ZEAL FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS

So watch yourselves.

“If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them.

Luke 17:3

When I say to the wicked, ‘You wicked person, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.

Ezek 33:8

How to encourage:

• Comfort
• Support
• Motivate
• Honoring

Lessons from the Emmaus Story:

We need to examine our reasons for following Jesus.

We need to open up our hearts and let the word of God burn in our hearts. This way, our motivation becomes pure.

"Burn your boats".

Learn to preserve and be patient.

"Take up your cross and follow me".

Set a goal in personal virtue.

Seek to suffer a little every day for God.

Detach yourself from your desires and plans.

Seek consolation only from God.

Pray for God's will to be done in your life.

Conclusion:

There are four types of good people.

God uses zeal for righteous to help other people.

Our Zeal for God grows into perseverance for God's call to righteousness is very difficult. It entails use to serve Him with utmost dedication and commitment

We can only move on in these areas as we become more and more focus on the Lord and our life and mission in Him. Let us be single-minded for God.

To God be the Glory!

How can we grow in single-mindedness for God?

How can we be a single-minded for God?

The story of Two men on the road to Emmaus.

A fruit of encouragement is growth in perseverance. Perseverance is a Christian quality especially needed to overcome problems, obstacles and trials. We ourselves need to perseverance in the ministry of encouragement.

ENCOURAGEMENT

• You also have a duty to encourage.

• At the start of Jesus' ministry, God encouraged him.

• "Encourage" is a compound of two words: "en" = to put in or into, and "courage" = confidence, strength.

• There is plenty of bad news around. And how quickly people respond to discouraging news.

• Deal with the wrongdoing of members.

a) Be simple and straightforward

b) How?

c) Be authoritative

• Your accountability as head to correct.

Two specific applications: Correction and Encouragement

Let a righteous man strike me—that is a kindness;

let him rebuke me—that is oil on my head.

My head will not refuse it,

for my prayer will still be against the deeds of evildoers.

Psalm 141:5

CORRECTION

• At the heart of scriptural appreciation for correction is a hatred of sin, and a realization of human fallibility.

zeal + love of neighbor = correction

• Deal with the wrongdoing of members.

• Your accountability as head to correct.

Areas not essential for salvation but desirable for making spiritual progress.

• Faithfulness to and punctuality in meetings.
• Exercise of spiritual gifts.
• Financial support for CFC.
• Submission to headship
• Avoidance of a critical spirit or attitude.

Areas of concern (exercise of zeal) in our own lives and in the lives of our household members.

ZEAL AND

SINGLE-MINDEDNESS FOR GOD

• Growth in love for God and for neighbor. Selflessness.

• Active participation in the life of Church. Frequent reception of the sacraments.

• Faithfulness to the covenant of CFC.

• All CFC member have freely and willingly made their commitment to the Lord and to the body.

• Love of God and neighbor should cause us to mourn if God is dishonored or disobeyed, and if others are not in right relationship with Him.

• Although all Christians should love their neighbor, this love for others is especially necessary for those who are leaders.

Zeal for righteousness stems from the very basis of our Christianity, namely, love of God and of neighbor.

• A person who loves God not only desires to enjoy his goodness and be close to him, but loves to see his will accomplished, his worship carried out and his honor exalted. He wants all people to know, love, serve and honor God more that anything else.

• A person who loves his neighbor desires not only health and prosperity for him, but even more, eternal salvation.

Four kinds of "good" people.

Talk 4

Household Leaders Training

• Those who detest and avoid wrongdoing, fervently commit themselves to whatever good they can do, and desire greater personal holiness, yet lack equal concern for the holiness of others.

• Those who avoid wrongdoing, practice virtue, are afire with zeal of personal righteousness, and have zeal for winning souls.

Four kinds of "good" people.

• Those who do no evil, yet do not devote themselves faithfully to doing good.

• Those who refrain from evil and also devote themselves to frequent good deeds, yet, while they do not neglect to do what they can, they see no need to do more than that.