How many parents do we have here today? Raise your hands.
I met Phil and his wife, Linda when we lived in Vermont. They were DINKs. That was the term we used to describe people married where the husband and wife had a career and no plans to have children. DINKs was short for “double income, no kids.” Actually, Phil kind of wanted children, but his wife didn’t. At least that’s what I remember. They were both very successful in their careers and had lots of stuff to show for it, but no children to pass it on to. When we visited them and brought along our three children, it always seemed like they looked sad.
God’s word teaches us that children are a heritage from the Lord. There are few matters that feel more painful to some women than not being able to bear children. Luke begins his gospel with a story of a barren woman and her husband who are beyond child bearing years and how God blesses them to be able to bear a son. And what a colorful experience comes about with this child! Zachariah and Elizabeth. Fine upstanding people. Religious and faithful to the tee. Probably in their 60’s or so when we meet them in Luke.
Here is Zachariah, a Levitical priest, chosen by lot to go into the temple to burn incense. Everyone is outside worshipping and praying. Can you picture it? This is a huge honor! Most priests never got to do this. Don’t you know that he was at least somewhat nervous. He’s most likely never done this before and will never do it again. Ok, now, follow the instructions carefully. He’s a righteous man wanting to do the right things and wanting to do them right. He’s there, in that holy temple alone, when suddenly someone else is in there with him! Someone is standing there at the right side of the alter of incense! An angel! Zachariah is scared to death! This is not supposed to happen!
But what do angels look like? Did he glow? Did he dress like an angel?
The angel starts to speak. He tells Zachariah at least 12 things:
1. Don’t be afraid, Zachariah
2. Your prayers have been heard
3. Your wife will bear you a son
4. You are to name him John
5. He will be a joy and delight to you
6. Many will rejoice because of his birth
7. He will be great in the sight of the Lord
8. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink
9. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit from birth
10. He will bring many people in Israel back to the Lord
11. He will go on before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah
a. To turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous.
b. To make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
That was a mouth full!
Now let me ask you a question. What would you have done if that were you? What would you have said?
Zachariah is an older man. He’s become sort of set in his ways by this time. He’s listening, but he’s having a hard time believing his ears. NIV and NASB give you a fuller sense of his response in verse 18.
The Greek literally says: “By what can I know this?” That is idiomatic. We might say, “You’ve got to be kidding, right?” Listen to Zachariah’s logic. He states the obvious. I am old. My wife has too many years on her for this.
Can you hear what he is saying? Zachariah is telling the angel that it is too late for answered prayers now. We are too old and too long past those hopes and dreams. We used to pray with longing that we’d have a baby, but to no avail. Too many years have passed. Too much water under the bridge or over the dam. I’ve given up. My hopes are dead and my faith in God answering that prayer is over.
Surprise, surprise, surprise! God hasn’t given up yet.
Hey! Are you listening to me? Are you hearing this? God still has power to perform his purposes when our potential is pooped and past! Look at what God can do! He takes a baby from an obscure village in an obscure country and changes the universe forever! How? Because that baby was God’s Son. I love what Gabriel said to Mary in verse 37. “For nothing is impossible with God!” Did you hear that? God’s power in your life doesn’t depend on your potential! It never has and it never will!
Now lets park here and apply that for a minute. What can this church here on Signal Mountain do to impact the entire world? What do you think? What do you believe?
Gabriel spoke the word of God. Zachariah spoke the word of a heart past hope.
We tend to think we can do great things only when we see the momentum of growth. God can do great things after all the momentum has moved away. But you must remember something. Zachariah was righteous, and he was a praying man. Elizabeth was righteous too. It took a while, but the answer to his prayers came, and it was a lot greater answer than the praying Zachariah ever imagined! Besides, it looks to me like God was also merciful. This son they would bear would be beheaded when he was 30 something. But by then Zachariah and Elizabeth would already be on the other side of death waiting for him to come.
God’s timing is always right!
Zachariah’s answer to the angel showed that he was full of doubts about what the angel said.
Listen to the reply of Gabriel to Zachariah’s doubts.
19 And the angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God; and I have been sent to speak to you, and to bring you this good news.
20 "And behold, you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which shall be fulfilled in their proper time."
I wonder if angels have emotions. Gabriel’s answer here seems to have a bit of emotion in it to me. I am Gabriel! I stand before the Lord! I’ve been sent to speak to you, to bring you good news!
Can you hear it in these words?
Remember the movie Aladin? He rubs the lamp and the Genie comes out and offers him three wishes and Aladin can’t believe it! The Genie has to convince him that he’s never had a friend like this before.
Zachariah has never had a visit like this before. This is his day for firsts. He gets to serve in the temple, a first and unusually rare experience. He has a visitation from an angel, an unheard of experience in his day. He hears from the angel that he is going to have a son, an impossible thing in his mind. It’s like he can’t take any more unique experiences in one day!
But let me return to something we’ve already noticed but need to think about more. Gabriel said, “Your prayer has been heard…”
The prayers of a righteous man are powerful and effective. God’s word teaches us to devote ourselves to prayer. As Zachariah was offering the incense in the temple, what does it specifically say all the worshippers who were gathered outside were doing? See it in verse 10?
They were praying.
Not long after we first moved to Signal Mountain we had a prayer vigil. Do any of you remember that? We had a sign up sheet and for 24 hours we took turns and prayed for God to help us grow. Some of us fasted along with our prayers. Has God answered that prayer? Perhaps he’s only begun to answer it. Where will we go from here? Is God finished with us? No way!
I’ve got an idea. What if each family here chose another family and set a time to get together for a time of prayer in our homes? Let’s say we do this once a week over a period of 7 weeks so that every member here was able to get together with at least 7 other families and pray. Maybe some would meet together before a church service, or maybe to go do some service together. From those families here that are just one person, to the largest family that we have here, Clay’s 7, we could mix it up with young and old so that we not only pray together and have fellowship but we get to know one another better. I believe we need this. We need to become more of a praying people. Obeying and praying! Instead of having to make a program, let’s just do it!
In Acts 2:42 those in the early church they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. They met in the temple courts and from house to house.
This building is specifically designed as a place to gather for worship, but the first place God designed as a place of worship was the home. We need to worship in both!
On Thursdays at Bob’s office a few of us have been meeting at 6:30 in the morning to pray and read the Bible and discuss it. What a blessing!
The ladies classes have been such a blessing to many of our ladies who pray and dig into the word and have fellowship together.
These are wonderful times of spiritual support and sharing that every Christian needs. God’s word says to encourage one another daily. We are to pray for one another and bear one another’s burdens and build one another up. These commands of God are to every Christian to perform as well as receive. The elders and deacons can’t do it all for us. I can’t do it for you. We are to do these things for one another! It is God’s plan. Prayer is among the simplest and most precious of the expressions of faith that we have. God hears us. He even commands us to do this because he wants what is best for us.
Start! If you are not used to it, you will feel awkward, so what! Your faith will be rewarded! Decide right now that you will obey and pray! Get together with someone soon. Start your prayers with praise and thanksgiving. Count your blessings before him. Praise him for his grace and promises. Rejoice before him in prayer. Tell him what his blessings have done for you. Praise him for Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection. Thank him for your faith and the fellowship we have in Christ. Thank him for the Holy Spirit’s influence in your life. He inspired the word for you. He convicts you of sin and strengthens you for life. He seals you as one of God’s own children and intercedes for you when you have not words that can express your deepest needs. As you are praying, ask God to bless this church, our elders, our deacons, our staff, our missions, every family, our youth, our elderly, our widows, our sick. Ask God to direct us to walk closer with him and to know that he is near and to live like we know he is always near. Ask God to help us walk in reverent fear of him so that we will be fearless in this world. Ask God to touch the lost and strengthen the saved.
Luke is going to show us a lot more about prayer. Luke’s gospel is a praying gospel. I hope this study will cause us to be a more prayerful people in the Lord.
