Zephaniah: Who is the Blessed Nation? (Pt 3)
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Open this evening to Zephaniah 3:14–20. Zephaniah 3 starting in verse 14
Over the last few weeks we have seen that the Blessed Nation, the ones with pure Hearts, demonstrated in Pure lips, these hearts an lip are given by God.
They are a humble people, made humble by God.
Verse 13 calls this group Israel, the New Testament calls them the church.
They are one in the same. The true Israel has always been God’s Chosen elect and the church.
They are Israel because Jesus is Israel. Refer to Galatians 3-5 for more information.
Everyone that is in Christ, the Elect, are Israel. Not of any interstice nature of their own. But because of Christ alone.
It does not matter if you are a Jew or a genital
It does matter if you are a repentant serial murder or the worlds more renowned philanthropist
No one, no one has any right to call themselves God’s people from anything about themselves.
It doesn't matter if you are a Jew you are not God’s people unless you are in Christ
It doesn't mater if you are the most righteous person in the world, you are not God’s people unless you are in Christ.
I want keep in mind Jesus’ word to the believers as he ascended into heaven.
“18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Mt 28:18–20, ESV)
Especially the words, “And behold, I am with you always”
The Blessed Nation has the King in their midst.
Please Stand for the Reading of God’s Word
14 Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! 15 The Lord has taken away the judgments against you; he has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall never again fear evil. 16 On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: “Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak. 17 The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. 18 I will gather those of you who mourn for the festival, so that you will no longer suffer reproach. 19 Behold, at that time I will deal with all your oppressors. And I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth. 20 At that time I will bring you in, at the time when I gather you together; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes,” says the Lord.
May God Bless the Reading of His Holy, Inflatable, and Sufficient Word
Let’s Pray
Transition
Transition
The people of God Rejoice because they are free. Look to verse 14-15.
Body
Body
Rejoice Israel, Sign Daughter of Zion
Rejoice Israel, Sign Daughter of Zion
14 Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! 15 The Lord has taken away the judgments against you; he has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall never again fear evil.
Sing and rejoice, are the appropriate responses to what God has done.
Gospel Centered Biblical worship.
Real rejoicing
If you are standing there empty
You need to talk to an elder
There is a time for weeping and rejoicing.
“Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.”(Ro 12:15, ESV)
Romans 12 is so good!
However, if you can meditate on the work that Christ has done before you and you are not moved to Joy! (With an !) then there is something wrong.
Do you understand, you stood condemned.
“The Lord has taken away the judgments against you;
he has cleared away your enemies.”
Sin that Immortal, unshakable, master is not longer our tyrant.
A mortal enemy to be sure, we will fight with all out day here, but it is a winning battle.
No its a battle already won.
“The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst;”
Oh boy could we meditate on those words for hours and days.
He is the same person. These King of Israel is you guessed it, Jesus and Jesus is YHWH.
“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” (Lk 1:31–33, ESV)
I think this is good to say it again, if Jesus is not your King, LORD, and master, you are not in Isreal.
“you shall never again fear evil.”
Death is no longer our master
Evil is no longer our mater
Sin is no longer our master
We have a new master, and he truly loves US, he is a wonderful master, and infinitely worthy master.
Transition
Transition
More then a Master, a friend, moire then a friend, a bride groom that exults in his bride. See verse 16-18
He Exults Over You
He Exults Over You
16 On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: “Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak. 17 The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. 18 I will gather those of you who mourn for the festival, so that you will no longer suffer reproach.
Let not your hands grow week. Again we have this admonishment The LORD is with you fear nothing.
Doesn't that sound like what Jesus said in Matthew.
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore” (Mt 28:18–19, ESV)
Don’t be afraid, Go.
The LORD God in your midst
He is the same person. These King of Israel is you guessed it, Jesus and Jesus is YHWH.
He will save
He will Rejoice
He will be Glad
He will comfort you with his love
He will exult over you
You ever think about that? Jesus exulting, rejoicing, being gladdened be the though of His church.
I have to admit this is a tough one for me.
Its easy for me to understand, Jesus loving the Father,
Serving the Father
I think Calvin’s summary here is better then I could ever do, “He afterwards adds, He will rejoice over thee with gladness. This must be referred to the gratuitous love of God, by which he embraces and cherishes his Church, as a husband his wife whom he most tenderly loves. Such feelings, we know, belong not to God; but this mode of speaking, which often occurs in Scripture, is thus to be understood by us; for as God cannot otherwise show his favour towards us and the greatness of his love, he compares himself to a husband, and us to a wife. He means in short—that God is most highly pleased when he can show himself kind to his Church. [1]
I enjoy Pipers example here.
Flowers in duty are not flowers at all.
God, the Lord, Christ is a good husband to his bride and
“I will gather those of you who mourn for the festival, so that you will no longer suffer reproach.”
Verse 18 the now and not yet.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Mt 5:4, ESV)
Christian often suffer reproach
But one day they will rule
Remember Jesus’ answer to the Pharisees when they asked him why his disciples didn’t fast.
““Can you make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? 35 The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.” (Lk 5:34–35, ESV)
Transition
Transition
We are talking about the now and not yet again. There is a great example of that in verse 19 and 20.
What was the Time Again?
What was the Time Again?
Zephaniah 3:19–20 (ESV)
19 Behold, at that time I will deal with all your oppressors. And I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth. 20 At that time I will bring you in, at the time when I gather you together; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes,” says the Lord.
at that time
Its important we think about that time rightly.
What time will he deal with the oppressors.
We need to understand he has an is.
He said, “It is finished” (John 19:30)
He said all “power is given to me” (Matt 20:18)
he said “I have over come the world.” (John 16:33)
So have over come, in Christ.
Paul said We are more than Conquerors.
But remember what Jesus said to the churches in (Revelation chapter 1-3)
“to those that overcome”
This is how the scripture speaks about our salvation.
“even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved” (Eph 2:5, ESV)
“For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing,” (2 Co 2:15, ESV)
“For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Ro 10:13, ESV)
This is how the scripture talk about Christ’s rule.
As we have seen Jesus said all authority is His,
But the scriptures also says, “Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” (1 Co 15:24–26, ESV)
“I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes,”
Conclusion
Conclusion
Benediction
Benediction
References
References
John Calvin and John Owen, Commentaries on the Twelve Minor Prophets, vol. 4 (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010), 303.
Bibliography
Bibliography
Calvin, John, and John Owen. Commentaries on the Twelve Minor Prophets. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010.