Minor Prophets, Major Message

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Minor Prophets,Major Message
Our Winter Series at Living Water

• Pastor Brett Peterson

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• We are about to embark on a wonderful journey!
  We will glimpse back in time and even flash
  forward to future events.
• The minor prophets have a message for us today,
  relevant to the current state of the Church and
  world events. 
• In fact, we are told that

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Why are they called Minor?

• Most commentaries say it is because they are
  small books.
• However, two of them are larger than Daniel, but
  Daniel is a Major Prophet
• Its not the size of the books, its the themes
  of the books.
• Daniel has multiple themes thus he is grouped
  with the Major Prophets.

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• Eph 219  So then you are no longer strangers and
  aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the
  saints, and are of God's household,20  having
  been built on the foundation of the apostles and
  prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner
  stone,

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• The Churchs foundation is built on the Apostles
  and the Prophets.  We all know what the Apostles
  have given us in way of a foundation now lets
  explore what the Prophets reveal to us in these
  uncertain times.  I think you will find this
  series compelling, provocative, and absolutely
  essential for the Church today Gods household

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• 1Ti 315 but in case I am delayed, I write so
  that you will know how one ought to conduct
  himself in the household of God, which is the
  church of the living God, the pillar and support
  of the truth.

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Some say the Twelve Prophets we are about to
study have nothing to say to the modern Christian
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God says they are our Foundation!

• In Romans 117 Paul quotes Habakkuk 24, when he
• says, It is written, The just shall live by
  faith.

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• Perhaps most striking of all, we read in Matt. 2
  that the wise men from the East had determined to
  seek out the
• Christ Child in Bethlehem because of the very
  explicit directions which they found in Micah
  52. But thou Bethlehem, though thou be little
  among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee
  shall He come forth unto me that is to be ruler
  in Israel, whose goings forth have been from of
  old, from everlasting.
• The first sermon Peter quoted Joel.

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So why, 12 Angry Men?

• Eze 513 'Thus My anger will be spent and I will
  satisfy My wrath on them, and I will be appeased
  then they will know that I, the LORD, have spoken
  in My zeal when I have spent My wrath upon them.
• God Spoke His anger through the Prophets!
• It is a righteous anger!
• It is a message that so burns within them that
  they must speak forth Gods Word.

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• The prophets of old were mens men. They were
  zealous for the Word of God and declared His word
  with passion. It was a righteous anger.
• It is this zeal that we need today!

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Jesus was not a wimp!

• Joh 213 The Passover of the Jews was near, and
  Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 And He found in
  the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep
  and doves, and the money changers seated at their
  tables. 15 And He made a scourge of cords, and
  drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep
  and the oxen and He poured out the coins of the
  money changers and overturned their tables

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• Joh 216 and to those who were selling the doves
  He said, "Take these things away stop making My
  Father's house a place of business."
• Joh 217 His disciples remembered that it was
  written, "ZEAL FOR YOUR HOUSE WILL CONSUME ME."

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• When was the last time you were CONSUMED with
  Zeal for Gods House?
• Where have all the heroes gone?
• Where is the POWER in your life?

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• Act 18 but you will receive POWERwhen the Holy
  Spirit has come upon you and YOU SHALL be My
  witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and
  Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the
  earth."

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• Whens the last time you felt that zeal for the
  things of God?
• When is the last time you spoke out for Truth and
  Righteousness?
• Are you driven by the Power of God or the fear of
  men?

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• Php 113 so that my imprisonment in the cause of
  Christ has become well known throughout the whole
  praetorian guard and to everyone else,
• Php 114 and that most of the brethren, trusting
  in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far
  more COURAGE to speak the word of God WITHOUT
  FEAR.

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We will find that God judges nations

• In our great country, democracy is king and we
  the people rule. We do not have to submit to a
  dictator nor do we have to idly stand by allow
  our politicians to continue to degrade the moral
  integrity of this nation. It is the duty and
  obligation of each Christian to stand up for
  TRUTH and oppose those who oppose the ethical and
  moral compass of God's Word.

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• Tit 211 For the grace of God has appeared,
  bringing salvation to all men,
• Tit 212 instructing us to deny ungodliness and
  worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously
  and godly in the present age,
• Tit 213 looking for the blessed hope and the
  appearing of the glory of our great God and
  Savior, Christ Jesus,

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• Tit 214 who gave Himself for us to redeem us
  from every lawless deed, and to purify for
  Himself a people for His own possession, ZEALOUS
  for good deeds.
• Tit 215 These things speak and exhort and
  reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard
  you.

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Qualities we should have

• POWER
• ZEAL
• STRENGTH
• AUTHORITY
• COURAGE
• BOLDNESS

Its time to make God famous!
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• 1Pe 312 "FOR THE EYES OF THE LORD ARE TOWARD
  THE RIGHTEOUS, AND HIS EARS ATTEND TO THEIR
  PRAYER, BUT THE FACE OF THE LORD IS AGAINST THOSE
  WHO DO EVIL."

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• 1Pe 313 Who is there to harm you if you prove
  zealous for what is good?
• 1Pe 314 But even if you should suffer for the
  sake of righteousness, you are blessed. AND DO
  NOT FEAR THEIR INTIMIDATION, AND DO NOT BE
  TROUBLED,

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• Rev 315 'I know your deeds, that you are
  neither cold nor hot I wish that you were cold
  or hot.
• Rev 316 'So because you are lukewarm, and
  neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My
  mouth.
• Rev 317 'Because you say, "I am rich, and have
  become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and
  you do not know that you are wretched and
  miserable and poor and blind and naked,

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• Rev 319 'Those whom I love, I reprove and
  discipline therefore be zealous and repent.
• Rev 320 'Behold, I stand at the door and knock
  if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I
  will come in to him and will dine with him, and
  he with Me.

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• 1Co 1613 Be on the alert, stand firm in the
  faith, act like men, be strong.
• Act 1716 Now while Paul was waiting for them at
  Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him
  as he was observing the city full of idols.
• to excite, stir up parorgízo (G3949), to
  provoke to wrath or anger parazelóo (G3863),
  to provoke to jealousy.

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12 Angry Men

• Men who desired to please God rather than men
• Gal 110 For am I now seeking the favor of men,
  or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I
  were still trying to please men, I would not be a
  bond-servant of Christ.

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God holds men to ObedienceLeviticus 26
Verses 14-33 Promises of Curses
Verses 1-13 Promises of Blessing

• Disease
• Invasion
• Defeat
• Seven times more
• Removed from Land

• Rain for crops
• Security in land
• Victory over enemies
• God with His people

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Isaiah 5410 Promise of Covenant of Peace For the
mountains may depart and the hills be removed,
but my steadfast love shall not depart from you,
and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,
says the Lord, who has compassion on you. 
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Exodus 195The LORD said, Now therefore, if you
will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant,
you shall be my treasured possession among all
peoples, for all the earth is mine 6and you
shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy
nation.
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• Priests represented the people to God
• Prophets represented God to the people
• We no longer need Priests Christ is our High
  Priest
• We are priests of our own temple of God- our
  bodies!
• We still need prophets!
• Prophecy To proclaim Gods Word
• Paul told us all to desire to be prophets!!!!

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• 1Co 141 Pursue love, yet desire earnestly
  spiritual gifts, but especially that you may
  prophesy.
• Joe 228 "It will come about after this That I
  will pour out My Spirit on all mankind And your
  sons and daughters will prophesy, Your old men
  will dream dreams, Your young men will see
  visions.

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The Message of the Prophets

• The Lord as Ruler of all history.
• The primary need to be right with God.
• The moral foundation of religion and society.
• A blend of judgment and hope.
• The Messianic Kingdom.

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Meeting God
Revelation a fresh glimpse of Him as we
obey Repentance turning from our ways to
His Restoration His grace, forgiveness
freedom Remaining Connected to Him
empowered Responding Here am Iobeying Him
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Important Dates to Remember

• 975 BC The Kingdom of Israel was divided into
  two parts
• The Northern Kingdom of Israel with Samaria as
  its capital.
• The Southern Kingdom of Judah with Jerusalem as
  its capital.
• 722 BC The Northern Kingdom of Israel (Samaria)
  was destroyed by the Assyrians under King
  Tiglathpileser III (2 Kings 1529). As was the
  Assyrian custom, the Israelites were deported to
  Assyria.
• 586 BC The Southern Kingdom of Judah is taken
  captive and Jerusalem is destroyed by the
  Babylonians under the rule of King
  Nebuchadnezzar.

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(No Transcript)
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Divided Kingdom

• Northern Kingdom Israel
• Evil, disobedient
• Fell in 722 BC to the Assyrian Empire
• Israelites taken into captivity
• Southern Kingdom Judah
• Disobedient, occasional reforms Hezekiah,
  Josiah
• Fell in 586 BC to the Babylonian Empire
• Taken into captivity

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Timeline
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2Pe 119 So we have the prophetic word made more
sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to
a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day
dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.
2Pe 120 But know this first of all, that no
prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own
interpretation, 2Pe 121 for no prophecy was
ever made by an act of human will, but men moved
by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
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Micah 52 NIV "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me one who will be ruler
over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from
ancient times."
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Micah 68 NIV He has showed you, O man, what is
good. And what does the LORD require of you? To
act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly
with your God.
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Joel 2 28-29 NIV And afterward, I will pour
out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and
daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream
dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on
my servants, both men and women, I will pour out
my Spirit in those days.
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Matthew 12 40 NIV For as Jonah was three days
and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so
the Son of Man will be three days and three
nights in the heart of the earth.
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Habakkuk 2 4 NRSV Look at the proud! Their
spirit is not right in them, but the righteous
live by their faith.
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Zechariah 99 NIV Rejoice greatly, O Daughter
of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See,
your king comes to you, righteous and having
salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
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Malachi 3 8-10 NIV "Will a man rob God? Yet
you rob me. "But you ask, 'How do we rob you?'
"In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse
the whole nation of you because you are robbing
me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse,
that there may be food in my house. Test me in
this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will
not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour
out so much blessing that you will not have room
enough for it.
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Zephaniah 317 NIV The LORD your God is with
you, he is mighty to save. He will take great
delight in you, he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing."
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• OBADIAH
• (840 B.C.)
• THEME
• God will oppose the proud who oppose His
  people.
• PATIENCE IN TRIBULATION
• VERSE
• (15) For the day of the LORD draws near on all
  the nations. As you have done, it will be done to
  you.

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• Joel
• (835 B.C.)
• THEME
• RESPONDING TO DISCIPLINE REVIVAL
• VERSES
• (228-32) It will come about after this that I
  will pour out My Spirit on all mankind your
  sons daughters will prophesy, your old men will
  dream dreams, your young men will see visions.
  Even on the male female servants I will pour
  out My Spirit in those days. I will display
  wonders in the sky on the earth, blood, fire
  columns of smoke. The sun will be turned into
  darkness the moon into blood before the great
  awesome day of the LORD comes it will come
  about that whoever calls on the name of the LORD
  will be delivered for on Mount Zion in
  Jerusalem there will be those who escape, as the
  LORD has said, even among the survivors whom the
  LORD calls.

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• Jonah
• (760 B.C.)
• THEME
• RESPONSIBLE EVANGELISM.
• VERSE
• (310) When God saw their deeds, that they
  turned from their wicked way, then God relented
  concerning the calamity which He had declared He
  would bring upon them. And He did not do it.

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• Amos
• (755 B.C.)
• THEME
• God will punish Israel for covenant violations
  particularly social commands of the Law. SEEK THE
  LORD
• VERSES
• (811-12) Behold, days are coming, declares the
  Lord GOD, when I will send a famine on the land,
  not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, but
  rather for hearing the words of the LORD. People
  will stagger from sea to sea from the north
  even to the east they will go to fro to seek
  the word of the LORD, but they will not find it.

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• Hosea
• (710 B.C.)
• THEME
• GODS UNFAILING LOVE MERCY
• VERSES
• (66) For I delight in loyalty rather than
  sacrifice, in the knowledge of God rather than
  burnt offerings.

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• Micah
• (700 B.C.)
• THEME
• RECOGNIZING FALSE TEACHERS.
• VERSE
• (68) He has told you, O man, what is good and
  what does the LORD require of you but to do
  justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly
  with your God?

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• Nahum
• (663-612 B.C.)
• THEME
• FOUNDATION FOR COURAGE.
• VERSES
• (13,7) The LORD is slow to anger great in
  power, the LORD will by no means leave the
  guilty unpunished. In whirlwind storm is His
  way, clouds are the dust beneath His feet. The
  LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble,
  He knows those who take refuge in Him. But with
  an overflowing flood He will make a complete end
  of its site, will pursue His enemies into
  darkness.

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• Zephaniah
• (625 B.C.)
• THEME
• Despite all appearances to the contrary, God is
  still in control of the world.
• VERSE
• (112) It will come about at that time that I
  will search Jerusalem with lamps, I will punish
  the men who are stagnant in spirit, who say in
  their hearts, The LORD will not do good or
  evil!

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• Habakkuk
• (607 B.C.)
• THEME
• God may delay Judahs judgment, but judgment
  will come and devastate the country, but the just
  shall survive by their faithfulness.
• VERSE
• (24) Behold, as for the proud one, his soul is
  not right within him but the righteous will live
  by his faith.

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• Haggai
• (520 B.C.)
• THEME
• Put Gods program first, and you will be
  blessed!
• VERSES
• (15) Now therefore, thus says the LORD of
  hosts, Consider your ways! 
• (17) Thus says the LORD of hosts, Consider
  your ways!

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• Zechariah
• (520 B.C.)
• THEME
• LIVING IN THE LAST DAYS.
• VERSE
• (46) Then he said to me, This is the word of
  the LORD to Zerubbabel saying, Not by might nor
  by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of
  hosts.

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Malachi (450-400 B.C.)

• THEME
• Sincere devotion to God is necessary to receive
  His favor.
• VERSES
• (16/36-7) A son honors his father, a servant
  his master. Then if I am a father, where is My
  honor? And if I am a master, where is My
  respect? says the LORD of hosts to you, O
  priests who despise My name. But you say, How
  have we despised Your name? For I, the LORD,
  do not change therefore you, O sons of Jacob,
  are not consumed. From the days of your fathers
  you have turned aside from My statutes have not
  kept them. Return to Me, I will return to you,
  says the LORD of hosts. But you say, How shall
  we return?

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12 Angry (Zealous) Men

• A message that transcends time
• A journey that will bring us into right
  relationship with Yahweh
• A glimpse into the His-story of the future
• A winter we will spend with some mighty men of
  God as we peer into their letters
• A time to be empowered by the Spirit