INTRODUCTION: The first Sunday of 1999 is a good day to talk about "zeal." We may need to make some "resolutions," and we may need to be more zealous for the Lord. In these two verses the Apostle Paul mentions zeal, both bad and good.

I. False are often very zealous (verse 17).
A. In our time, the Mormons and others.

B. The Judaizers plagued the Galatians.

C. The Jewish "Zealots" of the first century.
1. Jesus criticized their evangelism (Matt. 23:15).
2. The "Zealots" were a political party that began in 6 BC. They were extreme
Jewish nationalists who refused to pay taxes, opposed speaking Greek in
Palestine, and were fiercely loyal to all Jewish traditions. They advocated
violence, and eventually all committed suicide at the mountain fortress of
Masada in 73 AD. One of Jesus' disciples was a former Zealot (Luke 6:15).

II. But there is also a good kind of zeal (verse 18)!
There are many Bible examples of people determined to do good:
A. Daniel in Daniel 1:8

B. Solomon in 2 Chronicles 2:1

C. The disciples in Acts 11:29

D. Paul in I Corinthians 2:2

CONCLUSION: Let's examine our own lives, as Moses urges in Psalm 90. Are there some areas where we need to be more determined to do better? Do we need to make some resolutions this year, and stick with them? May the Lord help us to always be zealous to serve Him!