Have you heard the term-We must be broken down before we can be built back up again.

Zephaniah’s ministry is dated in the reign of Josiah (640-609 B.C.). He warned that the day of the Lord would bring judgment on Judah and Jerusalem and he called the Jews to return to God. Zephaniah then predicted that Judah’s neighboring nations would be destroyed as well. With a note of hope, he promised that God would bring His people home.

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God is saying in the Bible reading this morning, that He is going to destroy everything about the evil and idolatrous people. What is worse for the people is that those who know God, still reject him then God’s anger will be hard upon them. 1:10-13

God was saying that the people in general were so far off and oppressive that God said He had to destroy them, The Chaldean empire is what God would use to do this work. But God did not leave the problem as it was, but He showed Grace and mercy-Chapter 3

God continually made things right-History of Israel

Do we deserve what Israel was about to get? Yes, without God we do. Romans 3:9-23

Look at our lives through God’s Law-Ten Commandments

Very often people don’t get their need for God until they are totally broken.

Addiction

Think of a time in your life when you really were at the lowest in your life and nowhere else to turn.

What are low times?
Death of a loved one
Anxiety
Problem Marriage or Divorce
Loss of Job
Loss of a child
Others

We are people at times who are living in a dark world and we can not come out of it.

God knows what we need when things are not right in our lives and sometimes it takes something major to humble us or break us down.

God gave us the healing we need the most when He sent Jesus to die on the cross.
God has brought us out the darkness and brokenness of our sin and guilt, by punishing Jesus for our sins and consequences of our sins:
Pain
Struggle
Sickness
Loneliness
Separation

Because of Jesus we are whole in the eyes of God the Father.
Because of Jesus we can deal with the brokenness of this life.
Because of Jesus we are forgiven.
Because of Jesus we are repentant.
Because of Jesus our relationships are changed and can change.

Because of Jesus we have the opportunity and hope of ultimate wholeness-To arise from the dead and be with God in all wholeness. Heaven and earth come together with God for eternal joy.


We have a taste of that whole relationship through the Lord’s Supper.
We are not destroyed, we are saved.
We are not alone, we have love and care
Because of God’s mercy we have the opportunity to serve others out thanksgiving for what God has done for and through us:
Bring love and care to our families
Bring love and care to our friends and neighbors
Bring love and care to our co-workers and strangers
We can bring the message of healing to hurting and broken people.