Boiling & Bubbling

The Greek word zéloó (dzay-lo’-o) means to be zealous, to be jealous, to desire earnestly. It’s an onomatopoeia, imitating the sound of boiling water. Zéloó is to bubble over because boiling hot. Imagine boiling water and say zéloó zéloó zéloó. This is the sound of hot bubbles rising to the top. Has anything ever made you feel bubbling hot before?

Zéloó is used twelve times in the New Testament and is good or bad depending on the context. There are certain things that we were actually designed to be zealous about, and other things that we should absolutely not be zealous about. We are to be zéloó for the things of the Lord.

They make much of [zéloó] you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of [zéloó] them. It is always good to be made much of [zéloó] for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you. — Galatians 4:17-18 ESV

In Galatians 4, “they” is referring to false teachers that want to draw you into their camp. Notice the distinction between the right zéloó and the misplaced zéloó. It is always good to be bubbling hot for a good purpose. Only God is good. We should be bubbling hot for His Kingdom and His missions and His intentions. We must not be bubbling hot for things and people and purposes that are not in alignment with His heart and His will. If your passion is for a person or a purpose other than Jesus, you’re being shut out of the Kingdom. Allow me to paraphrase Galatians 4:17-18:

“False teachers are boiling hot for you, but not for a Kingdom purpose. They want to shut you out of Kingdom, so you’ll be boiling hot for them. It is always good to be boiling hot for a Kingdom purpose all the time, privately and publicly.”

Galatians 4 used zéloó three times. There are nine more uses of the word. First let’s look at the four times it’s used in a negative context.

• Acts 7:9 ESV — “And the patriarchs, jealous [zéloó] of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him.”
• Acts 17:5 ESV — But the Jews were jealous [zéloó], and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd.
• 1 Corinthians 13:4 ESV — Love is patient and kind; love does not envy [zéloó] or boast; it is not arrogant
• James 4:2 ESV — You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet [zéloó] and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.

For what should we not be zéloó?

• Others’ possessions, gifts, attention, favor, influence
• That which hasn’t been given to us and does not belong to us
• That which causes prideful boasting and gloating

Now let’s look at the remaining five times it’s used in a positive context.

• 1 Corinthians 12:31 ESV — But earnestly desire [zéloó] the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.
• 1 Corinthians 14:1 ESV — Pursue love, and earnestly desire [zéloó] the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.
• 1 Corinthians 14:39 ESV — So, my brothers, earnestly desire [zéloó] to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues.
• 2 Corinthians 11:2 ESV — For I feel a divine jealousy [zéloó] for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.
• Revelation 3:19 ESV — “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous [zéloó] and repent.”

For what should we zéloó?

• The higher gifts (those that lovingly edify the Ekklesia)
• The spiritual gifts, especially to prophesy
• For those you disciple to be betrothed to Christ
• For repentance

Paul said to the Corinthians, “I feel a divine hot bubbling for you, since I betrothed you to Jesus.” In our Ekklesia, we should have Holy Spirit inspired zeal for one another to be the betrothed of Christ. Betrothed means formally engaged to be married and united as one. Like Paul, I am intensely zealous to see my spiritual brothers and sisters live in courtship with Christ.

We must be bubbling over with desire to see ourselves and one another totally sold out in pursuit of Jesus. And we must be bubbling over with desire to operate in building up one another as the Ekklesia. And we must be bubbling over with desire to repent when Jesus corrects us, because we know His great love. We are zéloó to be the edified, purified, and repentant fiancé of Christ.

Ultimately, our zéloó is based in the love of God and demonstrated through our love for one another. Even our zéloó for the gifts of the Spirit is because the gifts build up our spiritual family members. We have members of our spiritual family who need our bubbling hot support right now. When one is overcome by sin and repents, the community passionately surrounds them with mercy and grace and helps them to restore their temperature. The boiling water of the community overwhelms the cold and lukewarm.

Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important. — Galatians 6:1-3 NLT

Let’s surround them, embrace them, pray for them, and agree to walk with them. In Luke 24:32 the disciples said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” The voice of Jesus causes our hearts to burn. His voice flows from His Spirit and through His conduits. Remember we are to be bubbling hot in our desire to prophesy. According to 1 Corinthians 14:3, the one who prophesies edifies, encourages, and comforts. As we gently and humbly walk with them and prophesy to them, we cause their hearts to burn and their zeal for the Lord to bubble hot.

The Lord wants Wellspring to be a hot spring bubbling up by the fire of His Spirit. He is zealous for us, we are His zealous people, and He desires us to be zealous for one another and zealous for each other’s growth. Lukewarm will never boil over. He is turning up the heat so we will become bubbling hot in His passionate love for one another. Together, let’s cast off our comfort and press into the heat of His presence.

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” — John 15:9-12 ESV

Seeking His face!
Matt

Matt Neese
Wellspring.Live

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