#5 (The 12 Disciples
Series)
"SIMON – THE FREEDOM FIGHTER!"
TEXTS: Lk.
6:15; Acts 1:12-14; 21:37-22:9 Mark
15:7
INTRO: Zeal is a
powerful thing; it has driven people to do things that are extraordinary! However, zeal can be either good or bad,
it can drive people to do heroic things and it can drive fanatics and terrorists
to do evil things! The world has
always had its zealots, both good and bad ones.
It is good to be a zealot
for Jesus as long as we understand the dynamics of being "zealous" for the
Lord. Zeal must not be blind
or without love for the right things, or guided without godly
wisdom.
ILLUS: LIKE THE
FATHER WHO WAS SENDING HIS SON OFF TO A LIBERAL SEMINARY TO STUDY FOR THE
MINISTRY. TO CAUTION HIS SON
AGAINST LOSING FAITH IN THE BIBLE HE WARNED HIS SON AGAINST THE UNBELIEVING
PROFESSORS BY TELLING HIM, “DON'T LET THEM TAKE JONAH AWAY FROM YOU,” FIGURING
THE “SWALLOWED-BY-A-GREAI-FISH” STORY MIGHT BE THE FIRST PART OF THE BIBLE TO
GO. TWO YEARS LATER WHEN HIS SON
RETURNED THE FIRST QUESTION THE DAD ASKED HIS SON WAS, “DO YOU STILL HAVE JONAH
IN YOUR BIBLE?” THE SON LAUGHED ...
“JONAH! THAT STORY ISN'T EVEN IN
YOUR BIBLE DAD!” THE FATHER SHOCKED
AT HIS SON REPLIED, “IT CERTAINLY IS! WHAT DO YOU MEAN SON?” AGAIN THE SON LAUGHED AND INSISTED,
“IT'S NOT IN YOUR BIBLE, GO AHEAD, SHOW IT TO ME!” THE OLD MAN FUMBLED THROUGH HIS BIBLE
LOOKING FOR THE BOOK OF JONAH BUT HE COULDN'T FIND IT! AT LAST HE CHECKED THE INDEX AND TURNED
TO WHERE THE 3 PAGES WERE SUPPOSE TO BE, BUT THEY WERE NOT THERE, THEY HAD BEEN
CUT OUT! HIS SON THEN ADDED, “I CUT
THE BOOK OF JONAH OUT OF YOUR BIBLE DAD JUST BEFORE I LEFT 2 YEARS AGO FOR
SEMINARY, WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE IF I LOST THE BOOK OF JONAH THROUGH STUDYING
UNDER NON-BELIEVERS OR YOU LOSE IT THROUGH NEGLECT!” THE FATHER HAD BEEN SO ZEALOUS THAT HIS
SON NOT NEGLECT GOD'S WORD YET HIS OWN ZEAL FOR GOD’S WORD HAD NOT BEEN
PRACTICED! – SOURCE UNKNOWN
Those who came to North
America after it was discovered were all very zealous people, many for religious
freedom, but for some to make real fortunes! Some looked for the fountain of youth in
Florida; others looked for land to raise a family on. We admire those whose zeal was aimed for
the betterment of humanity and we loathe those who had zeal for personal gain
and selfish ambition! We tend to
praise those with the right kind of zeal and punish those with the wrong
kind.
PROP.
SENT: Some of the finest
followers of Christ are those who are zealous by nature and have aimed that zeal
in the right direction, toward Christ and in the service of others! Jesus loved Simon the Zealot! He still calls
zealots!
I. FANATICAL COMMITMENT! Acts 21:37-22:9 Mark
15:7
A. Misguided
Enthusiasm Acts
21:37-22:9
1. Paul had on this occasion created
quite a stir, and his zeal for the Gospel had stirred up the ire of other
zealous religious fanatics – the result was a
riot!
a. In being taken by some Roman
soldiers he is asked: "Aren't you the
Egyptian who started a revolt and led four thousand terrorists out into the
desert some time ago?"
b. Paul was being confused with
another type of zealot!
c. Paul had been a religious zealot,
but the other guy he was being confused with had been a political
one!
d. Sometimes it is hard to distinguish
one zealot from another since they all usually cause quite a
stir!
2. Simon the zealot had been a
political zealot, he had belonged to a group of Jews who believed fiercely that
no foreign power had the right to exercise control over God's people, thus a
slight mix of religious zeal with lots of political zeal
also!
3. These zealots created constant
strife in Israel, ironically not just for the Romans, for they also chided their
fellow Jews who failed to overthrow the Roman powers among them, even to the
point that they actually assassinated their own brethren they felt were under
committed to their cause!
a. These Jewish zealots would roam
through the Jewish crowds with daggers hidden in their coats and kill their own
fellow Jews they perceived to have less commitment than they felt they should
have in fighting against the Romans!
b. Perhaps Paul's earlier life of zeal
of rounding up Christians to have them executed had left him open to this kind
of suspicion, but like Simon the zealot Paul's zeal had been redirected from
being misguided to being used by the Lord!
4. We must always be on our guard to
be sure our zeal does not become misguided
a. History is full of examples of
those in the name of Christ becoming misguided in their
zeal!
(1. The inquisitions are great examples of
misguided zeal!
(2. Killing "infidels" in the name of Christ
is misguided zeal!
(3. Trying to force Christian values and laws
on non-Christian people can be misguided zeal today
too!
b. We must be careful to keep our zeal
for the really important things, and not get
sidetracked!
c. Our zeal should primarily be
for preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, not primarily for political
agendas. Changing people’s hearts
and lives will bring about the greatest changes in
politics.
d. Jesus did not focus His attack on
the political system of His day, he went straight to the “heart” of the matter,
people!
ILLUS: ONE SUNDAY
A MINISTER BEGAN HIS SERMON IN THIS WAY:
"I'D LIKE TO MAKE THREE POINTS TODAY FIRST THERE ARE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE
AROUND THE WORLD WHO ARE GOING TO HELL. SECOND, MOST OF US SITTING HERE
TODAY DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT IT!
AFTER A LENGTHY PAUSE HE CONTINUED: "MY THIRD POINT IS THAT YOU ARE MORE
CONCERNED THAT I, YOUR PASTOR, JUST SAID THE WORD ‘DAMN’ THAN YOU ARE ABOUT THE
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO HELL!" THIS IS MISPLACED ZEAL! -- SOURCE UNKNOWN
5. If we are not careful, we can
easily get on the zeal bandwagon to fight all kinds of political issues, and
doing so is not necessarily wrong IF our zeal is first in getting souls
saved!
6. Simon the zealot could not have
been a stranger man to call as one of Jesus’
followers!
a. Jesus made it clear on many
occasions that He was not here to fight the Roman form of government or any
other type, He was here to form a kingdom in the hearts and minds of His
followers!
b. This kind of Kingdom could not have
been further from the desires of a political zealot like
Simon!
c. Jesus constantly refrained from
fighting political issues and the laws of a secular government, instead He
concentrated on winning hearts and thus changing the focus of lives from self
serving to serving others!
7. Did Jesus ignore the evil in
society – either Jewish or Roman? NO! But His focus on them was that of the
heart of the man or woman involved, change that and then society and politics
will change!
a. Trying to get more "Christian" laws
on our books won't make this a Christian nation if the people who live in it are
not first Christians!
b. Getting Christianity in the hearts
of people will be the only way to turn
c. If we had half the zeal to save
people as we do to do away with abortion and other offensive laws we probably
wouldn't have as much a problem with those issues today! It is like the proverbial "getting the cart before the horse" when
we try to create a more Christian approach without first developing
Christians.
B. Malicious
Example Mark
15:7
1. Barabbas and the two "robbers" that
were crucified with Jesus were all three "zealots" just like Simon had
been!
a. They had been arrested for
insurrection and murder in an attempt to overthrow Roman rule and perhaps they
had advocated the killing of Jewish leaders who permitted
b. The common people who suffered
under both Rome's rule and the abuse from the Spiritual leaders of Israel had a
kind of respect and admiration for these zealots ... this might help explain the
crowd’s desire to have Barabbas released instead of
Jesus!
c. The crowd may have thought of Jesus
as a wimp in overthrowing
2. Barabbas certainly had zeal
although but he was a malicious example, he killed people he considered weak or
in agreement with
3. The people admired Barabbas’s zeal
but ignored the hatred and murder of his heart, thus they reveal their own
misguided evil hearts, it was not enough however that he had zeal, they needed
to ask what the result of all his zeal had
wrought.
ILLUS: ALEKSANDR
SOLZENITSYN WROTE: "IF ONLY THERE
WERE EVIL PEOPLE SOMEWHERE INSIDIOUSLY COMMITTING EVIL DEEDS, AND IT WERE
NECESSARY ONLY TO SEPARATE THEM FROM THE REST OF US AND DESTROY THEM. BUT THE LINE DIVIDING GOOD AND EVIL CUTS
THROUGH THE HEART OF EVERY HUMAN BEING, AND WHO IS WILLING TO DESTROY A PIECE OF
HIS OWN HEART!" – SOURCE UNKNOWN
4. It is conceivable that "Simon the
zealot" had a past not unlike Barabbas!
a. Yet, Jesus calls this young man who
must have had quite a shock over Jesus' concepts of
Kingdom!
b. Interestingly enough, not a
single negative word is recorded about Simon anywhere in the Bible unlike many
of the other disciples!
c. It is quite possible that Simon
simply transferred his zeal in the right way taking the message of salvation to
others as the only hope for man, men of zeal tend to stay very focused so one
like him once focused on the right thing is not likely to have
strayed!
II. FAITHFUL CHRISTIAN Lk. 6:15 Acts
1:12-14
A. Messiah's
Education Lk.
6:15
1. It is here we find just the simple
statement that one "Simon the zealot" was part of the twelve. This is the only kind of statement made
about him in the Bible; he is always referred to this
way!
a. What an education Simon the zealot
received from Jesus, almost all his ideas of "freedom" had to be
relearned.
b. His ideas of political freedom had
to be set aside as secondary issues; freedom of the soul was Jesus' focus, not
freedom from a political philosophy.
c. It had to be hard for a man who was
used to fighting for political freedom to change his zeal to spiritual
freedom!
2. There had to be times when Simon
the zealot struggled with confrontation – such as the time when Jesus was
confronted with the issue of paying taxes to Caesar ... the zealots would have
said "NO!" and then would have proceeded to kill Jews who did pay taxes as well
as try and kill as many Roman governors as
possible!
a. Simon's reeducation process had to
be a tough one, Jesus totally rejected political terrorism on any system, unless
it was a clear violation of God's moral laws!
b. The biggest war we wage is not
against “flesh
and blood” but against “principalities in high places and in darkness”
– spiritual warfare!
3. Zealous unbelievers have a hard
time understanding this concept of “spiritual warfare” or any spiritual dynamics
and spiritual zeal.
ILLUS: WHEN EARL
WEAVER WAS MANAGER OF THE BALTIMORE ORIOLES HE HAD A BORN-AGAIN OUTFIELDER NAMED
PAT KELLY. KELLY ONE DAY WANTED TO
TELL WEAVER ABOUT HIS ZEAL FOR THE LORD AND SO TOLD HIM HOW HE HAD LEARNED TO
WALK WITH GOD. TO THIS WEAVER
SIMPLY REPLIED, "I'D RATHER HAVE YOU WALK WITH THE BASES LOADED!" WEAVER'S IDEA
OF ZEAL WAS FOR BASEBALL ONLY! –
SOURCE
UNKNOWN
4. How many times had Simon the Zealot
watched Jesus deal with the political and religious leaders of His time and each
time Jesus focused the issue on the heart and not the political
system!
a. Jesus' zeal was focused on the
human heart – the soul!
b. Even when Jesus overturned the
tables of the money changers in the Temple in hot zeal it was because the
religious leaders were taking advantage of the real worshippers who had come to
meet with God, it was not about politics!
c. Jesus did not come to raise an army
to advance a particular type of government over the nations, nor did He come to
raise an army to kill unbelievers, He came to save that which was lost. The focus of His zeal was salvation for
the lost; this is where our zeal has got to be centered
also!
5. What we need is not more arguments
in spiritual circles on theological differences, what we need is more examples
of Christlikeness and a passion or zeal to reach the lost! This is how Jesus reeducated Simon the
zealot – by example as well as teaching!
ILLUS: FOUR
MINISTERS WERE ARGUING OVER THE BEST TRANSLATION, EACH PRESENTED HIS CASE AS
FORCEFULLY AS HE COULD. THE FIRST
MINISTER SAID THE KING JAMES WAS THE BEST, THE SECOND GUY SAID THE NEW AMERICAN
STANDARD BIBLE WAS THE BEST BECAUSE IT CAME CLOSER TO THE GREEK AND HEBREW. THE THIRD GUY DEFENDED THE LIVING BIBLE
BECAUSE IT HELPED PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE EASIER. THE FOURTH MINISTER SAT SILENT FOR A
WHILE THEN FINALLY SAID, "I THINK THE BEST TRANSLATION I'VE EVER SEEN IS MY
DAD'S TRANSLATION, HE PUT THE WORD OF GOD INTO PRACTICE EVERY DAY, IT WAS THE
MOST CONVINCING TRANSLASTION I'VE EVER SEEN!" -- SOURCE UNKNOWN
a. It is obvious that Simon the
zealot's reeducation came not just from what Jesus said but also from what he
saw in Jesus!
b. His original hope as a Jewish
zealot was for any coming Messiah to strike dead every Roman ruler and every
Jewish leader that supported the Roman government. Jesus as Messiah fulfilled none of this,
Christ's kingdom belonged in the heart not in the political system of his day
and age!
c. Christian laws won't change this
country into a “Christian” country, only Christians themselves can do this! Christian laws on the books won’t do it
either, only when our names are in the book of life is there hope for a true
Christian nation.
6. The best thing we could do for
America to restore true freedoms would be an evangelism campaign to win the
hearts of men, women, and children to Christ!
a. It was the spiritual backdrop of
great people that made this country great and gave us the laws that formed this
great nation!
b. It was not a political system that
shaped
7. It is clear that Jesus did not come
to put a stamp of approval on ANY political system, nor to wage war against any,
He came to reach men and women, and little children, to build the kingdom of God
beginning in the heart and minds of His followers so their life choices affect
the kingdoms of this world!
a. The Church can exist in any
political system, and indeed it has
historically!
b. It is true that in some political
systems it is more difficult, those countries like America that had forefathers
who were spiritually inclined there was an easier ability to live out the
Gospel, and as we turn away from God as a country it gets harder as those
freedoms are taken away, yet the Church will continue
on!
c. Simon the zealot must have learned
quickly and fully Jesus' idea of the kingdom, evidenced by the lack of any
negative word of him in Scripture.
This may indicate he got the idea and transferred his zeal to the proper
role, especially since he is always called the ZEALOT every time he is
mentioned, even in Acts!
B. Motivation Encouraged! Acts
1:12-14
1. After Jesus' resurrection we find
Simon the zealot listed with others waiting for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit,
they stayed in a constant state of prayer for many days in obedience to what
Jesus had asked of them.
2. Simon here is still called
"THE ZEALOT" – an indication that his zeal
had not waned, just found new direction!
3. The purpose of their waiting was to
be filled with the Holy Spirit so a new motivation or zeal would propel them to
preach the Gospel with boldness and fire!
a. They lacked zeal and courage,
Pentecost gave them this – "Power to
be..."
b. This new zeal from the Baptism of
the Holy Spirit changed the world in one
generation!
c. Evangelism would not have been the
same without this Holy Spirit baptism!
d. What they didn’t need was better
evangelism programs, it was power or zeal!
ILLUS: COCA-COLA
HAS FULFILLED ITS VERSION OF THE GREAT COMMISSION MANY TIMES OVER. THEY CREATED A ZEALOUS PLAN TO PUT A
BOTTLE OF COKE IN THE HAND OF EVERY HUMAN BEING IN EVERY COUNTRY, THEY FIGURE TO
DATE THEY HAVE SUCCEEDED IN DOING THIS. THERE IS NO COUNTRY IN THE WORLD THAT
HASN'T HAD COKA-COLA AVAILABLE TO ITS CITIZENS! IF THEY CAN DO THIS WITH A SOFT DRINK
AND ZEALOUS WORKERS, WHAT COULD THE CHURCH DO WITH A FRESH
PENTECOST? – SOURCE UNKNOWN
4. The trouble with Americans and zeal
is that we don't usually have zeal unless dollar signs are attached to it! What really motivates us to share the
Gospel?
ILLUS: IMAGINE IF
WE HAD TEN BAGS OF MONEY UP HERE EACH CONTAINING A THOUSAND DOLLARS. IF THE OFFER WAS TO THAT YOU COULD HAVE
A BAG OF $1,000 IF BY THIS TIME TOMORROW YOU WOULD SHARE YOUR FAITH WITH ONE
OTHER PERSON AND INVITE THEM TO ACCEPT CHRIST AS LORD, HOW QUICKLY DO YOU THINK
THESE TEN BAGS WOULD BE CLAIMED BY TOMORROW? THE MONEY WOULD BE PROMISED NO MATTER
HOW THE PERSON BEING PRESENTED THE GOSPEL RESPONDED! THESE BAGS WOULD EASILY BE GONE
TOMORROW! THERE WOULD BE A RUSH TO
GET OUT OF HERE TO SHARE YOUR FAITH – TO BE ONE OF THE FIRST 10 PEOPLE T0 DO
SO! ARE WE MORE WILLING TO WITNESS
OUT OF IMPURE MOTIVATIONS LIKE THIS THAN WE ARE OUT OF LOVE AND OBEDIENCE FOR
THE LORD? – SOURCE UNKNOWN
5. What the Church needs today is a
fresh new zeal, we are the Laodicean church, we are rich and feel we have need
of nothing but we are in truth naked and poor, we need a fresh revival of zeal
to get things moving again!
a. A few disciples like SIMON THE
ZEALOT would be healthy for the Church!
b. Our zeal of course needs to be
properly focused on people and their salvation; all the other things are just
that, other things!
c. We have plenty of zeal for
programs, facilities, equipment, finances, etc., what we need is zeal for the
right thing – salvation!
6. The lack of verses mentioning Simon
the zealot probably indicates that Jesus had little if any problems with him.
His zeal once focused in the right
direction must have made him stay on the straight and narrow path, although it
did require new learning on his part!
CONCLUSION:
Simon was a freedom fighter – a zealot! He wanted God's people free from an
ungodly government and so he fought hard against political evil. However, when he found Jesus he found a
different kind of freedom, not political but spiritual! Now he fought ungodliness in his own
heart and he zealously helped others find freedom from sin's dominion through
Jesus Christ the Lord! He remained
the "zealot" or freedom fighter, except now he was battling the right
enemy! Have you found real freedom
yet? Are you fighting the right
battles? What are you really
zealous
for?