Here is the Outline for our Sermon for Sunday, September 25, 2011. Join us at 10:30 AM as we study God’s Word and learn how to worship Him as He desires and to see what affect true worship has on our daily lives. Worship of God that does not lead to service for others (ministry) is not true worship!

Hearts of Flint – Zechariah 7:1-14

I. Delegation from Bethel – vs. 1-3

A. Date – 9/4/518 BC

1. Two Years after Visions (ch. 1-6)
2. Temple Half-Way Finished

B. From the “House of God” to the “House of the Lord”

1. House of God – Bethel – 12 miles north of Jerusalem
2. House of the Lord – The Temple

C. The Question

1. Should We Keep Fasting?
2. Four Annual Fasts in Exile – 2 Kings 25; Jer 39:1-4, 41; 52:12-13

a. 4/17 – Breech of Wall, Capture of Jerusalem by Babylon
b. 5/9 – Burning of the City and the Temple (2 Kings 25:8; Jer 52:12)
c. 7/3 – Assassination of Governor Gedaliah (2 Kings 25:22-26)
d. 10/10 – Beginning of the Siege of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar

3. Can We Move On? (or should we continue the fifth month fast for the old Temple even while the new is almost finished)
4. Four Answers

a. Answer 1 – Zech 7:4-7
b. Answer 2 – Zech 7:8-14
c. Answer 3 – Zech 8:1-17
d. Answer 4 – Zech 8:18-23

II. Answer 1 – Did You Fast for Me? – vs. 4-7

A. For Me, or For You?
B. Superstitious Ritual or Reverent Obedience? – Isa 1:10-15; 58:3-9; Amos 5:21-24; 1 Sam 15:22
C. Meaningless Celebrations – Holiday = Holy Day, Holler Day, or Hollow Day
D. You Should Have Obeyed the Word of God

III. Answer 2 – Do What You Hear – vs. 8-14

A. True Religion: Acts of Worship should lead to Acts of Service/Ministry
B. Imitating God

1. Justice & Righteousness
2. Mercy & Compassion
3. Do not Oppress
4. Do not Plan Evil

C. But They

1. Refused to Heed – would not pay attention
2. Shrugged Their Shoulders – “pull back a shoulder” to avoid a yoke
3. Stopped Their Ears – did not listen
4. Hardened Their Hearts so as not to Hear – actively avoided God’s Law

D. Sin has Consequences

IV. Application – Do We Desire God? – Psalm 73:25-26; Prov 23:26

A. Do We Care more about Consequences of Sin than the Sin Itself? –(fasting for the destruction of Jerusalem vs. fasting for the sin that brought that judgment)
B. Faith without Works is Dead – James 2:14-17

1. 81% of Americans claim to be Religious (Gallup)
2. 95% of Americans claim belief in God
3. 12% of Americans claim religion makes a difference in their lives

C. True Religion can be Measured – Psalm 98:9; Lamentations 3:22; Micah 6:8; James 1:27
D. Who is at the Center of Our Religion? – 1 Sam 16:7; Col 3:23