Seeking Spiritual Renewal
Be Diligent and Fervent in Serving the Lord
March 15, 2026
Scripture: Romans 12:11
Frank Layden, the former coach of Utah Jazz in the seventies, had problems with a basketball player, and so he summoned the talented but troubled player to his office. After a brief discussion, Layden looked the player in the eye and asked, "I can’t understand it with you. Is it ignorance or apathy?" To which the player responded, "Coach, I don’t know and I don’t care!"
Today, one of the great enemies of life is apathy. What is apathy? It is the mindset of I don't care! I don’t want to do it. The dictionary defines apathy as "lack of interest, enthusiasm or concern. It is being indifferent, complacent, unresponsive, lacking motivation or commitment.
Today, I am afraid too many people have been infected with the disease of apathy. Now there are 101 different reasons why someone gets infected with the disease of apathy.
Self-centeredness is a major reason for apathy. Instead of putting God and the things of God first in their lives, they put themselves and their own desires first. As Paul writes in Philippians 2:21, Everyone is looking out for their own interests not those of Jesus Christ. People look out for their own interests instead of what Paul says in Colossians 3:23, Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord.
Today, so many people have lost the perspective of whatever you do, you do for the Lord. For instance, instead of doing their best in school, students rush through homework or don’t do it at all. They often become addicted to their phone, video games, or both. Finding quality employees is another issue. One thing that I hear regularly is the difficulty in finding people who want to work. Scripture teaches that we are to view school or work as service to the Lord and therefore do it heartily as unto Him.
Another reason for apathy is a lack of gratitude. They don’t really appreciate what others do for them. Lack of appreciation towards the Lord can be an issue. A person really doesn’t appreciate the Lord’s love and mercy, or his grace is not fully understood, and as a result, people can easily fall into an “I don’t care” attitude.
I have also seen apathy occur because of a lack of vision. Young people today often lack vision for what they want to do or accomplish in their life. They don’t have a vision to do well in school now, so they can go on to graduate high school, then college and have a decent paying job. People simply don’t take to heart the principle, “You reap what you sow” (Galatians 6:7,8). Lack of vision can also occur within a church. It might be because the church focuses on the past instead of having a vision for the future.
Apathy can set in because of burnout, being over-worked and over-whelmed. Apathy can result because of fear, lack of trust in the Lord, stubbornness, guilt, grief, stress, pride, bitterness, discouragement, a trial, or a negative experience, etc.
Today, I am afraid the Church in general has been attacked by the disease of apathy, complacency, or half-heartedness. We must realize that apathy or indifference are the direct opposites of God's call for us. In our text today, the Apostle Paul encourages us not to live in apathy or complacency, as he states in Romans 12:11, Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
So, let’s dig into what Paul says here. The New International version translates the first phrase, Never be lacking in zeal. The New American Standard version translates the phrase, not lagging behind in diligence. Paul is saying don’t be lazy.
Jesus used this word for lagging or lacking to describe the lazy servant in the parable of the talents. This lazy servant didn’t bother to invest his master’s money that had been entrusted to him, but just buried it in the ground until the master returned (Matt. 25:26)….The context of Matthew 25 is when Jesus is talking about His second coming. We are to be faithfully serving as we wait for his coming. (Note Revelation 13:10; 14:12).
This Greek word for lacking is also used in Old Testament Septuagint. In Proverbs 6:6, 9 it is used to describe the sluggard, who needs to go to the ant and consider its hard work in storing up food in the summer for the winter.
In Revelation 3:15-17, When Christ rebuked the Laodicean church, it wasn’t for gross immorality or even doctrinal compromise. It was because of apathy prompted by materialism and pride. “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! 16 But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! 17 You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.
Instead of being lazy, Paul calls us to have a zeal or a diligence. Several of Jesus’ disciples were known as zealots. They had a passion for what they believed. In the Christian context, zeal is an enthusiastic and diligent pursuit of God and His will. When we have zeal, a passion, an enthusiasm for the Lord, we want to love and serve the Lord our God with all our being. We get rid of laziness and get some get-up-and-go.
Here is the first principle. Don’t be lazy! Recognize areas of your life that you lack zeal or diligence in honoring/serving the Lord! Commit to honor and serve the Lord in every area of your life!
I Corinthians 10:31, So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
As noted earlier, Colossians 3:23, Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord.
Ecclesiastes 9:10a states, Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.
I Corinthians 15;58, Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
If we are going to honor the Lord, then each of us need to be diligent is growing in the character of Christ! This is what the Apostle Peter states in II Peter 1:3-11, His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 11 For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Now, let me note this. The Apostle Paul is addressing practical Christian living in Romans 12. He begins by urging Christians to present their bodies as living sacrifices to God. He wrote, Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will (Romans 12:1, 2).
We are transformed by renewing our minds. This allows us to know God's will. God’s will is that we are not to be slackers, lazy believers in Christ.
Paul continues in verse 11, But keep your spiritual fervor…
Paul encourages us not to be lacking, but to keep our spiritual fervor. A literal translation from the Greek would be fervent in spirit or boiling in spirit. The word translated “fervent” literally means, “to boil.” It is a burning desire to please God, to do His will, and to advance His glory in the world in every viable way.
Now this phrase boiling in spirit is used one other time in the New Testament. Acts 18:25, Apollos was described as fervent in spirit. Acts 18:25 says being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught diligently the things of the Lord…
One of the characteristics of the New Testament Church was that they were Spirit filled with a spiritual fervor or a Godly enthusiasm. Today, we need spiritual fervor again in the Church. We need the fire of the Holy Spirit. We need to have a fervor in communing with the Lord through prayer, worship, and learning His word. We need a spiritual fervor for Christ in our homes, setting a Christlike example, teaching spiritual, emotional, moral lessons to our children and grandchildren. We need to spend enjoyable/quality time with our spouses. We need to have a fervor in serving the Lord in our workplace, in every area of our lives.
Jonathan Edwards wrote as a young man in his 70 resolutions. #6): Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.
Here is principle 2. Knowing/Understanding and experiencing God’s love and His transformational power through His Holy Spirit will motivate you to be fervent in spirit.
Listen, Jesus Christ and the gospel should make your spirit boil! The good news that Christ died for you while you were a sinner should excite you! Knowing you have eternal life should give you overwhelming joy!
When we are filled with God’s Holy Spirit, when we allow the word of Christ to dwell in us richly, we begin to boil. We begin to bubble over. We have an enthusiasm for the Lord. We are motivated to read our Bible or spend time in prayer. We become motivated to do what he desires, not what I desire; to do His will, not my will.
The story is told of a group interviewing an applicant for the Methodist ministry. A nervous young man presented himself before the group. The candidate said he felt he ought to explain that he was shy and was not the sort of person who would ever set the Thames River on fire, that is, create much of a stir in the city. W. E. Sangster, one of the interviewers, responded, “My dear young man. I’m not interested to know if you can set the Thames on fire. What I want to know is this: If I picked you up and dropped you into the river, would it sizzle?”
He was asking if the young man was boiling in spirit for Jesus Christ. This is what we need in our church today. We need pastors and lay leaders filled with a fervent spirit, enthusiasm, excitement, and the joy of the Lord. We need people who are boiling over with the love and truth of Jesus.
People can get excited about many things: a new house, a new car, or new clothes. Some get excited over a sports team. May we get excited about knowing, worshipping, and serving the Lord.
Paul ends verse 11 by stating, serving the Lord.
To serve the Lord means to commit your time, your talents, and efforts to follow His will. To serve the Lord is an act of obedience, worship, and love as one reflects his/her love for the Lord. Serving the Lord has various forms like expressing gratitude to the Lord and others.
For instance,
It is worshipping Him in Spirit and in Truth (John 4:24).
It is storing up treasures in heaven instead of treasures on earth (Matthew 6:19-21).
It is helping and edifying others in Christ (Romans 14:19; I Corinthians 14:4. 5).
It is using your spiritual gifts in serving others instead of being afraid, burying our gift and doing nothing
(Matthew 25:14-30).
It is helping the least among us (Matthew 25:31-46).
It is to serve the Lord faithfully, to persevere, not give up (Matthew 24:45; 25:31-33). Paul wrote in
Galatians 6:9 states, Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a
harvest if we do not give up.
I like what Paul wrote in II Timothy 4:7-8, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
Here is the last principle. Do the Lord’s Will! Serve Him Faithfully!
Let me close with this story. After his ordination in 1969, author and pastor Phillip Johnson received a call to serve one large church and ten smaller churches on the northern coast of Newfoundland, Canada. On the first day of his new circuit ministry, Johnson learned that to get to the smallest of the churches, he would have to travel 40 miles by snowmobile to a tiny village. When Johnson arrived, only one person had shown up for worship—a fisherman who had traveled about 20 miles to get there. Johnson initially thought about just saying a prayer and calling it a day. But then he realized that together, he and the fisherman had already logged 60 miles of travel and had 60 more miles to return home. With that in mind, Johnson decided to conduct the whole service as if there were a few hundred worshipers. They did it all: the hymns, the readings, the prayers, the sermon, the Lord's Supper, and the benediction. It was during the sermon that Johnson wondered why he had bothered. The fisherman never looked up. But when Johnson greeted the fisherman at the door and thanked him for coming, Johnson received a pleasant surprise. The fisherman said, "Reverend, I've been thinking about becoming a Christian for about 30-odd years. And today's the day!"
God is faithful and he calls us to faithfully serve Him. We don’t know how the Lord will move, but each one of us needs to do our part. My simple pastoral plea to you this morning is that you do not have an attitude of apathy, laziness, or complacency. Have a zeal, a spiritual fervor in serving the Lord!
