductor, dislocated a shoulder while directing the Philadelphia Orchestra. I do not know what they were playing, but he was giving all of himself to it! And I have asked myself sadly, ‘Did I ever dislocate anything, even a necktie?”
Of all the people on the face of the earth, Christians ought to be the most enthusiastic. Why? Well, consider the blessings of God:
Eternal life through His Son
The Holy Spirit living within us
The Bible, God’s love letter
Adopted into His forever family
Answered many of our prayers
Protected us from harm
Provided our basic needs
Filled us with His love, joy, and peace
Given us many Christian friends
Prays for us as our Advocate
NO WONDER WE GET EXCITED!
SIX BASIC SOURCES FOR ENTHUSIASM
1. The Fullness of the Holy Spirit
Eph 5:18-19 “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord.”
Enthusiasm is part of the overflow of the Spirit-filled life. For example, in Galatians 5:22, we read of the fruit of the Spirit and one of them is joy! Joy may not be exactly the same thing as enthusiasm, but it is a close relative.
Jesus predicted that it would happen. He said, “Men do not put new wine into old wineskins. If they did, the skins would burst and the wine would spill out.” He knew that you could not patch up traditional religion. There was too much life in the new for the old forms to contain it. It would be split wide open. There was too much power, too much energy and enthusiasm in Christianity to fit into Judaism with its dead traditions.
2. The Knowledge That We Are Needed
The Lord needs us.
Cedar Rapids area needs us.
Our neighborhood needs us.
Our family needs us.
They need our prayers, our witness, our friendship, our Christ.
3. The Knowledge That We Are Useable
Two missionaries were praying together and one said, “Use me, Lord, use me.” The other said, “Lord, make me useable.” When we meet the conditions that God as for our lives, then we shall be useable. Here’s the kind of person God uses:
Those who have a great purpose in life
Those who have removed all hindrances from their lives
Those who have immersed themselves in the Word and live it out
Those who have learned to prevail in prayer
4. The Knowledge That We Are On the Winning Side
Illus: “Jesus Is Going to Win”
Vernon Grounds tells of an incident that happened while he was in seminary. Since the school had no gymnasium, he and his friends played basket ball in a nearby public school. Nearby, an elderly janitor waited patiently until the seminarians finished playing. Invariably he sat there reading his Bible. One day my friend asked him what he was reading. The man answered, ‘The book of Revelation.’ Surprised, my friend asked if he understood it. ‘Oh, yes,’ the man assured him. `I understand it.’ ‘What does it mean?’ Quietly the janitor answered, `It means that Jesus is gonna win.’”
5. Having a Greater-Than Outlook
In I John 4:4, the apostle writes, “Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.”
When we learn to claim the promises of God we will begin to develop this way of thinking.
Psalm 27:1: “The Lord is the strength of my life.”
I Cor.15:57: “Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Romans 8:37: “For we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.”
6. Expectations
Expect God to hear and answer your prayers.
Expect Him to expand your faith
Expect Him to use you to influence others for the Kingdom
Expect Him to bless your life, enlarge your borders
Expectation creates enthusiasm!
Illus.: “You Can Keep Your Lug Wrench!”
I read a story recently that made me smile and set me to thinking.
One dark rainy night a salesman had a flat tire on a lonely road. But to his dismay he had no lug wrench. Seeing nearby farmhouse, he set out on foot. Surely the farmer would have a lug wrench, he thought. But would he even come to the door? And if he did, he’d probably be furious at being bothered. He’d say, “What’s the big idea getting me out of bed in the middle of the night?” This thought made the salesman angry. Why, that farmer is a selfish old clod to refuse to help me.
Finally the man reached the house. Frustrated and drenched, he banged on the door. “Who’s there?” a voice called out from a window overhead. “You know good and well who it is,” yelled the salesman, his face red with anger. “It’s me! And you can keep your old lug wrench! I wouldn’t borrow it is it was the last one in the county.”
He didn’t expect any help and he got what he expected!
A man approached a little league baseball game one afternoon. He asked a boy in the dugout what the score was. The boy responded, "Eighteen to nothing--we’re behind." "Boy," said the spectator, "I’ll bet you’re discouraged." "Why should I be discouraged?" replied the little boy. "We haven’t even gotten up to bat yet!"
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A hostile world tried to squash the enthusiasm of the Early Church. They did it by various means. They threatened the followers of Christ. They jailed them, beat them, and killed many. But it simply didn’t work because their energy had a divine source.
Those early believers maintained their enthusiasm because they looked toward the future rather than resting on the past.
There is a grave in Concord, New Hampshire, which contains the bodies of five British soldiers who died in one of those early clashes in the Revolutionary War. On it is a plaque which reads:
THEY CAME 3,000 MILES TO KEEP
THE PAST UPON THE THRONE
The past has a ministry. It encourages us to do our best. The excitement, however, is in the future—to expect God to work in new ways. He is always a Pioneer!
Yes, Spirit-filled Christians have a dynamic, moving quality about them. There’s a drive in them for God and souls. There’s a zest for God’s work that doesn’t have to be primed by contests and rewards.
When a man is full of wine, people will know it! Similarly, a man filled with the Spirit can be spotted. The world will sit up and take notice. It will say, “That person has something, and it has him! Whatever it is, he sure seems to enjoy it.”
Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord (Rom.12:11)
