LEARN FROM THE
MISTAKES OF OTHERS
Zechariah 7:8-14
This
passage of scripture is set in the reconstruction period, after the Israelite's
had been released from Babylonian captivity. The temple and the city of Jerusalem
was in the
rebuilding
stage. While they were rebuilding their homes, construction on the temple had
been put on hold for fifteen years. Also
the Israelite's were complaining why they should celebrate the feasts started in captivity for
the rebuilding of the temple.
In a
series of visions, God reassured Zechariah
that the temple would be rebuilt and
worship
would be held in the temple again.
GOD SPEAKS, MAN SHOULD LISTEN
V:8. " And the
word of the Lord came again to Zechariah."
A. The more you study
the Word, the more God will reveal His plan for your life.
1. The more we
study God's Word, the more questions we will have to understand
the Word.
2. We are never
capable of understanding God's complete plan for us.
B. Zachariah's job
was not the lead role in the reconstruction program.
1. His job was to
crown the Jeshua as Chief priest and King of the reconstruction
effort. Zech
6:9-13
2. Even though
Zachariah received constant communication from the Lord,
his job was
an important supporting role.
a. His job
was one of encouragement to the Chief priest and the people
of Israel .
b. Starting
over can be frustrating and there is always a need for an encouraging
word.
3. Sometimes the
work God has for us, is in the back ground.
4. You don't have
to be out front to make significant contributions to the body
of Christ.
GOD SPEAKS, MAN SHOULD ACT ACCORDINGLY
V:9. "This is
what the Lord Almighty says: 'Administer true justice; show mercy and
compassion to one another. "
A. One of the
characteristics we are born with, is selfishness.
1. We know how to
look out for ourselves.
2. The Israelite's
were given the charge to rebuild the Temple
when they returned
to the
promise land after 70 years of captivity.
3. Instead of
completing the Temple , they stopped
and rebuilt their own homes
Haggai 1:4.
B. When what we want
takes priority, we have loss focus on God's plan for us.
1. When our heart
is focus first on God commands, all our desires will be met.
2. God's desire is
for our hearts to be right before Him
and toward our brothers in
Christ.
C. The fullness of
life can only be obtained when we follow God's commands.
1. The God we serve
is a just God.
2. God does not
show favoritism to any individual.
3. Every person
should be treated fairly regardless of whether we like them or not.
D. It is our job as
believers to show kindness and compassion to others.
1. God has been
merciful to us, so we should be the same to others.
2. We should see
the needs of others and act with love.
3. While we were
yet sinners, Christ died for us.
4. It does not
matter what others do to us, it is what we do for others that God sees.
DO NOT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ANYONE
V:10. " Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the
alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other."
A. God pays attention
to those who can easily be taken
advantage of by selfish
and evil
thinking individuals.
1. A widower in
question in Biblical times were women who were left alone without
family to
take care of them.
2. It is easy
to take advantage of someone who can't
help themselves and have no
outside
support.
3. A good
neighbor will not take advantage of another person and will show
compassion
to those in need.
B. Even today, orphans are often abused, sold into slavery
and used for personal gained.
1. The Lord tells
us that what we do to the least of these, we do to Him.
2. We all belong
to God and are sons and daughters through Adam and Eve.
3. When we hurt
another person we hurt our family members.
C. Jesus said the
poor will always be with us.
1. Therefore, the
work of the Lord will never be done in our lifetime.
2 . We will always
have opportunities to do good and show evidence of our genuine
love.
D. God said, be kind
to strangers, because you never know if you are entertaining
an angel.
1. Angels are
messengers of the Lord.
2. We can gain by
listening to anyone's story.
3. Every story is a
lesson in the goodness of the Lord or the consequences of rejecting
the Lord.
E. There is some bad in the best of us and some good in the
worst of us.
1. You never know
who God will put in your mist for you to be the role model of light.
2. Any evil thoughts
we have are the results of the influence of the devil.
3. We were made in
God's image and therefore to have good thoughts and to do good
deeds.
THE WRONG THING TO DO
V:11. "But they refused to pay attention; stubbornly
they turned their backs and stopped up their ears. "
A. The
"they" in this verse are the ancestors of the Israelite's.
1. They rejected
God and refused to follow His commands.
2. They had the
Word, but it fell on stony ground.
B. The glory of God
shone all around them but they refuse to recognize the work of God.
1. The blessings
of God were with them every step of the way, but they refused
to give God
credit.
2. They chose to
serve idols they created with their hands rather than the
sovereign creator of everything.
V:12 They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not
listen to the law or to the words that the Lord Almighty had sent by his Spirit
through the earlier prophets. So the Lord Almighty was very angry."
A. God made us with a soft heart and to be totally dependent
on Him.
1. God brought
them (the they) out of slavery in Egypt
with a mighty hand.
2. God established
them in the promise land especially prepared for a
priestly
nation.
3. God gave them
His law with the promises of divine blessings if they kept His
commands.
4. God gave them
(the they) His prophets to continually remind them of His
righteousness.
B. They rejected God,
His Word and His prophets in favor of the lust of their flesh.
1. They became the
enemy of God and God got angry.
2. The one thing
you don't want to do is stand in the way of an angry God.
3. We have a
choice; to make God happy with us or to make God angry with us.
V:13 "'When I called, they did not listen; so when they
called, I would not listen,' says the Lord Almighty."
A. What goes around, comes around.
1. Whatever you do
to others will come back to you.
2. We need God. He
will never be in need of us.
B. We need the Word of God.
1. The steps of a
good man are ordered by the Lord.
2. The beginning
of knowledge is the fear of the Lord.
3. God is my rock
and shield. I will never be a rock that God needs.
4. I need the
foreknowledge of God. God will never need any knowledge from me.
C. God calls and He
expects us to listen.
1. God calls and
He expects us to heed His call.
2. God calls and He
expects us to be obedient to His call.
D. God called us out
His love.
1. Heeding God's
call leads to success.
2. Heeding God's
call leads to joy.
3. Heeding God's call leads to peace.
4. God's call is a
call of forgiveness.
5. God's call is a
call to eternal life.
E. To reject God's call is to reject God.
1. If we don't
listen to God, our prayers will go unanswered.
2. We are totally
in the dark if we think we don't need God.
3. God has a way
making us know we can't make it with Him.
THE CONSEQUENCES OF DISOBEDIENCE
V:14. "I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the
nations, where they were strangers. The land was left so desolate behind them
that no one could come or go. This is how they made the pleasant land desolate.".
A. There are deadly consequences for rejecting God.
1. The man who
rejects God reject eternal life.
2. God has given us
everything we have.
3. In a moment, God
can take everything from us.
B. God established
the Israelite's in the promise land.
1. God made
provisions for them in the promise land.
2. God provided
their protection in the promise land
3. For a time, God
tolerated their disobedience in the promise land.
C. When God got angry, He destroyed their cities and the temple
He
the promise land
for worship.
1. When God got
angry, He allowed a foreign nation to burn down their
cities and
take them captive into Babylon .
2. God kept them
captive for 70 years before He allowed them back in the
promise land.
D. We ought to learn
from the mistakes of our past.
1. History is a
testimony that God keeps His promises.
2. History is a
testimony that God punishes those that He loves.
3. History is a
testimony to the goodness of the Lord.
4. History is a testimony of the power of
God.
5. History is a
testimony that we serve an awesome God.
6.
History is a testimony that life only exists in God.
FOLLOW GOD AND LIVE
Rev M. Mitchell
Asst Pastor of Greater Macedonia
Baptist Church
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