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Invitation

Exhortation.

Questions 5-6

Conversion 6

Last week we began our study in Zachariah which means the Lord remembers.

Verse 4 is an exhortation: Zachariah is making an earnest attempt to persuade the people of God.

Exhortation is a communication intended to urge or persuade the recipients to take some action.

He starts off verse 4 by saying “Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets cried out, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, Return from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.’ But they did not hear or pay attention to me, declares the Lord. “

If you have studied the old testament at all you know how disobedient the people of God were. All throughout scripture the prophets warned the people of God to not turn away from the Lord.

I have sent to you all my servants the prophets, sending them persistently, saying, ‘Turn now every one of you from his evil way, and amend your deeds, and do not go after other gods to serve them, and then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to you and your fathers.’ But you did not incline your ear or listen to me.

Instead of repenting and turning back to God what did they do? Scripture says that they mocked God. says, “But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord rose against his people, until there was no remedy.”

Will someone read ? Notice God’s response to those who disobey him. It was because of disobedience that God allowed Jerusalem to be overthrown.

Name some warnings today that people overlook and mock?

What does a proper turn to God look like?

It involves a turning from one thing and a turning to something else. In this case, the people are turning from their lifestyle of evil to their God in covenant relationship

We should never be a people that does not listen to the Word of God.

verse 5-6 has some questions to be answered.

Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? 6 But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers?

Are these prophets that warned them still alive when he questions them? no. They have long passed away. However, the prophets being alive is not what is important, the word of the Lord is what is important. God’s prophets give the word of the Lord to his people.. says, “voice says, “Cry!” And I said, “What shall I cry?” All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. 7  The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on it; surely the people are grass. 8  The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. God’s word never passes away despite the death of his prophets. For us this is very important. Every single writer of scripture is dead, and is with God now. However, his word has not passed away like the prophets it stands forever.

What are the implications for us today, that the word of God never fades away?

I love how verse 6 ends, “So they repented and said, ‘As the Lord of hosts purposed to deal with us for our ways and deeds, so has he dealt with us.’” Zachariah is making a plea to return to God. If they do return to God the covenant relationship will be renewed and spiritual restoration will accompany the material restoration of the temple.

And I said,3 “What shall I cry?”

Zechariahs call to repentance is needed for Christians today. Our lives should reflect repentance always. Its important to note that repentance is not just an individual thing, but a corporate thing as well. It was not just the sin’s of one man that led them into exile, but the sins of Isreal as a whole. Today the church is in interesting place. We see the sins of those who came before us manifested, however God calls us collectively to turn away from those very sins and not continue to indulge in those sins. Look with me at it says, “And those of you who are left shall rot away in your enemies' lands because of their iniquity, and also because of the iniquities of their fathers they shall rot away like them. 40 “But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers in their treachery that they committed against me, and also in walking contrary to me, 41 so that I walked contrary to them and brought them into the land of their enemies—if then their uncircumcised heart is humbled and they make amends for their iniquity, 42 then I will remember my covenant with Jacob, and I will remember my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land. We rot away because of our sins. BUT!!!!! if we confess our inequities with God he will remember the covenant he made with us. Now the covenant he makes with us today is a new covenant. Which represents the fulfillment of God’s covenants with his people.

iAll flesh is grass,

Zachariah trusted that if they would turn back to God he would remember this same truth.

Today we when we repent of our sins and put our faith in Christ for the first time we enter into relationship with God. That new found relationship renews our hearts. . is a good passage to write down and remember. It says, “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. 33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” Not only does this new covenant renew our heart, but it also regenerates us, and our sins are remembered no more. A life of repentance is something we can never neglect church family. Salvation and restoration comes to those who repent of there sins.

and all its beauty4 is like the flower of the field.

40 “But if cthey confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers in their treachery that they dcommitted against me, and also in walking contrary to me, 41 so that I walked contrary to them and brought them into the land of their enemies—if then their euncircumcised heart is fhumbled and they make amends for their iniquity, 42 then I will gremember my covenant with Jacob, and I will remember my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will hremember the land.

As we close out today I want to mention because I believe it ties into this message on how we must respond to God. It says, “Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, 9 but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.’” Repentance cannot be just a individual thing, it must also be done collectively.

7  The grass withers, the flower fades

when the breath of the Lord blows on it;

Im going to let you deal with your own sin personally. However I do want us to discuss maybe some sins that effect the church. Which in turn causes us to move away from God.

surely the people are grass.

8  jThe grass withers, the flower fades,

but the word of our God will stand forever.