SPEAKER_00 0:15

Well, hey Lifehouse family. Welcome back to our time with Pastor Mark. It is a Monday on a Tuesday, and it's like a holiday feels like snow days, whatever it is. I don't know where you're watching us from. Some areas got a lot, some not as much, but it wasn't so bad this time.

SPEAKER_01 0:32

The shoveling was much easier this time than it was this last time.

SPEAKER_00 0:36

I don't know about everybody else, but last time, man, it was chipping with a metal spade. It was tough. But this time, a little more, a little more enjoyable. Still got to work out out of it. Yeah, and we still got to gather on Sunday morning.

SPEAKER_01 0:48

Yes.

Why Zechariah 7 Matters

SPEAKER_00 0:48

At least. Baptism will next Sunday. We pray. Yes, next Sunday. But we do appreciate you joining us. We know we are a day late, but hey, we want to still take this time, go back through God's Word, and really look at it. And so we're in Zechariah 7. You know, as we mentioned, you pointed out this is part one of two. So we're really focusing on, I think you said some of like what not to do. You know, really Zechariah's calling out some of the people are approaching with questions, and so, you know, some real focus in that area.

Delegation From Bethel And Access To God

SPEAKER_01 1:17

Yeah, I mean, I think one of the first things I'd like to just kind of touch on is just the it's it's fascinating. And just to think to think about what we have been afforded under the new covenant through the blood of Jesus Christ. I just think about, you know, we're told in Zechariah chapter seven that a delegation, right, was sent from the city of Bethel, 12 miles away from Jerusalem. These two men specifically in chapter 7, verse 2, Sharazer and Regem Melech and their men. So this delegation was sent from Bethel, 12 miles away from Jerusalem, to entreat the favor of the Lord. And I'm just humbled by the access that we have in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. Like they couldn't just, you know, pray and seek the wisdom of the Lord. Like they had to set up an appointment, they had to send a delegation, right? So to seek and to know and to understand what they should do, how they should move forward. And so they did that. They went to Jerusalem to get a meeting and to understand through the prophets and through the priests there in Jerusalem what they should do in regards to fasting. And we'll talk about that in a moment, because God's like, I never asked you to fast in the first place. But things were going well for them at this point. You know, it was clear that God had not forgotten them, God had not forsaken them. They're moving forward, God's hand was upon them, blessing them. The temple was like being rebuilt, they're two years in, almost finished, so they can see the light at the end of the tunnel. So they're thinking, like, do we need to still fast? You know, but just thinking about us when we have those types of questions, like we have God's word, we have access, we have the Holy Spirit that indwells our hearts, and we're told, like, because of Jesus, Hebrews 4, 16, we can boldly come before, boldly approach the throne of grace in our time of need. Like we don't have to set up an appointment with a pastor or a priest or a prophet, like we don't have to travel to Jerusalem, the holy city, or to the temple. Like in our time of need, anywhere because of Christ, who is our high priest, we can pray and receive receive grace to help in our time of need. In James 1:5, it says, if any of you lacks wisdom, like when you're going through a trial or tribulation, count it all joy. And if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask for wisdom, for God gives wisdom generously, but let him ask in faith. So we can ask the Lord about matters, you know, seek his counsel. And so that's one thing that just right off the bat hits me. Any any thoughts on that yourself?

SPEAKER_00 3:48

Yeah, we're in such a great time. And I was even just reading John 2 in my devotions this morning of you know the wedding feast and the first miracle turning water into wine and the idea of the best, you know, that comes later. And so I think everything you're pointing out just reminded me, you know, Jesus is. We're experiencing that best better. Not to diminish, you know, God's plan and workings in any way, but you know, like you say, we have such a beautiful time in the new covenant of the relationship and how the dynamics that God has been working out through history where we can, you know, go through those things and not feel and you know where they're getting some of these things from.

Should We Keep Fasting

SPEAKER_01 4:26

Yeah. So yeah, so they seek the Lord's wisdom, this delegation. They said to the priests in verse 3, chapter 7, verse 3, should I weep and abstain in the fifth month as I have done for so many years? So for 68 years, specifically to commemorate 2 Kings chapter 25, talks about how, or the day, the day that uh Nebuchadnezzar sent his captain, Nabuzeradon. I'm probably pronouncing that wrong, but his captain, right, to literally level Jerusalem and to take anyone who's left there in captivity away to Babylon. And so for 68 years to be precise, many years, they've been commemorating this day. They've been lamenting, they set aside this day to lament, to mourn the day that everything was lost. So many died. I mean, literally, the houses were burned, the temple was burned, Jerusalem was leveled to the ground on that day. So for 68 years, they set aside that day to just lament and to weep and to abstain. Really also could be translated as fast. So it's not a good day, it's not a celebration, it's the opposite of a celebration, right? It's a day of mourning, and they've been doing that. Do we need to keep doing that? Is what they're asking. Right. And the answer is no. And the Lord says, is like, why are you even fasting? Like, is it for me that you're fasting? I never asked you to fast. Like, this isn't a religious thing. And that's the thing. These people, and and this is the thing where it relates to us, we can always fall into the trap. We need to be humble enough to know that we are susceptible, like in practicing our faith and being obedient to the commands given to us in scripture. Like, we can fall into the trap of like ritual, right? And religion. And really, what I think is is brought out in this text is God is saying, like, I don't want ritual and religion for you. Like it's about relationship. He says, Was it for me that you were fasting? Because I never asked you to fast. Like, that's the implication there. And then he goes on to ask them, he says, and furthermore, he says, and when you eat and when you drink, right? The big the basic foundational things to living life, like we got to eat and we got to drink to live. He says, Is it for me that you're eating? And is it for me that you're drinking? No, he says it's for yourself that you're eating and you're drinking. Nothing, in essence, you're living for yourselves. Like, and and what we're I can't help but think of 1 Corinthians 10, 31, like where Paul says, like, whether he tells believers, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, you're to do so for the glory of God. And really, that's what he's getting to the point here. Like when we fast, when we pray, when we give, when we live out our faith and worship the Lord, like we should do so for the glory of God. It's not about checking a box. It's not about like we can even do things within the confines of our faith, serve the Lord, give generously, benevolence, like all these different things. Pray, sing, worship, and and our hearts and our minds are not on God, it's on ourselves, like others seeing us about how we practice our faith and how good we can sing and how good we can pray and how generous we are. And God's saying, like, I don't want that. That's religion, that's check in the box. Like when you give, when you serve, when you eat and you drink, like like you we should be doing it with our hearts and our minds fixed on Him.

Ritual Versus Relationship

SPEAKER_00 7:49

Right. I agree. And like you said, religion versus relationship. And there's a big difference. You know, we truly always, you know, in our nomenclature and how we say it, you know, don't want to dismiss the term religion, but I don't always feel that's what we have. We have a relationship, and so we should be seeking God in everything we do, exactly like you point out. It doesn't matter if it's eating, drinking, you know, God, what are you s desiring for this area of my life? And too often we can fall into ritualistic things. Now, I don't think we want to diminish, you know, they started this probably with a good heart. We're lamenting that we grieve the Lord. And we don't want to forget what happened. Exactly. But then 68 years later, are you still doing it or have you changed, right? You know, where are you at with your relationship and how God is working so that you're repenting and we shouldn't have to do those things. So I think we always, and as you were preaching yesterday, I was reminded a book that's a leadership book, a guy named Simon Sinek. He wrote is called Start with Why. It's really for business leaders, but really in areas of your life, yes, why are we doing this? And so we always need to start with why. And if the answer to that is, well, it's just what I've always done, or you know, this is what we do, well, you're probably doing it for the wrong reasons, or even worse, like you said, well, I'm doing it for me. You know, for my own just personal thing rather than my relationship with the Lord. So we always need to be checking our why. But hey, you know, we do say, uh, you know, hey, if you have a morning routine that helps you with your Bible study and your prayer, like that's a good thing to put yourself in position for relationship. And so we don't diminish that in any way, but yeah, that needs to be that constant. I know we'll get to the heart posture, but that constant why are we doing this?

Communion’s Why And Our Heart

SPEAKER_01 9:36

Why are we doing it? And and we are commanded to do specific things in relation to our faith. There's two ordinances given to the church, right? Baptism and communion. We celebrated communion yesterday, and I'm so glad that we did, because I think that there's so much application in that. So why? Like, why do we celebrate communion? It's not just because Jesus told us to do it, right? Go through the motions, do this, take, eat the bread, drink the cup, you know, go through the motions, check bread, check cup, like you know. No, that's not what it's about. Like, we are to really the the instruction, the command there is to remember, like remember the sacrifice of Jesus. And not just for the sake of remembering and commemorating, but but really as we think about the gospel, when we think about who Jesus is and the fact that he came, he was born on mission to die, and he sacrificed and he suffered, he did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. He left us an example that we might follow in his steps, and I could go on and on, but that should humble us. That should elicit within our hearts gratitude. And so, communion really is such a fruitful thing. Like Jesus doesn't grow in power, God is not like does not become more strong or or or more great because more people do communion. No, really, communion is for our benefit. It doesn't benefit God. Who's given a gift to God that he might be repaid? Romans 11, 35. No, he doesn't need us to do communion. Communion is really for our benefit, and so that is why, really, in regards to all the commands of Christ, right? We're to teach others to observe everything Christ has commanded. Example, communion, but all these things, all his commands, but specifically communion, it's for our benefit. Like it and the why, like, like why do we do communion? Not to check the box. And so, really, we should we should consider, and I think it was so helpful. We participated, it's appropriate. Okay, like how has this changed me? How has this reoriented my thinking? Like, have I been going through the motions? Like, well, I need to stop doing that. Like, I really need to think about and intentionally consider like why I give, why I serve, why I live, why I gather with the saints and live out my faith in the way that I do. It's all because of Jesus and it started with what he did on the cross, you know.

SPEAKER_00 12:07

Thoughts on that? I agree. It's uh and it's an ongoing thing, and you know, we even talk about communion so important that it is reflective. It isn't something that we do just because or thinking we have to. And we even mentioned baptism. We have baptism coming up. It's it's interesting. I get the great opportunity to uh right now teach our baptism class and walk through people with it. I get some people who come, you know, so like, why are you being baptized? And some say, well, to get closer to God. And so I'm always careful with that. I'm like, well, it's not the baptism itself, it's the heart that you're going into baptism to be obedient. And so, yes, in obedience and reflection and worshipfulness, that will draw you closer to God. But if you're thinking just going into the water or in communion, just eating bread and you know, juice is somehow like changing it itself, the physical things changing the relationship. That's not it. But it's the heart that is drawing closer to God. And gracefully, He has given us some of these things that represent, you know, when we really reflect on them, on baptism representing Christ's burial and resurrection, the communion, recognizing the cross, these help us to remember, you know, another good R, you know, the ritual and the remember these things. Absolutely. So it's a very important stuff.

SPEAKER_01 13:24

And it's fascinating, and I love how in 1 Corinthians chapter 11, interestingly, right after 1 Corinthians 10 31, where we're told to do everything for the glory of God, whether we eat or drink, we're given specific instructions about communion. So Paul is addressing the church in Corinth, who was practicing communion, eating the Lord's Supper in the wrong way. And he starts off this conversation there by saying, like, I've heard there's divisions among you, and I can't even believe it. Like, because there shouldn't be division among the people of Christ. There should be forgiveness, like we should make allowance for people's faults, you know, and there should be unity, right? And joy and peace. Like the dividing wall of hostility has been uh leveled, you know, in and through Jesus. And so that the church should be one. But he says, like, I'm hearing there's divisions among you. And then he talks about how they're practicing communion. He says, like, or eating the Lord's Supper. And in fact, he says, like, it's not the Lord's Supper that you're eating because of the way that you're doing it. You're just, you're not even waiting for your brothers and sisters, you're just doing when you want to do it, you do it. And he says, and he goes on to instruct them and saying, like, specifically, one of the things he says is that we should not partake in an unworthy manner. Now, ultimately he's talking about salvation, but I think that beyond that, like those who are saved, like we're humbled, right? We we we we are submissive to the Lord and we know what he wants, and that's unity. And so the proper way really addresses like is this isn't for me, this isn't just a ritual, a ritual like religion, this is about relationship. And when we love God, we love what he loves and who he loves. That's one another. Jesus says, You will know my disciples by their love for one another. And so we're gonna practice and celebrate communion together. And it's a meaningful thing that we do together as one body. And it's a beautiful thing, and I think so correlates with you know what we're told to do here. It's not about ritual or rich religion, it's about relationship with God and with one another.

SPEAKER_00 15:26

And I think the three points are really the dangers of you know, if you're very ritualistic, well, you know, you can become haughty. You can be thinking because I do all these things, I'm holier than the people who don't. And also make you hypocrite, you know, the hypocrite because it's like you probably do a lot of things and have other areas of weakness, so don't let this time of fasting or like, yeah, look how you know we weep and fast over that. And so we're listen to us pray above, you know, we're super Christians, so we need to stay humble about the routines that we develop. Like I always will say things that help me, and I'll, hey, this is helped me. Maybe it'll help you, maybe it won't, you know. But we have to stay humble so we're not hypocrites, and they can ultimately make us hard-hearted.

Unity And Worthy Participation

SPEAKER_01 16:11

Absolutely. And so we we have the example of the Israelites all throughout scripture. So in Zechariah, he's reminding them of their forefathers. We can go back to Isaiah chapter one, and there's other passages of scripture when the people of God were doing all the right things. They were worshiping, quote unquote. They were giving, they were praying, they were serving, like at the appointed times, but in the wrong way. God sees their hearts and he's saying, This is not what I want. It's not about you doing these things, these rituals. Like it's about relationship. And even in Isaiah chapter one, he says, No, like, like repent and come to me. Like, let's make this right. Like, let's get it be in right relationship. And then in the New Testament, like Jesus is confronting the religious leaders who were doing the same thing. And he even confronts them and says, You're hypocrites, like you honor God with your lips, like you're saying the right things, you're wearing the right clothes, like you're you're doing the right things, but your hearts are far from God. And therefore, he says, Your worship is a farce, it's a joke, it's not profitable, it's not beneficial, it's not blessing God. And so we just want to learn from those examples and listen to the word of the Lord here in Isaiah chapter 7 and make sure that our hearts are in the right place. It's not haughty, it's not about us exalting ourselves so that we can be lauded and applauded or appreciated by men, but rather that we can please and bless God. And we don't want to be hypocrites, right? Joshua 24, when the people were about to enter the promised land, Joshua said, Serve the Lord with sincerity and faithfulness, like, like honor God. That's what God wants. And so he even tells the people in in Zechariah chapter 7 This is the word of the Lord, not that you fast on the fifth of the month and do these rituals, but rather that you render true judgments, that you show kindness and mercy to one another. Verse 10, do not oppress the widow and the fatherless and the sojourner of the poor. I could care less about your fasting. What I want for you is integrity, sincerity, faithfulness, is what he's saying. But none of you devise evil against another in your heart, you know. And so God had made that clear, explicit through his prophets to their forefathers. But he warns the people, he says, now their example was that they refuse to listen to what I really wanted. So, people of God today, listen to what I really want, right? You know, thoughts on that?

SPEAKER_00 18:33

You're doing all these rituals, but then you're not caring for people or living that out. And even just talking, we're in the Lenten season now, you know. So, you know, I know there's various denominations and things where just I think Ash Wednesday was last week, if I think you can remember, you know, so some people will do that, which is nowhere really found in the Bible. So again, that's could be a good example of the R. Was it for me that you put that cross on your head? Did it cause you to reflect? And maybe it's not a good thing.

SPEAKER_01 19:00

It could be. Exactly. But I think that a lot for a lot of people, they're just doing it because that's what they were told to do, or they want attention. Oh, what a holy person, what a good person. They put a cross on their on their head. You know, again, God sees hearts, and what we want to make sure behind if we put a cross or we even wear a t-shirt or put a bumper sticker on the back of our car, it's not for attention, it's so that we might be a witness, his witness, and honor him in that way. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:28

Yep, 100% agree. So but these are all good things. And so what would you say are some good ways to examine, you know, to check yourself, to make sure your why is on target, you know, any of those kinds of things.

Three Dangers: Haughty, Hypocrite, Hardened

SPEAKER_01 19:39

Well, I mean, I think, you know, I think really ask the why, you know. I mean, and really be intentional to think about, like when you're going, just don't go through the motions. Think about what you're doing and the why behind it. Pray. You know, I often say, I've said it on this podcast before, one of my daily prayers is search me, oh God, know my heart, know my mind. I say, see if there or find the wicked way in me that I might, you know, follow you and honor you. And so ask the Lord to reveal, like if you're just going through the motions, like, or if you're just checking the boxes. And if there's something that maybe you're not seeing or pride behind the things that you're doing, even within the confounds of your faith, serving him in some way. I know with preaching, you know, or maybe even singing, like that's a very, you know, I mean, our church every Sunday morning, it's like about 1,200 people gather. And so there's a temptation, if I'm being honest. I really think for any man to get up in front of that many people to feel like, hey, like I'm feeling good about this. Like everyone's looking at me, you know, and and how do I look? And that's the wrong mentality. It should be like, I want people to see God. I want people to hear from God. It's not about what I have to say, it's about what God has to say. This is his church. These are his people, right? And so I want to honor him in everything that I say and do, glorify him. And so I think it's just, I think it's important for us to be humble in knowing that we are all susceptible and vulnerable to what we see the people of God having done in through the Old Testament and even in the new. But I think that's a practical thing, and just always posture ourselves to have ears to hear. They did the opposite. Like he refers to the forefathers of the people that he's speaking to as having turned a stubborn shoulder, right, and stopped their ears that they might not hear. And we're told in verse 12 that they made their hearts diamond hard lest they should hear. We can do that, you know, like and so, like, yeah, when God is speaking, and so I one application here, so really, you know, one of the reasons we gather on Sunday mornings is to come under the preached word of God. On those Sunday mornings, are we coming with ears? To hear. You know, or are we on our phones? In essence, we're turning a stubborn shoulder. I'm not listening to that guy. He's a dummy. He's a dork. You know, I'm not listening to him. So we turn a shoulder like I'm not listening. Or we fall asleep, or we're so focused on the person next to us, or that person across that pretty girl across the room, we're not listening to hear. In essence, we're turning a stubborn shoulder to the opportunity to hear a word from the Lord that we need to live our lives in faithfulness. And the Lord said that in doing that, in posturing themselves in those ways, they made their hearts diamond hard. Not just hard. Like there's drama here, diamond hard, right? You know a lot about diamond, right? As an engineer.

SPEAKER_00 22:41

Oh, yeah, in our geology class, I was thinking when you were talking about it, you know, the only thing that can cut a diamond is another diamond. And I was even thinking, too, you know, diamonds are kind of crystallized. They can't change. And I think exactly as you were talking about, why are you coming to church? And the whole the Lord seeking, you know, where do I need to change? Sometimes we think, if we're in that ritualistic religious mindset, that we're good. You know, like we don't need to change things, and really that's why we come under the word. We read the word, not to check a box, we read it to reveal, like, Lord, where do I need to change? Or who do you want me to be reaching out to, or where in my life can I make an impact? Like that should be the why. That should be what we're seeking to be personally developed and also show that love to others to be inside out. And I think when we are diamond-hearted, we're crystallized. We're we can't change. And so that's I think a really good illustration here. And I remember in geology class, you had like talc that you could scratch and it goes all up the mose, hardened scale, whatever. Who do we get on our reflections geology lesson? But the Bible gives us lots of good things. But diamonds are set, you know, like it's not gonna, it's not gonna continue to be molded like the potter in the clay. So let's learn from the mistakes of others.

Diamond-Hard Hearts Explained

SPEAKER_01 23:58

So we see and we know that their forefathers of those in Zechariah's day had hearts that they made their hearts diamond hard. So how do we do that today? Can we do that today? You know, I I think we can. Absolutely. I mean, the Pharisees and the scribes, the religious leaders of Jesus' day, had hard hearts because they refused to believe. They denied the undeniable. Like Jesus was there front and center performing miracles, but they refused to acknowledge that this could be the Son of God. They did not want to submit, and in doing so, they made their hearts hard. But not just these Pharisees and the scribes, so even Jesus' disciples. Like I'm blown away and convicted by the testimony in Mark chapter 8, where after the feeding of the 5,000, after the feeding of the 4,000, that was subsequent to the feeding of the 5,000, so it wasn't just 5,000, 4,000, it was 5,000 plus women and children, 4,000 plus women and children. It was a miracle. The disciples were there. Jesus used them to literally distribute the food, and they collected baskets of leftovers. Not only was everyone satisfied as in filled, they had baskets of leftovers, and then literally, like right after that, Jesus and his disciples get in a boat and they forgot the leftovers. And all they had was one loaf of bread. So you've got 13 men, right? Jesus and the 12 disciples in a boat, and they say, Oh man, like we forgot the bread. We only have one loaf. And they started talking to each other, like, what are we gonna do about that? They're doing pizza math in their head, and they're thinking, like, I'm hungry, we only got one loaf. Jesus, knowing that, says, Beware of the leaven of the scribes and the Sadducees, the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod, Herod. And then even he said, even though he said, Watch out, like, don't fall into their example of unbelief, of denying the undeniable. He says, They that were told that they began discussing with one another they had no bread. They had one loaf, but as far as they were concerned, they had no bread. And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, like, why are you discussing the fact that we have no bread? Do you not perceive or understand? He says, Are your hearts hardened? Like, have you forgotten so quickly what you literally saw with your own eyes? And I'm I'm convicted by that because, you know, even in my own life as a pastor, I mean, I have seen the Lord, well, he saved me. Like he saved me from the pit of hell, right? From condemnation. He did for me what I could not do for myself. I trusted him to do that. But even beyond that, like he revealed himself to me so many times, he has throughout my life with provisions, with guidance, with through his word. I mean, in just so many ways, and yet I forget and I doubt and I struggle because I only have one loaf of bread. And that's not enough. Like if we have Jesus, he is enough. Right? Paul says, I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. I mean, so really what causes our hearts to be hard, he says, are your hearts hardened? It's simply unbelief. Unbelief. It's refusing to remember. And so I would say, going back to communion, one thing that communion should do for us is soften our hearts every time we do it. And one time, and every time we come together and assemble, every time we read God's word and pray, like one of the fruits of that time, the practical things that should take place, is the softening of our hearts and the responding of our hearts to that which the Lord, the Spirit of God, would lead us to do through the preaching of His Word, through the conversation that we have with Him in prayer. And so I think that that should be a very intentional thing that we pursue as believers is soft, tender, responsive hearts that do not delay to obey, but rather to obey, to trust and obey, and thereby soften our hearts. May they always be malleable and soft and responsive as opposed to hard and not believing.

SPEAKER_00 28:06

I would even say, like you were talking about with the feeding of multi-thousands, four thousand, five thousand, we should have like an abundance mindset. Right. Because a lot of times the self-centeredness, the pizza math, or can say, Am I gonna get my peace? Am I gonna get mine? It's like with God, with our faith, our hearts should be softened from the standpoint of like there's enough of Christ to go around, there's enough blessing to go around, there's not this having to get our own through the rituals, like, well, I've got to do all these things so I get my own. Like when we have that eternal perspective, when we have an abundance mindset, but when we have a you know diminished or a limited, you know, that's what turns us selfish and like you say, it's easy to get that way. We kind of because we're finite and we think small and we can't see a way, because we can't see a way, there must not be a way, but with God, there's always a way.

SPEAKER_01 28:57

With him, there's always a way. What's impossible with man is possible with God. I mean, they sound so cliche, but it really is true. Do we believe what we claim to believe? And ultimately, like that's the whole point of Zechariah chapter seven to bring it to a close is like God does not want for us ritual and religion. He wants relationship, he wants us to trust him. Absolutely. That he remembers, that he sees, that he knows, that he's faithful. Right? Scripture is like God's love story to us, revealing to us who he is, so that we don't need to be confused and wonder. That we can know that he is Jehovah Jireh, the God who provides. You know, that he is Jehovah Rapha, the God who heals, and that his steadfast love endures forever. And so we must cling to these truths that we know rather than doubt them, right? We can pray. I think it's appropriate to pray, I believe, but help my unbelief. Like we do, I think, at times struggle with doubt, but we don't want to stay in those places. We want our hearts to be tender, always listening, ready to hear what He would give us so that we can move forward by faith.

SPEAKER_00 30:01

Amen.

SPEAKER_01 30:02

And worship him in spirit and in truth. That's right.

SPEAKER_00 30:04

And that was just part one. So part one. Next two. We're gonna next week we're gonna be on part two, and he kind of look ahead, or as we're coming out, you know, softening our hearts from a hardness of ritual and religion to more of relationship, which we look ahead for next week.

Unbelief After Miracles

SPEAKER_01 30:19

Yeah, and so really I think so seven and eight, Zechariah chapter seven and Zechariah chapter eight go together. And ultimately at the end of chapter eight is when he specifically answers that initial question that that delegation was sent to ask, to entreat. You know, should we fast in the fifth month? And God specifically and explicitly says, like, basically, no, like I don't want you to fast. Like what I have planned for you, what I want to set before you is celebration, is feasting, is joy. It's not a time to lament or mourn. Because of what I'm doing, like you can rejoice. And this goes with everything that the Apostle Paul in the New Testament, like, rejoice in the Lord always. And again, I say, rejoice, like rejoice in all circumstances, like regardless of what you're going through. And this doesn't mean that we just need to sweep the hard things under the carpet, but we can know and have hope and trust that all things work together for good for those who love God and who are called according to his purpose. And so this is essentially what chapter eight really reinforces. Chapter seven is the don't be like your forefathers, like don't just go through the emotions checking the box, ask the why behind it. What I'm wanting for you is sincerity and authenticity, and trust me, because I am fulfilling my plan, chapter eight, and I'm bringing about salvation, freedom, joy, and hope. You're gonna go from fasting, like you've been doing for these 70 years, to feasting, like it's party time in essence. Not meaning that it's all roses and rainbows, but that you can trust me and I'm with you and I remember. And end of story.

SPEAKER_00 31:55

Yep. And the key word, I think joy. You know, God wants joy for us, not ritual, not drudgery, none of those things, but truly a joyfulness in our relationships.

SPEAKER_01 32:05

Yeah, and and that doesn't mean so I I think that joy and pain can dwell together. Of course. And I think that joy and even sorrow, right, can can dwell together because we're really joy comes from faith, like trusting, it's or hope may be a better word to use, even. Like we know that whatever we're going through, this is not the end of the story. Like we have hope. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, where Paul was talking to believers whose loved ones had passed away, he said, Listen, I don't want you to be uninformed that you might grieve as others do who have no hope. So he's saying there is not that you can't grieve, but you're to grieve in a specific way, with grieve in light of the hope that you have, right? And that's the way that we're to engage and navigate everything that we go through on this earth. Absolutely.

unknown 32:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 32:56

A little preview for next week. But Lifehouse Family, thanks for joining us. Our prayer is always this encourages you, just helps you go deeper, uh, help you walk through your week until we see you next Sunday. Thanks for your time.