Advent Take-Aways: 

Fears and Anxieties
Zephaniah 3:14-203

†  I.H.S. †

May the peace of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Chirst drive away all the fears and anxieties in your life, that tell you that you don’t belong in God’s presence… for you do, you are His child!

Introduction

I had to have been fourteen or fifteen at the time, and if I was normally extremely self-consicous, that evening I was that times 100. I don’t even remember the event, it could have been one of the dances my folks, or a wedding of one of my aunts, or my grampie De’Luca’s seventy-fifth birthday, but I had to get dressed up… in a tuxedo.

I remember feeling so anxious and nervous, and afraid that I couldn’t eat or drink. I didn’t belong in a tux, in a fancy hotel ballroom, surround by al these adults all dressed up. I kept on thinking someone was going to come over and tell me, “Kid – go home, you don’t belong here…”

To be honest, there are a lot of times I geel like I don’t belong—especially at celebrations, and especially if I am considered one of the V.I.P.’s.

I imagine the shepherds would feel that same way, as they were buzzed by ten of thousands and tens of thosands of Angels, and sent to witness Jesus laying in the manger – what me?  I can hear the shepherds voice, eerily echoing the attitude of Moses as he encountered the burning bush,

⁶  I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” When Moses heard this, he covered his face because he was afraid to look at God.  Exodus 3:6 (NLT2)

Or Isaiah’s cry, ⁵  Then I said, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.”
Isaiah 6:5 (NLT2)

To use the words of Zephaniah, they “felt the hand of God’s judgment,” and because of that, were more uncomfortable in the presnce of God that I was in a tuxedo….

And the reason for joy is that, hand, that discomfort would be removed!

• LAW – the hand to be removed

Of all the impact of sin described by Zephaniah, the one that strikes me as the harshest is seen in verse 18—as people mourned over the high feasts…they were a disgrace

So great was idolatry and immorality among the people of God that there was no joy, heck there was no desire to hear the incredible words that God accepted the sacrifice, that they were forgiven.

The temple went through the motions, and the ceremonies became boring, just a ritual, without any faith, without any expectation of God’s mercy in the eyes of those who were participating in the sacrifices.

Let me explain it this way, imagine that we are having church, and during the words of confession and absolution, we had a football game up on the screens, or a cartoon, or a soap opera. And then during communion a numch of people went up in the choir area and started dancing while in the back in that corner a poker game was going on and that side a wineand cheese tasting event…

Or maybe that is just where our minds and hearts are…

What good would absolution do, if no one really heard it? What good would it be?  How could we share in the blessing of Chirst’s body that was shed, and theblood that was spilled if we don’t take it and eat in faith….

We don’t have to imagine it, the Apostle Paul addresses it clearly.

“That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup. For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself. That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died.” (1 Corinthians 11:28–30, NLT)

That sounds like a disgraced feast, one to grieve over! One that brings no joy, just a box we checked off on some list of obligations.

The concept is the same, as we sin, as we do not look for God’s grace to cover or make excuses for our sin, we neglect God’s love, and what He would give us…

Just to make sure we all understand, the idea of examining oneself is not about passing or failing and examination, or having to look at yourself and anazlyzin every little detail. It is about looking at the tux in the mirror and realizing it isn’t right, and crying out to the One that Zephaniah and all the other prophets spoke of,

• Gospel – The hand is on the cross – where al are gathered – where all are named

Let’s go back to Zephaniah’s prophecy and the hand of Judgement… hear the promise again,

¹⁴  Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! ¹⁵  For the LORD will remove his hand of judgment…

I lovethe picture of the Lord removing His hand of judgment from us, for I know that hand’s next movement, to stretch itself out on the harsh wood of the cross, and for this we shouldsing praie and shout We should rejoice with all our heart, because knowing what happened on the cross enables us to experience the feast of God, to make our time at the altar more than just an empty ritual.

It becomes the place of joy, for until we are in heaven, this is the fulfilment Zephaniah’s words, “I will bring together those who were chased away. I will give glory and fame to my former exiles, wherever they have been mocked and shamed. ²⁰  On that day I will gather you together and bring you home again.”

This is home, this is the family feast., this is the place to rejoice that God has given us the chance to be his,  This is the place where God takes away our fears and anxieities, making us comfrotable in His presence, because Christ has taken his hand of judgment away, and clothed in His righteousness – and comfortable in those clothes…

And then Paul’s words to the church in Phillipi will describe you,

⁶  Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. ⁷  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT2)

AMEN!