November 29, 2020
Morning Service

Thanksgiving 2020 is now behind us and for many of us it was different this year.  Many traditions were broken as the virus again altered our normal lifestyles and now our holiday plans.  With Christmas just a short month away, many of us are wondering what changes will take place there as well.  We are hopeful that we will return to some order of “normal” but also realistically accept that we really don’t know.  Such has been this year of 2020; a year of uncertainty and change.  Change is ideed a part of life that we are all forced to deal with.  Today we will begin a series on a love story that has not changed for over 2000 years.  It has not changed because our Savior Jesus Christ, the author, does not change; “He is the same yesterday, today and forever.” (Heb. 13:8) This year is an excellent opportunity to focus in on the real story of this season by putting Christ back into Christmas. It is a love story of an all-powerful God sending His Son to the earth to restore the broken relationship between Himself and His creation.  It was in this moment of time that God chose to put into motion His perfect plan of salvation by coming down to His people.  With Jesus’ birth hope was born.  Hope of a brighter future and hope of help along the way to get there because this is a love story and love never fails!  (I Cor. 13:8)

It had been 400 years since God’s chosen people had heard from a prophet, but still yet they continued to hold on to the promise of a Messiah coming to deliver them.  Times were not easy as the Roman rule brought taxation and persecution to them.  They longed for their Deliverer, and held tightly to hope.  The story begins not with a proclamation to the king of the land, but it was to a simple servant priest whom God had prepared for such a moment.  Let’s meet him and see the role God has for him and his wife to play.

Luke 1:5-7 

            Zacharias was a priest, a descendent of Aaron, and of the order of Abijah.  The priesthood was divided into 24 divisions and each took turns twice a year to serve in the temple.  He and his wife were “both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.”  Their story includes the fact that they were childless.  Children were viewed as a blessing from God and the opposite was also viewed as true, even as far as being cursed by God.  Here was a couple who were modeling exactly what we have been discussing in our recent studies.  Their circumstances did not dictate their attitude or their faithfulness.  Though God had chosen to not to give them children, they continued to follow even to the place of being “blameless” or “perfect.”  Last week we talked about shooting for perfection in our walk with the Lord and here is a couple that was able to do it.  They are an example for all of us to follow when life may not have given us all that we had hoped for.  Don’t lose sight that God is in control and He is the One directing the path of your life journey.  Isaiah the prophet said it like this:

 

Isa 64:8 But now, O LORD, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand.

Zacharias and Elizabeth were nothing special, but really very ordinary people.  They had no special skills, but when they were weighed in the balance they were found to be faithful and were chosen by God to be the first to know He was on the move.  They were not the most qualified for this task, but they were the ones called to it.  “God does not call the qualified, but qualifies the called.”  We will find this to be a subplot throughout this beautiful story.  You may look at yourself and see only an “ordinary” person, but when we are following Jesus, He makes you extraordinary!  God has a purpose for you.  He will call you to it and then empower you to complete it.  Your job is to faithfully follow and remember you are clay in the hands of the Master. This is how Zacharias’ story begins; on an ordinary day doing his ordinary job.

 

Luke 1:8-17 

Zacharias would have considered it a great honor to be chosen to serve in the inner chamber of the temple burning the incense.  Incense was burned twice daily to remind the people to pray.  When they saw the smoke rising to heaven it symbolized their prayers ascending to God’s throne.  This was as close to God’s presence as a normal priest could have ever gotten.  I would think during that time Zacharias would have been praying himself; perhaps for a child of his own and even perhaps for the coming of the Messiah when the angel Gabriel appeared to him.

Angels are spirit beings who dwell in God’s presence and do His will.  This is not a dream or vision, but the angel appeared in visible form and spoke with an audible voice.  He then delivered the answers to Zacharias’ and all of Israel’s prayers.  Their son would bring “great joy and gladness” to all the land and was promised to “turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord and their God.”   He would be guided by the Holy Spirit his entire life and fulfill his purpose “to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”  In his moment of time, he would set the table for Jesus to begin His ministry just as Malachi had prophesied 400 years earlier and put into motion the greatest love story ever told.  We know their son as John the Baptist.  How do you react to such an unexpected event?

 

Luke 1:18-25

            Though Zacharias was a man of faith and faithfulness, he still had doubts.  They were probably doubts in himself more than doubts of his faith.  He, like many of us, don’t feel worthy to be used mightily by God doubting our own abilities.  In moment like this we must always remember; “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  (Phil. 4:13) He is the Potter and I am the clay; together we are a winning team.  Many times I am not sure what God is working on in my life so I need to simply walk by faith and trust Him at His Word.  When He speaks we must be ready to say “Wow” instead of ask “How?” Our job is not always to fully understand but to simply to follow Jesus and fully trust.  In this year of so much uncertainty and stress, rest in knowing the One you are following will not get lost or sidetracked.  He has things right where He wants them and needs us to be ready at any time by being obedient and available; pray for God to “keep you in the moment.”  As Ester said in her time of being used by God; “for such a time as this.”  Listen for the call of Jesus in your life.  It probably will not be an angel announcing your future, but it will be through the quiet Spirit’s call.  God speaks to you through His Word, be listening for His voice.  This beautiful love story that began with Zacharias and Gabriel but it is still being written and each of us are playing our part in it.  Allow God to mold you into what He has planned and trust Him to “qualify you for the call.”  Stay in the moment with ears wide open.

 

Heavenly Father thank You for loving us and empower us to follow You faithfully.