Salvation Came to the Doubting
Notes
Transcript
Intro:
Have you ever doubted anything? Maybe you doubted your abilities, perhaps you doubted your lot in life, maybe you have even doubted God. Don’t worry, you are not alone in your doubt. It all started in the garden where Satan was able to deceive Eve into doubting the word of the Lord. No it did not end there, it went all the way up to Thomas who doubted the return of Christ as it says in John 20:27:
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
Pray
Doubt is such tricky business. Doubt really leads to fear; either fear of missing out or fear of being wrong. What if is not a good policy to live by. Somebody asked me one time about my walk of faith, what if your are wrong? Well, no big deal, still had a good life lived with a conscience free of guilt and shame. And then I ask but what if you are wrong, what hope do you have? Doubt often times is just a matter of perspective and looking at things in the proper light. The two perspective we have this morning show how salvation came to the doubting, first to the Obedient then to the reluctant.
The Obedient
The Obedient
In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.
Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.
1. A Priest of the Lord
a. One whom the people trusted to know
b. He spent his days with the Scroll
“For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, because he is the messenger of the Lord Almighty and people seek instruction from his mouth.
2. Upright before the Lord
a. Followed the Law
b. Knew the Law
c. Raised his family to do the same
i. Elizabeth was also upright
B. His Struggle - Luk 1:12-20
When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was 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 son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”
The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”
1. Trusting in men vs trusting in God
a. Again, as a priest He should know
i. Held to higher account
ii. Ought to have trust in the Lord
b. Doubted that it was possible
i. Doubted like Sarah and Abraham
ii. God uses impossible situations to shift perspective
2. Careful when you ask God how
a. Made him silent
b. Signs can come but not always pleasant
c. Just trust in the Lord
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
C. His acceptance
1. Named his son John
a. Against the grain
b. Against family tradition
2. Held to the promise of God
a. Was blessed with speech
b. People were awed
3. Confidences comes from faith
a. Confidence in salvation
b. Knowing God always does what He says
c. God continues to shift our perspective of possible and impossible
i. Including with salvation
ii. But some are reluctant to see
The Reluctant
The Reluctant
While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
A. The inn keeper - video
1. No room
a. Wonder how many they wen to that night
b. Each person had no room
2. Not just inn keepers
a. Homes not available
b. Relatives not available
B. Jesus born in a manger
1. Where
a. Bottom of a home
b. Cave somewhere
c. Common use of the word
i. People would understand
ii. No special context here
2. No matter
The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight.
a. Not only true but figurative
b. Lamb of the world
c. Become the sacrifice
d. Rescued them from judgement of God
C. The World Rejected Jesus
He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.
1. As with the Inns
a. There was no room for Him
b. They didn’t recognize His great message
2. They busied their lives and missed out
a. Message of Hope
b. Unwilling to make space for the Gospel
The Choice
The Choice
If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet.
A. Salvation came but what was my answer
1. As Zechariah
a. Unsure but faithful
i. Repentant to do God’s will
ii. Ready but unsure
iii. Faithful and trusting of God’s Word
b. Was blessed by God
i. Given a son
ii. Participant in the Gospel
that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”
2. The inn keeper
a. Unsure but rejecting
b. Chose not to accept the call
c. No room for God in their lives
B. Either for me or against me
“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
1. Salvation comes to the doubting
a. When they trust
b. When we believe in spite of ourselves
My Dad and jumping into the pool - saw a rock drop
2. We must chose this day who we serve
a. Either for God or against him
b. We either live today with God or against Him
c. In eternity our name is either in the book of life or works
Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
C. There will be no gray area on that day
1. Day of judgement
2. For those who repent there is life
a. That’s what Salvation was about
b. That’s how salvation came at Christmas
D. But for those who choose life
1. Choose abundant life
a. both now and eternity
b. life abundant and free
2. Choose the good things now in this life
a. Sure still trouble
b. But it is welcome
c. Choose the peace of surrender
Stopped fighting my Dad on everything, things sure were easier
Conclusion:
What will I choose, the good life or death. What will be my answer to God when He calls upon me, will it be yes or no vacancies? That time is now. If you are watching this, or are here in person, the Lord is calling upon you to answer, won’t you trust Him before it is too late? The Bible calls for urgency, we never know when it will be our last day. I am confident that my name is in the book of life how about you? Won’t you come and find salvation this Christmas?