Faith in a Faithful God

“Faith in a Faithful God”

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There’s nothing more disappointing than placing your faith in someone and then having that person let you down. The truth is somewhere along the path of life you will be disappointed by someone’s unfaithfulness to you. The best of people are flawed by sin and selfishness; and it is unwise to place too much faith in sinful humanity.

King David knew this and said in:

“It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in politicians.

The truth is:

· Your health will fail.

· Money will fail.

· Your best laid plans will fail.

· Politicians will fail.

We live in a fallen, sinful world that is unfaithful. And faith in ourselves, government, military, Supreme Court, or any other human institution will lead to disappointment and dissolution.

You say wow; that is negative! I want to warn us, that placing our faith in anyone or anything besides Almighty God; is misplaced faith!

But faith in a Faithful God is never misplaced faith!

God is faithful! One of the characteristics of God is faithfulness, -“know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God…

In this passage of Scripture were going to see the effect that faith in God has in our lives.

This account takes place around the parents of John the Baptist. The gospel of Luke does not begin with Jesus, but with the birth announcement of John the Baptist. John the Baptist was to be the forerunner, the Herald sent to announce the coming of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is a very important figure, a rather strange preacher, with a remarkable ministry. The Holy Spirit puts the spotlight on John the Baptist parents and their response to the announcement of John’s birth.

As we look at Zechariah’s, Elizabeth and the dramatic announcement of the birth of John we learn three facts.

Fact #1:

1. Righteousness leads to Righteous-living.

V:5-Read. Luke sets the historical context of what were about to be told; in the days of Herod the king of Judah…Herod the great was king from 37-4 B.C. this was a time of oppression for the people of God.

During these troubled times, there lived an elderly priest in the hill country near Jerusalem. Were told that his name was Zacharias and his wife was Elizabeth. Were told he was of the course of Abia; and that his wife was of the family of Aaron.

After they are introduced to us, then were told something about their spiritual condition.

V:6-“And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless”

The Bible says that this man and his wife were both righteous before God… God has chosen this man Zacharias whose name means-remembered of Jehovah, and his wife, Elizabeth to become parents of a very special child, the forerunner, prophet who was to come in the spirit of Elijah, to prepare the way for the Messiah. God was going to trust them with the formation of this special prophet who would announce the coming of the Savior.

There are several great things said about Zacharias and Elizabeth.

1st were told there were both righteous before God.

· What does it mean to be righteous?

To be righteous means; that you’re right with God; that you have a right-standing before God. It means your sins have been forgiven, and Christ’s righteousness has been put on your account.

So when God sees you, he sees the righteousness of Christ in you and your declared righteous, justified and accepted before God.

· How does a person become righteous before God?

Righteousness does not come, the way many people think it comes.

Righteousness does not come by:

· Being baptized.

· Going to confirmation.

· Being a good, moral person.

· Being religious.

· Going to church.

The Bible makes it clear that all of us come into this world unrighteous. -“There is none righteous know no one”.

You say, I will keep the law and be justified, righteous before God. The Bible says in:

-“By the works of the laws no flesh should be justified”.

You say, I will do a lot of good works and that will make me righteous before God. The Bible says in:

-“All of our righteousness is like filthy rags”.

We are born unrighteous, sinners before a Holy God, and there’s nothing we can do to remove our sin and make ourselves righteous!

So where does righteousness come from; and how can you become righteous?

-“Even the righteousness of God which is by faith in Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe”.

It is faith in Jesus death and shed blood for you that makes you righteous!

The moment you receive Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord; you receive the gift of righteousness.

-“Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

You must look away from yourself, your efforts, and look to Jesus in faith to be saved and received the righteousness of God! Abraham was made righteous by faith in the coming Messiah; Zacharias and Elizabeth were made righteous by faith in the coming Messiah; and the only way you are made righteous is by faith in Jesus Christ death on the cross for us. Then noticed this:

Righteousness leads to righteous living!

V:6-“There were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless”.

Righteousness produced a lifestyle of righteousness. Walking in obedience to God’s word and keeping his commands, and living a lifestyle that was blameless in the eyes of others.

They were righteous; therefore they sought to follow God’s word, and obey the teachings of the Bible and live a holy lifestyle.

True salvation leads to a holy living; when Jesus Christ comes into your heart and makes you righteous; you want to live out that righteousness.

-“If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things passed away, behold all things become new”.

A new nature, leads to a new life!

Zacharias and Elizabeth were people of faith, and true faith leads to a life of faithfulness to the one who saved you and made you righteous!

But we learn that being righteous does not exempt you from heartache; we are told in V:7-“that Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well stricken in years.

For a woman not to have a baby in that culture was considered a disgrace, even a punishment.

They were disappointed because as far as they were concerned they would never hold a child of their own and their arms.

Here was a man and woman who were hurting in life, but yet living a righteous life before God. Elizabeth being barren was not some kind of punishment for sin. Suffering in our life is not always because of some personal sin or wrong in our life. In the case of Elizabeth her barrenness was for the glory of God; God was planning a miracle that would get people ready for the Messiah.

Because Zacharias was a righteous man; he was a man that made serving God part of his life!

V:8-10-Read.

Zacharias is serving the Lord, going to the Temple, worshiping God and praying.

As a priest Zacharias would serve in the temple at the specific time that had been assigned him. He is chosen to be the priest that would go in the holy place and burn incense on the golden altar.

This would be the most important day, and moment of Zacharias’s life!

A priest would only have the privilege of doing this once in his lifetime. Many priest never got the opportunity to do what Zacharias was chosen by God to do. We cannot possibly understand how excited, fearful, awestruck and grateful Zacharias was for the privilege of going into the holy place; burning incense on the golden altar and praying for the nation of Israel.

Here’s how it would happen; Zacharias would offer a burnt offering, sin offering, go by the brazen laver and wash his hands and feet. He along with two other priests would go into the holy place, one priest would remove the ashes from the golden altar, the other priest would put fresh red hot coals in the golden altar; and then they would back out, leaving Zacharias there alone. He would sprinkle the incense on the coals of the golden altar; and as the aroma went up before God he would offer prayers for the nation of Israel, praying for God to send the Messiah, deliver, and rescue Israel from their enemies. It was a high and holy moment in this man’s life, he was as close to the presence of God has any man could ever get; outside of the high priest who would go in the holy of holies once a year.

Don’t miss this; the fire in the golden altar, was fire from the brazen altar.

What puts fire in your prayer life? The cross-the brazen altar were Jesus died as a sin offering for the world. If you find that your prayer life has grown cold; you need to go to Calvary, and see Jesus bleeding, dying and paying the price for your sin, and that will put the fire of gratitude, praise and prayer back into your life!

We learned this fact; righteousness leads to righteous-living.

As we spend time with Zacharias as he prays at the golden altar we learn a second fact:

Fact #2:

2. God Always Keeps His Promises!

V:11-17.

When things are as dramatic and wonderful as they could possibly be for Zacharias; they suddenly become more dramatic. As Zacharias is praying, V:11-“there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

We don’t know what kind of appearance this angel took; we just know that when Zacharias saw him he was troubled, and fear came upon him. No doubt he was startled, his heart is racing, and fear has paralyzed him. The appearance of the angel must’ve been dramatic. Every time an angel shows up in the Bible people are fearful!

What would you have done if you were Zacharias? He is having a close encounter; I would have passed smooth-out, and so would you.

We learn that the angel was Gabriel in, V:19, the last time Gabriel had appeared was 500 years before this in Babylon as he talked to Daniel at the time of the evening sacrifice, and gave him instruction from God.

Gabriel had come to Zacharias with the message from God: V:13-17-Read.

God announcing that he’s going to keep the promise he had made hundreds of years before.

Get the picture in your mind; in this smoke filled holy place, during this time of worship and prayer God speaks to Zacharias through Gabriel telling him his prayer has been heard and his wife was going to have a son and to call his name John.

And he will go before the Messiah, announcing his arrival.

God had promised to send the Messiah; but before the Messiah came, there would be a prophet, forerunner, who would announce and prepare people for the coming of the Messiah. John the Baptist was to be that prophet.

You can place your faith in God; because he always keeps his promises.

God keeps his promises:

· No matter how long it takes.

It had been 400 years since God had spoken to His people, or any of his prophets. The 400 years between the book of Malachi, and the Gospels.

400 silent years, no word from God, Ezekiel had seen the Shekinah glory cloud of God apart from the temple 400 years before this. And suddenly here’s God’s angel with God’s message.

God is going to keep his promise, and send the Savior, and your son is going to be his announcer.

God is never early, and never late, he’s always on time. The Bible says in the book of Galatians, in the fullness of time God sent forth his son.

Isaiah had prophesied about the forerunner of the Messiah some 800 years before this.

-“The voice of him that cries in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

John the Baptist was going to come like a spiritual bulldozer…

Malachi had written about this forerunner in;

-“Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, who you seek, shall suddenly come to his temple…

After 400 years God keeps his promise; telling Zacharias the messiah is on the way, and your son will be his announcer.

Every promise in the word of God will be fulfilled no matter how long it takes!

God keeps his promises:

· In spite of the powers that be.

V:5-“there was in the days of Herod the king of Judea…

I don’t have time to tell you how wicked Herod the great was! He was from the family of Esau, he had gained his position by treachery and murder. He was suspicious, evil and cruel; and he would keep his throne no matter what he had to do.

He had his favorite wife killed, his mother-in-law, he had his brother drowned at a swimming party, and he killed 3 of his 12 sons. It was said, it was far safer to be Herod’s pig, then Herod’s son.

He would have all the babies two years old and under killed in Bethlehem, because he heard that the king of the Jews was born. He was evil, sinful, ruthless, ambitious and successful.

Think about this for a moment; at a time of political chaos, with a successful, but wicked, ungodly leader; God was still at work! During a time of persecution and pressure when he seemed that they were trapped in this sinful culture and that God had forgotten them. God was still at work, and He was making plans to burst on the scene with his plan of redemption. No matter what the day may look like, or who the powers may be; God is at work, he always has been, and he always will be!

If you’re here this morning and you feel like Zacharias, in a place surrounded by ungodly people; and you wonder is God at work in this place. I’m here to tell you this morning; yes He is, and he wants to work through you.

None of the events of Herod’s reign had caught God by surprise. God keeps his promises no matter how long it takes; and in-spite of the powers that be.

The angel tells Zacharias your wife Elizabeth is going to have a son and you’re to call him John. The name John means, God is gracious.

He is told who John would be, and what John would do: John, the grace of God would prepare the way for the son of God!

V:14-“John’s arrival would bring joy to his parents and many will rejoice at his birth.

Joy because Jesus is on the way, joy because you can meet and no the Messiah, the Savior of the world.

V:15-“for he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall not drink wine nor strong drink, and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb”.

What makes a person great in the sight of the Lord?

We are great in each other’s sight because of money, position, popularity, or abilities.

And we consider people great because they have things we don’t have, or can do things we can’t do. Their great compared to us.

But how is a person great in the sight of the Lord? The Lord created everything, owns everything, and has everything. Why was John the Baptist great in the sight of God?

Jesus said in , that John the Baptist was the greatest prophet ever born! I suggest that John the Baptist was great in the sight of the Lord; because his ministry was all about the Lord!

John’s ministry was characterized by humility and boldness. When they came to John and ask him are you the Messiah, he said no! When they asked him if he was Elijah he said no! When the asked, are you that great prophet, he said no. They said, well who are you? You’re not going to get an invitation to preach at the Palestine pastor’s conference, if you don’t have a better resume than that, no, I’m not, no I’m not he. John said I’m a voice crying in the wilderness; he didn’t say I’m the voice, he said I’m a voice. He said, I am a finger-pointing, my job is to point people to Jesus; I must decrease, and he must increase! John gladly took his place as the forerunner of Jesus, pointing people to Jesus and preaching the message of repentance!

John was bold in confronting sin, and telling people they must repent, turn from their sin and trust in Jesus Christ! It didn’t matter if they were religious- Pharisees; it didn’t matter if they were Roman soldiers, it didn’t even matter if it was Herod, John preached repentance, John preached that people must V:16-“turn to the Lord their God”.

John’s ministry was not about John; John’s ministry was about Jesus, John preached that people must repent, turn from their sin and self-righteousness and place their faith in Jesus Christ, V:17-“to make ready a people prepared for the Lord”.

John’s most famous words were, “behold, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world”.

John preached repentance of sin, and faith in Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. What makes a person great in the sight of the Lord; is humility, separate living, lifting up Jesus, and pointing people to Jesus Christ for salvation.

John, preached in the power of the Holy Spirit, telling people, repent, get ready Jesus, Messiah is coming, place your faith in him.

What would be the by-product of accepting the gospel of Jesus Christ?

· V:14-“ joy.

· V:16-“conversion, lives would be changed.

· V:17-families would be restored. Father’s hearts would be changed, and the family would be changed.

· V:17-disobedient, rebellious Spirit’s would become obedient.

We often start out by focusing on all of these things; when these things are the byproduct of accepting the gospel of Jesus Christ! John was the forerunner of Jesus; and John preached repent, the King is coming get your heart right. Jesus Christ is coming again, you need to get your heart right with God this morning! You need to repent of your sin and place your faith in Jesus Christ as your personal savior! After 400 years of silence God was getting ready to keep his promise, the Savior was on his way, and John would introduce him.

Fact #3:

3. Doubt Doesn’t Derail God’s Plan!

V:18-“Zacharias said under the angel, whereby shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years”.

Here’s how not to respond to God’s word!

He doubts the message he’s just received from God; he asked how do I know this is really going to happen? Can I have a sign?

He hears from God; and then he looks at himself, and says we can’t pull this off, me and Elizabeth can’t have a son, I’m old, and she’s well-stricken in years. Good thing Elizabeth wasn’t there, you never say wife and old in the same sentence. He says I am old, my wife is old; and the angel answered and said I’m Gabriel, I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to tell you this good news.

Gabriel seems to be amazed that Zacharias would doubt the message sent to him from God, which he calls good news, V:19.

(Star Wars quote-“I find your lack of faith disturbing”)

The angel says you want a sign; that this is going to happen, I’ll give you a sign. You’re not going to speak a word for nine months, you’re going to be mute until the baby is born because of you unbelief.

V:20-“you’re not going be up to speak under the day these things shall be performed, because you believe not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season”.

You just heard the best news that’s ever been shared with anybody; the Messiah is on the way, and your son is going to announce him, and you did not believe it.

Learn this, that God’s sovereign plan will be accomplished whether you believe it are not!

Learn this, when you don’t believe God’s message, God’s word; your doubt will rob you of the joy of the message.

Doubt closes our mouth; when you don’t believe the good news of the birth, life and death of Jesus Christ, you’re not going to share it! Doubt robs you of the joy of sharing the good news.

How frustrating it must’ve been for Zacharias to not be able to share with his wife all the things he had seen and heard from God for nine months.

Zacharias goes home, his wife gets pregnant, she rejoices, and says God has taken away my reproach! Zacharias is speechless for nine months because of his unbelief.

What can we learn from this? We can learn that God is faithful to us, even when we are faithless! Thankfully our doubts and fears do not stop God’s plan in and through us; but our doubts do rob us of the joy the Lord, and fellowship with others.

Maybe you’re living in a time of doubt today; your doubting God’s love, and concern for you. You think that God has forgotten you, and God is not working in your life the way you think he should be. I’m here to tell you today that God is at work in your life even when you don’t see it, or believe it!

What happens to Zacharias is a warning against having a heart of unbelief!

When you hear the word of God, and do not believe the word of God; your mouth is shut, the joy of the Lord is gone, and your heart becomes hard.

And you will be on the outside watching God work, when you could be on the inside enjoying and participating in what God is doing! God tells us how Zacharias responded to the good news; so we don’t respond the same way, but respond in faith to the glad tidings of the gospel. This morning God has sent me as his messenger, to share with you the good news, to say get prepared to meet the Lord! You will either be like Zacharias or Elizabeth this morning. Zacharias doubted the good news; Elizabeth believed the good news!

This is what God wants from us: faith! The good news is Jesus died on the cross for you, and rose from the grave; believe the gospel!! The Bible says that he will forgive anyone who comes to him in faith; so believe in Jesus and experience of forgiveness of sins.

God has said that he will never leave you nor forsake you; so whatever troubles you are facing, believe that God will help you to the very end. The Bible says that Jesus Christ is going to come again to judge the world; believe it and get ready by turning from your sins and trusting in Jesus.

Place you faith in a faithful God!!