The Zealot Series

But it happens way LESS here… than in some churches I’ve seen. As churches go, this is as safe a congregation as you’ll get.

So first – not everyone who goes to church is Christian, and they hurt people because they don’t belong to Christ. They have no loyalty… no love for Jesus.

But now there a 2nd reason church goers hurt each other. That 2nd reason is that there are church goers who haven’t grown up yet. They’re Christians… but they’re in playpen chewing on their toys. They haven’t learned to be mature in their faith yet.

Even Jesus’ 12 disciples didn’t become mature overnight. One person noted that “If you had a ministry like Jesus’, it would probably be made up of 12 people who didn’t get your illustrations, and one who wanted to kill you.” (Mike Yaconelli)

If you’ve spent any time reading the Gospels and you’d see that the disciples often quarreled, and schemed, and doubted… and a couple of times they even questioned Jesus’ sanity. It took 3 years of constantly walking with Jesus before these guys finally “GOT IT”! They didn’t follow Jesus one day and then suddenly become powerhouses for the Kingdom the next. They had to grow up to become what Jesus knew they could be.

But Simon the Zealot wasn’t necessarily “Grown Up” when he 1st came to Jesus. And if he wasn’t grown up, how could Simon have decided not to hurt Matthew? Well, here’s the deal - you don’t have to be grown up to know that you LOVE Jesus. And if you love Jesus you’ll want to please Him.

ILLUS: My grandson is 4 years old, and he’s not at all grown up. But he loves me and he wants to please me. In the same way, Simon loved Jesus and he intended to please Him.

But how was Simon going to please Jesus? Well, by doing what Jesus wanted done!

ILLUS: I once read a survey where people were asked if they could remember anything that Jesus had said. The question was asked of both Christians and non-Christians. And do you know what the most popular response was? LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

• A new commandment I give you – Love one another.

• By this shall men know you’re my disciples – love one another

Even non-Christians knew that one! And Simon would have heard that as well. And because Simon loved Jesus he was determined to love others as well - even Matthew.

CLOSE: Now, here’s my point: Without Jesus we can be painful people to be around. We are the salt of the earth, but it’s NOT just being in church that makes us that salt. It’s being in Jesus, and loving Jesus. Philippians 2 tells us we have more reason to love others than Simon had. Jesus is our example of how to love others …

“If there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:1-11

INVITATION