Hey man, thank you for tuning us in. I'm Darrell Bailey, Service for Christ as we continue on in our Bible study. Zechariah as you take your Bibles with us. You'll find the book of Zechariah. It's the 38th book if you can find between Malachi and Matthew in the New Testament go back over to the left of Malachi and You'll see the book of Zechariah if you go too far you'll see Haggai and so the 38th book is between Haggai and Malachi and so we're going to be in Zechariah chapter 3 We're going to be talking about from filthy garments to divine righteousness. And so, as we get into the book, I want to open up with a time of prayer and I want to continue remembering some families, especially we want to remember the Hazel Williams family. that had passed away at Bethel Crossroads. On behalf of all of our church, we send out our deepest heartfelt sympathies and our prayers go out to that family as well. I want you to also remember Alicia Mason, a 26-year-old that had cancer that passed away this past week. The funeral was in Jacksonville, Florida. Also one of our co-workers that his son's 22 years old passed away in Indiana in a car accident and we want to send out our prayers to that family as well. And continue remembering Cheryl Parr. That's my co-worker's sister-in-law that has leukemia as well. And so please continue remembering a lot of our family at Bethel Crossroads on behalf of our Pastor Keith and Amy Dipsy. and also on behalf of our wonderful family, Lynn and Rusty Lanier. I want to remember Tim Forsyte, Happy Ferguson, Doug Klein, also Jimmy Ward, Cassidy Evans, Health Mentor, Freddie Wolfe, Betty Sue Scott, Marshall and Virginia Worthington, Donald and Linda Cox, Justin Lindsay, Kathy Cantrell, Baby Harden, Whitney Haygood, my wife, Lita Bailey, Vicki Dupree, Tina Bagley, Connie King, Clement Jackson, Richard and Marge Riley and Jerry Waters as well. I want you to remember all these as we open up with a time of prayer. And let's ask the Lord to intervene on behalf of these needs tonight. Father, we look to you. You are the great physician. And Lord, I pray that you'll go and help where those hearts are heavy, where death has come into the family. And I pray, God, that you will overshadow that family with its heartache and grief with your presence and hold them up, God. We give them to you, Father, for no one else can care for them and love them like you can. And so Father, Lord, I pray God that you just watch over those ones that are going through very hard time right now with knowing that some of their loved ones, Lord, have passed on. And Lord, as we know that sometimes as they're passing, Lord, I pray God, as they're suffering and all that they go through, I pray God that you'll just surround those families with your love. and your compassion, and give them the strength to hold them up through this time. And Lord, I pray that only through your help, that Lord, that you'll see them through this very hard time, Lord, that's heavy upon their hearts, and Lord, be with our sick and afflicted, and Lord, our pastor, and Lord, I ask God that you'll just bless our own home, and all that we do, may we give glory and honor. Give us the ability to speak on the book of Zechariah, and give glory and honor, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, amen. Thank you tonight. As we get into the wonderful word of God in our Bible study tonight, we're gonna be talking about filthy garments to divine righteousness. I'm glad that here, as we look at our Bible study tonight, we're talking about the prophecy, the past, the present, and the future, because Zechariah is one of the minor prophets. that offers a very rich tapestry of prophetic visions and messages that are not only timely, but they're timeless. And so this book was written near the post-exilic period when the Israelites were rebuilding Jerusalem and the temple. And it provides very deep insights into God's promises, His plans of restoration, and His call to faithfulness. And so Zechariah's prophecies are known for their imagery, their symbolic visions. And it not only addresses the immediate concerns of the Jewish people, but also the people returning from exile and the other messages for future generations. It coincides a lot with the future, with the book of Revelation. And it encourages people to renew their commitment to God. And so, when we look at this, we realize that as we get into the story of Zechariah chapter three, I'm reminded of a story of a man by the name of Robert, who was on the brink of despair. He had lost his job, his home, and his self-respect. But one day, a stranger came to his aid, offering not just financial support, but also a renewed sense of hope. and dignity. And so the stranger's act of kindness transformed Robert's life, not only by erasing his past, but by giving him a fresh start and a new identity. Boy, ain't you glad? You know what? Somebody did something nice for me one day, and I turned around and did something nice for somebody else. Ain't it good when you can pass something good on to somebody? You know, Zechariah chapter three provides us with a very powerful image of transformation through divine intervention. And so just as Robert was given a new chance, Joshua the high priest, the one character in this particular chapter, is given a new set of ropes, symbolizing a fresh start and a new identity in God's grace. Boy, wouldn't it be nice if somebody walked into your house and said, Hmm, you need a new wardrobe. Let me get you some new purses to go with that too. New wallet, new shoes as well. I'm gonna fill your closet up, your walk-in closet and whatever else you got. I'm gonna fill it up. I'm gonna, what's your size? Oh, man, I'm gonna tell you, you know, I'll tell you, let's go on over and we're gonna get you all of those things. Wouldn't that be nice? I'm going to tell you this, it's even nicer to know that when we got a new identity and a new change in the Lord Jesus Christ, He fit us with a new wardrobe. And man, I thank God when we walk, we think we somebody, because we are. We're a born again child of the King, praise God. When we look at the time frame in chapter 3 of Zechariah, As this vision occurs during this post-exile period, during the second year of King Darius, we're reminded of the time frame that it takes place. And so, here Babylon in 539 falls and the Jews are allowed to return to the land. And so the temple is completed in 516 BC, but the return under Nehemiah and Ezra, as all of this transpires, we look at Darius, we look at Xerxes, Aarxes, and Cyrus, Cambyses, in the evasion of Greece. This is, as we look at the three that are right together, Haggai, then Zechariah and Malachi, and the temple that we're talking about. Because I'm glad tonight we're talking about the temple. Amen. A new wardrobe, a new identity, praise God. And so, the temple is one of the highlights of all of this. When we look, that it all began with a permission given to rebuild by Cyrus the Great. Cambyses, his construction halted everything, but I'm glad that all of a sudden it began to get back. Darius the Great began to bring back the permission to rebuild the temple. And last time we talked in Zechariah chapter 1, that it was a call to repentance urging the people of Israel to return to God after their exile. The prophet begins to share a vision of a rider on a red horse among the myrtle trees, symbolizing God's presence and His concern for the nation of Jerusalem. And so he sees an angelic messenger whose report that the nations around Israel are at ease while Jerusalem lies in ruins. And so, God promises to restore Jerusalem and comforts His people with an assurance of His mercy. And so the chapter concludes with the visions of the horns representing the nations that scattered Israel and God's determination to raise up craftsmen to bring those nations to judgment. We look at the ram and the horns up and the horses that are below. Here, as we look across the land in chapter 2 of Zechariah, We saw here that it represents a vision of a man measuring Jerusalem with a measuring rod and signifying the future restoration and expansion of an angel that reassures the people that Jerusalem will be inhabited without walls and that due to the multitude of its inhabitants in God's protective presence, God declares his intention to dwell among them, transforming the city into a place of safety. And so the chapter that we talked about last time emphasizes God's promise of protection and his, for the future glory. and of Jerusalem, calling on the nations to recognize His sovereignty to worship Him. And so the key themes was in chapter 1 and chapter 2 was a call to repentance, a reminder for the people to return to God, a divine presence, God's commitment to protect and restore Jerusalem, and then a future hope, promises of expansion, and glory for the city, highlighting God's plan for His people, amen. And then these all emphasize, these two chapters, God's mercy and the importance of repentance and the hopeful future that is awaiting Israel. And so, Here, we look up to, even though we're not getting that far tonight, we're just in chapter 3. We talked about the four horsemen, the horns and the smiths, and about judgment. We talked about the measuring line to flee Babylon, because we're in a world of Babylon in the world today that is causing so much disruption. Man, I'm going to tell you something, there ain't nothing like conflict in the world, Amen. And so today, when we look at all of the conflict that's happening today, that it takes us all the way back to all of the many wars that we've been in, and we're in a war even yet with people drawing signs for the election, oh, this one or that one, whether you're Democrat, whether you're Republican, and your person is the one that's best to be elected. Listen, pray your heart about that. I'm not here to try to tell you who you need to vote for. nor will I ever, but you do need to pray and make sure that the one that you're voting for is based on biblical morals. Do they, have they been, will they be running this country from a biblical perspective? Will they be looking out for saving lives? Will they be looking out for the people's interest, amen? Those are the kind of things, amen. And so here, we're gonna be on Joshua, the high priest, where we're dealing with some of the eight visions that are involved, Abe Man. And so I'm glad that when we look and realize that out of all of these, again, Joshua the high priest, we'll be getting into more of these as we go, Abe Man. But I thank God from filthy garments to divine righteousness is what we call it tonight. And so, when we look at the comparisons of the other Bibles, the books of the Bible, Isaiah earlier spoke of the coming of a branch in Isaiah chapter 4, connecting to Zechariah's reference to the future messianic figure. Ezekiel as well, spoke of the restoration of the temple and the new priestly system, which aligns with the themes of purification and restoration in the book of Zechariah. Jeremiah, the weeping prophet as well, prophesied about the religious branch of Jeremiah, chapter 23, verse 5, similar to Zechariah's promise, highlighting continuing in the messianic inspection. And so, when we look at all of these in verses 1 through 5, we're going to be talking about Joshua's purification, Joshua the high priest, and that restoration, amen. In verses 6 through 8, we'll be talking about the conditional promises and the coming branch, amen. And then in verses 9 and 10, only 10 verses tonight. Man, I may get done early tonight, praise the Lord, if I don't touch this computer and mess up something like I did last time. Hallelujah. I want to send a praise out to that wonderful Lyman and CDL course. This is the sixth class that's being taught by some of the best instructors, amen. by Judy and I thank God Barry and BB hey I see Kevin and Chad and Lisa all hitting that up praise God and man you talking about a wonderful group of young men that believe in witnessing in the power of Jesus Christ man now I'm gonna tell you something when you see them it's like a light comes on in the room Boy, I tell you, and the young folks, boy, I tell you, I hope that God blesses them and their future endeavors and everything they do, praise God. Boy, I praise God for all the folks that we work with at GNTC over at Rockmore. Man, you talking about some wonderful people. We're blessed, amen. And so I thank God when we look and realize that this is gonna be about understanding forgiveness and reflecting on that spiritual purification. And so experiencing peace, there's nothing like having that in our lives today. And so I thank God, each and every one of us, as we look at Joshua the high priest's transformation from filthy garments to clean garments. And it symbolizes a profound process of spiritual purification and divine forgiveness, amen. And so when we look at all of this, there's a lot that we can say about that, but I want to I don't want to burn up a lot of time in doing all of this, amen? And so the Lord is merciful and kind and he wants to bless all who truly believe and follow him tonight. And in God's great mercy, he not only saves and redeems us, but he also gives each person in every generation a special calling. Each of us have a special job to do and a unique role in order to perform for the Lord. And I'm glad this is the case with the book of Zechariah, his generation. because it's true also of our generation today and every believer that's living right now because the Lord's work and our privileged part in it is that gives our lives meaning. It gives our lives purpose, amen. A lot of people don't know what their purpose is. Mine's all about the Bible, amen. It's about the word of God that I try to live every day, amen. I try to take care of my commitment that I made 35 years ago to one woman, praise God, that I love, my wife Lita. And I thank God that we look back at the exiles who had returned from Babylon, had been given a very special mission. that of restoring Jerusalem, amen, and I thank God, and rebuilding the Lord's temple. And so in Zechariah's fourth vision, here we see that the exiles were given encouragement to complete this great mission. God especially wanted the two leaders to be encouraged. Joshua, the high priest, and Zerubbabel, the acting governor or the civil ruler of the people at that time. And so, like all leaders, they have a tremendous weight of responsibility. But you know what? It's easy to grow weary. and disheartened. And if you ever run into somebody that's down in their luck and disheartened, why don't you see if you can cheer them up. I know Andy Anderson, the security guard, was telling me that he's figured out why a lot of people now are, that they do some of the things they do and make some bad choices. He said they got baptized in some dirty water. He's just kidding, you know. But listen, we all wonder why we make bad choices. We all wonder why we do things that we do, amen. I'm gonna tell you something, if you keep God in the center of your marriage, in the center of your family, in the center of your life and all, you'll go, and I'm gonna tell you, with Him holding your hand, you'll make some better choices, and you'll be able to make less bad choices, praise God. And so, the progress on the Temple had been halted, many obstacles stood in the way of its completion, and the Lord lovingly encouraged these two leaders, the High Priest Joshua and Zerubbabel, that they might be strengthened to lead the people to complete their work. And so, as we see this fourth vision, uh... go uh... the promises are given to prior visions and i'm glad the rebuilding of jerusalem rebuilding your life rebuilding uh... your uh... temple here praise god and given uh... that peace on earth and knowing that the promises of these visions and the spiritual nature that god's forgiveness that he cleanses us from all sin well ain't it good to know that you've been saved by god's marvelous grace man knowing that hey Hey, if I don't wake up in the morning, boy, you know where I am. Amen. Hey, praise God, brother Don Point Dexter. Praise God. I'll tell you that, brother. Vietnam vet is shot down in a chopper six times, and he's still with us. Amen. God had a reason. Amen. And so I thank God. His promise is to equip his servants for life. for life and for service. And so we look at the promises that reassure us of God's people because the people were in desperate need of forgiveness and cleansing during this time. And because they needed a special strength and assistance if they were ever going to finish the Lord's work. We need some divine righteousness. Oh my God, we need some cleansing, praise God, in this old dirty world that we're in today, where you turn on the news and all the dirt jumps off of it. Man, you try to watch television and some dirt jumps off of the television and off of the media on you. And there's always somebody on Facebook that wants to slander you and get you down the road. Boy, instead of saying something good, they always want to say something bad. And so God assures the people that they would indeed be cleansed of sin, and that he would empower them by the Spirit to complete the mission that he's given them. I wonder, how you doing on completing the mission God's given you to do? Huh? Oh, what's yours? Oh, yours is leading the singing. Oh, yours is doing the preaching. Oh, yours is just, uh, oh, I tell you, I remember Richard Green one time when I went to Oakland Hospice Baptist Church, he showed up at the church and said, you know what? I didn't feel worthy to do nothing. I just went out and picked the trash up around the church and did some things around the church, praise God. And so the promises that were made to these exiles living in Zechariah's day, that it was true for all God's servants living today as well, that every minister and every servant of God, we've got a purpose. And so from filthy garments to divine righteousness, we see the assurance of being cleansed. Because here, when we look, the Lord has given his people a great assurance in this fourth vision. The leaders, they were told that you're going to receive a cleansing from your sin. and a portrayal that each and every one of us and so one of the first things that we see is as we look at the introduction to the vision aid man we see the scene where Joshua the high priest before the angel of the Lord but then you better look out because just like in the book of Job whenever you try to do something for the Lord the devil is always close by And I'm going to tell you, when we look at the scripture of Zechariah chapter 3, verses 1 and 2, And it should be Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. You better look out, because when you do something good, the devil's always going to be close by. And so, the Lord's response, the Lord rebuke you, Satan. And the Lord said unto Satan, the Lord rebuke thee, O Satan. Even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem, rebuke thee. Is not this a bran plucked out of the fire? And so, here is the accusation and the filthy garments. Because the accuser's role is Satan's stance to accuse Joshua, the high priest. Now, don't get this mixed up with Joshua in the book of Joshua. You see, always, if I was to put all the high priests that had been in the nation of Israel, man, it would fill this page up. Here's another person that's a high priest like Aaron was in the book of Exodus. Here, Joshua is a high priest. But Satan stands to accuse Joshua of his filthy garments as a symbol of sin and unworthiness. You know what? John Piper said one time, Satan's the master of accusations, but God's the master of redemption, unquote. Amen? And so we see the accuser's role. And the filthy garments that Joshua was clothed, that are described as being filthy, representing the sin and the guilt that cling to him. And so, we're gonna read that in verse three in just a minute, Amen. But our best efforts, Amen, is as Charles Spurgeon said one time, the prince of preachers, Amen. Boy, I'm gonna tell you, Charles Spurgeon, he had a metropolitan church that people in the thousands rode in to hear him preach in England. And he said, and I quote, our best efforts are like filthy rags compared to the righteousness of Christ. And so we've got the accuser's role, the filthy garments that because they're dirty, that Satan is there to accuse him of sin and guilt. But there's the divine rebuke. because God rebukes Satan and declares Joshua to be a brand plucked from the fire, illustrating divine rescue and mercy, praise God. And so, Max Licato, one of my favorite authors, said one time, God's grace is greater than all of our sins, and his mercy is deeper than any accusation, unquote. And so, from filthy garments to divine righteousness, we see the assurance of being cleansed, amen, because when we look, We begin to see that out of this, first of all, we see in the vision Zachariah saw Joshua, the high priest, standing before God, amen. And I'm glad that it's depicting that he's standing before the angel of the Lord while Satan is present to accuse him, and it highlights the spiritual opposition and the need for divine intervention, amen. Standing next to Joshua. was the enemy, Satan himself. Joshua was not just standing before the Lord as an individual representing himself. He stood there in the role of a high priest, and as a representative of all God's people, amen. He stood there on behalf of the entire nation of Israel, amen. He now, as Satan, is there to accuse the servant of God. He is the accuser. And Satan was reminding God of all the evil that his people had done. Boy, I'm gonna tell you, the devil knows how to lay it on, don't he? And he recounts all the sins to condemn Joshua, amen. But God's plans are never changed because God's got a plan for all of us. And so here we look and we see that Zechariah saw the Lord reject Satan's accusations, amen. And so I'm glad, here's the dramatic scene. The Lord gives His answer to sin and He reveals His plan for dealing with Joshua and the people. And the basis for this rejection, it was twofold, amen. Because I'm glad that when we look and we realize that the Lord had already chosen Jerusalem and His people to fulfill the purposes on earth. Nothing would disrupt that awesome purpose, not the people's sin, nor Satan's accusations. Listen, God's called you to do a job, and I don't care what the devil says, or what anybody else says, or what you have done that tripped you up, but get yourself back up, and get your hand and fellowship back in with the Lord, and don't worry about what everybody else is saying about you, and what they're trying to talk about you, but do the purpose that God called you to do, praise God. And so here reveals this plan for dealing with Joshua because the Lord had rejected Satan's charges and rebuked him, praise God. And I'm glad the Lord is there to rebuke the devil on your behalf and to stand up for you on your time of down and going through the tough times. And so the basis for this rejection, it was twofold, praise God. First of all, God rejected Satan's accusations because he, the Lord, had chosen Jerusalem to be the location for fulfilling the will on earth. And secondly, God rejected Satan's accusations because he and the Lord had saved his people from the fire of captivity, affliction, and the judgment. Woo, praise God, as if they were in a fire and he was reaching down to pull them up with a stick and a branch out of the firebrands that's their end. And so, his plans is to bless and rule the whole world from Jerusalem, amen, and to bring God's plans for the entire human race. And I'm glad that here, by repeating the promise to Jerusalem, the Lord not only rejected Satan's accusations, but he made it perfectly clear that his sovereign plans would not be hindered or delayed. Ain't you glad that God's got plans for the church? God's got plans for the people of God? And I don't care what happens, even if the people that are living for the devil seem like they're on the high peak every day of life, don't seem like they get cancer, don't seem like they get sick, seem like everything goes their way. Their day's coming, because their name's not in the book of life. And I say that with utter disheartenment. Knowing that they're on their way to the depths of hell you say man. What are you saying? I ain't saying no, but what this Bible saying amen It's crystal clear that if you uh, you know what that it blasts me against the Holy Ghost You said what is that? That is where you? Reject the Lord you reject the Holy Spirit. I do not want you Lord I do not want you Holy Spirit to be the one that would rule my life and direct my path and be the keeper of my soul I can do that myself in my own strength. That's blasphemy against the Holy Ghost and the word of God you Your destination is in the depths of hell to burn forever and ever. Not my interpretation, but the word of God. And so the symbolic of things to come is going to be in verse 8 in just a minute. But what it will say in verse 8, that it will tell us, he says, listen, he says here, And he tells us, he says, here now, oh Joshua the high priest, you and your fellows who sit before you, for they are men wondered at. For behold, I will bring forth my servant, the branch. Oh man, we're gonna talk about that in a minute. And so, he's revealing his plan for dealing with Joshua and the people, amen. And therefore, the Lord rejected Satan's charges and rebuked him. And the Lord made it even more clear that he had a plan for saving the people and forgiving them of their sins. God had already snatched or plucked his people from the fire judgment. The judgments of captivity is what I'm talking about. out of Babylon. He snatched them up out of that after so many years of being in captivity. He says, I'm gonna snatch you out like a firebrand, praise God. And I'm glad that Joshua referred to was like a burning stick. The people were like burning sticks, amen, about to be consumed by the fire of God's judgment, a judgment they deserve because of their sins. But the merciful Lord plucked them out of the fire, amen. And he saved them, praise God. Boy, ain't you glad that he plucked us out of the fire in 1972? Man, God plucked me out of the fire depths of hell and brought me into the family of God, amen. And he had not allowed all the people to be destroyed by judgment, praise God. And so he had preserved a remnant so that through them, the nation could be restored just as he had promised long before. And so, when we look and we realize of the scene, Amen, that here, of course, the people's total cleansing would come through the promised work of the Messiah foreshadowed in verses 3-5, 8-10, that we'll fix in a get-to. Joshua was referred to as the burning stick, and the people were burning sticks. But God, through His mercy, plucked them out of the fire. and he saved him, amen. Thank God, I'm glad that he plucked me out of the fire. And so, the angel of the Lord commanded that Joshua's dirty clothes be removed, amen. Well, I thank God that we look at the filthy clothes Joshua wore. He removed and new expensive clothes were put on, amen. And so, I'm glad here in this scene, amen. We look and we realize that Joshua's filthy garment symbolized his and the people's impurity and their sin, amen. And so, secondly, a clean turban was placed on Joshua's head as well. And so this third scene in this vision was Joshua being re-clothed in verses 3, 4, and 5 that we're fixing to read. But I want to tell you about it before we read it, so that your imagination can do what it needs to do, Amen. I'm glad those filthy garments, they're removed, symbolizing the removal of Joshua's sins, that he's given clean clothes, representing purification, righteousness, amen. And then, when we get down to verse 5, we'll talk about a clean turban that was placed on Joshua's head, signifying that his returned status and role as a high priest, while the angel of the Lord stands by affirming that transformation, amen, of him. And so, I'm glad that when we see this, from the filthy garments to divine righteousness, amen, we see that introduction to the vision. But secondly, the sense of the wonder, amen, Joshua's state of filth that he had been in, the symbolism of Joshua's dirty garments representing sin and human depravity. But divine intervention came on the scene, amen. And so I'm glad the crown that was on Joshua's head was a sign of honor and acceptance, amen. And so, I'm glad the clothing, Joshua, in rich robes symbolizing cleansing and restoration, amen. And so the angel's command is remove those filthy garments, amen. Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? And so, it's a testimony of grace. It's a reflection of a personal salvation, amen. That each believer has the wonder of grace, amen. A call to humbleness, humility, and gratitude, praise God, for individuals as we experience the mercy of God, amen. And so it was the accusation of those filthy garments, amen. But I'm glad for the divine cleansing and the new robes that we have. And now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, stood before the angel, and he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. And I said, Let them set a fire mitre upon his head. So they set a turban, amen, a turban, a fire mitre upon his head and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord stood by. Boy, I thank God when we see the removal, the angel commands Joshua's dirty clothes to be removed. Oh my goodness, wouldn't it be nice, amen? Boy, hey, they're clean now. You ain't got to do no tie. Boy, I tell you, I remember when I was back in high school, we all put on these presentations, amen? And so I remember at Cass High School, these guys, they built this cardboard box like a washing machine. And they were trying to They didn't really use much imagination. They were just copying an advertisement on TV, eh, man? But they were trying to talk about getting clean. And all of a sudden, they had a shirt that was down in there. They put that shirt that they were showing, but there was one already down in the box. And they said, this stuff, it will clean your clothes. They put it down in there, but they had another shirt down in there. And when they pulled it up, it was ripped to shreds. And you know what they said? They said, it rips the dirt out. You know what they brought that old shirt that was down in that box, and it was all ripped to pieces and everything like man You know ain't you glad God gets all that dirt and grime out of your life a man and boy He put some new clothes on you And so there was a removal of the filthy garments a man and I'm glad R.C. Sproul said one time, he said, God does not merely cover our sins, he removes them completely, amen. And so, the imputation of righteousness that God provides Joshua with new, clean garments signifying the imputation of righteousness that he put upon him, amen. And so, every one of us, as we look at this, they represent a new identity. a restored relationship with God, amen, from filthy garments to divine righteousness, amen. J.D. Greer said one time, he said, in Christ, we're not just forgiven, we're made new, unquote. And so Joshua was said to be wearing filthy clothes, a depiction of the defilement of sin, but sin had made the people corrupt and impure. And so, I'm glad they were removed and new expensive clothes were put on Abe Man, denoting putting off that sin, Abe Man. And a clean turban was placed on Joshua's head, Abe Man. And so, I'm glad that it gave him what he needed, Abe Man. God's cleansing of the people is for the purpose of serving Him and serving His people. And so the promise extends to all of God's servants, amen, who trust and live for him. The Lord offers a cleansing, amen. And so each and every one of us, our service would be corrupt and defiled. Even our best intentions would be useless. We've got to be purified by God's Holy Spirit that I'm glad that, boy, when he came on the scene, he cleansed up and I became a new identity, a new person in Christ, amen. And so we can dwell and work through the Holy Spirit to bring about God's perfect will in our life. But if we're not cleaned by the Lord... Our ministry and our service is hindered. And so if you've got some unconfessed sin in your life, hey, it ain't just the Catholics that go to church and they wanna confess their sins. We all need to confess our sins on a daily basis, amen, every one of us. And so when we look and we realize out of this, and the angel of the Lord protested under Joshua saying, thus said the Lord of hosts, if thou will walk in my ways, now notice, Because there's a stipulation here. If thou, if thou, if thou will walk in my ways, if thou will keep my charge, then thou shall also judge my house and shall also keep my courts. And I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by. And so there's the stipulation, amen, that when we look, that uh... as the angel gives solemn declaration affirming the promises and the conditions for uh... joshua's future role he said this is how it's going to be listen to me he's not asking he's telling he said this is how it is this is my command this is how that is going to be and if thou amen he said and so the charge was forceful Joshua and the people must obey the Lord is what we we see right here a man And so I thank God he's given a condition for his future responsibilities We're given a condition a man and it's not that we get saving and go live like the devil After we get saved and well, my name's in the lambs book a lot. I think I'll go drink I'll go rouse around and commit adultery and and And now, when you get saved and when he does it right, and when it is genuine, you don't have a desire to do any of those things. You don't have a desire to go social drinking. You don't have a desire to go and mess around. You don't have a desire to do any of those things. But the charge was forceful, amen. And Joshua and the people must obey the Lord, praise God. And so Joshua was given a condition for the future, his responsibility. If he follows God's ways, if he maintains his charge, He will have authority and favor among those who stand before God. And so they must faithfully follow the Lord's commandments, the regulations, the instructions, amen. Hey, somebody out there said, man, I don't want to follow no regulation. I'm going to do what I want to do. I've been doing it all my life. I'm going to keep on doing it. Well, you just keep on and keep yourself going into the depths of hell too. And so the promise was conditional, and it could be seen by the if-then statement, amen. And so the rewards were promised on the condition of obedience, amen. If Joshua and the people walked in the ways of the Lord, respected God's requirements, then they would receive what was promised, amen. And so Joshua was given authority over God's house. And the house and the courts of the Lord referred to the temple and the people's worship, amen, because the high priest was faithful in his duties that he must keep the special office of the Lord that's been given him, that of leading the people in worship and obedience to the Lord. So Joshua would live in God's presence, and if the priests kept the commandments of God, he would have a place among them standing there. And so he remained faithful to the Lord, amen. And so when we look, We see the assurance of being cleansed from vision for the high priest, because in this vision, as we said a while ago, the accusations. And the third scene was the vision of Joshua's being reclothed in verses four, three, four, and five. In verses six and seven, the fourth part of Zechariah's vision was the Lord's special charge and promise given to Joshua and through him, to the people. Because why? He was the mediator. He was the go-between. He was the high priest that was to take the message and relay it unto the people and to the body of Christ. And so, I'm glad that when we look and we realize of what we're seeing here, the promise was conditional, as we said a while ago, by verse 7. Amen. The charge was forceful. and the reward was promised on the condition of obedience. And so we see the introduction to the vision and the sense of wonder, amen, and the hope of redemption, praise God. Ain't you glad that we've all got hope of redemption? Because in verse eight, here now, oh Joshua the high priest, thou and thy fellows that sit before thee, for they are men wondered at. For behold, I will bring forth my servant, the branch. And verse 9, for behold, the stone that I have laid before Joshua, upon one stone shall be seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave the engraving down, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will move the iniquity of that land in one day. And verse 10, in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbor under the vine and under the fig tree. And so, when we look and we realize that here, the angel of the Lord made a great announcement, amen. That God promised the Messiah is coming the branch the Messiah is coming a man boy I'm glad how many ever remember an old show whoa Steve Martin was in the movie old man movie and he was in that small town and all of a sudden he got excited because of The phone book came and he ran got the phone book he ran off it The phone book is here. The phone book is here. Praise God. Ain't you glad that Jesus is the branch? Jesus met us on Calvary and paid a debt that we could never pay for ourselves. Amen. And so I'm glad that when we look, the Lord spoke directly. to Joshua, and he made a declaration, amen, he and the men that were seated before him, that there were a sign of things to come. These men, Joshua and his associate priest, amen, had been given the vital job of representing the people to God. and of representing God to the people. And so, in the preparation for this ministry, they had been cleansed of sin, they had been given new clothes, an illustration of being made righteous and receiving a new spirit and heart. Jeremiah 31-33, this spiritual cleansing that pointed to the promise of the coming Messiah, the servant branch, amen. That was the middle of the menorah, that was in the middle of all things as the Jews take the menorah, amen, and use it as that representation, praise God. And so the spiritual cleansing pointed to the promise of the coming Messiah of Jesus Christ. Christ would wash away the sins of all that trusted in him and make them acceptable to God. Praise the mighty name of Jesus from filthy garments to divine righteousness, amen. And so we look and we see God's word that declares that six wonderful works of the Messiah in the prophecy, amen. And that was the high priest. that Christ the Messiah is the high priest whose priesthood was demonstrated in Joshua. Amen. And so I thank God. There's nothing like that. Secondly, Christ the Messiah, God's servant, is represented in verse 8. And verse 8 as well, Christ Messiah is the branch. And you can run reference on it in Isaiah chapter 4 verse 2, Isaiah chapter 11 verse 1, Jeremiah chapter 23 verse 5, Jeremiah chapter 33 verse 15, Zechariah when we get to it in chapter 6 verses 12 and 13. All of these of the wonderful works of the Messiah in this prophecy. Christ the Messiah is the stone that's talked about as well. And so I'm glad that when we look and we realize that Joshua, as the high priest, Christ would act as a mediator between the people and God. And so, oh so that the high priest's role was to represent the people of God. By dying for us, Christ paid the penalty for our sins. By rising from the dead, amen, Christ conquered death so that we may live eternally with God. And Christ represents His people before God by interceding on the right hand of God the Father that here He prays constantly for the church and all believers while seated at the right hand of God the Father. Read Romans chapter 8 verse 27 and verse 34. Read the book of Hebrews chapter 7. Verse 25, Christ's role as the high priest was explained as the mediator of the new covenant, amen. And I'm glad that when we look at Christ as God's servant, amen, as well, Christ would come to earth and perfectly fulfill the will of the Father. God's will included all that Christ did while on earth that he accomplished and also As he accomplished in the heavenly and spiritual reign all that will he will do will what before he returns to earth for the church a man for the rapture and so the branch as Well that we see that is representative of the of the Messiah as well And so that stone I'm glad because when we look Let's see if I put that on there. I'm not sure if I did or not. But I thank God. Christ the Messiah will remove sin from the land in one day. But let me go back right here for this stone just for a moment, Amen. Because first, Christ will be a stone for Israel. The stone that the builders rejected. And that is, Israel would reject Christ. They would stumble or trip over Him because of their unbelief. And so, it was Israel, God's chosen people, to whom the promise of the Messiah had been given. But because they rejected the builder's stone, thank God, us, the Gentiles, were able to come in to the branch, praise God. And because they would not accept Christ as the Messiah when He came and lived among them, thus they stumbled over Him. And I'm glad Christ is also the stone of the rock that God's enemies are dashed against. The stone will have seven eyes. It will be omniscient. It sees all. The seven eyes signifies Christ's omniscience, that his godly ability to see and know all things. And this prophecy in verse eight, or excuse me, verse nine, is declaring that the coming Messiah Christ will be God himself, the very manifestation of God on earth. God will come to earth as the God-man, the Redeemer, and the Savior of the world, and he did. And so, though he is God, he'll humble himself to become a man, and through death, He'll save all that truly believe in him, and he knows exactly who the true believer is because he's omniscient. He sees. He knows all. He knows if you're living for him. He knows if you belong to him right now. Boy, there's a lot of folks that they're just one big old lie. There ain't nothing genuine about them. When everybody's eyes are turned, they say, oh man, let me watch this. I'm going to do everything I want to do. Boy if you've got that kind of ability to get by with that and you're guilty conscious don't deal with you There's something wrong. You better search really high and long for that because the stone will have an engraving and on It will have the image of Christ's death, the wounds that He bore, amen, in His body. The remarkable statement that the Lord said that He would engrave an inscription on this stone, amen. And so I thank God that we're going to read it here in just a minute, praise God. And so the fact that Christ would bear on His body the marks of suffering. Let me go ahead and put these up. He would remove sin from the land in one day, amen. Christ the Messiah will bring peace, security, rest and prosperity to earth. Amen. And so we look and we say, let me see if I can back it back up. And in one day, for behold, the stone that I have laid before Joshua upon one stone shall be seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave the graving thereon, saith the Lord of Hosts. And I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. In that day, saith the Lord of Hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbor under the vine and under the fig tree. And so, it'll have an engraving, the image of Christ's death, the wounds that he bore, amen. The inscription on the stone, that in fact that he would bear his body, the marks of his suffering, of his death, the nail prints, amen. The scar in his side from the piercing, amen. The scars from the scourging, amen. The scars from the crowns of the thorns, amen. Jeremiah prophesied, the weeping prophet Jeremiah prophesied that Christ would bear the inscription, the Lord our righteousness, amen. And in the book of Revelation, Christ is said to bear the King of kings and the Lord of lords in Revelation chapter 19 verse 16. And so, I'm glad that we get back to where we was, amen. Well, I thank God that he would remove the sin from the land in one day, amen. And boy, in verse 9, I'm glad that the stone with the seven eyes symbolized the future divine provision and vision through which God will remove the land's iniquity. and in a single day complete its instantaneous purification. Remember, the Jews to this day have not really fulfilled in living in all of the land that God had promised them due to that sin. And so, the revelation is Christ fulfilled the prophecy at the crucifixion, the moment of his death. And at that moment, the sin of the entire world was paid for by Christ's perfect sacrifice. Christ was sinless, and yet he offered himself to pay the penalty for the sins of all people, amen, which is death. Did you hear what I said? All people? I don't care what side of the block you come from. I don't care if you live on the other side of the railroad track. I don't care what nation or what color you are or what creed or anything about you. He sent all, all for the whole world. He paid the price. Amen. The sins for all people. Amen. And Christ was sinless, yet he offered himself to pay the penalty for the sins of all people, which is death. Christ was the only perfect sacrifice, the only sinless sacrifice, amen, that could atone for the people's sins once and for all and for all time, amen. And so I'm glad. that when we look at this and we remember that Christ will remove sin from the land in one day, but also that he'll bring peace and security, rest and prosperity to earth, because I'm glad right here, amen, because it symbolizes the peace where people will enjoy security, abundance in the land, a time of restoration, divine blessing, because a beautiful reflection of what the messianic kingdom will be like. I'm glad that the image of people sitting with their neighbors under the vine and the fig tree, one perfect peace, one of security, a picture of prosperity, of rest, all of this will be possible in one day because Christ will establish perfect justice and righteousness throughout all of the world, not just Taylorsville and Cartersville. not just Georgia, not just Alabama, but everywhere in Europe. Oh my goodness, everywhere. And so one day, the great promise to all mankind, but only those who truly trust Christ for their salvation will inherit Christ's everlasting kingdom. And so when we look, we look and realize what a powerful message in these verses, a clear revelation of one of the greatest promises ever given to the human race, the promise of salvation and the forgiveness of sins. That's what I'm talking about from filthy garments to divine righteousness. It is our faith, our trust in Christ that is counted as righteous, even though we are still sinners. And so, I'm glad that he obeyed the Lord by leaving his homeland, Abraham did, of Ur, for a distant land, and he knew nothing about it. and God commanded him to go. That act of obedience was evidence of Abraham's sincere trust in God. And when the Lord later promised Abraham a hair from his own body, even though the patriarch was far beyond the age of bearing children, Abraham again believed the Lord and it was this belief, this faith, that scripture says was counted as righteousness in Genesis chapter 15, in Hebrews chapter 11. Our faith is proven by action and by what we actually do day in and day out. We must trust God's promises, live by his word daily. And I'm glad that our lives must be completely surrendered to Christ. We prove that we trust God when we seek his will for our lives and we courageously follow. it no matter how daunting it may seem like abraham our obedience is a sure sign of real faith the kind of faith that trust and obeys and so as i get ready to close out every one of us and we look and realize everything when we come to a conclusion of the introduction, the sense of wonder, and the hope for redemption. The conclusion is the assurance of grace. The assurance of grace on a personal experience of redemption. The role of community in recognizing and celebrating grace, amen. Encouragement to live in the light of being brands plucked out of the fire Inviting others into that hope of salvation. Amen from filthy garments to divine righteousness. Amen Embracing our new identity just as Joshua received new robes We're called to embrace our new identity in Christ born-again babes in the family of God. Amen I'm glad in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 22. Amen. Let me see if I if I put that up that they put off concerning the former conversation, the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lust, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, that ye put on the new man, which after Christ, after God, is created in righteousness and true holiness. You want another version, the English? Here you go. But listen, what does it talk about? Embrace our new identity right here in verse 22 and in verse 24 that we put on the new man Which after God is created righteous and true holiness pursuing holiness. You got to pursue it you'll have a desire to pursue it when you're into wealth by the Holy Spirit of God and a daily renewal Be renewed in the spirit of your mind every day. We get up we put on the arm of God Wow Because I've got an indwelling Holy Spirit in this temple where I took off the old dirty rags of garments and I put on a new identity. But this is still here to contend with, this old fleshly nature, until I lay it down in the dust of the ground. Well, I thank God we've got to pursue the holiness with a new identity. Tony Evans said one time, our new life in Christ requires us to leave behind the old ways and embrace our new identity. So John Owen said one time holiness is not an option but a necessity for those who are clothed in Christ's righteousness that daily renewal We must daily renew our minds and put on the armor of God to live out our new identity praise God and so Francis Chan said daily renewal in Christ is essential for living a victorious Christian life and I get ready to close out I'm reminded of Jackie Chan in the movie called The Tuxedo. He played a taxi cab driver. His job was to serve his customers, and he wound up becoming the driver for Clark Devlin, a top-secret agent. And during one scene in the movie, the car comes under attack, and Clark Devlin becomes critically wounded in the attack. But Mr. Devlin tells Jackie Chan, hey, I want you to put on the tuxedo located in the car, and it'll give you extraordinary powers. Boy, wouldn't that be something? The injured pastor told Chen, when you put my coat on, then you're going to share in my glory. That's what he said. Jackie Chen put on Clark Bevelin's tuxedo and he found powers to walk on the walls, do all kinds of flips, overcome the enemies who would seek to bring destruction, all because he wore the clothing of another. When you and I put on Jesus Christ, When we wear his character, when we wear his glory, we share in his greatness. Don't think that you're going to be great if you're not willing to put on his jacket, the Holy Spirit, which is always the jacket of servanthood. And if you really want to be somebody in time and in eternity, Ask yourself if you're serving others more than they're serving you. That's what you need to ask yourself as we get ready as we close out. the transformative power of grace. Evident in Joshua's restoration reflects on a personal experience of salvation, hopeful outlook to seek for redemption. And I'm glad every one of us here, we look and realize just as Joshua the high priest received new garments, we too are invited to embrace the righteousness that God offers through Christ. I'm just about out of time. I'm running out about 58 minutes right now. And so this divine exchange calls us to live out our new identity and integrity with purpose. How does understanding our own filthy garments lead us to a deeper appreciation of God's grace? We've got to recognize our own sinfulness, not your wife's, not your husband's, oh, not your neighbor's, your own. You need to look at your own sinfulness and inadequacy and highlight the depths of God's grace and the profound nature of that gift of righteousness that we all receive through Christ, because I'm glad that we all can be more eager to live in a way that honors God. In what ways can we practically put on the new identity that Christ provides for us? We do it by pursuing holiness, engaging in daily prayer, Bible study, actively living out our faith through actions that reflect Christ's character. And lastly, in closing, what are some specific actions that we can take to remind ourselves of our new identity in Christ each day? Set aside some time for personal reflection and prayer. Surround ourselves with a supportive Christian community, local church, Body of Christ. Memorize, meditate on the scriptures. Remind ourselves from the promise of your identity in Christ. wearing reminders such as Christian symbols, engaging in devotions. And so every one of us, I hope and pray that you got something out from filthy garments to divine righteousness. Heavenly Father, we thank you for the incredible gift of your grace and righteousness that we receive through Jesus Christ. And Lord, as we leave our study tonight in chapter three, help us to live each day clothed in the armor of God, reflecting your holiness and grace in our lives. And we pray for those who do not yet know you that need salvation. Come unto me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. But you know what? Lord, I pray for the salvation of those that are lost right now, that needs, because the Roman's road says, whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. And so, that Lord, that they may come to understand the beauty of your salvation. Guide us, may we repent, may we turn back to you. Those Christians that are out of the will and out of fellowship, they ain't lost their salvation, but they're out of the will of God. May we continually seek your face, turn to your righteousness, in Jesus' marvelous mighty name, amen. God bless you and thank you for tuning in with us tonight. May God bless you.