The Love of the World
The Greatest Story Ever Told • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Introduction
Zephaniah was a prophet during the days of Nahum, Habakkuk and Jeremiah. If they would have met and had coffee together, I would imagine the discussion would be around the question, “How much wickedness will God tolerate before He brings judgement?” Idolatry and greed was filled in the political realm and the people followed right along. Zephaniah understood that Judah would have to learn by bitter experience that though God is patient, His patience has an end. The people’s foreign gods nor their political alliances could save them. Zephaniah showed that God’s plan of deliverance would only come to those that repented and trusted in the Name of the Lord. The prophet’s messages of judgement is threefold:
God is Sovereign over all nations.
The wicked will be punished and the righteous will be vindicated on the day of judgement.
God blesses those that who repent and trust in Him.
Yet, the same God that pronounces judgement also announces the greatest love that has ever been. In one verse, Zephaniah gives us this love demonstrated in the promise of God’s presence, the promise of God’s power, the promise of God’s pleasure, and the promise of God’s peace. Listen carefully to this word of God from Zephaniah 3:17
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.”
Did you first see the promise of God’s presence?
The Promise of God’s Presence
The Promise of God’s Presence
“The Lord your God is with you.”
He is Your God
He is Your God
When I see that, I realize that He is my God. He is also your God. The creator of all desires to be mine. He is for me. He is for you. He longs to be in a loving relationship with us. He is personal. He is mine and I am His. Deuteronomy 10:21
21 He is your praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes.
He is in Your Midst
He is in Your Midst
The NKJV of the Bible says here that “He is in your midst.” We see that God is present with us throughout scripture. He wants us to see His incredible ways and His incredible ability. Psalm 135:9
9 He sent his signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt,
against Pharaoh and all his servants.
The NLT of this same phrase is He is living among you.
He is Living Among You
He is Living Among You
I always point back to John 1:14
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
That is worth repeating and that is one reason I do repeat that phrase often. He made His dwelling among us. God became flesh to identify with us and giving us the opportunity to identify with Him. The promise that He is with us is a beautiful expression of His great love for us!
The Promise of God’s Power
The Promise of God’s Power
I love the reminder that the prophet Zephaniah gives us here. “He is mighty to save.” Have you ever thought about that statement?
He is Mighty
He is Mighty
He is mighty. The word for mighty means strong, valiant, and a champion. In the oldest book in the Bible, we see this same description from Job’s friend Elihu:
5 “God is mighty, but does not despise men;
he is mighty, and firm in his purpose.
1 The Mighty One, God, the Lord,
speaks and summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets.
The One that causes the sun to rise and set is mighty.
He is Deliverer
He is Deliverer
He also is our deliverer.
10 If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake,
He is Savior
He is Savior
He also is my Savior. “He is mighty to save.” What exactly does He save us from? He saves us from our sin, ourselves, and all that comes against us. God is faithful!
1 O Lord my God, I take refuge in you;
save and deliver me from all who pursue me,
The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save.
We have the promise of God’s power. Now look at the promise of God’s pleasure.
The Promise of God’s Pleasure
The Promise of God’s Pleasure
“He will take delight in you.”
You are His Delight
You are His Delight
Did you know that you are His delight? Psalm 149:4
4 For the Lord takes delight in his people;
he crowns the humble with salvation.
You are His Joy.
You are His Joy
You are His Joy
God is so thrilled about you when you turn to Him.
10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
You are His Gladness
You are His Gladness
“He will take great delight in you.” The New Living Translation says “He will take delight in you with gladness.”
The Promise of God’s Peace
The Promise of God’s Peace
That leads me to the promise of God’s peace.
He Will Quiet You
He Will Quiet You
He will quiet me. All the loud noises in my life that cause me alarm. All the loud noises that cause me to fear. All the loud noises in my life that cause me to worry. The Bible says He will quiet me. Psalm 23:2
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
He Will Calm You
He Will Calm You
He lead to a place of quiet and will calm you. Isaiah 32:17-18
17 The fruit of righteousness will be peace;
the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.
18 My people will live in peaceful dwelling places,
in secure homes,
in undisturbed places of rest.
When I place my faith in Him, our God will quiet my anxiety, my angst and my anger. His promises of His presence, His power, His pleasure and His peace All are available to you and me because of our Lord’s great love for us. The New Living Translation says, “With His love, He will calm all your fears.”
He Will Never Stop Loving You
He Will Never Stop Loving You
The fact of the matter is that our Lord will never stop loving you. He has chosen you.
4 For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you,
15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
I will never get over the love of God and how He loves you and me.
16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
20 Praise be to God,
who has not rejected my prayer
or withheld his love from me!
Not only does God calm us with His love, “He will rejoice over you with singing.” That means you are quite special! On this second Sunday of Advent, celebrate love by allowing the Creator of love to speak to your heart. Invite Him. Celebrate Him. Worship Him.
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.”
