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Meeting God Again - Zechariah, Part 2 - Sermon Manuscript

If you have your , turn with me to Zechariah chapter 7. And while you get there, I have to say...

I’ve learned a lot as a parent. One of those things is that kids are born with the natural capacity to make knucklehead decisions.

“Not My Johnny!”

They tend to learn the hard way

HOMEWORK ● When I was a kid, I learned the value of doing my homework the hard way ● Now we’re trying to teach our kids why doing their homework is so important. I want to spare them the troubles that I went through. But it’s inevitable; they’re going to make the same mistakes… as parents we just hope they learn quicker than we did ● I’ve learned that at some point you just need to let your kids fail ● But when they finally get it, praise them for it!

This is pretty much the story of the Israelites in the . They constantly chose the hard way when it came to loving and serving God. He would ask them to do something, or tell them not to do something, but they wouldn’t listen.

Except, their disobedience and disloyalty had far greater consequences than I ever had for not doing my homework. Not doing your homework is one thing… not listening to the Almighty God who created the universe is quite another!

If you remember from previous weeks, God’s nation suffered destruction and 70 years of Babylonian captivity for disobeying Him. Now it’s the year 520BC and those 70 years have passed. God’s people returned to to rebuild, but the real question was whether or not they were willing to return to Yahweh God.

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Their problem was that they consistently had to learn obedience to God the hard way. So, Zechariah’s purpose for writing was to communicate God’s message to His people so that they would be motivated back to proper worship.

Here we go…

Zechariah 7:4-7 - Then the word of the LORD Almighty came to me: 5 “Ask all ​ the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for the past seventy years, was it really for me that you ​ ​ ​ fasted? 6 And when you were eating and drinking, were you not just feasting for ​ yourselves? 7 Are these not the words the LORD proclaimed through the earlier prophets when Jerusalem and its surrounding towns were at rest and prosperous, and the and the western foothills were settled?’”

There’s three questions here that I’d like to focus on. They’re actually a response to a question back in verse 3. What was happening was that people from the town of came to visit Jerusalem, and they asked the priests and the prophets: “Should I mourn and fast in the fifth month, as I have done for ​ so many years?”

The reason they were fasting in the fifth month was because they were remembering the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. That’s why they would mourn and fast. So, they were basically asking:

“Now that we’re back in Jerusalem and starting to rebuild, do we really have to continue doing an out-dated ritual?”

God responded to their question with three questions of His own:

Q#1 - When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for the past seventy years, was it really for me that you fasted? ​ ​

The whole purpose of fasting is to deny ourselves the pleasures of this world, so that we can learn to depend and focus on God. It’s a spiritual practice that helps us put God first in our lives.

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So, when someone fasts, they’re setting aside something they would normally do for themselves (like eating), and they would replace those activities with things like prayer and studying God’s Word.

And in God’s first question, He’s questioning whether or not they were fasting for the right reasons. The thing is, serving God is all about the intention of our ​ hearts.

It’s always a good thing to ask ourselves what I like to call: heart check ​ questions.

In the New Testament, Paul encourages us to examine ourselves to see if we’re actually following Jesus for the right reasons (2 Corinthians 13:5). Because if we’re not, maybe our hearts are far from God and we didn’t realize it?

Here’s an example of a heart check question: “Am I part of this service today ​ because that’s what I’m supposed to do on Sundays?”

Why do we gather? Why do we bother putting our sermons online? What’s the point of this ritual that we do on Sunday mornings?

The purpose for meeting together should be so that God is glorified. Your ​ ​ participation in this service, even if you’re just listening, is an act that should be glorifying God and not ourselves. This is why I have a problem with churches that like to put on a show on Sunday mornings.

Obviously we’re not about “the show” here at Refton! And it’s for good reason. Because the last thing we want is to facilitate an experience that glorifies ourselves. If you’re coming to church because you want an experience, you might as well be saying that you’re here to see what you can get out of it.

But the truth is, those of us who put our faith in Jesus don’t need this building to experience God! This is why I don’t understand why worship songs ​ try to ‘invite’ the Holy Spirit. If you’ve put your faith in Jesus, scripture passages like 1 Corinthians 6:19 tell us that you already have the Holy Spirit inside of you!

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Again, we don’t meet together to see what we can get from God. We meet together so that we can give to God the glory He deserves.

So, maybe we need to check our hearts. We shouldn’t be here simply out of obligation or for the Sunday morning experience. Our purpose for getting up this morning, getting ready, and gathering together (online or in person) as a church family… our purpose is to glorify God.

Q#2 - And when you were eating and drinking, were you not just feasting for yourselves?

In Zechariah’s day, God’s people were only concerned about themselves. Whether they were fasting from food or enjoying it, they were doing it for themselves. They weren’t giving any thanks or recognition to God. God was the one providing for them! But they didn’t care...

And there’s the root of the problem…

The problem of disobedience stems from selfishness. There’s really no way ​ around that. When we disobey God, we’re putting ourselves before Him. We’re saying that we matter more than Him.

We might try to say that we didn’t know any better… kids try this tactic all the time! They’re experts at it!

Imagine telling your son to clean his room. An hour later you check on him and find that his room is just as dusty as when you first asked him to clean it. So you say, “Son, I thought I told you to clean your room.” The boy says, “I did!” But you say, “Then why is it so dusty in here?” And the boy proclaims, “Well, you didn’t tell me I had to DUST my room! I didn’t know!” ​ ​

For those of you that are parents, I know what you’re thinking... You’re thinking, “Well what did you think I meant by CLEAN your room?!” ​ ​

Kids pull that card all the time. And they’re kids - so in a way, they have an excuse. But God’s people had no excuse. They couldn’t say that they didn’t know any better. That’s leads us to God’s third question: 5

Q#3 - ‘Are these not the words the LORD proclaimed through the earlier prophets when Jerusalem and its surrounding towns were at rest and prosperous, and the Negev and the western foothills were settled?’

Any Parks & Rec fans out there? What do you think Perd Hapley would say to this? - “The answer to that question, is yes!” ​

Yes! God’s people were warned again and again through the words of His prophets! They were constantly warned about the destruction that would come if they didn’t return to God. They were warned so much that... you could really build a case for God’s patience!

Remember what the prophet Joel said (2:13-14)? Listen to this… he said, ​ “Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave behind a blessing”

Jeremiah would prophesy the same message. Here’s one example from ​ 18:8: “If that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned.”

The prophet Jeremiah lived not long before God’s judgment finally came on His people; maybe about 100 years before and Zechariah.

When the Word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, God said that His people only ​ followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts. They went backward, ​ not forward. God says that “day after day, again and again I sent you my servants the prophets. But you didn’t listen or pay attention!” (Jeremiah 7:24-26)

So, God warned them over and over! In Zechariah 7:8-10, God asked them to “Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another.” He asked them to not “oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor.” He asked them to stop plotting evil against each other.

Yahweh God asked them to turn from their evil ways because He wanted them to return to Him. Did they listen? Nope! They chose to learn the hard way. 6

Listen to what Zechariah says in 7:11-14: “But they refused to pay attention; ​ stubbornly they turned their backs and covered their ears. 12 They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the LORD Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So the LORD Almighty was very angry.”

Zechariah 7:13-14 - “‘When I called, they did not listen; so when they called, I ​ would not listen,’ says the LORD Almighty. 14 ‘I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations, where they were strangers. The land they left behind them was so desolate that no one traveled through it. This is how they made the pleasant land desolate.”

Here’s another reason for a heart check: If we claim to be Christians, but we ​ consistently ignore God and His Word, why should we think God would answer our prayers? Granted, He might answer them anyway out of His ​ kindness... but still… if we’re not listening to God, then why should He listen to us?

It didn’t matter anymore for God’s people… they weren’t listening. So, God brought judgment on them for their unfaithfulness. Verse 14 says that He scattered them throughout all the nations. They were strangers in a strange land. Here’s something interesting…

God says that the land they left behind them was so desolate that no one traveled through it! Do you know how the land they left used to be described? ​

It was the Promised Land! It used to be described as Paradise! Within the first 5 ​ ​ books of the , it’s described 15 times as a land that was “flowing with milk and honey” (Examples: Exodus 3:8, Numbers 13:27)!

In other words, this was a land that God promised His people. If they lived in this land, they would want for nothing. God would provide them with everything they needed. That was a big deal because people back then lived day to day. They didn’t have a Sheetz just down the road if they were hungry. They depended on the land to produce food so that they could survive.

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But their sin ruined the land. It became a wasteland when Yahweh judged by unleashing the Babylonian army on them. Their Promised Land became known as a desolate and dangerous place. In fact, the language in Zechariah reminds me of Genesis 1 where it says:

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth ​ was formless and empty…” [in other words, it was a wasteland. It wasn’t ​ suitable for life]

So, I thought it was interesting. At one point this Promised Land was a paradise. But now, no one in their right mind would choose to travel through it.

The land itself is a vivid picture of ’s heart. Their hearts were a wasteland: evil, hard and empty.

But there’s good news!

Check out the next couple verses:

Zechariah 8:1-5 - The word of the LORD Almighty came to me. 2 This is what ​ the LORD Almighty says: “I am very jealous for ; I am burning with jealousy for her.” 3 This is what the LORD says: “I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the Faithful City, and the mountain of the LORD Almighty will be called the Holy Mountain.” 4 This is what the LORD Almighty says: “Once again men and women of ripe old age will sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each of them with cane in hand because of their age. 5 The city streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there.

There’s a lot of hope in this passage!

When God says that He is a jealous God for His people, He’s saying that He desires an exclusive relationship with His people. He wants them all to Himself! He doesn’t want them worshiping other gods or even themselves. He wants them to turn to Him.

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Then in verse 3 Yahweh gives a future hope. He says that He will return to Jerusalem [aka Zion] and live there! His people will be called faithful, and Jerusalem will once again be called a holy mountain.

And when that happens, the city of Jerusalem that was once in ruins will be a safe place. It will be a place that the elderly can enjoy as they watch children playing in the streets.

So, what was once a desolate and dangerous place would eventually ​ become a thriving city!

Listen to how verse 12 describes Jerusalem: “The seed will grow well, the vine will yield its fruit, the ground will produce its crops, and the heavens will drop their dew.” In other words: The land that Yahweh God gave His people would once again be known as the land flowing with milk and honey. And Yahweh would protect them...

Zechariah 8:7-8 says: This is what the LORD Almighty says: “I will save my ​ people from the countries of the east and the west. 8 I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem; they will be my people, and I will be faithful and righteous to ​ them as their God.”

God promised to keep His covenant with them intact. Yes, they had turned their backs on Him, but God always remains faithful to His promises. They’re getting the second chance they needed to turn from their evil ways.

Side Note: Every moment we get in this life is yet another chance for us to ​ return to God. God not only meets us where we are, but He is patient. He ​ ​ wants all of us to come to the saving knowledge of the truth.

So, the rest of Zechariah chapter 8 has Yahweh God encouraging His people to not only rebuild the Temple of the LORD, but to live their lives for Him.

Now drop down to verse 16… here’s what it says: “These are the things you ​ are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts; 17 do not plot evil against each other, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this,” declares the LORD.” 9

God is giving them the guidelines they need so that they can check their hearts. The most important thing to Him is that they would love Him with all their heart, all their soul, and with all their strength (Deuteronomy 6:5).

The same is true for us today. Jesus says that we’re to love Him with all of our ​ heart, all of our soul, all of our mind, and with all of our strength (Mark 12:30). We’re also to love our neighbors as we love ourselves (Mark 12:31, Leviticus 19:18). We’re supposed to love God and love others!

If we claim to be Christians, then our lives ought to show the ways in which we love God and love others.

The reality is that we cannot afford to have a ‘fake it till you make it’ approach to following Jesus. God knows our hearts. There is nothing hidden from God. He knows if we’re faking it. Jesus doesn’t want false followers. What Jesus cares most about is where your heart is.

So I have to ask: Do you have a heart that recognizes Jesus as the LORD of your life? Do you have a heart that seeks to know and serve Jesus? If not, then I echo the words of the prophets:

It’s time to return to Jesus. It’s time to meet God, again.

Maybe you’re struggling in your relationship with God right now? Maybe you and God don’t really have a relationship!? That’s okay. As I said before: God meets ​ you right where you are. Just be open and honest with Him. Tell Him that you ​ want to return to Him. Tell Him that you want to have a real relationship with Him.

And when you do, I want you to know that He will answer your prayer. James ​ ​ 4:8 says that when we come near to God, He will come near to us. Whether we need to learn the hard way or not:

When we return to Him, He will return to us.

God simply wants our believing loyalty. He’s a jealous God. It’s not enough to ​ ​ just have the head knowledge that He exists. Of course He exists! The real 10 question is: Who gets our loyalty? And then: How is our loyalty to Him ​ ​ expressed in the things that we do and the things that we say?

Our loyalty to Jesus ought to come out of our love for Him and His sacrifice for us. John 3:16 says that “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

God’s love for us is immeasurable. Therefore, as 1 John 4:19 says, “We love ​ because he first loved us.”

So, if you haven’t put your faith and trust in Jesus, I encourage you… don’t wait! Just talk to Him. Tell Him that you love Him. Tell Him that you want Him in your life.

Romans 10:9-13 says: For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, ​ and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

That’s the assurance we have in Jesus. Not only will we have eternal life with Him, but we are also adopted into His forever family. And whenever that happens, all of heaven celebrates! And, as the Church, so should we! (Luke 15:7,10)

Let’s Pray