Temple Baptist Church - 7-5-2020
Zephaniah 3:1-8
Introduction: The 4th of July; the Declaration of Independence; Freedom!
Free-dom – a contraction for “free” and “dom” or “doom.” To have the freedom to choose one’s death or one’s doom. Freedom to choose your doom or death but not freedom to control it.
America’s freedom is one of choice and I fear that, in many cases the freedom to choose will bring either doom or death to our nation. In Zephaniah, we have a classic example of choosing and choosing wrong.
A. This year has been one of great change and those changes have not been good ones.
1. Our economy was running on “High Test.”
2. People had money in their pockets and home in the future.
3. Then, in a couple of months, the COVID-19 Hoax. Now, before you get mad at me for making that statement, let me explain.
a. Our nation has been faced with war, depression, sickness, etc. many times in my lifetime and survived each one because of our great American spirit.
b. COVID-19 should have been no different! Wash your hands, quarantine the Nursing Homes and Retirement Centers, stay at home if you get sick, and do not cough on me!
c. CDC decided to scare the nation and, with the help of our 24 hour “no news media,” did a great job and the people panicked.
B. The Stock Market began to tumble, people began to get laid off as businesses were forced to close, schools closed, unemployment—which had been at a historic low—rose to historic highs, Government overreach caused people to hide in their homes and criticize those who did not, “Rat Phone Lines” came into existence, all categorized as non-essential services were closed (churches were the first on the list and readily complied), and now the far left is trying to keep America in distress until the November elections are over with.
C. A man was killed. It was a shame and justice needed to be done. Justice was in the process of being done, but protests turned to riots and riots to burning and looting causing heightened racial division. The police became the enemy, and many were killed and many more injured. What is said to be protest, which is an American right, turned into anarchy and lawlessness.
D. Anarchy is now ruling in many of these Democratic run cities with a “Neo-Nazi” like youth corps taking over parts of cities with no fear of reprisal. Monuments defaced and destroyed. A nation that has no history has no future because history will then repeat itself and become the face of the future.
E. We are watching as our Country is going from:
1. God to Atheism
2. Pride to Shame
3. Morality to Perversion
4. Prayer to Apostasy
5. Strength to Apologies
6. Humility to Arrogancy
7. Structure to Anarchy
8. Law to Lawlessness
9. Capitalism to Socialism
10. Prosperous to Bankruptcy
F. The Interpretation of our Scriptures this morning are to the nation of Israel. Zephaniah deals with the coming of the Day of the Lord and the end time.
G. Application is to any nation. There have been many great nations that have come to power and then, through moral decay have declined to annihilation.
1. Egypt (rose to its zenith of power under Joseph)
2. Israel (the greatest nation and most feared upon the face of the earth to dispersion)
3. Babylon (from Nebuchadnezzar to Belshazzar)
4. Medio Persia (From Cyrus the anointed to oblivion)
5. Greece (Alexander the Great and no more worlds to conquer at age 30)
6. Rome (the great Caesars, armies, and roads to internal decay)
7. Spain (the great explorers and Spanish Armada to mediocrity)
8. England (great military and missions’ outreach to total apostasy)
9. America (In God We Trust to In Government We Mistrust)
1. Our Nation Is Sinful - vs 1 “filthy and polluted”
a. Lack of integrity among the people
b. Immorality and Sexual Perversion
c. God haters and Baby killers
2. Our Nation Is Disobedient - vs 2a “obeyed not the voice”
a. She Both Had and Knew God’s Word
b. She Willfully Rejected God’s Word
3. Our Nation Is Stiff-Necked - vs 2 “received not correction”
a. She Rejected the Message From God’s Men
b. She Rejected the signs of Impending Destruction
4. Our Nation Has Become Self-Reliant - vs 2 “she trusted not the Lord”
a. She Forgot From Whence Her Blessings Came
b. She Became Proud In Her Accomplishments
5. Our Nation Has Willfully Rejected God - vs 2 “she drew not near to her God”
a. In our Government
b. In Our Schools
c. In Our Homes
6. Our Nation Has Become Politically Corrupt - vs 3 “roaring lions...evening wolves”
a. From Government by the people and for the people to Anarchy
b. From Statesmen to Politicians
c. From Trust to Distrust
7. Our Nation Has Become Religiously Apostate - vs 4 “prophets...light and treacherous...priests...polluted the sanctuary...done violence to the law”
a. Our Pulpits are Shallow
b. Our Pews are Sinful (we embrace sin and compromise)
8. Our Nation Is Shameless - vs 5 “knoweth no shame”
a. Sinners are Justified
b. Sin Is Acceptable
9. Our Nation And Her End - vs 8 “mine indignation...my fierce anger”
10. Our Nation and Her Salvation - vs 2:1-3
a. Seek The Lord - vs 3a Seek ye the LORD
b. Seek Righteousness - vs 3b all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment;
c. Seek Meekness - vs 3c seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD's anger.
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