"The Birth of John "

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According to Luke Gotti research copy of the life of Jesus Christ anywhere in the world. Look at the tremendous pension for careful research and investigation and attention to detail. Look at chapter 3 verse one for just a second.

If you want to see that chapter 3 verse one in the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar. When Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea when Herod was tetrarch of Galilee. When his brother Philip was tetrarch of pottery and tracking ideas.

When my Seney as was tetrarch of Abilene during the high priesthood of Ananias and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert that here was a guy would check out what year this happened through no chance of missing the year this happened he tasted 6 Different Way. This is Luke's character. He is very much given to detail and so in studying the gospel according to Luke were in a study most carefully researched autopsy of the life of Jesus Christ anywhere in the world. Now what happened, verse five chapter 1 in the time of Herod the king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah. Under summarize a little bit.

Zechariah was married to a woman named Elizabeth. Elizabeth and Zechariah were old they had no children and one day it says verse eight, when Zechariah was on duty. He was chosen to go into the temple and burn incense when he went all by himself. And when the time came to do this. The assembled worshipers were praying outside while he was inside all by himself. Verse 11.

An angel of the Lord appeared to him standing at the right side of the altar of incense and when Zechariah saw the angel he was startled and gripped with fear. But the angel said to him, do not be afraid, Zechariah, your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a song and you will give him the name John Saiz is John the Baptist yeah is to see now the angel Gabriel goes on to tell them a little bit more about this boy.

He says that the boy won't drink wine will be filled with the Holy Spirit from his birth, and God has a very special ministry for this little boy look with me. Verse 16. Many of the people of Israel, will he bring back to the Lord their God. Verse 17 and he will go on before the Lord in the spirit in the power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. Now these verses sound familiar. It's not just because there from Handel's Messiah, but Handel got them from the prophet Malachi, who was the last prophet in the Old Testament as a matter fact is been 400 years since God has spoken in any kind of prophetic way to anyone in Israel is often called the 400 silent years between the time of Malachi. The last prophet of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament Malachi ended his prophecy by saying that if you don't need to turn but let me read it to you. Malachi chapter 4C. God says I will send you the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the Lord, then he will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and will prepare a way for the Lord so you know what the angel is telling Zechariah.

He's telling Zechariah that this messenger is Harold this unknown author of the coming of the Messiah that was prophesied 400 years ago by Malachi is going to be his boy while I needless to say, Zechariah was a little bit shocked me not only the avid angel with a white robe in the wings in the halo and hold on your standing in front of you. Then he tells you he's going to be about the and then he tells him that his little boy is going to be the one who's going to announce the Messiah to his what was Zechariah's response dance over the two cartwheels did he yell out and scream.

Well, not exactly.

Verse 18 that rise into the angel, how can I be sure it is time, no man, my wife is well along in years. I'm not so sure this really gonna happen. Who are you anyway where you come from, how to get you in here as I know all of this is right. You still want to usually put the right twist on that oh yeah, I'm absolutely sure, whereas Mary when confronted Mary the mother of Jesus. When confronted with a very similar prophecy that looked impossible. Mary said on the handmaiden of the Lord, whatever you want God as far… When Zechariah said. Zechariah said PayPal. I'm from Missouri.

I want you to show me how this is going to happen because I'm not so sure. I really believe you understand and I really think Gabriel liked his attitude was 19. The angel answered and said I'm Gabriel buddy don't you know an angel when you see one, I'm Gabriel and I stand in the presence of God and I've been sent to speak to you and tell you this good news out there. You asked me to prove it all right I'll prove it. Verse 20 and now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day it happened because you did not believe my word). The cry became speechless.

Nine months minimum. Probably will more now what happened.

Well, if that's in verse 21 Mema member. The people are still all standing outside want to know what will go in there. Where is this guy what doing and so he finally came out, and when he came out he couldn't speak to them. They realize that he's been a vision in the temple because he kept making signs to them, but remain unable to speak with Debbie frustrating to come out and try to tell all those people.

What does happen you without being able to talk the drop down angel came and what he told him you cannot go you imagine the manager breathing too much of that incense and there, and that's the way life went bro Zechariah what the Bible says that after this he went home and his wife got pregnant just the way the Bible said let's get nine months down the road now and watch the birth. John verse 57 and when it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby she gave birth to a son and her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy and on the eighth day they came together to circumcise the child in Jewish culture of the eight-day circumcision is a gala event and that's when the boy would be named. And so it says that they were going to name him after his father. They were gonna calling Zechariah Junior but his mother spoke up and said no is to be called John and they said to her, because John is nobody in your whole family name John John Poole, though not being satisfied. The Bible says they went made signs to his father remembers father still can't talk so they went over and made signs to his father you want him name John and his father. The Bible says, took a writing tablet and to everyone's astonishment wrote down his name is John wanted Zechariah due to did he want the boy named after him remembered in the angel say name him John. After nine months, not been able to talk. I don't think Zechariah has any intention of naming his boy anything else but John what you think that makes sense. His name is John Zechariah said John about understand that JOH and John and the Bible says immediately.

His mouth was open. His tongue was loosened, he began to speak in praise God, and you can see from verse 68 through 79.

The great praise that he gave to God were not going to read it, but you can and then it says that the neighbors were all filled with all throughout all the hill country of Judea, verse 66 and everybody will heard about it. Wondered about a thing. What is this child going to be this is some kind of special kid for the Lord hand was on.

It was pretty obvious to them.

This kid had a special place in the plan of God. That is our passage for this morning and you know it's been a while since we kind of in back in a regular passage study the word of God and so this is the time where we all need to be ready to say something but I know that maybe sometime you can forget that I brought along a little friend to help.

What is it that we need to say ready very good with the thing that impresses you the most about this this account of John the Baptist birth 10 impresses you the most part they would impresses me the most is that Zechariah didn't believe that Angel is not obvious. He doubted the word of that Angel and as I began to think this week it occurred to me there a lot of other people. The Bible talks about who also doubted God at certain times in her life about Abraham and Sarah. When God talk to them today. Doubt God you bet. Hello Moses, God appeared to him at the burning bush and said you're going back there and lead the Israelites out.

Moses said no I'm not, you absolutely wrong God, you made your first mistake. I'm not going anywhere.

I like the sheet beside the ball never let me go. Gideon said I'm good. Think 300 letting go down there and be almost people are you crazy God. 300 people.

Jonah all Jonah got the first submarine rod history because he didn't believe God through there was an apostle like this. Remember his name. His name was Thomas.

We have a nice little nickname for recalling what doubting Thomas is. I began to go to us what you know.

Zechariah is not the first God ever do this with God but it also occurred to me that there were two other names that are to be added to this list of Abraham and Sarah and Moses and Gideon and Joan and Thomas and those two other names are yours and mine, yours and mine is a dangerous thing to be in a position where you're doubting God limit you view some suggest if you're there as to how to deal with number one.

These come straight from DA doubters anonymous ready.

Here we go number one. Be honest with God and admit you need help. Be honest with God and admit you need help.

You know if you're on the road still got about but don't just stop their appeal to God and ask for his help to get out of your Dell is a great passage back in the gospel according to Mark and Mark chapter 9 I like to ask you to turn back here if you would Mark chapter 9 the story about a father who had a boy that was epileptic and demon possessed anything of the apostles and he asked the apostles to heal his boy and they couldn't do it. So finally they took it to Jesus himself. Hello when Jesus said that his father I'm in Mark chapter 9 verse 21 and Jesus asked the boys father. How long is he been like this from childhood. The father answered and the demon is often protein into the fire of the water to killing but Lord, if you can do anything. Please take pity on us and help us if you can do anything more helpless and Jesus said if you can what you mean. If you can, of course, I can.

Everything is possible for him who believe they understand what Jesus was doing Jesus was saying he wanted boy healed of course he wanted and healed deal.

Love that boy.

Of course I love that boy would you like the peanut boy put back in his right mind, of course, I would then everything is possible to you if you can just believe father looking at his own heart says I want to believe, but there's still unbelief in their after I got a little bit about, but watch what he did instead of hiding it.

Instead of trying to pretend like it wasn't there instead of trying to justify the Dalloway look what he did, he cried out to Jesus the Bible to verse 24.

Immediately he claim.

I do believe Lord I want believe Lord help me with my unbelief on the paradox that the contradiction know it isn't know it isn't. If an honest man paying part of me believes and part of me now and I'll fix it. My boys help on the line… Figure out how to fix it.

I need help. The good prayer, great prayer, honest prayer and I believe there are times in every one of our lives were that can be our prayer and that should be our prayer Lord, I want to believe, help my unbelief. There and I don't have fix it myself but you could help me know what Jesus did. Jesus didn't say to him what you mean help me with your unbelief believe in you and sorry no Jesus healed the man with honest friend if you got doubting your life about the way God's running think about a piece of advice for you.

Number one. Be honest with God. And if you need help ask number two. Immerse yourself in the word of God immerse yourself in the word of God so often were facing times of deep doubt and deep discouragement. Those are the times we let our time in the word of God go on the timer will say to myself, well you not too stressed out right now and I'm so tired and so exhausted and I don't think I need more money. I need sleep and 90 recreation and I need extra 590 relaxation and I need to figure for the boom tube and I did need to be able to dream my life away.

But what I don't need it to pull out the Bible and start reading the Bible wrong wrong that's exactly what we do need more than any other time, an ally, don't let your feelings trick you and lied to you, they'll tell you. You'll feel like reading the Bible, you'll need a bottle right now Bible… You need a bow on top of the rest of the schedule and to stretch out more wrong. It's in the Bible that God shows you how he was faithful every other downer like it's in the Bible paren that God reassures you and me that he loves us in spite of I doubt it in the Bible that we can see God's power on display in the Bible that God assures us that his plan for our life really is perfect.

Even though we don't agree with that right now it's in the Bible that God gives us his comment is a comfort and strength and hope, and I maintain the time you need to be in the word of God the most is when you begun to doubt God question is possible to overcome our doubt without being in the word of God. Yeah, possible is also possible to cut your lawn with a push mower instead of a lawn boy if you want a whole lot harder want to make your life easy. Immerse yourself in the word of God and let God speak to you your time doubt number three third suggestion is real IRNA relearn how to abide in Christ that we mean relearning well initially, let's turn back to the gospel of John F. On the other side of Luke John chapter 15 I'm often asked by people who are young Christians or would lead somebody to Christ, what the very first thing to teach them in the Bible teach about the deity of Christ.

Check teach about the virgin birth. Maybe important to go back to Genesis chapter 1 and make sure that they sworn off evolution. Or maybe I'll take them there. The plot make sure that they dealt with the blood made a will is not about abortion.

Or maybe what was we talk about along with the bypassing on teaching on Christian breakers thing you want to teach a young Christian is how to live the Christian life right before somebody else teaches them how to live it wrong is all kind of people out there teaching people I live it wrong and the very first package I suggest you teach a young Christian or you learn of the young Christian is John