WEBVTT 00:00:00.430 --> 00:00:03.589 We continue our sermon series Elpis, which is 00:00:03.589 --> 00:00:07.009 a Greek word for hope, finding hope in Advent. 00:00:07.169 --> 00:00:10.789 And we find ourselves in a familiar place now, 00:00:10.869 --> 00:00:13.830 this third week of Advent, in the book of Zephaniah. 00:00:13.910 --> 00:00:16.269 If you remember in this past year, we were in 00:00:16.269 --> 00:00:18.429 a sermon series where we covered the entirety 00:00:18.429 --> 00:00:22.039 of that minor... prophet Zephaniah or Zephi as 00:00:22.039 --> 00:00:25.420 I called him then and will call him today where 00:00:25.420 --> 00:00:28.660 Zephaniah brings us a surprise this morning and 00:00:28.660 --> 00:00:31.460 again only the Holy Spirit can tie this all together 00:00:31.460 --> 00:00:34.939 having us sing for the offertory hark the herald 00:00:34.939 --> 00:00:38.380 angels sing that is the surprise that Zephaniah 00:00:38.380 --> 00:00:41.189 brings us into Because if you read the book of 00:00:41.189 --> 00:00:44.009 Zephaniah, and if you do it this afternoon, it 00:00:44.009 --> 00:00:47.469 may take you through halftime of the Bears game, 00:00:47.609 --> 00:00:49.490 right? Hopefully in a positive way as you lead 00:00:49.490 --> 00:00:51.850 into that. But by halftime, you should be done 00:00:51.850 --> 00:00:55.439 with it. It's a small book. But singing... Is 00:00:55.439 --> 00:00:58.299 that surprise? Zephaniah brings a judgment. He 00:00:58.299 --> 00:01:01.439 brings warning. He talks about justice. Zephaniah, 00:01:01.479 --> 00:01:02.719 as we talked about, it's almost like a little 00:01:02.719 --> 00:01:06.260 mini book of Revelation there, that gem in the 00:01:06.260 --> 00:01:08.340 minor prophets of the Old Testament, a world 00:01:08.340 --> 00:01:14.019 shaken because of sin. But like the dawn breaking 00:01:14.019 --> 00:01:19.180 through that last hour of night, Zephaniah ends 00:01:19.180 --> 00:01:23.260 with an unexpected sound. He ends with singing. 00:01:24.080 --> 00:01:27.420 A beautiful kind of understanding, regardless 00:01:27.420 --> 00:01:30.599 of how well you can sing or you think you can 00:01:30.599 --> 00:01:33.200 sing. Again, it's a joyful noise to the Lord. 00:01:33.239 --> 00:01:35.439 And that is where Zephaniah is going to bring 00:01:35.439 --> 00:01:38.340 us. And I think it's appropriate today that that's 00:01:38.340 --> 00:01:40.920 what the sermon, in a lot of ways, is going to 00:01:40.920 --> 00:01:43.140 be done through our kids. They're going to sing 00:01:43.140 --> 00:01:46.000 the sermon over us, along with their different 00:01:46.000 --> 00:01:49.659 speaking parts. Because the thing that we need 00:01:49.659 --> 00:01:51.900 to understand this morning, as we've looked at 00:01:51.900 --> 00:01:54.159 this understanding of hope for the last couple 00:01:54.159 --> 00:01:58.180 weeks, is that God is a God who restores. And 00:01:58.180 --> 00:02:01.180 when something needs restoration, that usually 00:02:01.180 --> 00:02:05.739 means something's been broken down, in need of 00:02:05.739 --> 00:02:07.799 fixing. I know we have some people that have 00:02:07.799 --> 00:02:11.819 restored cars or other pieces of machinery in 00:02:11.819 --> 00:02:14.759 their life, and it's because a change is needed. 00:02:15.449 --> 00:02:18.650 What Zephaniah is telling the people and us today 00:02:18.650 --> 00:02:21.889 is when we are broken down, when as a people 00:02:21.889 --> 00:02:25.490 we are wrought with sin or judgment, that restoration 00:02:25.490 --> 00:02:28.729 is needed. And that's where we find the hope 00:02:28.729 --> 00:02:32.250 that the Messiah isn't going to just refine us, 00:02:32.330 --> 00:02:35.270 as we talked about last week. He's also going 00:02:35.270 --> 00:02:38.129 to restore us. And that's where hope is important. 00:02:38.469 --> 00:02:42.990 Hope is not only something God gives. But hope 00:02:42.990 --> 00:02:47.669 is something that God sings over his people. 00:02:48.150 --> 00:02:50.729 And today our kids are going to do that. So let's 00:02:50.729 --> 00:02:53.289 jump in to Zephaniah chapter 3. We're going to 00:02:53.289 --> 00:02:57.830 be first in verses 14 and 15. And I entitled 00:02:57.830 --> 00:03:01.229 this section, Hope from the Past. God restores 00:03:01.229 --> 00:03:04.110 the remnant. To me, one of the most important 00:03:04.110 --> 00:03:07.770 words in all of scripture is that word remnant. 00:03:08.460 --> 00:03:10.180 We're not going to dive into it too much today, 00:03:10.259 --> 00:03:12.759 but go back to the sermon series on Zephaniah. 00:03:12.879 --> 00:03:15.539 We talk about it a lot, starting with verse 14. 00:03:15.860 --> 00:03:19.699 Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion. Shout, O Israel. 00:03:20.000 --> 00:03:23.580 Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter 00:03:23.580 --> 00:03:26.759 of Jerusalem. The Lord has taken away the judgments 00:03:26.759 --> 00:03:29.479 against you. He has cleared away your enemies. 00:03:30.180 --> 00:03:33.419 The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst. 00:03:33.659 --> 00:03:39.219 You shall never again fear evil. I love how Zephaniah 00:03:39.219 --> 00:03:43.219 starts that. Sing aloud and rejoice. The Lord 00:03:43.219 --> 00:03:47.000 has taken away the judgments against you. When 00:03:47.000 --> 00:03:49.319 are some times, and if you're new to Munster 00:03:49.319 --> 00:03:51.199 Church, I do like to engage a little bit. We 00:03:51.199 --> 00:03:53.580 ask questions, get some responses. I never know 00:03:53.580 --> 00:03:55.400 what you guys are going to say. I don't plant 00:03:55.400 --> 00:03:59.340 people to answer certain ways. But when in times 00:03:59.340 --> 00:04:02.180 do we sing in life? When are just some times 00:04:02.180 --> 00:04:04.580 in your life, you know, in a normal day to day, 00:04:04.620 --> 00:04:07.860 when do you find yourself singing? Let's just 00:04:07.860 --> 00:04:09.939 get the shower and in the car out of there, right? 00:04:10.039 --> 00:04:12.080 Like we do that, that's totally fine. We don't 00:04:12.080 --> 00:04:13.580 need to talk about that. It has nothing to do 00:04:13.580 --> 00:04:15.719 with my sermon, okay? But what else do we do? 00:04:16.199 --> 00:04:18.860 Happy birthday, absolutely, happy birthday. Whether 00:04:18.860 --> 00:04:22.379 perfect harmonies or absolutely tone deaf, we 00:04:22.379 --> 00:04:25.220 sing it and we love it, right? When else do we 00:04:25.220 --> 00:04:30.459 sing? Wow, we need to sing more as a church then, 00:04:30.579 --> 00:04:33.180 right? If it's just happy birthday, wow. When? 00:04:35.460 --> 00:04:37.660 Weddings and funerals. Well, that took a turn. 00:04:37.740 --> 00:04:41.740 Okay, very good. Yeah, so weddings. Yeah, invite 00:04:41.740 --> 00:04:44.040 Mike to your wedding if you want someone to sing, 00:04:44.139 --> 00:04:46.819 right? The rest of you might not, but he will. 00:04:47.160 --> 00:04:49.920 So that's exciting. We sing weddings. We do sing, 00:04:50.000 --> 00:04:51.939 right, worship services or funeral services. 00:04:52.420 --> 00:04:56.810 Absolutely. What else do we sing? Yeah. Along 00:04:56.810 --> 00:04:59.189 with the radio, absolutely, yeah, or at least 00:04:59.189 --> 00:05:02.149 we try, right? We sing our songs, all of that. 00:05:02.329 --> 00:05:05.230 I'm at an age now where my boys don't appreciate 00:05:05.230 --> 00:05:08.990 that when I sing in the car. They wish I didn't, 00:05:08.990 --> 00:05:11.870 but I will still do it and just give them AirPods 00:05:11.870 --> 00:05:18.490 or headphones. What else do we sing? What? Sports 00:05:18.490 --> 00:05:21.149 events, we all know that hopefully in about four 00:05:21.149 --> 00:05:23.629 and a half, five hours, we're all going to sing 00:05:23.629 --> 00:05:30.149 Bear Down, Chicago Bears, right? Okay, wow. Wake 00:05:30.149 --> 00:05:33.589 up, all right? Gosh. So sports events, definitely, 00:05:33.829 --> 00:05:36.569 right? Definitely. IU fans, definitely singing 00:05:36.569 --> 00:05:39.269 the IU fight song as of late. No one cares. But 00:05:39.269 --> 00:05:45.279 understand, when else do we sing in life? I heard 00:05:45.279 --> 00:05:50.079 pregnant. No, I don't think that's it. Christmas. 00:05:50.240 --> 00:05:56.240 I heard prison. Let's just move on. God says, 00:05:56.480 --> 00:05:58.759 and he sings over us, whether you're in prison 00:05:58.759 --> 00:06:02.220 or pregnant, I have removed your shame. I have 00:06:02.220 --> 00:06:05.740 taken away your enemies. I am in your midst. 00:06:06.220 --> 00:06:09.149 And that... That intentionality is something 00:06:09.149 --> 00:06:11.750 we should sing about because we sing normally 00:06:11.750 --> 00:06:14.370 when we're happy. We sing normally when things 00:06:14.370 --> 00:06:17.910 are going well. That was a huge thing back when 00:06:17.910 --> 00:06:20.930 Zephaniah was prophesying and in the days of 00:06:20.930 --> 00:06:23.569 Elijah, in the days of Jesus, that that was a 00:06:23.569 --> 00:06:27.639 big thing when the nations... conquered other 00:06:27.639 --> 00:06:31.040 people. They sang when they were in seasons of 00:06:31.040 --> 00:06:34.339 feast. They sang a lot of music and everything 00:06:34.339 --> 00:06:38.379 was huge. This is covenant language. A God staying 00:06:38.379 --> 00:06:41.379 faithful, even when his people were not faithful 00:06:41.379 --> 00:06:45.579 to him, is something worth singing. Now, I don't 00:06:45.579 --> 00:06:48.459 know anybody that sings. Lord's Day one of the 00:06:48.459 --> 00:06:50.480 Heidelberg Catechism. That'd be great if someone 00:06:50.480 --> 00:06:52.839 could make a song on that. I'd sing it. But I 00:06:52.839 --> 00:06:56.100 belong, right? It says, I belong body and soul 00:06:56.100 --> 00:07:00.000 to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. I don't 00:07:00.000 --> 00:07:02.000 know about you, but that's worthy of note. That's 00:07:02.000 --> 00:07:03.720 more important than any of the other reasons 00:07:03.720 --> 00:07:08.100 we sing, is that we belong to Christ. So past 00:07:08.100 --> 00:07:10.259 hope, what Zephaniah is getting us to understand 00:07:10.259 --> 00:07:13.680 is, and singing over us, your story, my story, 00:07:13.740 --> 00:07:18.060 does not end in judgment. Though we are unfaithful, 00:07:18.060 --> 00:07:22.139 it doesn't end in judgment. When we repent, when 00:07:22.139 --> 00:07:25.600 we confess and we turn, it ends, our story ends 00:07:25.600 --> 00:07:29.540 with mercy. And that is something worth singing 00:07:29.540 --> 00:07:32.819 because God sings over us then, God sings over 00:07:32.819 --> 00:07:36.639 us now in verse 17. That God sings over you and 00:07:36.639 --> 00:07:39.720 me, the Lord your God is in your midst. A mighty 00:07:39.720 --> 00:07:43.000 one who will save. He will rejoice over you with 00:07:43.000 --> 00:07:46.949 gladness. He will quiet you by his love. He will 00:07:46.949 --> 00:07:52.449 exalt over you with loud singing. I think another 00:07:52.449 --> 00:07:55.250 thing worth singing about in life is that God 00:07:55.250 --> 00:07:58.829 is in our midst. Yet we could take that thought, 00:07:58.930 --> 00:08:01.670 I could ask ten of you, what do you feel like 00:08:01.670 --> 00:08:03.629 knowing that God is in your midst? And I'm sure 00:08:03.629 --> 00:08:06.350 it will be a mix of emotions. Some will take 00:08:06.350 --> 00:08:09.329 it as relief. Oh, God sees me. He's in the midst 00:08:09.329 --> 00:08:12.850 of the junk that I'm into. Some may look at that 00:08:12.850 --> 00:08:17.050 with nervousness, like, God's where? God's everywhere? 00:08:17.389 --> 00:08:20.350 He knows every nook and cranny. Like, that could 00:08:20.350 --> 00:08:24.709 bring some nerves, some anxiety. Or maybe, just 00:08:24.709 --> 00:08:27.149 maybe, it's an understanding of how small we 00:08:27.149 --> 00:08:30.029 are to how big God is, that God is in our midst. 00:08:30.610 --> 00:08:32.909 He will quiet you by his love. He will exalt 00:08:32.909 --> 00:08:35.669 over you with singing. I don't know about you, 00:08:35.730 --> 00:08:38.210 but this may be one of the most tender verses 00:08:38.210 --> 00:08:42.779 in all of Scripture. That not only is God with 00:08:42.779 --> 00:08:51.279 his people, but God delights in his people. Because 00:08:51.279 --> 00:08:52.840 I don't know about you, I look back at my week 00:08:52.840 --> 00:08:55.340 and go, I have done things that I should cry 00:08:55.340 --> 00:08:59.879 out like that kid did. Right? That we've done 00:08:59.879 --> 00:09:02.159 things that we know God does not delight in. 00:09:03.779 --> 00:09:06.360 Yet he makes that way for us to come back to 00:09:06.360 --> 00:09:09.970 him. to sit in his presence, to confess our sin. 00:09:10.110 --> 00:09:13.809 Why? Because he is faithful and just, will forgive 00:09:13.809 --> 00:09:17.389 us our sins, cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 00:09:17.389 --> 00:09:22.029 He delights in his people. So not only does he 00:09:22.029 --> 00:09:26.250 forgive your sin, my sin, he rejoices over your 00:09:26.250 --> 00:09:32.129 restoration. And even those of us, like me, that 00:09:32.129 --> 00:09:34.090 have been restored, it seems like on a daily 00:09:34.090 --> 00:09:37.440 basis at times. I just can't get it right. I 00:09:37.440 --> 00:09:44.659 keep stepping in it. I keep falling in it. Not 00:09:44.659 --> 00:09:48.559 only does God lift up my shame, God sings louder 00:09:48.559 --> 00:09:54.580 over my shame. That God sings over our shame 00:09:54.580 --> 00:09:58.120 when we come to him with true repentance. He 00:09:58.120 --> 00:10:03.179 sings over our shame. Right? He renews us. And 00:10:03.179 --> 00:10:06.690 that is what God is doing right now. In this 00:10:06.690 --> 00:10:11.570 present season of life, when we come to God, 00:10:11.730 --> 00:10:15.429 he receives us, he forgives us, and he sings 00:10:15.429 --> 00:10:18.809 over us. And as the psalmist writes, he remembers 00:10:18.809 --> 00:10:24.169 your sins no more. But maybe you haven't made 00:10:24.169 --> 00:10:28.370 it to that point yet. Maybe there's so much anxiety 00:10:28.370 --> 00:10:32.090 coming before the God of all that you just can't 00:10:32.090 --> 00:10:36.299 get a word out. Then ask him to quiet your anxious 00:10:36.299 --> 00:10:41.659 heart, to surround you with his love. He is singing 00:10:41.659 --> 00:10:45.399 a melody of hope over your exhaustion, hope over 00:10:45.399 --> 00:10:48.639 your disappointments, and hope over your fear, 00:10:48.840 --> 00:10:52.960 whatever it is. Present hope means you are not 00:10:52.960 --> 00:10:56.379 forgotten, you are not abandoned, nor will you 00:10:56.379 --> 00:11:00.720 ever be overlooked by your heavenly father. God 00:11:00.720 --> 00:11:07.159 is rejoicing over you. Right now. Even if you 00:11:07.159 --> 00:11:10.120 feel yourself that big and not worthy of God's 00:11:10.120 --> 00:11:13.299 presence. Here's the thing, friend. You don't 00:11:13.299 --> 00:11:18.559 get to dictate God's presence. Thanks be to God. 00:11:19.279 --> 00:11:22.700 Hope for the future. That we are a gathered, 00:11:22.840 --> 00:11:28.379 healed, rejoicing people. Verse 18. I will gather 00:11:28.379 --> 00:11:31.299 those of you who mourn for the festival. so that 00:11:31.299 --> 00:11:34.779 you will no longer suffer reproach. Behold, at 00:11:34.779 --> 00:11:37.220 that time I will deal with all your oppressors. 00:11:37.259 --> 00:11:40.200 I will save the lame and gather the outcast. 00:11:40.779 --> 00:11:43.679 I will change their shame into praise and renown 00:11:43.679 --> 00:11:47.600 in all the earth. At that time I will bring you 00:11:47.600 --> 00:11:51.460 in. At the time when I gather you together, for 00:11:51.460 --> 00:11:54.600 I will make you renowned and praised among all 00:11:54.600 --> 00:11:57.080 the peoples of the earth. When I restore your 00:11:57.080 --> 00:12:01.529 fortunes before your eyes, says the Lord. Friends, 00:12:01.610 --> 00:12:07.370 Zephaniah ends with God's promise for the future. 00:12:07.750 --> 00:12:12.049 I will deal with all your oppressors. I will 00:12:12.049 --> 00:12:15.570 save the lame. I will gather the outcasts. I 00:12:15.570 --> 00:12:18.950 will change their shame into praise. And one 00:12:18.950 --> 00:12:23.450 of the coolest promises we get in this life, 00:12:23.710 --> 00:12:30.700 I will bring you home. This is the heart of the 00:12:30.700 --> 00:12:35.580 gospel, and this is the heart of Advent. God 00:12:35.580 --> 00:12:41.000 will always finish what he started, even when 00:12:41.000 --> 00:12:45.980 we don't. The Messiah brings a future where grief 00:12:45.980 --> 00:12:50.899 becomes gladness, shame becomes honor, scattering 00:12:50.899 --> 00:12:56.259 becomes gathering, wounds become healing, and 00:12:56.259 --> 00:13:02.210 exile out there. Becomes home. In here. This 00:13:02.210 --> 00:13:05.269 is our hope. For the second coming. This is Jesus. 00:13:05.330 --> 00:13:12.009 Our hope. Will restore all things. Unto himself. 00:13:13.490 --> 00:13:17.169 So I don't know about you. But those are promises 00:13:17.169 --> 00:13:20.250 that we can take to the bank, and those are the 00:13:20.250 --> 00:13:24.370 promises that we can rejoice over, even in those 00:13:24.370 --> 00:13:27.029 sleepless nights, even when that relationship 00:13:27.029 --> 00:13:30.750 seems done, even when the future looks super, 00:13:30.909 --> 00:13:35.509 super scary. Our hope is in Jesus, who will restore 00:13:35.509 --> 00:13:40.870 all things unto himself. Did you ever think about 00:13:40.870 --> 00:13:44.840 that? He restores it unto himself. He restores 00:13:44.840 --> 00:13:49.700 it to perfection. But guess what? Our present 00:13:49.700 --> 00:13:53.799 day can't handle that. Our tomorrow on this earth 00:13:53.799 --> 00:13:57.340 can't handle that. But the future hope of glory 00:13:57.340 --> 00:14:03.340 is what that's all about. So as we prepare for 00:14:03.340 --> 00:14:05.940 part two of the message to be brought by our 00:14:05.940 --> 00:14:09.929 Lighthouse program. That they continue to show 00:14:09.929 --> 00:14:15.850 us the joy of Advent. Because their joy, and 00:14:15.850 --> 00:14:17.970 the kid that's going to sing his first song in 00:14:17.970 --> 00:14:21.250 front of everybody. The joy of the fifth graders 00:14:21.250 --> 00:14:25.870 who are almost done with Lighthouse. The joy 00:14:25.870 --> 00:14:29.250 of the families that have kids represented on 00:14:29.250 --> 00:14:32.690 the stage. This is the joy of the Advent season. 00:14:33.289 --> 00:14:37.090 Because in Advent we sing. We should sing. It 00:14:37.090 --> 00:14:40.350 is right that we sing. But we sing of three things 00:14:40.350 --> 00:14:44.529 as I close. We sing because we look back and 00:14:44.529 --> 00:14:48.309 we remember his mercy. We sing and we look around 00:14:48.309 --> 00:14:53.629 and rest in his singing love over us. And we 00:14:53.629 --> 00:14:57.049 sing as we look ahead and rejoice in the restoration 00:14:57.049 --> 00:15:01.370 still to come. Because here's my last point. 00:15:01.950 --> 00:15:05.000 Because the Messiah hasn't come, come just to 00:15:05.000 --> 00:15:10.100 save you. He comes always to restore you. Let's 00:15:10.100 --> 00:15:15.720 pray. Lord Jesus, our restoring Messiah, thank 00:15:15.720 --> 00:15:19.460 you for your love that's stronger than our shame 00:15:19.460 --> 00:15:23.139 and louder than our fears. Thank you for being 00:15:23.139 --> 00:15:26.220 in our midst, for calming us, yes, even the anxious 00:15:26.220 --> 00:15:30.120 parent today, and singing hope over us as we 00:15:30.120 --> 00:15:32.799 walk into this week and into the beauty of the 00:15:32.799 --> 00:15:37.059 Christmas season. Restore our hearts. Renew our 00:15:37.059 --> 00:15:40.980 joy. And gather us close to yourself. Finish 00:15:40.980 --> 00:15:44.620 the work you've begun in us. And make us a people 00:15:44.620 --> 00:15:49.019 who rejoice in your salvation. In your strong 00:15:49.019 --> 00:15:51.740 and saving name we pray. Amen.