This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "God Makes Himself Known To Everybody", 2/26/20`6

GOD MAKE HIMSELF KNOWN TO EVERYBODY

Romans 1:18-24, 28-32

THE CHANGE IN HOUSE RULES

The last three lessons were from the Old Testament. The Word was written to

the Jews. The House rules were the Law, God gave  Moses to give

to Nation Israel to govern them in the Promise Land. The Law could not save

and failed to produce the righteousness in man God desired. The Law served as a

tutor until the Age of Grace.  The atonement of sins under the Law was through

continuous animal sacrifices.

The New Testament was written to the Church which includes Jews and

Gentiles. The New Testament ushered in the  Age of Grace with the

death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The house rules

today is grace. Today the atonement of sins is the one time shed blood of our

Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

THE JUST LIVE BY FAITH

V:17 ."For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith."

A. Under the Law,  man was justified by his faith and obedience in the    

     Word of  God.

   1. Abraham the Father of Faith was justified because he believed God 400 hundred

       years before  the Law was given.

   2. All the patriarchs through out the Old Testament were justified because they

       believed God.

  3. The Law itself could not save. But obedience to the Law produced the

      righteousness of God in man.

B. Under Grace we are saved by our faith in the  author of the Law, our Lord

      and Savior Jesus Christ.

    1. All the requirements of the Law were satisfied once and for all in the

        atoning blood of Jesus.

    2. It is God's Grace that gives us joy in the mist of an evil society.

    3. It is God's Grace that gives peace  in the mist of this violent

        society.

   4. It is in the mist of the God we trust that we find all the provisions we need.

  

GOD REVEALED HIS PLAN OF REDEMPTION

V:18-19. " The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness,

since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them."

A. We have a choice to follow the wisdom of God or to follow the wisdom of man.

    1. God put in print His Word which is the only truth that we can live

        by to please Him.

    2. God has revealed to us in His Word, His promised blessings that are conditional

        upon our obedience to His Word.

    3. God Has also revealed to us in His Word, His wrath that results from our

       disobedience.

B. This text makes it clear that at some point in mans life he will know the difference

      between his evilness and the righteousness of God.

    1. This text makes it clear that the wickedness of man is willful and premeditated.

    2. The text says, God has made it plain.

    3. In other words, when we sin we cannot claim ignorance to God's Word.

    4. The text makes it plain, that our sinfulness is the rejection of God's Word

        to promote our own wickedness.

    5. The Bible says, all unrighteousness is sin.

    6. The Bible says, the wages of sin is death.

        a. That means, we earn death by our sins.

        b. We were born in sin and shaped in iniquity. We didn't have anything to do

             with our initial state.

        c. We do have something to do with continuing in that state.

        d. God has made the choice of righteousness plain to us.

GOD MAKES HIS PRESENCE PLAIN TO SEE

V:20-21. " For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened."

A. The text says, there is no excuse for sin.

    1. The text says, if you never heard the Word of God, you know Him through

        His creation.

    2. All you got to do is look around you to see the Glory of God.

B. You cannot miss God's Glory in this world.

   1. When you look up and see the sun in the sky, you see His Glory.

   2. When you observe the trees, the grass, the flowers and rainbow of colors

        all around you, it's His Glory that you see.

   3. When you consider that every living thing on earth has the ability to

       reproduce itself, you are an eye witness to His Glory.

   4. When you consider your body with all its living components that makes

        you what you are, you know you are living in His Glory.

 C. When you consider that God made a sun that can heat up the world and a

      weather system that can cool it down, you are witnessing His Power.

    1. When you consider that the God you serve can form  clouds in the sky,

        fill them with enough water to flood the earth, you understand that

        His power and His resources has no limits.

   2. When you reason that famines, earthquakes, storms, flood and all

       natural disasters continue to occur throughout history, you can

       understand that God is eternal.

       a. You can understand that He does not cease to exist.

       b. You can understand that God is always in control of His creation. 

   3. The text says we cannot dismiss the fact that there is an almighty God, because

       the evidence in front of us.

      a. We are living in the evidence of an all powerful creator.

      b. You cannot explain away God with reason, science or technology.

      c. We see it all the time, when there is some terrible disaster or tragedy,

          folk  who don't believe in God call out His name. 

         

A MAN WITHOUT GOD IS FOOLISH

V:22-23. " Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools

  and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man  

  and birds and animals and reptiles. "

A. Pay careful attention to the Word. God said "they".

    1. The "they" are the unbelievers.

    2. The "they" are those who reject God in favor of themselves and their foolish

        desires.

    3. The "they" are those who make gods of their imagination with their own hands,

        and worship them.

    4. They worship what God created, rather than the God of creation.

B. We, the Church are not included in the "they", but we are not immune to the

     influences of the "they".

   1. There are two groups of people, the "they" which is the world and the Church

       which is the Body of Christ.

   2. We have to be on our guard all the time.

   3. It is easy for us to assume that since the world is doing it, that it is alright

       with God.

  4. It is easy for us to take on the habits of the world which we live in.

  5. We must remember that we have been chosen out of this world by Christ and

      should no longer serve this world.

C. The wisdom of the world does not compare to the wisdom of God.

    1. In America, what we see around us is the gods of money, excess, immorality

        and selfishness.

    2. All idol gods are nothing and provide no lasting joy or peace.

    3. Jesus is the only way to salvation and eternal life with the Father.

 

GOD WILL GIVE YOU OVER TO SATAN

V:28. " Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done."

A. God repeats Himself again.

    1. The world makes a choice; the Holy God or the gods of their imaginations.

    2. The world rejects God in favor of their own wicked desires.

    3. The test says, the world rejects the knowledge of God.

    4. They are not ignorant of God, they hate God.

B. Notice, it is God who allows the unrepentant heart to destroy itself.

   1. God backs off and lets Satan have his way with them.

   2. A man without God is capable of all kinds of evil.

   3. A man without God cannot control his desire to do evil.

   4. A man without God will do anything to anybody, anytime to satisfy his

       evil desires.

 WITHOUT GOD ONLY EVIL IS LEFT

V:29-31. " They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips,

30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents;

31 they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless."

A. How many of us, the Church can identify with some of this before we

    established a relationship with Jesus?

   1. How many of us can still identify with some this?

   2. This is the baggage we brought into our relationship with Christ.

   3. Romans 3:10, says there is none righteous, no not one.

B. It is our relationship with Christ that empowers us  not to continue in sin.

   1. It is the blood of Christ that cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

   2. Because of His grace, God lifted us out of the world.

   3. Jesus gave us a new name; not "they" but sons and daughters of the Father.

YOUR CHOICE, ETERNAL LIFE OR ETERNAL DEATH

V:32. " Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them."

A.  We are role models to the world around us.

    1. That is another reason the world cannot claim not to know Christ.

    2. The Church stands as a testimony to the existence of the Almighty God.

    3. The Church stands as a testimony to the Grace and Mercy of God the Father.

B. Because they know God and reject Him, the Word says "they" deserve death.

    1. The world is a role model for evilness.

    2. Those who do evil approve others who do evil.

    3. The world hates the Church because we follow Christ.

     THANK GOD THAT HE DELIVERED US FROM THE

                      WORLD INTO HIS HEAVEN            

Rev. M . Mitchell

Asst Pastor of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church

5510 West Sam Houston Parkway

Houston, Texas

For a complete list of my lessons, visit my blog

"goodnewsrevmitc.blogspot.com"                                   

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "Happy Endings" 6/19/2016

HAPPY ENDINGS

Zephaniah 3:9-14, 20

THE LORD'S MISSION: DESTROY AND REBUILD

Because of their disobedience, the Lord decided to destroy Israel and send it's

people into Babylonian captivity for seventy years.  At the same time, the Lord

decided that their troubles wouldn't last always and He would restore them to

Himself.  God's Grace and Mercy is abounds while He declines us.

THE LORD'S PLAN

V:9. "Then I will purify the speech of all people, so that everyone can worship the Lord together."

A. The Lord can fix us.

    1. It does not matter how broken we are or what we have been through, Jesus

        can fix it.

   2. In deed we are a very perverse people.

      a. Surely our sins have grieved  the Lord.

      b. At times our language has been hurtful to each other and even to ourselves.

      c. Jesus gave us two great commands; Love the Lord with all your heart and

          Love your neighbor as yourself.

      d. We find it difficult to keep these two commands.

      e. But the Lord who loves us, will restores us to the condition where we can keep

          these two important commands..

 B. This  prophecy will have it's complete fulfillment at the second coming of Christ.

    1. He will transform our minds to His ways.

    2. He will set in us a pure language; His Word.

        a. We will call on Him and honor His name.
        b. We will serve Him and Him only.

        c. We will all be on one accord.

        d. We must believe He will do what He said.

    3. We will worship the Lord in spirit and truth.

C. The Good News is He will reform us in spite of our sinful nature.

    1. Our transformation is not based on us, but God's love for us.

    2. We can't earn His promises or be to bad to receive them.

GOD WILL REFORM US

V:10. " My scattered people who live beyond the rivers of Ethiopia  will come to present their offerings."

A. After the 70 year captivity, the Lord instructed the King of Persia to

     release Israel and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem.  Ezra 1:2-3 

   1. Through Christ we are all adopted brothers and sisters.   Rom 8:23,  Eph 1:5

   2. The true Israel are all those who believe in Jesus Christ.

B. 70 years After the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, Titus came and destroyed

     Jerusalem and burned down the temple.

    a. The nation of Israel was scattered.

    b. The temple in Jerusalem has not been rebuilt.

    c. After World War One, with the help of the United Nations, Israel was reformed back

        into a nation (around 1948).

    d. Israel as a nation has not accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior.

C. What God wants from us is  living sacrifice: our bodies. Romans 12:1.

    1. It takes a total commitment to God  to become a living sacrifice.

    2. Lord create in us a clean heart so we can be what you created us to be.

THE GREAT DAY OF THE LORD

V:11. " On that day you will no longer need to be ashamed, for you will no longer be rebels against me. I will remove all proud and arrogant people from among you. There will be no more haughtiness on my holy mountain."

A.  "That Day" is the time after the second coming of Christ.  1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.

    1. Christ will come again and take His Church into heaven to reign with Him.

    2. There will be a seven year tribulation when Christ will wage war with Satan.

        a. The destruction upon the earth will be so severe, that if Christ didn't

            stop it, no flesh would survive.   Mark 13:19-29,  Matt 24: 22-31

        b. Satan will be bound for a thousands years. Rev 20:2-6

        c. We will reign on earth with Christ  during the thousand years.

B. After the rapture of the Church, only none believers will be left on earth to go through

    the seven years of tribulation.

    1. Those left will include the none believing Jews.  Luke 17:30-36

    2. Those who survive the tribulation will enter into the thousand year reign

         of Christ.

GOD'S MERCY

V:12. " Those who are left will be  lowly and humble, for it is  they who will trust in the name of the Lord."

A. Those who survive the tribulation will be traumatized by the events and will be poor

     in spirit.

   1. They will trust the Lord because He will rule in their presence.

   2. God will fulfill His promise that all Israel will be saved.   Rom 11:26

B. During the thousand year reign of Christ a new nation of Israelites will

     grow up obedient to Christ.  Isa 59:20

   1. In this way, God will fulfill His promise that all Israel will be saved.

  

THE ATTITUDE OF REFORMATION

V:13 The remnant of Israel will do no wrong; they will never tell lies or deceive one another. They will eat and sleep in safety, and no one will make them afraid."

A.  With Satan bound for a thousand years, there will be no one to deceive Israel.

    1. All unbelievers will have been purged doing the tribulation.

    2. The remnant of Israel who endure the tragedy of the tribulation will be

        eye witnesses to the power and glory of God.

   3. They will be a revived people focused on the righteousness of the Lord.

 B. The remnant of Israel will speak the language of God which is His Word.

     1. They will practice the righteousness of God.

     2. They will speak only the truth

C. They will enjoy the provisions of the Lord.

     1. They will enjoy the protection of the Lord.

     2. They will enjoy the comfort of the Lord.

THE JOY OF THE LORD

V:14 . "Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!"

A. It will be a happy ending.

    1. Everyday in the Lord ought to be  happy endings.

    2. We ought  to end sadness and began in Joy.

    3. We ought to end worry and began in confidence.

    4. We  ought to end frustrations and began in peace.

    5. We ought to end envy and jealousy and began in praise.

    6. We ought to end fear and began in the power of the Lord.

    7. We ought to end hate and began in love.

B. Praise and worship ought to be the order of the day.

    1. In fact, start your day with praise and worship.

    2. God inhabits the praise of His people.   Psalms  22:3

OUR HOME IN HEAVEN

V:20. " On that day I will gather you together and bring you home again. I will give you a good name, a name of distinction, among all the nations of the earth, as I restore your fortunes before their very eyes. I, the Lord, have spoken!"

A. This is Good News because we know how our story will end.

    1. Our Story will end in heaven.

    2. Our story will end in the presence of the Lord.

    3. Our story will end in complete redemption.

    4. Our story will  end in the righteousness of the Lord.

B. Our story will end in eternity.

    1. Our story will end in God's Glory.

    2. Our story will in  the riches of the Lord.

    3. Our story will end in the joy of the Lord.

THAT'S GOOD NEWS TO SHOUT ABOUT

Rev. M. Mitchell

Asst Pastor Of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church

5510 West Sam Houston Parkway

Houston, Texas                 For a complete listing of my lessons go to                      

                                          "goodnewsrevmit.blogspot.com"

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "What Happens To You When There Is No God", 6/12/2016

WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU WHEN THERE IS NO GOD

Zephaniah 3:1-8

ATTITUDE WITHOUT GOD

V:1-2." Woe to the city of oppressors, rebellious and defiled! 2 She obeys no one, she accepts no correction. She does not trust in the Lord, she does not draw near to her God."

A. God keeps a record of your disobedience and unrepentant sins.

    1. God keeps a record of how you treat others.

    2. How we treat others is determined by how obedient we are to God.

    3. To love God brings an automatic requirement to love your neighbor.

B. When the leaders do not know God, there will be a lifestyle of injustice.

    1. When there is no love in the heart, it is easy to mistreat others.

    2. Oppression is holding someone down so you can get ahead.

    3. Those who oppress others, have no regard for man or God.

    4. Any sin is a rebellion against God.

    5. The more rebellious we are, the more defiled our lives become.

C. When you walk away from God, you will not trust God.

    1. Those who do not trust God will not be close to Him.

    2. Those who do not trust God will not seek him.

D. Some say leadership starts at the top.

    1. But I say the heart of leadership starts at the bottom.

    2. It takes a good foundation for a house to be structurally sound.

    3. Those at the top had to rise from the bottom.

    4. The teaching of the righteousness of God in the home is the start of a

         solid foundation for those who rise to the top.

    5. The continual practice of righteous builds the structure of sound leadership.

ACTIONS OF THE UNGODLY

V: 3-4. " Her officials are roaring lions, her rulers are evening wolves, who leave nothing for the morning. 4 Her prophets are arrogant; they are treacherous men. Her priests profane the sanctuary and do violence to the law."

A. Both the  religious leaders and civil leaders acted as predators to the people of God.

    1. Instead of building up the community, they tore down the moral and spiritual

        values of the people.

    2. They used God's laws to do injustice and to profit themselves.

    3. Like lions and wolves, they had an appetite for violence and injustice

        that could not be satisfied.

    4. Morning and night they sought new ways to corrupt themselves.

B. The religious leaders, instead of being worshippers of God  became

     worshippers of idols. 

   1. God's House had become a robbers den rather than a house of prayer.

   2. They profaned the altar of God by offering blemished animals for sacrifice.

   3. The general population was also guilty.

        a. Instead of bring God their first and best, they brought Him the lame and the

            cripple.

    4. The Church today is no different.

        a. God commands us to bring Him one tenth of our income plus an offering.

        b. The Church as a whole across America only brings to God 2 percent of

             their income.

   5. Because the leadership does not follow God's commands is no excuse for you

       to be disobedient.

THE GOODNESS OF THE LORD

V:5. " The Lord within her is righteous; he does no wrong. Morning by morning he dispenses his justice, and every new day he does not fail, yet the unrighteous know no shame."

A. The mercy of the Lord endures forever.

    1. God is always good to us even in our sinfulness.

    2. God is righteous.

    3. There is no injustice in the Lord.

    4. God is the same everyday.

B. In comparison, we are filled with injustice and unrighteousness.

   1. A man without God can not be trusted.

   2. A man without God is subject to do violence to his family and neighbors at anytime.

   3. A man without God  is his own worst enemy.

GOD'S EXAMPLE TO US

V: 6-7. "I have cut off nations; their strongholds are demolished. I have left their streets deserted, with no one passing through. Their cities are destroyed; no one will be left — no one at all. 7 I said to the city, 'Surely you will fear me and accept correction!' Then her dwelling would not be cut off, nor all my punishments come upon her. But they were still eager to act corruptly in all they did."

A. God reminds us of His power, His authority, and His wrath by what He does to

     other people and what we see in nature.

  1. Throughout the history of Israel, God  destroyed Gentile nations to make way

       for them to take possession of the promise Land.

  3. They had God with them fulfilling His promises that He made to their forefathers.

  4. They were eye witnesses to the Glory of God doing their times.

  5. They had a written record of the commands that God gave to Moses promising their

       success in the promise land.

B. God expects us to study His Word and make corrections in our lives as He has

     commanded.

   1. If we are obedient to God's commands, He promises to  deliver us out  of all our

       troubles.

   2. God promises to not let His wrath fall on us if we repent and turn to Him.

C. Israel continued in their sins and ignored the warnings of God.

   1. God knows the end from the beginning.

   2. He knew Israel would not repent, but by His mercy He kept reminding

       them of His impending judgment.

GOD SAID IT, BELIEVE IT!!

V: 8-9. " 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. 9 "Then will I purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the Lord  and serve him shoulder to shoulder"

A. Because Israel would not repent and turn from their wicked ways, God

     prepared the Babylonians to come and destroy Jerusalem , the temple and

     take them captive for 70 years. (Jer 29:4).

  1. God chastises those He loves.

  2. The good news is that His chastisement is designed to bring us back to Him.

  3. The good news is God's chastisement is for a season of revival.

B. Our actions will affect our children.

   1. They will suffer with us.

   2. Their homes were destroyed and they had to start again in a foreign nation.

   3. The good news is, even when God is punishing us, He is taking care of us.

   4. God put a wall of protection around Israel while they were in captivity

       longing to return to their homeland.

  5. God promised their return to the Promise Land.

SUMMARY

THREE STAGES OF COMMITMENT TO GOD

A. NO COMMITMENT

     1.The world does not know God.   John 6:44

     2. The world says there is no God.

B. PARTIAL COMMITMENT

   1.  Most of the church fits into this category.

   2. We believe in God.

   3. We come to church on a regular basis.

   4. We don't completely rely on God.

   5. We don't completely trust God.

   6. How does God get commitment out of people who know Him

       but will not follow His commands?

      a. The Israelites are our example.

      b. He warns us of impending judgment.

      c. He takes away that which distracts us from Him; job, health, family, etc.

      d. He gives us over to others who destroy what we have and abuse us.

      e. He brings us to the point where we cry out to Him.

      f. He punishes us because of His love.

C. COMPLETE COMMITMENT

   1. Totally committed to the Will of God.

   2. Total subjection to God's commands.

   3. Spiritually tuned with Lord.

   4. Continually seeks God for guidance and directions.

   5. Relies on God in good times and times  trouble .

   6. Seek ways to serve Him.

   7. Actively in involved in the ministry.

   8. Generous in giving.

   9. A minister of the Gospel to his/her environment.

  10. Constant in Praise and Worship of the Lord.

  11. We sin but we grieve because of our sins and repent.

SUCCESSFUL LIVING STARTS WITH TOTAL DEPENDANCE ON GOD

Rev. M. Mitchell

Asst. Pastor of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church

5510 West Sam Houston Parkway

Houston, Texas

For a complete set of my messages, visit my blog

goodnewsrevmitc.blogspot.com

The Blessings Of Giving, "The Floodgates"

THE FLOODGATES

Malachi 3:10

10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.

Skip the first sentence in verse 10. Let us preach the rest of the verse.

says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.

The Lord said He will open up the floodgates of heaven for us.

The Lord said, He will pour our a bless so big we can't handle it.

That's a good message. That's what you want to hear.

Praise God. We might as well say Amen and go home and wait on that blessing.

It's in the text, that is what God said.  Don't you agree?

That's what we call bad preaching. Taking the Word out of it's context.

We even sing a song about the Floodgates. We even got song that It's Raining Down

 Blessings.

In order for the second part of Verse 10 to be true, you got to

"Bring The Whole Tithe Into The Store House."

The second part of the verse is dependant on your fulfillment of the first part.

Watch this.  In order for you to have a tithe, 10%;  God has already bless you with

the other 90%.

For God to open the floodgate of heaven, you have to be obedient and put

10% of your income into this offering basket.

The question is, Do you want God to open the Floodgates of Heaven to you

It's offering time, but it is also decision time

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "We Can Be OUr Own Worst Enemy", 6/5/2016

WE CAN BE OUR OWN WORST ENEMY

Zephaniah 1:1, 4-6, 14-16, 2:3

GOD'S WORD TO US

V:1. "The word of the Lord that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, during the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah: "

A. When the Lord speaks, the best thing to do is to listen.

    1. When the Lord speaks, the best thing you can do is to take His Word

         seriously.

    2. When the  Lord speaks, the best thing is to expect that He will do what He

        says He will do.

    3. The Bible is the Word of the Lord to all believers.

        a. The best thing we can do is to believe that He is talking directly to us.

        b. The best thing we can do is to expect that what He did in the past, He will

             do in the future.

LEARN FROM OUR HISTORY

B. What can we learn from the genealogy of the prophet Zephaniah that the Word presents to us?

   1. The name Zephaniah means "Jehovah of darkness".

   2. Zephaniah's fathers name is Cushi which means black.

      a. He was the son of a black man.

  3. Zephaniah's grandfather's name was Gedaliah.

      a. The name means God is great.

 4. Zephaniah's great grandfather's name was Amariah.

     a. His name means "stand by Jehovah"

     b. He was a high priest

 5. Zephaniah's great great grandfather's name was Hezekiah.

    a, The name means "strength of Jehovah."

    b, He was king of Judah.

 C. In Zephaniah's genealogy is a King and a high priest.

    1. Zephaniah was one of God's prophets.

    2. Jesus our Lord and Savior is Our King, High Priest and Prophet.

        a. He is our King because He is Lord over us.

        b. He is our High Priest because He makes intercessions for us

            to God the Father.

        c. He is our Prophet because He knows the end from the beginning.

    3. Zephaniah's message is one of darkness.

        1. It is a wake up call to Israel to recognize the state that they were in.

        2. It is a wake up call to recognize the coming judgment of the Lord.

        3. It is a wake up call to us to recognize that God is Great.

            a. It is a wake up call to us that we need to stand by our Jehovah God.

            b. It is a wake up call to us to trust only the Lord Jesus.

THE WILL OF THE FATHER

Zephaniah 1:4-7

V:4. "I will stretch out my hand against Judah and against all who live in Jerusalem. I will cut off from this place every remnant of Baal, the names of the pagan and the idolatrous priests."

A. Jerusalem is the Holy capital of the world.

    a. The name Jerusalem means "City of God"

    b. The name also means "foundation of peace"

B. The name Judah means "I will praise Jehovah".

    1. Watch This

    2. The nation of Israel was settle around the City of God to be at peace with God

        and to give Him praise.

 C. The nation of Israel committed spiritual adultery by worshipping idol gods in the

      city of God.

    1. The consequence of their idolatrous behavior was to be cut off from God.

    2. They broke God's commands.

    3. They were unfaithful to God.

    4. They rejected the true and living God for gods made with their own hands.

    5. They rejected eternal life in favor of dead idols.

    6. They rejected the power of God for powerless idols.

D. As a result, God promised to destroy all the altars of baal and their pagan priest.

    1. The Lord our God is a jealous God.

    2. He will not share His glory with anyone.

    3. He will destroy those who oppose Him.

E. God will make corrective measures to bring back to Him.

    1. He chastises those He loves.

    2. Unforgettably, sometimes He destroys that which we rely on to get us to

        rely on Him

 

FOOLISH TO WORSHIP IDOLS

V: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 Molech,"

A. The nation of Israel was commanded by the Law  presented to them by Moses

     not to worship idol gods.

   1. God gave the Law  to Moses around 1490 BC.

   2. This Word of the Lord was given to Zephaniah around 630 BC.

   3. The nation of Israel was a stubborn people who refused to follow God's commands.

   4. They had continuous warnings from God for 830 years of their disobedient behavior.

   5. God had been tolerant with Israel, but now He would execute His judgment

       on Israel.

B. Israel's  sins were numerous.

   1. I think their worst sin was the worship of idol gods.

   2. They degraded themselves by swearing by their idols and the Living God in the

       same breath.

   3. They had the evidence of the Living God in their lives  on a daily basis,

       yet they chose to worship dumb idols.

   4. They had seen the power of God work in their lives more times than they could count,

       yet they chose idol gods.

   5. God had chastised them over and over again, yet they remained disobedient.      

   6. It is foolish to disobey the Almighty God.

FOOLISH TO TURN AWAY FROM GOD

V:6. " those who turn back from following the Lord  and neither seek the Lord nor inquire of him."

A. They turn their back on the Living God by worshipping idols.

    1. They attributed their existence and their progress to the works of something

        made with their own hands.

    2. They held themselves accountable to superstitious beliefs.

    3. They had the truth in front of them, but they chose the lies of the world.

B. As a result of their false beliefs, they did not trust the Living God or seek His

    counsel or guidance.

   1. Their lack of trust in the Living God affected generations after them.

   2. They degraded themselves to a low standard of living by rejecting the

        true and Living God.

   3. They rejected the righteousness of God for a sinful state.

Zephaniah 1:14-16

THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS SECOND COMING

14 "The great day of the Lord is near —  near and coming quickly. Listen! The cry on the day of the Lord will be bitter, the shouting of the warrior there.

15 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,

16 a day of trumpet and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the corner towers.

A. To the Israelites the Lord was foretelling the coming the destruction of Jerusalem

      and the 70 year captivity of the nation in Babylon.

    1. The consequences of Israel's repeated worship of idols was their destruction and

        captivity.

    2. The destruction of Jerusalem began in 586 BC, 44 years after the Word of The

         Lord came to Zephaniah.

    3. The Israelites did not believe that God would destroy their city or His temple.

    4. They did not believe  the Word of the Lord.

    5. Unbelief of God's Word is the key to your destruction.

B. To us, the Church, The great day of the Lord will began with the second coming of

     Jesus Christ.

   1. We must believe that Jesus is coming back and that He will judge the living and

        the dead.

   2. We do not know the exact time when will come back, but it maybe sooner than

        you think.

   3. Jesus will not come back until the Gospel has been preached to the ends of

       the earth ( Matthew 28:19).

   4. That time is now. The Bible has been translated into most languages of the world.

   5. Our job is to be ready for immediate return.  

THE WISE DECISION

Zephaniah 2:3

3 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.

A. The God we serve is a loving and a forgiving God.

    1. He constantly gives us opportunity to repent and turn to Him.

    2. He constantly reminds us of His power and His authority.

B. The recent wide spread floods in the city of Houston Texas and surrounding

     counties is a testimony to the greatness of God.

   1. Only God can cause the moisture in the air to collect into clouds then drop

       billions of gallons of water in area to flood thousands of homes in a few hours.

   2. Only God can stop the rain and give blue skies and dry weather.

   3. We could attribute that to nature. But who created nature?

C, God gives us the solution to our sins and a relationship with Him.

   1. Seek Him.

   2. Humble yourself before Him.

   3. Follow His commandments.

   4. Seek the righteousness of the Lord.

SEEK THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART.

Rev M. Mitchell

Asst Pastor Of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church

5510 West Sam Houston Parkway,   Houston Texas