Thank you for reading the Weekend Sermon. I am glad to be able to be back posting new sermons after being off last week. I am feeling better this week, and I thank you for your prayers on my behalf.
Two weeks ago, we began a two week series on the Old Testament book of Zephaniah. We saw that Zephaniah was a prophet who proclaimed the message given to him by the Lord during the time of the reign of Josiah in the southern kingdom of Judah.
Zephaniah proclaimed a message of judgement. He stated that the Lord was growing tired of the people's continual sins. They were worshiping false gods, and they were doing those things that God had commanded them not to do.
Zephaniah was not the first, nor was he the last prophet to bring God's warning before judgment came. Isaiah, Jeremiah and others all called the people to repentance. We saw that God was merciful and wanting to forgive then, and the Lord is merciful and wants to forgive today. As the Bible says, the Lord is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
The book of Zephaniah does not just contain a word of judgement. It also contains words of promise and hope. This is especially true at the end of chapter 3. The Lord had made promises to Abraham and David. The people of Israel would not cease to exist even though the Lord would bring about judgment for sin.
In the last part of the book of Zephaniah, the Lord says that there will be a remnant who will return from captivity and be restored to the land of Israel. This prophecy was fulfilled, and it also has an ultimate fulfillment.
We know from history that after Josiah died, his reforms died with him. The people went back to serving false gods. The kings that followed Josiah were all immoral and terrible leaders. In 586 BC, the nation of Judah would be conquered by the Babylonian Empire and its ruler Nebuchadnezzar. Many people were carried away into captivity. The city of Jerusalem was destroyed, and the Temple was also destroyed.
God was faithful to His promise. After a period of captivity, the people were allowed to return to the land when the Persians conquered the Babylonians. The people went back and rebuilt the Temple. We read about this in Haggai and Ezra. The people went and rebuilt Jerusalem and wall around it. We read about this in Nehemiah.
We know from countless examples in God's Word that God always keeps His promises. If He says that He will do something, He will do it. God has kept His promises to Abraham, Noah, David and others. He has kept His promise that a Messiah would come, and Jesus has come into this world.
Because God has kept His promises in the past, we can have confidence that He will do so in the future. He has promised that all who believe in Jesus will inherit eternal life. Jesus says that He has gone to prepare a place for us so that we can be with Him forever. Jesus said that He is the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Him will live with Him forever.
We can count on these promises because we can see from the Bible that the Lord honors His Word. One of the promises we have from Jesus is that He will return to this earth one day in power and great glory. That is the ultimate fulfillment of the words in Zephaniah chapter 3.
When the Lord Jesus returns, all will be restored to its original state before sin entered into the world. The Lord will make all things new. We read about this is Acts 3:21 which states, "He must remain in Heaven until the time for the final restoration of all things, as God promised long ago through His holy prophets."
I am looking forward to the return of Jesus. He will judge the living and the dead. Those who have followed Him will be with Him for all eternity in the new world that is free from death, sickness, war and injustice. Even so, come Lord Jesus.
If you have never repented of your sins and turned to the Lord Jesus for forgiveness, I hope that you will do so today. He is waiting for whoever wants to come to Him. I hope that you are ready for the coming of the Lord and that great day when every knee bows at the name of Jesus. Amen.
Prayer Requests and Other Matters
This last week was very difficult. I am feeling better but not great. Please pray that I will start to feel all the way better. Thank you for your prayers.
Please pray for all of those who were affected by hurricane Dorian. The devastation in the Bahamas is horrific. Pray for those who mourn that they will be comforted. Pray that the people will receive the aid that they need. Please also pray for those in the US who were affected as well. I know that people in South and North Carolina had damage from the storm.
Continue to pray that the Ebola outbreak in Congo will end. Pray that those who are sick will recover.
Let us pray for peace in the troubled areas of the world. Let us pray specifically for the nations of Syria, Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen and Somalia.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those in Iraq and Senegal. Pray that many will respond to the love and mercy of Jesus.
Next week, the sermon will be posted on Saturday, and I will be starting a new series of messages Lord willing. On Monday, I will post the verses. I will post a review on Wednesday. May God bless you all. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment