Happy Father’s Day
Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 8 viewsNotes
Transcript
pusit —- opposite —— daddy jokes —- I will let you in a secret… I like saying daddy jokes not for the laughs, but what I find more fun is seeing r the reactions of my wife and especially the children. Then the kids remind me…
Colossians 3:21 “Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart.” (NASB95)
Pastor Jhun (dahil kami lang ni Pastor Jhun ang tatay dito), do you get in trouble with what you say? I confess that I am guilty, sometimes, I get mysef in trouble with what I say. A lot of times we know the right words to say, but we get in trouble with how we say it, or minsan naman we get in trouble with the timing kung kelan sasabihin or kung saang lugar natin sasabihin. So remember, kailangan pag isipan hindi lang what to say, but also how to say it, and when to say it, and where to say it.
Have you heard of the term - Science of relations? In education, it refers to making meaningful connections with the things you are learning. Ken and I use this a lot in our homseschooling.
For example, one common question that Ken would ask, what does this situation remind you of? Usually ang isasagot ng mga anak ko yung mga naalalala nila from the stories of the Bible or accounts from world history. Ako naiisip ko agad mga napanood ko na palabas sa TV noong araw. Eh kasi yun ang madami akong baon sa brains ko sa dami ng mga pinanood ko nung bata ako.
This leads me to our teaching for today. Today, I would like us to learn from a father who got himself in trouble with what he said and later became known as the “silent type.” We all need to learn to say the right words the right way at the right place and at the right time.
Let us pray… God our Father, Happy Father’s Day, thank you for being our father. Thank you for your unconditional love to us as your children. You want all of us to be with you in your kingdome some day, such that you had to send your son to us who saved us from the penalty of our sins. Thank you for the work of the Holy Spirit in us to help us to become more like your son, Jesus and win over our tendency to sin. Holy Spirit open our hearts and our minds as we study your word. We pray all of these in the name of our lord, Jesus our saviour. Amen
The Story of Zechariah in Luke 1: 5-25, 57-80
The obedience of a father brings blessings to his children and glory to God.
We are very familiar with the story of the birth of John the Baptist. Today, let us focus on Zechariah, his father, in this story.
I will go through the story and together let us learn from him along the way.
This story happened around 6-5BC. Since the prophecies of the prophet Malachi around 430BC, God has been silent. It was now around 400 years since God last gave a direct revelation. This period has been called the “400 years of silence.”
5 When Herod was king of Judea, there was a Jewish priest named Zechariah. He was a member of the priestly order of Abijah, and his wife, Elizabeth, was also from the priestly line of Aaron. 6 Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God’s eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations. 7 They had no children because Elizabeth was unable to conceive, and they were both very old.
Both Zechariah and Elizabeth were descendants of Aaron. A line of priests. This is why Zechariah was a priest during that time.
As a priest during that time, they would have been the most “in the know” or updated people if there was new revelation or message from God.
8 One day Zechariah was serving God in the Temple, for his order was on duty that week. 9 As was the custom of the priests, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense. 10 While the incense was being burned, a great crowd stood outside, praying.
God instructed Aaron in Exodus to burn incense every morning and evening in the temple.
7 “Every morning when Aaron maintains the lamps, he must burn fragrant incense on the altar. 8 And each evening when he lights the lamps, he must again burn incense in the Lord’s presence. This must be done from generation to generation.
The temple was in Jerusalem. Each priestly division was routinely assigned a week to perform temple duties. Zechariah was part of the Abijah group and was assigned temple duties for that week. So it was just another day in the temple for Zechariah and the other priests.
In addition to no new revelation for the last 400 years. The nation of Israel experienced repeated invasion and subjugation, from the persians, Alexander the Great, and to that day, they were under the Roman Empire. As an Israelite and more so as a priest, the feeling of hopelessness was in the air. Maybe they have questions like: Is God still looking after us? Did God abandon us? at sa mga filipino, “Natutulog ba ang Diyos?”
However, for Zechariah the day started in a special way, he was chosen to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense.
11 While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar. 12 Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him.
Well, yes, Zechariah’s reaction of being shaken and overwhelmed are understandable.
13 But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John.
Remember, in verse 7, Zechariah and Elizabeth were both very old by that time. So, when do you think Zechariah prayed to God to give them a son?
Angel Gabriel continued with this great news for Zechariah.
14 You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. 16 And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God. 17 He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.”
Do you remember how Zechariah responded?
18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.”
We are studying the story of Zechariah. This does not mean that he was perfect. Zechariah was just like us. He questioned God’s timing. He should have Trusted God’s word. But we cannot blame Zechariah, he could easily asked “ You have been silent for 400 years… Why now? Why me? Are you really God?”
God understood the unbelief of Zechariah because it happened once before when Abraham responded:
17 Then Abraham bowed down to the ground, but he laughed to himself in disbelief. “How could I become a father at the age of 100?” he thought. “And how can Sarah have a baby when she is ninety years old?”
Like Abraham and Sarah, Zechariah and Elizabeth were also past the age of childbearing…. yes Sarah and Elizabeth, we can say, were both menopause during that time. Both Abraham and Zechariah cannot believe what they heared. The message was unreal…. impossible.
In the next chapter, God with two other angels visited and dined with Abraham. They asked where was Sarah and…
10 Then one of them said, “I will return to you about this time next year, and your wife, Sarah, will have a son!” Sarah was listening to this conversation from the tent.
Actually, she did not only hear this, she even reacted to the message by laughing
12 So she laughed silently to herself and said, “How could a worn-out woman like me enjoy such pleasure, especially when my master—my husband—is also so old?” 13 Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘Can an old woman like me have a baby?’
In the previous chapter, we read God made a covenant to Abraham and promised a son for him and Sarah. There was unbelief in this reply of Sarah. She was too old and worn-out. In short, she GAVE UP to the thought that she will have her own baby. This was the reason why she gave her servant Hagar to Abraham.
Let us read the response of our God….
14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” 15 Sarah was afraid, so she denied it, saying, “I didn’t laugh.” But the Lord said, “No, you did laugh.”
Let us go to Zechariah and the angel Gabriel. How did the angel respond to Zechariah?
20 But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.”
Remember, both Isaac and John the Baptist were not like Jesus. Jesus was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. Both Isaac and John the Baptist were conceived naturally, which means a sperm cell needed to meet an egg cell. Abraham and Sarah needed to have physical intimacy. Zechariah and Elizabeth needed to have physical intimacy.
Without God proving who he was to Sarah by pointing out that she laughed despite her behind a tent and re-affirming to her that “nothing is impossible for the LORD.” Sarah would not have “tried again” to have a baby with Abraham.
I believe Elizabeth also accepted her fate that she will no longer have her own child. It was necessary for God to mute Zechariah so that Elizabeth would believe Zechariah that he had a supernatural experience, an encounter with angel Gabriel inside the temple of God. This would give Elizabeth the motivation to “try again” to have a baby with Zechariah.
We know what happened next with Zechariah and Elizabeth…
24 Soon afterward his wife, Elizabeth, became pregnant and went into seclusion for five months.
Luke then gave the account of Mary’s conception, the biological mother of Jesus, and her visit to Elizabeth.
Let’s continue with our story in verse 57 we read….
57 When it was time for Elizabeth’s baby to be born, she gave birth to a son. 58 And when her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had been very merciful to her, everyone rejoiced with her.
Let us continue…
59 When the baby was eight days old, they all came for the circumcision ceremony. They wanted to name him Zechariah, after his father. 60 But Elizabeth said, “No! His name is John!” 61 “What?” they exclaimed. “There is no one in all your family by that name.” 62 So they used gestures to ask the baby’s father what he wanted to name him.
Why did Elizabeth want to name her son John? The neighbors and relatives are correct, no one in her family has that name. In their culture, they name a baby after their father or grandfather or an ancestor to honor them. There was nothing wrong with the suggestion. It similar to why we named our eldest daughter “Danille” which is after the name of her two grandfathers who were both “Danilo.” We named her Danille to honor her grandfathers.
It was because the muted Zechariah, communicated God’s word to Elizabeth. Remember, it was Gabriel who told Zechariah, that he should name his son John.
Zechariah was made a mute. We know in verse 63, that Zechariah used a writing tablet to communicate. But we should not take this as an excuse to use our gadgets to communicate. Nothing beats Face to face communication between husbands and wives. Wives do you agree?
My point here is, boys and men, we should take extra effort to communicate with our loved ones - with our wives, our parents, our siblings, and friends. Especially if we are asked by God to share His words.
Yes, we should exhaust and maximize all tools available to communicate God’s words. Again, nothing beats face to face communication. Boys and Men, let us step out of our comfort zone and communicate God’s words.
But there is a deeper more profound reason why God wanted the baby to be named John:
Zechariah in Hebrew means “Yahweh remembers”
John in Hebrew means “Yahweh is gracious”
God wanted the baby to have the name “John” because He wanted to signal the start of the reign of “God’s grace.” God is no longer silent. God does not only remember His people, but declared in the birth of John the Baptist that His Grace has been given to all mankind and this will culminate to birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
63 He motioned for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s surprise he wrote, “His name is John.” 64 Instantly Zechariah could speak again, and he began praising God.
It would have been easy for Zechariah to forget about or not follow God’s instruction to name the child John. The boy was already born. Some would think they got nothing to loose. But Zechariah obeyed God’s word and boldly declared God’s word… “His name is John!”
All of us should be like Zechariah and not shy away to DECLARE God’s word boldly. When given the opportunity, let us boldly declare God’s word in our workplaces, friends, and even acquaintances.
I know men, even the single men here. We do not want to be rejected when we share God to other people. I am just like you. But my perspective changed when one of my professors said, “You will always be 100% successful 100% of the time when you obey God and share His word.” When we share God’s word, we obey God and that is what is important. God will deal with the reaction of the people who heard God’s word. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to change the hearts of men.
This is exactly what Zechariah did when he boldly declared God’s word in the presence of the relatives and neighbors for his son…
68 “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and redeemed his people. 69 He has sent us a mighty Savior from the royal line of his servant David, 70 just as he promised through his holy prophets long ago.
71 Now we will be saved from our enemies and from all who hate us. 72 He has been merciful to our ancestors by remembering his sacred covenant— 73 the covenant he swore with an oath to our ancestor Abraham.
74 We have been rescued from our enemies so we can serve God without fear, 75 in holiness and righteousness for as long as we live.
76 “And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. 77 You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins. 78 Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, 79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.”
I was given the opportunity by God to speak His word to the ears of my children as soon as they were born. I encourage everyone, especially the soon to be dads to do the same.
I declared Jeremiah 29:11 to Danille, Mark 11:24 to Nathan, and Psalm 23 to Bee.
Parents, we should never shy away in declaring God’s perfect word to our children.
Verses 76-77 - speaks about the role of John the Baptist - prepares the way and tell how to find salvation
Verse 78 Speaks about Jesus as God’s tender mercy that gives light and guides the lost towards peace.
80 John grew up and became strong in spirit. And he lived in the wilderness until he began his public ministry to Israel.
Zechariah obeyed God and named his son, John. God was faithful to bless John because he grew up and became strong in spirit.
I believe all parents, including me, want this for our children. That they all grow up and become strong in spirit….
Please remember this, especially to the young men here. A father has a special role in his family - he is the leader of his family. A father should lead by example. He should always obey God because it brings blessings to his children and glory to God.
May I please call on Ptr Jhun, our spiritual father, to pray for all of us, his children in this church. Tumayo po tayong lahat.
Thank you Ptr Jhun. Please extend your hands as we pray for Ptr Jhun. Kahit na mas matanda ako kay Ptr Jhun or yung iba sa atin mas matanda kay Ptr Jhun, he is still our spiritual father because he leads our church. Napakalaki pong responsibilidad ang pagiging spirtual father kaya parati po natin ipag p-pray si Ptr Jhun. Tumayo po tayo ulit and extend our hands to Ptr Jhun.
Ngayon naman po, let us take this time to remember and pray for the fathers in our lives - our fathers, uncles, siblings and friends.
I know, most of us, our fathers are not here. Some still may have not known or placed their trust in Jesus. Please do not be disheartened. As their children, God has entrusted and given us the opportunity to pray for our fathers, every single day, so that they may know, experience, accept and place their trust in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Allow me to pray for our fathers.
God our Father, we lift up to you the fathers in our lives, may all of us be established in your church. We also pray for those who have not known or accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. We pray, Holy Spirit, please touch their hearts and please give them the opportunity to know you more. Thank you God for you want all of your children to be with you. We pray for blessings for all the dads in our lives. We pray for good health, provision, and wisdom. We pray all of these in the name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus, Amen.
