Warning against Prosperity Gospel

Psalms 73:25-26
Whom have I in heaven but you?And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Zeal for God by Bishop J. C. Ryle

Psalm 69:9 (NIV) "zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who insult you fall on me." Romans 12:11 (NIV) "Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord"

Zeal in religion is a burning desire to please God, to do His will, and to advance His glory in the world in every possible way. It is a desire which no man feels by nature-which the Spirit puts in the heart of every believer when he is converted-but which some believers feel so much more strongly than others that they alone deserve to be called 'zealous' men . . . .

A zealous man in religion is pre-eminently a man of one thing. It is not enough to say that he is earnest, hearty, uncompromising, thorough-goin, whole-hearted, fervent in spirit. He only sees one thing, he cares for one thing, he lives for one thing, he is swallowed up in one thing; and that one thing is to please God. Whether he lives, or whether he dies-whether he has health, or whether he has sickness-whether he is rich, or whether he is poor-whether he pleases man, or whether he gives offence-whetherhe is thought wise, or whether he is thought foolish-whether he gets shame-for all this the zealous man cares nothing at all. He burns for one thing; and that one thing is to please God, and to advance God's glory. If he is consumed in the very burnng, he cares not for it-he is content. He feels that, like a lamp, he is made to burn; and if consumed in burning, he has but done the work for which God appointed him. Such a one will always find a sphere for his zeal. If he cannot preach, work, and give money, he will cry, and sigh, and pray . . . .If he cannot fight in the valley with Joshua, he will do the work of Moses, Aaron, and Hur, on the hill (Exodus 17:9-13). If he is cut off from working himself, he will give the Lord no rest till help is raised up from another quarter, and the work is done. This is what I mean when I speak of 'zeal' in religion. (Practical Religion, 1959 ed., p. 130)

Martyr of Stephen

But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. "Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." Acts 7:55-56 NIV

Upon looking at what would be the first person to die for his faith since Christ's resurrection, Jesus is not sitting, but standing at the right hand of God. First blood shed in the name of the Way.

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Matt. 10:28 NIV

Character Sketch of Paul

Paul was one of the most remarkable men in human history. His Jewish name was Saul and he was born in Tarsus, in the region of (modern southeast Turkey). Though born outside of Israel and well acquainted with Greek ways, Paul was trained in Jerusalem under the tutelage of Gamaliel, one of the leading Jewish rabbis of his day. (Walton, Strauss & Cooper, Jr., 2006)


As a young man, Paul was so zealous for his faith that he began persecuting the new Christian church, viewing it as a distortion of Judaism and promoting a false messiah. But while headed for Damascus to persecute Christians, the resurrected Jesus appeared to Paul and called him into his service. Paul "the persecutor" was suddenly transformed into Paul "the apostle" (apostle means "one sent out with a commission). As a missionary, evangelist, church planter, and creative theologian, Paul became one of the leading proponents of Christianity. (Walton, Strauss & Cooper, Jr., 2006)

It was Paul more than any other who set out the theological implications of the coming of Jesus. For Paul, Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross paid for the sins of the world and reversed the results of Adam's fall. Jesus' resurrection meant that the new age to salvation-the kingdom of God- had dawned. Salvation was now to be proclaimed by his church to the whole world. (Walton, Strauss & Cooper, Jr., 2006, pg.91)

But Roman citizenship gave legal privileges and protection that served Saul well in his later endeavors as a Christian missionary. He, his father, and at least his grandfather too were Pharisees (not the plural “fathers” in Acts 26:5-6) and, resisting Hellenism as much as possible, lived Hebraistically (Philippians 3:5-6). Most of his young manhood Saul spent in Jerusalem where he studied under the famous rabbi Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). (Gundry, pg. 312-13)

Why does God allow Christians to suffer?

• Discipline for personal sin (Heb. 12:7, 11)
• Dev. Perseverance, character, maturity (Rom. 5:3-5, James 1:2-4)
• Comfort others (2 Cor. 1:3-4)
• Opportunity to advance gospel (Phil. 1:12)
• Follow Christ’s example, show His glory (1 Peter 4:12-14)
• Show genuine faith and glorify God (1 Peter 1:6-7)

Functions the Holy Spirit performs

1. Bring into remembrance all that Jesus had taught (Jn 14:26)
2. Witness to Jesus (Jn 15:26-27)
3. Convict the world of sin (Jn 16:8)
4. Guide believers into all truth (Jn 16:13)

Christian duties toward Christian doctrine

1. Learn it (Rom. 16:17)
2. Obey it from the heart (Rom. 6:17, 19, 22)
3. Let it control personal communication and conduct (Titus 2:1, 10)