Pastor Dave Martin, Cross Creek Community Church, December 4, 2011

“Christmas Miracles” Part 1 of 4

Zechariah, Elizabeth & John

Luke 1 & Selected

I love the Christmas season… It's a Wonderful Life is a 1946 movie starring Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey, a man whose imminent suicide on Christmas Eve brings about the intervention of his guardian angel named Clarence. He shows George all the lives he has touched and the contributions he has made to his community… The film brings out implications that if George never existed… bars, fighting, hatred, greed, corruption… but because of the impact of one man George Bailey, many lives were positively touched and changed…

Let’s bring this closer to home… Why do things happen the way they do? When things come into our lives, why we react the way we do and the choices we make dealing with the situation…?

Why did the phone ring in the middle of the night…??  The results of some medical tests you just received…?  Why did you “fall in love” with the person you married??  The timing of your pregnancies… why the children you have or perhaps don’t have??  The college you attended… the career path you choose…??  Even the church you attend…??  What’s your life all about?… Seeing the BIG PICTURE, what’s God doing… in your life

James 4:14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

Job 11:7 "Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?

1. 1. God Sovereignly Works out His Plans

Isaiah 46:10 I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.

• Sovereign – superior, supreme in power and authority, ruler, independent from all others, no limits
• God is unique and fully in control of the future… He is actively working in the affairs of man – plans
• God knows all things, past-present-future… The Great I AM – eternal, self-existent One…
• Ultimate source the ever-present One, Changeless, superior highest authority, power to act… HOLY

• Prophecy… Concerning John the Baptist
  • Over 456 O.T. prophecies concerning the coming Messiah, the Anointed One, the Christ

Malachi 3:1 "See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says the Lord Almighty.

Malachi 4:5 "See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes.

• God’s prophet Malachi wrote of God’s message who will come… (written around 430BC)
• God said: “I will send my messenger to prepare the way before ME”… send the prophet “Elijah”…
• Predictively pointing to the man called “John the Baptist” – who heralded the coming of Messiah!

• Pause… 400 “silent” years between O.T. and N.T
  • Many events happened during these 400 years getting the world ready… the Persian reign of Alexander the Great, the building of the Great Wall of China , Julius Caesar, Roman Gov’t came to power… Herod the Great will rebuilt the Jewish temple once again in Jerusalem…
  • Merging of cultures and languages (the Septuagint written in Egypt in 3BC was a Greek translation of the O.T. used by the early church), infrastructure, roads (to spread the Gospel), and certain rulers and kings, connections between the Jewish Sanhedrin and the Roman Gov’t…
  • The national leadership of Israel was corrupt, there was much immorality in the land, Herod introduced Roman basilicas & idols to its various Roman gods... After 400 “silent” years as God moved together all the pieces of the puzzle… At just the perfect time...

Galatians 4:4 But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law,

“God’s plan of the ages to redeem fallen man”… we must begin to SEE the BIG PICTURE!!!

1. 2. Circumstances and God’s Timing Align Perfectly

Ephesians 1:11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,

• God’s whole purpose & plan is to offer salvation to the world… He wants to save you from SIN!
• Our Sovereign God will work through circumstances and timing to accomplish His plan…

• People… Lives of Zechariah and Elizabeth
  • After 400 years we’re introduced to two people… Zechariah “God Remembers”, Elizabeth “His Own” (His oath/promise, 456 times)… An unexpected event… God works even in their names… 

Luke 1:5-10 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 upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commandments and regulations blamelessly. ⁷ But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years. ⁸ Once when Zechariah's division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, ⁹ he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. ¹⁰ And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.

• In the midst of Israel’s spiritual darkness… God remembers His promise… With 16,000 priests in Judea at this time, it’s a “once in a lifetime” opportunity to be chosen by lot… NO luck / chance
• God Sovereignly orchestrated Zechariah’s selection at this particular time in history...
• Both upright in the sight of God… Blameless, above reproach… Good solid believers… Obedient

• Prayer… Limitless in Power

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 give him the name John.

• God who is limitless in power is going to answer your prayer of faith… Praying in God’s perfect will, whatever you ask for in faith, God will accomplish… heavy on their hearts…
• Humanly impossible in their old age God saw hearts/ how can this be???
• Name the child John… the O.T. predicted forerunner of the Messiah
• I love the conversation and response of Gabriel…

Luke 1:18-19 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." ¹⁹ The angel answered, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news.

• He became speechless because of his unbelief… God heard their prayers, now to be answered…

“God works through His praying people”… People, situations, this church, many lives changed for Christ! 

1. 3. People Blessed, Miracles Happen, God’s Glorified

Romans 11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!

• Pregnancy… Impossible become Possible with God

Luke 1:23-25 ²³ When his time of service was completed, he returned home. ²⁴ After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. ²⁵ "The Lord has done this for me," she said. "In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people."

• After the 2 weeks of serving in temple duty he returned home & his wife became pregnant…
• Going into seclusion… it caused a great stir among the people… Lord has done this for me!
• Impossible becomes possible with God… The unexpected comes your way... Our God is able!

• Praise… God uses people for His Glory and Honor

Luke 1:62-67 ⁶² Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. ⁶³ He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone's astonishment he wrote, "His name is John." ⁶⁴ Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak, praising God. ⁶⁵ The neighbors were all filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things.

⁶⁶ Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, "What then is this child going to be?" For the Lord's hand was with him. ⁶⁷ His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:…

• On the 8^th day they came to circumcise and name the child… His name is John… able to speak!
• Greek word ‘phobos’ Awe”/”fear” – people were alarmed/struck with fear/terror… God event!
• The news spread like wild-fire… Wondered, rocked them to the core… what is God doing?
• I can imagine Zechariah lifting his son up to the Lord… spirit filled now prophesied in vss 68-79

Luke 1:76-77 ⁷⁶ And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, ⁷⁷ to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins,

Luke 1:80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to Israel.

“The world’s stage is set for Christ Jesus”… the Messiah is coming to redeem sinful man! 

Are you beginning to see the BIG Picture… God desires to work in your life – to use you to make a difference for “such a time as this”… The miracle of Cross Creek, the miracle of a new life in Christ…

1. 4. Personal Questions & Application…

v  How is your relationship with God?... Have you been saved?  Are you born again?  Forgiven?

v  What is God presently doing in your life?... Are you growing more Christ-like?  Obedient to Bible?

v  Are you living beyond the routines of life?... Feel trapped in your “non-spiritual” routine?  Breakout

v  Will you allow God to do a miracle in your life?... He changes not… Grow your faith… He’s a BIG God