Who Touched Me? or I just need to touch Him!

Mark 5: 25-34

Last year, we were looking at some verses in the great Book of Mark. We saw what kind of authority Jesus had. He has authority to called His followers; He drove out Evil spirits, and He taught with authority—unlike anyone else. He healed many who were sick; like with leprosy, a paralytic; He calmed the storm on the Sea of Galilee. A dead girl became alive when He touched her. Such wild things happened when Jesus came into a room or into an area. The sick got healed—not just better and the dead became alive again. Nature was under His control—His authority, and people started to listen to Him. They came to Him from all over the region. Jesus seems like He was trying to get away from them at times by getting into a boat, walking on the water—to evade their desire to make Him king. (We’ll get back to that in another talk.)

You might remember that Jesus was on His way to help a man who came to Him because his little girl was dying. Jairus said, “Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.”

Then something happened that seemed like an interruption to poor Jairus. Jesus stopped. He stopped because someone touched Him.

This lady had a problem: for such a long time, she had been bleeding. Being unclean, she could not do the tasks most ladies would have. Some people would avoid her altogether. She could not attend Temple worship. She could not even hold her child-if she were a mother. If she was married, she could not be intimate with her husband. Her issue of blood was also draining—not only her health but her financial life as well. For over 12 years, doctors have been taking her money. I don’t know if they knew how to treat her—the fact remains, she was still bleeding.

Leviticus 15:25 "'When a woman has a discharge of blood for many days at a time other than her monthly period or has a discharge that continues beyond her period, she will be unclean as long as she has the discharge, just as in the days of her period.'"

Religious law prevented her from being involved in ANY social or religious activity whatsoever! She was a real cast away! And after 12 years, she was beyond any hope of getting better. Every day for the past 12 years, she was bleeding. Think of the condition she’d be in! No money, no family, no interaction at all—except for the so-called Doctors of her day. And she had heard that Jesus was around. Just like Jairus had. He was looking for Jesus because of his personal need. This lady as well. Her faith in the medical profession was below zero. They could only help themselves to her bank account. She was desperate! She had to touch Jesus’ cloak. She had heard about Jesus and come to understand that it would only take that touch and her ills would be over! But she had to do it in secret. She had to come up behind Him and ambushed Him with this forbidden touch.

Ever been in a crowded train? No! Well, I have. People are pushing and bumping you all over the place. The Air Show in the SDF air base near our home was so crowded, I began to think I was going to be crushed! The crowd seems not to care. They just pushed forward. No place to go but they pushed forward. It hurt! On a train once, I remember being SO pressed, I counted seven different people touching me and remembered a story that IF eight people touched you at the same time—you would die. I reached out my hand and tempted death. (I live today!)

Here was a woman in deep need and out of the protective care of a compassionate society. She broke all the rules by getting into the crowd. And then she touched Jesus. Deliberately touching Him, making Him unclean. If I just touch His Clothes…I will be healed!

Of course, Jesus was pressed upon! “A large crowd followed and pressed around Him.” But verse 30 gives us more than a clue that something ELSE was going on. “At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from Him…” And “He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched My clothes?”

His followers thought that Jesus was being silly. Of course, with all these people around You—Your going to feel the crowd pressure! But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it.

Did He not already know? He is God, right?!? Isn’t He all knowing? Did He not know of this incident from the beginning of Time?

I believe Jesus did know. He knows everything about everything. He knows what you are thinking right now. Don’t be embarrassed! He knows all about the stuff you are going through right now. Your pressing situations. No one else in this room has any idea of your situation, but He does. What is done in secret, it is all known by Him.

In truth, Jesus is looking for people to touch Him in their need. And to touch Him is to show Him you are ready to deal with your need. And He is looking for that today, the first Sunday in 2011. He is looking for you to touch Him----so He could touch you.

And she did just that! She touched JESUS! Look at verse 29: Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. And can you even imagine what was going on in her mind? Immediately, the pain ended. The flow stopped. She felt well again! When you are sick and you are having a hard time remembering what it was like NOT to feel so bad…THAT is how she was feeling right at that moment! And the joy was complete.

Almost! Jesus stopped and turned and asked that hard question. “Who touched My clothes?” “Oh, No! What am I to do now? I’m going to be sent to jail or kicked out of the village!” And He kept looking for the one who had done this touch thing. She HAD to come forward. And when she did, Jesus was not firm with her but listened to her truthful tale and showed compassion on her. Look at Matthew’s account of the same event: Matthew 9:22 at Dr. Luke’s account from Luke 8:47-48.

Jesus realized that power had gone out from Himself. What was that all about? Was His power pack becoming depleted?

I don’t believe it was a question of a lessening of power in His Divine Being but the movement of healing by Faith in action. In essence, Faith touched the God-Man and Jesus knew it. Faith was exercised and He could tell. There was some spiritual activity there that we could not see but Jesus could know it. A Spiritual response to this Act of Faith.

We are all having questions that might really drain us this year. Like: How Can I Cope with Stress? How Can I Rebound from Failure? How Can I Be Confident in a Crisis? How Can I Live Above Average? How Can I Overcome Loneliness? How Can I Ever Change? How Can I Be Well Again? What Will Become Of My Family When I Die?

God has more to give us this new year. There are so many more promises to claim, more ground to gain and more hope to be had. It can truthfully be said that Our Heavenly Father has more to give us this year than we can possibly obtain. But, we should give it a try anyway. One man had said (George Mueller): “faith grows with use…put it to work by reverent and faithful praying, and it will grow and become stronger day by day. We should dare to trust God for something small and ordinary and next week or next year you may be able to trust Him for answers bordering on the miraculous.” As your Pastor, I need to encourage each of you to grow in your Faith.

Everyone has some faith…the difference among us is one of degree only, and the man of small faith may be simply the one who has not dared to exercise the little faith he has.

The lady in question today, put her faith to the test. Yes, and she did it without any doubt. “If only I could touch His clothes, I will be healed!” Her faith was tested and she found it strong enough. Even Jesus said that her faith had healed her. How is your faith today? Are you willing to reach out and touch Jesus? He will only grant you His best. Reach out and receive His blessing today.

His promise to us is found in Jeremiah 29:11. Call out to Him! Reach out to Him! He will honor your Faith and touch you right back and you will hear Him say to you: “Your faith has healed you. Go in peace (SHALOM).”

A day AFTER Christmas and all through my life...

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house …

Well, the story might not be so familiar to each of you, but I do remember such a poem since I was a child. But now that Christmas is over, a Day after Christmas and all though my life…not too much was happening, I felt like a mouse.

I got all the dressings of the holiday still up—unlike the shopping mall anywhere in Japan. One year, a long time ago, when I was single, I left the live tree up—with all the lights and all—until Easter weekend. The pine tree had lost ALL the needles and the room was indeed a fire hazard! I loved the smell. I liked the look. I was too lazy to remove the tree.

But after it all ended, and the wrong gifts were exchanged, how does a person move on? The excitement or lack of excitement is over. Life goes on. There is no let up in the things that NEED to be done. We are as busy as ever! What do we do?

We move on. I was reminded of this very thing on Dec 20th as I wrote a comment on e-mail to a friend. Her question was: “What am I supposed to be doing? Please pray for me.”

Of course I prayed for her but I also gave her some advice: I said, When you need to know what God wants you to do, take the first step.

One of my most favorite verses in the Bible is from the Old Testament. Ecclesiastes 12:13 Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.

伝道の書 / 12章 13節

事の帰する所は、すべて言われた。すなわち、神を恐れ、その命令を守れ。これはすべての人の本分である。

To end right, we need to start even better. How is that done? One way is to cover all the past with something and make believe it did not happen. That would not be the good way to deal with life. Another way is to look at what you have and see if there can be any change for the better: your thought life, feelings of anger toward someone, fear of the New Year, etc. Make a list and check it twice for areas that the Lord is touching you, and encouraging you. Make a commitment to move forward in dealing with those issues. Have a friend help you. In other words: Take the first step. Today's message is one of those steps.

When I was a boy, living in Rhode Island, my Dad would give me some advice when needed. His number one advice was: “Stan, keep your nose clean!” What he meant was, don’t get messing around with people, things, or ideas. Stay clean. Don’t go where you should not go. Don’t say things you really should not say. Don’t make friends with the wrong people. “Keep your nose clean.” Develop your integrity.

Over the years, when I was in a difficult place, I remember my Dad’s words to me. Simple as they were, they reflected just what the writer of Ecclesiastes was talking about. When life is coming to an end…when the year is almost over…when the job is almost finished, what is the bottom line? Not how much will I get? Not, was it worth the cost? Rather, was it pleasing to God?

Now, I am a pastor, so I’m supposed to talk like that. But I have not always been a pastor. And words of instruction like what the Preacher gave us in 12:13, I can live with. It is almost easy to gauge if things were successful or not. The conclusion is this: Did I live my life fearing God? Not in the knee shaking fear, but in reverence and deep love. Did I let God have first place? Was He my co-pilot or was He the one flying my life. If He was my co-pilot, than I crashed and burned. He does not sit in the passenger’s seat. His place is behind the steering wheel. He needs to be sailing my boat. He is the coach of my team. He flies my plane. He drives my car. He leads my life. He is the One who tells me which way I should go.

This past month, a friend had been sending me her reflections on Advent. She was once a short-term missionary here in Japan. Over the years since, she has become a doctor and now takes short missionary trips to, first India and now to Indonesia. On last Wed, she wrote this and I love the sound of it. I can see she is ‘keeping her nose clean’ too.

“My steady goal is absolute surrender and complete obedience. God not an ogre God who toys with our desires and messes with our minds. He’s an all-knowing, all-loving, all-powerful Lord who willingly sacrificed all so we might run and dance full-throttle with Him.”

So that we could enjoy Him.

Do you understand that? She has had some times in her life when she needed to just stop what she was doing, look around and see what God was doing and go do what He was doing. That brought joy and it brought a smile on the Face of God. It was not vanity. Not a smoke trail. It wasn’t striving after a vapor. It was understanding the full impact this verse 12:13 Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.

伝道の書 / 12章 13節

事の帰する所は、すべて言われた。すなわち、神を恐れ、その命令を守れ。これはすべての人の本分である。

Think about it, if there is no God, then there is no Judge. If there is no Judge, then there is no Final Judgment. If there is no Final Judgment, there is no ultimate meaning to life. Nothing really matters.

If there is no God to judge this world, than all of humanity’s reason to exist is pointless legal action that ends in meaningless despair. The author of Ecclesiastes would certainly agree. From verse one of his book, he had been saying that if there is no Divine, there is no meaning to life. Nothing matters.

He said: “Vanity of vanity (or self-importance or narcissism)…all is vanity.” Ecclesiastes 12:8.

伝道者は言う、「空の空、いっさいは空である」と。 But in spite of all this self-conceit and striving, we can have joy. We can rejoice in the many things in life that bless us. He encourages us to eat, drink and be happy. Find satisfaction in our work (2:24).

伝道の書 / 2章 24節

人は飲み食いし、その労苦によって得たもので心を楽しませるより良い事はない。これもまた神の手から出ることを、わたしは見た。 There is a time for healing and harvesting, a time for laughing and dancing, a time for loving and making peace (3:1-8).

伝道の書 / 3章 1節~8節
天の下のすべての事には季節があり、すべてのわざには時がある。 生るに時があり、死ぬるに時があり、植えるに時があり、植えたものを抜くに時があり、 殺すに時があり、いやすに時があり、こわすに時があり、建てるに時があり、泣くに時があり、笑うに時があり、悲しむに時があり、踊るに時があり、 石を投げるに時があり、石を集めるに時があり、抱くに時があり、抱くことをやめるに時があり、 捜すに時があり、失うに時があり、保つに時があり、捨てるに時があり、 裂くに時があり、縫うに時があり、黙るに時があり、語るに時があり、 愛するに時があり、憎むに時があり、戦うに時があり、和らぐに時がある。

He has told us to enjoy life with those we love (9:9).

伝道の書 / 9章 9節

日の下で神から賜わったあなたの空なる命の日の間、あなたはその愛する妻と共に楽しく暮すがよい。これはあなたが世にあってうける分、あなたが日の下で労する労苦によって得るものだからである。

There is JOY in this world under the blessing of this Biblical God of Creation.

He wants us to understand that without God in our lives, things are really meaningless. How little joy there is if we try to leave God out of His creation.

And for people of Faith, His words can also bring some pain. His words are goads to the conscience. (a goad- a long pointed stick used to move animals along-to provoke or incite someone in to action) At that time, our minds are made uncomfortable enough to turn away from sin. They become a stimulus to the soul, navigating us back onto the right spiritual road.

When we see that the words of the Preacher as the very Words of God, this whole matter takes on a deeper meaning. This Preacher or Shepard of our Souls laid down His life for His sheep (John 10:11).

ヨハネによる福音書 / 10章 11節

わたしはよい羊飼である。よい羊飼は、羊のために命を捨てる。

The Lord Jesus is the one who calls us away from the vanity of life for without God to find the joy and meaning He has for us in His Grace, we are lost. We are not just living “under the sun” but living under the Living Son-the Son of God who “loved us and gave Himself up for us.” (Eph 5:2)

エペソ人への手紙 / 5章 2節

また愛のうちを歩きなさい。キリストもあなたがたを愛して下さって、わたしたちのために、ご自身を、神へのかんばしいかおりのささげ物、また、いけにえとしてささげられたのである。

A good book to read: The Great Divorce, by C.S.Lewis

Are you seeking Spiritual truth? End that quest and surrender to the Lord God who alone knows the answers to life. Paul warned us not to be like the man in 1 Tim 3:7 who is “always learning and never able to arrive at the knowledge of the Truth.”

テサロニケ人への第一の手紙 / 3章 7節

兄弟たちよ。それによって、わたしたちはあらゆる苦難と患難との中にありながら、あなたがたの信仰によって慰められた。

Be content with what the Bible offers and don’t accept anything less.

If there is a God who will judge the world, than everything matters.

It matters if we waste our time on certain activities. It matters what we do with our money, our time, our talents. It matters what we do with our bodies—what we allow our eyes to see, hands to touch, our mouths to speak. Whether we obey our parents will matter; so will the look we give them and the little comment we make when we are walking away from them. What we do with the child, the way we care for the homeless, the underprivileged, the needy, and what we say about someone else’s performance, the sarcastic remark, or the genuine word of praise. The household task, the homework assignment will matter. The cup of water, the word of testimony, the tear of compassion—all of this matters!

What matters most of all, therefore, is the personal decision that each person makes about Jesus Christ. Jesus came into this vain cold world. He took all the mess that was dished out to Him and He responded with forgiveness. He went to the Cross for us. He took our sins on Himself. He died. He went to the grave, but on the third day, He rose again, bringing life out of the Grave.

So, it is the day after Christmas and all through my life, I have made choices, right and wrong, and I need to make a very big one to close this Year with: WILL I MAKE JESUS LORD OF MY LIFE?

Charles Wesley, 1739 –Hark the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King! Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled” Joyful, all ye nations rise, Join the triumph of the skies. With the angelic host proclaim: “Christ is born in Bethlehem.” Hark! The herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King!”

Week 4 of Advent: The Peace Jesus Brings from Micah 5:1-5

So far this Advent season, we have looked at Jeremiah 33 at the Power of Hope. We entered the Refining Love of God from Malachi 2. We had God sing us a love song from Zephaniah 3 while we considered God’s Protection and Delight. In all of this, we have been looking at God’s promise of Better days. We were made for better days. That is the hope of Advent and Christmas, that God had done something in Jesus that changes everything. Everything in the world and everything in us. All these promises are aiming at what Micah predicted—a promise of better days that will be fulfilled in the coming of Jesus.

Today, we will look at His Peace. Shalom. It just falls off your lips, doesn’t it? Say it with me: SHALOM!

Back in Middle school, I can remember being so afraid of the town gangs. These boys would fight or rumble with other teen gangs around the State. We did not live in New York City, but we did have some tough gangs. T’s Dragons were the worst. But even before Tommy had his time of power, there was the Esmond Street Gang. These boys were men—to us. Big guys with muscles on top of their muscles. They even shaved! One day, one of the gang members put a hit on my older brother. Ed was not in the gang but he had pushed one of the boys on the bus and that meant there needed to be a fight! Dennis T. had another boy call Ed over to the other side of the street. When he got there, Dennis came out from behind the Billboard and told the other boy to run away. He was going to start hitting my brother –a lot –when I walked up to Dennis and stood right between my ‘soon to be dead brother’ and Dennis. I said: “If you want to fight my brother, you’ll have to go through me first!” I put on my tough face and waited for the first blow to my head. It did not come. He backed down and walked away. I had won the day and saved my brother from sure death. I cared about someone beyond myself. I was a freedom fighter against oppression and injustice. And my brother still owes me big time for that day!

On that day, my heart cracked wide open. I heard a voice from within me that said that this was not a good thing. It was unjust! Violence and injustice should not have the upper hand. There has to be a better way. Everywhere in any playground, you can hear: “That’s not fair!” One man once said, “A sense of justice comes with the kit of being human.” IT IS WHAT WE ARE MADE FOR!

I did not know it at the time but that small voice that I heard coming from within me was the same voice that had been speaking through the whole Old Testament. The voice got louder and louder. I grew to understand the pain some go through who are dealt with unfairly. I began to try and help them. “You were made for better days. The strong oppress the weak; the rich pummel the poor; nation goes to war against nation. But I, the Lord, have made you for better days, and I will bring those better days to pass.”

The Jews had a word for better days: SHALOM, for Peace. It meant more than the absence of war. More than a positive state in my soul or a private transaction between God and me. It covered those things but it also dealt with the end of injustice! It meant that people would love one another. Shalom would cover all creation, from the bugs to the whales and humans and the birds.

The Hebrew People felt that this Shalom of God would come in the person. Someone is coming who would open the door to peace. The big question is WHO was it? Isaiah wrote: “For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given…and He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Remembers The Promise Of Shalom.

Micah lived about 700 years before Jesus. He was from a small town about 25 miles south of Jerusalem. As a prophet of God, Micah was able to see things that other people did not nor did they want to see. Micah records unspeakable violence and injustice in 2:9 and 3:1-2. This injustice made Micah really upset. It also connected him with the ancient promises for better days. God had whispered into his ear, “Remember, Micah, someOne is coming will bring Peace…who will bring SHALOM.”

These ancient promises pop up all over in his short writing. Look at Micah 4:3. He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.

This is one deep and rich picture of the vastness of His Shalom.

Remember when you were in those innocent days of youth. When the world would be a better place simply because you were in it? But then things got crazy. You started to settle into the reality of life and things changed. Like what we said last week; changes are all around us and few of them can be self-controlled. You might be saying now, “Who has the time to wonder about better days?” I got enough to worry about as it is! When you are not even sure how you are going to make it through this day! Bills to be paid. Kids to take care of. Health problems of your parents and your self. Retirement to plan for. The list of responsibilities goes on and on. Longing for peace, longing for justice, aching for better days—we may not have the time or the energy anymore.

Maybe you are still young and feel that the World is ready for you! You might be looking at life through colored glasses and all seems just right and perfect and this kind of talk disturbs you. You may feel that I have it all wrong.

You might be right. Then on the other hand, people like the writer of Ecclesiastes said that all life is a vapor and it is like grabbing at smoke. Elusive. You may have to really work hard at life and still not get anywhere …but there is hope. Ecclesiastes 12:13 “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of Man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.”

But no wonder we become cynical! Look at the newspaper or watch the news on TV. (Better yet, just turn it off and read your Bible!) No wonder we stopped longing for better days. We have become cold to the idea. Yet, nevertheless, every once in a while something cracks our hearts wide open and we hear a whispering voice say to us: “You were made for better days. You long for peace because there IS A Peace Giver and His name is Jesus!”

The Messiah Comes Quietly.

Micah 5:3 Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor bears a son, and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites.

The suggestion is that times are like a woman just before childbirth—the pain increases as the time comes closer. Yet into this violent and seemingly hopeless situation, God will send His Peace Bearer! In the fullness of time! The Peace of Rome, one language, a system of roads, world-wide commerce—all perfect to take the Message to the world.

But He warns us that we might miss Him. We got the lights up but where is the Real Light? When God brings His Shalom, we might miss Him. Not with a marching band and a lot of hoopla and CNN coverage, but quietly and to unlikely people. To shepherds, an old widow, foreign wise men, a virgin…in Isaiah 11, God told us the Messiah would come like a branch growing out of a dead stump. From death and decay—and poof!—the Peace-Bringer would arise! Now in Micah 5:2, (“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans (or rulers) of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”) the coming One, the Promised Messiah, God’s Shalom, would come from a tiny village, a quiet place: Bethlehem.

Jesus IS THE PEACE-GIVER.

Here we have the Biblical account: Matthew 2:1-12.

Are you ready for Him? Is there room in your heart for this Promised One who will give you Godly Peace—the kind of Peace that passes understanding? If so-open your hearts to Him. If not, why not? What else does He need to do for you? Why not be open to His Great Love for you today and have this be your best Christmas ever!

---

Much thanks goes to Matt Woodley for most of this material during Advent. I used his outline and most of his text with my own illustrations. Note: No teenager was hurt or bullied in the writing of this sermon.

Get ready for Christmas!!!

ICCS クリスマス行事/Christmas @ ICCS

祈りの道のり　１２月２０日（月）

小手指と所沢を歩きながら祈ります。１０時半に教会に集まりましょう。

Prayer Walk: December 20 (Monday)

Meet at ICCS at 10:30 for a prayer walk around Kotesashi and Tokorozawa.

シンガポール料理教室　１２月２２日（水）午後３：３０～５：３０

とてもおいしいシンガポール料理を習いますので楽しみにお越しください。２か３人のグループで申し込んでください。各グループはガスコンロ、調理道具とお弁当箱を用意して自宅に持ち帰れるようにしましょう。素材は用意されます。一人５００円かかります。お子さんを預けることができます。詳細と申し込みは遠藤アンまで、endofam@gol.com

Singapore Cooking Class: December 22 (Wednesday), 3:30-5:30 PM

Come enjoy a demonstration of delicious Singapore cuisine. Please try to sign up in groups of 2-3. Each group should bring a gas cooking stove, utensils, and obento boxes to take your dinner home. Ingredients will be provided. Cost is ¥500/person. Babysitting provided. For details and to sign up, contact Ann Endo, endofam@gol.com

子供会　１２月２３日（木、祝日）午後３時から５時まで

子供達やお友達をお連れ下さい。シンガポールから来た伝道チームの人たちが楽しい集いに招いてくれます。

Children’s Party--December 23 (Thursday, National Holiday), 3-5 PM

Please bring your children and their friends to this fun event led by the visiting mission team from Singapore.

キャンドルライト礼拝とキャロリング　１２月２４日（金、クリスマスイブ、午後７時より）礼拝、軽食、榎町の人たちと喜びを分かち合います。

Candlelight Service and Caroling--December 24 (Friday, Christmas Eve, 7 PM~)

Worship, light refreshments, sharing our joy with Enoki-cho.

シンガポールのみなさんとのクリスマス会　１２月２５日（土、クリスマス、午後零時から３時まで）

私たちと交流のあるシンガポールから来られたみなさんとICCSにて、まことのクリスマス本来の意味を分かちあい、シンガポールのおいしい食事を供に楽しみましょう。

Singapore Community Christmas Party--December 25 (Saturday, Christmas Day), 12-3 PM)

Share the real Christmas spirit at ICCS with guests from our community, and enjoy delicious food from Singapore.

Week 3. God’s Protection and Delight

Zephaniah paints a picture of love

Big Idea: Let nothing keep you from having joy in the Risen Christ today.

If you are looking for a book in the Bible that few read, look no further than today’s passage. Zephaniah may not be one of your favorite books—and many may not have even read it before, but the last part of Chapter Three contains a wonderfully moving description on God’s love.

According to a French philosopher, Simone Weil (died in 43) there were only two things that could crack open the human heart: suffering and beauty. This picture in Zephaniah’s writings is designed to crack our hearts open with its beauty. This is not what we deserve. It isn’t what we have coming to us, but this is the Love God offers us.

Let’s read the passage first and then let’s pray together.

Zephaniah 3:14-20 (niv)

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. 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.

Lord God, may the words spoken today give encouragement to those who need it and light to those who are in darkness. May our spiritual ears hear Your songs of love sung into our hearts. Thank You that these are words of comfort and words to restore us. Thank You that we are to be built up in Your sight. In Jesus' Name, amen.

Who is this Zephaniah? And what is his story? From the opening verses, we learn that he is a man who God spoke through. In a little bit, we are going to see that his message was as right for then as it is for us today. Wait and see.

He lived in Jerusalem during a very critical time in Israel’s history. Verse one says he lived during the reign of King Josiah. For about 57 years before this king, Israel had two very bad and evil kings: Manasseh and Amon. They did not follow the teachings of the Lord and truly drove Israel away from God. Two bad kings and then one of them fathered this young man who started to clean Israel’s house in a big way.

The reforms has just really started under King Josiah. The prophet was not happy with the slow response of the Israelite people. Listen to this very strong statement: “‘I will sweep away both men and animals … I will destroy every remnant of Baal worship … (and) those who turn back from following the LORD.”

In other words, God is ready to really clean house.

Why would God be so upset? Well, the list was pretty short. The people did not know which God (gods) to serve. There was the Creator God who loved them and provided all good things for them and had a promise of even better things to come. OR the destructive, empty, angry goods called Baal and Moleck—who required child sacrifice and who’s priest were full time male and female prostitutes which were connected to a worship of sexual orgies. (1:4-6).

Another factor was that whenever God’s people turned away from God, they also forgot about the poor and the uncared for in the society. Their ‘care-level’ ran really short on care. The rich devoured the poor and the powerless (3:3-4). Those in power could care less for those in need. They wallowed in apathy and walked around with deep arrogance. They also did not like to listen to correction from anyone. (3:2). This lead to …

THE DAY OF THE LORD

Because God cared deeply for the People of Israel, He and His prophet could not just put their head’s into the sand. They were going to act and the way they were going to act is call: “The Day Of The Lord.” That phrase was used at least 25 times in 53 verses. It’s meaning? God will not stand by and tolerate all this ‘stuff’ in the world. God will set things right. It is something like a Shake Up, this THE DAY OF THE LORD.

Back to football for an illustration: Notice I will not brag on the New England Patriots, but I will pick on the Minnesota Vikings. For a while, the team could not win a game yet the fans were celebrating with wild and uncontrolled parties. In short, something like a riot. To combat this bad behavior of the fans and of the team, the front office fired the coach and trading the quarterback. If you are familiar with AA and other addiction treatments, you might see this as an intervention. When a family member or someone you love sinks into an addition and can’t see his way out of it, someone needs to step in with an intervention. Someone needs to get in his face and say, “Look, you’re killing yourself and you’re hurting everyone around you. We won’t let you do this anymore!”

THE DAY OF THE LORD refers to a God-Size, global, earth-shaking, all time life-altering shake-up intervention. The Mother of all interventions happens. It starts with us (personal) and grows to governments and nations (social). This books looks at THE DAY OF THE LORD as something intense: “I have destroyed nations; … strongholds are demolished…they were still eager to act corruptly…pour out My wrath on them…all my fierce anger, the whole world will be consumed with the fire of My jealous Love.” (3:6 and 8) Not much like a love letter, is it?

GOD’S LOVE IS FIERCE

You might be thinking, “I thought God was all love! I thought He was Love! Would His Love just crack my heart open with love’s beauty?” If you feel that way, you are not alone. So there are a few things about God’s Love we all need to know and understand. God’s Love is beautiful but it is not mushy. His Love is comforting but it is not cushy. His love can be strong and even fierce. Vs 17 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.”

When it all comes down to it, our God IS a warrior. Looking back in the OT, we find such evidence when the Hebrew Children were leaving Egypt-through the Red Sea, they said in Exodus 15:3 “The Lord is a Warrior” they cried, “the Lord is His Name”.. Jesus is a Warrior for His People. He will fight for our freedom and for our deep joy.

See how He fights for us? Sometimes He fights AGAINST things in our lives that would destroy us. He sometimes has to fight through our sin to get us back. Like the intervention the football front office did, they took it all away and forced them to face the problem face first. You take the bottles away from the drunk, the credit cards from the over spender, the drugs from the addict and you sit down with him and offer him a better way. You give him a chance to wake up.

How does the friend respond? He might be confused and even angry. He might feel like you are against him; you’re taking his life and the source of his joy away. You’re stripping him of real happiness. But, in truth, you and I both know that you’re fighting for your friend’s life. You had become a warrior on his behalf.

If we don’t get to feel and see the fierce, warrior-like love of God for us, we may often feel confused about Him. We all need intervention from time to time. Our addictions will kill us. In Zep. 3:6, God says that He will demolish our strongholds. He will take away the lesser things that can never give us joy. God is really fighting to give us real joy.

GOD’S LOVE IS DELIGHT-FULL

He is not always hard on us. He is also filled with delight for us. Verse 17? “He will take great delight in you.” Here’s a question: Do you believe God likes you? Does He have anger toward you? Disappointment? Contempt? Try and remember that He is not your earthy Dad.

Repeat this please: God takes delight in me. Believe it today! When you take communion, hear that sentence and feel the joy.

Read with me: Zephaniah 3:20 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.

This honor can go both ways. You and your life honor Him and He honors you with new life. He has better days for you!

GOD WILL QUIET YOU WITH HIS LOVE.

One of the biggest problems we all face in our fractured world today is that we are all restless. We are anxious and uptight almost all the time. We can’t relax; we live with constant sense of being anxious and hurried. Am I right? Answer quickly!

The people 2,500 years ago in Zephaniah’s day were the same. They had placed all their hopes in Assyria and now Assyria was fading and Babylon was in the wings ready to strike. The Prophet said the fall and the exile was only 20 years away. When that happened, everything becomes unglued. Nothing is the same.

Everything around us changes. You can’t control it. People change. Health changes. Jobs change. Children grow up and leave. Children who have grown up return. Nations change, taxes change, Church changes. You look around and there are some people here you just don’t know. Nothing seems to be stable. Our hearts and lives are restless and anxious. Time for some good news!

One thing that will never change: God’s Love for you. Stable, rock solid. Permanent. He says to us: Turn to Me and be quiet with Me and My love. Make it a practice during this season and beyond: Rest in His love. Let Him quiet your anxious hearts.

HE WILL REJOICE OVER YOU WITH SINGING

There is not time today to cover this in detail, but look at the end of 3:17: “He will rejoice over you with singing.” A while ago, there was a C&W song about a Dad and his little girl. Every time I hear it I’d cry. Told my girls that I will cry at their wedding esp. if they play that song. God, too, has a love song He sings over you all during your life. Birth, school, hurts, joyful times, marriage, birth of your first-your seventh, your parent’s death, your dying moment-He is singing over you with songs of His Love for you.

Lastly, THE FRUIT OF GOD’S LOVE: JOY!

At this time in our talk, I do hope that God’s love is starting to crack open your hearts. As that happens, know that the end result of all of that cracking…is JOY. 3:14 Sing, Daughter Zion; shout aloud, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem! This is life! I’chayim To LIFE!!

No matter who you are this morning, God gives you joy. That is His gift to you. You might be saying “I can’t rejoice in God, I am such a mess!” Verse 15 Says: “The Lord has taken away your punishment.” Jesus took it on the Cross and it is gone. Let nothing keep you from having joy in the Risen Christ today. Mother Teresa once said that “Let nothing so sadden your heart that it takes away the joy of the Risen Christ.” That is just what Zephaniah is saying to all of us today. There are better days coming and the Joy of the Lord will be ours. But to make it your joy, you need to be in Christ. Sitting next to a Believer won’t get this joy in you. Being born in a Christian home won’t do it. Taking communion won’t give you His Joy. It is only found in the Person of Jesus, the Christ.

CONCLUSION: Three questions for you as we close:

1. Have you experienced the truth of Verse 15? When Jesus died on the Cross, He took our punishment and set us free. Are you trusting in that this morning?

2. Is there anything that is robbing you of joy today?

3. How would your life change if you could believe, receive and rest in all the wonderful promises of Zephaniah 3:17? “He will rejoice over you with singing.”

Thanks to Matt Woodley for most of the material today.

Week 4: The Peace Jesus Brings. Micah 5:1-5

He Predicts the Coming Messiah. He brings SHALOM and call us to join him.