STEPS IN ORDER TO SEE GOD AT WORK
Luke 1:5-25
Proposition:
Objective: My purpose is to challenge people to look to where God is at work in our lives, our church and our community.
INTRODUCTION:
Illus: A missionary went to a remote Indian village in Peru. If you were to visit the main "street" there, you would find that it’s just a dirt path surrounded by a dozen huts built on stilts and covered with palm roofs. Then just off the main path there is a small, granite marker. The story behind this is that there was a young missionary who planted a thriving church in that village .Then this missionary’s six-month old son died from a sudden onset of vomiting and diarrhea. Also about this time the young missionary seemed to crack. He hewed a marker by hand from local stone, buried his baby’s body, and planted a tree beside the grave They say that at the hottest part of each day, when everyone else sought shade, the missionary walked to the river and hauled back a jug of water for the tree. He would stand beside the grave, his shadow falling across it, as if to shield it from the blazing sun. Many times he would weep, other times he would pray, and sometimes he would just stand there with a vacant gaze. Others, such as his wife, the Indian church members and other missionaries tried to help him, but nothing would comfort his sorrow. Eventually, the missionary himself got sick, his mind wandered and he had constant diarrhea. He was flown to Lima, where doctors probed him for any signs of amoeba or other tropical organisms, but they could find nothing. No medication seemed to work and eventually they diagnosed his problem as "hysterical diarrhea" and sent him and his wife back to the United States. He had prayed for some sign of God’s presence, or at least a word of comfort. Why did he feel none?
In the Gospel of Luke, the central character is Jesus Christ. Before the Name of Jesus appears in Luke 1:31, we read of John the Baptist who paved the way for Jesus. In the opening chapter of Luke’s Gospel, we remember a man whose name was given to him by God. The man’s name was John. His name means “The Lord is gracious.” His name speaks of the grace of God, reaching out to many people through His ministry.
Luke wrote 2 books of the New Testament, his gospel and the Book of Acts. In writing these, he gave us about 28% of the content of the New Testament. This man God used by His Holy Spirit to communicate love and devotion for Jesus Christ. This morning I want to introduce you to an older couple who also longed to see God at work in their lives. They had asked God for children but there was none. They had probably stopped praying because they thought it was impossible. Also the Lord had promised (Mal. 4:5-6) “I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And He will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.” Four hundred years God had been silent in sending the Messiah and the forerunner. Even today, a Jewish family will set a place and leave an empty chair for…who else but Elijah? Luke sees the connection between the coming of the forerunner and lets us know that after 400 years God was shattering the silence with the birth of John the Baptist. The name Zechariah means, “God remembers” and Elizabeth means “God’s oath” or “promise.” Thanks to David Dykes for some thoughts on the main points as we see steps that Zechariah took that allowed God to work in a miraculous way.
Step I: WORSHIP—THE JOY OF MEETING GOD (vvs. 5-12)-Worship means “to have intense love or admiration for.” “Worship refreshes the soul as sleep refreshes the body.” William Temple defined worship as quickening the conscience by the holiness of God, feeding the mind with the truth of God, purging the imagination by the beauty of God, opening the heart to the love of God, and devoting the will to the purpose of God
1. Acknowledgement (vvs. 5-7) "walking in all the commandments”—To walk in the way that God commands is “to obey.” Their walk matched their talk.
1). Descent (v. 5) “of the division of Abijah”--This was one of the 4 divi-sions of the priesthood in the descendants of Aaron. Here was a priest married to a daughter of a priest. David had divided the priesthood into 24 divisions & Abijah was the leader of Zechariah’s division (1 Chron. 24:10).
2). Devout (v. 6) “They were both righteous before God”—Both were just or holy before God. This verse shows that Elizabeth’s childless condition was not the result of her sin. The righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees was typically superficial and hypocritical, but Zechariah and Elizabeth were truly godly.
3). Devoid (v. 7) “”Elizabeth was barren”— Elizabeth’s condition was identical to Sarah’s (Gen. 17:16-17; cf. 1 Sam. 1:5-11). Her childless state embarrassed her (cf. v. 25), and her advanced age removed the hope of bearing children from her. To be childless was regarded as a sign of God’s disfavor. Therefore this statement prepares the reader for a miracle.
2. Allegiance (vvs. 8-10) “before God”—This means in the Temple, where God dwelt by the symbols of His presence.
1). Service (v. 8) “He was serving as priest”— In Zechariah’s day, each division served for 1 week 2 times a year plus during the major festivals (c.18,000 total priests). A Priest was a minister who was in charge of sacrifice and offering plus look-ing after the upkeep of the Temple.
2). Selection (v. 9) “His lot fell to burn incense”—Offering the incense was something a priest could do only once if at all in his career. As the sacrificed animal burned outside, the offering priest poured incense over a live coal on the altar within the Holy Place. As the smoke arose, he prayed some set prayer for the blessing, peace and Messianic redemption of Israel.
3). Seriousness (v. 10) “The whole multitude of the people was praying outside”— Many godly people assembled in the temple courtyards for this daily offering, as was customary. This was probably the evening incense offering (3:00 p.m., cf. Dan. 9:21; Acts 3:1). Incense symbolized the ascending prayers of God’s people that are as a sweet fragrance to Him (cf. Ps. 141:2; Rev. 5:8; 8:3-4). This was when large numbers came to worship.
3. Appearance (v. 11)"An angel of the Lord appeared to him”-- Inside, as Zacharias approached the altar. Before him rose the richly embroidered and colorful curtain of the Holy of Holies. On one side was the table of shewbread and on the other the lights burned on the golden candlestick. Waves of heat rose from the glowing embers. Impassioned prayers flowed out of his priestly soul-prayers for his people, prayers for himself. With one motion, he lifted the censer and let its contents spill over the coals, enveloping him and his petitions in a billowing cloud.
4. Awe (v. 12) “Fear fell upon him”—He was alone, in the presence of God. The appearance of the angel was sudden, unexpected & therefore fearful. At first Zacharias was terrified; none of his contemporaries had ever seen an angel.
Illus: “What is true worship?” A missionary asked a class of young native Christians. A shy fellow stood and said, “I think I know, but I may not be able to say it so others will understand. Before I knew my Savior, I used to go late to church. Now I love to go real early, sit quietly, think about Jesus and His great love for me!” Then, with tears running down his face, he said, “Oh, I love Him! Because He loves me, and because I love Him, I want to please Him in all I do and say!”
Step II: WONDER: THE JOY OF HEARING FROM GOD (vvs. 13-20) "Your prayer is heard"—Wow! What a message! “In his duties he was faithful. In his doubts he was fearful.”
1. Delight (vvs. 13-14) "Do not be afraid…You will have joy and gladness”—This was not God’s angel of judgment; he was God’s angel of mercy. His first words were to relieve anxiety. “Stop fearing.” God had heard in His time and in His purpose He had answered. Joy would replace fear in Zechariah’s heart and spread to his wife and then to all Israel. The coming of Israel’s predicted Messiah would be a joyous event according to the Old Testament. The theme of joy is prominent in Luke’s Gospel.
2. Direction (vvs. 15-17) “He will turn many to the Lord”—He would turn many from disobedience to the wise obedience which characterizes the just, that is, the upright. He would be great in his role as herald of the Messiah. He would turn many of the Jewish people to the Lord. His ministry would be like that of Elijah, the prophet—seeking to bring the people into right relationship with God through repentance. His preaching would turn the hearts of careless parents to a real spiritual concern for their children. Also he would bring back the hearts of disobedient, rebellious children to the “wisdom of the just.” In other words, he would strive to gather out of the world a company of believers who would be ready to meet the Lord when He appeared. This is a worthy ministry for each of us.
3. Disbelief (vvs. 18-19) "How shall I know this?”— The aged Zacharias was struck by the sheer impossibility of the promise. Both he and his wife were too old to become the parents of a child. His plaintive question expressed all the pent-up doubt of his heart. Zacharias asks how it is possible, since he & Elizabeth are past the years of normal expectation of parenthood & have been childless, that they should have a son. Why should they expect any change in that condition so late in life?
4. Demonstration (vvs. 19-20) “Until these things take place”--This special angel that was sent on this special mission was God’s official spokesman, bearing God’s words. Zacharias being unable to speak any words until Gabriel’s words became reality\! That was real punishment; it proved to be convincing. The sign that God gave, Zechariah’s dumbness, served to heighten the wonder of what God would reveal and to conceal Gabriel’s revelation from the people until the proper time.
Poem: “I asked for strength that I might achieve;”
I asked for strength that I might achieve;
He made me weak that I might obey.
I asked for health that I might do great things;
He gave me grace that I might do better things.
I asked for riches that I might be happy;
He gave me poverty that I might be wise.
I asked for power that I might have the praise of men;
He gave me weakness that I might feel a need of God.
I asked for all things that I may enjoy life;
He gave me life that I might enjoy all things.
I received nothing I asked for;
He gave me all that I had hoped for.
Illus: While Josh McDowell was attending seminary in California, his father went Home to be with the Lord. His mother had died years earlier, but Josh was not sure of her salvation. He became depressed, thinking that she might be lost. Was she a Christian or not? The thought obsessed him. “Lord,” he prayed, “somehow give me the answer so I can get back to normal. I’ve just got to know.” It seemed like an impossible request. Two days later, Josh drove out to the ocean. He walked to the end of a pier to be alone. There sat an old woman in a lawn chair, fishing. “Where’s your home originally?” she asked. “Michigan—Union City,” Josh replied. “Nobody’s heard of it. I tell people it’s a suburb of —” “Battle Creek,” interrupted the woman. “I had a cousin from there. Did you know the McDowell family?” Stunned, Josh responded, “Yes, I’m Josh McDowell!” “I can’t believe it,” said the woman. “I’m a cousin to your mother.” “Do you remember anything at all about my mother’s spiritual life?” asked Josh.
“Why sure—your mom and I were just girls—teenagers—when a tent revival came to town. It was the fourth night—we both went forward to accept Christ.” “Praise God!” shouted Josh, startling the surrounding fishermen.
Step III: WILLINGNESS: THE JOY OF OBEYING GOD (vvs. 21-25) "When He came out"—Zacharias came out a changed man. “God remembers” and “His oath.” John means “God is gracious.”
1. Concern (v. 21) “The people waited for Zacharias”—Outside, the people were waiting impatiently; ordinarily the priest who was burning incense would have appeared much sooner. Zechariah’s delay in the temple and then his inability to speak impressed the worshippers that something supernatural had occurred. Normally he would have pronounced the Aaronic blessing over them (Num. 6:24-26).
2. Continuation (v. 22) “He remained speechless “—When Zacharias came out, unable to speak, they understood from his signs that he had experienced a vision and departed with no spoken benediction. The people assumed incorrectly that he had seen a vision. Zechariah was unable to communicate to them what had really happened. Luke recorded their reaction to impress his readers with the importance of this event.
3. Completion (v. 23) “As soon as the days…were completed”—After his tour of duty at the temple was completed, the priest went back home, still unable to speak, as the angel had predicted.
4. Conception (v. 24) “His wife Elizabeth conceived”—The child was conceived by Zacharias’ union with Elizabeth. Elizabeth withdrew from social life for 5 months.
5. Contemplation (v. 25) “Thus has the Lord dealt with me”—This was a time of contemplation on her experience and of rejoicing in her sense of fulfillment. It was only natural that this dramatic conception would be interpreted as the work of God. In Jewish thought God was so involved in His creation that everything that happened was understood in some way as the direct act of God. God wants to take away our reproach among men and women. He wants to restore that which robs us of dignity. He wants to give us the desires of our hearts. He wants to give us something too good to be true.
Illus: Neil Marten, a member of the British Parliament, was once giving a group of his constituents a guided tour of the Houses of Parliament. During the course of the visit, the group happened to meet Lord Hailsham, then lord chancellor, wearing all the regalia of his office. Hailsham recognized Marten among the group and cried, “Neil!” Not daring to question or disobey the “command,” the entire band of visitors promptly fell to their knees!
CONCLUSION: This story teaches three principles:
1. Our impossibilities are the platforms upon which God does His best work. When the night looks the bleakest, He does His best work.
2. God’s delays are not necessarily His denials. God’s, "Wait" does not necessarily imply, "No." He may simply be saying, "Not right now." So, rather than letting His delays cause doubt, let them cause growth in your life.
3. When God intervenes, His surprises are for His glory and for our ultimate good. Like Zacharias, you may pray a long time for something only to have God answer your prayers in an unusual and unexpected way. Would you doubt His ability to do the impossible after so many years of waiting? Instead, be like Elizabeth, who accepted God’s gift graciously, even though it came later than she hoped.
Illus: Born in Scotland in 1842, George Matheson, from his earliest childhood was troubled with failing sight. There was little then that could be done for a degenerative eye disease and he was loosing his eyesight. In spite of this handicap, he distinguished himself as a brilliant student at Edinburgh University soon after which he became an eminent preacher and writer. He deeply loved and was engaged to be married to a young woman. She came and told George that she could not live or care for a blind man that she refused to marry him. It was out of this rejection and disappointment, that George Matheson wrote a hymn of praise to God, of a love that was steadfast and unfailing in and surrounding all the circumstances of life: He wrote:
O love that will not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in Thee;
I give Thee back the life I owe,
That in Thine ocean depths its flow
May richer fuller be.
Out of George Matheson’s blindness and his own physical darkness, he affirmed,
O Light, that followest all my way
I yield my flickering torch to Thee;
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in Thy sunshine’s blaze its day
May brighter fairer be.
The first two metaphors that he employed in verse one and two are love and light. The symbol of the third verse is joy that overtakes pain, with the rainbow that emerges from life’s storms.
O joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain
And feel the promise is not vain,
That morn shall tearless be.
The hymn climaxes with the great metaphor of the Cross. As they spoke to his own life of the hope that only God could give.
O Cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from thee;
I lay, in dust, life glory’s dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red
LIFE that shall endless be.
These words to the hymn were composed as the fruit of Matheson’s disappointment, the product of his suffering. They are statement to his faith in the One, who when even those closest to him did, God would never abandon him.
Prepared by: Gerald Steffy, 6206 N. Hamilton Rd.
Peoria, IL 61614, Phone: 309-691-3680,
E-Mail grsteffy@yahoo.com for weekly MY SERMON NUGGETS
