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Welcome all of you that are here. I love that you're here. Last weekend right after this
service I got to go down to Mexico as you saw. I got to dedicate that building on your
behalf. Many of you gave through fearless. Remember when you swiped your cards? And that's
where some of your money went to. And it was fun to dedicate that building and install
the new pastor. Pastor Abraham and his wife young couple. Very exciting down there.
So if you pull out your bibles and your outlines. We are going on, continuing on in a series
in the book of Luke. The reason that we are looking at Luke is that it really is the starting
point of faith. All of us when we were kids probably had some people who taught us about
God. Maybe your parents did, maybe you learned in Sunday school or at a temple or synagogue
or a Masque. You were taught some things about faith and who God was. Then as you grew older
you started to get some adult questions and the problem is your adult questions couldn't
be answered by your childhood faith and so that foundation began to crumble under the
weight of adult questions. And for some of you you drifted away. You weren't angry at
God or the church, you just simply didn't matter, it wasn't important. And so the question
that we are answering is so where does faith start. So some of you who drifted from faith
how do restart your faith. For others of you who've never begun the life of faith, you
don't know what fait is. How do you start that, what does it look like, where does faith
have its beginning. And for some of you who have a life of faith how is it that you take
your next step? So this is what Jesus would say, he is the starting point of faith. Once
you answer the question of who Jesus is, why he came, that's the beginning point of faith
and from there it moves forward, so we are looking at the book of Luke.
Luke we saw took time to make a careful investigation. He studied he talked to eyewitness, and then
he wrote this account. Very historical account and then he gives it to us so that we can
know who Jesus is. So if you've got a bible turn to Luke chapter 1 we're moving through
the book of Luke. But to understand Luke we are gonna look at 2 passages they're on your
outlines you don't need to turn to them cause they are really hard books to find. Isaiah
and Malachi. Or the only Italian prophet in the bible Malachi right? And the reason is
these two texts are gonna make an appearance in the book of Luke so I want to help you
with them. Isaiah first was written in a very challenging time. People had been unfaithful
to God and as a result of that they were suffering the consequences. Of being unfaithful. But
God in this passage is promising that he will do what he promised to do. That he would send
a messiah, that he would show up and save and rescue his people. So in Isaiah it says
comfort comfort my bible says your God. It says I'm gonna send one a voice of one calling
in the wilderness. Prepare a way for the lord. God says I'm gonna show up. And now he uses
this powerful image of what we would think of as an advanced team that would go before
a king that would prepare a place. They literally make sure the roads were safe. They'd prepare
the people in the city and that's what he's making allusion to. It makes straight in the
desert a highway for your God. Every valley should be raised up. Every mountain and hill
made low. The rough ground shall become level. The rugged place made plain. And the Glory
of the lord will be revealed and all the people will see it together. Here someone's going
to come and prepare a way for God. But it's like this advanced team that would make sure
the roads were safe. So that when the king traveled there wouldn't be a tree. Or that
the people were ready to welcome the king. We have this same ting. When the president
goes anywhere, the presidents advance team is the most expensive, exhausted thing. You
can't even believe it. I looked it up. It's amazing what they do. They literally send
hundreds of people before the president. They're soldiers, there are people that are secret
service. Hundreds of people. CIA. They send 12 sniffer dogs ahead. Before our president
goes someplace, our president, air force one goes and lands there. Checks out the airport
so they know its safe. Sends in the marine helicopter. I mean they spend millions of
dollars preparing a way for the president. That's the image in this passage. I'm gonna
send one who's gonna prepare. Be the advanced team. Prepare the way for God.
[00:4:31]
Then in Malachi 3:1, I will send my messenger who will prepare the way for me. So this advanced
team is a messenger. Alright. So what will he be like? Malachi 4 this is the way the
Old Testament ends. See I will send the prophet Elijah. Not literally Elijah but someone who's
Elijah like. To you before that great and dreadful day the Lord comes. Before the lord
comes, before he shows up. Yahweh the great I AM. Others gods are not real I am real.
God said before God comes I will send a messenger who will be Elijah like and this is what he
will do. He will turn the hearts of the children to their parents and the hearts of the children
to their parents. There's reconciliations, you know relationships can be healed or else
I will come and strike the land with total destruction. The End. Old Testament ends,
done. That's how it finishes it.
So what's the idea? He says someone is going to come like Elijah very famous prophet in
the Old Testament. And his message is going to be turn or repent. And the turning is change
your allegiance. Change the things that you're loyal to in this life. Don't be loyal to money
and things and possessions, be loyal to me, trust in me. That's gonna be the message of
the person who comes, that's the advance team. And he's gonna be like Elijah and he's gonna
prepare the people for. And he's gonna prepare the land.
So now when we come to the New Testament. As the New Testament begins there's the promise
that Elijah will come, an Elijah like person. What we have is people who are waiting. From
that the end of the Old Testament to the beginning of the New Testament there are 400 years of
silence. God says I'm gonna come, I'm gonna show up, I'm gonna send someone before me
who's like Elijah. And there's 400 years and there is pain and there is sadness. They live
under the oppression of Rome. And the people are saying, "Where are you God. You have forgotten
us." And they are waiting in this time where God promised he would come. And the reason
that you need to understand the relevance to you in your life is we are the people who
are waiting. They were waiting for 400 years. Jesus came, he died on the cross, he rose,
and he say's I will come again. And so how long have we been waiting? 2,000 years. And
so when we read this story of these peoples lives. We are gonna see Elizabeth, Zachariah
and John. They teach us how to love. John teaches us our job description while we wait.
The kind of people that we need to be. Elizabeth and Zachariah. In this season of waiting.
Does that make sense to you?
The excitement builds as we look at Luke chapter 1. So here it is. Luke chapter 1, there's
the context. In the time of Harrod King of Judea. Just so you know this guy about 10
years before this, literally killed 2,00 people and put them crosses because they tried to
rebel. So he has the iron fist of Rome. Very vicious king. Very difficult time. There was
a priest Zachariah who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah and his wife Elizabeth
was also a descendant of Aaron both of them were righteous in the sight of God and were
observing all of the lords demands and decrees blamelessly. What do we know about Zachariah
and Elizabeth? They were righteous and blameless. Ok they ordered their life according to God's
truth. But then it says they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive.
And they were both very old. Now it's so hard for us to understand the same and the grief
that would come upon a person's life and so Luke puts together two thoughts that are kind
of amazing. They were righteous and blameless and they didn't have children. And in the
first century children were a sign of God's blessing. It also provided security. There
wasn't 401Ks. There weren't any retirement plans. The only secure retirement you had
was to have children. If you had children you had an heir. Your land would be passed
onto them. If you didn't have an heir it would be distributed among the people. You'd loose
all of your land. And when you got old you would have someone that would take care of
you. So people who did not have children were perceived as somebody who was not blessed
by God. It was assumed they had done something wrong. And because they lived in a male dominated
society, you can even read it in the bible. Whose fault is it? Elizabeth. Because they
didn't have the medical knowledge that we have today. And so the assumption was that
this woman had done something wrong and so this was a curse. And so you had the idea
they are righteous and blameless and at the same time they aren't able to have children
and so it would have caused confusion in peoples mind. But god is up to something because there
are number of stories in the Old Testament were parents were unable to have children
and then they got old. And then God enabled them to have children. And so you get the
sense God is doing something. Abraham and Sarah were unable to have children but then
they did. Jacob Rachel and then they were able to have children. Hannah couldn't remember.
And then Samuel, and the parents of Samson. And so God is up to something is what he's
pointing out here.
[00:10:13]
But then question that keeps happening, the people keep saying, "Where's God." 400 years,
where's God. They are under the oppression of Rome. There is cruelty and injustice. And
Pain and sadness. Where is God? Elijah. I mean Zachariah and Elizabeth are saying God
we prayed for a child, we cried out to you, where is God, Where is God? We see at all
the time with shootings in schools and pain in the world and we say, "Where is God?" and
the answer in the bible always to where is God is? Not exactly. The answer the best way
is illustrate it is the book or the play or the movie Le Miserables. And the story is
the student revolution that preceded the revolution that actually worked. And it was the time
that had a huge gap between the rich and the poor. And if you see the movie, read the book
that victor Hugo wrote. He captured this beautifully. All through he says, "Where's God?" There's
justice and poverty. And there's people that have wealth and other people, there is such
in justice in the land. Where is God where is God Where is God. And then powerful he
illustrates in the story le Miserables if you've seen the movie or if you read the book,
where is god? He's working one life at a time. Valjean there's hope, there's redemption and
grace for Valjean. And then Eponine and Fantine and Cosette and Marius, all of these powerful
character that God steps in and he redeems and saves. And even Javert who is this legalist
God extends Grace to him. But he can't deal with it and so it's this powerful picture.
The answer is one life at a time. And so they say where is God, where is God, where is he
working? And the answer is? One life at a time. And then that really is the story of
the bible and that's where he gets it. When you see people crying out, "where is God?"
That's what you are gonna see. He is right there working in Elizabeth's life. In Zachariah's
life. John's life. He works in our lives. And the good news is it's not only in an individual's
life, he's working in the grand scheme of things. That's where God is, in the most challenging
times. So they prayed for a child, they'd forgotten it.
So look at how God works. So Zachariah's division, there is 18,000 priests, they were on duty,
and he was serving as priest before God. He was chosen by lot. In the Old Testament they
rolled dice. That was a way of determining God's will. But incredibly he get's to choose.
But look at what it is. According to the custom of the priesthood to go into the temple of
the Lord and burn incense. And when it was the time time for the burning of incense came
all the assembled worshippers were praying outside. This is like an incredible privilege.
There is 18,000 priests but most of them would never get to go into the holy place and offer
prayer on behalf of the nation. Less then 10% would ever get to be chosen to do this.
So his whole group is on duty. He's like a full time pastor guy like I would be. So he's
somebody who is continually saying, "God is with us, God loves us. God loves us; he is
the one who is teaching God's word. So now he gets to go in, it's once in a lifetime.
You only get to do it once if you were chosen. And less then 10% would get to be chosen to
do it. He goes in, he puts incense on the alter. Incense with the prayers of God's people
are a beautiful aroma to God. Then he falls to his knees and he begins to pray. God you
know the oppression your people are under. Would you deliver us? Would you rescue us?
There is such injustice in the land. The Romans are in the land. God would you send your deliver.
Would you send the one that you promised? You promised to send one. God would you do
what you promised. So it's a very dramatic moment. It's a great day for Zachariah. It's
like the superbowl for him. You know he get's to do the one thing that not everybody gets
to do. He's in the holy place praying to God.
So they're assembled outside. Then the angel of the Lord appeared to him. Standing at the
right side of the alter of incense. And when Zachariah saw him, he was startled and gripped
with fear. The angel said to him what Angels always say. Do not be afraid. In angel training
school the first thing that angels are trained to do when they show up is to, you know when
you show up its terrifying for those people so what you need to say is? Do not be afraid.
Every once in a while someone will come and they say, "Well I had an angel that made an
appearance to me. And I can't help myself and I say, "What was it like." And they go
ah, and they kinda define this warm. When an angel shows up they are not cute and cuddly.
It is this terrifying moment and you are sure you are gonna die. And if the first thing
they don't say is do not be afraid. You are not seeing an angel you just had bad food.
And you know beats or whatever it is. But I'm happy to hear your stories as crazy as
you are. Its part of my job. I know I know. I shouldn't have said that. Sometimes I should
edit. So the angel appears to him alright. Now get the sense of him. This is what's going
on. Once in a lifetime deal. He's in the holy place, he's been chosen. It's the super bowl
for him. And an angel shows up and doesn't kill him alright.
Want quick angel facts. How many Angels do you know their name? Gabrielle, I'm taking
that one away alright. Michael. Michael is the? Arc Angel. And the other one is Lucifer,
alright Satan. So anytime Michael shows up, he's like the five star general angel, its
time to go to war. And anytime Gabrielle shows up, he is making an announcement. History
is changing. Something huge is happening. And anytime Lucifer shows up? All hells breaking
loose. [Laughter] alright fun angel facts. Alright just come back to it.
[00:16:16]
And the angel shows up and he says, " Zachariah, your prayer has been heard." What prayer?
That his son, you see some of you read ahead. That is his son is that the prayer that's
being answered. Prayer that the nation, God's gonna bring his deliverer. Which is it? His
son or the messiah? Or both? It's both. And that's what is amazing about prayer. Is that
he has been praying all of his life. And he says your prayer has been heard. The prayer.
So you just learned some things about prayer. God always hears our prayers. Even when we
have forgotten the prayers that we prayed. And we think there's no hope, because we will
see in a second that he's old. There's no chance. God doesn't forget and it's never
beyond God's power to answer. God remembers our prayer. God hears our prayers, he doesn't
forget, but God's timing is different then ours. God's gonna answer our prayers, at the
right time. At the perfect time. And then the second thing is when God answers prayer.
It is exceedingly abundantly beyond all we could ask or imagine. Listen to this answer
for prayer.
Do not be afraid. Zachariah your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bare
you a son. So his personal prayer has been answered. But it's even more then that. And
you are to call him John. He will be a joy and a delight to you. And many will rejoice
because of his birth. It's not just about this birth. There is something bigger going
on. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He's never to take wine or other fermented
drinks. He needs to live this dedicated life. And he will be filled with the Holy Spirit
even before he was born. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord your
God. And he will go on before the Lord. Do you recognize these words? In the spirit and
power of? How does the Old Testament end? I will send an Elijah. How does the New Testament
begin? Here comes one who is like Elijah. In the spirit of Elijah to turn the hearts
of the parents to their children. And the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous.
To make ready a people prepared for the Lord. Here comes the advanced committee. You have
a personal answer to your prayer Zachariah. You're gonna have a son. A prayer that you've
given up on. That you thought I couldn't do. You're gonna have your own son. And in addition
to that, he is the advance team for God. God's gonna show up. And you, your son is gonna
prepare the way. And he says Zachariah asks the angel. Now here's the key moment. I want
you to learn a very important lesson cause its where we are gonna land at the very end.
Zachariah is having a very good day. He is a professional priest guy teaching God's word.
He gets chosen. Less then 10% chance he'd ever get to do this in his lifetime. He gets
to go into the holy place. He gets to offer prayers in the very holy place. It's a big
moment for him. A big high point in his career. And when he's doing it an angel shows up and
he doesn't die. And the angel says you've got good news. You're gonna have a son. And
your son isn't going to b a regular son. He's going to be Elijah like. He's going to prepare
a way. He's going to prepare a people. And God is going to show up. God the one that
is promised is going to show up and save his people. This is a good day. Alright. Now.
[Clapping] no no wait wait. Then he say's your gonna see the high cost of doubt. God
always accepts doubt. But here's the high cost. He says, "How can I be sure of this?"
Great day in the temple, in the temple, don't die, in the moment, how can I be sure. Cause
he feels like he needs to explain something to Gabrielle he says, I'm an old man and my
wife is well along in years." Which I think this is how he said it. "How can this be true
I'm an old man who could probably do this? But my wife is even older then I am, there's
no chance." Right? Come on you guys that's the way a guy is gonna say it. That's not
gonna happen. And the angel said to him, "I am Gabrielle. I stand in the presence of God.
And I have been sent to you, to speak to you, to tell you this good news. I will give you
a sign! Now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens. Because
you did not believe my words. Which will come true at their appointed time." You want a
sign here's a sign.
[00:21:21]
Look at the cost of this. This is a great possibility and I want to talk you. Some of
you struggle with doubt. And you go it's just hard for me to believe. Because God comes
to us and he gives you a promise, gives you a word, and the Holy Spirit comes. And it's
the most challenging moment in your life. And you thought all is lost, God hasn't heard
your prayer, you're not sure he's ever gonna answer your prayer. And God gives you a word
from him. I'll be with you in this challenging time. I will not leave you, I will not forsake
you. Sometimes before, you know your going in for a surgery, God will say I'm gonna heal
you in this, even before it happens. And your certain something God says to you. Some its
not a healing but God says, "but I'm gonna walk every step with you." He gives you promise,
I'll protect you. Your kids are going south, I'm gonna be with you. I love those kids more
then you love them. They're mine. Your kids are mine. God gives you a word. We all get
into a difficult situation at different times. And Zachariah is at this moment. And here's
what's amazing Zachariah chooses not to believe it. He doesn't really step up and say I'm
gonna hold onto this God its incredible. And I understand because Zachariah is going it's
to good to be true. It's everything that I want so bad. The disappointment if I took
hold of it the down side of trusting and believing this it could break my heart God. I'm not
sure I can take a hold of it; I'll just wait and see. I'll tell the story at the end. Or
you know what this is such good news, what if it doesn't happen, I'll look like an idiot
if I go out there and say it. You know he had the greatest chance in the world. There
are people, as you see in a second, are waiting for him to come out. And for 1300 years every
time the priest came out he would give the meal blessing that God commanded. Every time
the people are gathered you give them this blessing, May the lord bless you and keep
you. May the Lord cause his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you? May the lord
lift up the light of his countenance and give you peace. If Zachariah would have believed
it he probably would have gone lord bless you and keep you. I can't even go through
it cause the lords face has shinned upon you. I've got such good news. The messiah is coming,
God is gonna show up. And he is here and in your lifetime you're gonna see the salvation
of the lord. God has promised for hundreds of years, and we haven't heard a word. Now
he's coming, the savior is coming. God's gonna show up. And I'm gonna have a son. And my
son is gonna be the forerunner. He's gonna plow the way before God. He's gonna be the
advance team for God. Peace on you. [Laughter]
Right? But he didn't do it. And why didn't he do it? Cause he doubted. So he say's you'll
be silent and not be able to speak. And because of this you did not believe my words, which
will come true at their appointed time. Mean while people were waiting for Zachariah, wondering
why he stayed so long in the temple. And when he came out he could not speak to them. And
they realized he had seen a vision in the temple for he kept making signs to them. That
word signs in the Greek is the word shirred which would we get he game name sherade. And
it comes form this passage in the bible. That's so not true. Gotcha! [Laughter] Alright. So
he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak. And when his time of service
was completed he returned home and after this Elizabeth become pregnant. Yeah against all
odds! And for five months she remained in seclusion and then listen to what Elizabeth
says. "The lord as done this for me. In these days he has shown his favor and taken away
my disgrace among the people." You know what's amazing is Elizabeth who is the outsider gets
to declare the good news. Remember Elizabeth she didn't have a child. She would live with
shame and guilt. People would go oh Elizabeth something's wrong. It was always blamed on
her. She felt like a failure but she lived righteously but how cool is this? What's the
good news that she gets? Come on woman! She has a husband who doesn't talk for 9 months.
[Laugher] is that great? I know! Every choice she gets to win every argument for 9 months.
For 9 months she never has to say will you listen to me. For 9 months she gets the last
words. No that's not the good news alright. The good news is she gets to be the one to
go out and declare the Lord has done this for me. The Lord has not forgotten me. But
you know what else I have got good news; the Lord has not forgotten you. This isn't just
about me having a son. This is about God fulfilling his promise. What he promised in the Old Testament
he's fulfilling in the New Testament. God has not forgotten us. She gets to be the one.
The outsider. The woman who in those days was an outsider he didn't have position. The
one didn't have a child. Thought she was disgraced. She gets t be the one that declares the good
news.
[00:26:48]
Now just looking quickly on your outlines. What is Johns job description? Cause you know
what we're going to say. John's job description is our job description right. Because he's
in a time of waiting he's the advance team for the lord. Who's the advance team for the
Lord today? That'd be you. You got a job so pay attention. What is his job? First of all,
he is going to have a lifestyle of dedication and live in the power and spirit of Elijah.
And he will go before the lord in the spirit and power of Elijah. The second thing is that
he is to prepare people for Jesus. Join the hearts of the parents to the children. The
disobedient to the righteous to make a ready a people prepared for the lord. What your
job? To make ready a people. And the third thing is to point people to Jesus. He will
bring back many of the people of Israel to the lord their God.
So here's the lesson for us, just getting the context. People didn't understand what
the messiah would be like. Some people thought that he'd come like a great king. A warrior
like David and destroy Rome. Some people thought it wasn't even a person but an age of blessing.
Others thought, no the bible talks about him coming as a humble servant to served he people.
People couldn't figure out what the messiah would be like. Jesus came and shocked everybody.
He said 1 messiah 2 comings. The first time that Jesus came he came to die on the cross
for our sins. To break the power of sin and death to extend forgiveness to us. And then
he ascended into heaven. And before he did he said, "I'm going but I'm going to come
back and prepare a place for you. I'm gonna finish what I started here." And so Jesus
left.
So Jesus left. That was 2,000 years ago and so we are waiting just like John is. So now
John's job description is our job description. So what is John's job? I mean John's job was
to prepare a people what does that mean? Look at what it says in 2 Peter on the back of
your outline. Gonna do that one first and then come back to Zachariah and Elizabeth.
But do not forget this one-thing friends, with the Lord a day is like 1,000 years. And
1,000 years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping is promise as some understand
slowness. Ok so how long has it been in God's mind since Jesus left? 2 days. For us you
go 2,000 years you go that's a long time but not so much with God. Instead he is patient
with you. Why is he waiting for 2,000 years or days? He is not wanting anyone to perish
but wanting everyone to come to repentance. What does repentance mean? A complete change
of your loyalties. It's a turning around in your life. Your loyalties, success, wealth,
power, the stuff of this world. Letting go of those loyalties and saying "I'm gonna trust
in Jesus." He says that's the whole idea of Jesus. But the day of the lord, that's when
Jesus returns. He'll come like a thief. No body knows when it will happen. But what kind
of people ought you to be? You ought to live Holy and Godly lives as you look forward to
the day of God and speed it's coming. Which is like the most crazy thought. Can you speed
Jesus' coming? Yes or no? You are so insecure about this alright. Do these words at least
seem to say you could speed his coming? Yes they do. You can't say no. Let me read this
again. As you look forward to the day of God and speed it's coming. So at least the words
indicate that you can speed his coming, right? Yes the words seem to indicate that. Alright.
But in keeping his promise you are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth where
righteousness dwells, where Jesus comes. He's going to repurpose his earth; he's going to
make everything right. He's going to do what he promised.
[00:30:45]
But there is this idea in this passage where he says, um, that we can speed the lords return.
Now I know what it does not mean. It does not mean we can make the Lords return happen
on one side. But it does not mean on the same side that we have no influence. And that's
just part of both because clearly what we do has an influence on the Lord's return.
We can speed it up. And how do we do that? Ok we don't issue it in, but we have influence
in it. How do we take on our job and what job do we have? The same job as John. Which
is? To prepare a people. And how do we prepare a people for the lord's return? We talk about
reconciliation. That's what he did. You look on the back of your outlines. You see John's
reconciliation. What was his whole message? Fathers reconciled to their kids. Kids to
their parents. Marriages can be reconciled. The big message that we can say is broken
relationships can be healed. Your relationship with God can be healed. Your relationship
with your parents can be healed. Your relationship with your kids can be healed. Relationships
in business can be healed. Relationships can be healed because of Jesus. That's how we
prepare people. And it's one of the most powerful messages that we give. Marriages can be restored.
There's forgiveness, there's grace, you discover Jesus you're going to discover a love of a
whole other kind. You're gonna learn how to live, how to accept. You're going to learn
how to be a servant.
One of my favorite stories this woman shows up in rooted. Have you heard about rooted?
This wonderful thing that we do, its like the best thing. She's never been to our church.
One of the things that we do at the beginning of rooted is how did you end up here. I've
never been to this church. I became because my husband, we're divorced, and it got so
bad we didn't even like each other. I'm not even sure I like him. And he came to rooted,
and it so changed his life, I've never seen anybody change this much. So I'm here to find
out how his life got so changed. That's a story of reconciliation. The idea broken relationships
can be healed. That's what we proclaim. And we point people to Jesus. We are constantly
saying out, we point it out but because we take our offices, our cubicles, our neighborhoods,
our families, and we begin to see that has a place where we can talk about who Jesus
is. We point people to Jesus. We realize we got a job to do and in this time we get the
incredible opportunity to talk to people about Jesus. Because Jesus says the reason that
he's slow, the way that we think about it in his not returning is because he doesn't
want anybody to not repent. What is the one requirement to enter the kingdom of heaven?
To? Ok repent is the key word there alright. So I've been setting that up for a long. So
I'm gonna ask you t hat again. Be ready for that answer. So we come, we talk to people
about love, we point them towards Jesus. I have, you know lots of you have friends that
are non-Christians. You get to work with non-Christians. You get to be in the world. Most of the people,
all the people I worth with are Christians. They don't always act like it, edit edit edit.
So then I have to really work to get around non-Christians. But I've got 4 or 5 guys that
are wonderful and I just love them, but they are so far from God. And one of them is, you
remember what the answer is, I'm coming round right. One of them their loyalties in this
world are all about money. How much money they can make, how much is the bank, how many
numbers are on a page. Another one of my friends his loyalties are to please. He ruins his
life, he ruins his marriage. He's just so sad, he destroys his life pursuing pleasure.
And another one of my friends how loyalties is position. It's about how great his name
can be. And what I do is I talk to them all the time. And I point them towards Jesus.
So my friend who is all about money, I say to you've got so much money how big does the
number have to be on the page. And you are not any happier. And you've got so many things
and he has such a bigger dream for you in your life. And he wants you to be happy, and
he wants you to live a purpose filled life. And he wants to repurpose your life. And he
wants you to understand you need to come back to Jesus. The guy who's in to pleasure. You
are so destroying your life. You destroy your life. You're miserable. You're making everybody's
life miserable that you touch. You are not finding what you want but God wants you to
be happy. He wants you to live in loving relationship. The guy, you've got position, but it doesn't
make you all sorts of happy. There's only one thing that you need to do and that's?
Good Job. You need to change the loyalties of your life. You've got to let go of money,
you've got to let go of power, of pleasure, and you've got to make the loyalty of your
life? Jesus is the answer. I didn't set it up. The loyalty of your life is? Jesus. That's
all you need. And if you do you'll find everything that you want. We point people to Jesus. That's
what we do.
[00:36:10]
We have a job to do in this time in between. The Old Testament ends promise of Elijah.
New Testament Elijah comes. The end of the old testament the end of the New Testament
is a promise the Jesus will return and then it's a prayer Come Lord Jesus, Come. Will
you return? And so we long for him to return. And then I want you to think about Elizabeth
and Zachariah. We live in a world of pain and confusion like they did. I mean you look
you read the papers. You see what's going on. I mean how many times do we have to see
a mass shooting in a school where you go oh lord would you return and make things right.
See corruption and evil, sexism, racism, abuse, addiction. And we so oh Lord would you return.
And would you make things right? Yes Jesus came and he destroyed the power of sin. And
he made us his own children. But we still feel the effects of sin. And in our own brokenness.
We are like, "Jesus will you return?" what kind of people are we suppose to be? How are
we to live? Like Elizabeth and Zachariah we are suppose to be faithful and obedient. We
are to be people who hold onto the promises of God. Being faithful in prayer, remembering
God hears our prayers. And when we don't hold onto them or even remember them God hears
every prayer and when it's beyond what we can think or imagine. But the truth is for
all of us that are followers of Jesus he absolutely gives us promises to hold onto. In the most
challenging moments in this broken world he comes to us as his loved children and he say's
I'm gonna be with you. I'm gonna provide for you. World breaks apart. Your kids are flying
apart. And God says, "I love them. I'll watch over them. I will protect them." He gives
us specific words, at specific times, and sometimes what he says to us, it's almost
to good to be true. And it's so easy for us to say, oh but what if it doesn't happen.
And what if doesn't come true. And I don't want to live or out loud and big in front
of people. And claim what Jesus said to me because what if it doesn't happen? What if
I'm forgotten? What if I'm unloved? But that's just like being Zachariah. God gives you this
powerful promise. This personal word. And you go but I can't hold onto that cause what
if I say it. And what we're not good at is telling the story of Jesus and his love and
his faithfulness and his promises to us in the middle of a story. We want the bow tied
at the end. But that's not when the story is powerful. You see how powerful it would
have been for Zachariah to step out and say, " I have got great news for you. What god
promised all through the Old Testament, God is gonna do. I'm gonna have a son." I mean
it would have taken incredible faith.
But you know the opposite of faith is sight. When you can see it and you can touch it,
it doesn't take faith anymore. But what does it look like to really hold onto God. This
week in the last week or so, so powerfully this has been demonstrated by John and Deanna
Ramsey. They are on our staff. A number of you do this to, but they are just the most
recent example. John and Deanna they lead worship. They've lead here a little bit but
they lead all the time in our San Juan campus. He it seems like a little bit longer then
a week ago he had some headaches, he went into the doctor he went into the doctor and
they found a big tumor on his brain. So they had to operate immediately but there were
all sorts of potential complications. Loss of hearing. Potential paralysis on his face
and then other tings even worse. But he had no choice; they had to take it out. He had
the operation, and they got the tumor. But he doesn't hear in the one ear. And there
is paralysis on his face. But everyday they are writing a blog that's posted on their
you know on the magic of the Internet. And I read it, and it is awesome because they
are living out loud. Literally that's the title of their blog is. Is Living Out Loud.
And the reason I want to read it to you is because I think it's an example of what Elizabeth
did. She was able to hold onto it, she says the lord has not forgotten me. And the Lord
has not forgotten us. And she was willing to say it before it happened. And as I read
this to you I wan this to be the thought. God what have you given to me as a promise
or a word in a very challenging time? And am I living loud or out loud in front of people?
Or am I just holding on and not wiling to go out in faith? Listen to her words that
she says. [00:41:15]
"But sometimes you need to be alone. Just you and God. I have to take off the brave
face and get real with the one who holds me in his hand. Doctors are brilliant. And friends
are supportive and amazing. And family is in the thick of it with me. But God he is
the author of peace, the giver of hope, the source of comfort, the great physician, he
is love." The next day she writes, "John looked at me with both a hit of intensity and fear.
And said is there something that you know that I don't know? " This is after the operation.
"Is there something everyone knows that you haven't told me? I knew this moment would
be coming and we had discussed it before he went into surgery. The risk and the possible
side effects. I asked him he wanted to know everything. He said I want to know everything.
And so I began to talk him through the details of his situation. I explained to him there
was weakness in the right side of his face. And walked through each feature. The right
side of his face felt like it had Novocain so it wasn't new to him but it was different.
I told him about his eyebrow not moving up and down. And that his eye was blinking at
a lower pace then the other one. We talked about the fact that there were incredible
stories of facial nerves restoring. Even after paralysis occurs. We talked about the fact
that he was getting stronger and stronger each day. And at the end he said, is that
it? Anything else? And I said that's it. And I offered him a mirror. But he declined. A
few hours later had to put eye drops in his eye and so had to use a mirror and for the
first time he saw himself. It took about a minute examining his face and testing his
facial muscles. And then he looked at me and said wow I'm a different person. I kissed
his person. No you're not a different person, you're the same person that you've always
been. John knows he's ok because he lives is life by a different playbook. John is so
confident about what God's word says about where our value should be and not be. When
it boils down to it none of this stuff matters. In situations like this. The core of someone
is revealed you just can't BS your way through these type of ordeals. To submit to a sovereign
God will it always be easy? No. But emotions don't rule our hearts, truth does. And the
truth and because of the Grace of God we will be more then ok."
That is a powerful story of someone, [clapping] Of someone who is choosing to live out loud.
That's what we are called to do in this in between time. We know. Jesus says I'm gonna
come back. I'm gonna return I'm gonna take you with me. But in the between time. You
have the opportunity to bring people to Jesus, to call them to repent, and to turn around.
Don't trust in those things, trust in Jesus. At the same time we have the opportunity to
live boldly in the promises God's given us. You've heard him, you've heard his voice and
he's given you a promise. I've given you, I'll protect you, I will watch out for you,
I will never leave, I will never forsake you, how are you gonna live? Are you gonna live
Bold and out loud and prepare a way for the Lord. Or are you gonna hold it in and say
but what if it doesn't happen. You'll miss the greatest opportunity of your Life.
[00:45:07]
Will you bow your heads and close your eyes for just a moment. And I want you to answer
this question. What is a promise that God has given to you? In this time, this challenging
time what is a promise that God has given to you? I know it's emotional to even think
about them. Because it's something that matters to you. It's important to you, its something
that you long for. It's something that you yearn for. It something you want. What is
a promise that comes to your mind that God has given to you? What would it look like
for you?
[00:45:51 End audio]