Sermon Tone Analysis

“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!