ZEPHANIAH 3:14-17
Stephen Olford said, “Revival is an invasion of Heaven that brings a conscious awareness of God.” What if Heaven invaded our church this next Sunday morning? What if we were so convicted of our sin and shallow religion that we all fell on our knees and faces before the Lord in repentance? What if God so filled our churches with His presence and power that we were speechless to defend ourselves and our sin? What if the Holy Spirit so overwhelmed us that we were willing to do whatever it took to be right with God and others?
....In my opinion, Olford was right. We need an invasion of Heaven. Why? Because we’ve been invaded by the world. The truth is, the church has become worldly. The church has become desensitized to the sinfulness of sin. The church has become an unholy assembly of the prideful and sinful. Our problem is not the Muslims, or Hindus, Jehova’s Witnesses, or Atheists...The problem is us. We are worldly, carnal, selfish, lazy, and unfaithful. If the church was open only one hour a week on Sunday from 10:30-11:30 most of our church members would never know the difference. Olford’s right...we need an invasion of Heaven...an invasion of God.
Billy Graham said, "If Jesus were to come today as he did 2000 yrs ago, he would be crucified in less time than then..." Just ask Kirk Cameron who, just two weeks ago on CNN while being interviewed by Piers Morgan, defended his Christian beliefs about traditional marriage. He said he believed what he did because he was a Christian... and that his views were based on the teachings of the Bible. In the days following his interview he was labeled everything but Christian. Just ask Mark Driscoll and his wife Grace who were on the View with Barbara Walters the same week Kirk Cameron was interviewed on CNN. They also defended their traditional Christian beliefs and did so by saying, “We are Bible believing Christians.” ....Billy Graham was right by saying Jesus would be crucified in less time than He was then. Think about it...What Jesus said and taught is less popular now than it was then....Jesus is less respected...less wanted....and He is less loved than He was then.
The words of the Bible and of Jesus are intimidating and even infuriating to the lost and unbelieving because – there is the possibility that what He said is true.
Zephaniah spoke directly to Jerusalem of their sinfulness and promised a sure and swift judgment. We don’t like that idea...and don’t want to hear it. We don’t want to reap what we sow...or get what’s coming to us. We want to live without commitments, without convictions, and without Christ... Israel had forgotten God. Zephaniah was sent to help them remember.
Zephaniah would help them remember...
• God Had...Israel must have forgotten what God did for them in the past. The Lord had been their shepherd! Their guider and provider. He had called them out and claimed them as His own.
• God Can...They had known God - had walked with God. They had known His power ...they had witnessed the defeat of God's enemies, yet they persisted in sin.
• God Is...He was not a God of history only. He was with them. He was in their midst. He was at work, alive and well. They were reminded that God still is what He always was...and that all that He did, He still does!
• God Will...Israel knew of a promised redeemer. Jesus was predicted in the days of the prophets...but they forgot. Zephaniah reminded them Jesus was coming as redeemer, messiah, deliverer, Savior!
God Was In Their Midst! He was Mighty! He was Moving! He was Merciful!
• God would Rest in the fact that His people were restored.
• God would Rejoice that His people were secure in Him!
• God would Sing...songs of salvation over His people!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Are you ready for revival?
1- Turn from your sin.
2- Talk to the Lord.
3- Trust him with your life.
