Ashamed or Forgiven?
- Every day practically every one of us does certain things that are similar…
- we might be different in a zillion ways, but there are still certain commonalities…
- for example, if I asked you – did you eat anything yesterday, I think most people would
say ―yes‖…I highly doubt that anyone would say – you know, I just forgot, I never got
around to it…
- the same is true of brushing your teeth [let’s at least hope so]…everyone here brushes
their teeth [and for the sake of the dentists in our congregation—we also floss,
everyday, religiously…that’s probably pushing it]…
- but you agree with the point – regardless of how many differences are represented
here…there are certain things we all do…
- another item on that list is looking in the mirror…and I’m not talking about doing that in
some inappropriate way…or lovingly gazing at ourselves all afternoon…
- but occasionally, we all look in a mirror…you might not have one this big [podium mirror
on the platform] --- but you have one, and you check it from time to time…
- now let me ask you this question – what do you see?...who are you?...
- and really when I ask you that, I’m not really asking, what do you physically see when you
look in the mirror, I’m really asking, what do you see when you think of yourself?, or
your identity, and how you fit into the world of people around you?...
- now I realize that you may push back and say, well, I don’t really think about myself…I
think of God and others…frankly, that may or may not be true, and it may or may not be
good…we’ll say more about that in a minute…
- but even if I had to encourage you to take that step…what do you see…who are you?...
- now here’s complicating factor #1…
- this isn’t just a matter of fact…it’s a matter of how you interpret the facts…
- in other words, your answers to the questions I just raised may be significantly skewed…
- that’s because we all have an interpretive lens through which we view ourselves…
- [that’s where the sunglasses come in…]…
- it’s not just the facts (what’s actually in the mirror), but the way you interpret the facts…
- here’s the glasses some people wear…I’m the king of the world, I’m the most
important person in the story, this movie is about me…
- and so they wake up, and they slip those glasses on…and off they go…
- and if their spouse and kids do everything they want…things are fine…because the
king has been served…
- but if not, there’s going to be anger…and or there’s going to be threats…or there’s
going to be stomping around…
- why?...in part, because the one who believes he’s the king has not been served…
- the start has not been given center stage…
- he’s wearing the wrong color glasses…
- he has a faulty answer to the question ―who are you‖ and as a result his response
to daily events is skewed as well…
- or there’s the person who wakes up and puts on the lens of ―I’m a failure‖, ―I’m damaged
goods‖, ―I’m dirty‖, I’m soiled…‖
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- and there’s an opportunity to join in a conversation and the person doesn’t say anything –
―who cares what the failure thinks?‖…
- or a temptation comes along – ―what’s the use of trying to do right---you sinned before,
you might as well sin again…‖…
- we could tease this out dozens and dozens of ways…but I’d like you to think about how you
would answer these questions…what do you see?...who are you?...
- well, I’m a passive victim…
- I’m better than most people…
- I’m depressed…
- I’m hopeless…
- the possibilities are practically endless…
- now, here’s the point we want to make over the next seven weeks…the Word of God needs
to be your interpretive grid…
- this isn’t some kind of psycho-babble…on practically every page of Scripture, God tells us
something about the way He thinks of us, or the way He wants us to think about
ourselves…
- and the question is – are we going to let His grid become our grid?...
- so, Who are You, Coming to Grips with Our Identity in Christ…
- and this morning we want to focus on this area – Ashamed or Forgiven?
- with that question in mind, please open your Bible to Zechariah chapter 3…page 671 of
the front section of the Bible under the chair in front of you…
- now I realize that some of you are brand new to studying the Bible – in fact some may have
come because a friend invited you and you might be thinking – oh, great – we’re going to
study book named Zechariah—why does this sound like something I could not possibly
understand?...
- well, we do believe in studying the Word of God around here…in fact, just think about that
phrase ―Word of God‖…if we really believe that’s the nature of the book we hold in our
hands, who else’s word would we rather study?...
- it’s also true that understanding the Scripture takes some work…I’m not going to lie about
that…
- but I always prepare these messages from the perspective of – could the main points be
understood by a person who has never opened the Bible or set foot inside a church
before…
- if that’s you this morning – take heart – you can get this…
- here’s the basic background of what we’re about to read…
- this is very near the end of Old Testament history…
- by now, the kingdom of Israel has divided in the northern tribes and the southern
tribes…that took place in 931 BC…which was a very sad date in the history of God’s
people…
- then the northern kingdoms were conquered by Assyria in 722 BC…
- that was followed by the southern kingdoms falling to Babylon in 586 BC…which began a
period of captivity that lasted how many years?...70 years, just as the prophets had
said…
- Zechariah was a prophet who was ministering toward the end of that period of captivity…
- so now a group of Jewish men and women are being allowed to go back to Jerusalem…and
one of their first desires is to rebuild the temple and reestablish the worship of their God…
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- in this book, God allows Zechariah to see a series of visions…that is one of the ways God
communicated truth to His people in those days…
- and now, chapter 3 contains the forth vision of Zechariah…
- and interestingly enough, it is God’s answer to the question, who are you?...
- because many Jewish men and women would have wondered whether their sin had been
so bad that they could never be forgiven and restored…
- maybe God had completely given up on them…
- maybe there was no way they could rebuild the temple or restore their system of
worship…
- their answer to the question, who are you, was – ashamed, because of our past failures
and sins…
- perhaps God wanted them to change their answer…
- read Zechariah 3:1-10…
- we asking today, are you Ashamed or Forgiven?...
- with the time we have remaining, let’s think about 3 perspectives on your guilt and shame.
- who you were, who you are, and who you’ll be…
I. Who You Were – Ashamed.
- this vision God gives his servant could not have been more powerful…
A. Joshua‟s clothing.
- the Joshua who is the focal point of this story is not the Joshua we typically think
about, the man who led the children of Israel into the promised land after Moses
died…that is who the book of Joshua is about…
- this Joshua was a priest…and the vision explains the shocking fact that Joshua is
standing there is garments that are severely soiled…
- Zechariah 3:3 – Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments…
- we read that statement and think, well maybe he spilled something on them or needs
to take them to the Laundromat…
- many Bible students believe that this word ―filthy‖ is related to a Hebrew root word
which refers to excrement, or perhaps vomit…
- and you might say – that’s foul…that’s the whole point…
- John MacArthur – “Employing the most loathsome, vile term for filth, the phrase
pictures the habitual condition of defilement of the priesthood and the people”
(MacArthur Study Bible).
- I don’t see a lot of movies for a variety of reasons including my schedule, but I saw the
move Slum Dog Millionaire on an airplane coming back from a trip to a mission field
some time back…and if you saw that movie, you remember a scene early on where
the main character’s older brother locked him in an outhouse at the very moment
some celebrity was landing in his helicopter
- and everyone wanted to see this celebrity so badly that the little boy realized there
was only one way out of the outhouse…
- so the scene shows him holding his nose and down he goes…
- and the next frame shows him running toward the crowd completely covered with filth
and everybody just runs away because of the smell…
- and the only reason I would raise such a disgusting picture today is because that is
what the author of Scripture does…the condition of their sin could not be any more
repulsive…
- please notice this also about verse 3 – Joshua is standing before the angel…think about
the contrast…
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- many Bible students also believe this angel was the pre-incarnate Lord Jesus Christ, the
second Person of the trinity…
- we can’t be dogmatic about that, but there are good reasons in this text to take that
position…
- regardless, the difference between this holy angel of the Lord and this priest who was
utterly defiled could not be any more stark…
- but that’s not all there to the picture, is there…
B. Joshua‟s accuser.
- the text also says there was…3:1 – Satan standing at his right hand to accuse
him.
- I don’t pretend to fully understand this, but the Scripture is clear that one of the
favorite activities of our adversary is to shame the people of God…to point out of sin
and our failures and our guilt…he loves to accuse us…he did that to Job…
- Job 1:9-11 - Then Satan answered the LORD, “Does Job fear God for nothing?
“Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on
every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions
have increased in the land. “But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he
has; he will surely curse You to Your face.”
- in other words, Job’s faith is not real…and by implication – God, you’re not
powerful enough to give anyone genuine faith…our adversary loves
conversations like that where he can heap shame and guilt on others…
- that’s why, by the way…it will be a happy day when this event occurs... Revelation
12:10 - Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation,
and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ
have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who
accuses them before our God day and night.
- now again, I can’t fully explain exactly how this dynamic plays out – but the main
points are clear – this priest is wearing filthy garments and the adversary is having a
great time pointing out all the failures of the people of God…and how they deserved
the judgment they received at the hand of the Babylonians…and how there would
never be a future for people like them…
- well, do we share Joshua’s heritage?...are there any…
C. Our similarities.
- every last one of us deeply understands what it means to be ashamed…sometimes…
1. Ashamed for legitimate reasons.
- there are times when we are ashamed because we have behaved shamefully…
- that’s why we often experience…
a. Guilt
- Psalm 38:4-6 - For my iniquities are gone over my head; As a heavy
burden they weigh too much for me. My wounds grow foul and fester
Because of my folly. I am bent over and greatly bowed down; I go
mourning all day long.
b. Separation
- Isaiah 59:2 - But your iniquities have made a separation between you and
your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does
not hear.
c. Rebellion
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- Isaiah 1:5 - Where will you be stricken again, As you continue in your
rebellion? The whole head is sick and the whole heart is faint.
- we can’t say, we might have been filthy, but it was because someone else
rubbed it on us…
- Isaiah 53:6 - All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned
to his own way…
- and we could develop that in plenty of other ways…there are all sorts of
legitimate reasons why we might look in the mirror and be ashamed…but
then there’s also…
2. Ashamed for illegitimate reasons.
a. Beating ourselves up over past sins and failures even if we‟ve asked
forgiveness from God and others.
- some men and women are shame factories…
- that’s what they see whenever they look in the mirror because they review their
sins and failures over and over and over…or…
b. Taking to heart the false accusations of others.
- if our adversary loves to accuse the brethren…what do you think ―his children‖
love to do…
- there are many men women who love to point out the failures of Christians, real
or perceived…and want to do everything they can to shame the people of
God…
- now, here’s the point – that’s where many of the people of God were at that time in Israel’s
history…feeling as if there was no future for them because of their past failures…
- like they were standing there in spiritually soiled robes…
- and the adversary was happy to keep up that charade as long as possible…
- and I wonder how many men and women still wear that particular kind of glasses?...
- their shame is the lens through which they answer the question…who are you?...
- and that can manifest itself in all sorts of ways…
1. Some men and women are perpetually sad…and discouraged…or depressed…
- because they define their existence through the lens of their failures…
2. Other men and women are a flurry of activity and busyness…
- because they believe they can overcome their failures by good deeds…
- many times that’s what leads to perfectionism, or a performance based relationship to
God…
3. Others shy away from building relationships because they don’t want anyone to discover
their secret…or their skeleton…
- friends, here’s the message that comes screaming out of this passage…Ashamed does not
have to be your answer to the question, who are you?...
- do you know what Zechariah’s name means?...‖the Lord remembers…‖
- and that is significant in this passage because God had made unconditional promises to
Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, David and other leaders of the nation of Israel…
- and yes his people had to be judged because of their disobedience…but the Lord
remembers…
- the Lord remembers His promises…and that means that Israel’s sin was not the end of
their story…
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- for people like you and me….that’s why what we celebrated last weekend was so
significant…
- do you remember, just prior to going to the cross, Jesus celebrated the last supper with his
disciples…and at a crucial moment He raised the cup signifying the blood He was about to
shed for our sin, and He said -- Luke 22:20 - And in the same way He took the cup after
they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in
My blood…”
- and here’s what that means…if you have never trusted Christ as Savior and Lord before, you
can do that, even today, and experience for the first time spiritually, what happened to
Joshua the priest physically…Being ashamed does not have to be the end of your story…
- Christian friend, if you have asked God and the appropriate people to forgive you for sins
you’ve committed since becoming a Christian – it is inappropriate to continue to review
those sins over and over…that’s not the lens through which God wants you to view
yourself…not just because of the damage it does to you, but to the damage it does to His
name…
- 1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our
sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
- Psalm 103:12 - As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our
transgressions from us.
- and Christian friend, if you’ve messed up and perhaps even had to face some of the
consequences of your choices and are now wondering – is there any way to get back on
track [that’s exactly where the children of Israel found themselves) – this text answers that
question very clearly…the perspective through which God wants you to view yourself is the
lens of forgiveness…
II. Who You Are – Forgiven
- it’s very important to note that it’s not Zechariah who speaks to Satan, or Joshua…it’s…
A. The Lord‟s rebuke
- Zechariah 3:2 - …The Lord said to Satan, “The LORD rebuke you, Satan!...”
- that’s why, incidentally, you don’t hear us directly rebuking Satan around here in
various contexts…we leave that to the Lord…
- that’s issue actually comes up in the NT -- Jude 9 - But Michael the archangel,
when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not
dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke
you!”
- that’s what we see in this text – these accusations as if there was no future for God’s
chosen people was an affront to God Himself and the covenants He had made with
His people…there’s also…
B. The Lord‟s rescue
- Zechariah 3:2 - …Indeed, the LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is
this not a brand plucked from the fire?”
- there are two crucial ideas there…
1. God chose you.
- John 15:16 - You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you
that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so
that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.
- when you view yourself through the lens of the forgiveness you enjoy through
the finished work of Christ…you are confirming the power of God to fulfill His
divine plan for His church…
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2. You were like “a brand plucked from the fire.”
- when we view ourselves through the lens of forgiveness, the net effect isn’t to
congratulate ourselves…it is to marvel at the wonderful grace of God…
- and that’s one of the things I love about this church…because of the emphasis
on community based outreach ministry, and having a counseling ministry
where biblical answers are available to people who are hurting…there are all
sorts of people who would say…that’s me…I was ruining my life, I was like a
branch in the fire big time…
- then Jesus rescued me…and I love viewing myself not through the lens
of my sins and my failures…I love thinking about myself as a scorched
but forgiven brand plucked from the fire but the merciful hand of God…
C. The Lord‟s cleansing.
- Zechariah 3:4 - He spoke and said to those who were standing before him,
saying, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” Again he said to him, “See, I
have taken your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festal robes.”
- can you imagine the effect that would have had on the nation of Israel…
- you’ve messed up…and you’ve been disciplined…but forgiveness is available…
- [if time, could discuss Jesus’ use of this metaphor in the NT – the person who tried to
come to the wedding without having the right garments…Matthew 22:12-13]
D. The Lord‟s provision.
- you might have wondered---what was up with that turban?...
- Zechariah 3:5 - Then I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they
put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments, while the angel
of the LORD was standing by.
- why is that important?...you just have to go back to the OT to read about the priest’s
turban…do you know what was written on it?...
- Exodus 28:36 - You shall also make a plate of pure gold and shall engrave on it,
like the engravings of a seal, „Holy to the LORD.‟
- 2 Corinthians 5:21 - He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so
that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
- see, ultimately the question is – what color glasses is God wearing when He looks at
His children?...perhaps the best answer is – red and white – red because he sees
His children forgiven by the blood of Christ, and white because He sees us clothed
in the righteousness of His Son…
- that should be one of the essential answers to the question Who Are You?...
- and when you think about yourself that way – it doesn’t fill your heart with pride…it
fills with thanksgiving because of the amazing grace of God…
- now, it is very important to note the sequence…there’s also…
E. The Lord‟s command.
- Zechariah 3:7 - Thus says the LORD of hosts, „If you will walk in My ways and if
you will perform My service, then you will also govern My house and also have
charge of My courts, and I will grant you free access among these who are
standing here.
- forgiven people want to serve the Lord not to earn their forgiveness, but because of
their forgiveness…[cf. woman taken in adultery – nor do I condemn you…go and sin
no more…]
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F. The Lord‟s Servant
- everything we’ve discussed today is based on the finished work of Christ…
- Zechariah 3:8-9 - …for behold, I am going to bring in My servant the Branch. For
behold, the stone that I have set before Joshua; on one stone are seven eyes.
Behold, I will engrave an inscription on it,‟ declares the LORD of hosts, „and I
will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.
- the words servant, and branch, and stone are all dripping with Messianic imagery…
G. This justifies the Lord‟s rebuke of our accusers (and our own misplaced self-
accusations).
- justification is a fact based on the finished work of Christ…
- Isaiah 50:8-9 - He who vindicates Me is near; Who will contend with Me? Let us
stand up to each other; Who has a case against Me? Let him draw near to Me.
Behold, the Lord GOD helps Me; Who is he who condemns Me? Behold, they
will all wear out like a garment; The moth will eat them.
- Romans 8:33-34 - Who will bring a charge against God‟s elect? God is the one
who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died,
yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also
intercedes for us.
- Isaiah 61:10 - I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, My soul will exult in my God; For
He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe
of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, And as a
bride adorns herself with her jewels.
III. Who You‟ll Be
- the day will come when all of this will become a finished reality…
- Revelation 19:7-8 - “Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the
marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” It was
given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is
the righteous acts of the saints.
