[Zephaniah 1: 14-16]

The great day of the Lord is near; It is near and hastens quickly. The noise of the day of the Lord is bitter; There the mighty men shall cry out.
That day is a day of wrath, A day of trouble and distress, A day of devastation and desolation, A day of darkness and gloominess, A day of clouds and thick darkness, A day of trumpet and alarm Against the fortified cities And against the high towers.

The day of the Lord is a terrifying thought. Zephaniah warns that no matter how strong you may be, no matter how fortified your defenses are, they can not stand against God.

Verses 2-3 state it this way “I will utterly consume everything
From the face of the land,” Says the Lord; “I will consume man and beast;
I will consume the birds of the heavens, The fish of the sea,
And the stumbling blocks along with the wicked. I will cut off man from the face of the land,” Says the Lord.

On this day everything will be over. All living being will cease to exist. How terrifying a thought.

This was a warning against those who harassed Israel in their day, but we know of another instance of the Day of the Lord, one that will end all life on the earth. For those who are wicked, it’s a hopeless situation, or would be if not for what’s found in chapter 2

[Zephaniah 2: 1-3]

Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, O undesirable nation,
Before the decree is issued, Or the day passes like chaff, Before the Lord’s fierce anger comes upon you, Before the day of the Lord’s anger comes upon you!
Seek the Lord, all you meek of the earth, Who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility.
It may be that you will be hidden In the day of the Lord’s anger.

There still was time for them, and there still is time for us. We must seek the Lord in order to be given salvation. In seeking the Lord we must fulfill his commandments, and those commandments lead to us being baptized.

While there still is time we take the opportunity to offer an invitation for those who have yet to be baptized, for fear that any among us would be destroyed on that last great day. Not physically as in the first case, but spiritually.

If you desire this salvation through baptism please step forward as we stand and sing