Calvary Road Baptist Church
“ENTHUSIASTIC CHRISTIANITY”
Romans 12.11b
I want to preach to you about a subject to that is dear to my heart. I call it enthusiastic Christianity. We don’t see enough enthusiastic Christianity these days. Turn in your Bible to Romans 12.11 and stand for the reading of God’s Word. Notice what Paul writes in this portion of his letter in which he puts shoe leather to expressions of love within the congregation:
“Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord.”
I’m not going to beat around the bush with you on this because you all know where I stand. I am in favor of enthusiastic Christianity. But more important than me being in favor of enthusiastic Christianity, I am convinced God is in favor of enthusiastic Christianity. In my text for this message, Paul indicates that God’s will for Christians includes being fervent in spirit. That means enthusiastic.
I’ll never forget my first two years in the pastorate. Throughout the first year, I preached in a very low key and moderate style, wondering if my throat would ever recover from the damage I had done to it in a fit of temper several years earlier. After about a year of speaking three times a week, my voice became strong enough that I gradually, rather unconsciously I might add, became a much more energetic and louder speaker. I became a preacher.
However, as much as I tried, I could not convince the congregation I preached to to respond to my preaching biblically, in a Scriptural way. It’s just not God’s plan for you to sit always there, utterly without comment, while the Word of God is being preached.
After delivering for the first time, my sermon entitled “Amen,” a young man approached me after the service. I was, admittedly, rather disappointed that folks clung so tenaciously to their refusal to get excited about the preaching of God’s Word and say something, anything. What this young man said to me, however, was amazing. He said, “Pastor, you keep trying to get us to say ‘Amen’ when you preach. But you have to realize that we’re Baptists, not Methodists.”
If I had been a Methodist, I would have lost my Christianity right then and there. I went on to tell that young man that throughout our rather young country’s history it has been the rule, rather than the exception, for members of Gospel preaching Churches, including the old-time Methodists, but especially the Baptists, to provide strong vocal support to the preacher as he delivered his message from God’s Word.
But it didn’t take in that Church. Folks refused to respond in a Biblical way to the preaching of God’s Word. And why was that so? The same reason many folks in Monrovia refuse to respond in a Biblical way to Bible preaching while the Bible is being preached. A more basic problem than simply saying Amen has not properly been dealt with.
That more basic problem with utter silence is enthusiasm. You see, when you are enthusiastic, you don’t need anyone to teach you to say Amen. When you are enthusiastic, you only need to be coached and taught when to say Amen. But the enthusiasm in your Christian life doesn’t stop at the front door of the Church as you head to your car. The symptoms of enthusiasm extend to every area of your life. For example: An enthusiastic Christian doesn’t really need to be encouraged to witness. He’s going to talk about the Lord. The only thing you need to do with an enthusiastic Christian is to show him how to deliver the Gospel message.
Much the same is true with giving. The enthusiastic Christian craves involvement in God’s plan and purpose for his life. So, with an enthusiastic Christian, you show him in the Bible God’s plan for responsible giving, and he will eventually participate enthusiastically.
A great many Churchgoers are decidedly unenthusiastic. And don’t think that I am going to try and preach a motivational message in an attempt to get you to froth at the mouth and pretend to be excited about the things of God. I don’t think that’s the way God works in people’s lives. The way God works in people’s lives is from the inside out, not the outside in. So, what I propose to deliver to you is a three-step plan, and it’s a Biblical plan, that will result in you becoming a somewhat more enthusiastic Christian if you are a Christian.
First, YOU MUST RECEIVE THE WORD OF GOD
As Bible-believing Christians, we understand that the faith once delivered to the saints is in the form of objective truth. That objective truth is the Word of God. If you want in your life the enthusiasm that pleases God, you will receive the Word of God. There are two things about receiving the Word of God into your life, into your soul, into your spirit, that I want you to leave with you:
First, I want you to understand what is the primary method of receiving God’s Word. The primary method of receiving God’s Word is not by reading God’ s Word. Let us remember that throughout human history, very few people have been able to read or read well. This is reflected in Revelation 1.3:
“Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.”
This refers to the blessings bestowed upon the individual who reads and the multitudes who heard the Word of God. Though reading God’s Word is great, and we certainly stress it around here, it is not the primary method ordained by God for receiving His Word into your life.
Some people even have it in their minds that the primary method of receiving God’s Word is teaching. My, what an explosion of Bible teaching we have available to us these days. Would to God it would affect the way Christians live their lives. And why doesn’t it? Because teaching is a secondary, not the primary way that God has provided for His people to receive the Word of God.
What is the primary way which God established for His people to receive His Word? Let the Scriptures speak for themselves:
First Corinthians 1.18-2.5:
18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.
30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
The preaching of the cross is the power of God to us:
“The foolishness of preaching to save them that believe,”
verse 21. And
“that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”
But what’s the “power of God?” Is not the preaching of the cross “the power of God?” The most important activity a Christian can do to receive God’s truth from God’s Word is to receive the preaching of the Word of God.
First Corinthians 14.3:
“But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.”
Why didn’t Paul say that Bible reading or good teaching resulted in edification and exhortation and comfort? Because such comes from prophesy, which is to say, preaching, like the rest of the chapter so clearly shows. Is there still a question? Then turn to Second Timothy 4.2. From a Roman prison, Paul’s final words to Timothy are not that he concentrates on being a fine Bible teacher on the radio, but that he faithfully and fully preach the Word of God:
“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.”
The primary method of receiving God’s truth is through preaching. Amen and amen.
Second, I want you to understand the primary mindset when receiving God’s Word. This is where those who do sit under preaching, Scriptural preaching, are sometimes remiss. James 1.21:
“Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.”
Before the delivery of the message from God’s Word, God’s people must already be of a mind to obey, must already be of a mind to heed, must already be of a mind to be hungry for and in need of the truth that comes from the Bible. If you are lax in employing the primary method for receiving God’s Word, or if you are lax in employing the primary mindset for receiving God’s Word, you’ll not have taken the first step toward achieving a Christianity that’s enthusiastic, that gives some real evidence of life. You’ll not be receiving the Word of God as you ought to receive it.
Next, IF YOU WANT AN ENTHUSIASTIC CHRISTIANITY, REALIZE THE TRUTHS OF SCRIPTURE
Of course, we know that with the right attitude and good attendance, everyone will naturally acquire facts and information from the Bible. But for real comprehension to take place, for a person to realize the truth of what he is hearing, we are dependent upon the Holy Spirit of God, the real Teacher of Scriptural truth. And we do acknowledge and appreciate the Holy Spirit’s illuminating ministry in our lives.
Let me remind you of four kinds of truths which the Christian begins to appreciate and understand more and more as the Holy Spirit teaches him the Word of God he craves to know and is eager to hear preached:
First, truths related to sin against God:
First John 1.9:
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
As this verse shows, no one becomes a Christian who does not first realize and acknowledge his sinfulness. But do we initially realize the depths of our sin when we come to Christ? Do we realize the extent of our wretchedness? Have we any idea how fully sin permeates our thinking and even our unconscious behavior? I think not. So, it isn’t hard to figure out why a Christian’s enthusiasm would blossom as he realized, more and more, what depths of depravity he was saved from.
Second, truths related to salvation by Christ: When I trusted Christ as my savior, I realized, at the time, that I was involved in a heaven or Hell proposition. But that’s all I understood at the time about my salvation. It was later that I realized that what I was experiencing, what I was being blessed by, was not my salvation, but God’s salvation. How glorious it is that God would do for me what He did for me and that He would do to me through Christ what He did to me. How well I remember that night, God taught me about my eternal security. Such confidence He seeks to give to His children that once they are saved, they are always saved, that since they did nothing to gain salvation, they can do nothing to lose salvation. Folks, that’s exciting.
Third, truths related to sanctification in the Spirit: After realizing that you are a sinner and trusting Christ as your savior, the next phase of your Christian life is sometimes called sanctification. During this period, from your conversion until the day you go home to be with the Lord, God the Spirit is working in your life to make you more like Jesus Christ. And wasn’t it exciting when you realized that you would never smoke another cigarette? Did it not enthuse you when you realized that apart from a major act of stupidity you would never take another drink as long as you lived? How about that time you didn’t blow your stack as usual? That hasn’t happened yet? How about forsaking efforts to manipulate your husband or be bossy toward your wife? No victory as yet? Well, victory will come, as will other modifications in your behavior. And when it happens, you’ll be excited about God working in your life.
Fourth, truths related to service: As you are sanctified, which is another way of saying as you grow in Christian maturity, God wants you to improve the effectiveness of your service to Him. The sad thing is that many Christians have no idea what service to God is. Can I tell you what service to God isn’t? Service to God isn’t keeping your child home from Church to do a book report. Service to God isn’t feeling a need in your own life and then withdrawing from other Christians when you don’t think anyone cares. And service isn’t doing what always comfortably fits into your schedule. Service, on the other hand, is serving. And a servant doesn’t do what he wants, but what the Master wants. Is there a need? Meet the need. Is the need yours?
Consider that God may have allowed you to perceive that need so that you might be of service to others. Don’t draw back. Service also involves orienting your life to accommodate the wishes of the Master. Serving God by ministering to people, seeing folks saved, seeing folks grow, seeing needs met, seeing families raised, and realizing that no matter what personal frustrations we face from time to time our labor is not in vain in the Lord. But that’s not all. Sometimes it’s the realization, “Thank you Holy Spirit for teaching us,” that just being able to wait upon the Lord is the most wonderful privilege man could ever experience. I wonder why some people, who claim to be Christians, pass up such rare privilege as serving the living God? No wonder they have so little real enthusiasm. Their values are twisted.
WHEN YOU, FIRST, RECEIVE THE WORD OF GOD AND, SECOND, REALIZE THESE BIBLE TRUTHS, YOU WILL, FINALLY, RESPOND WITH ENTHUSIASM
No one doubts that behavior is dictated by belief. And when you receive the Word of God, and when the Holy Spirit brings real understanding of the profound truths related to your sin and salvation, your sanctification and your service to Christ, presuming of course that you are receiving the Word of God and you realize these things, and you are serving Christ, it will affect your behavior. Let me give you several Biblical examples before we conclude:
First, the example of Apollos, in Acts 18.24-28:
24 And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus.
25 This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John.
26 And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.
27 And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace:
28 For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publickly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ.
This man Apollos sets an example that puts most Christians to shame. A Jewish Christian from Alexandria who knew the Old Testament, but had limited knowledge of New Testament truth, was nevertheless “fervent in the spirit.” This is the only place in the New Testament other than our text that the Greek word for “fervent” appears. Take note that Apollos was already “fervent in the spirit” with far less access to Bible truth than you and I have. In other words, he was extremely receptive to the truth he had access to and had been wonderfully illuminated by the Holy Spirit. Boy, did it affect his behavior. This guy boiled for God, which is what the word “fervent” means.[1] Once Aquila and Priscilla gave him additional instruction from the teachings of Paul and Peter when they more fully explained the Old Testament in light of New Testament revelation that he had never seen before, he had a tremendous ministry among those hardest to reach with the Gospel, the Jewish people.
Then, there’s the example of Paul. Was Paul excited about his new life in Christ? You’d better believe he was. Did he believe in saying “Amen” during the preaching? Read First Corinthians 14.16:
“Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?”
How did Paul come to know Christ? Did he not hear Stephen preach his great sermon about resisting the Holy Ghost in Acts chapter 7 before his encounter with Christ? And was he not doing his best to resist the truth? No wonder he had such a high and inspired opinion of preaching. Once the Holy Spirit illuminated his understanding and gave him a direct revelation, he started to burn with a white-hot flame that could only be extinguished by cutting his head off.
All but the most traditional, all but those who are the most committed to formalism in worship and service, recognize that to be “fervent in spirit” means to be enthusiastic. The Bible does not mean by that hysterical, because God wants none of His children to be out of control of themselves. But Christianity goes hand in hand with enthusiasm; for our English word enthusiasm means “God in you.” Enthusiastic people are people who behave as though God is in them, affecting their behavior. And that ought to be the case.
Think about what enthusiastic sports fans do. They are public in their support of their team. They cheer for their team. They are loyal to their team. And this is all part and parcel to being enthusiastic.
Imagine what would happen if Calvary Road Baptist Church was an enthusiastic congregation. Members would only have to be shown how to win people to Christ. No time would need to be spent trying to encourage anyone to reach the lost. You folks would be so excited about serving God that you’d be standing in line to take on ministry opportunities, to sing in the choir, to serve as ushers and greeters, to serve in the nursery, to help count the offering.
I know that a number of you would say, “Pastor, I used to be that way. What happened to me?” Here’s what happened. You are this match. When God struck you, He lit you up good. And for a while, you burned bright and hot. You were “fervent in spirit.” But you failed in your responsibility to add fuel to your fire. God will start you out bright and hot, but you must receive the Word of God by sitting under Bible preaching consistently and preparing yourself to properly receive the instruction of God’s Word.
When you do that you will be adding fuel to your fire, and your fire will grow brighter, hotter, but consuming more and more fuel, more and more preaching, more and more learning, more and more enthusiastic obedience. Are you less than enthusiastic in your Christian life? Do you claim that it’s just not you to be enthusiastic? I’d like to watch you in front of a television set watching your favorite team.
The problem, friend, isn’t your personality. It’s your reception of God’s Word, your realization of God’s truths, and your enthusiastic response to those truths. How many of you need to attend one more preaching service a week than you do? How many of you need to better prepare for the preaching services you do attend? How many of you need to faithfully attend the weekly prayer meeting and Bible study? How many of you just need to see fuel personally added to your fire? It’s God’s will that you be an enthusiastic Christian. Take the steps necessary to enable God to give you the enthusiasm that will make you “fervent in spirit,” that will give people the distinct impression that God is in you.
When you are an enthusiastic Christian the decision to witness people doesn’t need to be made, the decision to attend Church doesn’t need to be made; the decision to live for God doesn’t need to be made, the decision to give to the cause of Christ doesn’t need to be made. Most of the time, when you are an enthusiastic believer, you’ll need little help deciding to do right. When you are enthusiastic, you will generally need only to be taught how to do what’s right to do.
Take the steps that are necessary for you to be on your way to becoming the kind of Christian you ought to be, a Christian who is “fervent in spirit.”
__________
[1] Bauer, Danker, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature, (Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press, 2000), page 426.
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