“The Lord Wants Hearts That Say, ‘I’m going’”
They’re going: I. Seeking their Lord (20-21)
II. Standing on his foundation of peace (22)
Dear Fellow Servants in Jesus’ Service,
I have an outstanding offer for you today. This is for anyone who is interested. We’ve got a member in our congregation who is willing to fly you and your spouse, if married, down to Aruba to spend a weeks vacation in the warm tropical climate. Your hotels and meals will be covered. You’ll be given spending money. And any wages you have lost from your job will be reimbursed to you. Following that week in Aruba, you would be flown to Honolulu, Hawaii to spend a week vacationing in this Pacific island hot spot . You would enjoy the warm, sandy beaches and the blue ocean waters. The same deal would apply to the money and reimbursements. What do you think? Not bad. What would your response be? I know what my response would be: “I’m there! I’m going!”
Now were that story true, that would be nice. The sports nut would have the same response if the circumstances surrounded the Super Bowl. “I’m going!” The musically minded would have the same response if the trip involved Radio City Music Hall and Broadway in New York. “I’m going!” When first hearing those words spoken at a service on evangelism, you might automatically think first of the hymn, “Hark the Voice of Jesus Crying!” We sing, “who will go and work,” and then “Here am I! Send me!” “I’m going!” But our lesson from Zechariah shows us that the Lord wants someone else to be saying, “I’m going!” See if you can pick out who it is. READ ZECHARIAH 8:20-22.
Did you notice who says it? It’s those with whom we share the gospel in our evangelism efforts. It’s those to whom we go. This morning, using the post-exilic prophet Zechariah, God is going to teach us about evangelism. He’s going to teach us the “why” of evangelism. Why do we do it? It’s because God tells us that he, “The Lord Wants Hearts That Say, “I’m going!” They’re going I. Seeking their Lord; and II. Standing on his foundation of peace.
I. Seeking their Lord
A. Zechariah was sent by God to encourage the returned exiles to return to God and continue in their building project of re-constructing the temple in Jerusalem. Imagine the frustration and heart-wrenching sites they came back to when they walked into the old front yard after being gone 70 years. The Lord wanted to make sure that his people knew that he had not wiped them from his memory banks. He remembered them. The name Zechariah means “The Lord remembers.” Part of Zechariah’s job was to remind God’s people that though their houses and church had been flattened and looked like a nuclear bomb had exploded over Judah, the Lord remembered them. He was directing their attention beyond Jerusalem in Palestine to Jerusalem in Heaven.
B. “This is what the LORD Almighty says: Many peoples and the inhabitants of many cities will yet come, and the inhabitants of one city will go to another and say, ‘Let us go at once to entreat the LORD and seek the LORD Almighty. I myself am going’” (20-21). Notice right away that we don’t have to wonder who the speaker is: it’s the LORD Almighty. A truth from the LORD Almighty, the Ruler and King of all is about to be stated. This is the ninth time in this chapter that we hear the phrase: “This is what the Lord Almighty says.” Earlier in this same chapter the Lord had made this promise, “I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem” (8:3). He’s not talking about that physical city Jerusalem that has undergone some severe battles and been the war ground between feuding factions; he’s talking about his Church. Were the Lord to take a census of his city Jerusalem, his Church, he should have come up with a population of 1 – him. That city’s walls should have towered so high that no one could scale them to get in. Just like the people outside it had towered so high with pride in themselves. The drawbridge should have been shut tight with no entrance in sight and no back door. Just like the people outside it had shut tight for themselves their time, talents, and treasures. And those inhabitants of all those cities should not have even been given the chance to come to Jerusalem. Just like the people outside it didn’t want to give others a chance to hear about their Savior because they were too embarrassed of him. He, by all rights, should have mowed them down with a hell-fire they had never even dreamed of because they were his enemies and weren’t like him - holy. Those saying, “I’m going to Jerusalem!” would have heard the booming voice of God say, “You can’t come in!” Where was your home and mine? On the outside of Jerusalem’s walls with everyone else. That thing we have called sin guaranteed it.
C. Remember, however, who’s our speaker. It’s the LORD. The Savior God of grace who is compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, and forgiving. In order for anyone to approach him and be able to say, “I’m going,” he had to provide the access. And that’s where Jesus’ cross comes in. There’s the bridge that’s needed to cross the ravine into God’s presence. Fitting that cross so perfectly between us and God is how we can meet him. There’s how people are going to be able to seek after him and have his face shine upon them. There’s how these many inhabitants and we are going to be able to seek favor from his face without him searing us with his anger. Jesus’ cross and tomb allow us to say, “I’m going…to be with my God.”
D. Isn’t that the goal of our evangelism efforts? Isn’t that the goal of our evangelism committee, our congregation, and our individually sharing our Christian faith with our family member or friend? We want the people to whom we reach out to be able to say with their hearts, “I’m going…into the presence of my God.” Though my roots my be planted in Jackson, Slinger, West Bend or any other town, I want other people from other cities to be saying with me, “I’m going…to my Lord.” You’ve been called to declare God’s praise by being his evangelists, his gospel-sharers. What greater praise can God hear than a heart that says, “I’m going…to you, my Lord Almighty!”?
II. Standing on his foundation of peace
A. Were you to take that trip to Aruba or the Hawaiian Islands, you would hope and assume that you would find something worthwhile there. And I’m sure you would.
B. Look at what these people streaming to God find. “And many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the LORD Almighty and to entreat him” (22). This gathering is not just going to be among a few friends or buddies. The Lord makes a promise here. Many peoples and a strong number of nations will be represented there. He promises success in our evangelism efforts. And the place where they will meet is in Jerusalem. Could God again be using a play on words here with the significant name Jerusalem? Jerusalem means the “foundation of peace.” What a place to be standing! They, you, and I are to stand and plant our feet firmly on the ground in a city where we know our hearts can breathe a sigh of relief. “Ah! I’m at peace with my God. That’s where I’m going.”
C. Unfortunately there are many who aren’t able to say yet, “I’m going to stand on the foundation of peace.” What an opportunity you have to help someone stand on God’s foundation of peace. Take that yellow insert found in your bulletin this morning and fill it out. What a striking title that insert contains! It says, “Friends who need Jesus.” Applying what we heard today it could easily have read, “Friends who aren’t yet able to say, ‘I’m going…to live with my Savior for an eternity.” Or it could have read, “Friends who are not standing on God’s foundation of peace.” They need you. You love them. If you don’t tell them, who will? Our Savior hasn’t asked you to change their heart. That’s his job. What he has allowed us to do is be his witness. It doesn’t have to be a full-blown, long, drawn out presentation of the Bible. He’s equipped you with a simple evangelism tool. Tell them where you are going. You can say, “I’m going…to stand on God’s foundation of peace.”
Concl. I have an outstanding offer for you today. It involves no special trip or vacation getaway. But whatever evangelism opportunity you have placed before you, God’s offered you a way to declare his praises and be his witness. Use that little sentence that brings the Lord Almighty praise, “I’m going!” Invite those family members and friends and say to them, “You know that Jerusalem, that place where God dwells? You know that thing about standing in the Creator’s presence totally at peace with him? I can go there. I myself am going. Let’s both go.” Amen.
