Luke 1:20....Don’t Talk, Just Listen

Psalm 16:8 “I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.”

INTRODUCTION

Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”

the phrase BE STILL, has so many meanings in the original Hebrew text. it just depended on the situation it was used for....

for this text however, the Hebrew word HIPHIL, means to let drop, abandon, relax, refrain, forsake

to let go

to refrain, let alone

to be quiet

So in easy terms, when you pray and give it God....let it go

when you have asked Him and turned it over to HIm.....let it alone

You gave it to Him because you trust and have faith in so why do we still try and put our two cents.....just be quiet

and listen to His instructions and watch it work out.......TALK, PREACH...

John 10:27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”

when you truly know that beautiful, calming voice…why is there a need to question Him?

we say we know that He has plans to prosper us....so if we know that it is Him talking and leading us....me to Not Talk, and Just Listen.......I AM LEARNING THAT EVERYDAY.....TALK, PREACH.....

And we have Zechariah today giving us an example of just that....talking when we should be listening, suffering the consequences of not truly believing, but giving Him all the praise in the end.....

Let’s walk thru this text....

We get our thought from verse 20, Zechariah’s story starts out around verse 5.......

let’s look at it....

for any bible readers in here, we know that Zechariah is the father of John the Baptist.

His wife was Elizabeth, the cousin to Mary, the mother of Jesus....

As we look in verse 5 thru 10.....Luke 1:5–10 “There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years. So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense.”

Luke B. Preparing for the Forerunner (1:5–25)

Impeccable priestly and religious credentials marked Zechariah’s family

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter One: Hear the Good News! (Luke 1)

Zacharias (“Jehovah has remembered”) and Elizabeth (“God is my oath”) were a godly couple who both belonged to the priestly line

Luke B. Preparing for the Forerunner (1:5–25)

Only Zechariah could enter the holy place. Outside, the pious Jewish worshipers and priests joined in prayer, the rising incense giving assurance that God was listening to them

They both had found favor with God...

Luke B. Preparing for the Forerunner (1:5–25)

God continually looks among his people not for the rich and famous but for the righteous and holy to join him in his work of salvation. He saves you with imputed righteousness and uses you through realized righteousness

TALK, PREACH (THIS IS ONE REASON WE COME TO CHURCH…TO BE USED BY GOD)

Next we see the announcement Luke 1:11–17 “Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.””

What we see here is that God is always listening to us.....

Reading Luke: A Literary and Theological Commentary John’s Birth Foretold (1:5–25)

The angel delivers an unexpected call or message from the Lord

Sometimes we pray for something for a long, long time. We pray for the salvation of a spouse or a child. We pray for a calling or a ministry. We pray that God would bring that special person to us. But after years of heartfelt prayer, we give up out of discouragement. Zacharias and Elizabeth probably prayed years of passionate prayer for a son, but gave up a long time ago, and stopped believing God for so much anymore......TALK, PREACH....

Now here is where our lesson for today takes place....

Luke 1:18–20 “And Zacharias said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.” And the angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.””

Here is a man of God with doubt.....TALK, PREACH....

Luke B. Preparing for the Forerunner (1:5–25)

Zechariah was overwhelmed. He could not take in this angelic announcement. Too old for this to happen, he needed a sign that he was not hallucinating.

Zacharias looked at the circumstances first, and what God can do last; we are tempted to think this is logical; but if God is real, there is nothing logical about putting circumstances before God......TALK, PREACH...

Zacharias got the good news of what his son was gonna do....revisit verses 14-17

why was that good news......If there is no Zacharias, there is no John the Baptist. If there is no John the Baptist, there is no herald announcing the coming of the Messiah. If there is no herald announcing the coming of the Messiah, the prophecies in the Old Testament regarding the Messiah are unfulfilled. If any of the prophecies of the Old Testament regarding the first coming of the Messiah are unfulfilled, then Jesus did not fulfill all things. If Jesus did not fulfill all things, then He did not complete God’s plan of redemption for you and I and we must perish in our sins! This was good news!......TALK, PREACH....

Zacharias paid a price for his unbelief. His unbelief did not make God take his promise back; it just kept Zacharias from enjoying it.

Jon Courson’s Application Commentary Chapter 1

Zacharias could have rejoiced. Instead, he questioned. That’s what the thief of unbelief does. At a time when you and I could be celebrating and rejoicing, with folded arms and cynical hearts, we’re robbed

Jon Courson’s Application Commentary Chapter 1

If you allow the thief of unbelief to rob you of joy, you’ll neither witness to others nor praise the Father. Your lips will be sealed if your heart is cynical. But if you are one who embraces with childlike simplicity the promises the Father has given you in His Word, you will speak and rejoice

There’s nothing wrong with asking questions but you better be ready for the answer or the consequence.....TALK, PREACH...

When he should have been praising, He was puzzled....

Don’t talk just listen.....TALK, PREACH.....

Yes God will get us quiet for a season but He will get his praise in all situations....

All Zachariah was quiet all of those months....when mary came over and his was leaping in Elizabeths womb

but if you look at verse 64.... Luke 1:64 “Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, praising God.”

When Zachariah came out of his quiet season, he praised God.....he shouted......TALK, PREACH....

Church there are times we need to be still and know.....there are times when we need to not talk and just listen.....TALK, PREACH, CLOSE