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Managing the Gift of Zeal (Taming Extremism) – Sermon from Koinonia By Apostle Joshua Selman
Scripture: Romans 12:11 (KJV) – “Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord.”
Venue: Koinonia Abuja
Published on ODM Daily – Empowering Lives Through the Word
Dear beloved in Christ, welcome to this profound teaching from the Koinonia Miracle Service held on November 2, 2025. Apostle Joshua Selman, under the unction of the Holy Spirit, delivered a timely message titled “Managing the Gift of Zeal (Taming Extremism)”, drawing from Romans 12:11. In a world where passion often blurs into fanaticism, this sermon calls us to harness the divine fire within us responsibly, ensuring our zeal serves the Lord without veering into destruction.
Zeal is not merely human enthusiasm; it is a sacred gift from God, a fervent spirit that propels us toward His purposes. Yet, as Apostle Selman emphasized, “Zeal is a double-edged sword; the energy that powers creativity, vision, innovation, and advancement. Zeal can also produce extremism or anarchy.”
Unmanaged, it can lead to frustration, division, and even spiritual downfall. Tonight’s teaching reminds us that according to Romans 12:11, fervency and zeal must be directed towards serving the Lord. The goal is to see zeal and enthusiasm as a divine gift from God that must be managed appropriately. Zeal can lead to success, but it can also lead to destruction if not properly managed.
As we delve into these notes, may the Holy Spirit ignite a balanced fire in your heart, taming any extremism and channeling your passion into fruitful service. Let us pray: Father, I receive grace to correct the understanding powering my zeal.
The Nature of Zeal: A Divine Endowment
Apostle Selman began by defining zeal in its raw, biblical essence. What is Zeal?
– The word “zeal” means dedication, enthusiasm, passion, energy, and fervency invested in the pursuit of a cause or an objective.
– Genuine zeal is founded upon conviction, and conviction is founded upon ideology. Zeal therefore is the product of the strength of conviction, whether good or bad.
He likened zeal to the use of a car: “The outcome from the use or misuse of the car is predicated on the driver handling it.”
Just as a skilled driver navigates roads safely, we must steward this gift with wisdom. One of the definitions of hopelessness is a lack of zeal. Hopelessness is a lack of vision, enthusiasm, or zeal. Vision is not the only prerequisite for motion; zeal is required to kickstart anything.
The Foundation for Zeal
Genuine zeal is founded upon convictions, and convictions are founded upon ideologies. When you want to recalibrate a person’s zeal, you must first look into his or her ideologies and probe his or her belief systems.
Zeal without knowledge is dangerous, as Apostle Selman warned: “People are becoming victims of zeal that is based on poor information. The result is a lopsided people. If our zeal is not powered by a Word-compliant mentality, it will lead us into frustration.”
No truth communicated to the body of Christ should stand in isolation. Other truths find balance when communicated wholesomely, as they interconnect with other truths in the Bible. When it has to do with growth, we don’t choose how to be built. We have to be open to the full counsel of God. Zeal is a precious gift that must be managed with responsibility.
The Human Spirit and the Pursuit of Progress
Delving deeper, Apostle Selman explored The Nature of the Human Spirit and Progress. One of the indices that measure happiness and fulfillment is advancement and progress. The degree to which you find yourself advancing sustains your ability to be happy, joyful, and fulfilled. Progress is one of the indices that control happiness and fulfillment.
No human spirit indefinitely makes progress in life and destiny until you possess and sustain a requisite level of zeal (energy and passion). The ability to have passion, fire, and zeal, and still sustain the ability to tame it, is the real proof of spiritual growth.
When it comes to spiritual growth, you don’t choose your own distribution of grace; God has already arranged it. Your responsibility is to open your heart, to learn, and to receive what He has placed in others for your rising.
Taming Extremism: Correcting Our Understanding
The core of the message was a call to correct our mentalities. The first thing that needs to be done to our zeal as Believers is to correct our understanding about God, the body of Christ, priesthood, and the Holy Spirit. Whenever we feel like we are the only ones serving the purposes of God, it’s already an attack, and it can make us deviate from the plans of God when we have that mindset. Our key prayer should be “Lord, show me people like me who have not bowed their knees to Baal”. Our mentalities can greatly govern the way we manage or express zeal.
The body of Christ needs to edit its belief systems because we do a lot of things believing it is for God, while in the real sense, it is zeal without knowledge. Our zeal is correct in the body of Christ, but we must examine our mentality. The mindset we must sustain as the body of Christ is that if the fruit of the Spirit is violated to birth an agenda, then God is not in it. Our zeal must be powered by a Word-compliant mentality; if not, our approach will lead us to destruction.
As the body of Christ, when our mentality teaches us that we are stronger together, it will channel our zeal appropriately, and until we have this mentality, our zeal will always be corrupted. An individual can’t birth the purposes of God wholesomely, because no one man can singlehandedly pilot the program of God. The Ecclesia—the Church—coming together as one is what brings about wholesome growth. The way we exercise our zeal is as important as our motive. Don’t just have a correct motive; also have a correct approach.
God will never power hatred. God will never power envy. God will never power competitive jealousy. God will never power the desire to outshine. When you find your zeal birthing those things, the devil has hijacked your zeal. There needs to be a correction of the understanding that powers it. When you find love, God is there. That zeal powered by love, powered by mutual respect for the body of Christ, powered by an awareness that you are only a part of the larger program of God and while celebrating your uniqueness, you must appreciate the diversity of graces across the body of Christ. When that zeal is powered by such information, it will produce victory.
You will always view life through the lens of who you really are—that is, your belief system. Your zeal doesn’t need to change; rather, it is the belief system that powers the zeal that must be transformed.
It is amazing what many people do in the name of God. Beware when your passion leads you to partner with satan. Everything that comes from God must be by the influence of the Holy Spirit and measured by the fruits of the Spirit.
28
The passion for God cannot lead you to fraternization with darkness. When you use Satan’s weapon, you won’t reveal the glory of the Lord.
Don’t turn your unresolved childhood trauma into a message or mindset, and then package it for the body of Christ to absorb. Love Jesus passionately, but not fanatically.
25
A loser’s mentality cannot produce a victor’s destiny. People have scars due to good intentions laced with wrong approaches, and the approach is as good as the motive.
Two Major Factors Affecting the Outcome of Zeal
Apostle Selman outlined two critical factors:
- The Mentality or Belief-System that Powers the Zeal (1 Kings 19:10-14, 18)
It can make it a weapon of mass destruction or a weapon of blessing to the nations. -
The Approach – The Way Zeal is Exercised (Romans 10:2, KJV)
The way zeal is exercised can impede or propagate the gospel. People have scars due to good intentions but a wrong approach; the approach is as good as the motive.
Biblical Examples: The Perils and Power of Zeal
Case Studies of Mismanaged Zeal
- Moses’ Zeal as a Deliverer (Exodus 2:10-13, KJV) – Pushed him into killing an Egyptian.
- The Deflected Allegiance of the Israelites in the Desert (Exodus 32:1-9 KJV, 10-15 NIV) – When Moses went up to meet God.
- The Excessively Zealous Nature of the Scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 23:4-7 KJV).
- The Zeal Driving James and John – Which prompted them to tell Jesus to call fire from those who did not receive Him (Luke 9:51-55 KJV).
- Persecution on the Church of Damascus by the Zeal of Saul of Tarsus (Acts 8:1-3 KJV, Acts 9:1-6 KJV).
Positive Power of Zeal
- Caleb (Numbers 13:25-30, Joshua 14:6-12).
- The Four Lepers (2 Kings 7:3-9).
- Nehemiah (Nehemiah 2:1-16).
- The Men Who Carried the Beautiful Lame Man at the Beautiful Gate (Acts 3:2).
- Jesus Christ (John 2:13-17, Psalm 69:9).
I pray for you, that as you learn tonight, zeal will not become a curse in your life, in the name of Jesus Christ! #Prophecy
Levels of Ignorance: Barriers to Victorious Living
To fully manage zeal, we must confront ignorance at its roots. Apostle Selman identified 3 Levels of Ignorance That Must Be Dealt With on the Journey to Becoming a Victorious Believer:
- The Ignorance of Not Knowing That You Do Not Know (Matthew 4:16)
This is a state of being ignorant without even realizing it. What this group of people need is information. -
Those Who Know That They Are Ignorant but Do Not Know How or Where to Find Useful Knowledge (Ecclesiastes 10:15)
They are ignorant but do not know how to access transformative truth. -
Those Who Know but Do Not Know Enough to Produce Sustainable Results (1 Corinthians 8:2; 2 Timothy 3:7)
This is a state of possessing limited or incomplete knowledge.
Conclusion: A Call to Balanced Fervency
Beloved, zeal is God’s gift for motion, but taming it is our responsibility. As Apostle Selman declared, “When spiritual growth, you don’t choose your own distribution of grace; God has already arranged it. Your responsibility is to open your heart, to learn, and to receive what He has placed in others for your rising.”
Let us commit to Word-compliant mentalities, collaborative approaches, and Spirit-led passion.
For the full audio message, download here: Google Drive Link.
Prayer Points:
– Father, correct my understanding of You, the Body of Christ, priesthood, and the Holy Spirit.
– Lord, show me people like me who have not bowed their knees to Baal.
– I receive grace to manage my zeal without extremism, in Jesus’ name.
Stay blessed and fervent in serving the Lord!
Follow Koinonia Global on X @koinoniaeni for more teachings. #ApostleJoshuaSelman #ManagingTheGiftOfZeal #TamingExtremism #Romans12:11 #KoinoniaGlobal
These notes are compiled from live highlights and slides shared during the service. For deeper study, listen to the full message.
