Part 1: Shattered Silence

Justin Turney

The Gifts of Christmas • Sermon • Submitted a year ago

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One of the greatest gifts we can receive from God is His presence and the reminder that He is true to His promises. This message explores the gift of shattered silence in our lives, especially when we feel like we are just going through the motions and wondering if God has forgotten about us.

Notes

Transcript

1/4/2022

INTRO

Have you ever found yourself in a place in your life where you’re just going through the motions of your faith?

Have you ever felt like you were praying, but you’re not sure if God is there…or if He is there that He even cares?

Maybe you know that He is and that He does, but it just feels like it’s from a distance.

Maybe your doing all the things you know you should be doing, but you’re just needing something from God to break through the stillness...

This is exactly where we find God’s people as we begin the text this morning.

Malachi 4:5–6 ESV

5 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”

Luke 1:5–17 ESV

5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years. 8 Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. 11 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, 17 and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”

1) God Hears Your Prayers (vs. 13)

It had been over 400 years since anyone could be confirmed as a true prophet of God.

The synagogue system established by Amos had become the contemporary means of people hearing from God, but it didn’t hold the same weight or authority as a prophet.

Likewise, different schools of thought had emerged and much of the discussions were more about influence for popularizing thought rather than connecting with God.

It also didn’t help that experts in the law and religious order was more about keeping the people in line with God on a superficial level than keeping people in line with God in their hearts, though some certainly did.

Out of these religious rites and rituals we find the man to whom God would shatter the silence, Zechariah.

It is interesting that God tells Zechariah He has heard His prayer while He is praying for the nation.

As a Priest, to offer incense and prayers was a once in a lifetime thing, if you were lucky… (Over 18,000 Levitical priests in Israel)

At such an advanced age, it is doubtful he was praying for a son at that particular time, especially under the circumstances of supposed to be interceding on behalf of the nation.

In God’s answer to Zechariah’s prayer, He was sending joy to both Zechariah and the nation.

God hears your prayers, and He hears your heart.

He knows your needs and your desires. He even knows when your needs and your desires may be in conflict with each other.

If you find yourself in a place where you are crying out to God and you’re not sure if He’s listening…He is and He will answer at His perfect timing that will be best for your and most likely best for others as well.

2) God Honors His Promises (vs. 14-17)

God’s answer to Zechariah’s prayer, was an answer to the prayers of many as well.

God is firm in His promises. He will bring them to fulfillment.

God will honor His promises in your life as well, but at the right moment.

Isn’t it worth the waiting for God to bless others through the fulfillment of His promises in your life?

3) God Handles our Problems (vs. 67-79)

Luke 1:67–79 ESV

67 And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying, 68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people 69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, 70 as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, 71 that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us; 72 to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, 73 the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us 74 that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, 75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. 76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, 77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, 78 because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high 79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

Gives us His Presence (vs. 68-69)

Fulfills His Promises (vs. 70-73)

Guides us in His Purpose (vs. 74-78)

Leads us in His Peace (vs. 79)

CLOSING

If you’re here this morning or listening to this message online, it’s not by accident!

If you feel like God is distance and there’s been what feels like prolonged silence in your life…God is shattering that silence and wants you to know that He: