Eureka Presbyterian Church | 12-27-2015
On the third day of Christmas my true love sent to me: (three French hens)
Good morning,
We all know that song the 12 days of Christmas. Today it is December 27 the third day of Christmas. A few days ago on Christmas morning, children and adults alike, across America, unpacked their Christmas gifts. According to the American Research Group, the average shopper spent $886.- on gifts this year, that is more than double the spending of that in 2009.
Given all the commotion around the holidays it is easy to lose sight, of what Christmas is truly about. Let’s not forget first and foremost, that on this festive occasion, we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ our Lord in Bethlehem 2000 years ago and we will talk about that today.
Our opening hymn this morning was “Come thou long expected Jesus….. For centuries the Jewish people were anxiously awaiting and expecting the arrival of the Messiah as had been foretold, all the way back in the 8th century BC by the prophet Isaiah concluding with Malachi in the 4th century BC.
So over a span of 4 centuries the coming of the Savior was predicted. But it took more than ANOTHER 4 centuries before God send his only begotten Son to dwell among the people.
Yesterday driving home listening to JPR, I heard NY Philharmonic give a performance of Handel’s Messiah. Handel wrote this masterpiece in less than 3 weeks never leaving his home and hardly taking time to eat. The Messiah is made up of 54 movements quoting scripture verbatim with the majority of the verses coming from the Old Testament, including: Psalms, Malachi, Zachariah, and of course Isaiah (with 15 movements derived from that book alone).
In the bible Isaiah and Zachariah are the 2 prophets that most frequently foretold the coming of our Lord: Isaiah 11:1: A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse and a branch shall grow out of his roots, the spirit of the Lord, shall rest on him.
Isaiah 40:3 a voice cries out in the wilderness; prepare the way of the lord, make straight in the desert, a highway for our Lord.” (2d movement)
Isaiah 9:6: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.(12)
300 years later the word of God came to Zechariah 9:9: “Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your King comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey.” (19)
The book of Isaiah consists of 66 chapters covering 61 pages in the bible, Zachariah, one of the Minor Prophets covers14 chapters on 8 pages. Then there is a lesser known, Minor Prophet who foretold the coming of our Lord in a very distinct way. The name of this prophet is Zephaniah. Zephaniah you say?? Who is Zephaniah?
In the last few weeks, several folks asked when the next sermon was coming up, and which scripture that sermon was based on. When I said “Zephaniah”, the reply was: Zephe who, most people have never heard of Zephaniah.
That is not a big surprise as it is widely believed by scholars that the three Minor Prophets: Obadiah, Nahem and Zephaniah are the least read books in the bible.
Pastor Bob Deffinbaugh in Richardson Texas refers to The Book of Zephaniah as the best known, for being the least known book of the entire Bible. It is a small book, found in the midst of the Minor Prophets, toward the end of the Old Testament.
Among the Minor Prophets, we are probably more familiar with Jonah or Hosea. Nevertheless, Zephaniah is a great book that makes a significant contribution to the Old Testament and to the lives of many, as we will soon find out.
Once a month I travel to the farm in Ontario Canada. Typically departing Monday night to take the red eye fight to Toronto arriving early in the morning than the drive to the farm in st Catherine’s an hour away, after spending the day inspecting crops and meeting with the team, drive back to Toronto to take the 6.00 pm flight to LA.
Next morning before driving north to visit the Oxnard farm a quick visit to the LA flower market at 5.00 am, try to back in the car by 6.00 am. For two reasons 1) the traffic at that hour isn’t too bad yet, the other reason at 6.00 am on the local station KKLA one of my favorite programs with J. Vernon McGee comes on the radio for 30 minutes with “through the bible” a 5 year bible journey cover to cover. What a blessing!
As pastor of a congregation of up to 3000 people Dr. McGee’s once asked before preaching, if any one had ever heard a sermon on Zephaniah, of the 3000 in attendance only 2 people raised their hands.
Zephaniah was the great, great grandson of King Hezekiah, one of the good kings of Judah. King Josiah was on the throne of Judah when Zephaniah prophesied. He was also a great, great grandson of Hezekiah. Therefore, Zephaniah and Josiah were cousins. He would have had a direct connection with Royalty straight to the young King Josiah.
King Josiah reigned from 640 to 609 B.C. and he led a spiritual revolution, a great awakening. He removed idol worship, repaired the temple of God, and brought back the true worship (2 Kings 22, 23). Zephaniah assisted Josiah. They called the people back to God. However, most of the people repented only superficially. When Josiah was killed in battle, they returned to idol worship.
The Book of Zephaniah is made up of just three Chapters. It covers only three pages in the bible. We call it a book, but it hardly can be characterized as a book.
One could even call it a letter. I know people who write emails longer than this book of Zephaniah. However small this book is, the message is great and powerful. Zephaniah talks about “The Day of the Lord” 7 times in this short book.
He describes the dark side of the Love of God. This may be difficult to grasp while reading the Book of Zephaniah, which begins with a horrifying message of God’s judgment…
God in his love will judge men in extreme ways, but He does it because He loves us. The Book of Zephaniah is powerful because it teaches us that things aren’t always as they appear, and God’s love shines, through the darkest of circumstances in life.
Zephaniah warns the Israelites to repent from their sinful ways; he writes: They no longer ask for the Lord’s guidance or seek my blessings. They think the lord will do nothing to them. But the wicked know no shame. I thought surely they will have reference for me now, but no, they get up early to continue their evil deeds.
Yes I will punish those who participate in pagan worship ceremonies and those who fill their master houses with violence and deceit. I will remove all proud and arrogant people from among you.
Zephaniah also admonishes neighboring countries like Moab and Amon and Ethiopia, but in particular Assyria and he foreshadows the fall of the mighty city of Nineveh, the Capital of Assyria and the largest city in the world at that time.
Within a decade after Zephaniah’s prophesy the unthinkable happened, the powerful Assyrians were defeated and Nineveh was leveled to the ground, with only one wall of the city remaining, that wall is still there to this day, across the river from Mosul, a town we hear much about on CNN lately as it is still under the control of ISIS. (Wall is used as collateral)
And what happened to the Israelites? After king Josiah died in battle (at Megiddo), they went back to their sinful ways. God did, what Zephaniah had prophesied. Jerusalem fell, the temple was destroyed in 586 BC, more than a million Israelites perished and many were taken into captivity to Babylon.
He had written to the Israelites: Seek the lord, all who are humble and follow his commands. Seek to do what is right and to live humbly. Perhaps even yet the lord will protect you.
Less than 6 centuries later In Matthew 4:16 we read: The people who were sitting in darkness, saw a great light, and those who were sitting in the land, and shadow of death upon them, a light dawned.
Folks, here we come to the beauty in Zephaniah, the nugget that is found in chapter 3 and this where we find todays scripture reading.
Zephaniah 3:14-20 can be found on page?? in pew bible
14Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!(familiar Zachariah 9:9 uses 100 years later)15The Lord has taken away the judgments against you, he has turned away your enemies. The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall fear disaster no more.16On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands grow weak.17The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing18as on a day of festival. I will remove disaster from you, so that you will not bear reproach for it.19I will deal with all your oppressors at that time. And I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth.20At that time I will bring you home, at the time when I gather you; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes, says the Lord.
Ladies and gentlemen, this passage is so beautiful; it is like a flower that pops out of the ground after a long cold winter and starts blooming in the spring.
Like this bunch of red tulips, these tulips went through a dark and cold period in order for them to bloom as beautifully as they do here today. Without the cold they would not have flowered at all or even if they did they would have been short and ugly.
Or like this bunch of chrysanthemums in front of us here. Did you know that these chrysanthemums would not have flowered, had it not been for a period of darkness?
We grow Chrysanthemums in Oxnard and these plants under long day conditions (summer) will continue to grow and not flower. Hence we darken the greenhouses with black plastic during the summer months in order for these plants to initiate the flower so we can enjoy them today.
The Israelites went through a very dark period when the temple was leveled to the ground, Jerusalem was destroyed and many perished or were taken into captivity to Babylon.
But ultimately the Messiah arrived as foretold in Zephaniah: bringing Love, Peace and Joy to the world.
In an analogy of the message of Zephaniah Dr McGee compares it with that of the Gospel of John as the theme in both John and Zephaniah is Love, John being the APOSTLE of Love and Zephaniah the PROPHET of Love.
If a poll were held for most popular scripture verse, John 3:16 would likely be #1: for God so LOVED the world that he gave his one and only son, so that whoever believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life
But Zephaniah 3:17 it is most likely underrated, deserves better: For the Lord your God is living among you, he is mighty savior, he will take delight in you, with gladness, with his LOVE, he will calm all your fears, he will rejoice over you with joyful songs.
Can you imagine joyful songs from our Lord? I have been a choir member for years, wow I can’t wait to see that happen.
Jesus said in John 8:12 Instructions About Followingdiscipleship, benefits ofBeing A LightDark DaysBeing A SoldierLight, SpiritualDarkness, Deliverance FromPromised LightMetaphorsFollowing Jesus Christ
Life Through ChristHow Disciples Are Called Names And Titles For Christ The Light Of Christ Claims Types Of Christen lightenment Coming Out Of Darkness Life, Of Faith Dawn
“I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”
Folks, the good news is that God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, . When Jesus died on the cross of Calvary, He did not die for HIS sins, for He was the sinless Lamb of God. He died for OUR sins, he went through great darkness for us. He then rose from the dead and ascended to the Father in heaven.
He offers salvation to ANY who will trust in Him.
Friday we had a farm meeting and as closing thought I used a quote from Henry Van Dyke, an American author and clergyman.
In the 1920’s he wrote a poem called: There is a better thing than the observance of Christmas day, and that is, keeping Christmas.
He concludes the poem with: “Are you willing to believe that Love is the strongest thing in the world – stronger than hate, stronger than evil, stronger than death – and that the blessed life which began in Bethlehem 2000 years ago is the image and brightness of the Eternal Love?
When we are willing to believe that, then we can keep Christmas.”
And if we can keep Christmas for ONE day, why not always?….
Our closing hymn today is: O come O come Emanuel, and the closing words of this hymn: fill the whole world with heaven’s peace. Rejoice Rejoice, Emanuel shall come to Thee o Israel.
Just like Zephaniah 3: Rejoice and exult with all your heart
What a delight to Rejoice,
Rejoice because as foretold, in Zephaniah, Christ was born and dwelled in the midst of the people 2000 years ago.
Rejoice in the Lord always
Rejoice because he is here today, the Holy Spirit is here today in our midst, and miracles are taking place across the World as we speak.
Rejoice, because the Love of God through his son Jesus Christ penetrates our hearts and souls.
Rejoice let your gentleness be known to everyone.
Rejoice that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal.
Put your faith in the Lord our God, surrender to power of the Holy Spirit and let the Love of Jesus Christ come over the entire World.
Merry Christmas,
Amen
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