From Rubble to Restoration

You Can’t Have the Good News Without the Bad

Introduction

Who am I?

Take a poll: Is it good news first, or bad news first

Don’t let the truth get in the way of a good story

REBELLION

REPENTANCE

RESTORATION

REBELLION

Background

Series of Wicked Kings

Rebuilding Baal Shrine (Hezekiah’s Grandson)

Molek Worship

Worship of Stary Hosts

Written 640-609 BC

Josiah’s Reforms

Day of Judgment not really focused on or preached

Imagine Hillsong releaseing this song

Day of wrath, O day of mourning! See fulfilled the prophet's warning: Heav'n and earth in ashes burning. Wondrous sound the trumpet flingeth, Through earth's sepulchers it ringeth, All before the throne it bringeth. O what fear man's bosom rendeth When from heav'n the Judge descendeth On whose sentence all dependeth.

Judgement of Jerusalem

Judgement of Pagan Nations

Hope of Restoration

What’s in a name:

Zephaniah - “God treasured”

We will circle back to this later

Zeph 1:5 “those who bow down on the roofs to worship the starry host, those who bow down and swear by the Lord and who also swear by Molek,”

Zeph 1:15-17

“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— a day of trumpet and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the corner towers. “I will bring such distress on all people that they will grope about like those who are blind, because they have sinned against the Lord. Their blood will be poured out like dust and their entrails like dung.”

Tension of 1:15 & 3:17

Zeph 3:16-17 “On that day they will say to Jerusalem, “Do not fear, Zion; do not let your hands hang limp. The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.””

Zeph 1:15-17

“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— a day of trumpet and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the corner towers. “I will bring such distress on all people that they will grope about like those who are blind, because they have sinned against the Lord. Their blood will be poured out like dust and their entrails like dung.”

God’s righteous anger in form of actual physical and spiritual punishment

Warnings and Woeing ignored

False idols worshiped - Key

Picture of horrors and sorrows

Most classical description of day of The Lord in all hebrew literature

Not arbitrary but logical outcome of Human sin

Darkness depicts a reversal of

Gen 1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep...

Laptop factory reset

So corrupted by sin God hits the reset

Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

2. REPENTANCE

GPS Story

Old GPS size of brick

Couldn’t afford one

Out of date one given to me

Not long before I ignored voice

New free apps - ignored to my own peril, completely lost ended yo North instead of south had to about face

Zeph 2:1-3 “Gather together, gather yourselves together, you shameful nation, before the decree takes effect and that day passes like windblown chaff, before the Lord’s fierce anger comes upon you, before the day of the Lord’s wrath comes upon you. 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.”

Much worse than ignoring the voice of the GPS lady

So wicked and blinded to God were his people, that God did not recognize them. Bible uses the word “Goy” which was used normally to describe pagan nations

They were blinded to God and God was blinded to them

If anyone would listen and turn back to God away from their wordly idols

Repentance is the act whereby one turns from his or her sin, idolatry, and creaturely rebellion and turns to God in faith.

A.C.T.

Acknowledge sin

Confess to God and Others

Turn back and follow Jesus (Holy Spirit GPS)

Micah 6:8 “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

Gods people had listened to the worlds GPS

Unjust - allowed child sacrifices for one

Selfish - opposite of love

No mercy - Idols they worshipped showed no mercy and they returned in kind to one another

Prideful strut - opposite to humility - trusted in themselves and the nations practices around them

RESTORATION

Story on being at Perth gold mint and how they purify gold.

Zeph 3:6-9 ““I have destroyed nations; their strongholds are demolished. I have left their streets deserted, with no one passing through. Their cities are laid waste; they are deserted and empty. Of Jerusalem I thought, ‘Surely you will fear me and accept correction!’ Then her place of refuge would not be destroyed, nor all my punishments come upon her. But they were still eager to act corruptly in all they did. Therefore wait for me,” declares the Lord, “for the day I will stand up to testify. I have decided to assemble the nations, to gather the kingdoms and to pour out my wrath on them— all my fierce anger. The whole world will be consumed by the fire of my jealous anger. “Then I will purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the Lord and serve him shoulder to shoulder.”

The Gold smith doesnt care how those impurities got there he just sees a precious metal - cannot think of a better picture of how God is with us

This Judgement on us is one of purification and freedom, not eternal damnation - if you are in God.

Remember I said I would circle back to the meaning of Zephaniah’s name?

Yaweh has “hidden”; “hides”; “treasured”

If you are in Christ God has hidden you in him as a protector, he also treasures you in his heart.

What do you prefer, to be hidden in sin or hidden in God?

Zeph 3:14-16 “Sing, Daughter Zion; shout aloud, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem! 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. On that day they will say to Jerusalem, “Do not fear, Zion; do not let your hands hang limp.”

Shout/singing - is a picture of a town rejoicing after a battle win - Town messenger would ride ahead to give the good news from the battlefield

Zephaniah is that messenger - that the King won

3:15 - gives us the reason for rejoicing

Punishment/enemy has been turned away in defeat

The king is back in his rightful place and the king is good

No more need for fear - party can begin

Can’t be a Baptist - hands can’t be limp :-)

Zeph 3:17-20 “The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” “I will remove from you all who mourn over the loss of your appointed festivals, which is a burden and reproach for you. At that time I will deal with all who oppressed you. I will rescue the lame; I will gather the exiles. I will give them praise and honor in every land where they have suffered shame. 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.”

What images are conjoured up when we think of what a warrior looks like/acts

Protector

Saviour

Gnarly and tough

What about a singer???

If God’s words speak life and creation into existence, how much more powerful is his song over you?

How happy does someone have to be to burst into song over you?

You can experience that today

Isaiah 62:3-5 “You will be a crown of splendor in the Lord’s hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God. No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. **** for the Lord will take delight in you, and your land will be married. As a young man marries a young woman, so will your Builder marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you.”

Jesus

If he can destroy darkness and defeat death how easily can he knock down your idols/strongholds

Just let him

He drank down God’s wrath for us every last dreg

Great exchnage his righteousness for our sin

Misunderstanding God

How often do we think that God will destroy us over our failures/sin

His grace is far to deep wide for that

His fire is one of purifying and setting free the captive wether or not if its your fault (as a christian)

How often do we disappear from church from others, from God when we fail spectacular

Even though we are ensnared and in pain we struggle to reach out to God and others

So why this message?

we need to understand the bad news propely, so we can really appreciate the good news of Jesus and what God has done

The bad news is part of the good news

You are trapped, in pain, living in misery and I, but more importantly God wants you to be free to enjoy him forever

He wants to sing over you, becasue he loves you and he sent his son so he could do so. We are a jewel in his crown, but more important we are his kids

Story of the ark and Daigon

So what are your idols?

Self

Income

Knowledge

Relationships

Anything that has replaced God upon the throne of your heart

What to do?

A.C.T. upon it and rest in God

Acknowledge

Confess

Turn back

So I have some good news and some bad news, what doyou want to hear first?

Bad news

Your sin wether thought, word or deed has sepearted you from God and can’t escape his wrath and just punishement

Outside of God you cannot escape this

Good news

Jesus, God the Son, took your place and drunk down God the Fathers wrath as if he waqs chief sinner

You took Jesus righteousness as if you had never sinned

You are free to follow him, and praise him, and enjoy him forever, Becasue he has restored you

God sings over his kids, which you are one (look back to your baptism).