WE NEED A MODERN DAY ZECHARIAH

 Zechariah 7 is a chilling chapter to read. 

Who is Zechariah? 

He was one of two prophets that God appointed to minister to Israel after she returned from the bondage of Babylon [the other was Haggai.]

Their approaches were very different!  Zechariah used visions to draw a picture of what could be if the people trusted and followed God! 

In this chapter, the people are trying to decide if they should have a special commemoration of the fall of Jerusalem 70 years earlier). 

God responds: “You’re interested in religion, I’m interested in people!”  [TM]

_______________________________

It’s so easy for churches to get distracted!  We prop up traditions that no one remembers the meaning of.  We maintain programs for the sake of longevity!  We fail to evaluate the effectiveness or need for certain ministries. 

In this chapter, God reminds Israel what really matters:

“Treat one another justly.

Love your neighbors.

Be compassionate with each other.

Don’t take advantage of widows, orphans, visitors, and the poor.

Don’t plot and scheme against one another – that’s evil.”  [vs.9-10]

Wait a minute!  Do you mean these things are more important than the big celebration we have planned?

YES!  These are the things that really matter to God!  These are the practices that He wants to use to define us! 

In Zechariah’s day, everyone was busy fixing up their own home and establishing norms for their lives after returning from seventy years in Babylon. 

Meanwhile, God’s house was still in ruins.  No one was working on it!  Worship experiences were a shambles.  And God sent two men to try to awaken the people and motivate them properly! 

________________________________

I know of two churches – in my limited purview – that are growing and healthy.  Neither of them are from my own tradition of Free Methodism. 

One of them I attend – Bethel Evangelical Presbyterian Church.  Some of its growth seems to be ‘transfer growth’, however this is going to happen to any church that shows signs of life and vitality! 

The other, I only know from its online presence.  I formerly was part of the Cornerstone Church in Akron, Ohio.  They recently had 900 attend their Easter services and are in a hopeful building campaign to increase their reach!

My own denomination recently reported a total USA/CANADA membership of 69,880.  Only ten to fifteen years ago the USA membership alone was close to 100,000. 

Are we distracted?  Have we lost our vision?  Perhaps we’re too busy copying one another’s methods instead of being independently creative and searching the mind and heart of God for our local situation? 

I’m no expert.  My opinion is just ‘my opinion’, but it seems clear that there is something wrong to be losing so many members! 

Almighty and Sovereign Lord,

Renew Your Church!

Call those who will SUBMIT to You and follow You!  Use lay people to stand up and speak their piece when pastors take sole control of the church!  WE ARE THE CHURCH!  Remind us of this and enable us to work steadily and in stride with You and Your Holy Spirit! 

Help us to see Spirit-change before it’s too late and You bring judgment on our nation and on the Church! 

For Jesus and His Kingdom’s sake.  Amen. 

GOD WANTS TO HEAR A GREAT, LOUD LAMENT!

Not too many people are interested in reading from the minor prophets.  But like the whole of scripture, sometimes their lessons are extremely relevant.  

Amos writes around the year 755 B.C.  

Now, you may say, "How can anything written that long ago be relevant in the 21st century A.D.?"  

This was a period in history when Israel was prospering.  Uzziah was the king of Judah [southern tribes].  He fortified Jerusalem and had subdued the Philistines, the Ammonites and the Edomites.  During these years Assyria, Babylonia, Syria and Egypt were relatively weak.  

Amos was delivering a message that "Catastrophe is just around the corner."  [6:2 TM]   In the following verses he tells the people:

• you live in luxury and expect others to serve you.
• you live only for today.
• you're indifferent to the fate of others.
• you think life is a party.
• you're addicted to feeling good - a life without pain.
• you're obsessed with looking good - life without wrinkles.
• you couldn't care less about your country going to ruins.

Then, Amos warns:  [vs.7f  TM]

"But here's what's really coming."  You're going to experience "a forced march into exile."  

Then, in verse 14, "Enjoy it while you can, you Israelites [northern tribes].  I've got a pagan army on the move against you...this is your GOD speaking, God-of-the-Angel-Armies - and they'll make hash of you, from one end of the country to the other."  

Hosea obviously foresees the fall of Israel [the northern tribes] to Assyria in 722 B.C which occurs thirty-three years after his prophecy.  Judah [southern tribes] will last another one-hundred-thirty-five years before it falls to Babylon!  Frequently during these Old Testament times, a prophet was called a 'seer'.  Somehow, by the choice of God, they were enabled to foresee - and therefore describe - future events!  

Apparently, Amos saw the sun being turned off in the middle of the day (Amos 8:9).  Because of the clockwork order and consistency of the heavenly bodies, we know that a solar eclipse took place in Israel [northern tribes] on June 15, 763 B.C.  Did this event rattle any Israelites and make them consider that possibly Amos was delivering a real message from God?

His message was very clear.  In 5:14-16 [TM], he says:

Seek good and not evil - and live!

You talk about GOD, the God-of-the-Angel-Armies, being your best friend.

Well, live like it, and maybe it will happen.

Hate evil and love good...

God wants to hear a great, loud lament!

Verses 21-24 [TM]   [Hosea speaking for God]

I can't stand your religious meetings.

I'm fed up with your conferences and conventions.

I want nothing to do with your religion projects, your pretentious slogans and goals.

I'm sick of your fund-raising schemes, your public relations and image making.

I've had all I can take of your noisy ego-music.  

When was the last time you sang to me?  Do you know what I want?  

I want justice - oceans of it.

I want fairness - rivers of it.

That's what I want.  That's all I want.

As you know, Israel [northern tribes] and Judah [southern tribes] failed to respond to the messages of the prophets.  Both were carried away into exile after oft-repeated attempts to reach them by God!  

If you've stayed with me this far, I have only one more observation:

This all sounds remarkably relevant to the United States in 2022!  Read the above descriptions again.  It seems ridiculous to us that we would ever be carried away into exile.  That's what the people of Israel and Judah thought too!  Could God - likewise - be fed up with the mediocrity and predictability of our worship and faith?  

Has the message of Amos been preserved just for our benefit?  It makes you wonder...