Welcome to Zion Bible Church
  • Home
  • How to Meet Jesus
  • Who We Are
    • Our Faith Family
    • Our Doctrinal Statements
    • Contact Us
  • Our Ministries
    • Bible Discussion & Church Service Times
    • TeamKID: Kids in Discipleship
    • Vacation Bible School
    • Adult Ministries
    • Calendar of Events
  • Outreach
    • Our Missionaries
    • Missions Trips
  • Listen to Sermons
  • Links
    • Our Daily Walk in 2015

Zechariah 12-14

9/29/2015

7 Comments

 
​​Today we finished reading the last few chapters of the prophet Zechariah. Tomorrow we will read the last book of the Old Testament, Malachi. If you are like me, it feels like we have been reading the Prophets since Easter, when in reality we have been reading through the Prophets of God since the middle of July. Before we leave the Prophets and the Old Testament period, I thought it would be good to answer a question that many of us might be thinking. 

What is the point to Biblical prophecy?

This is an important question to ask, especially since we have been reading much of it the last few months. First, when people hear of Biblical prophecy their minds go right to forecasting the future. In one sense this is right. Today we read some biblical prophecy from Zechariah telling of the future of the city of Jerusalem. But in another sense going right to future discussion when the term biblical prophecy comes up is very wrong. Most of the prophecy in the Bible is either past forecast that has already taken place, like the coming of Jesus as a baby, or is a Word from the Lord to challenge His people of the prophet’s day. So most, like 95%, of Biblical prophecy is not forecasting our future. This is a serious truth that we, the church today, need to keep in mind. 

But then the question comes, what is the point of God telling us the 5% of prophecy as a future forecast for us? We have 3 options in how to answer that question. First, God could be giving us clues to the future so we can figure them out and have a map for the future. Second, God could be telling us the future so we can think nothing of it and enjoy the moment we are in. Third, God could give us clues to the future so we can be a different people and be transformed because of it. The third option is the only correct option. God did not give us clues to the future so we can enjoy the moment or so we can figure them out. God did not give us Biblical prophecy so we could set dates, call down His judgement, or try to figure it out. God does not want His children to figure or even guess at any of the future, He wants His children to know the outcome and trust Him to get us all there. God gave us prophetic forecast so that we would be changed, ready, waiting, and most importantly telling others what is ahead so they can also be transformed by the power of God. God gave prophecy so His children would have hope and rejoice waiting in anticipation for Him to bring it about. So here is 3 important and timely implicational questions thinking about the purpose of biblical prophecy of the future for the church.

-Is the church full of hope and joy waiting in anticipation of Jesus triumphal return?

-Is the church ready for His return, in that it is being transformed, obedient to the mission, and unified around the Gospel?

-Is the church falling into the trap, sin, and heretical predictions of figuring out the future when it was never intended to be that way?
​
7 Comments
Tammy
9/29/2015 02:39:49 pm

this makes me think of the man that came and preached Bible prophecy at Zion a few times in the past. I lost interest in him because I heard him say something the first time he came and it didn't prove true. I feel as humans...we are scared of the unknown. We want to know when and where things will happen so we can prepare. If we would know the when and where of our future events....we would have no need to trust our God. Ultimately He wants us to trust only in Him....not man. And in trust comes obedience to His word. Love Him and live in obedience to His word because we love Him. God lays out in His Word all we need to know about the future. Anything else isn't worth listening too.
I like the statement about being ready for His return. He could come back to earth and while we are worrying and trying to figure out current events in light of the Bible and prophecy.....we may miss His return. That's not being ready. Again...trust and obey.
Thanks pastor.

Reply
Bruce
9/29/2015 11:01:10 pm

I know as a human I am scared of the unknown. Especially when it comes to knowing where I will spend my eternity. This has always been on mind since a child. I am working hard to try to remove sin, but I always fall short. Knowing that God will punish me for my sin, really scares me. If you are in school you get grades and know how you are doing (A.B.C ect). That is not the case with knowing if I am going to the lake of fire, or what my punishment will be on the day of my judgment. But, as a friend told me, if i'm not scared then I would must-likely just not care and would keep sinning. I guess it is the same way with knowing the day Jesus will return, If I were to know I may not care until that day.

I just wanted to say that talking on the blog is certainly helping with my growing in Christ. Thanks to you both, Pastor Jeff and Tammy.

Reply
Pastor Jeff
9/30/2015 07:53:59 am

Bruce
We all sin continually. Here is the beauty of the Cross. If we have faith in Jesus and His Father, then God made an exchange for us on the Cross. For those who love Him, the Father took our sin and placed (imputed) it on His Son when He was on the Cross and Jesus paid for all the sin you have, are, and will ever commit. And in exchange for your sin on Jesus, God the Father, took the perfect righteousness of Jesus and placed (imputed) it onto you. So if you are a child of God and have surrendered your life to Him, He will eternally see you as the righteousness of Jesus, even as He disciplines and grows you.

Reply
Tammy
9/30/2015 03:15:25 am

Bruce.....you have no need to worry about where you will spend eternity. You will never stop sinning here on earth. I am finding that my sin pattern now is not the same one it was 5 years ago....and the sin pattern I had 5 years ago wasn't the same as 5 years before that. My point is that once we "overcome" one sin and think we have victory in it, something else presents itself to take its place. It's subtle at first, but then it's full blown. It's when we continually stay In that sin where we have a problem. Jesus calls us to repentance. Through His word we see what sins we need to repent of. Once you accept Christ all our sin isn't held against us on judgement day. The unsaved are judged on their sin, but the saved isn't. Jesus took that penalty and we became clean before a Holy God because of His gift to us. We have chosen to take it and follow Him. I often wondered what would happen to me if I died without confessing a sin before it happened so i asked a good Christain friend this. I was worried that if I has unconFessed sin I would not go to heaven. She told me that Jesus bought me and my sins were covered by His blood. All of them. Now...we need to confess on earth to keep fellowship with our GoD because sin and God cannot mix. From what I've seen in you Bruce...you have no need to worry about where you will spen eternity. The way you talk about Jesus and how you are on this blog tells me that you will be just fine and we will all spend eternity together in heaven. Please read Romans 10:9-13. This may help you.
And you are a blessing to me and Zion as well. We all need each other to grow.

Reply
Bruce
9/30/2015 12:07:44 pm

Thank you both so much for the words of encouragement. It is such a good feeling to know that there are good people in my life to help as i continue my walk with our God. I God daily for all the good people in my life. I also pray that he will use me to show others the way to him.

Tammy after reading what you wrote about looking back and seeing how far you have come. I did the same thing. It is pretty to cool look back even from the first of the year when my sister was put on hospice and how talking with her and her family about where her powerful faith would be taking her to where i am looking to spears his word to the people i meet and the people in my life. Thank you for showing me that.

Pastor as we have talked about my upbringing in the church back home . it is still a little difficult for me to shake those teachings, but with your help and your ministering to me i am getting better.

Thanks again to both of you, in Jesus name!!!

Reply
Tammy
9/30/2015 05:30:15 pm

I'd love to share my testimony with you sometime. I have definitely come a long way and if God can forgive me....then he can forgive anyone.

Reply
Bruce
10/1/2015 05:27:30 pm

I would love to hear it sometime.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Pastor Jeff

    Archives

    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly