A phrase arrested my attention. We're going to look at verses
13 through 20. Zephaniah 3, verses 14 through the end of the chapter. We're going to look specifically
at verse 19 once we get there. Part of this phrase is on the
front of our bulletin. It's been on there for a long
time. I love this passage. Zephaniah chapter 3, we'll start
verse 14, sing, O daughter of Zion, that's His people, shout,
O Israel, be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter
of Jerusalem. The Lord hath taken away thy
judgments. He hath cast out thine enemy.
The King of Israel, even the Lord is in the midst of thee. thou shalt not see evil any more. In that day it shall be said
to Jerusalem, fear thou not, and to Zion, let not thine hands
be slack. For the Lord thy God in the midst
of thee is mighty, and he will save, he will rejoice over thee
with joy, he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with
singing. I will gather them, says he,
that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, who are of thee to
whom the reproach of it was a burden. Behold, at that time I will undo
all that afflict thee, and I will save her that halteth, and gather
her that was driven out. And I will get them praise and
fame in every land where they have been put to shame. At that
time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather
you, for I will make you a name and a praise among all people
of the earth. When I turn back your captivity
before your eyes, saith the Lord." Now, I could just close the book
and we could go home. It is wonderful and dynamic this
passage is. But I have a tendency, and I'm
sure some of us here do as well, to often read such wonderful
words, but to center in, focus on the weak and fearful concepts
like sorrowful, and shame, and halted, and afflicted. I have
a tendency to dwell upon that. You know, woe is me type thing.
But when I do that, I want us to remind us of two very important
truths. Look back at verse 18 and 19,
I will gather them that are sorrowful, downcast, solemn assembly, That
time I will undo. Look at all the I wills. Now
these are not our I wills. These are God's I wills. It's
like Ezekiel 16 when I will cleanse, I will do this, I will do that,
I will love them freely. That's what I have to remind
myself. These are God's I wills. So our focus should be upon the
God of all grace, the God who is sovereign. I got thinking
about that again this week. Years ago, it may have been Henry
and I were speaking, but he brought up a point that stuck with me. He said there's an awful lot
of talk about the sovereignty of God, but there's not a lot
of talk about the God who is sovereign. There is a difference. There is a difference. You can
know that God is absolutely in charge of everything up here,
And you could know through experience that He, your God, my God, He's
the one who's sovereign. So when I see this, when I see
these I wills, I get off of myself, I get off of woe is me, and I'm
afflicted, and I'm halting, and I've been put to shame. Yes,
that's all part of sin. That's part of what we are. We're
born in sin, and that's all we can beget. is sin. But the truth
of the matter, in redemption and in grace and in love and
in mercy, God overthrew. He overthrew. our rebellious
state, our selfishness, the way that seems right unto us. He
overthrew that, and we're so thankful. So that's the first
truth, is to re-look at the passage and see all the I-wills through
the whole verse 17. He will save. He will rejoice
over thee. He will rest in His love. I will
gather them. I will undo. I will get them
praise. It's God. And if the Scripture
says, if God be for us, who can really be against us? So that's
the first truth. The second truth is, so you're
still a little down in the mouth, you're still, well, I still am
a sinner. That's to whom the passage is written. Is it not? These simple, poor, halting,
weak, and fearful folk is to whom the text or the promises
are for. So, do we meet the conditions, the
characteristics of the text? Do we meet that? Do we? I will
gather all that afflicted. Has our sin afflicted us? Are we halting, that is, limping,
crippled, however you want to phrase it, gathered her that
was driven out, no place to worship, and then we heard of God of all
grace, who receives sinful men, who receives sinners, who came
to seek and to save that which is lost. Do we fit the condition?
Do we fit the text? The Scripture says when we were
weak, then through faith by grace we're strong. 2 Corinthians 12.
It says not many mighty are called, not many noble, but the weak
things, the fullest things has God chosen. That's us. We never
graduate above what we are. We're of Adam and Eve. Therefore
I ask, are we personally found in the text? If you are, then
lay hold of Christ in the text, in the promises, for you and
for me." I want to draw our attention to one phrase in verse 19. Behold, at that time I will undo
all that afflict thee, and I will save her, that's the her, female,
we're the bride, the church, that halts. Now, I may not be
very politically correct on some of the word usages, but as far
as believers, I think believers get over it. The word literally means limps.
It's a cripple. One that I say, spiritually,
get away from the physical, I will save her that halteth." Just
get away from the physical and the phraseology or whatever.
This, spiritually speaking, is those who know from the heart,
through conviction of the Holy Spirit, that we are greatly hindered
in all things spiritual. We're greatly hindered in all
things spiritual. I will save her that halteth.
I will save her that limps. What a great day it is indeed
to be impressed, to see, to feel, and to know our own sins, our
own shortcomings, and our own humiliations. I was reminded
of this again the other day. I was humbled, and I quickly
thought to myself, it's a good thing to be humbled. It's a bad
thing to be on top all the time, to be proud, look at me, it's
a good thing. And I know we don't like to see
our children humbled, but often times it's the best thing for
them because it's the best thing for us. Because He takes notice
of the broken and contrite heart. He says He won't despise those.
He despises, He refuses, rejects stiff arms, the proud. As a matter of fact, that's the
first thing of the seven things that the Lord despises. The first
thing is a proud look. It's the first thing, and that's
our problem. We have to get around self, or we have to be made to
get around self. So it's a good thing to be humiliated. On our way to Emmanuel's land,
there are many whom we see who are halt or lame. One writer
said, ready to halt is our middle name because it's our nature. Ready to halt is our middle name,
but it's our nature. We have all, the scripture says,
we've all gone astray. We've gone after other gods,
small g, we're unfit for the kingdom of God, unconcerned about
him or his son or specifically our niece. Salvation, that religion,
that's for somebody else. I'm fine, just leave me alone,
I'm fine. And I'm on that road which seems
right, just so you know scripturally. But look again at our text. He
says, verse 19, I will save her that halteth, and gather her,
and gather her, I will get them praise and fame, is what he says.
I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have
been put to shame. So people, they say, can such
a poor, lost, sinful, halting creature, how did they come to
run so well? That race set before them. How
is that possible? How can it be that such a one
has now the crown placed upon her head? Well, praise be and worthy be
the Lamb that was slain, says Revelation 5, to receive honor,
praise, glory, majesty. Brethren, God's majestic grace
is seen in His dear, halting, lame ones. That's His honor,
His glory is seen in those who... You know, you ever see somebody,
an athlete, a person, it's just somebody, it's like, I didn't
see that. That doesn't look like that.
That person does not even look like they belong here. And they're
just whippin' there, they're head and shoulders above everybody.
Well, when people look at us, and I have no problem, we're
ignorant and unlearned people, but we've been with Christ. That's
fine. That's okay. That's okay. I'm not trying to impress anybody.
I gave up on that a long time ago. We adorn the grace of God
because God is in us by His abiding work of God the Holy Spirit procured
by God the Son. And all of His unmerited free
favor, not our works, lest any should boast. We have nothing
to do with it. He selected. He chose. Scripture says, I've
chosen you. You haven't chosen me. They,
all they can do are, we're Christ ambassadors. We don't represent
ourselves, but we represent Him who called us and raised us up
unto new life. We realize we're bought with
a price. We are not our own, but we are
willing bond servants of our merciful King. I'll save her that halteth. and
keep saving her, and keep saving her. Well, I thought once you
come to Christ, yeah, you're redeemed. But a believer never
quits coming to Christ. If we've quit, all the old writers
said if you quit, you've never came. You may have come to some
doctrine, but never to Christ. So that's my second question.
The first thought was draw the attention to her that halteth.
The second point was do we still halt? Do we still halt? Yeah, we do. Turn to Genesis
chapter 32. After God saves us, do we still
halt? We don't make excuses for our
sin, our lameness, our lack of faith, any of that stuff.
But we do. Genesis chapter 32, starting
in verse 24, "...And Jacob was left alone, and there wrestled
a man with him until the breaking of day." That's the Lord Jesus
Christ. But what's he running from? He's running from Esau,
his brother. He's scared to death. His brother's
going to whip him. He's going to be mean to him
because he stole the birthright. He's concerned. So he sends everybody
over in two bands so if he gets upset, maybe me and my wives
will be okay. So he's left alone. This Ford Jaybuck in verse 22,
he's left alone and he wrestles a man until the breaking of day. And when Jacob saw he prevailed
not against him. They're struggling back and forth.
This man, this one who is the Lord Jesus Christ, touched the
hollow of his thigh, and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out
of joint as he wrestled with him. And he said, let me go for
the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let you
go unless you bless me. Kids, boys, girls, parents, sometimes
this thing of the Gospel, it's rough. But don't let go. Don't let go. because the Lord
is going to bless. The Lord is going to bless for
his own namesake. And he said unto him, What is
your name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall be
called no more Jacob, but Israel. For as a prince thou hast power
with God and with men thou hast prevailed. And Jacob asked him
and said, Tell me, I pray thee, your name. And he said, Wherefore
is it that thou dost ask after my name? He didn't answer him,
he just blessed him. And Jacob called the name of
the place Peniel, for he had seen God face to face, and my
life was preserved. He saw His name, and he saw His
work. And that's why we preach the
gospel. Sovereignty of God. Sovereign
grace church. Who God is, and how He saves. That's what we see there. Peniel, and his life was preserved. And
as he passed over Peniel, the sun rose upon him, this is Israel
now, and halted upon his thigh, halted upon his thigh. Therefore
the children of Israel, eaten out of that sinew, which shrank,
which is upon the hollow of the thigh, until this day, because
he touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh, and the sinew that shrank."
Jacob halted. He limped. He limped. Do we still halt? Do we still
sin? Do we still struggle? Ask Jacob. And I say ask any of Jacob's
lineage. Ask anybody here. Now some have
struggled more than others. Some halt more than others. They
look like they're walking pretty good. But if they're a son or
daughter of God's grace, we halt. Yes, we halt in faith, unfortunately,
prayer, praise, service, patience, yet still, still, I will save her that halteth. Still our text is true. Still our text is true. I will
get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put
to shame. such as we are cripples in the
things of grace. But Father, let us not perish
because we are in the hindermost part of the church, the least
among Your people, but we're like the tribe of Dan, perhaps,
last in the order of tribes, in Numbers chapter 2, yet they
had the banners." I got that circled. That was one of the
first messages that I preached before I was even called over
on Cape Rock. That was one of the first messages
I preached. The last, we're not a very significant
church. Nobody notices us. Nobody pays
attention. That's okay. We're all the way
in the back, but we got the banners. And Psalms as Solomon says, His
banner over us is love. And we look to Him who will save
us, even though we're maybe slower than the rest, than anybody else.
That's okay. Yes, perhaps we're the slowest
of God's pilgrims, but saved and kept by divine power. Yes, we are small in our own
eyes, yet remember what God says about His church and about each
individual member. We're the apple of God's eye.
where it made so through His comeliness." Deuteronomy 32,
Psalm 17, and Zechariah 2. In closing, turn to Micah chapter
4. Micah chapter 4. This is amazing. This could have been the main
text for the message as well. Micah chapter 4 verses 6 and 7. In that day, oh may today
be that day, for someone here today, this
morning, saith the Lord, I will assemble her that halteth, and
I will gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted,
and I will make her that halteth a remnant, and her that was cast
far off a strong nation, and the Lord shall reign over them
in Mount Zion, from henceforth even forever, even forever. And I close with this. Then we which are alive and remain
shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the
Lord in the air. And so shall we ever be, evermore,
with the Lord. What an amazing six, seven verses
of Scripture. Shows us what we are, but once
again shows us what our great God has done for the likes of
us. Amazing, amazing indeed. Nathan,
would you close us? Bye.