When God Has Enough
Sermon
UNDER THE WINGS OF THE ALMIGHTY
Sermons For Pentecost (Last Third) Cycle A First Lesson Texts
There was no doubt in Zephaniah's mind that God had had enough. His people bowed down to other gods and no longer turned to the Lord in prayer nor did they seek his help. They blindly walked their own selfish and greedy path and in their arrogance thought God would sit quietly by and do nothing. They were wrong! "Listen, the cry on the day of the Lord will be bitter… that day will be a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish… (Zephaniah 1:14-15)." Our Lord Jesus in similar fashion spoke to the world of his day, "I did not come to bring peace but a sword (Matthew 10:34)."
Christians are frequently shocked when they come across biblical passages which suggest that God has had enough. We prefer to remember that we are blessed of God and forgiven of our sins. We remind ourselves that we have been given the fruits of the Spirit -- love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23) and that Jesus said, "Peace I give to you (John 14:2)."
We have trouble accepting the paradox that we live in faith and yet in sin, that we are children of the kingdom of God and yet citizens of this world. The New Testament tells us that the ruler of this present darkness is Satan. Whether we use the name Beelzebub, Lucifer, the Devil, Force of Evil or some other designation, the truth remains that the world in which we live is under an evil power. It is broken, shattered and corrupt.
The truth is we do not have to be convinced of the brokenness of our world, do we? We experience it in our own lives every day. We are like the Indian who was laying on the ground with his ear close to the earth. A cowboy came along and saw him. When he heard the Indian muttering, he moved closer to see if he could hear what he was saying. The Indian grumbled, "Stagecoach headed west; four horses -- three gray, one white; two drivers; four passengers, three men, one woman." The cowboy in astonishment asked, "My goodness, you mean you can tell all of that from listening to the ground?'' ‘‘No," said the Indian, "Stagecoach ran over me 30 minutes ago." We know what it's like for the four horses and the stagecoach of life to run over us and leave us face down in the dust.
If a few moments pass when we are not overwhelmed by the brokenness of life in our personal experiences, we read about it in the experiences of others. A few years ago we all saw the incredibly shocking videotape that was distributed by the media throughout the world. It was a tape made by a group of terrorists who held an American officer as a hostage. In order to make their point, they hanged him, videotaped his death and sent it to the world to see. Surely it is a broken and violent world in which we live.
In the city of Atlanta a young woman, obviously out of her mind, killed her two children and threw herself in front of the rapid transit train to commit suicide. I read not long ago about a father who deliberately drove the family car into the lake in an attempt to kill them all. Miraculously, all but an eight-year-old boy survived. The broken nature of our world is profoundly clear.
Zephaniah is telling us in the text for today that God will not make peace with a broken world. He will not make peace with evil. Jesus supported the words of Zephaniah by saying, "I came not to bring peace but a sword (Matthew 10:34)." The sword of which he speaks is the sword of the Spirit. What is the sword of the Spirit? It is the Word of God which conveys his grace, power and righteous will.
We must understand that Jesus did not come to this broken world to destroy it, but to redeem, conquer, transform and change the world for the glory of his father in heaven. We do not always believe that we need to be changed. We oftentimes resist change even though it is for our own good.
If you were to take a trip to Enterprise, Alabama, and ride through the town square, you would see a most unusual monument. The people of Enterprise have erected a monument to the boll weevil. The story behind the monument suggests that in 1915 the boll weevil totally destroyed the cotton crop in Coffey County, Alabama. Cotton was the only crop grown in the entire county and everyone in it was economically devastated. The people decided this would never happen again and began to diversify and plant other crops. Soon they discovered that by diversifying they had a stronger, healthier, more stable economy and were far better off. As a result, they dedicated a monument to the boll weevil and thanked God for the little creature of destruction for if it had not come, they would have never changed.
We are in some respects like those people. We struggle along our narrow path not realizing the need for change. Thank God Jesus Christ has come to change us and show us a new and better way of life. That new and better life begins when we hear the words of Zephaniah and repent, and when we hear our Lord Jesus Christ calling us to take up the cross and follow him.
The truth is we need someone to follow in our world today. There is no real leader to whom we can turn. I saw a bumper sticker recently that read, "Don't follow me, I'm lost too." Everyone appears to be following everyone else and no one seems to know where anyone is going. There is a significant absence of leadership. We turn to the politicians and feel deceived. We turn to the religious leaders and feel betrayed. We turn to the scientists and find that they can lead us no further than the limits of the physical world. We turn to the economists and find that the poor are getting poorer. There is a vacuum of leadership in the world today and the church is doing little more than standing by as a passive observer.
The time has come for the church to step into the vacuum, not to lift up self but to lift up Christ the Savior of the world. The only one who can lead us is the Lord Jesus Christ. Did he not say, "I am the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6)?" Jesus Christ knows where he is going and knows how to lead the way. Take up your cross and follow him.
Phillips Brooks was one of the best-known pastors of the last century. We perhaps know him best as the man who wrote the Christmas carol, "O Little Town of Bethlehem." The story is told that when Phillips Brooks came to the end of life, he was gravely ill and could not receive visitors. Many of his dearest friends came to his home but were not given admittance because he was simply too ill to see them. Among those who came, however, was a man named Robert Ingersoll. Ingersoll was the best-known atheist of his day and yet he and Phillips Brooks were close friends. When he came, to his surprise, he was immediately shown into the sick room. "Phillips, I know so many of your other friends were not given audience. Why are you willing to see me?" Phillips Brooks replied, "My dear friend Robert, I will see most of my other friends in the life to come but it occurred to me this might be my last opportunity to speak to you." Phillips Brooks knew where he was going. Long ago he had taken up the cross to follow Christ.
As we take up our cross to embark on our journey, we need to understand that it begins in worship where we dedicate our lives anew in his presence.
In 1620 the Pilgrims gathered to climb aboard the Mayflower and set sail for a new world. They gathered for a final service of worship with their pastor, John Robinson. On that momentous occasion he spoke to them with heartfelt emotion. "My friends, this is a most important service of worship for before we gather again we will have embarked on a dangerous and strange journey." He paused for a moment and then concluded, "Every time we gather for worship is important because, and who knows, between the time we gather here and the time we will gather again, who among us will have embarked on some new and glorious journey."
Every time we gather for worship we gather in the knowledge that perhaps before we gather again someone known to us, some dear friend or loved one, will have embarked on a new and glorious journey. Every time we come for worship, let us renew our commitment for the journey with Christ and take up our cross and follow him.
Two thousand years ago Jesus issued a warning to the broken and sinful world. "I did not come to bring peace but a sword (Matthew 10:34)." Hundreds of years before Christ, Zephaniah warned the people that "the day of the Lord would be bitter (Zephaniah 1:14)."
As we struggle with the brokenness of this world, let us remember that war and bitterness are never the last words in the life of one who loves God and trusts in Christ Jesus. Zephaniah concluded his work with the thought, "On that day they will say to Jerusalem, do not fear, oh Zion, do not let your hands hang limp. The Lord your God is with you. He is mighty to save you. He will take great delight in you. He will quiet you with his love. He will rejoice over you with singing (Zephaniah 3:16-17)."
Our Lord Jesus Christ said to his followers, "Come to me all ye who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29)." There is no doubt that Zephaniah, those many years ago, was right. God had had enough. He had had enough of watching the brokenness and pain of his people. In due time, according to his will, he sent his son to set us free. Believe in him and the peace that passes all understanding. Amen.
Christians are frequently shocked when they come across biblical passages which suggest that God has had enough. We prefer to remember that we are blessed of God and forgiven of our sins. We remind ourselves that we have been given the fruits of the Spirit -- love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23) and that Jesus said, "Peace I give to you (John 14:2)."
We have trouble accepting the paradox that we live in faith and yet in sin, that we are children of the kingdom of God and yet citizens of this world. The New Testament tells us that the ruler of this present darkness is Satan. Whether we use the name Beelzebub, Lucifer, the Devil, Force of Evil or some other designation, the truth remains that the world in which we live is under an evil power. It is broken, shattered and corrupt.
The truth is we do not have to be convinced of the brokenness of our world, do we? We experience it in our own lives every day. We are like the Indian who was laying on the ground with his ear close to the earth. A cowboy came along and saw him. When he heard the Indian muttering, he moved closer to see if he could hear what he was saying. The Indian grumbled, "Stagecoach headed west; four horses -- three gray, one white; two drivers; four passengers, three men, one woman." The cowboy in astonishment asked, "My goodness, you mean you can tell all of that from listening to the ground?'' ‘‘No," said the Indian, "Stagecoach ran over me 30 minutes ago." We know what it's like for the four horses and the stagecoach of life to run over us and leave us face down in the dust.
If a few moments pass when we are not overwhelmed by the brokenness of life in our personal experiences, we read about it in the experiences of others. A few years ago we all saw the incredibly shocking videotape that was distributed by the media throughout the world. It was a tape made by a group of terrorists who held an American officer as a hostage. In order to make their point, they hanged him, videotaped his death and sent it to the world to see. Surely it is a broken and violent world in which we live.
In the city of Atlanta a young woman, obviously out of her mind, killed her two children and threw herself in front of the rapid transit train to commit suicide. I read not long ago about a father who deliberately drove the family car into the lake in an attempt to kill them all. Miraculously, all but an eight-year-old boy survived. The broken nature of our world is profoundly clear.
Zephaniah is telling us in the text for today that God will not make peace with a broken world. He will not make peace with evil. Jesus supported the words of Zephaniah by saying, "I came not to bring peace but a sword (Matthew 10:34)." The sword of which he speaks is the sword of the Spirit. What is the sword of the Spirit? It is the Word of God which conveys his grace, power and righteous will.
We must understand that Jesus did not come to this broken world to destroy it, but to redeem, conquer, transform and change the world for the glory of his father in heaven. We do not always believe that we need to be changed. We oftentimes resist change even though it is for our own good.
If you were to take a trip to Enterprise, Alabama, and ride through the town square, you would see a most unusual monument. The people of Enterprise have erected a monument to the boll weevil. The story behind the monument suggests that in 1915 the boll weevil totally destroyed the cotton crop in Coffey County, Alabama. Cotton was the only crop grown in the entire county and everyone in it was economically devastated. The people decided this would never happen again and began to diversify and plant other crops. Soon they discovered that by diversifying they had a stronger, healthier, more stable economy and were far better off. As a result, they dedicated a monument to the boll weevil and thanked God for the little creature of destruction for if it had not come, they would have never changed.
We are in some respects like those people. We struggle along our narrow path not realizing the need for change. Thank God Jesus Christ has come to change us and show us a new and better way of life. That new and better life begins when we hear the words of Zephaniah and repent, and when we hear our Lord Jesus Christ calling us to take up the cross and follow him.
The truth is we need someone to follow in our world today. There is no real leader to whom we can turn. I saw a bumper sticker recently that read, "Don't follow me, I'm lost too." Everyone appears to be following everyone else and no one seems to know where anyone is going. There is a significant absence of leadership. We turn to the politicians and feel deceived. We turn to the religious leaders and feel betrayed. We turn to the scientists and find that they can lead us no further than the limits of the physical world. We turn to the economists and find that the poor are getting poorer. There is a vacuum of leadership in the world today and the church is doing little more than standing by as a passive observer.
The time has come for the church to step into the vacuum, not to lift up self but to lift up Christ the Savior of the world. The only one who can lead us is the Lord Jesus Christ. Did he not say, "I am the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6)?" Jesus Christ knows where he is going and knows how to lead the way. Take up your cross and follow him.
Phillips Brooks was one of the best-known pastors of the last century. We perhaps know him best as the man who wrote the Christmas carol, "O Little Town of Bethlehem." The story is told that when Phillips Brooks came to the end of life, he was gravely ill and could not receive visitors. Many of his dearest friends came to his home but were not given admittance because he was simply too ill to see them. Among those who came, however, was a man named Robert Ingersoll. Ingersoll was the best-known atheist of his day and yet he and Phillips Brooks were close friends. When he came, to his surprise, he was immediately shown into the sick room. "Phillips, I know so many of your other friends were not given audience. Why are you willing to see me?" Phillips Brooks replied, "My dear friend Robert, I will see most of my other friends in the life to come but it occurred to me this might be my last opportunity to speak to you." Phillips Brooks knew where he was going. Long ago he had taken up the cross to follow Christ.
As we take up our cross to embark on our journey, we need to understand that it begins in worship where we dedicate our lives anew in his presence.
In 1620 the Pilgrims gathered to climb aboard the Mayflower and set sail for a new world. They gathered for a final service of worship with their pastor, John Robinson. On that momentous occasion he spoke to them with heartfelt emotion. "My friends, this is a most important service of worship for before we gather again we will have embarked on a dangerous and strange journey." He paused for a moment and then concluded, "Every time we gather for worship is important because, and who knows, between the time we gather here and the time we will gather again, who among us will have embarked on some new and glorious journey."
Every time we gather for worship we gather in the knowledge that perhaps before we gather again someone known to us, some dear friend or loved one, will have embarked on a new and glorious journey. Every time we come for worship, let us renew our commitment for the journey with Christ and take up our cross and follow him.
Two thousand years ago Jesus issued a warning to the broken and sinful world. "I did not come to bring peace but a sword (Matthew 10:34)." Hundreds of years before Christ, Zephaniah warned the people that "the day of the Lord would be bitter (Zephaniah 1:14)."
As we struggle with the brokenness of this world, let us remember that war and bitterness are never the last words in the life of one who loves God and trusts in Christ Jesus. Zephaniah concluded his work with the thought, "On that day they will say to Jerusalem, do not fear, oh Zion, do not let your hands hang limp. The Lord your God is with you. He is mighty to save you. He will take great delight in you. He will quiet you with his love. He will rejoice over you with singing (Zephaniah 3:16-17)."
Our Lord Jesus Christ said to his followers, "Come to me all ye who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29)." There is no doubt that Zephaniah, those many years ago, was right. God had had enough. He had had enough of watching the brokenness and pain of his people. In due time, according to his will, he sent his son to set us free. Believe in him and the peace that passes all understanding. Amen.
