1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:03,569 Hello and welcome to the Middletown Baptist Church podcast, 2 00:00:03,697 --> 00:00:06,593 where we are proclaiming the truth to the world. 3 00:00:06,689 --> 00:00:09,657 My name is Pastor Josh, and I want to thank you for listening to 4 00:00:09,681 --> 00:00:10,685 this podcast. 5 00:00:10,985 --> 00:00:14,625 I hope that this podcast can be a blessing to you and strengthen 6 00:00:14,665 --> 00:00:16,245 you in the word of God. 7 00:00:16,745 --> 00:00:17,577 Now, come along. 8 00:00:17,641 --> 00:00:21,765 Let's look into the Bible and see what God has for us here today. 9 00:00:23,465 --> 00:00:26,625 We're going to go ahead and start our Bible study here this evening. 10 00:00:26,665 --> 00:00:30,745 If you have your Bibles, turn to Zephaniah chapter two. 11 00:00:30,905 --> 00:00:35,245 We're going to continue our study here in the Book of Zephaniah. 12 00:00:36,345 --> 00:00:40,193 Not a book that we go to a lot when it comes to Bible studies within 13 00:00:40,249 --> 00:00:43,257 church, but nonetheless an important book of the Bible because 14 00:00:43,281 --> 00:00:44,705 we know that all the books are important. 15 00:00:44,865 --> 00:00:49,921 And the theme for the Book of Zephaniah is God's judgment and his 16 00:00:49,953 --> 00:00:50,685 mercy. 17 00:00:51,265 --> 00:00:55,645 God's holy, righteous indignation against sin in this world, 18 00:00:55,945 --> 00:01:01,481 but also God's loving mercies and his grace and his tender, loving 19 00:01:01,553 --> 00:01:01,929 kindness. 20 00:01:01,977 --> 00:01:05,241 And you would say, how can those two things meet together? 21 00:01:05,313 --> 00:01:05,737 Right? 22 00:01:05,841 --> 00:01:08,697 How can someone be righteously angry? 23 00:01:08,841 --> 00:01:12,921 How can someone be judged, judging a lost and dying world, but 24 00:01:12,953 --> 00:01:16,657 also still be loving, kind, gracious, and forgiving? 25 00:01:16,721 --> 00:01:18,161 Well, because he's God. 26 00:01:18,193 --> 00:01:21,361 And we're going to talk about how he does that through this study 27 00:01:21,393 --> 00:01:22,153 in Zephaniah. 28 00:01:22,209 --> 00:01:26,833 So last week we started chapter two, and we ended in verse 29 00:01:26,889 --> 00:01:27,793 number three. 30 00:01:27,969 --> 00:01:31,537 And just by way of review, I would like to go back and look at 31 00:01:31,561 --> 00:01:36,325 verse number three, because it's the thesis of his message. 32 00:01:37,105 --> 00:01:38,025 What's a thesis? 33 00:01:38,065 --> 00:01:38,913 It's his main thought. 34 00:01:38,969 --> 00:01:39,265 Okay. 35 00:01:39,305 --> 00:01:42,505 This is Zephaniah's main thought in his message to the people 36 00:01:42,545 --> 00:01:43,645 there in Judah. 37 00:01:44,065 --> 00:01:46,417 Ultimately, it's God's main message to the people of Judah. 38 00:01:46,441 --> 00:01:46,649 Right? 39 00:01:46,697 --> 00:01:48,705 Zephaniah is the mouthpiece for God. 40 00:01:48,745 --> 00:01:50,159 He's the prophet of God. 41 00:01:50,297 --> 00:01:52,235 God is speaking to the people of Judah. 42 00:01:52,275 --> 00:01:55,371 Now, it's important to remember who the audience is. 43 00:01:55,403 --> 00:01:56,451 The audience is Judah. 44 00:01:56,483 --> 00:01:58,535 Judah is the southern kingdom. 45 00:01:59,155 --> 00:01:59,587 The. 46 00:01:59,651 --> 00:02:00,067 The. 47 00:02:00,171 --> 00:02:03,155 The kingdom that had been hanging on longer than the northern 48 00:02:03,195 --> 00:02:05,675 kingdom, the northern kingdom had turned their backs against God 49 00:02:05,835 --> 00:02:06,915 before this. 50 00:02:07,075 --> 00:02:09,339 But Judah still at this point was somewhat good. 51 00:02:09,387 --> 00:02:09,691 Right? 52 00:02:09,763 --> 00:02:10,171 You had. 53 00:02:10,203 --> 00:02:11,355 Josiah was the king. 54 00:02:11,395 --> 00:02:13,547 Josiah was a king of revival. 55 00:02:13,731 --> 00:02:17,559 He was the king that pointed their eyes back to the Word. 56 00:02:17,747 --> 00:02:21,271 But we ultimately know that just because one generation is faithful 57 00:02:21,303 --> 00:02:24,231 to the Word, that that doesn't mean that it's going to last forever. 58 00:02:24,343 --> 00:02:26,607 There has to be that consistent faithfulness. 59 00:02:26,751 --> 00:02:30,871 And so in Zephaniah chapter two, he said in verse three, seek 60 00:02:31,023 --> 00:02:32,383 Ye the Lord. 61 00:02:32,519 --> 00:02:36,399 He said, the remedy to all of this, the remedy to God's judgment, 62 00:02:36,447 --> 00:02:40,215 the remedy of the pain that's going to be inflicted on you, the 63 00:02:40,255 --> 00:02:42,927 destruction that's going to be brought is this. 64 00:02:43,031 --> 00:02:45,901 Seek the Lord, seek ye the Lord. 65 00:02:46,053 --> 00:02:48,213 All ye meek of the earth. 66 00:02:48,269 --> 00:02:51,141 And so the challenge is, seek the Lord. 67 00:02:51,253 --> 00:02:52,205 How do you seek him? 68 00:02:52,245 --> 00:02:54,877 It says there, seek righteousness. 69 00:02:55,061 --> 00:02:56,197 That's God's truth. 70 00:02:56,261 --> 00:02:57,413 And seek meekness. 71 00:02:57,509 --> 00:02:58,425 Be meek. 72 00:02:59,085 --> 00:02:59,565 Why? 73 00:02:59,645 --> 00:03:04,301 Because it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger. 74 00:03:04,373 --> 00:03:07,505 Saying this, basically, if you want God's mercy, be meek. 75 00:03:07,845 --> 00:03:10,865 And so it's receiving mercy and meekness. 76 00:03:11,285 --> 00:03:13,773 And we talked a little bit about what meekness was last week. 77 00:03:13,869 --> 00:03:15,773 Meekness is gentleness. 78 00:03:15,829 --> 00:03:16,997 It's strength under control. 79 00:03:17,061 --> 00:03:20,381 It's having the ability to exert power upon somebody, but not 80 00:03:20,413 --> 00:03:21,185 doing that. 81 00:03:21,685 --> 00:03:24,917 And so you could wrap it up into a picture of God controlling 82 00:03:24,941 --> 00:03:26,465 your life and not your flesh. 83 00:03:27,045 --> 00:03:30,821 Jesus says In Matthew, chapter 11, he says, Come to me, learn of 84 00:03:30,853 --> 00:03:33,101 me, and I will teach you how to be lowly. 85 00:03:33,133 --> 00:03:34,637 I'll teach you how to be meek. 86 00:03:34,741 --> 00:03:35,901 He says, I'll teach you how to be humble. 87 00:03:35,933 --> 00:03:36,717 I'll teach you how to be meek. 88 00:03:36,741 --> 00:03:40,145 And so what we can see through Jesus's teachings and through the 89 00:03:40,185 --> 00:03:44,233 whole scope of Scripture is that God's desire for us is to hold 90 00:03:44,289 --> 00:03:46,113 that character trait of meekness in our lives. 91 00:03:46,209 --> 00:03:49,585 We even know that in Galatians it says that it is one of the elements 92 00:03:49,625 --> 00:03:50,985 of the fruit of the Spirit, right? 93 00:03:51,025 --> 00:03:53,737 So one of the manifestations in our life that the Holy Spirit 94 00:03:53,761 --> 00:03:57,325 is guiding our life is that we hold humility and meekness. 95 00:03:57,665 --> 00:04:00,577 And so a Christian who is not meek, and the opposite of that would 96 00:04:00,601 --> 00:04:03,569 be somebody who is out of control, someone who is. 97 00:04:03,657 --> 00:04:07,481 Who is defined by their anger, someone that is defined by the opposite 98 00:04:07,513 --> 00:04:08,385 of gentleness. 99 00:04:08,505 --> 00:04:11,161 Harsh, cutting, sharp. 100 00:04:11,273 --> 00:04:13,321 And the Bible says that isn't a character trait of God. 101 00:04:13,353 --> 00:04:15,561 That isn't a character trait of what he would have us to be. 102 00:04:15,593 --> 00:04:22,325 And so to fix the issue of our sin, we must come to a place of humility, 103 00:04:22,985 --> 00:04:25,089 meekness, righteousness. 104 00:04:25,177 --> 00:04:27,525 And then what that brings is repentance. 105 00:04:28,025 --> 00:04:30,989 Repentance is a turning away from something. 106 00:04:31,177 --> 00:04:33,333 We're gonna talk more about this on Sunday morning. 107 00:04:33,469 --> 00:04:36,861 And so I don't want to get ahead of myself. 108 00:04:36,933 --> 00:04:38,853 If you're gonna come back on Sunday morning, this will be a little 109 00:04:38,869 --> 00:04:40,397 bit of taste of what we're talking about. 110 00:04:40,501 --> 00:04:42,877 We're gonna be talking on Sunday morning what true repentance 111 00:04:42,941 --> 00:04:43,545 is. 112 00:04:44,205 --> 00:04:49,573 And repentance, yes, is it is Turning away from something, right? 113 00:04:49,709 --> 00:04:52,541 So repentance is turning away from sin, but it's not just turning 114 00:04:52,573 --> 00:04:53,149 away from sin. 115 00:04:53,197 --> 00:04:55,197 It's turning to God. 116 00:04:55,381 --> 00:04:56,709 It's not turning to the void. 117 00:04:56,757 --> 00:04:57,941 It's not turning to emptiness. 118 00:04:58,053 --> 00:05:00,389 Well, I'm gonna turn away from sin, and I'm just gonna go to something 119 00:05:00,437 --> 00:05:01,035 else. 120 00:05:01,205 --> 00:05:02,871 I'm going to redirect my sin. 121 00:05:02,983 --> 00:05:06,399 Folks, if we redirect our sin, it's just going to go to another 122 00:05:06,447 --> 00:05:06,959 sin. 123 00:05:07,087 --> 00:05:10,655 If we redirect our flesh from one thing, it's going to go to another 124 00:05:10,695 --> 00:05:11,275 thing. 125 00:05:11,735 --> 00:05:14,455 I've met some people that say, you know, I have these mechanisms, 126 00:05:14,495 --> 00:05:16,955 these coping mechanisms to get away from my anger. 127 00:05:17,735 --> 00:05:20,103 And I can understand to a degree what that's all about. 128 00:05:20,159 --> 00:05:23,503 But the Bible does speak of the complete reliance on God to give 129 00:05:23,519 --> 00:05:25,319 us victory over the sin in our life. 130 00:05:25,487 --> 00:05:28,137 And so it's not a trick, it's not a mind game. 131 00:05:28,271 --> 00:05:31,557 It's seeking after the Lord, desiring Him in our hearts. 132 00:05:31,581 --> 00:05:34,505 And that's what he says there in verse three, Seek ye the Lord. 133 00:05:34,925 --> 00:05:36,341 And then he ends with this. 134 00:05:36,493 --> 00:05:37,185 Why? 135 00:05:37,725 --> 00:05:41,265 Because maybe, just maybe, God will spare you from his wrath. 136 00:05:41,605 --> 00:05:44,357 And that's really how we should understand it, right? 137 00:05:44,461 --> 00:05:48,105 It is only by the grace of God that we are spared from his wrath. 138 00:05:49,005 --> 00:05:52,069 All we, like sheep, have gone astray, right? 139 00:05:52,197 --> 00:05:54,109 And so what does the Bible say about that? 140 00:05:54,277 --> 00:05:56,717 The Bible says that for all of sin to come short of the glory of 141 00:05:56,741 --> 00:06:01,941 God, for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God's eternal 142 00:06:01,973 --> 00:06:03,625 life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 143 00:06:04,045 --> 00:06:08,501 And so we have to live in that mindset that God has gifted me with 144 00:06:08,533 --> 00:06:12,773 an opportunity to get away from his judgment, to see him and 145 00:06:12,789 --> 00:06:13,573 to know him. 146 00:06:13,709 --> 00:06:15,701 And so the rest of the chapter. 147 00:06:15,893 --> 00:06:19,437 The rest of the chapter is the description of God's judgment, not 148 00:06:19,461 --> 00:06:22,951 just for the people of Judah, but for all of the people of the 149 00:06:22,983 --> 00:06:24,275 known world at the time. 150 00:06:25,135 --> 00:06:27,975 And so from verse four all the way to the end of the chapter, verse 151 00:06:28,015 --> 00:06:29,871 15, it's going to get a little bit monotonous. 152 00:06:29,983 --> 00:06:32,711 It's just going to be, these people are judged, these people are 153 00:06:32,743 --> 00:06:33,183 judged. 154 00:06:33,279 --> 00:06:34,631 This is how it's going to look. 155 00:06:34,783 --> 00:06:37,663 But the reason why he's doing this is he's painting a picture for 156 00:06:37,679 --> 00:06:38,623 the people of Judah. 157 00:06:38,719 --> 00:06:41,911 He's essentially geographically going around Judah 158 00:06:41,943 --> 00:06:44,543 and saying, it's not just you that's going to face the wrath of 159 00:06:44,559 --> 00:06:45,767 God, it's everybody. 160 00:06:45,871 --> 00:06:49,879 Anybody who rejects God, even those people that you think are succeeding 161 00:06:49,967 --> 00:06:52,863 with their idolatry, even though you think those people over 162 00:06:52,879 --> 00:06:56,759 there have all the money and all the power and all the fame. 163 00:06:56,847 --> 00:06:57,615 He says, you know what? 164 00:06:57,655 --> 00:06:59,279 They're still going to be judged. 165 00:06:59,407 --> 00:07:00,743 And he's going to list all of those here. 166 00:07:00,759 --> 00:07:02,439 Now we're going to go through those, and I want to give you a little 167 00:07:02,447 --> 00:07:04,327 bit of historical context to them. 168 00:07:04,471 --> 00:07:07,911 We won't dive too deep into this, but we're going to circle back 169 00:07:07,943 --> 00:07:12,725 around to the very end and talk about the need of judgment, 170 00:07:12,895 --> 00:07:14,809 the blessing of God's judgment. 171 00:07:14,937 --> 00:07:17,529 And biblically, how does that tie together with God's grace in 172 00:07:17,537 --> 00:07:18,505 the New Testament? 173 00:07:18,625 --> 00:07:20,185 And let me give you a little hint. 174 00:07:20,225 --> 00:07:22,641 And in the Old Right, because God's grace is in the Old Testament 175 00:07:22,673 --> 00:07:23,105 as well. 176 00:07:23,185 --> 00:07:26,697 Don't let people tell you that there's this God in the Old Testament 177 00:07:26,841 --> 00:07:30,137 that's just judgmental and angry and doing all these things. 178 00:07:30,161 --> 00:07:32,873 And then we get to the New Testament and then God changes and 179 00:07:32,889 --> 00:07:33,545 he's all about this. 180 00:07:33,585 --> 00:07:36,729 No, God has always been eternally gracious. 181 00:07:36,857 --> 00:07:39,835 He's always been eternally a judge, a righteous judge. 182 00:07:39,985 --> 00:07:42,503 And so, no, it's not two different gods. 183 00:07:42,639 --> 00:07:44,711 We're going to talk about that as we get to the end here. 184 00:07:44,743 --> 00:07:45,575 So let's look at it here. 185 00:07:45,615 --> 00:07:46,223 Verse 4. 186 00:07:46,319 --> 00:07:48,155 For Gaza shall be forsaken. 187 00:07:48,615 --> 00:07:50,231 So he speaks about this place, Gaza. 188 00:07:50,263 --> 00:07:52,935 He's speaking of the land where the Philistines were living 189 00:07:52,975 --> 00:07:53,615 at the time. 190 00:07:53,735 --> 00:07:56,335 So judgment would come against the unrepentant Judah. 191 00:07:56,375 --> 00:08:00,807 Yes, but would also come against the cities of the Philistines. 192 00:08:00,991 --> 00:08:05,157 And so he says, for Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation. 193 00:08:05,311 --> 00:08:09,505 They shall drive out Ashdod at the noonday, and Ekron shall be rooted 194 00:08:09,545 --> 00:08:10,125 up. 195 00:08:10,705 --> 00:08:15,097 And so right here we see that there will be God's judgment towards 196 00:08:15,161 --> 00:08:16,441 these Philistine nations. 197 00:08:16,473 --> 00:08:18,881 And we know that they were pagan folks there. 198 00:08:18,913 --> 00:08:19,985 And so verse 5. 199 00:08:20,105 --> 00:08:23,569 Woe unto the inhabitants of the seacoast, and to the nation of 200 00:08:23,577 --> 00:08:24,785 the Cherethites. 201 00:08:24,945 --> 00:08:27,641 And the word of the Lord is against you, not a place where you 202 00:08:27,673 --> 00:08:30,873 want to be, O Cain, in the land of the Philistines, I will even 203 00:08:30,929 --> 00:08:31,625 destroy thee. 204 00:08:31,665 --> 00:08:33,645 And there shall be no inhabitants. 205 00:08:33,985 --> 00:08:37,209 And this speaks again to God's complete judgment against them. 206 00:08:37,297 --> 00:08:38,801 And then it's described here, verse six. 207 00:08:38,833 --> 00:08:41,865 And the sea coast shall be dwellings and cottages for shepherds, 208 00:08:41,905 --> 00:08:43,105 and folds for flocks. 209 00:08:43,185 --> 00:08:46,569 And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah. 210 00:08:46,697 --> 00:08:49,193 So he does mention that there will be a remnant to Judah. 211 00:08:49,289 --> 00:08:51,329 There won't be complete destruction of Judah. 212 00:08:51,497 --> 00:08:52,745 They shall feed thereupon. 213 00:08:52,785 --> 00:08:55,777 And the houses of Ashkelon shall They lie down in the evening 214 00:08:55,881 --> 00:08:59,685 for the Lord their God shall visit them and turn away their captivity. 215 00:09:00,135 --> 00:09:04,071 And so we see the judgment of the Philistines, and then we see 216 00:09:04,103 --> 00:09:07,111 that he changes directions and he talks about the judgment against 217 00:09:07,143 --> 00:09:09,695 the Moabites and the Ammonites. 218 00:09:09,855 --> 00:09:13,847 And so first God looks to the west from Judah and talks about the 219 00:09:13,871 --> 00:09:14,715 Philistines. 220 00:09:15,215 --> 00:09:20,007 And then he looked to the east towards Moab, towards where the Ammonites 221 00:09:20,071 --> 00:09:20,711 lived. 222 00:09:20,863 --> 00:09:24,583 And it's interesting, the analogy that he uses for the Moabites 223 00:09:24,599 --> 00:09:25,715 and the Ammonites. 224 00:09:26,235 --> 00:09:29,019 And I think that we will understand it once we understand 225 00:09:29,067 --> 00:09:29,595 the context. 226 00:09:29,635 --> 00:09:34,335 And so God promises to judge the people of Moab and Ammon. 227 00:09:34,635 --> 00:09:38,315 And he talks about he's going to bring them perpetual desolation. 228 00:09:38,475 --> 00:09:41,387 So let's look there in verse number eight, he says, I have heard 229 00:09:41,411 --> 00:09:45,451 the reproach of Moab and the revelings of the children of Ammon, 230 00:09:45,643 --> 00:09:49,475 whereby they have reproached my people and magnified themselves 231 00:09:49,555 --> 00:09:50,547 against their border. 232 00:09:50,691 --> 00:09:54,083 And so these folks are described as folks that are magnifying 233 00:09:54,139 --> 00:09:58,789 themselves, lifting themselves up, mocking God, mocking his people. 234 00:09:58,957 --> 00:10:01,349 And so God is going to judge those that mock him. 235 00:10:01,397 --> 00:10:01,985 Right. 236 00:10:02,485 --> 00:10:06,425 Galatians says that realize God is not mocked. 237 00:10:06,725 --> 00:10:09,437 What people are going to sow is what they're going to reap. 238 00:10:09,501 --> 00:10:10,637 God is not mocked. 239 00:10:10,741 --> 00:10:13,629 And so that's what he's saying here, verse 9. 240 00:10:13,797 --> 00:10:16,717 Therefore, as I live, saith the Lord of the hosts, the God of 241 00:10:16,741 --> 00:10:19,469 Israel, surely Moab shall be as Sodom. 242 00:10:19,597 --> 00:10:23,617 So he describes Moab to have the destruction of Sodom and the 243 00:10:23,641 --> 00:10:25,273 children of Ammon as Gomorrah. 244 00:10:25,329 --> 00:10:30,313 Even the breeding of nettles and salt pits and a perpetual desolation, 245 00:10:30,369 --> 00:10:33,497 the residue of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my 246 00:10:33,521 --> 00:10:35,005 people shall possess them. 247 00:10:35,665 --> 00:10:36,601 And so what does he do? 248 00:10:36,633 --> 00:10:40,561 He compares them to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. 249 00:10:40,593 --> 00:10:41,521 Now, why is that significant? 250 00:10:41,593 --> 00:10:44,041 Well, we would say, well, Sodom and Gomorrah are the classic 251 00:10:44,073 --> 00:10:46,263 pictures of God's judgment for sin. 252 00:10:46,409 --> 00:10:47,615 And that is true. 253 00:10:48,035 --> 00:10:52,091 But you have to remember who the Moabites and the Ammonites are. 254 00:10:52,203 --> 00:10:57,155 The Moabites and the Ammonites are the offspring of Lot and his 255 00:10:57,195 --> 00:10:59,195 daughters, and they're an inappropriate relationship. 256 00:10:59,235 --> 00:11:01,907 Where did Lot and his daughters flee from Sodom and Gomorrah? 257 00:11:01,931 --> 00:11:05,955 So he's connecting that sin of Sodom and Gomorrah to the sin of 258 00:11:05,995 --> 00:11:10,535 Moab and Ammon and how that has generationally been passed down. 259 00:11:10,875 --> 00:11:14,525 And so we know that there was that terrible thing when we studied 260 00:11:14,565 --> 00:11:16,053 the Book of Genesis with Lot. 261 00:11:16,229 --> 00:11:19,301 And so I believe that God, obviously, having that in mind, says, 262 00:11:19,333 --> 00:11:22,221 hey, the same judgment that came upon Sodom, the same judgment 263 00:11:22,253 --> 00:11:25,309 that came upon Gomorrah will be the same judgment that will be 264 00:11:25,397 --> 00:11:27,505 faced by Moab and Ammon. 265 00:11:27,885 --> 00:11:30,509 Very interesting concept there. 266 00:11:30,677 --> 00:11:35,573 And then he says, verse 10, this shall they have for their pride. 267 00:11:35,709 --> 00:11:40,935 Now, if you haven't seen it yet, the theme of Zephaniah is contrasting 268 00:11:41,125 --> 00:11:42,987 pride versus meekness and humility. 269 00:11:43,091 --> 00:11:46,931 You know, a person who is prideful, a person who is resting 270 00:11:46,963 --> 00:11:49,787 in their pride, will not come and seek after the Lord. 271 00:11:49,891 --> 00:11:51,819 A person in their pride will not be meek. 272 00:11:51,907 --> 00:11:56,171 A person in their pride will not see the need for God in their 273 00:11:56,203 --> 00:11:56,683 life. 274 00:11:56,819 --> 00:12:01,427 And so he says, in contrast to pride, it's these people with meekness 275 00:12:01,491 --> 00:12:03,403 that will receive mercy and grace. 276 00:12:03,579 --> 00:12:05,475 And the people that have pride, what do they face? 277 00:12:05,515 --> 00:12:06,583 They face judgment. 278 00:12:06,739 --> 00:12:09,279 This shall they have for their pride, verse 10. 279 00:12:09,327 --> 00:12:12,375 Because they have reproached and magnified themselves against 280 00:12:12,415 --> 00:12:13,915 the people of the Lord of host. 281 00:12:14,455 --> 00:12:17,875 So this is the word of God speaking here. 282 00:12:18,255 --> 00:12:21,327 God is not happy when people magnify themselves. 283 00:12:21,431 --> 00:12:25,559 God is not happy when people magnify themselves against the people 284 00:12:25,607 --> 00:12:28,275 of God, against the word of God. 285 00:12:29,015 --> 00:12:32,031 And that's not a term that we use frequently, like, hey, I'm magnifying 286 00:12:32,063 --> 00:12:32,583 myself. 287 00:12:32,719 --> 00:12:37,415 All this means is I put myself above or in a bigger way than what 288 00:12:37,455 --> 00:12:39,275 God has said in his word. 289 00:12:39,855 --> 00:12:43,023 My word above his, my way above his. 290 00:12:43,199 --> 00:12:44,167 So that's what he's talking about. 291 00:12:44,191 --> 00:12:46,675 He's talking about their pride, and the pride will be judged. 292 00:12:47,775 --> 00:12:51,903 So he goes on to say in verse number 11, the Lord will be terrible 293 00:12:51,959 --> 00:12:52,795 unto them. 294 00:12:54,015 --> 00:12:57,575 You know, that's another way that you could describe that word 295 00:12:57,735 --> 00:12:59,623 is literally awesome. 296 00:12:59,679 --> 00:13:01,055 He will be awesome against them. 297 00:13:01,095 --> 00:13:04,667 And sometimes you use that word awesome as, like, anything's 298 00:13:04,691 --> 00:13:04,979 awesome. 299 00:13:05,027 --> 00:13:06,443 Like, oh, that's an awesome show. 300 00:13:06,499 --> 00:13:08,531 That's an awesome restaurant. 301 00:13:08,723 --> 00:13:11,987 Awesome literally means to bring awe into someone's life, where 302 00:13:12,011 --> 00:13:14,495 they're speechless, they cannot respond. 303 00:13:14,915 --> 00:13:15,827 That's what he's saying here. 304 00:13:15,851 --> 00:13:18,827 He's going to bring that awe to them in their judgment. 305 00:13:18,931 --> 00:13:21,611 For he will famish all the gods of the earth, and the men shall 306 00:13:21,643 --> 00:13:25,483 worship him, every one of them, everyone from his place, even 307 00:13:25,539 --> 00:13:27,255 all the isles of the heathen. 308 00:13:27,915 --> 00:13:32,747 Now, God would glorify himself among the nations, and one way he 309 00:13:32,771 --> 00:13:35,443 would do it was to bring the idols of the nation low. 310 00:13:35,579 --> 00:13:41,051 God's going to judge them and show them the futility of their idols 311 00:13:41,083 --> 00:13:42,295 and their false gods. 312 00:13:42,635 --> 00:13:45,587 And all would see that their idols were vain. 313 00:13:45,651 --> 00:13:45,915 Empty. 314 00:13:45,955 --> 00:13:49,059 And the God, and God alone is the one with substance. 315 00:13:49,227 --> 00:13:54,007 So he judges the west, the Philistines, the East, Moab and Ammonia. 316 00:13:54,061 --> 00:13:56,275 And now he's going to judge the Ethiopians. 317 00:13:56,355 --> 00:13:58,547 The Ethiopians are south. 318 00:13:58,651 --> 00:14:03,931 And so it says in verse number 12, ye Ethiopians also ye shall be 319 00:14:03,963 --> 00:14:05,019 slain by my sword. 320 00:14:05,067 --> 00:14:07,731 There's not much said about this, but God looks at the south 321 00:14:07,763 --> 00:14:09,939 and announces judgment against the Ethiopians. 322 00:14:10,067 --> 00:14:13,755 And we see that complete judgment there from God. 323 00:14:13,795 --> 00:14:14,254 Verse 12. 324 00:14:14,303 --> 00:14:18,075 Now look at verse 13 with me, judgment against Assyria. 325 00:14:18,195 --> 00:14:23,635 And so now he's gone west, east, south. 326 00:14:23,715 --> 00:14:26,907 And now he's going to complete the circle of judgment against Israel's 327 00:14:26,931 --> 00:14:28,747 neighbors to the north. 328 00:14:28,891 --> 00:14:35,907 And so we're going to see here that ultimately God's judgment will 329 00:14:35,931 --> 00:14:38,315 come upon Assyria and he will stretch out his hand against the 330 00:14:38,355 --> 00:14:42,187 north and destroy Assyria and will make Nineveh, that's the capital 331 00:14:42,251 --> 00:14:44,523 city, a desolation, and dry like a wilderness. 332 00:14:44,579 --> 00:14:50,461 Now, that doesn't sound like shocking to us, because in our minds 333 00:14:50,493 --> 00:14:52,665 Nineveh means nothing, right? 334 00:14:53,245 --> 00:14:55,269 Nineveh could be any city. 335 00:14:55,317 --> 00:14:57,101 You could just put any name in the blank there. 336 00:14:57,253 --> 00:15:01,541 But remember, Nineveh is the capital city of the biggest kingdom, 337 00:15:01,653 --> 00:15:01,949 right? 338 00:15:01,997 --> 00:15:03,373 This is the place. 339 00:15:03,509 --> 00:15:06,517 It would be like God saying, I'm going to take the most prosperous 340 00:15:06,581 --> 00:15:08,973 city that you can think of, and I'm going to make that desolate. 341 00:15:09,109 --> 00:15:13,625 It shows the power of God that people think that no one can stop 342 00:15:13,665 --> 00:15:16,529 us, no one can hinder us, no one can take away what we have. 343 00:15:16,577 --> 00:15:18,485 God says, I can take it away like this. 344 00:15:19,105 --> 00:15:22,497 And so the fact that he's mentioning Nineveh as the city that's 345 00:15:22,521 --> 00:15:26,985 going to be facing this is a stark contrast to what they are in 346 00:15:27,025 --> 00:15:27,649 that moment. 347 00:15:27,737 --> 00:15:29,761 Very illustrious. 348 00:15:29,913 --> 00:15:30,513 Verse 14. 349 00:15:30,569 --> 00:15:32,729 And the flock shall lie down in the midst of her. 350 00:15:32,857 --> 00:15:36,527 So he says, the animals will live in Nineveh. 351 00:15:36,641 --> 00:15:39,459 And the beast of the nations, both the comrade that's a bird and 352 00:15:39,467 --> 00:15:42,083 the bittern shall lodge in the upper lintels of it, meaning the 353 00:15:42,099 --> 00:15:43,883 birds are going to make their nests in the buildings. 354 00:15:43,979 --> 00:15:45,371 Their voice shall sing in the windows. 355 00:15:45,403 --> 00:15:48,499 Desolation shall be in the thresholds, for he shall uncover 356 00:15:48,547 --> 00:15:49,695 the cedar work. 357 00:15:50,195 --> 00:15:52,883 And so it's very interesting to see that he says, the people won't 358 00:15:52,899 --> 00:15:54,935 be living there, but the animals will be. 359 00:15:55,275 --> 00:15:56,915 And this shows the power of God. 360 00:15:56,955 --> 00:15:57,675 Verse 15. 361 00:15:57,795 --> 00:16:02,913 This is the rejoicing city that dwell carelessly, that set in 362 00:16:03,019 --> 00:16:06,825 her heart I am, and there is none beside me. 363 00:16:07,445 --> 00:16:08,389 You see this? 364 00:16:08,517 --> 00:16:10,661 He's saying that the reason why they're being Judged is because 365 00:16:10,693 --> 00:16:12,061 they said, we are. 366 00:16:12,133 --> 00:16:14,749 We are the thing, we are the center of the earth. 367 00:16:14,877 --> 00:16:17,405 We are the focus of everything in this world. 368 00:16:17,445 --> 00:16:22,349 And he says, no, I'm going to bring you guys down because you were 369 00:16:22,517 --> 00:16:24,333 prideful carelessly. 370 00:16:24,389 --> 00:16:27,185 You had no consideration for the truth of God. 371 00:16:28,495 --> 00:16:31,935 And so he says, how is she become a desolation, a place for 372 00:16:31,975 --> 00:16:33,327 beasts to lie down in? 373 00:16:33,471 --> 00:16:36,875 Everyone that passes by her shall hiss and wag his hand. 374 00:16:38,295 --> 00:16:40,487 So basically what he's saying here is that God is going to bring 375 00:16:40,511 --> 00:16:41,215 them to destruction. 376 00:16:41,255 --> 00:16:44,351 Then everyone is going to see that place as a place of God's hand 377 00:16:44,383 --> 00:16:45,239 and judgment. 378 00:16:45,367 --> 00:16:49,431 So Nineveh felt strong and confident, but God knew how to bring 379 00:16:49,463 --> 00:16:50,315 her low. 380 00:16:50,855 --> 00:16:55,195 And this is the principle that we find in James chapter four. 381 00:16:55,875 --> 00:16:59,603 So keep your finger there in Zephaniah, keep that in your brain. 382 00:16:59,659 --> 00:17:04,811 But we're going to go to some New Testament passages that speak 383 00:17:04,843 --> 00:17:05,707 to this principle. 384 00:17:05,811 --> 00:17:09,235 And we could go to a few different places, but I think one 385 00:17:09,275 --> 00:17:11,975 that would be appropriate is James chapter four. 386 00:17:13,795 --> 00:17:14,915 It's this principle. 387 00:17:14,995 --> 00:17:19,883 And, you know, I think that if God repeats something over and over 388 00:17:19,899 --> 00:17:22,627 again in Scripture, it's all the more reason why we need to listen 389 00:17:22,651 --> 00:17:23,295 to it. 390 00:17:23,755 --> 00:17:26,947 And if you think that our society doesn't have a problem with 391 00:17:26,971 --> 00:17:30,595 this, I'd love to hear your side of the story. 392 00:17:30,635 --> 00:17:34,819 But I think, I believe that if we open our eyes and look around 393 00:17:34,867 --> 00:17:37,131 us, this is a epidemic. 394 00:17:37,243 --> 00:17:40,403 This is an epidemic in our society, in our world today. 395 00:17:40,539 --> 00:17:42,655 So verse six of James four. 396 00:17:44,915 --> 00:17:46,795 Well, actually, I'm going to jump up a little bit. 397 00:17:46,915 --> 00:17:49,155 Let's read James 4 in context. 398 00:17:49,275 --> 00:17:50,003 Okay. 399 00:17:50,179 --> 00:17:53,735 So from whence comes wars and fightings among you? 400 00:17:54,715 --> 00:17:57,603 Come they not hence even of your lust, that war in your members. 401 00:17:57,659 --> 00:18:00,619 So he's saying, why are all these wars and fightings amongst 402 00:18:00,667 --> 00:18:01,375 yourselves? 403 00:18:02,475 --> 00:18:04,055 Well, it's your lust. 404 00:18:04,795 --> 00:18:07,659 Ye lust, you want, you desire. 405 00:18:07,707 --> 00:18:09,335 But what does he say you have not? 406 00:18:10,315 --> 00:18:15,973 So what he's explaining is the futility, the emptiness, the hopelessness 407 00:18:16,069 --> 00:18:16,985 of pride. 408 00:18:17,365 --> 00:18:19,665 He says, so you desire, but you don't get. 409 00:18:20,565 --> 00:18:25,705 Ye kill, but you desire to have and cannot obtain. 410 00:18:26,485 --> 00:18:30,805 Ye fight and war, yet ye have not because ye ask not. 411 00:18:30,925 --> 00:18:32,989 He says, you're asking for the wrong things. 412 00:18:33,157 --> 00:18:35,381 You think pride is going to bring this to you? 413 00:18:35,533 --> 00:18:38,197 You think your own flesh, your own selfishness is going to bring 414 00:18:38,221 --> 00:18:40,389 you these desires and sustain you? 415 00:18:40,437 --> 00:18:41,025 No. 416 00:18:41,575 --> 00:18:45,759 Verse 3, ye ask and receive not, because ye ask amiss, meaning 417 00:18:45,927 --> 00:18:50,047 you're asking for the wrong things that ye may consume it upon 418 00:18:50,071 --> 00:18:50,647 your lust. 419 00:18:50,751 --> 00:18:55,535 He says, all you people want these things to happen in your life, 420 00:18:55,655 --> 00:18:57,447 but you're wanting these things to happen so that you can 421 00:18:57,471 --> 00:18:59,315 consume it in your fleshly desires. 422 00:19:00,615 --> 00:19:03,231 Then he goes, ye adulterers and adulteresses. 423 00:19:03,303 --> 00:19:04,635 Now that's strong language. 424 00:19:05,135 --> 00:19:07,711 He's not just talking to people that are living in adultery. 425 00:19:07,783 --> 00:19:10,673 I mean, I mean, yes, that would be the case, but he's talking 426 00:19:10,689 --> 00:19:13,009 about people who have spiritually committed adultery against 427 00:19:13,057 --> 00:19:13,705 God. 428 00:19:13,865 --> 00:19:16,481 So ye doctors and adulteresses, know ye not that friendship 429 00:19:16,513 --> 00:19:18,393 of the world is enmity with God. 430 00:19:18,529 --> 00:19:21,257 Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is an enemy of 431 00:19:21,281 --> 00:19:21,601 God. 432 00:19:21,673 --> 00:19:23,905 Do you think that the Scripture saith in vain the spirit 433 00:19:23,945 --> 00:19:26,605 that dwelleth in us lusteth the envy? 434 00:19:27,385 --> 00:19:28,921 But then, here's our verse. 435 00:19:29,113 --> 00:19:29,905 But he. 436 00:19:30,025 --> 00:19:33,353 So he says, in our own selves, we're all about our flesh, we're 437 00:19:33,369 --> 00:19:35,055 all about lust, we're all about pride. 438 00:19:35,185 --> 00:19:36,699 But then he goes, and this is the. 439 00:19:36,747 --> 00:19:38,695 This is the answer to pride. 440 00:19:39,715 --> 00:19:41,375 But he giveth more grace. 441 00:19:42,235 --> 00:19:46,771 He says, let me paint the picture for who you really are. 442 00:19:46,963 --> 00:19:50,935 And he puts a really difficult picture to take in. 443 00:19:51,515 --> 00:19:54,219 You're filled with lust, you're filled with your desires, 444 00:19:54,307 --> 00:19:55,931 you're filled with hopelessness. 445 00:19:56,083 --> 00:19:57,995 But God gives more grace. 446 00:19:58,115 --> 00:20:02,191 And so the answer to pride, the answer to hopelessness, the answer 447 00:20:02,363 --> 00:20:08,399 to a lack of consistency, a lack of sufficiency in our life, 448 00:20:08,487 --> 00:20:09,751 is grace. 449 00:20:09,823 --> 00:20:10,935 Now what is he talking about? 450 00:20:10,975 --> 00:20:12,435 He's talking about the grace of God. 451 00:20:13,015 --> 00:20:17,751 Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace 452 00:20:17,783 --> 00:20:18,755 to the humble. 453 00:20:19,095 --> 00:20:21,871 So he says, God is going to resist those that are living in pride, 454 00:20:21,903 --> 00:20:24,823 but he's going to give more grace to those that are humble. 455 00:20:24,999 --> 00:20:26,351 What's God's grace? 456 00:20:26,543 --> 00:20:29,837 Well, the perfect act of God's grace is Jesus Christ, right? 457 00:20:29,991 --> 00:20:34,321 You, me, every person that has walked this planet outside of Jesus 458 00:20:34,353 --> 00:20:36,605 Christ has committed sin. 459 00:20:37,345 --> 00:20:40,257 You say, well, what if I've committed less sin than that person? 460 00:20:40,401 --> 00:20:44,125 Well, if you've committed a thousand sins and this person's committed 461 00:20:44,625 --> 00:20:47,641 1005 sins, guess what? 462 00:20:47,713 --> 00:20:49,657 You're both guilty of them all. 463 00:20:49,721 --> 00:20:54,433 The Bible says even if you didn't sin five times, let's say 464 00:20:54,449 --> 00:20:56,353 you're a really good person, you've only sinned four times in 465 00:20:56,369 --> 00:20:56,737 your life. 466 00:20:56,801 --> 00:21:00,113 That that's enough to put you to a place of condemnation. 467 00:21:00,289 --> 00:21:01,685 One sin is enough. 468 00:21:02,265 --> 00:21:04,793 So what do we deserve for the wages of sin is death. 469 00:21:04,889 --> 00:21:08,193 The grace of God is that God says, I'm going to put someone in 470 00:21:08,249 --> 00:21:09,205 your place. 471 00:21:10,345 --> 00:21:12,681 So you say, well, I thought God was a righteous judge. 472 00:21:12,713 --> 00:21:13,545 He is. 473 00:21:13,705 --> 00:21:18,929 But Isaiah 53 says that God righteously poured out his judgment 474 00:21:18,977 --> 00:21:21,005 upon his Son at the cross. 475 00:21:23,625 --> 00:21:28,525 That's the way that we can merged the idea of God's judgment 476 00:21:28,945 --> 00:21:32,225 and wrath and holiness to his love, forgiveness and grace. 477 00:21:32,265 --> 00:21:33,297 He says, you know what? 478 00:21:33,441 --> 00:21:36,537 And it actually says in Isaiah 53 that it pleased the Father to 479 00:21:36,561 --> 00:21:37,513 crush the Son. 480 00:21:37,649 --> 00:21:39,057 And that doesn't make a lot of sense to us. 481 00:21:39,081 --> 00:21:42,337 But what it is is that God was so pleased that his wrath could be 482 00:21:42,361 --> 00:21:45,641 poured out so that there could be an offering to this world of grace. 483 00:21:45,833 --> 00:21:49,045 And Jesus was the only one who could pay that price. 484 00:21:49,665 --> 00:21:53,241 And so the Bible talks about the one who was bruised for our transgressions. 485 00:21:53,353 --> 00:21:54,953 He was wounded for our iniquities. 486 00:21:55,089 --> 00:21:58,765 And the Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all. 487 00:21:59,465 --> 00:22:04,609 And so the idea for us in grace is that we don't deserve it, 488 00:22:04,657 --> 00:22:08,125 but God gives it to us because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. 489 00:22:08,425 --> 00:22:10,825 And so he says, therefore submit yourselves therefore unto 490 00:22:10,865 --> 00:22:11,361 God. 491 00:22:11,473 --> 00:22:13,193 Resist the devil and he will flee to you. 492 00:22:13,289 --> 00:22:13,841 Flee from you. 493 00:22:13,873 --> 00:22:15,925 Draw nigh to God and He will draw nigh to you. 494 00:22:16,945 --> 00:22:18,577 And he goes on, and I'll stop there. 495 00:22:18,601 --> 00:22:20,769 But what I do want us to understand is that the way. 496 00:22:20,817 --> 00:22:21,137 Yes. 497 00:22:21,201 --> 00:22:23,153 God is a righteous judge. 498 00:22:23,249 --> 00:22:25,485 He is characterized by his judgment. 499 00:22:26,005 --> 00:22:28,781 If you are familiar with scripture, which I hope that you 500 00:22:28,813 --> 00:22:32,905 are, God enacts judgment across the board. 501 00:22:33,205 --> 00:22:34,757 I'll give you some examples. 502 00:22:34,941 --> 00:22:37,677 There was the judgment of Adam and Eve, right? 503 00:22:37,821 --> 00:22:40,745 Very early on, God judged Adam and Eve for their sin. 504 00:22:41,765 --> 00:22:44,565 God sent them out from the Garden of Eden. 505 00:22:44,725 --> 00:22:46,069 He put the curse. 506 00:22:46,237 --> 00:22:50,305 And we know that all of creation is affected by that curse. 507 00:22:50,695 --> 00:22:53,847 A lot of people are like, why does God allow sin to happen in this 508 00:22:53,871 --> 00:22:54,079 world? 509 00:22:54,127 --> 00:22:57,831 And suffering and pain and sickness and all of that? 510 00:22:57,903 --> 00:22:58,783 It's because of sin. 511 00:22:58,839 --> 00:23:00,115 It's because of the curse. 512 00:23:00,815 --> 00:23:02,475 And then we go on a little bit further. 513 00:23:03,015 --> 00:23:04,639 The flood, right? 514 00:23:04,807 --> 00:23:08,935 God's grace is extended for a period of time, yet people rebel. 515 00:23:09,015 --> 00:23:12,887 And God, even in the flood and even in the ark, was offering the 516 00:23:12,911 --> 00:23:16,287 gift of grace, but yet most rejected. 517 00:23:16,351 --> 00:23:17,339 And God judged. 518 00:23:17,447 --> 00:23:18,747 You know the story of the ark. 519 00:23:18,891 --> 00:23:21,747 Even in the New Testament, we know that the ark is a picture of 520 00:23:21,771 --> 00:23:22,651 Jesus, right? 521 00:23:22,763 --> 00:23:27,387 A way to escape the judgment of God moving forward. 522 00:23:27,531 --> 00:23:28,963 Tower of Babel, right? 523 00:23:29,059 --> 00:23:32,083 People eventually started thinking, well, you know what? 524 00:23:32,179 --> 00:23:33,491 We can figure this out again. 525 00:23:33,603 --> 00:23:35,331 Let's build a tower to get to God. 526 00:23:35,363 --> 00:23:36,171 What is that all about? 527 00:23:36,243 --> 00:23:37,083 Pride, right? 528 00:23:37,179 --> 00:23:38,019 Gotta get to God. 529 00:23:38,067 --> 00:23:39,335 We can make it to Him. 530 00:23:40,795 --> 00:23:42,135 God judged that. 531 00:23:42,635 --> 00:23:43,883 See more of judgment, right? 532 00:23:43,939 --> 00:23:47,715 If you go further, Book of Exodus, God judges the Egyptians 533 00:23:47,795 --> 00:23:50,815 for their pride and for their selfishness. 534 00:23:51,835 --> 00:23:52,715 And so throughout. 535 00:23:52,755 --> 00:23:54,315 I mean, we could go on and on, right? 536 00:23:54,355 --> 00:23:54,883 I'm not. 537 00:23:54,979 --> 00:23:56,075 You guys get the picture. 538 00:23:56,195 --> 00:23:58,979 Throughout the Old Testament and the New, we see God's judgment 539 00:23:59,027 --> 00:24:02,163 upon those that enact pride and reject him. 540 00:24:02,339 --> 00:24:04,363 That doesn't mean that if you've had pride in your life, that 541 00:24:04,379 --> 00:24:05,611 you can have the grace of God. 542 00:24:05,683 --> 00:24:09,267 But what it means is that in our pride, we cannot understand the 543 00:24:09,291 --> 00:24:11,775 grace of God because we think it's all about ourselves. 544 00:24:12,895 --> 00:24:15,915 And so there is judgment for believers, sins. 545 00:24:16,735 --> 00:24:22,671 As a Christian, I'm a believer, and there has been a payment 546 00:24:22,703 --> 00:24:23,135 for my sins. 547 00:24:23,175 --> 00:24:24,671 Did I pay for my sins? 548 00:24:24,863 --> 00:24:30,423 No, I could never pay for my sins, but Jesus Christ paid my payment 549 00:24:30,479 --> 00:24:31,475 on the cross. 550 00:24:31,895 --> 00:24:34,207 And so I think a lot of times we think of salvation as well, it's 551 00:24:34,231 --> 00:24:34,759 a free gift. 552 00:24:34,807 --> 00:24:38,489 Well, it's a free gift for me, but it was not a free gift. 553 00:24:38,647 --> 00:24:39,965 There was a price that was paid. 554 00:24:40,045 --> 00:24:43,501 The Bible says you were bought with a price redeemed by the blood 555 00:24:43,533 --> 00:24:44,437 of the lamb. 556 00:24:44,621 --> 00:24:46,317 Jesus paid it all. 557 00:24:46,501 --> 00:24:48,901 These songs are our classic songs. 558 00:24:49,013 --> 00:24:51,133 And the reason why they are classic songs is because there's 559 00:24:51,149 --> 00:24:52,421 a lot of theology there. 560 00:24:52,533 --> 00:24:54,053 That song, Jesus paid it all. 561 00:24:54,149 --> 00:24:55,213 Jesus paid it all. 562 00:24:55,269 --> 00:24:56,825 All to him I owe. 563 00:24:57,645 --> 00:24:58,365 Right? 564 00:24:58,525 --> 00:25:02,069 And so that's the idea that Zephaniah is preaching now. 565 00:25:02,117 --> 00:25:05,423 Zephaniah is preaching, looking towards a Messiah, looking 566 00:25:05,479 --> 00:25:06,595 towards hope. 567 00:25:07,415 --> 00:25:12,583 But we know that as believers in 2024, almost 2025, we can look 568 00:25:12,639 --> 00:25:14,575 back to what Jesus has done and say, you know what? 569 00:25:14,615 --> 00:25:17,275 I have no ground to stand on, to be prideful. 570 00:25:18,895 --> 00:25:21,015 And this is something that we all struggle with in our society 571 00:25:21,055 --> 00:25:25,039 today, because society teaches us what Nineveh taught. 572 00:25:25,167 --> 00:25:26,671 Who could be like us? 573 00:25:26,823 --> 00:25:28,351 Look, no, no. 574 00:25:28,503 --> 00:25:31,195 We've reached the pinnacle of technology. 575 00:25:31,925 --> 00:25:33,761 That's what they thought 100 years ago, right? 576 00:25:33,820 --> 00:25:36,397 100 years ago, they thought no one could have more things than we 577 00:25:36,421 --> 00:25:36,757 have now. 578 00:25:36,781 --> 00:25:38,245 And then it's like, look at us now. 579 00:25:38,325 --> 00:25:40,757 And if God tarries another hundred years, imagine what we're 580 00:25:40,781 --> 00:25:41,829 going to have to be dealing with. 581 00:25:41,917 --> 00:25:47,421 I recently was reading an article, it was in 1900, the biggest 582 00:25:47,493 --> 00:25:49,065 fears that people had. 583 00:25:49,645 --> 00:25:51,085 And it was like, silly stuff. 584 00:25:51,165 --> 00:25:51,685 Okay? 585 00:25:51,805 --> 00:25:54,045 It wasn't anything to do with what we're fearing today, right? 586 00:25:54,085 --> 00:25:56,125 Today we're fearing artificial intelligence. 587 00:25:56,245 --> 00:25:58,603 We're fearing atomic nuclear weapons. 588 00:25:58,659 --> 00:26:02,091 You know, traveling to Mars like that wasn't even the concept 589 00:26:02,123 --> 00:26:03,443 of people 100 years ago. 590 00:26:03,539 --> 00:26:07,867 And so you see, our fears and our concerns and our confidence is 591 00:26:07,891 --> 00:26:10,875 all relative to what society we're living into. 592 00:26:11,035 --> 00:26:13,563 And so what we do is we go back and we say, well, none of that. 593 00:26:13,659 --> 00:26:16,451 You know, we look back and see the foolishness of those people 200, 594 00:26:16,525 --> 00:26:20,803 300, 400 years ago that didn't understand things and said, well, 595 00:26:20,819 --> 00:26:21,307 you know what? 596 00:26:21,371 --> 00:26:22,891 We're afraid of this, we're afraid of that. 597 00:26:23,003 --> 00:26:26,943 But now we can see as Christians today that ultimately 598 00:26:27,119 --> 00:26:28,807 we have no reason for pride. 599 00:26:28,991 --> 00:26:32,047 We have no grounds to stand on when it comes to our own works. 600 00:26:32,151 --> 00:26:34,383 We might as well be those people trying to build a building 601 00:26:34,439 --> 00:26:37,195 to heaven because we're not going to be able to make it. 602 00:26:37,815 --> 00:26:41,143 And so what we can see in this concept is that God is a righteous 603 00:26:41,199 --> 00:26:41,455 judge. 604 00:26:41,495 --> 00:26:45,215 But ultimately God has righteously given us an opportunity 605 00:26:45,295 --> 00:26:46,875 to escape that judgment. 606 00:26:47,535 --> 00:26:49,671 God judges his believers. 607 00:26:49,703 --> 00:26:52,835 I mean, if you have time, read through Hebrews, chapter 12. 608 00:26:53,155 --> 00:26:55,051 God disciplines his own. 609 00:26:55,203 --> 00:26:57,615 God disciplines his children because he loves us. 610 00:26:58,715 --> 00:27:01,755 There are judgments of the past, there are judgments of the 611 00:27:01,795 --> 00:27:04,215 present, but there are also judgments of the future. 612 00:27:04,915 --> 00:27:08,175 There will be judgments of the tribulation period. 613 00:27:09,315 --> 00:27:11,547 I believe that there's going to be a seven year period in which 614 00:27:11,571 --> 00:27:13,747 there's going to be judgment upon the earth for the rejection 615 00:27:13,771 --> 00:27:14,535 of God. 616 00:27:15,355 --> 00:27:17,707 I believe that there is going to be a judgment seat of Christ. 617 00:27:17,771 --> 00:27:19,961 Second Corinthians, chapter five tells us the Bema seat. 618 00:27:20,043 --> 00:27:21,701 We as Christians are going to stand before the Lord. 619 00:27:21,733 --> 00:27:24,077 He's not going to judge us whether we're saved or not, but he 620 00:27:24,101 --> 00:27:27,261 is going to judge us for the things that we did here on this earth, 621 00:27:27,373 --> 00:27:30,133 whether they be things done for the right reasons or for the 622 00:27:30,149 --> 00:27:30,581 wrong reasons. 623 00:27:30,613 --> 00:27:33,165 Wood, hay and stubble, Gold, precious stones and silver. 624 00:27:33,205 --> 00:27:33,669 Right, that's. 625 00:27:33,717 --> 00:27:34,533 That's the judgment. 626 00:27:34,629 --> 00:27:36,565 We do know that there is a different type of judgment. 627 00:27:36,605 --> 00:27:39,421 There's going to be a judgment called the Great White Throne judgment. 628 00:27:39,573 --> 00:27:42,445 And that's the ultimate judgment for those that have rejected 629 00:27:42,485 --> 00:27:42,725 God. 630 00:27:42,765 --> 00:27:46,093 And ultimately we know that the Bible says that God is going 631 00:27:46,109 --> 00:27:49,535 to cast those that have rejected him into the lake of fire. 632 00:27:49,875 --> 00:27:51,347 And so there is going to be a judgment. 633 00:27:51,451 --> 00:27:54,427 And we don't necessarily revel in that judgment, but what we do 634 00:27:54,451 --> 00:27:56,735 know is that it is a truth of God that He has said. 635 00:27:57,115 --> 00:28:00,091 And if he has told us those things, that we must understand them 636 00:28:00,123 --> 00:28:02,815 and believe them and we have to take them by faith. 637 00:28:03,115 --> 00:28:05,747 So God is going to make all things right, so to speak. 638 00:28:05,811 --> 00:28:09,267 One day in our eyes right now as human beings, we might not feel 639 00:28:09,291 --> 00:28:11,851 like that's the case, but God is going to make all things right 640 00:28:11,883 --> 00:28:14,809 in his judgment because He's a perfect righteous God. 641 00:28:14,897 --> 00:28:18,881 So you would say, what's my role in that process? 642 00:28:18,953 --> 00:28:20,845 Right now I'm a believer. 643 00:28:22,265 --> 00:28:24,325 I know that God is righteous. 644 00:28:24,745 --> 00:28:27,313 So is it my job to judge people? 645 00:28:27,369 --> 00:28:31,337 Is it my job to be the one that enacts righteous judgment upon 646 00:28:31,401 --> 00:28:32,005 them? 647 00:28:33,145 --> 00:28:36,369 Well, we know that in the book of Romans it says, vengeance is mine, 648 00:28:36,417 --> 00:28:37,769 I will repay, saith the Lord. 649 00:28:37,817 --> 00:28:40,325 So we know that retaliation is wrong. 650 00:28:42,095 --> 00:28:47,435 But we also see in the New Testament how the judgment will come. 651 00:28:48,255 --> 00:28:51,615 And I want you to see this because you've probably heard this 652 00:28:51,655 --> 00:28:54,217 before, maybe you haven't, but in John chapter 16. 653 00:28:54,255 --> 00:28:56,071 I want you to see John chapter 16 with me. 654 00:28:56,103 --> 00:28:58,711 This is where we're going to kind of spend the rest of our time 655 00:28:58,743 --> 00:28:59,367 here. 656 00:28:59,551 --> 00:29:01,575 What's my role in the judgment of God? 657 00:29:01,615 --> 00:29:09,199 Right now some people believe, well, it's my job to enact God's 658 00:29:09,247 --> 00:29:10,055 judgment today. 659 00:29:10,135 --> 00:29:16,671 Now, God has set up certain individuals to be instruments of 660 00:29:16,703 --> 00:29:17,919 judgment here on this earth. 661 00:29:18,007 --> 00:29:23,439 Okay, so for example, as a father, I believe it is my responsibility 662 00:29:23,527 --> 00:29:27,607 to judge my home and make actions, whether they be disciplinary 663 00:29:27,711 --> 00:29:32,759 or restrictions, to make judgments upon what we're going to 664 00:29:32,767 --> 00:29:33,551 be doing in our house. 665 00:29:33,583 --> 00:29:33,995 Okay. 666 00:29:34,095 --> 00:29:38,211 So God has enacted the role of a father, the role of parents, as 667 00:29:38,363 --> 00:29:41,411 a microcosm of his judgment to the children. 668 00:29:41,483 --> 00:29:42,095 Right. 669 00:29:42,635 --> 00:29:46,907 Whether you agree with this or not, I do believe that God has instituted 670 00:29:46,971 --> 00:29:51,563 government for the biblical purposes of enacting his laws in 671 00:29:51,579 --> 00:29:51,931 this land. 672 00:29:51,963 --> 00:29:54,275 So judging wrongdoers, Right. 673 00:29:54,355 --> 00:29:55,787 I do believe in the due process. 674 00:29:55,851 --> 00:29:59,099 And if someone has done something criminal, they should face 675 00:29:59,147 --> 00:29:59,435 judgment. 676 00:29:59,475 --> 00:29:59,813 Right? 677 00:29:59,899 --> 00:30:03,449 And so God has set up different institutions here on this 678 00:30:03,497 --> 00:30:04,165 planet. 679 00:30:04,585 --> 00:30:05,233 The church. 680 00:30:05,289 --> 00:30:05,673 Right? 681 00:30:05,769 --> 00:30:08,057 The church can make judgments about certain things that are going 682 00:30:08,081 --> 00:30:08,241 on. 683 00:30:08,273 --> 00:30:10,497 Like we can make a judgment whether or not that teaching is true 684 00:30:10,521 --> 00:30:11,385 or not true. 685 00:30:11,505 --> 00:30:14,601 So when we use that word, and a lot of people say, well, only God 686 00:30:14,633 --> 00:30:15,433 is the judge. 687 00:30:15,529 --> 00:30:18,209 Well, he's the only ultimate judge. 688 00:30:18,257 --> 00:30:18,873 Right? 689 00:30:19,049 --> 00:30:23,313 But we do have to make biblical righteous judgments in our 690 00:30:23,329 --> 00:30:27,565 own life, whether it be about another person or about ourselves. 691 00:30:27,915 --> 00:30:30,255 Now, it's not our job to condemn. 692 00:30:30,875 --> 00:30:32,855 I want you to understand that. 693 00:30:33,555 --> 00:30:35,735 And for a Christian, there's no more condemnation. 694 00:30:36,275 --> 00:30:37,935 Romans, chapter 8, verse 1. 695 00:30:38,435 --> 00:30:42,371 But it's not my job to condemn somebody else as much as it is my 696 00:30:42,403 --> 00:30:43,923 job to point them to the truth. 697 00:30:44,019 --> 00:30:44,979 John, chapter 16. 698 00:30:45,027 --> 00:30:47,531 I want you to see this here, because when I read this, it was 699 00:30:47,563 --> 00:30:50,867 very eye opening for me when it comes to the idea of judgment. 700 00:30:51,011 --> 00:30:53,815 John 16, verse 8. 701 00:30:55,755 --> 00:30:59,415 Jesus is speaking to his followers here. 702 00:31:00,115 --> 00:31:05,083 And we'll go to verse number seven actually, because that'll give 703 00:31:05,099 --> 00:31:07,375 us a Better understanding of what he's talking about here. 704 00:31:07,875 --> 00:31:12,355 Jesus says, nevertheless, I tell you the truth, it is expedient 705 00:31:12,395 --> 00:31:13,815 for you that I go away. 706 00:31:14,795 --> 00:31:17,455 And he's talking about physically leaving. 707 00:31:18,435 --> 00:31:22,795 For it is for if I not go away, if I go not away, the comforter. 708 00:31:22,915 --> 00:31:25,707 Now, most of you have been church long enough to know that he's 709 00:31:25,731 --> 00:31:26,555 talking about the Holy Spirit. 710 00:31:26,595 --> 00:31:29,771 The comforter will not come unto you, but if I depart, I will 711 00:31:29,803 --> 00:31:30,547 send him unto you. 712 00:31:30,571 --> 00:31:32,747 So he's talking about the indwelling of the Spirit. 713 00:31:32,931 --> 00:31:36,491 You know, it initiated at Pentecost and happening today. 714 00:31:36,563 --> 00:31:40,395 When a person is saved, the Holy Spirit indwells that person, 715 00:31:40,475 --> 00:31:40,771 okay? 716 00:31:40,803 --> 00:31:41,615 The comforter. 717 00:31:41,995 --> 00:31:45,827 And so he says, and when he is come, so he says, this is what he 718 00:31:45,851 --> 00:31:46,187 will do. 719 00:31:46,211 --> 00:31:50,005 When he has come, he will reprove the world. 720 00:31:50,865 --> 00:31:51,481 Okay? 721 00:31:51,593 --> 00:31:53,705 So he's talking about this idea of reproof. 722 00:31:53,745 --> 00:31:56,605 Now, now what is reproof? 723 00:31:58,105 --> 00:31:58,977 Conviction. 724 00:31:59,121 --> 00:31:59,489 He's. 725 00:31:59,537 --> 00:32:02,605 He's going to point people to a specific place. 726 00:32:03,145 --> 00:32:06,045 He's going to convict the world of sin. 727 00:32:06,425 --> 00:32:09,273 So, so what the Holy Spirit does is the Holy Spirit reveals to 728 00:32:09,289 --> 00:32:11,961 an individual sin, right? 729 00:32:12,113 --> 00:32:14,041 How they respond to that is another thing. 730 00:32:14,073 --> 00:32:17,775 But the conviction of sin comes from the Spirit, not from a 731 00:32:17,815 --> 00:32:18,395 person. 732 00:32:18,775 --> 00:32:22,391 I can never make you in my flesh and in my power, make you convicted 733 00:32:22,423 --> 00:32:23,063 over sin. 734 00:32:23,159 --> 00:32:25,007 All I can do is point you to the truth of God. 735 00:32:25,031 --> 00:32:27,271 And it is the Holy Spirit who does the convicting. 736 00:32:27,423 --> 00:32:31,439 So he says he will do that of sin and of righteousness, so he will 737 00:32:31,487 --> 00:32:32,463 teach that righteousness. 738 00:32:32,519 --> 00:32:35,191 And then it says, and of judgment, meaning it is the Holy 739 00:32:35,223 --> 00:32:39,223 Spirit who opens the eyes of an individual to show them the conviction 740 00:32:39,239 --> 00:32:43,201 of sin, the righteousness of God, and ultimately the judgment 741 00:32:43,233 --> 00:32:44,145 that God is going to bring. 742 00:32:44,185 --> 00:32:48,393 So judgment should awaken somebody to the point of, hey, you 743 00:32:48,409 --> 00:32:48,657 know what? 744 00:32:48,681 --> 00:32:49,793 I don't want that judgment. 745 00:32:49,889 --> 00:32:51,185 But that comes through the Holy Spirit. 746 00:32:51,225 --> 00:32:52,193 So what do we do? 747 00:32:52,289 --> 00:32:55,845 How do we share the truth of the Holy Spirit with somebody? 748 00:32:56,265 --> 00:32:58,401 Well, glad you asked. 749 00:32:58,553 --> 00:32:59,737 It's sharing the gospel. 750 00:32:59,801 --> 00:33:01,689 It's sharing the truth of the word of God. 751 00:33:01,857 --> 00:33:06,725 The way that we can be a part of God's judgment and our. 752 00:33:08,275 --> 00:33:12,931 Our role, if you will, is to point people to the truth, point 753 00:33:12,963 --> 00:33:13,803 people to the Spirit. 754 00:33:13,859 --> 00:33:19,707 So when I come to somebody, let's say somebody inevitably has 755 00:33:19,731 --> 00:33:20,811 some sin in their life, right? 756 00:33:20,843 --> 00:33:23,643 Okay, let's say this person has a sin in their life, and let's 757 00:33:23,659 --> 00:33:24,899 say it's an unrepentant sin. 758 00:33:24,947 --> 00:33:27,387 Let's say that they're not willing to even talk about it or 759 00:33:27,411 --> 00:33:28,019 deal with it. 760 00:33:28,107 --> 00:33:29,435 And I sit down with them. 761 00:33:29,595 --> 00:33:34,087 I could in many ways try to be the Holy Spirit in their life, make 762 00:33:34,111 --> 00:33:39,983 them feel guilty about it, you know, use manipulation tactics to 763 00:33:39,999 --> 00:33:42,335 get them to a place in which they would say, well, you know what? 764 00:33:42,375 --> 00:33:44,967 I better do this to get this person off my back. 765 00:33:45,111 --> 00:33:48,647 And so maybe, maybe I could get some kind of artificial change 766 00:33:48,711 --> 00:33:52,023 to happen in the way that they look or the way that they talk or 767 00:33:52,039 --> 00:33:54,359 the way that they respond, at least, maybe even in front of me, 768 00:33:54,407 --> 00:33:54,855 Right? 769 00:33:54,975 --> 00:33:57,951 But that is not a righteous judgment. 770 00:33:58,023 --> 00:34:00,585 That's me trying to do a job that I'm not supposed to do. 771 00:34:00,695 --> 00:34:04,045 What I am supposed to do is to point them to the Word, which then 772 00:34:04,205 --> 00:34:07,013 shows them the truth of God, which eventually convicts their heart, 773 00:34:07,109 --> 00:34:09,997 which eventually gets them to a place of a true inward change and 774 00:34:10,021 --> 00:34:10,845 true repentance. 775 00:34:10,965 --> 00:34:12,613 So how do we preach repentance? 776 00:34:12,789 --> 00:34:14,069 Well, we scare them. 777 00:34:14,197 --> 00:34:16,765 Well, yes and no. 778 00:34:16,845 --> 00:34:17,865 Yes and no. 779 00:34:18,805 --> 00:34:22,693 I do believe that there is a level of fear in the gospel, right, 780 00:34:22,749 --> 00:34:23,981 because of the judgment. 781 00:34:24,133 --> 00:34:27,365 But the fear comes when you point them to the truth of God, not 782 00:34:27,405 --> 00:34:30,485 enacting fear in their minds and their hearts through your own 783 00:34:30,525 --> 00:34:31,865 power in their life, right? 784 00:34:32,365 --> 00:34:34,181 And so, you know, it's very. 785 00:34:34,293 --> 00:34:35,109 It's a fine line. 786 00:34:35,157 --> 00:34:38,665 It's a fine line because we don't want to sugarcoat the truth 787 00:34:39,045 --> 00:34:40,901 because there's a lot of people that will say, well, sugarcoat 788 00:34:40,933 --> 00:34:41,181 the truth. 789 00:34:41,213 --> 00:34:42,229 Don't tell them the whole thing. 790 00:34:42,317 --> 00:34:43,853 You know, don't bring in the righteous. 791 00:34:43,949 --> 00:34:45,245 Righteous, the nation of God. 792 00:34:45,285 --> 00:34:47,973 Don't bring his anger upon the masses. 793 00:34:48,109 --> 00:34:51,813 Don't bring, you know, the lake of fire and the brimstone, all 794 00:34:51,829 --> 00:34:54,181 that kind of stuff, save that, okay? 795 00:34:54,373 --> 00:34:56,997 And I understand what they're meaning by that to some degree, but 796 00:34:57,021 --> 00:35:00,523 I also know that we cannot eliminate the complete message of 797 00:35:00,539 --> 00:35:01,227 the gospel. 798 00:35:01,331 --> 00:35:03,971 And so we preach to them the truth of God, and we preach to them 799 00:35:04,003 --> 00:35:07,715 their condition, and we preach to them how God can change that condition. 800 00:35:07,875 --> 00:35:09,451 And so that's what Zephaniah is doing. 801 00:35:09,483 --> 00:35:11,899 Zephaniah is telling them, this is what God's going to do. 802 00:35:11,987 --> 00:35:13,419 This is how you can fix it. 803 00:35:13,547 --> 00:35:15,855 And is now your time to respond. 804 00:35:16,595 --> 00:35:17,411 Now, why? 805 00:35:17,523 --> 00:35:19,895 Okay, maybe it's just me, but why do we fear that? 806 00:35:20,795 --> 00:35:24,415 I fear that sometimes because it's out of my control. 807 00:35:24,725 --> 00:35:29,981 It's out of my hands, because in my pride I want to keep a grip 808 00:35:30,013 --> 00:35:34,573 on it and keep some kind of organization in my mind that, hey, 809 00:35:34,589 --> 00:35:34,941 you know what? 810 00:35:34,973 --> 00:35:35,685 I still have this. 811 00:35:35,725 --> 00:35:41,725 But sometimes we have to put the truth there, pray, do our best 812 00:35:41,765 --> 00:35:45,397 in Example, for the cause of the gospel and allow the Holy Spirit 813 00:35:45,421 --> 00:35:45,701 to work. 814 00:35:45,733 --> 00:35:48,069 And sometimes the Holy Spirit doesn't work at the time that we 815 00:35:48,117 --> 00:35:49,065 want it to. 816 00:35:50,285 --> 00:35:53,565 We say, holy Spirit, please work in this person's life. 817 00:35:53,985 --> 00:35:55,285 Convict their hearts. 818 00:35:56,105 --> 00:35:59,485 And he doesn't convict them right away. 819 00:35:59,865 --> 00:36:02,961 Or maybe he does convict them, but maybe they reject the conviction. 820 00:36:03,153 --> 00:36:05,441 Maybe they put a stiff arm, maybe they're grieving the Holy Spirit, 821 00:36:05,473 --> 00:36:06,405 whatever it is. 822 00:36:07,065 --> 00:36:08,049 And we get upset. 823 00:36:08,097 --> 00:36:10,205 We say, God, why isn't it happening now? 824 00:36:10,585 --> 00:36:12,841 Because it's not our timing, it's God's timing. 825 00:36:12,993 --> 00:36:13,281 Now. 826 00:36:13,313 --> 00:36:15,329 Sometimes God works faster than we expect. 827 00:36:15,457 --> 00:36:18,409 Sometimes we say, I don't know about you, but I've had prayers answered 828 00:36:18,457 --> 00:36:20,633 before I could even like, complete my prayer. 829 00:36:20,689 --> 00:36:21,427 It's been a. 830 00:36:21,521 --> 00:36:22,623 That's a strange thing. 831 00:36:22,719 --> 00:36:24,839 I'll be like, about to say something and God already knows what 832 00:36:24,847 --> 00:36:25,383 I'm about to say. 833 00:36:25,399 --> 00:36:26,111 And it's like, boom. 834 00:36:26,143 --> 00:36:26,807 It's immediate. 835 00:36:26,911 --> 00:36:28,191 That sometimes is an amazing thing. 836 00:36:28,223 --> 00:36:29,875 Sometimes that's what happens with God. 837 00:36:30,455 --> 00:36:33,527 But what we kind of have to understand is what John 16 is teaching 838 00:36:33,551 --> 00:36:37,735 us is that, yes, there is a role of the Holy Spirit. 839 00:36:37,775 --> 00:36:40,955 And he is going to convict the world of their sin. 840 00:36:41,535 --> 00:36:43,479 He's going to convict them of what is righteousness. 841 00:36:43,527 --> 00:36:46,279 And he's going to convict of the judgment. 842 00:36:46,327 --> 00:36:48,303 And then he goes on to say of sin, because they believe. 843 00:36:48,359 --> 00:36:49,289 Not on me. 844 00:36:49,447 --> 00:36:52,237 And so really, the major sin that he's going to reveal to them 845 00:36:52,261 --> 00:36:53,917 is that they have unbelief. 846 00:36:53,981 --> 00:36:55,505 Now, what's the. 847 00:36:56,285 --> 00:36:58,025 A lot of people would argue this. 848 00:36:58,445 --> 00:37:00,465 What's the sin that's going to send you to hell? 849 00:37:01,085 --> 00:37:03,253 Well, unbelief, right? 850 00:37:03,349 --> 00:37:04,501 That's the main one. 851 00:37:04,653 --> 00:37:06,061 Because I know of a guy. 852 00:37:06,133 --> 00:37:06,741 Let me tell you something. 853 00:37:06,773 --> 00:37:11,093 I know of a guy that he was a liar, he was a murderer, he was an 854 00:37:11,109 --> 00:37:15,625 adulterer, and his name was David. 855 00:37:16,535 --> 00:37:18,675 David committed some pretty heinous sins. 856 00:37:19,175 --> 00:37:22,783 But we do know, at least I believe, that David is saved. 857 00:37:22,879 --> 00:37:24,231 David is in heaven. 858 00:37:24,423 --> 00:37:26,687 David was forgiven for his sins. 859 00:37:26,831 --> 00:37:29,967 Now, there's a lot of people that would say, well, I don't know 860 00:37:29,991 --> 00:37:32,235 if that person could be saved because of that sin. 861 00:37:33,455 --> 00:37:35,039 Unless it's the sin of unbelief. 862 00:37:35,087 --> 00:37:37,711 Unless you've rejected God all the way to the very end. 863 00:37:37,823 --> 00:37:39,915 I believe that you can be forgiven. 864 00:37:40,375 --> 00:37:42,767 And so what I would say to you tonight is this. 865 00:37:42,871 --> 00:37:46,417 And some would argue, I already know where some minds are 866 00:37:46,441 --> 00:37:47,005 going. 867 00:37:47,425 --> 00:37:49,545 What about blasphemy of the Holy Spirit? 868 00:37:49,665 --> 00:37:52,125 Well, that's a whole other argument for another day. 869 00:37:52,425 --> 00:37:55,529 I believe blasphemy The Holy Spirit is rejection of the Holy Spirit 870 00:37:55,657 --> 00:37:59,225 and not believing in the Holy Spirit and the power thereof. 871 00:37:59,345 --> 00:38:03,361 But nonetheless, I think in Scripture, it very clearly says here 872 00:38:03,393 --> 00:38:05,601 that the Holy Spirit is going to reveal to them that they don't 873 00:38:05,633 --> 00:38:06,137 believe. 874 00:38:06,281 --> 00:38:08,337 That's the sin, the sin of unbelief. 875 00:38:08,481 --> 00:38:11,423 There in verse nine, then he says of righteousness, because I 876 00:38:11,439 --> 00:38:13,031 go to my Father and you see me no more. 877 00:38:13,063 --> 00:38:16,511 So he's going to teach people how to live in the righteous way 878 00:38:16,663 --> 00:38:20,727 and then of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. 879 00:38:20,791 --> 00:38:25,535 Meaning God is going to reveal to the individual through the power 880 00:38:25,575 --> 00:38:31,455 of the Holy Spirit that the one who is presenting all the lies 881 00:38:31,495 --> 00:38:34,223 of this world is already judged. 882 00:38:34,359 --> 00:38:35,995 Satan is already defeated. 883 00:38:37,265 --> 00:38:40,897 And so I believe that that's something for us to see, is that, 884 00:38:40,921 --> 00:38:42,673 you know, there is no win. 885 00:38:42,729 --> 00:38:44,833 There is no victory in unbelief. 886 00:38:44,889 --> 00:38:47,321 There is no victory in thinking that God's judgment will 887 00:38:47,353 --> 00:38:48,241 be held off. 888 00:38:48,393 --> 00:38:49,925 Yes, it is delayed. 889 00:38:50,425 --> 00:38:52,417 And I've often sat. 890 00:38:52,521 --> 00:38:53,965 I don't know if you guys do this. 891 00:38:54,345 --> 00:38:58,153 I sit down and I just rack my brain about certain things and I 892 00:38:58,169 --> 00:38:59,729 think about, why does God. 893 00:38:59,897 --> 00:39:01,285 Why does God wait? 894 00:39:02,475 --> 00:39:05,435 You know, if it was me, I would be like, enough's enough. 895 00:39:05,595 --> 00:39:07,971 But God is long suffering. 896 00:39:08,163 --> 00:39:11,171 Now, you could argue God's time doesn't work the way that our 897 00:39:11,203 --> 00:39:14,255 time does, but nonetheless, why is he waiting? 898 00:39:14,875 --> 00:39:19,427 And my thought on this is that he's still. 899 00:39:19,611 --> 00:39:20,571 It's love. 900 00:39:20,723 --> 00:39:21,923 He's waiting for more. 901 00:39:22,059 --> 00:39:22,939 He's waiting for more. 902 00:39:22,987 --> 00:39:24,451 When does that time run out? 903 00:39:24,563 --> 00:39:27,215 The Bible says no man knows, no one knows. 904 00:39:28,345 --> 00:39:30,497 But we need to be busy about the time that we have. 905 00:39:30,601 --> 00:39:33,313 And so I've often thought about that and I've often thought 906 00:39:33,329 --> 00:39:35,977 about a lot of other things when it comes to this understanding 907 00:39:36,001 --> 00:39:36,889 of why. 908 00:39:37,017 --> 00:39:38,785 You ever think why God does this? 909 00:39:38,825 --> 00:39:40,445 Like, why did God do this? 910 00:39:41,105 --> 00:39:43,681 Why does God love people that reject him? 911 00:39:43,873 --> 00:39:44,201 Why? 912 00:39:44,233 --> 00:39:44,425 Why? 913 00:39:44,465 --> 00:39:44,641 Why? 914 00:39:44,673 --> 00:39:44,961 Why? 915 00:39:45,033 --> 00:39:47,129 Well, the reason why is because he is God. 916 00:39:47,257 --> 00:39:48,605 That's what makes him different. 917 00:39:48,985 --> 00:39:50,705 You and I would not think that way. 918 00:39:50,825 --> 00:39:53,409 You and I would not be that long suffering. 919 00:39:53,457 --> 00:39:55,479 You and I would not be this gracious. 920 00:39:55,657 --> 00:39:59,739 And we can only just understand who God is and then hopefully 921 00:39:59,787 --> 00:40:02,283 mirror that in our lives to the best of our ability and grow 922 00:40:02,339 --> 00:40:03,415 every single day. 923 00:40:04,715 --> 00:40:05,811 I struggle with that. 924 00:40:05,883 --> 00:40:07,523 I struggle with grace. 925 00:40:07,579 --> 00:40:10,819 I struggle with that meekness, right? 926 00:40:10,947 --> 00:40:13,235 Because sometimes when we're right, we're right, right? 927 00:40:13,275 --> 00:40:15,011 So, like, I don't care what anyone else says. 928 00:40:15,043 --> 00:40:16,571 I'm right and I'm gonna win this. 929 00:40:16,723 --> 00:40:18,275 And folks, sometimes you can be right. 930 00:40:18,315 --> 00:40:20,227 But you can not be right. 931 00:40:20,331 --> 00:40:21,309 Does that make sense? 932 00:40:21,427 --> 00:40:24,537 You can be right in your facts, but you can be wrong in what 933 00:40:24,561 --> 00:40:25,965 you're doing with it. 934 00:40:26,305 --> 00:40:27,809 And I've been there. 935 00:40:27,857 --> 00:40:28,321 I've been there. 936 00:40:28,353 --> 00:40:29,545 Like I know that I'm right. 937 00:40:29,585 --> 00:40:32,121 And so therefore I'm going to be wrong in trying to make that I'm 938 00:40:32,153 --> 00:40:32,369 right. 939 00:40:32,417 --> 00:40:32,745 Right. 940 00:40:32,825 --> 00:40:33,925 And so it's. 941 00:40:34,825 --> 00:40:37,033 Are we standing in the truth in our flesh? 942 00:40:37,089 --> 00:40:39,081 Are we standing in the truth in our spirit? 943 00:40:39,193 --> 00:40:42,129 In the spirit of God, I should say the spirit that indwells us. 944 00:40:42,297 --> 00:40:44,805 So these are all things that I often think about. 945 00:40:45,185 --> 00:40:47,841 And so you got a little glimpse into my mind tonight of all 946 00:40:47,873 --> 00:40:53,671 those things that I, and admittedly in a flawed human state 947 00:40:53,703 --> 00:40:56,607 that I struggle with sometimes, like why, why this, why 948 00:40:56,631 --> 00:40:57,271 that? 949 00:40:57,463 --> 00:41:01,415 But what we can see is that God does judge, but in God's judgment, 950 00:41:01,455 --> 00:41:02,915 it's perfect judgment. 951 00:41:03,815 --> 00:41:07,935 And so Zephaniah tells them we'll conclude Zephaniah chapter 952 00:41:07,975 --> 00:41:08,463 two. 953 00:41:08,599 --> 00:41:13,703 But Zephaniah tells them, don't live in your pride, don't magnify 954 00:41:13,759 --> 00:41:15,613 yourself, go back to verse three. 955 00:41:15,669 --> 00:41:19,021 Seek the Lord, all ye meek of the earth which have wrought his 956 00:41:19,053 --> 00:41:19,413 judgment. 957 00:41:19,469 --> 00:41:24,533 Seek righteousness, seek meekness that it may be well, or 958 00:41:24,549 --> 00:41:26,861 that it may shall hide in the day of the Lord's anger. 959 00:41:26,893 --> 00:41:29,705 Meaning like you might be spared. 960 00:41:30,005 --> 00:41:33,269 And so I don't know about you, but I want to be on the side of the 961 00:41:33,277 --> 00:41:33,837 Lord. 962 00:41:33,981 --> 00:41:37,629 And so therefore my prayer for my life and my prayer for all of 963 00:41:37,637 --> 00:41:42,791 our lives is that meekness and humility and faith are the markers 964 00:41:42,863 --> 00:41:47,983 and not pride, self magnification and all of those other 965 00:41:48,039 --> 00:41:50,151 negative things that Satan wants us to follow. 966 00:41:50,223 --> 00:41:52,519 So thank you so much for your attention here this evening. 967 00:41:52,567 --> 00:41:53,943 I do appreciate it. 968 00:41:54,119 --> 00:41:58,287 We'll go through Zephaniah chapter three and then we'll conclude 969 00:41:58,311 --> 00:42:00,115 Zephaniah won't be a long study. 970 00:42:01,095 --> 00:42:05,023 And as we're getting closer to the end here, we'll probably do a 971 00:42:05,039 --> 00:42:07,635 mini study here towards the end of the year. 972 00:42:07,795 --> 00:42:11,371 I don't like to start studies at the tail end of the year. 973 00:42:11,523 --> 00:42:14,371 And then everyone goes out for Christmas and out for Thanksgiving 974 00:42:14,443 --> 00:42:17,115 and for the New Year, and then we get snowed in a couple. 975 00:42:17,155 --> 00:42:19,227 Well, we won't get snowed in, but you know, we'll get some snow 976 00:42:19,251 --> 00:42:20,691 and no one can come in on Wednesdays. 977 00:42:20,723 --> 00:42:23,779 And so I don't like to start a new series right on that cusp of 978 00:42:23,787 --> 00:42:24,051 the year. 979 00:42:24,083 --> 00:42:26,083 So we might do a couple miniseries coming up here in the 980 00:42:26,099 --> 00:42:26,855 near future. 981 00:42:27,315 --> 00:42:32,801 I might actually what I what I actually might do is kind of transfer 982 00:42:32,873 --> 00:42:35,497 over a little bit about what I do with the podcast. 983 00:42:35,561 --> 00:42:38,233 I usually take a word of the week and talk about a word. 984 00:42:38,329 --> 00:42:40,705 I might kind of merge some of those together and put that into 985 00:42:40,745 --> 00:42:44,433 a couple sermons so that that might be beneficial for us at the 986 00:42:44,449 --> 00:42:45,325 end of the year. 987 00:42:46,625 --> 00:42:49,289 Thank you again for listening to the Middletown Baptist Church 988 00:42:49,337 --> 00:42:50,081 podcast. 989 00:42:50,233 --> 00:42:52,765 I hope that this sermon has been a blessing for you. 990 00:42:53,145 --> 00:42:55,441 If you would like to find out more information about our church 991 00:42:55,473 --> 00:42:57,492 or this sermon, you can find us at middletownbaptistchurch.org 992 00:42:57,620 --> 00:43:02,005 or find us on Facebook or YouTube. 993 00:43:02,505 --> 00:43:06,929 You can also email me directly at joshmisaroiddletownbaptistchurch 994 00:43:06,977 --> 00:43:11,449 dot com if you've enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe and follow 995 00:43:11,497 --> 00:43:14,485 along for future podcasts and updates. 996 00:43:14,905 --> 00:43:16,017 Thank you so much. 997 00:43:16,161 --> 00:43:16,953 God Bless. 998 00:43:17,089 --> 00:43:18,145 Have a wonderful day.