Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
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Sermon
Intro:
We sports fans love our shirts.
That’s our uniform for the vital job of cheering the team of our choosing.
If the seahawks were in the game today, we would see some jerseys in here.
I have this one Duck tshirt that was spoiled for me by a friend.
This is it:
Never Finished.
That’s right!
Always working.
This “friend” said yup, you never have finished.
That O right there is the number of National Championships you’ve won.
(sad face)
But, even with the slander against my team…there is something to that slogan that rings true for any team, any one with purpose, anyone alive.
It could be an exasperated: “I’m never finished”
Or, as I looked over the text today, I see a God who is also never finished.
He’s not exasperated, I could see God wearing this tshirt (ok…not really) meaning it the way the designer intended.
The more I study scripture, the more I see a God who is intentional, persistent, ever-reaching, ever-seeking, and never finished.
Today’s passage illustrates that aspect of God’s character.
The question for us, is: “What does it mean for us that God is persistent?
What is our calling in light of that?
Let’s pray
Ok, this first point starts with a confession.
I misspoke a couple weeks ago.
I made the comment that Zechariah had one story and his one story was one of disbelief.
That is the part that is most remembered, the part that stands out.
But like our inkling to remember all the character flaws and mistakes of someone else (or ourselves) and not focus on their progression, the changes they are making, we know…but don’t…notice the way his story wraps up.
In Luke, Gabriel tells Zechariah, mutes Zechariah, goes to tell Mary, and then the story shifts back to the birth of this first baby.
Our focus will start in verse 67, but let me give the plot that gets us there.
All the neighbors and relatives come out for labor and delivery.
They are excited for Old Elizabeth who is finally having a baby.
The party stretches beyond the birth, all the way to the 8th day, when it was time to circumcise this little man…it was also the day the parents would give the boy his name.
verse 59 says when THEY came to circumcise the child, THEY were going to name him after his dad.
Standard.
Dad is mute, so we’ll make the decision.
Elizabeth says, nope…this is John.
They argue that this is not standard practice.
So they motion to Zechariah (note, this passage leads most scholars to think that Zechariah was both mute and deaf during this time.
Z gets his ipad and writes out: His name is John.
They were all surprised by this choice, but not as surprised as they were about to be.
In a blink, Zechariah’s tongue was set loose and he begins to praise God!
That neighborhood was freaking out a bit.
Right?
All of that and then as soon as the name is given, Zechariah is healed and begins to get his Pentecostal on.
The crowd talked and wondered “What then will this child become?”
Well God and Zechariah answered the question.
Which gets us to point 1:
God Is Never Finished...
With You in your doubt or disbelief
Luke 1:67 CSB
“Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:”
If you missed a couple weeks back, we saw Zechariah struck mute by an angel because when told his prayers were going to be answered, that he was going to have a child…he said, “How can I know this is true?”
In essence, I think God is lying to me.
I made the point that doubt is not a sin, but choosing disbelief is.
Disbelief is where doubt turns into action…or inaction…in otherwords it is where we begin to disobey.
Where we cease to act in faith.
Zechariah was there!
That is what he would be remembered for!
But then he does something cool.
He obeys.
He takes a step in faith.
Grabs a tablet and writes four short words.
“His name is John”
God then says, “Too little too late Zack!” NO
God hits the mute button again and returns his volume, he responds in praise and then...
He is filled with Holy Spirit and prophesied.
God uses this disbelieving, disobedient man to answer the question on everyone’s mind.
God’s word comes to the people through a man rebuked by an angel just months before.
God is never finished with you, even in your doubt and disbelief.
This is an appropriate moment for a hallelujah.
I for one, am thankful God uses doubting and disobedient men and women.
Do you know, that your pastor has and does struggle with doubts sometimes?
That carries into disbelief on occasion.
But I have learned over and over that God is PERSISTENT.
Even when I’m not.
The same is true for you.
Do you question or minimize your value to kingdom work because of your past?
Do you hesitate to tell people about Jesus because you haven’t been a model Christian?
You my friend, are exactly who God uses.
God loves you so much, he wants you to know your value and purpose.
Even when you think there can’t be any anymore.
Yes, we’ll remember Zechariah’s disbelief.
But God is never finished.
Now we get this song, a word from God to the people about who this baby, John will be.
Though the song is less about John, and more about the one John will proclaim.
In this song we see a few other ways God is never finished.
First we see God is never finished with...
His Purpose to Redeem
Luke 1:68-70 CSB
“Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and provided redemption for his people.
He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, just as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets in ancient times;”
God is starting with a Bible Study.
Look back!
Since God made Israel a people, he has never simply left them to be enslaved or oppressed.
In their rebellion, he allowed it to happen, but always he redeemed.
And now, the ultimate redemption is at hand.
Redeem…Do we understand the power of that word?
It means to pay a price to get back what was yours.
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