WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:11.560 Welcome to the Willow Ridge Sermons Podcast. 00:00:12.100 --> 00:00:14.020 We're so glad you chose to listen today. 00:00:14.460 --> 00:00:19.000 In today's message, we explore the life of Zechariah and the faith lessons his story 00:00:19.000 --> 00:00:19.660 teaches us. 00:00:20.200 --> 00:00:24.760 From moments of doubt to profound encounters with God's promises, we see how trusting 00:00:24.760 --> 00:00:26.760 in his word transforms lives. 00:00:27.160 --> 00:00:31.340 Through Zechariah's journey, we're reminded of the joy found in God's faithfulness, 00:00:31.640 --> 00:00:35.860 the growth that comes from obedience, and the ultimate fulfillment of his promise through 00:00:35.860 --> 00:00:37.800 Jesus, the horn of salvation. 00:00:38.560 --> 00:00:42.020 Join us as we reflect on the hope and assurance we have in Christ. 00:00:42.540 --> 00:00:43.260 Thanks for listening. 00:00:55.260 --> 00:01:03.280 It's Christmas, so there's a little extra setup that I need to take care of this morning. 00:01:03.920 --> 00:01:06.200 So just be patient with me. 00:01:06.420 --> 00:01:06.920 Don't fall. 00:01:07.700 --> 00:01:08.300 Don't fall. 00:01:09.600 --> 00:01:18.640 If you're curious of what's in the red bag, you will find out at the end of the message. 00:01:18.780 --> 00:01:23.300 So in like Christmas fashion, let me put this right here. 00:01:24.400 --> 00:01:26.120 This is where we will be. 00:01:27.100 --> 00:01:31.520 Let me move this extension cord so I don't slip and fall too hard. 00:01:31.980 --> 00:01:33.260 That will be used later. 00:01:34.620 --> 00:01:35.320 Thank you. 00:01:37.000 --> 00:01:44.440 And now, if you got your Bibles, and I hope you do, I want to invite you to join me in Luke 00:01:44.440 --> 00:01:45.940 chapter 1. 00:01:46.740 --> 00:01:48.160 That's where we're going to be today. 00:01:49.840 --> 00:01:56.260 We are getting started in our Christmas series as we look at different characters from the 00:01:56.260 --> 00:02:03.300 Christmas story and begin to look at real faith lessons in their life of what we can do. 00:02:03.600 --> 00:02:04.920 Also, I want to point to you. 00:02:05.200 --> 00:02:06.420 One of these things popped up. 00:02:06.820 --> 00:02:11.520 It was, hey, pastor, fill out this survey, and we'll send your church 100 free books. 00:02:11.600 --> 00:02:12.820 I was like, sure, let's fill that out. 00:02:13.080 --> 00:02:13.820 So filled it out. 00:02:13.880 --> 00:02:17.560 Didn't really know what we were going to get at the time, but curious of what would be there. 00:02:17.780 --> 00:02:19.100 And we got copies of this. 00:02:19.160 --> 00:02:22.920 It's Everyday Gospel Christmas Devotional by Paul David Tripp. 00:02:23.280 --> 00:02:25.200 I've read several of his books. 00:02:25.660 --> 00:02:26.800 Wonderful, wonderful book. 00:02:26.900 --> 00:02:31.220 This is a snippet of a year-long devotional that he has. 00:02:31.540 --> 00:02:34.500 So we do have 100 copies of this that are available. 00:02:34.880 --> 00:02:36.240 They are back at the table. 00:02:36.360 --> 00:02:45.440 At the end of the service, please drop by if you would like to have one of these wonderful devotional readings as we work through this time of year. 00:02:45.700 --> 00:02:50.820 Also, if you're a first-time guest, at the end of the service, if you would come back here, I would love to meet you. 00:02:51.140 --> 00:02:57.440 Thank you for being here, and then answer any questions that you may have about Willow Ridge Church. 00:02:57.760 --> 00:03:04.600 But as we get started, let's go ahead and read Psalm 18, verses 1 and 2. 00:03:04.600 --> 00:03:28.520 Would you pray with me? 00:03:30.000 --> 00:03:33.540 God, I thank you for today and for this opportunity that we can be here. 00:03:33.980 --> 00:03:36.500 Lord, I thank you for the truth of your word. 00:03:37.420 --> 00:03:39.340 Lord, I thank you for this time of year. 00:03:40.500 --> 00:03:46.080 God, may the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ penetrate our hearts today. 00:03:46.840 --> 00:03:53.820 May through the kindness and the goodness of your Holy Spirit, Lord, may you bring us to that sweet, wonderful place of repentance. 00:03:55.680 --> 00:03:59.640 Lord, may we live for your name and for your renown. 00:04:00.620 --> 00:04:12.300 God, if there's any part of me that is in this message, may it be removed, and may what is seen and what is heard reflect the goodness of who you are. 00:04:12.940 --> 00:04:14.360 And it's in Jesus' name we pray. 00:04:15.040 --> 00:04:15.360 Amen. 00:04:15.840 --> 00:04:16.140 Amen. 00:04:16.140 --> 00:04:30.580 So, in this series, we're going to work through two of the different gospels as we look at the narrative that is going to lead us up to that wonderful Christmas morning story that we all know so well. 00:04:30.580 --> 00:04:38.460 But this morning, we're going to start by looking at the birth of John the Baptist in Luke chapter 1, starting in verse 5. 00:04:38.460 --> 00:04:39.460 And it says this, 00:04:39.460 --> 00:04:47.740 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah of the division of Abuja. 00:04:48.140 --> 00:04:54.620 And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 00:04:55.100 --> 00:05:02.780 And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. 00:05:02.780 --> 00:05:09.480 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years. 00:05:09.480 --> 00:05:22.900 Now, while he was serving as priest before God, when his division was on duty, according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 00:05:23.420 --> 00:05:29.480 And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. 00:05:30.060 --> 00:05:36.340 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 00:05:36.640 --> 00:05:41.220 And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. 00:05:41.560 --> 00:05:43.020 But the angel said to him, 00:05:43.020 --> 00:05:52.500 Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 00:05:53.260 --> 00:05:58.440 And you will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 00:05:58.780 --> 00:06:09.060 For he will be great before the Lord, and he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. 00:06:09.060 --> 00:06:25.100 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, 00:06:25.640 --> 00:06:28.600 to make ready for the Lord a people prepared. 00:06:30.520 --> 00:06:31.440 Verse 18, 00:06:31.440 --> 00:06:33.260 And Zechariah said to the angel, 00:06:34.860 --> 00:06:36.600 How shall I know this? 00:06:37.280 --> 00:06:42.400 For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years. 00:06:43.120 --> 00:06:44.820 And the angel answered him, 00:06:45.420 --> 00:06:52.480 I am Gabriel, I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you, and to bring you this good news. 00:06:52.480 --> 00:07:05.060 And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time. 00:07:05.640 --> 00:07:11.520 And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. 00:07:12.160 --> 00:07:18.280 And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. 00:07:18.580 --> 00:07:22.480 And he kept making signs to them, and remained mute. 00:07:23.100 --> 00:07:27.020 And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home. 00:07:27.960 --> 00:07:35.480 After these days, his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, 00:07:35.960 --> 00:07:44.040 Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me to take away my reproach among people. 00:07:44.640 --> 00:07:47.380 So what is happening in this? 00:07:47.380 --> 00:07:51.200 We hear about this story of this priest. 00:07:52.060 --> 00:07:57.820 This priest who's going to enter into a temple and to perform some of the duties of the day. 00:07:58.380 --> 00:08:00.180 Well, Zechariah is a priest. 00:08:00.480 --> 00:08:06.700 And now only from a particular lineage could priests come to serve in the temple. 00:08:07.300 --> 00:08:10.580 I think sometimes when we hear of these in the time of Christ, 00:08:10.700 --> 00:08:15.600 that we think that this maybe would have been a small number of individuals at the time. 00:08:15.600 --> 00:08:22.620 But what we find is that there are as many as 20,000 priests in the time of Jesus. 00:08:23.140 --> 00:08:27.840 So what they did to determine who would go and perform these duties, 00:08:27.840 --> 00:08:35.140 they would draw a lot to determine which priest would serve and when he would serve. 00:08:35.340 --> 00:08:40.460 And this lot might fall to a priest only once in their lifetime. 00:08:40.600 --> 00:08:43.120 So to be chosen was important. 00:08:43.620 --> 00:08:45.880 To be chosen was significant. 00:08:46.480 --> 00:08:53.220 Now, there were several lots that were cast to determine who did what at the morning service. 00:08:53.720 --> 00:08:56.420 The first lot, there were three different ones. 00:08:56.420 --> 00:09:01.080 The first lot determined who would cleanse the altar and prepare its fire. 00:09:01.680 --> 00:09:07.380 The second lot determined who would kill the morning sacrifice and sprinkle the altar, 00:09:07.540 --> 00:09:10.420 the golden candlestick and the altar of incense. 00:09:10.860 --> 00:09:16.060 But the third altar determined who would come and offer incense. 00:09:16.860 --> 00:09:22.140 And this was the most privileged duty for the priest. 00:09:22.820 --> 00:09:29.880 Those who did the first and the second lots would repeat their duty at the evening sacrifice, 00:09:29.880 --> 00:09:31.260 but not the third lot. 00:09:31.400 --> 00:09:38.280 To offer incense would be a one-time, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. 00:09:39.140 --> 00:09:42.400 And this is this day for Zechariah. 00:09:43.440 --> 00:09:50.300 So before dawn, hundreds of worshipers would gather at the temple. 00:09:51.440 --> 00:09:59.800 The morning sacrifice would begin when the incense priest walked toward the temple through the outer courts. 00:10:00.060 --> 00:10:08.020 And he would strike a gong-like instrument, pointing everyone to the activities that would take place. 00:10:08.880 --> 00:10:18.160 And at this sound, the Levites assembled and got ready to lead the gathered people who were there in song to worship God. 00:10:19.580 --> 00:10:22.500 I was talking to somebody this morning and just said, 00:10:22.560 --> 00:10:23.400 How's your weekend going? 00:10:23.500 --> 00:10:24.980 And they said, It's the holidays. 00:10:25.100 --> 00:10:29.080 I'm just kind of prepping and preparing the house for different people kind of coming and going. 00:10:29.860 --> 00:10:36.700 That we have these moments that you guys know of in your life and mine where something of importance is going to happen and take place. 00:10:37.140 --> 00:10:38.040 So we prepare. 00:10:38.320 --> 00:10:39.420 We get ready. 00:10:39.740 --> 00:10:44.680 But there's the expectation of what would happen and what would take place. 00:10:45.860 --> 00:10:49.360 And so that morning, just as it would have been at any other time, 00:10:50.220 --> 00:10:59.360 the two priests would go and walk up on each side of the priest chosen to offer the incense. 00:11:00.420 --> 00:11:03.000 All three entered the holy place together. 00:11:04.060 --> 00:11:08.160 One priest would set the burning coals on the golden altar. 00:11:09.160 --> 00:11:17.000 The other priest arranged the incense so it was ready. 00:11:17.000 --> 00:11:21.080 And then the two priests, they left. 00:11:22.300 --> 00:11:30.720 And then the incense priest was left alone in the holy place. 00:11:31.440 --> 00:11:35.060 This is where we find Zechariah. 00:11:36.400 --> 00:11:37.600 By himself. 00:11:38.460 --> 00:11:44.320 I can only imagine his hands shaking a little bit. 00:11:45.080 --> 00:11:47.140 I want to make sure that I do this right. 00:11:48.080 --> 00:11:51.260 I want to make sure that I do exactly what God's called me to do. 00:11:52.320 --> 00:11:54.020 I want to be faithful. 00:11:55.740 --> 00:12:01.180 I understand the weight of this responsibility that's there. 00:12:02.760 --> 00:12:09.440 But then what we see and what we know, something even greater happened. 00:12:10.920 --> 00:12:13.900 Greater than having your lot drawn. 00:12:15.460 --> 00:12:20.660 Greater than being the priest who gets to light the incense. 00:12:22.080 --> 00:12:29.260 In our Christmas season where we know that the angels speak with the authority of God. 00:12:30.220 --> 00:12:36.980 There standing beside the altar, the angel of the Lord appears to him. 00:12:38.040 --> 00:12:41.140 And he appears to him with a promise. 00:12:42.100 --> 00:12:42.940 With a promise. 00:12:44.300 --> 00:12:49.620 We've been in Genesis and we've looked at Abraham and his wife Sarah. 00:12:49.860 --> 00:12:53.280 We know, we've seen before the promise of a son. 00:12:54.400 --> 00:12:58.000 We've seen and heard about these promises that are fulfilled. 00:12:58.000 --> 00:13:01.180 Even in the difficulty of human limitations. 00:13:03.040 --> 00:13:05.100 But we see the faithfulness of God. 00:13:06.420 --> 00:13:08.380 And so this angel comes. 00:13:08.540 --> 00:13:10.640 This angel appears with a promise. 00:13:11.580 --> 00:13:13.220 That a boy will be born. 00:13:14.000 --> 00:13:15.680 A boy known as John. 00:13:16.420 --> 00:13:18.420 To him and his wife Elizabeth. 00:13:19.320 --> 00:13:22.720 And I want you to listen to again in verses 16 and 17. 00:13:23.460 --> 00:13:25.400 Some of the promise of what he gives. 00:13:26.220 --> 00:13:31.940 Will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. 00:13:32.600 --> 00:13:36.280 And he will go before him in spirit and in power of Elijah. 00:13:36.280 --> 00:13:39.860 To turn the hearts of fathers to the children and the disobedient. 00:13:40.280 --> 00:13:42.120 To the wisdom of the just. 00:13:42.820 --> 00:13:48.220 To make ready for the Lord a people prepared. 00:13:50.880 --> 00:13:56.380 But Zechariah in this once in a lifetime opportunity. 00:13:57.140 --> 00:14:01.680 Of coming there to do his religious duty. 00:14:02.380 --> 00:14:05.400 To do in his mind what he had comprehended. 00:14:05.600 --> 00:14:06.680 What he had accepted. 00:14:07.040 --> 00:14:08.820 What he agreed was right. 00:14:10.340 --> 00:14:13.680 Doubted and struggled with the promises of God. 00:14:15.100 --> 00:14:16.240 And so what did Gabriel do? 00:14:17.400 --> 00:14:18.940 He struck him silent. 00:14:20.140 --> 00:14:21.440 Struck him silent. 00:14:23.160 --> 00:14:24.760 And the people waited outside. 00:14:26.120 --> 00:14:27.800 And when Zechariah came. 00:14:28.720 --> 00:14:30.120 He came out unable to speak. 00:14:31.920 --> 00:14:34.520 As we look at these stories. 00:14:34.700 --> 00:14:36.640 What we are going to draw from these. 00:14:36.720 --> 00:14:39.620 Is how can we take what God has done. 00:14:39.740 --> 00:14:41.380 In the life of these individuals. 00:14:41.700 --> 00:14:42.900 In their struggles with faith. 00:14:43.020 --> 00:14:44.400 In their application with faith. 00:14:44.600 --> 00:14:45.460 And go from them. 00:14:45.460 --> 00:14:47.460 And what does the Christmas story. 00:14:48.500 --> 00:14:51.360 Continue to teach us about God. 00:14:51.460 --> 00:14:52.500 And about who he is. 00:14:53.240 --> 00:14:54.880 I say the first thing that we begin to see. 00:14:55.040 --> 00:14:56.460 In this story of Zechariah. 00:14:57.180 --> 00:14:58.800 That we can cling to be true. 00:14:58.920 --> 00:14:59.500 Is this. 00:14:59.820 --> 00:15:01.340 That God is too good. 00:15:02.060 --> 00:15:03.360 And God is too true. 00:15:04.240 --> 00:15:06.640 We've all heard the expression. 00:15:07.240 --> 00:15:08.960 That something is too good. 00:15:09.100 --> 00:15:09.800 To be true. 00:15:09.900 --> 00:15:10.240 Correct? 00:15:11.320 --> 00:15:13.400 Like if somebody promises you something. 00:15:13.720 --> 00:15:14.640 That's too good. 00:15:14.640 --> 00:15:14.680 That's too good. 00:15:15.000 --> 00:15:15.860 Be careful. 00:15:16.340 --> 00:15:17.000 Be careful. 00:15:17.000 --> 00:15:18.960 Because what they're promising you. 00:15:19.160 --> 00:15:21.260 Is not going to fulfill. 00:15:21.700 --> 00:15:22.640 The expectation. 00:15:23.360 --> 00:15:24.460 Of what is actually. 00:15:25.100 --> 00:15:25.620 There. 00:15:26.580 --> 00:15:28.640 I fall for these things sometimes. 00:15:29.640 --> 00:15:30.080 The other day. 00:15:30.080 --> 00:15:31.140 I was scrolling through Facebook. 00:15:32.300 --> 00:15:33.440 A lady that we know. 00:15:33.580 --> 00:15:34.720 That I served on staff with. 00:15:34.760 --> 00:15:35.720 At first by the Sumpter. 00:15:36.480 --> 00:15:38.460 She had posted on Facebook. 00:15:38.460 --> 00:15:41.200 A Honda Accord for sale. 00:15:42.320 --> 00:15:44.900 Now ever since I've known Jane. 00:15:45.400 --> 00:15:47.760 Jane has always had Honda Accords. 00:15:48.300 --> 00:15:49.880 She'll move from one Honda Accord. 00:15:49.960 --> 00:15:51.060 To the next Honda Accord. 00:15:51.200 --> 00:15:52.380 About every three years. 00:15:52.540 --> 00:15:55.200 Getting a new Honda Accord. 00:15:56.440 --> 00:15:56.920 And me. 00:15:57.020 --> 00:15:58.960 Whether it's in the delusional moment. 00:15:58.960 --> 00:16:00.440 Of the early morning hours. 00:16:00.440 --> 00:16:01.660 As I'm laying in bed. 00:16:01.860 --> 00:16:02.720 Should be getting up. 00:16:02.760 --> 00:16:04.120 I'm doing something with my life. 00:16:04.220 --> 00:16:05.580 But I'm scrolling through Facebook. 00:16:06.780 --> 00:16:08.460 I saw that she had for sale. 00:16:09.500 --> 00:16:10.900 A 2018. 00:16:13.580 --> 00:16:15.020 Honda Accord. 00:16:15.820 --> 00:16:19.260 With less than 80,000 miles. 00:16:20.120 --> 00:16:21.100 For $5,000. 00:16:22.560 --> 00:16:23.900 And in that moment. 00:16:24.460 --> 00:16:26.200 I was preparing myself. 00:16:26.660 --> 00:16:27.560 To purchase. 00:16:28.380 --> 00:16:29.400 A Honda Accord. 00:16:30.480 --> 00:16:31.520 I went inside. 00:16:31.660 --> 00:16:32.440 I went and told Aaron. 00:16:32.520 --> 00:16:32.820 I was like. 00:16:33.000 --> 00:16:34.040 You're not going to guess. 00:16:34.120 --> 00:16:34.980 What's going on here. 00:16:35.340 --> 00:16:35.760 She's like. 00:16:35.800 --> 00:16:35.940 Bo. 00:16:35.980 --> 00:16:36.960 That's too good to be true. 00:16:37.040 --> 00:16:37.280 I was like. 00:16:37.680 --> 00:16:38.040 Nah. 00:16:39.160 --> 00:16:40.580 Sent Jane a text message. 00:16:41.540 --> 00:16:41.940 Yeah. 00:16:43.560 --> 00:16:44.420 Wasn't hers. 00:16:44.840 --> 00:16:45.720 She had been hacked. 00:16:46.020 --> 00:16:47.220 That's where we find ourselves. 00:16:49.560 --> 00:16:49.920 Zachariah. 00:16:50.800 --> 00:16:51.760 It's clear. 00:16:52.640 --> 00:16:54.100 From the angels words. 00:16:54.940 --> 00:16:55.940 That in his life. 00:16:55.940 --> 00:16:57.780 He had prayed for a child. 00:16:58.740 --> 00:17:01.120 That he had prayed specifically for a son. 00:17:02.280 --> 00:17:03.980 And that God had not worked. 00:17:03.980 --> 00:17:07.980 And moved in this capacity in his life. 00:17:09.360 --> 00:17:10.120 And now. 00:17:10.440 --> 00:17:12.400 On the best day of his life. 00:17:13.400 --> 00:17:14.840 What he had been preparing for. 00:17:14.940 --> 00:17:15.640 And training for. 00:17:15.800 --> 00:17:18.560 Not only was he able to go into the temple. 00:17:18.740 --> 00:17:22.060 Not only was he the priest chosen to burn the incense. 00:17:22.060 --> 00:17:24.920 Not only was he that third privileged priest. 00:17:24.920 --> 00:17:27.420 To lead the walk into the temple. 00:17:27.420 --> 00:17:30.580 And to be the one who would come out to the people. 00:17:31.160 --> 00:17:32.540 But an angel. 00:17:33.440 --> 00:17:35.060 An angel was there. 00:17:35.420 --> 00:17:36.400 And spoke promise. 00:17:37.380 --> 00:17:38.700 And he didn't believe it. 00:17:39.720 --> 00:17:41.240 And he didn't believe it. 00:17:44.360 --> 00:17:45.140 You see. 00:17:45.800 --> 00:17:48.680 It's not that he didn't want a son. 00:17:50.280 --> 00:17:52.040 It's that his mind. 00:17:52.500 --> 00:17:53.960 Could not comprehend. 00:17:53.960 --> 00:18:00.980 And then therefore his mind could not trust the promises of God. 00:18:02.240 --> 00:18:07.120 And therefore meant that he couldn't trust the God whom he was there to serve. 00:18:08.740 --> 00:18:11.080 And you may be thinking to yourself. 00:18:11.580 --> 00:18:13.120 How could he do that? 00:18:13.700 --> 00:18:18.680 How could he not believe in the promises of God? 00:18:19.640 --> 00:18:20.640 But be careful. 00:18:21.880 --> 00:18:26.180 Because you and I fall into this mindset all of the time. 00:18:27.360 --> 00:18:30.100 God's word is filled with his promises. 00:18:30.920 --> 00:18:36.380 And God's word, oftentimes, many of us find that these promises that we know. 00:18:36.380 --> 00:18:38.820 The holy God who is always true. 00:18:39.100 --> 00:18:41.180 The holy God who is always in control. 00:18:41.460 --> 00:18:43.760 The holy God who is all powerful. 00:18:45.260 --> 00:18:47.120 We find them hard to believe as well. 00:18:48.160 --> 00:18:50.060 Let me share with you just a handful of these promises. 00:18:51.400 --> 00:18:52.540 Deuteronomy chapter 4. 00:18:53.540 --> 00:18:57.940 God promises that if we search for him, we will find him. 00:18:59.420 --> 00:19:04.240 Yet we say, oftentimes, that God is too difficult to know and too hard to understand. 00:19:05.740 --> 00:19:07.240 1 Chronicles 16. 00:19:08.240 --> 00:19:10.720 God promises that his love will never fail. 00:19:11.660 --> 00:19:18.240 Yet you and I walk through seasons of hardship and ask questions about how could a loving God allow this to happen to people. 00:19:19.500 --> 00:19:24.760 In Psalm 1, God promises blessings for all who delight in his word. 00:19:25.440 --> 00:19:32.100 Yet we struggle to find the discipline to open up our Bible and to read his word. 00:19:33.300 --> 00:19:37.680 Romans chapter 1, God's promise of salvation to all who believe. 00:19:37.680 --> 00:19:44.260 Yet we find in our judgmental minds that some are unworthy or incapable of being saved. 00:19:45.280 --> 00:19:46.720 2 Corinthians 5. 00:19:46.860 --> 00:19:50.060 God promises new life to all who are in Christ. 00:19:50.440 --> 00:19:54.560 Yet every day we choose to live as those who were not saved. 00:19:55.860 --> 00:19:56.820 Philippians 1. 00:19:57.520 --> 00:20:02.420 God promises to finish the work he started in us. 00:20:03.300 --> 00:20:10.440 Yet we become impatient and disobedient with God's plan and God's process. 00:20:11.980 --> 00:20:17.620 You see, Zachariah is like so many of us. 00:20:18.680 --> 00:20:22.600 I think he wants to believe. 00:20:23.820 --> 00:20:28.280 I think he wants to cling to this truth. 00:20:28.280 --> 00:20:35.960 But in the middle of this, the sin of disbelief creeps in. 00:20:37.240 --> 00:20:40.320 So, you see, God is too good. 00:20:41.180 --> 00:20:44.860 He is too good to you and he is too good to me. 00:20:45.660 --> 00:20:50.140 His promises are not promises that you and I deserve. 00:20:51.080 --> 00:21:04.000 His promises, though, are promises that we can cling to, that we can expect, and that no other means can fulfill them except for the holy, living God. 00:21:04.000 --> 00:21:12.840 And so, as we come into this Christmas season, just like every time of the year, his promises are too good and too true. 00:21:13.700 --> 00:21:15.340 Don't miss them like Zachariah. 00:21:16.320 --> 00:21:17.640 But Zachariah does. 00:21:18.440 --> 00:21:19.800 And he makes him mute. 00:21:21.140 --> 00:21:23.560 I read a commentator who just wrote this line. 00:21:24.220 --> 00:21:29.600 He said he felt like God was saying, fine, if you won't listen to me, then no one will listen to you either. 00:21:31.000 --> 00:21:32.260 But notice this. 00:21:33.500 --> 00:21:35.080 God doesn't revoke his promise. 00:21:36.460 --> 00:21:38.020 God doesn't revoke his promise. 00:21:39.180 --> 00:21:43.220 Zachariah's disbelief does not send God back to the drawing board. 00:21:44.600 --> 00:21:51.520 And so, what I want you and I to begin to understand is that what does it mean and look like to enjoy the promises of God? 00:21:52.020 --> 00:21:58.440 You see, God will not punish Zachariah by revoking the promise because God always keeps his promise. 00:21:58.440 --> 00:22:08.120 But instead, God will allow Zachariah to live in the bleak reality of not enjoying the truth of God's promises. 00:22:08.820 --> 00:22:10.900 Zachariah did like you and I often do. 00:22:11.120 --> 00:22:15.980 He trusted his perspective, his logic, his thoughts, instead of trusting God. 00:22:17.380 --> 00:22:18.820 And this is the hard truth of us. 00:22:19.880 --> 00:22:27.480 When we live in the disbelief of the promises of God, those promises remain true. 00:22:28.500 --> 00:22:35.660 But the joy that God would grant us by living in the truth of those promises is removed from our life. 00:22:36.700 --> 00:22:37.400 Let me give you an example. 00:22:37.520 --> 00:22:38.080 Psalm 1. 00:22:39.220 --> 00:22:39.800 Psalm 1. 00:22:41.040 --> 00:22:45.060 God promises blessings for all who delights in his word. 00:22:45.120 --> 00:22:46.200 Let me read the first three verses. 00:22:47.540 --> 00:22:56.620 Bless is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers. 00:22:56.800 --> 00:23:03.500 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. 00:23:03.700 --> 00:23:12.920 He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit and its season and its leaf does not wither. 00:23:12.920 --> 00:23:26.400 God here promises us in this passage the blessing that comes for those who position themselves in obedience to his word and not in the conformity of the world. 00:23:27.280 --> 00:23:41.240 Yet you and I, day in and day out, position our response to situations of life, not in how his word calls us to, but yet in the way that the world would drive us to. 00:23:42.120 --> 00:23:47.580 And in this, we find our state of spiritual health and life in a struggle. 00:23:49.260 --> 00:23:50.940 I'll give you an example of this. 00:23:52.000 --> 00:23:52.520 Forgiveness. 00:23:53.780 --> 00:23:54.300 Forgiveness. 00:23:55.560 --> 00:24:07.640 God's word calls you and calls me in light of the fact of what God has saved us from, of how God has forgiven us, 00:24:07.640 --> 00:24:20.540 to take that mindset and take that heart as recipients of forgiveness, and that we are then called to forgive, God's word says, as we have been forgiven. 00:24:21.780 --> 00:24:25.140 And the blessing that comes from that. 00:24:26.000 --> 00:24:29.500 Yet the world says, when we've been wrong, fight. 00:24:30.200 --> 00:24:33.440 When we've been wrong, take matters into our own hands. 00:24:33.660 --> 00:24:37.980 When we've been wrong, that we can do to others what they've done to us. 00:24:37.980 --> 00:24:47.440 And in that, what we embrace in our life is bitterness and anger, which scientifically has been proven, as God is the great scientist, 00:24:48.000 --> 00:24:53.560 to lower the quality of our mental, physical, and spiritual health. 00:24:54.380 --> 00:25:08.220 So let me ask you, what do you think is the blessed life of joy, to forgive even when it's difficult, or to hold on to the grudge of what God has for us? 00:25:09.000 --> 00:25:16.980 You see, God's promises are true whether you and I choose to relive in the reality of the joy that comes from those. 00:25:18.300 --> 00:25:21.780 God had a plan and a purpose for Zechariah and Elizabeth. 00:25:22.220 --> 00:25:33.760 They would give birth to a boy named John, who would go and proclaim and spread and prepare the way for a Messiah. 00:25:34.520 --> 00:25:39.580 Whether Zechariah wanted to live in the truth of that or not. 00:25:40.860 --> 00:25:47.360 I pray for you and I, during this Christmas season, and during every moment of our life, 00:25:47.960 --> 00:25:56.660 that we'll cling to, find the joy not in the circumstance, but in the promise of God who's working. 00:25:57.460 --> 00:26:02.700 So let's drop down, let's look at beginning in verse 57. 00:26:07.140 --> 00:26:11.100 Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth. 00:26:13.280 --> 00:26:15.700 And she bore a son. 00:26:17.380 --> 00:26:22.820 And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her. 00:26:23.520 --> 00:26:25.200 And they rejoiced with her. 00:26:25.200 --> 00:26:28.200 Now remember, this is an improbability. 00:26:29.140 --> 00:26:30.960 This is Abraham and Sarah. 00:26:31.140 --> 00:26:34.280 This is, they've passed the childbearing years. 00:26:35.380 --> 00:26:37.300 They see and they celebrate. 00:26:38.520 --> 00:26:39.180 Verse 59. 00:26:40.760 --> 00:26:43.680 And on the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child. 00:26:44.940 --> 00:26:48.260 And they would have called him Zechariah after his father. 00:26:48.840 --> 00:26:52.980 But his mother answered, no, he shall be called John. 00:26:54.020 --> 00:26:57.800 And they said to her, none of your relatives is called by this name. 00:26:58.560 --> 00:27:04.800 And they made signs to his father inquiring what he wanted to be called. 00:27:04.900 --> 00:27:08.380 So this is kind of like a little funny cultural thing that's going on here. 00:27:08.500 --> 00:27:12.040 They're like, he hadn't talked in nine months. 00:27:12.800 --> 00:27:14.680 I don't know what's going on. 00:27:15.100 --> 00:27:16.900 Let's make sure that this is okay. 00:27:18.200 --> 00:27:19.000 Verse 63. 00:27:19.700 --> 00:27:25.000 And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, his name is John. 00:27:25.660 --> 00:27:30.580 And they all wondered and immediately his mouth was open. 00:27:32.000 --> 00:27:33.980 And his tongue lucid. 00:27:35.240 --> 00:27:39.240 And he spoke, blessing God. 00:27:40.360 --> 00:27:43.440 And fear came on all their neighbors. 00:27:44.180 --> 00:27:48.660 And all of these things were talked about through all the hill country in Judea. 00:27:48.900 --> 00:27:56.340 And all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, what then will this child be? 00:27:57.080 --> 00:28:01.120 For the hand of the Lord was with him. 00:28:02.480 --> 00:28:10.420 And his father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying, 00:28:11.980 --> 00:28:21.780 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised 00:28:21.780 --> 00:28:30.920 up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, as he spoke by the mouth 00:28:30.920 --> 00:28:39.240 of his holy prophets of old, that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of 00:28:39.240 --> 00:28:46.700 all who hate us, to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant. 00:28:47.600 --> 00:28:54.540 The earth that he, the oath that he swore to our father Abraham to grant us that we, being 00:28:54.540 --> 00:29:01.640 delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness 00:29:01.640 --> 00:29:04.480 before him in all of our days. 00:29:05.540 --> 00:29:12.460 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the 00:29:12.460 --> 00:29:18.960 Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people and the forgiveness 00:29:18.960 --> 00:29:27.420 of their sins because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from 00:29:27.420 --> 00:29:35.200 on high, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet 00:29:35.200 --> 00:29:36.820 into the way of peace. 00:29:37.620 --> 00:29:45.800 And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of 00:29:45.800 --> 00:29:48.920 his public appearance to Israel. 00:29:52.000 --> 00:30:02.060 I don't know if you've ever taken a break from talking, but we see an over nine-month period 00:30:02.060 --> 00:30:09.960 where Zechariah did not, could not speak. 00:30:10.960 --> 00:30:15.160 And something phenomenal happens when he does. 00:30:16.340 --> 00:30:17.960 Why couldn't he speak? 00:30:18.640 --> 00:30:21.800 Because the sin of disbelief. 00:30:22.640 --> 00:30:28.780 The reminder for me of the truth of God's word in this is this, to let God use your sin 00:30:28.780 --> 00:30:31.060 to grow your faith. 00:30:31.640 --> 00:30:36.700 To let God use your sin to grow your faith. 00:30:37.380 --> 00:30:45.780 Zechariah had nine months of silence to brood and to ponder and to pray, to meditate on the 00:30:45.780 --> 00:30:47.140 truth of God's word. 00:30:47.920 --> 00:30:54.880 His silence being the divine rebuke for his unbelief and the situation of where he found himself. 00:30:55.480 --> 00:31:03.500 But God used this season of life to turn his rebukes into the reward of those who persevere 00:31:03.500 --> 00:31:05.040 on in faith. 00:31:05.820 --> 00:31:11.760 Remember that right now, the suffer from the scars of the past sins, of things that you've 00:31:11.760 --> 00:31:17.520 taken and things that you've done, that God wants to work and move and empower you in that 00:31:17.520 --> 00:31:24.860 in spite of where you were, to show himself, to reveal himself, to speak of his plan of salvation. 00:31:26.440 --> 00:31:29.560 So that all will come to know. 00:31:31.000 --> 00:31:39.220 I think sometimes we feel that God can't use me because my sin is too great. 00:31:39.800 --> 00:31:44.720 And there's no greater attack on the gospel than that mindset. 00:31:44.920 --> 00:31:47.340 The apostle Paul writes in Romans 520, 00:31:47.700 --> 00:31:59.660 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the 00:31:59.660 --> 00:32:00.040 more. 00:32:00.940 --> 00:32:04.320 The grace is greater than the sin. 00:32:04.740 --> 00:32:09.700 The grace wins time and time again. 00:32:09.700 --> 00:32:17.640 And God uses that season to grow and to move for his name and for his glory. 00:32:19.560 --> 00:32:20.620 Think about Zachariah. 00:32:22.160 --> 00:32:23.540 Couldn't speak. 00:32:24.720 --> 00:32:25.740 Couldn't share. 00:32:26.940 --> 00:32:30.220 Left with his own thoughts of his disobedience. 00:32:30.980 --> 00:32:37.760 Some think that he was even deaf during this time because it said that they had to write 00:32:37.760 --> 00:32:41.200 down for him to understand what they were saying. 00:32:42.280 --> 00:32:47.380 But in all of this, God was at work and God was moving. 00:32:50.340 --> 00:32:57.100 One of the callings that God calls you and I to, a thing that I think you and I have a hard 00:32:57.100 --> 00:33:07.620 time of processing, is to take the posture of Zachariah and be quiet and be silent. 00:33:08.360 --> 00:33:09.060 And be still. 00:33:09.800 --> 00:33:15.560 The psalmist writes in Psalm 4610, be still and know that I am God. 00:33:16.920 --> 00:33:21.600 We want to talk, we want to justify, we want to explain, we want to do, we want to work 00:33:21.600 --> 00:33:24.340 out, we want to fix, we want to do all of these things. 00:33:24.340 --> 00:33:30.500 And God brought Zachariah in this so that God could work in Zachariah, so that God would 00:33:30.500 --> 00:33:36.100 use him for his work amongst the people to be still, to be silent, and to know that he 00:33:36.100 --> 00:33:36.640 is God. 00:33:38.700 --> 00:33:51.160 And I can't help but imagine in those nine months, Zachariah wondered, is God really true? 00:33:51.160 --> 00:34:14.360 And in that still and in that silence, what God was doing in the mind, but more importantly, 00:34:14.360 --> 00:34:16.960 in the heart of Zachariah. 00:34:18.960 --> 00:34:25.920 What we see in my prayer for you as you walk through a season of silence before the Lord 00:34:25.920 --> 00:34:30.860 is that God will do what God did in Zachariah and grow your faith through obedience. 00:34:32.460 --> 00:34:36.900 Zachariah came out not bitter with God, not angry with God, but obedient to God. 00:34:37.720 --> 00:34:43.560 It was breaking tradition for the child to be named anything other than his dad's name. 00:34:43.560 --> 00:34:48.340 It was so to the point that the people in the community questioned, is there something 00:34:48.340 --> 00:34:51.900 happening that is not above board that we need to take care of? 00:34:52.140 --> 00:34:59.020 But John said, Zachariah said, he will be named John because this is what God was doing. 00:35:00.500 --> 00:35:04.260 That also would grow your faith through praise. 00:35:06.320 --> 00:35:09.860 Nine months of silence. 00:35:10.920 --> 00:35:17.000 And he begins with, blessed be the God of Israel. 00:35:17.980 --> 00:35:24.400 The heart of a man that is experiencing the goodness of God. 00:35:25.660 --> 00:35:30.760 And that through it all, not just that God would draw us to obedience, 00:35:31.900 --> 00:35:34.080 but that God would draw us through everything to praise. 00:35:35.920 --> 00:35:40.120 There's a lot that's going to happen this time of year. 00:35:41.520 --> 00:35:46.260 Erin told me that on Monday, she's going to start decorating the house, 00:35:46.680 --> 00:35:55.120 which means that on Monday, I get to do the most important of all Christmas traditions. 00:35:55.520 --> 00:35:57.700 I get to start decorating the yard. 00:35:58.860 --> 00:36:04.280 Need to formulate the game plan of what we have and what we need to do. 00:36:05.520 --> 00:36:10.440 There's a lot of things for us to be reminded of, of this Christmas season. 00:36:11.560 --> 00:36:13.660 We'll begin to do our shopping trips. 00:36:14.020 --> 00:36:16.500 We'll begin to make out our Christmas cards. 00:36:16.760 --> 00:36:20.440 We'll begin to plan and coordinate the parties that we're going to go to. 00:36:20.640 --> 00:36:23.600 We'll begin to coordinate the parties that we're going to host. 00:36:23.840 --> 00:36:25.920 We'll begin to think through menus. 00:36:26.120 --> 00:36:27.560 We'll begin to think through outfits. 00:36:27.820 --> 00:36:29.840 We'll begin to think through Christmas pictures. 00:36:29.960 --> 00:36:31.860 We'll begin to think through budget times. 00:36:31.860 --> 00:36:38.980 We'll begin to think through when do I need to go to Harbison and when at all means do I need to avoid going to Harbison, right? 00:36:39.740 --> 00:36:41.480 We'll coordinate all of those. 00:36:42.440 --> 00:36:49.380 We'll begin to pre-plan and find out the deals on Black Friday and to see if Amazon already sells it for that price right now. 00:36:49.900 --> 00:36:51.300 Find all of the things. 00:36:51.300 --> 00:37:02.080 But may we never forget the last thing that we see in this this morning is that Christmas is about the fulfillment of a promise. 00:37:03.080 --> 00:37:11.640 That on that night, in that manger, born is Christ the Lord. 00:37:13.460 --> 00:37:24.680 And Zechariah in these verses, Zechariah in these moments where he's going to proclaim the truth of what God is working at and doing in the life of Israel, 00:37:25.000 --> 00:37:26.100 shares a prophecy. 00:37:26.700 --> 00:37:29.780 And in this, he gives a title for the coming Messiah. 00:37:29.780 --> 00:37:33.400 I'll be honest with you, a title that many of us do not think about. 00:37:33.500 --> 00:37:35.980 And when we read over it, it's easy to skip over. 00:37:36.200 --> 00:37:36.920 But he says this. 00:37:37.140 --> 00:37:40.840 He says, the horn of salvation is coming. 00:37:41.980 --> 00:37:46.600 There's a lot of names that we use around Christmas time to talk about Jesus. 00:37:46.860 --> 00:37:52.500 But I don't know about you, but I've never seen on the packs of Christmas cards the horn of salvation. 00:37:53.940 --> 00:37:55.780 But it's what we see from Zechariah. 00:37:55.780 --> 00:37:58.180 So why does he use this? 00:37:59.640 --> 00:38:06.400 The horn in Scripture is a common word that is used to describe different things. 00:38:07.240 --> 00:38:11.680 But it always is what associated with it is power and strength. 00:38:12.660 --> 00:38:16.440 And in fact, in Psalm 18, David writes, 00:38:17.440 --> 00:38:46.100 Zechariah stands up before this group of people. 00:38:46.900 --> 00:38:53.260 And who the silence has been deafening in his mouth, but not in his heart. 00:38:54.060 --> 00:38:57.560 And he says, listen, listen, here's what's happening. 00:38:58.980 --> 00:39:07.540 The words of Psalm 18, the horn of salvation that we will see and that we will know that in this, 00:39:07.680 --> 00:39:11.620 that God is the defense, the shield, the protection for his people. 00:39:12.820 --> 00:39:15.020 God is our defender. 00:39:15.020 --> 00:39:19.460 But God isn't just on defense. 00:39:19.980 --> 00:39:24.120 That God is on the offense as well. 00:39:24.980 --> 00:39:28.740 The horn of their salvation. 00:39:29.800 --> 00:39:35.060 See, the horn, when a soldier would go into battle, 00:39:35.780 --> 00:39:40.920 oftentimes he would have the shield, but he would have the horn as well. 00:39:41.980 --> 00:39:43.700 The horn could be used as a sword. 00:39:43.840 --> 00:39:45.900 The horn could be used as a club. 00:39:47.060 --> 00:39:55.020 And with the shield he could protect, but with the horn came salvation. 00:39:55.220 --> 00:40:06.080 And may you and I never miss the truth that when Jesus comes, 00:40:06.220 --> 00:40:12.300 people were hoping just to get them a national deliverer. 00:40:12.900 --> 00:40:18.280 Some that saves them from the reality of what they live in and face every day. 00:40:19.120 --> 00:40:29.700 But Jesus came to be a spiritual conqueror for all who put their faith and hope and trust in him. 00:40:30.240 --> 00:40:35.480 The greatest, the greatest gift we could ever imagine. 00:40:37.480 --> 00:40:38.860 I've shared this before. 00:40:40.060 --> 00:40:43.400 I love Christmas season. 00:40:44.340 --> 00:40:47.700 I love the food and the cookies and the snacks. 00:40:48.180 --> 00:40:50.260 And you're like, yep, we can tell. 00:40:51.920 --> 00:40:54.380 I enjoy getting together with family. 00:40:54.540 --> 00:40:55.800 I enjoy going to parties. 00:40:55.960 --> 00:40:56.880 I enjoy the lights. 00:40:56.960 --> 00:40:58.060 I enjoy the decorations. 00:40:58.380 --> 00:41:00.160 I enjoy the smell. 00:41:00.380 --> 00:41:05.080 It's the only time that my house smells like fresh cut, you know, pines in the house, right? 00:41:05.680 --> 00:41:07.660 I love every part of it. 00:41:08.220 --> 00:41:13.180 But one of the things that I do enjoy, and I think sometimes we can beat ourselves up about this, 00:41:13.320 --> 00:41:14.780 is I enjoy gifts. 00:41:15.940 --> 00:41:22.860 I think that, being very honest, people say you either enjoy giving gifts or getting gifts. 00:41:23.440 --> 00:41:24.640 Complete transparency. 00:41:25.300 --> 00:41:26.360 I enjoy both. 00:41:27.160 --> 00:41:28.060 I enjoy both. 00:41:28.060 --> 00:41:32.340 I love seeing that someone gets a gift that I've given for them that I think they'll like. 00:41:32.400 --> 00:41:36.500 And I like seeing that joy and the surprise on their face when they get that. 00:41:36.680 --> 00:41:38.600 At the same time, I like getting gifts. 00:41:38.900 --> 00:41:43.960 I like seeing that someone has thought this of me, has valued me this much, that thinks this, 00:41:44.220 --> 00:41:49.940 that then gives me something because they think it'll bring joy or satisfaction into my life. 00:41:50.340 --> 00:41:52.040 And I got a thing in this week. 00:41:52.420 --> 00:41:54.220 What makes a gift good? 00:41:55.780 --> 00:41:56.980 What makes a gift good? 00:41:57.740 --> 00:42:11.400 And I came that there's different types of gifts, but a good gift will meet a need or satisfy a desire. 00:42:12.400 --> 00:42:12.620 Right? 00:42:12.720 --> 00:42:18.120 A good gift will meet a need that you have in your life, and so you need this gift. 00:42:18.900 --> 00:42:24.300 Or it will satisfy a desire, meaning you really, really want this gift, right? 00:42:25.200 --> 00:42:26.840 And so you get that. 00:42:27.060 --> 00:42:30.560 Every year for Christmas, my aunt brings me a huge tin. 00:42:30.640 --> 00:42:32.080 I told her, like, this is all I want. 00:42:32.180 --> 00:42:35.580 Like, in the practical nature of all gifts, just give me these. 00:42:35.700 --> 00:42:39.080 And it's a tin about this big, and it's nothing but baked sweets. 00:42:39.620 --> 00:42:43.380 I don't need one of them, but it satisfies my desire, right? 00:42:44.280 --> 00:42:47.220 My kids like to give gifts. 00:42:47.520 --> 00:42:50.940 My kids give really, really good gifts. 00:42:52.000 --> 00:42:57.420 About four years ago, Grayson had gone to Lowe's for some reason. 00:42:57.540 --> 00:42:59.600 I don't even remember who he was with. 00:43:00.300 --> 00:43:01.100 But it was about May. 00:43:02.120 --> 00:43:06.200 And he came home, and he said, Dad, I bought your Christmas gift today. 00:43:07.140 --> 00:43:08.020 And I said, really, son? 00:43:08.060 --> 00:43:09.300 That's kind of early. 00:43:09.300 --> 00:43:13.460 I haven't even shared with you what I would like to have for Christmas. 00:43:14.060 --> 00:43:20.700 He's like, well, when I was at Lowe's and I saw it, I knew that you would want this for Christmas. 00:43:21.660 --> 00:43:22.580 And so I bought it. 00:43:23.520 --> 00:43:31.620 I said, well, son, what happens if I'm at Lowe's and I see not knowing that this is what you got me? 00:43:31.800 --> 00:43:33.360 And then I buy me one. 00:43:33.460 --> 00:43:35.200 And he gets this grin on his face. 00:43:35.220 --> 00:43:38.860 And he said, they were half off, and I got the last one. 00:43:42.180 --> 00:43:43.900 So Christmas morning comes. 00:43:45.700 --> 00:43:46.700 And we begin. 00:43:46.840 --> 00:43:47.980 The kids are opening gifts. 00:43:48.240 --> 00:43:53.980 And then the last thing is Aaron and I get to open the gift that Emma has bought us and that Grayson has bought us. 00:43:54.560 --> 00:43:55.180 I'll never forget. 00:43:55.940 --> 00:44:01.760 I told Emma, I was like, listen, this is the classiest thing that I could ever, ever have. 00:44:02.900 --> 00:44:07.140 And Emma got me some brand new camouflage Crocs. 00:44:08.960 --> 00:44:10.520 And Aaron wouldn't let me wear them. 00:44:10.560 --> 00:44:11.400 That day was a Sunday. 00:44:11.580 --> 00:44:14.700 She wouldn't let me wear them to church, and I don't understand why. 00:44:15.380 --> 00:44:18.000 I didn't bring those with me because I've worn those out. 00:44:18.940 --> 00:44:20.520 But then I opened up Grayson's gift. 00:44:20.520 --> 00:44:33.820 And I think Grayson's gift wasn't just a good gift. 00:44:35.060 --> 00:44:36.340 I think it was a great gift. 00:44:47.300 --> 00:44:54.100 Now, you're finding out something about me and my family is I love Star Wars. 00:44:55.180 --> 00:45:00.960 And you're like, Bo, why would your son get you if you don't know who this is? 00:45:01.720 --> 00:45:02.740 Number one, I'm sorry. 00:45:04.300 --> 00:45:10.500 Number two, Joel Van Ham's going to have a class immediately after service to walk you through all the characters of Star Wars. 00:45:11.700 --> 00:45:14.680 But this is the head of R2-D2. 00:45:15.720 --> 00:45:19.660 But you see, this isn't just the head of R2-D2. 00:45:20.520 --> 00:45:21.540 It is a toaster. 00:45:25.620 --> 00:45:26.700 Now, shh, shh, shh, shh. 00:45:26.720 --> 00:45:27.680 I want you to listen to something. 00:45:27.880 --> 00:45:29.040 I've got to get my microphone close. 00:45:30.160 --> 00:45:31.300 So you wake up in the morning. 00:45:31.980 --> 00:45:32.780 You want some toast. 00:45:33.740 --> 00:45:34.400 Go downstairs. 00:45:35.440 --> 00:45:36.460 Get that bread. 00:45:36.920 --> 00:45:37.760 Put it down in there. 00:45:38.440 --> 00:45:40.260 And then you press this little lever. 00:45:41.280 --> 00:45:44.500 And we're supposed to test this out this morning. 00:45:44.740 --> 00:45:47.000 And I'm petrified that it's not going to work right now. 00:45:59.480 --> 00:46:00.300 That's pretty cool. 00:46:04.660 --> 00:46:11.080 And as I opened up this gift, I saw my son, like, puffing up a product. 00:46:11.280 --> 00:46:12.120 Made Daddy happy. 00:46:14.460 --> 00:46:16.080 I thought about this this week. 00:46:17.140 --> 00:46:18.540 This is a great gift. 00:46:19.440 --> 00:46:20.620 You know why it's a great gift? 00:46:22.620 --> 00:46:23.800 Because it meets a need. 00:46:24.960 --> 00:46:26.500 I need toast in the morning. 00:46:28.780 --> 00:46:40.380 And it also satisfies the desire that 365 days a year, there is sitting out on our kitchen counter a remembrance of... 00:46:40.380 --> 00:46:51.080 And that's how you know it's done. 00:46:55.760 --> 00:46:57.620 It's a reminder that Starbucks is good. 00:46:58.520 --> 00:46:59.140 Not Starbucks. 00:46:59.460 --> 00:47:00.100 That is, too. 00:47:00.360 --> 00:47:01.100 Star Wars. 00:47:02.060 --> 00:47:02.880 Star Wars. 00:47:04.720 --> 00:47:06.180 I'm in the Christmas blend. 00:47:06.420 --> 00:47:07.880 It's all kind of stuff. 00:47:09.880 --> 00:47:11.140 It's a great gift. 00:47:11.920 --> 00:47:12.900 It's a great gift. 00:47:13.500 --> 00:47:14.180 I told him. 00:47:14.260 --> 00:47:15.440 I said, son, you set the bar high. 00:47:15.920 --> 00:47:16.860 You set the bar high. 00:47:19.060 --> 00:47:22.460 What in the world does this have to do with Zachariah? 00:47:23.800 --> 00:47:29.140 You see, this is a great gift for me. 00:47:30.520 --> 00:47:39.780 But I guarantee you, there are some of you that are like, that is the worst gift I could ever possibly imagine. 00:47:40.780 --> 00:47:48.480 And Erin is way too good to him to allow that to be in her kitchen on full display for all to see. 00:47:48.700 --> 00:47:48.860 Right? 00:47:49.900 --> 00:47:55.280 This, you know, I don't, I don't need an R2-D2 toaster. 00:47:56.020 --> 00:47:59.080 I don't want an R2-D2 toaster. 00:47:59.460 --> 00:48:01.600 It does nothing for me. 00:48:02.240 --> 00:48:07.440 And I could go around and I could ask you all of the different gifts that you've received in your life. 00:48:07.460 --> 00:48:09.820 And what is a great gift that you've received? 00:48:09.820 --> 00:48:18.780 And that gift is going to be, its greatness is going to be reflective in your personality, of your pursuits, of your wants, of your needs, of who you are. 00:48:18.980 --> 00:48:29.200 And I guarantee you that our greatness of gifts of what you and I can come up with, our greatest of gifts that you and I can think of that we can obtain so that we can give to others. 00:48:29.320 --> 00:48:37.300 Our greatest gift of what we think of that we can save our money and file it away because we can give it to the person that we know would love it with all that they have. 00:48:37.300 --> 00:48:46.940 Our greatest gift that we could possibly think of pales in comparison to the greatest gift that's ever been given to humanity, that of Jesus Christ. 00:48:48.160 --> 00:49:15.980 And during this season, we're going to go out and we're going to pursue and we're going to chase and we're going to create moments and we're going to make lists and we're going to buy presents and we're going to put them in boxes and we're going to wrap them in pretty paper and we're going to put bows on them and we're going to put gift bags and we're going to have tissue paper coming out and we're going to fill up our houses and we're going to stack things up and we're going to give them away to people and we're going to see the joy that comes in their face because of just a physical item that we've been given. 00:49:15.980 --> 00:49:23.660 And my fear, my concern, because I know that it happens to me and if it happens to me, then it happens to you, that Jesus becomes an afterthought. 00:49:25.480 --> 00:49:35.780 That really the culmination of where our mind and hearts go during the month of December is really the culmination of where our hearts go from January to November as well. 00:49:37.980 --> 00:49:39.940 That Jesus is the cherry on top. 00:49:41.520 --> 00:49:43.360 That Jesus is the added moment. 00:49:44.920 --> 00:49:46.700 That Jesus is the peace that's here. 00:49:49.200 --> 00:49:50.200 But Zechariah, 00:49:50.720 --> 00:49:53.680 at least 00:49:53.680 --> 00:49:56.100 nine months and eight days, 00:49:56.980 --> 00:50:01.020 comes and says, 00:50:02.640 --> 00:50:15.880 blessed is the God of Israel because he is going to give us the horn of salvation 00:50:15.880 --> 00:50:20.180 who will come as Jesus. 00:50:21.800 --> 00:50:22.360 You see, 00:50:23.120 --> 00:50:23.420 Jesus 00:50:23.420 --> 00:50:25.720 is the greatest gift 00:50:25.720 --> 00:50:30.620 because every need that you have 00:50:30.620 --> 00:50:33.120 can be met and satisfied 00:50:33.120 --> 00:50:34.220 in his goodness. 00:50:35.560 --> 00:50:37.040 Every satisfaction 00:50:37.040 --> 00:50:38.580 of your heart 00:50:38.580 --> 00:50:39.760 can be surrendered 00:50:39.760 --> 00:50:40.680 to him 00:50:40.680 --> 00:50:42.240 and complete joy 00:50:42.240 --> 00:50:43.220 found 00:50:43.220 --> 00:50:44.240 in him 00:50:44.240 --> 00:50:45.640 and in him alone. 00:50:47.320 --> 00:50:48.440 I'm going to unplug this 00:50:48.440 --> 00:50:49.900 because I'm going to take it with me. 00:50:50.520 --> 00:50:51.860 Not that I think 00:50:51.860 --> 00:50:52.340 any of you 00:50:52.340 --> 00:50:53.380 would steal it, 00:50:53.780 --> 00:50:54.760 but I don't think 00:50:54.760 --> 00:50:55.960 Berger wants this up here 00:50:55.960 --> 00:50:57.540 for the last few worship songs. 00:50:59.740 --> 00:51:00.480 One day 00:51:00.480 --> 00:51:02.580 this gift 00:51:02.580 --> 00:51:04.780 is going to stop working. 00:51:06.560 --> 00:51:07.180 One day 00:51:07.180 --> 00:51:08.120 it's going to break. 00:51:09.540 --> 00:51:10.000 One day 00:51:10.000 --> 00:51:10.960 the electrical system 00:51:10.960 --> 00:51:12.240 is not going to be quite right. 00:51:13.480 --> 00:51:14.080 One day 00:51:14.080 --> 00:51:15.340 it will get a crack in it 00:51:15.340 --> 00:51:18.060 and it will 00:51:18.060 --> 00:51:20.480 become trash. 00:51:20.520 --> 00:51:24.760 But not Jesus. 00:51:26.380 --> 00:51:27.440 God's word tells us 00:51:27.440 --> 00:51:28.340 that all of our gifts, 00:51:28.500 --> 00:51:29.080 all of the things 00:51:29.080 --> 00:51:29.720 that we fight for 00:51:29.720 --> 00:51:30.300 to consume, 00:51:30.420 --> 00:51:30.900 to have, 00:51:31.700 --> 00:51:32.400 they'll all rust, 00:51:33.920 --> 00:51:34.920 they'll all be burned up. 00:51:35.980 --> 00:51:36.840 But Christ, 00:51:37.800 --> 00:51:39.140 Christ reigns 00:51:39.140 --> 00:51:40.700 for all of eternity. 00:51:42.620 --> 00:51:43.060 Folks, 00:51:44.460 --> 00:51:45.660 may Jesus 00:51:45.660 --> 00:51:47.540 not be 00:51:47.540 --> 00:51:48.540 the afterthought, 00:51:49.320 --> 00:51:50.900 but may Jesus 00:51:50.900 --> 00:51:51.300 be 00:51:51.300 --> 00:51:52.800 the pursuit 00:51:52.800 --> 00:51:55.040 not just 00:51:55.040 --> 00:51:56.000 of this season 00:51:56.000 --> 00:51:58.480 but of your life. 00:51:59.680 --> 00:52:00.160 Would you pray? 00:52:04.780 --> 00:52:05.500 God, 00:52:05.560 --> 00:52:05.940 I thank you 00:52:05.940 --> 00:52:06.200 from 00:52:06.200 --> 00:52:08.040 the story 00:52:08.040 --> 00:52:08.860 of Zachariah. 00:52:12.860 --> 00:52:13.500 God, 00:52:13.540 --> 00:52:14.200 that when he 00:52:14.200 --> 00:52:18.000 in his moment 00:52:18.000 --> 00:52:20.520 and his time 00:52:20.520 --> 00:52:21.240 to speak 00:52:21.240 --> 00:52:25.020 or that his heart 00:52:25.020 --> 00:52:27.100 was one 00:52:27.100 --> 00:52:29.200 that pointed 00:52:29.200 --> 00:52:31.460 and settled 00:52:31.460 --> 00:52:32.060 on you. 00:52:33.600 --> 00:52:33.960 God, 00:52:33.960 --> 00:52:34.500 I pray that we 00:52:34.500 --> 00:52:35.340 would enjoy 00:52:35.340 --> 00:52:37.520 this season. 00:52:39.380 --> 00:52:40.300 Pray that we 00:52:40.300 --> 00:52:41.040 would look forward 00:52:41.040 --> 00:52:41.500 to making 00:52:41.500 --> 00:52:42.480 wonderful memories 00:52:42.480 --> 00:52:43.220 with friends 00:52:43.220 --> 00:52:43.920 and family 00:52:43.920 --> 00:52:46.360 or that we 00:52:46.360 --> 00:52:47.060 would look forward 00:52:47.060 --> 00:52:48.260 to times of 00:52:48.260 --> 00:52:51.260 giving and 00:52:51.260 --> 00:52:52.380 receiving gifts, 00:52:53.460 --> 00:52:55.140 sitting down 00:52:55.140 --> 00:52:55.740 at a table 00:52:55.740 --> 00:52:58.300 over good food, 00:52:59.580 --> 00:53:00.420 over laughter, 00:53:02.560 --> 00:53:03.500 talking about 00:53:03.500 --> 00:53:05.340 memories 00:53:05.340 --> 00:53:08.180 and looking forward 00:53:08.180 --> 00:53:09.180 to making new ones. 00:53:11.180 --> 00:53:12.020 But God, 00:53:12.120 --> 00:53:13.000 may we never, 00:53:15.000 --> 00:53:15.520 whether it's 00:53:15.520 --> 00:53:15.940 in the month 00:53:15.940 --> 00:53:16.560 of December 00:53:16.560 --> 00:53:19.660 or any other 00:53:19.660 --> 00:53:20.720 time of our year, 00:53:22.040 --> 00:53:22.940 any other stage 00:53:22.940 --> 00:53:23.380 of season 00:53:23.380 --> 00:53:23.980 of life, 00:53:25.640 --> 00:53:26.140 not forget 00:53:26.140 --> 00:53:26.580 that Jesus 00:53:26.580 --> 00:53:28.660 is the reason. 00:53:30.000 --> 00:53:30.260 Jesus 00:53:30.260 --> 00:53:31.680 is the hope. 00:53:33.120 --> 00:53:33.420 Jesus 00:53:33.420 --> 00:53:35.180 is the salvation. 00:53:36.660 --> 00:53:36.900 Jesus 00:53:36.900 --> 00:53:37.520 is the greatest 00:53:37.520 --> 00:53:37.900 gift. 00:53:39.440 --> 00:53:39.760 God, 00:53:39.800 --> 00:53:40.440 I pray today 00:53:40.440 --> 00:53:43.420 that in this 00:53:43.420 --> 00:53:44.340 gift of Christ 00:53:44.340 --> 00:53:46.340 and the salvation 00:53:46.340 --> 00:53:47.760 that he offers, 00:53:49.080 --> 00:53:49.980 that everyone, 00:53:50.880 --> 00:53:51.340 that all 00:53:51.340 --> 00:53:52.200 would receive it, 00:53:53.100 --> 00:53:53.960 putting their faith, 00:53:54.060 --> 00:53:54.400 their hope, 00:53:54.500 --> 00:53:55.340 their trust in him, 00:53:56.840 --> 00:53:57.340 recognizing 00:53:57.340 --> 00:53:57.900 that they 00:53:57.900 --> 00:53:58.900 in and of themselves 00:53:58.900 --> 00:53:59.480 are incapable 00:53:59.480 --> 00:54:00.600 of saving themselves 00:54:00.600 --> 00:54:02.340 and will live 00:54:02.340 --> 00:54:02.960 in full surrender 00:54:02.960 --> 00:54:03.380 to you. 00:54:04.760 --> 00:54:05.260 And so Jesus 00:54:05.260 --> 00:54:05.720 let me pray. 00:54:06.660 --> 00:54:07.080 Amen. 00:54:16.720 --> 00:54:17.320 That's it 00:54:17.320 --> 00:54:18.380 for this week's message. 00:54:18.860 --> 00:54:19.760 Be sure to check back 00:54:19.760 --> 00:54:20.380 next week 00:54:20.380 --> 00:54:21.260 for another episode. 00:54:21.940 --> 00:54:22.560 In the meantime, 00:54:22.800 --> 00:54:23.680 you can stay up to date 00:54:23.680 --> 00:54:24.220 with everything 00:54:24.220 --> 00:54:25.380 happening at Willow Ridge 00:54:25.380 --> 00:54:26.260 by visiting us 00:54:26.260 --> 00:54:27.040 on Facebook, 00:54:27.440 --> 00:54:27.840 Instagram, 00:54:28.360 --> 00:54:28.660 YouTube, 00:54:29.140 --> 00:54:29.880 and online 00:54:29.880 --> 00:54:31.560 at willowridgechurch.org. 00:54:31.760 --> 00:54:32.440 Thanks again 00:54:32.440 --> 00:54:32.900 for listening. 00:54:36.660 --> 00:54:49.600 We'll see you next week.