Something Greater Than Thyself

Something Greater than yourself Luke 1:68-79

1. Maria Shriver wrote a post In she writes:

• “Today, I am getting out of my head and into my heart. Why? Because my heart feels full. I feel grateful. I feel hopeful. I feel blessed.”

• When Carrie Underwood wanted to release the song “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” friends and colleagues cautioned her about the dangers of releasing a religious song. Her career could suffer, they hinted. Underwood was completely surprised.

• She said “I grew up in Oklahoma. I always had a close relationship with God. I never thought it was risky in the least. If anything, I thought it was the safest thing I could do.”

• The late Whitney Houston She said, “I feel so blessed to just have done what I had done. To be able to just use what God has given me is a blessing.”

• One theologian said, “It is a deep sense that your life, with all its imperfections, is somehow caught up in grace. That you’re not just existing — you’re living with purpose, held by something greater than yourself.

2. Zechariah was a Priest but he never realized God was greater than the Faith he Had.

• People in Zachariah’s day lived in a world nations against nations,

• Their faith was filled with fatigue. Weakness, and pressure

• The people’s Faith and Prophets Faith were dimmed by centuries of God silence God, it seemed, had gone quiet. And so had Zechariah.

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3. Because of Zachariah’s lack of faith he is silenced

• Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, had been struck mute — silenced by unbelief

• But when John is born and Zechariah confirms the child’s name — “His name is John” — the silence breaks.

• Zachariah realizes God is greater than the faith He doesn’t say, “I’m glad that’s over,” or “Let me tell you what I’ve been through.”

• The first word from his mouth is a blessing: “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them” (v. 68).

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4. God is Greater than our Crisis Crises have a way of shutting us up, closing our mouths, .

5. Zachariah got it he realized God is Greater than himself, As a result Zechariah’s song is born called the Benedictus

• God is Greater than our silence after the silence is a song

• God is greater than our darkness’s and after darkness comes a light;

• God is greater than our weariness and after the weary comes the dawn of a new day

6. Zachariah realized God is Greater than Himself

• Zechariah probably thought he would never speak again.

• He thought he would be voiceless for the rest of his life.

• It’s the way we feel when we come down with the flu or some other affliction. “Will this never end?” We pray, we cry, and we wring our hands.

7. God is greater than Zacharias religious thoughts

• This son born John will change the political and spiritual time period in Roman oppression and spiritual darkness.

• John is not a priest Iike his father — he is called “prophet of the Most High” (v. 76) —

• John will go before the Lord to prepare the way.

• He foretells that he will “give knowledge of salvation,”

• He call people to repentance, and “give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace” (v. 79).

8. I am thankful There is something greater than ourselves

• Let us proclaim the something greater than ourselves Not all of us are called to stand on the street corner shouting, “Prepare the way of the Lord.”

• every one of us —every pew-sitter, coffee-pourer, grandparent and teenager — is called to live in a way that makes Jesus visible.

• Lets us prepare the way. And here’s how we do it:

• We show there is something greater than ourselves By practicing mercy. Zechariah says God is acting out of “the tender mercy of our God” (v. 78).

• When we forgive, serve quietly and withhold harsh words, we are choosing mercy

• We show there is something greater than ourselves By speaking hope into despair. John came to speak of salvation and forgiveness.

• We show there something greater than ourselves By living peaceably with others. In his letter to the Christians in Rome, the apostle Paul wrote: “If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all” (Romans 12:18).

• Zechariah concludes his prophecy by saying the light of God will “guide our feet into the way of peace.”

• I am Thankful there is something greater than ourselves “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,

for he has looked favorably on[a] his people and redeemed them.

69 He has raised up a mighty savior[b] for us

in the house of his child David,