Accuser and the Advocate
Tim Keller | June 3, 1990
Overview
There is a courtroom, and we all know it. You don’t even have to go to the Bible–your own experience tells you. It doesn’t matter if people are coming to you and saying, “You’re great. You’re really great.” That’s nice, and you cling to that like a life raft, but you really wonder, “What about the other people who seem to have rejected me in my life? Who am I really? What do I really look like? Am I acceptable?”
The reason we’re so deeply insecure is because there is a courtroom. There is an accuser and there is a bar of justice and we are being accused there. We know it. Our conscience is a radio transmitter picking up the prosecution. How do we deal with the prosecutor? We look to the advocate.
Outline
Zechariah 3:1–7
This sermon explores the character of Satan as someone who points out our mistakes, using the example of Satan blaming Joshua, the high priest, in Zechariah 3. It highlights the idea of being good, the worry of not being good enough, and how dirty clothes can be a symbol for our mistakes and self-doubts. It also talks about how Jesus stands up for us in front of God, how important it is to believe in God’s kindness and love, and the need to deal with feelings of guilt and being down in a church group. It paints a picture of a church that flourishes because of God’s presence and the use of His teachings in everyday life.
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