bpchurch Sermons

Next weekend is the Jewish Day of Atonement. If you were in Israel you would wonder, "What is going on?" Every store and office will be closed, there will be no cars or buses on the roads, some people will be enjoying a holiday while others are fasting and mourning. But there is an even more significant day coming, when all the world will be wondering, "What is going on?!" In Dickens' words, that day will truly be the best of times and the worst of times. Zechariah 12-14 has a lot to say about "that day." This Sunday we'll see how the Day of the Lord intersects with the Day of Atonement and discuss what difference any of this makes to you. Zechariah puts a couple of questions out there that every one of us needs to answer.

The old adage says that we tend to want justice when we have been wronged and mercy when we are wrong. To put it another way, we want justice upon others and mercy upon ourselves. The prophet Obadiah confronts Edom for not being merciful, even when they might have had a good case for justice. If God expected Edom to be agents of mercy in the day of Israel's trouble, what does He expect of us when others are in trouble around us? Let's see what God has said.

Last week you were reminded of Jonah and God's Mercy to Nineveh. What the prophet Jonah was for Nineveh, the prophet Nahum would be for Judah. Nineveh heard God's word from Jonah and experienced a brief spiritual revival before God's judgement came. Later, God's word of judgment on Nineveh through Nahum is used to bring one more revival to Judah before their downfall. Each of these prophets gives us essential aspects of God's glory we need in our day. You've heard the story of Jonah, so come this Sunday for the word of Nahum, Judah's Jonah.

The story of Jonah is about way more than a reluctant prophet and a big fish. It reveals how easily our desire to see wrongs made right can overshadow our awareness of God's mercy toward others and ourselves. The book of Jonah invites us to consider whether our concern for justice has left room for the grace we so desperately need.

The prophets have a way of getting into your face and into your stuff. Often we can see parallels between sin they are confronting in Israel and sin in our own life. But sometimes an important application is not identifying similar sin, but in doing what the book demonstrates. This Sunday, we want to participate together in doing what the book of Joel demonstrates, but don't worry, there will not be any locusts involved.

Imagine being suddenly awakened in the middle of the night by the piercing sound of a smoke alarm. Disoriented and half-asleep, you stumble through the darkness, trying to identify the danger before it is too late. The book of Joel is God's urgent alarm to a people who had drifted from Him and could no longer recognize their true spiritual condition. Yet His warning is also an expression of patience, mercy, and love, because God pursues us and calls us to return before destruction comes. This Sunday, we will ask whether we are hearing the alarm and how we should respond when God calls, "Return to Me with all your heart."

I once heard how terrifying it could be for a husband to hear the words, "Honey, we need to talk." Uh oh, what's this about. He'd rather not know... Let's face it, sometimes guys just don't listen well. So, she puts his face in her hands, turns him away from the TV and says, "You really need to hear this..." That's what God does with His people in the book of Amos. The prophet works extra hard because they need to hear this. But this is not just a message to Israel back then, we really need to hear this today. Let's hear what God says through Amos.

Micah's message is one of impending judgment because God is just and He cannot ignore the rampant corruption, oppression, and violence happening in Israel. Yet, the God of Israel delights in mercy and steadfast love. He is readily willing to forgive and have compassion on His people. The summation of what God wants is found in Micah 6:8. He wants us to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with Him. These requirements reflect His character and who He is. He is a God of Justice, He is a God of Mercy, and He is a God who wants to have relationship with us. This is the righteous, gracious, loving God we serve and who Micah proclaims.

Hosea uses a compelling marriage in the first three chapters to call Israel back to faith in God. Faith in their Lord will mean forsaking false confidences they have turned to for security and fulfillment. We also turn aside to things that can't satisfy, leading us to try harder and wander further... This Sunday, may God open our hearts, confront our idols and return our trust to Him alone.

We are starting a new series in the Minor Prophets. We will have one or two messages from each of "The Twelve." This week we begin with the Book of Hosea. As you read chapters 1-3 you would likely ask, would God really do this? Why would God put His prophet through such a miserable marriage? Hosea reveals to us precious truth about the steadfast and determined love of God for His people, which compels us toward a greater faithfulness "on earth as it is in Heaven."