M AJOR L EARNING IN THE M INORS Sermon 8 Zephaniah Page 1462 Thirsting for a God of Protection

Thirsty? W HEN Y OU H EAR … “I’ve got your back”, “Everything will be alright, I promise”, “Don’t worry, trust me…” What do those statements have in common? We thirst for a trustworthy saviour!

Thirsty? I MAGINE …

Thirsty? Z EPHANIAH B ACKGROUND Written to the faithful remnant. God will come in judgment and protection.

Thirsty? E ZEKIEL 5:1-4 ON PAGE 1290 “Now, son of man, take a sharp sword and use it as a barber’s razor to shave your head and your beard. Then take a set of scales and divide up the hair. 2 When the days of your siege come to an end, burn a third of the hair with fire inside the city. Take a third and strike it with the sword all around the city. And scatter a third to the wind. For I will pursue them with drawn sword. 3 But take a few strands of hair and tuck them away in the folds of your garment. 4 Again, take a few of these and throw them into the fire and burn them up. A fire will spread from there to the whole house of Israel.

Thirsty? W IDE OR N ARROW ?

Thirsty? Z EPHANIAH 1:1-3 P AGE 1462 The word of the LORD that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, during the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah: 2 “I will sweep away everything from the face of the earth,” declares the LORD. 3 “I will sweep away both men and animals; I will sweep away the birds of the air and the fish of the sea. The wicked will have only heaps of rubble when I cut off man from the face of the earth,” declares the LORD.

Thirsty? 2 P ETER 3:10-12 “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.”

Thirsty? Z EPHANIAH 1:12 At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish those who are complacent, who are like wine left on its dregs, who think, ‘The LORD will do nothing, either good or bad.’ People today will be surprised as well!

Thirsty? Z EPHANIAH 1:14-15 “The great day of the LORD is near— near and coming quickly. Listen! The cry on the day of the LORD will be bitter, the shouting of the warrior there. 15 That day will be a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness,…” for the majority of people but not for everyone. Those who have a protector will be kept safe through all of this.

Thirsty? Z EPHANIAH 2:1-3 Gather together, gather together, O shameful nation, 2 before the appointed time arrives and that day sweeps on like chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD comes upon you, before the day of the LORD'S wrath comes upon you. 3 Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the LORD'S anger. The blessing to the remnant is mentioned in 2:7 “The Lord their God will care for them; he will restore their fortunes.”

Thirsty? Z EPHANIAH 3:11-20 On that day you will not be put to shame for all the wrongs you have done to me, because I will remove from this city those who rejoice in their pride. Never again will you be haughty on my holy hill. 12 But I will leave within you the meek and humble, who trust in the name of the LORD. 13 The remnant of Israel will do no wrong; they will speak no lies, nor will deceit be found in their mouths. They will eat and lie down and no one will make them afraid.”

Thirsty? Z EPHANIAH 3: Sing, O Daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O Daughter of Jerusalem! 15 The LORD has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy. The LORD, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm.

Thirsty? Z EPHANIAH 3: On that day they will say to Jerusalem, “Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands hang limp. 17 The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.”

Thirsty? Z EPHANIAH 3: “The sorrows for the appointed feasts I will remove from you; they are a burden and a reproach to you. 19 At that time I will deal with all who oppressed you; I will rescue the lame and gather those who have been scattered. I will give them praise and honor in every land where they were put to shame. 20 At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you home. I will give you honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes,” says the LORD.

Thirsty? P ROTECTED BY G OD ’ S G RACE Our privilege is to share the news that sin separates us from God, judgment is coming, and now is the time to accept God’s grace and have our sins removed by connecting to the blood of Jesus through our death, burial, and resurrection to a new life in baptism.

Thirsty? N OW I S T HE T IME It is time to rejoice in the protection of our saviour and to invite others to come to him for protection. Who will you invite this week?

Thirsty? N EXT W EEK : Nahum – Thirsting for a God of Knowledge.