Bible Text: Luke 1:5-15 | Preacher: Pastor Steve | Series: Abiding in Christmas
Elizabeth was Barren
To be barren was a sign of a spiritual defect and they simply believed God closed a woman’s womb because God had something against her
Zacharias was Praying to the Lord
As Zacharias prayed standing beside the altar was an angel:
Do not be afraid, Zacharias. Your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you’re to give him the name John.
Zacharias was overwhelmed
How can this be?
Past woundedness can cause us to doubt and distrust the Lord’s Word in our lives!
Underestimating God is just as serious as rebelling against God
God’s timing can be frustrating because it is often not our timing and that is challenging!
This gives us a profound insight as to why many of us never really believe the gospel:
We have a hard time believing the gospel because we think it’s unreasonable, unfair, and too simple.
And we are AFRAID of the pain, disappointment, embarrassment we would feel if it were not true!
Zacharias preferred the safety of doubt over the risk of personal disappointment
Because we live in doubt we do not leave room for God. Our living space is too small! When we live with personal injuries, disappointments and personal frustrations that are not dealt with, our lives become small
Doubt is claustrophobic. It is empty! It envisions a small Lord and it does not ABIDE in the Lord!
Genuine Faith can look at life’s disappointment and heartbreak and say nevertheless this IS NOT all there is and this IS NOT all there’s going to be.
There is still room for God to do a Holy thing
Faith will be constricted when doubt is present
Zacharias’ failing was his incapacity for joy and ecstasy.
God does not want us to have static faith BUT dynamic faith!
Abiding in Christmas is learning how to be moved from the place where we were to the place where God wants us to live!
Zacharias’ unbelief was his presumption, his refusal to believe
He believed in himself more than he believed in God.
Zacharias: I’m an old man.
Gabriel: I’m Gabriel, and I stand in the presence of God.
Which one are you going to believe Zachariah, an old man or one who stands in the presence of God?
Do you believe God is able to step into your life and bring joy and blessing where there has been emptiness,
disgrace and disappointment?
That’s what ABIDING IN CHRISTMAS really means
Luke 1:25 Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my
reproach among people.
God will heal the wounds. He will help us to trust again. It doesn’t take extraordinary faith, if it did, we’d all be goners.
All it takes is the extraordinary faithfulness of God.
God says fear not. Joy is coming. Indeed, it’s already arrived. Repent of your unbelief, and receive the gift of faith, hope and love.
ABIDE IN CHRISTMAS!