Him We Proclaim

Zephaniah 3:1-20: Summary:Zephaniah pronounces woe on the people of God for a spiritual ugliness, spanning prophet, priest, and people. The primary indicator of death and decay? An unwillingness to be corrected by the Word of God; indeed, they turn attempted correction into accelerated corruption. In the midst of this, the remnant of grace may wonder, 'Will we ever see the beauty of the Lord upon His people again? Will we ever have cause again to joyfully sing aloud?' The first of two main imperatives, God charges His people to wait for His deliverance. He will judge all who have given truth a bad name. He will then create a new people bearing His loveliness, a praying, humble, sincere, well-fed, and fearless sheepfold from all the world; and as the Chief Shepherd is evidently in their midst, they're exhorted to sing aloud with all their heart. For those who mourn for it, He will create and sustain a people reflecting the radiance of His Almighty grace.

Sermon Outline:

Weeping over a people of God proving their rebelliousness. (3:1-8)

Singing over a people of God bearing His loveliness. (3:9-20)

Zephaniah 2:1-15: Summary:While the ungodly world gathers to play God, the remnant of grace gathers to seek the Lord, which is essential, both, to our preservation as God's true and distinctive people and, thereby, our evangelization of an ignorantly taunting world on the cusp of condemnation. It is quite the burden that Zephaniah is made to bear and unload, that while God's Word has been recovered and reformation seems to be underway, God's people must be warned of judgment with the world instead of celebrating the grace that's so obviously set them apart from within it. Outward reformation without inward regeneration and/or revival is not agreeable to saving faith.

Sermon Outline:

The ungodly world and the Lord's certain woes. (2:4-15)

The remnant of grace and the Lord's sanctifying remedies. (2:1-3)

Gather together, yes, gather.

To seek the Lord.

And keep at it---as you see the Day drawing near.

Believe, the Lord will be awesome for His own.

Zephaniah 1:1-18: Summary

The glorious creator of everything sends his word through Zephaniah. "I will utterly sweep away everything from the face of the earth!" Turning on its head Israel's expectation that the Day of the Lord is a time for rejoicing, Zephaniah lays out the coming devastation the earth and its inhabitants will experience because of the sin of man, and more specifically, the sin of God's covenant people.

Nahum 3:1-19: Summary: Nahum continues to share God's oracle concerning Nineveh and Assyria's fate. Beginning with a woe concerning the bloody city, God puts judgment in perspective, focusing on the victims of Assyria's policies. Following are three taunts that reflect on Assyria's claims to power. Though strong, Nineveh will fare no better than its victims. Though sure of its military dominance, it will find no refuge in the day that the tables turn. Despite its long reach, its presence and impact will evaporate. And in the end, no one remains to mourn Assyria's downfall. All her victims rejoice to be free of her. So will God do to every empire that sets itself up against God's glorious and just reign.

Sermon Outline:

Woe - God versus city (3:1-7)

Taunt - God versus empire (3:8-17)

Dirge - God versus king (3:18-19)

Nahum 2:1-13: Summary: As Nahum continues to explain the vision, he sketches in detail the demise of Nineveh and the demise of the empire. Despite the seeming strength of Nineveh, it is already ready to topple. Unbeknownst to it, YHWH is already here. He chides them to prepare, but it is for nothing. The march to the city is a song of increasing ruin and failure, shaming Assyria's military might and aspirations, as well as the king's claims to provide for his people's security. Nineveh's commitment to violence, to idolatry, to glorying in its strength leaves room for nothing but judgment from God as he restores the hope of his people.

Sermon Outline:

hope (2:1-2)

unmitigated defeat (2:3-10)

the divine warrior (2:11-13)

Nahum 1:1-15: Summary: Nahum receives a vision from God. God arrives in glorious mastery of his creation, jealous, avenging, wrathful, and ready to judge those who would stand against him, to steal his glory. Yet, the master of all, the one who can pursue his enemies into darkness, is a stronghold for those who take refuge in him. Nahum is a master artist, a deft poet. His subject will one day bring the full weight of his wrath on those who oppose him, but in an act anticipating this final judgment, God utters destruction for Assyria and comfort to Judah - at least, a Judah that takes its refuge in the Lord of the day of trouble. It's great news for some, but devastating news for all those standing in opposition to a holy and just God.

Sermon Outline:

Opening credits (1:1)

The main feature (1:2-8)

The previews (1:9-15)

Jonah 4:1-11: Summary: God has relented, and Jonah is exceedingly angry about it. He has nothing good to say about the goodness of God's glory applied to the Ninevites. In fact, he'd rather the Lord take his life than live in a world where God's love envelopes the world. The gentleness of God with Jonah is divine. He asks him to reflect on whether he's doing well in being angry that a city of souls has been spared. While he stews outside the city, God comforts him beyond his ability to comfort himself. His kind sovereignty comes into prominent view. He appoints a plant, then a worm to kill it, then a wind to afflict the prophet, and all to make a point: Jonah's angry over grace removed from him, whereby he's made to experience a wilting wind, but he has no pity for graceless souls standing on the precipice of eternal judgment. Grace removed from him, anger; grace applied to Nineveh, anger. Dreadfully self-centered, he's invited to consider, over against a plant, God's heart for people. It's a final prod to cultivate a gracious, Christ-like heart. Will Jonah do it? What will we do? So the book ends. Salvation belongs to the Lord.

Sermon Outline:

Jonah angry with God. (4:1-3)

God gentle with Jonah. (4:4-11)

A question to expose Jonah. (4:4)

A provision to comfort Jonah. (4:5-6)

An affliction to test Jonah. (4:7-9)

A lesson to change Jonah. (4:10-11)

Jonah 3:1-10: Summary: Jonah receives his second opportunity to serve the cause of God's truth and grace to Nineveh. At the call, he goes, walks a third of the way into the great but evil city, and preaches God's Word. It's a Word of judgment, fronted with mercy. How will the Ninevites receive it? Though it shouldn't be to our amazement (4:2), they believe God. They all seek God for mercy, the king serving as head of their citywide repentance - and that on the hope that the Lord is merciful and gracious toward sinners as they are. How much more ought those who know He is be advocating with sinners for repentance and faith in the grace of the just God? Salvation is available to sinners, just not on our own terms. We must repent, if we would be saved. And as we do, as we repent, God is happy (incredibly) to relent. What do we believe about the power of the Word, the grace of God, and the salvation of sinners, and how are we applying that in our lives?

Sermon Outline:

Jonah preaching. (3:1-4)

Nineveh repenting. (3:5-9)

God relenting. (3:10)

Jonah 1:17-2:10: Summary:Jonah is down, but not dead; because God is no vain idol, but the true, living, and faithful Lord of salvation. A great fish is appointed as an instrument of rescue. Jonah has sunk to the bottom of the sea, the depths of almost certain despair and death due to his rebellion---but God above is able to deliver His people from our lowest depths. The fish is an ark, sustaining Jonah's life; it's made into a kind of sanctuary, in which the prophet remembers the Lord, calls out to Him, hopes in His mercy, exalts His truth, crowns Him Savior, and redirects himself toward faithfulness to the call. The Lord then commands the fish to give up the prophet upon dry land. His impending ministry is miraculous, a sign of God's Lordship and sovereign mercies upon all the world of sinners. It's a type of what's to come in the greater Jonah, our Lord Jesus Christ. He will be swallowed up, buried for three days, and spit out again alive from the dead. Will we listen to Him? Will we live to Him? Will we carry out the grace of new and risen lives to those in need?

Sermon Outline:

God to the rescue. (1:17-2:1)

A psalm of the rescued. (2:2-9)

God's sovereignty in our sinking.

God's salvation in our sinking.

God's sanctuary in our sinking.

God's service in our steadying.

3. The reset of the rescued. (2:10)

Jonah 1:1-16: Summary:God commissions Jonah to preach judgment against Nineveh, something it'd seem he'd love to do. Instead, for a reason explored in chapter 4, he tries, by all means, to run away from God's presence and ministry. For a prophet of God, he displays a shocking carelessness for the souls of others. While the mariners who gave him refuge are doing their best to keep from perishing at sea on account of his disobedience, he sleeps in the hull of the ship. A pagan captain asks a great question: what do you mean, you sleeper? Devoid of counsel, they take counsel together. God puts the spotlight on Jonah to illuminate the situation further than he has. At their asking, he then offers to be thrown overboard in order to spare the crew. The ungodly show more resolve about his life than the prophet does for theirs. When at last their extremities cannot calm God's judgment, they're pressed into prayer for themselves and for their actions with respect to Jonah. They do with him as he had originally suggested and, soon as he splashes into the sea, it calms for them. The mariners become God-fearers, vowing, as it were, to be living sacrifices. It's a moving beginning to a little book with a big message: salvation belongs to the Lord. This truth calls on us to be ready to go to whomever the Lord gives with the truth of the Gospel, the good news of another Jewish Man Who went as God directed to bring sinners peace with God.

Sermon Outline:

The Lord's runaway prophet. (1:1-3)

The Lord's revelatory providence. (1:4-16)

The storm and the only sleeper. (1:4-6)

The lot and the only Lord. (1:7-10)

The sea and the only solution. (1:11-14)

The result and the only (right) response. (1:15-16)