The Purification of God's People

Introduction

Read Zephaniah 3:8-20

The Christian word, “purity,” is outdated in many circles. Some people have a bad taste in their mouth from the purity conferences of the 90s, and in the world in which we live, pure is often equated with naive, foolish, and inexperienced.

However, purity is a beautiful concept, because it is a biblical conference. In fact, Jesus spoke often of purity in the life of a Christian.

Matthew 5:8 ““Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

Purity is the removal of something from a substance so that the substance that remains is of greater value.

Gold is refined by heat, because as it is heated, impurities rise to the top and are skimmed off the top. As a result, the remaining gold is more pure and refined.

God’s work includes purifying His people. God purifies through judgement. God purifies his people in suffering.

CIT: God purifies his people through difficulty, and He molds restores them through His love.

Explanation

History // What is happening in the book of Zephaniah?

Zephaniah is prophesying when the people of God understand his glory and peace.

Zeph 3:9-13 // God purifies his people.

God’s people will speak with purity.

God will change their speech to pure speech (v9).

They will speak no lies nor be deceitful (v13).

God’s people will serve Him with one accord.

Unity doesn’t happen when everyone thinks exactly the same way. Unity happens when everyone understands what is most important.

I think about school beginning this week. There are teachers qualified in all kinds of specialties. Mathematics, chemistry, biology, english, literature, special needs, curriculum, athletics etc.

If everyone though that math was the most important, the school system would be in trouble. You would sacrifice everything else for math.

Unity happens when teachers understand that the most important thing is students being educated. They can work with various backgrounds, because they have common ground.

The ESV does not have the best translation here when it says, “one accord.” It is a less literal translation than the Hebrew, “shoulder to shoulder.”

God will remove the prideful from among his people and leave the humble

The proud

Description of the ones he will remove - Proudly exultant ones

You shall no longer be haughty in my holy mountain

Pride has caused injustice and dishonesty.

Pride destroys the church’s witness and community.

When people elevate themselves, they must lower their opinion of others. Injustice is often the result.

Dishonest is the unraveling of Christian community.

He will leave humble people.

Description of the ones he will keep - Humble and lowly

When people stray from the Lord, He always brings revival by decreasing pride and increasing humility.

God, in purifying his people, will protect them.

God’s removing of pridefulness from His people is his act of protecting them.

It protects God’s people in several ways.

God’s judgement comes about because of pridefulness, so those who are prideful invoke God’s wrath.

Pridefulness erodes a community of believers.

Pride is contagious. The more we see someone else act in pridefulness, the more we want to talk about what we have done.

Those who are humble learn to rest in God, where true protection lies.

Verse 13, They will graze and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.

God cares for his humble saints. We submit to Him and let him take care of the details.

To wrap up, God protects His people by removing their sin and pride, and grants them more and more humility.

TRANSITION: God removes what is bad, but he restores what is good. When a child is adopted, they not only get out of the orphanage, but they gain all of the privileges of the household.

I have noticed in recent years in Christian circles, in response to the whole self-esteem movement a growing self-loathing movement.

Instead of having self-esteem, people loathe themselves and hate themselves because of their sins.

They believe that God saved them from their sins, but He still can’t stand to look at them.

God saves because he loves. His saving power comes from his deep desire to love and lavish his grace upon others.

If you have a piece of gold, the first step is to refine the gold. You remove all of the impurities from it. However, at the end of the day, you only have a lump of coal! God purifies his people, then he molds them by His love.

Zeph 3:14-20 // God restores his people by His love.

God’s restoration causes his people to worship.

The promise, “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God,” is not wishful thinking.

The more we love God, the more we desire purity. The more we become pure, the more we can see God.

God displays His love to His people.

Aside - We often chafe at God’s rebuke and His purification process. We only see God’s hand of wrath, and we don’t see why God does what He does.

As a parent, I have recently thought, “I don’t know how I am going to discipline this sweet little boy.”

Some of you are saying, “Just wait!”

One day, I will have to discipline my son. He will have timeout, grounding, etc. It isn’t because I delight in disciplining Him or even that I am frustrated with him. It is because I know that the selfishness or aggression or whatever He has done continues, it will end up wrecking Him. Discipline is an act of purification in a small way. It is an attempt to remove what is bad so that what is good can flourish.

What my son will not see on those days - is just how much I love Him. Zephaniah 3V17 shows God’s love for you.

May we see what God does in love AS WELL AS He disciplines us.

He will rejoice over you with gladness.

I commentate everything my child does.

Why, because I love Him. He is very close to rolling over.

I don’t know if I cheered as much when MSU won the national championship a year ago.

He will quiet you by his love.

Late at night, when he is hungry or upset, dad or mom has to get up to quiet the little one.

It is an act of intimate care. God loves us in the same way.

He will exult over you with loud singing.

I won’t sing for you, but I will sing for Henry.

He does not like it.

Imagine the God of the inverse singing over you with loud singing.

That is His great love for you.

God will redeem His people.

He will throw a party.

He will gather the outcast.

He will change their shame to praise.

He will bring them together.

He will restore their fortunes.

Conclusion

How is this accomplished for us? In the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Jesus came, lived, and died, giving his perfect life so that those who give themselves to Him can rest in Him eternally.

In His is all more than all of the wealth and riches of the world.

Believe that Jesus died on a cross and trust in Him as your Lord and Savior.