The Thrill of Hope #2
Hope When You Feel Forgotten
Dr. Marty Baker / Luke 1 / December 14, 2025
Welcome to Stevens Creek Church. We are so glad that you are here today. I want to welcome all of those in our Grovetown Campus, our North Augusta Campus, our South Campus and those watching online and on demand.
I like to start with something funny.
Did you hear about the guy that was away on business the week before Christmas? He felt bad so he wanted to return home with an early Christmas gift for his wife. So he went to the mall to do a little shopping.
The first thing that he noticed when he walked into the store was the cosmetics counter.
The clerk said, "How about some perfume?" He said, “Yes, that sounds good.” She showed him a bottle costing $50.
"That's a bit much," so she returned with a smaller bottle for $30. "That is still quite a bit."
Growing disgusted, the clerk brought out a tiny $15 bottle. He grew agitated, "What I mean," he said, "is I'd like to see something really cheap." So the clerk handed him a mirror. Guys, be careful when you go shopping.
Today, we are continuing our Christmas series called The Thrill of Hope. It’s December 14 and I know that some of you walked in today with a lot on your mind. This time of year pulls us in a hundred different directions. The calendar is full, the to-do list is long, and your energy tank is running on empty.
And for many of us, underneath all the holiday movement, there’s another feeling we don’t always admit:
“I’m overwhelmed. I’m stretched thin. I’m doing the best I can.”
And it’s Christmas — the season that magnifies everything you feel. The joy feels brighter, but the loneliness feels heavier too.
Maybe you’re a teacher and you pour into students every day, you stay late, you spend your own money on supplies… and some days you wonder if anyone notices at all.
Maybe you go to work every day, work hard, provide for your family… and still feel invisible in your own house.
Christmas is God’s reminder that even when life feels heavy, hope is still on the way.
Well, today’s message is for you.
And here’s why. You are not the first person to feel that way. The Christmas story reminds us of something we don’t always feel… but we deeply need to know: Just because you feel overlooked doesn’t mean you are forgotten.
Big Idea:
When you feel forgotten, God is still working in ways you cannot see.
People may overlook you, but God never does. He sees you right where you are. He knows your name. He knows your load. And He hears every prayer, even the ones you do not pray anymore.
If you will lean in for a few minutes… if you will take a breath… I believe God is going to breathe hope into the places where you feel forgotten.
Because Christmas shows us this truth. God does some of His greatest work in the lives of people who feel forgotten. And the Christmas story shows us this truth through the life of one forgotten couple. Their names were Zechariah and Elizabeth. Their story shows us the first truth we need to hold onto.
The Christmas story doesn’t start with a celebration; it starts with people who felt forgotten, overlooked, and left behind by life.
1. When people overlook you, remember that God still sees you.
The Christmas story begins with two ordinary people—Zechariah and Elizabeth—who loved God deeply, yet felt like life had passed them by. Before we ever get to Bethlehem, Luke slows down and shines a light on an older couple who felt forgotten by everyone around them.
Luke 1:5-6
5 In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron.
6 Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly.
So what we see here is that both Zechariah and Elizabeth grew up in families that were involved in ministry. So, when Zechariah married Elizabeth, it was like a preacher marrying a preacher’s daughter. They were remarkable people. Luke called them “righteous” and “blameless,” meaning they lived godly, scandal-free lives. But, everything did not go their way. They had some heartaches along the way.
Luke 1:7
7 But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.
I am a little offended by the words very old because one commentator said that they were in their sixties… so since I am in my sixties, I guess I am very old. I still feel like I am 40.
In their culture, “very old” didn’t just describe age. It described how they felt. For them, it meant the dream was gone. It meant the window had closed. It meant everyone around them had quietly moved on. The prayer had expired.
You may feel forgotten, but God remembers your story.
• He remembers the moments you don’t talk about.
• He remembers the prayers you prayed years ago.
• He remembers the longings you buried because they hurt too much to keep open.
And that’s exactly where God meets Zechariah.
As the story unfolds, we see Zechariah serving in the Temple. Historians tell us there were around 20,000 priests in Israel in the first century. They were divided into 24 groups, each serving twice a year for one week.
But among all their duties, the highest honor was to take incense into the Holy Place and sprinkle it onto the burning coals of the golden altar. You only had that opportunity once in your life. This was Zechariah’s day.
Zechariah walked into the Temple thinking nothing had changed. But God was waiting for him there. The prayer he thought was dead was about to stand up and breathe again.
In that holy moment, as he took the incense into the Holy Place, an angel showed up. Zechariah was not expecting a heavenly visitor. It had been 400 years since there had been an official word from the Lord… 400 years of Heavenly silence. And then this happens:
Luke 1:11-13
11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.
12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear.
13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.
That one sentence anchors the whole story.
“Your prayer has been heard.”
Your prayer was heard. Your prayer is still being heard.
The prayer you stopped praying because it hurt too much?
He heard that one too.
And this is where their story reaches into your story.
But the Christmas story reminds us of this unshakable truth. Just because you feel overlooked does not mean you are forgotten.
God sees you. He knows what you carry. He knows where it hurts. He knows how long you’ve been waiting. And He has not lost sight of you.
Zechariah walked into the Temple carrying years of disappointment. He walked in feeling like one priest among thousands. But God saw him. God chose him. God remembered him. And in that holy moment, God sent an angel to speak his name out loud.
“Zechariah… your prayer has been heard.”
And if God saw Zechariah in the Temple that day, I promise you He sees you today.
If God sees you, then this next truth follows closely behind it. He not only sees you. He hears you.
2. God not only hears your prayers. He knows exactly when to answer them.
I want you to take a breath and relax a little. God hasn’t forgotten the timing of your life. You might feel behind… unsure… or like your prayers are just floating out there.
Sometimes the thing you thought would never happen comes together at just the right moment.
Zechariah wasn’t stuck in silence—God was getting things ready behind the scenes. The angel didn’t say, “God finally noticed you,” or, “God just now heard you.”
Gabriel made it clear:
Luke 1:13
Your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.
Elizabeth had been barren for many years. They had been praying, believing to have a child, but at their age, it did not seem possible.
Before Zechariah can say a word, Gabriel adds some details in the next few verses.
• He will bring joy to many.
• He will be great in the sight of the Lord.
• He will not drink wine or strong drink.
• He will be filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb.
• He will turn many to the Lord.
• He will serve like Elijah.
• He will prepare people for the coming of the Lord.
I am sure Zechariah came to work that morning excited because he was going to burn incense in the Temple, but he was not expecting an angel to show up. He was not expecting his prayers to be answered.
Yet God held that prayer in His hands until the exact moment it would accomplish the most good—not just for them, but for the whole world.
And the same God who remembered Zechariah’s prayer remembers yours. His timing is never late. His purpose is never rushed. When the moment is right, God steps in and does what only God can do.
And yet—even with all of this good news—Zechariah still struggled to believe it. He loved God. He served God. He had prayed for years.
But in the moment the miracle finally came, doubt rose up in his heart. And that brings us to the next truth we learn from this story.
3. When your faith feels weak, remember that God is still faithful.
Weak faith doesn’t push God away — and strong faith doesn’t make Him love you more.
When the angel delivered the promise, Zechariah didn’t respond with bold faith. He responded with questions.
Luke 1:18
“Zechariah asked the angel, ‘How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.’”
I get it. If the doctor said to me, “Marty, you and Patty you are going to have another baby.” That would be shocking. I’m not sure how I would respond. But there is one key difference. We are not praying for another child.
But Zechariah and Elizabeth had prayed for years, and in this moment, you can hear the doubt in his voice:
“I’m an old man. My wife is well along in years.”
He was saying, “Yes, I once dreamed of having children…
but I just don’t see how it can happen now.”
And honestly — who wouldn’t feel that? Which is harder to believe? That an elderly couple could have a baby…or that a virgin could conceive the Son of God?
Both are humanly impossible. Both sit at the center of the Christmas story. But, Mary believed… and Zechariah struggled.
And that’s an important reminder for us:
Strong believers can still have strong doubts.
Zechariah and Elizabeth were godly, faithful, righteous people. But Zechariah simply could not imagine a different outcome. His mind was fixed. His hope felt closed. Even Gabriel standing in front of him wasn’t enough to break that mindset.
He loved God. He served faithfully. He had prayed for years. But when the answer finally came… he struggled to believe it.
And that’s where many of us live.
• We trust God — but we wrestle.
• We believe — but not always fully.
• We pray — but wonder if anything is happening at all.
And this is where the story gives us incredible hope:
Zechariah’s doubts did not cancel God’s plan.
His questions didn’t disqualify him. God’s faithfulness is not limited by our weakness.
There have been moments in my life — and probably in yours — when I prayed a prayer almost out of habit. Not a bold prayer… not a confident prayer… just a quiet, tired whisper because I didn’t know what else to do.
And God answered it anyway.
And when He did, my first thought wasn’t, “Wow, what strong faith I had.” It was, “God… You were listening even when I wasn’t at my best.”
That’s Zechariah.
He wasn’t standing in the Holy Place overflowing with faith. He was weary. He was older. He was unsure. And when the miracle finally came, he struggled to believe it. Weak faith today sounds like this: “Lord, I believe… but I don’t know how much longer I can hold on.”
His faith wavered — but God’s faithfulness didn’t.
And here’s the hope in that: God doesn’t just answer the prayers you pray in confidence. He answers the prayers you pray in weakness too.
And that brings us to the beautiful next part of this story. If God doesn’t give up on us when our faith wavers, then we can trust this—God will finish what He starts.
4. Even when we stumble, God will always finish what He starts.
Zechariah’s doubt didn’t derail God’s plan. God doesn’t abandon His work; and He doesn’t abandon His people.
His silence didn’t stop God’s promise. His weakness didn’t slow down God’s work. Because when God starts something… He brings it to completion.
After Zechariah questioned the angel, Gabriel responded with a firm but hope-filled word.
Luke 1:20
I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God… And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.
For months, Zechariah could not speak. He walked out of the Holy Place, saw his family and friends, tried to form words—nothing. Silence.
Why would God allow that? Because God wasn’t punishing Zechariah—He was protecting the promise.
If Zechariah had gone around saying, “The angel said we’re having a baby… but we’re too old… it’s never going to happen,” his own words could have undermined the miracle God was bringing to pass. And that’s a lesson for us:
Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is stop speaking doubt over your future. If you are not careful…
• You can talk yourself out of a miracle.
• You can talk yourself out of a breakthrough.
• You can talk yourself out of a blessing.
But just as Gabriel stood before Zechariah, if he were standing here today, I believe he would say:
“I stand in the presence of Almighty God, and what He promised you will come to pass.”
If you will stay in faith, all the forces of darkness cannot stop what God started in your life.
• He opens doors no one can shut.
• He turns situations around that seem impossible.
• And if you can’t get through the wall in front of you,
He enables you to go over it.
Bottom line: God will get you where you’re supposed to be.
People can’t stop you. Bad breaks can’t stop you.
Sickness can’t stop you. Fear can’t stop you.
God has the final say. Zechariah’s unbelief cost him his voice—but it did not cancel God’s plan.
God knows exactly what He’s doing. And if God can use Zechariah… He can use you.
Because God works through imperfect people.
• People who doubt.
• People who struggle.
• People who feel unqualified.
• People who wish their faith was stronger.
Weak as we are… frail in our faith…struggling to understand… trying to obey… sometimes failing miserably—
still, He uses us.
Why?
Because He finishes what He starts.
And when God was ready… when the time was right…
not early, not late…the promise arrived… the miracle happened. Elizabeth, in her old age, gave birth to a baby boy.
Luke 1:59-60
59 On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah,
60 but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.”
In that culture, naming the child was the father’s role.
Everyone expected the baby to be named after Zechariah.
But Elizabeth said, “No — his name will be John.”
So they turned to Zechariah. He still couldn’t speak, so he motioned for something to write on. To everyone’s surprise, he wrote, “His name is John.” And then it happened.
Luke 1:64
Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God.
The moment Zechariah aligned himself with God’s promise, his voice returned. God restored what doubt had taken. God finished what He started.
So when you’re tired…
when you’re waiting…
when you’re not sure what God is doing…
remember this truth from the Christmas story:
God finishes what He starts — and He will finish His work in you.
Closing Thoughts and Prayer
