Advent 1

If you have a Bible today, I'm going to be in Luke chapter 1 and so I invite you to get a Bible out and we're going to go to to Luke chapter one at the very very beginning of that chapter. By the way. Luke has 24 chapters. And if you if you start on December 1st was yesterday and you read a chapter a day. She'll be through the entire Gospel of Luke the 24th, and you wake up Christmas morning having read the Gospel of Luke. So if you start today, I got to warn you chapter ones like a tea vs. Long. But if you start today, you could do it on Christmas that be kind of cool. Hope you're getting into the Bible. What are to Luke chapter 1 I need I need about 10 ish kids. Okay about 10 kids something like that that would like to come up and yeah. Yeah, come on. Just come on up we can the number is flexible. Just just come on up. If you if you think you want to be part of this experiment and we're going to do a little little experiment here what two three four five six years your team's okay. Your kids not teens. Oh, okay. Alright that many 3 Alright any others I want to come up and be part of this fun little thing. Maybe you can if you want to. All right. Okay. Two aren't kids. So we're going to do something while you all are up here. So I want you to help me out with something. Okay kids. First of all, I want you to stop talking amongst yourselves and listen to me. Okay, and the next thing I want is Larry back there in the sound booth. He's going to put up some scripture for us from Luke chapter 1 and it's going to start in verse 5. Okay. So right up there on the screen where it whichever screen you're going to look out here. I'm going to look at that one right over there is it's going to Luke chapter one starting in verse 5 and do any of you kids like to read. You do you do? Okay. Okay, you left it. You love me. Love to you love to okay. Alright. Well if I can find where they put a microphone here we go, which one of you thinks you want to be able to read verse 5 in the microphone. She's like jumping up and down here right here right here has some weird names in it, whatever, but if you have trouble let me know. Okay, once you read that to us verse 5

Herod king of there was a priest names that the jobs are islands to the presently Bruce Lee Presley. division of abijah was also a descendant descendant of are are a good job.

You want to read for 6? Okay, there's verse 6, okay.

Go to the store right at sight of God.

observing observing all the Lord's command and The Creep

blameless leave your job. Alright and verse 7 who thinks I need to read verse verse 7. He's like this in any of this. I don't know. I don't know.

The ladies first, so she had it up before. I know you're not a girl.

Okay, go ahead child dressed because Elizabeth was not able to conceive and they will both very old. Now. Here's my question for you. All of you who have come up here. How many of you are your kids you have you have your adult here with you in service? How many of you have your adult with you and service whether you're came with your grandma or your okay, so if you do, okay, I have a question for you in a single-file line. I'm going back that way. All right. All right and which Okay. Social experiment. Which side are you on here? Are you okay? I don't know if I want to start with you or not near mine. Okay. Now I got to start back here because the last shall be first in the first shall be last right so high DJ. All right for you, how old do you think your adult is about? Give me a give me an issue age. What do you what do you how do you how old do you think it is?

Just well.

43253. Okay. How old do you think your mom and dad are? How old do you think they are?

I'm going to come back to you.

I will let you think about it for a little bit will come back to how the hell do you think you're adults are?

8080

your dad at your mom's 44 in your dad's 46. Okay. How old do you think? Your mom is 26.

And your dad's 27. How old do you think your mom and dad is 28 and 27? Okay. Alright, you are like their new favorite child. Okay. You actually know okay.

41 or 42 and then 30 something. Okay. How about you? And yeah, let me come back to you or you just want to take a guy just take a guess.

4 million what?

thermometer

40 something How 40 and 50 Cent is that what you think maybe? Okay, how about you? A million what?

A million. Alright, it's mine. I don't know. How old do you think Mom and Dad are me a hug. Okay. How old do you think I am? How old do you think I am?

Am I really old or just kind of old? remind Young

You think I'm 100 high-rise how old am I, I'll tell you this all of your going to have to practice math. I was born in 1980. You can go figure it out. Alright, alright. Alright, so I'll give you a just a little bit of a spoiler alert here. One of the things that happens in this passage is that we hear God does Miracles. Okay. I want you to know that God does Miracles and if you doubt the God does Miracles just ask Jim and Della this week because they are excited that their son is still alive, and there's not parallel. Highest rap that could have been so much worse, but praise God they're there are some good things that are going on and I think we had to read some more In this passage in Converse 8. This is what's going to go on a first date it goes like this.

Once win zechariah's division was on duty. 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 worshippers were praying outside know when when we read this kind of thing. We get to hear about Zechariah and Elizabeth and of course in a few verses before this, they said they were they were very old which is why I have the kids asking how old they thought your parents were when we read this little passage out of Luke 1 and and we hear Zechariah. He's a priest and he gets to go and burn incense. We might going to read that just going to big deal. He's doing his job. Let me let me just kind of Tell you tell you some some historical things about this this this was a big deal. Okay, because for this time and and for the way that they did things when they were burning incense before the Lord this meant that they had to go into the temple in a very special spot in the temple in order to be able to do this over certain things that were set up and this is something that for the priest at that time often often priest wouldn't ever get to be able to have this this job like like they can go their whole life and not have this job. And so when when it when it comes time and we were told Zechariah gets chosen by lot because there were there were so many priests. They could only do this. Once they ever did it once in their life, they weren't able to do this again, but they were chosen by lot which means for them that there was like this casting of well, like casting dies but not really is little more holy than that. There was this this idea that God has chosen this one priest to go in and burn incense. Okay, so when we read this and it's time for bringing Vincent's comes and Zechariah gets chosen. This is a big deal and he is an old guy and this is the first time probably ever in his life that he was going to get to do this and you'll never get to do it again most Priests of the majority priest never even got the chance to do this and he gets to go in he is chosen by God and he gets to go in everyone else's outside. Holy place and they are going to be in prayer and so and verse 11. It goes like this then an angel of the Lord appeared to him standing at the right side of the altar of incense. We goes into this place at have missed special place. And when verse 12 when Zechariah saw him, he was startled and gripped with fear because Is it goes in the special place? There's not supposed to be anybody else out there right? There. Is he is the only one supposed to be in here. And when this Angel appears it's like oh wow, there's somebody else here. And then this is like the most special time in my whole life and and I'm not supposed to mess it up. And there's there's an angel and I don't know if it in my mind. I see his hand like start to shake is like how this little golden sensor or whatever that they carry a nap probably like. Oh man. I'm about to burn drop the insanity or something. I write us up in this Angel appears and he is terrified. It's a big deal in verse 13, but the angel said to him do not be afraid Zechariah. Your prayer has been heard. I want you to know that God still hears your prayers just in case you were wondering your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son. And you are to give him the name John and then in verse 14, it says something very interesting. He that is John this this boy will be a joy and a 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 from birth and R16 many of the people of Israel. Will you bring back 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 fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. Okay. So so I just I need I need two more volunteers young teens ish. Are you already been up here? Everybody else hasn't been up here yet. They wants to young teens ish. Just trying to get her to raise her hand. She like that back there, Come on, come on up here. And one more one more young teen ish age teenage age is what I'm looking for. I don't know you've already been up here. Anybody else wants to Really? How can us?

Alright. Well Jack come on back up here. Are yams it's exciting? How old were your parents again? Never mind Hi, how are you? Good. I'm glad to hear that. I have a question for you is through this little I'm kind of curious about something.

You have to look at me when you answer this. You can't look back at your people. Do you think you are a joy to your parents? No. No, are you sure are you positive? Okay now I'll keep looking this way. I'm going to glance over to where the parentage section is that you look this way, or are they a joy to you? You can answer honestly.

It's not boring when John is going to be born. This Angel comes to Zechariah in the temple and he's all scared everything. So don't be afraid and he says you're going to have a son named John and he is going to be a joy to you. Now. What do you think it would take for you to be a joy to your parents? What do you what do you think would have to happen not annoying them? Okay. What do you think? Do something that they're proud of? Okay, that might help. Okay. Alright, I will.

How about this one? It also says when they're that many Will Rejoice because of John's birth. Did did anybody get happy when you were born? What do you think?

Yeah, yes. Yeah, they were. Okay. Did you have to do anything for that? You just get born, right? Yeah, I don't remember what I had to do to get born.

Yeah, we don't need we don't need to go through those details Dewey.

Joy and Delight to you and many will Joyce because her birth and be great in the sight of the Lord. I'm curious. What do you guys think God thinks about you? All you think God likes you. Yeah, you know what? I think God likes it. What do you think? Yeah. Absolutely. Absolutely about John. It says he's never supposed to take wine or any other firm in a drink so you can never have any wine. You can ever have any beer or anything like that. Alright, you all good with that or I just checking and it says you'll be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he's born and that's kind of cool. Do you do you think the Holy Spirit was around before you were born? Yeah. Do you think he was inside you before you were born? Okay, cool, so this is what this one of the things that's going on with with John the Holy Spirit on him before he is born and it says he'll go on before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children now when it says this little deal he's quoting from an Old Testament book called Malachi and Malachi is one of those one of those books it's in the Old Testament it's in the last little part of the Old Testament it's in chapter 4 of Malachi right at the very end and when in Malachi 4 it says he will turn the hearts of the fathers of the children and the hearts of the children to their fathers now here's You look back at me again. Do you like your parents? Okay, good. I'm really glad that you said that they both like it good good deal parents just in case you were wondering they like you. Okay, that's good. And

All right, turn back around here. Do you think your parents like you? No.

Yes, they do. All right. They do your parents like okay. Alright will give these to a good hand clap. Thank you so much for being up here. Alright, good job.

I don't know what it is that what it what it is that kids would have to do to be a joy and a delight to their parents. But I know what my kids have to do in order to be a joy in a delight to the parent. Pretty much nothing. Because because God is doing something in me where I do take joy in my kids and I do Delight in them all. Yeah sure every parent out there can say there are days that might not be the first thing on my mind, but this is something that's going on. It is that there is Joy there but there's also something that it says that he'll turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and then that deal it's it's putting the thing where it says, it will turn the hearts of the children to the father's also by the way. I just want you to know that God I think once you as parents and and if you're not a parent yet, maybe you will be someday or something like that. I just want you to know that God wants your heart to be for your kids and I want you to know that I was as people to call ourselves Christians as people who who are believers and as we attend the Woodward shirts Dreams are here today. I want you to know that we support the family. That's why we do things like what you're experiencing today Family Sunday where we keep all the kids in the big service and you're like, oh man, I came to church and I was hoping to maybe get a little bit of a break but not here. We are. My kids are here with me. Yeah, we do this on purpose because we believe that it's important for families. To be together here. Here's what I want you to catch this. I'm very serious about this. I believe that the family is the primary discipling tool of God. Not the congregation not the preacher. I believe that the family is a primary discipling tool that God uses you as parents are the ones that are instilling faith into your kids. Hello, and we want to be able to help you in whatever way we can we want to equip you as parents to be able to do those kind of things if possible. But honestly you all you all are the are the ones who are doing discipleship better than any of us and as Sunday school teachers are pastors any of us can do you as parents you are with your kids more you as grandparents are with your kids more and that is that is a way that God. Is doing his work of discipleship. I want you to know we do a good job here in the church. We really do we want you to know we're not just babysitters when your kids come here. I want you to hear that when when people go into the nursery. They hear Bible stories went when your kids go into Sunday school. They hear Bible stories in our teachers do a good job. I'm really proud of our teachers when you when you send your kids here. They are getting some discipleship stuff. But that doesn't mean that you can't do your part you as parents as grandparents as family members. You are the primary arm of discipleship that God uses. And if you want any way for us to to help you if you need some help with how to disciple your children, I want to help you with those kind of things, but we want it to be the case that you are the ones who lead your children to Christ. Something happened this morning, and I'm I'm just thrilled by it. I'm excited about this. I was getting ready to go back into this room we go and we pray right before service and I was I was getting ready to go back there and and a guy comes up and eat and he stops me and Andy, he says my boy. Wants to accept Jesus into his heart this morning like right now do you think we could do that and say yes and Charles and Timothy meltdown here at an altar and I talked with him for a minute and then Charles dad leaves his son in a prayer to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior awesome. There's a war. There's a horse and that that's the way it's supposed to happen. You as parents should have that opportunity in that joy to be able to lead your kids to Christ. John comes he says it's a job to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and turn the hearts of the children to the father's. Or to the family God needs to do something in our hearts right to change us so that we are willing to lead our kids in the way that God is one of us to please partner with us in that as it goes on 18 Zechariah as to Angela says, how can I be sure of this my well wife is well along in years and you know this how politically correct he was right there. He doesn't say my wife is old. He said she's she's well along and put that he's too smart man answered. I'm Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God and I've been sent to speak to you and tell you this good news, and now you will be silent not be able to speak until the day this happens because you did not believe my words which will come true at their proper time. And all the spouses of the ladies in here said why can't my husband see an angel? anyway Haha, meanwhile verse 21 the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple and when he came out he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple free kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak and when his time of service was completed. He returned home after this is why I feel Elizabeth became pregnant in for 5 months remained in seclusion. The Lord has done this for me. She said and these days is shown his favor and take away my disgrace among the people. I want you to hear today that God is still in the job of answering prayers and that he is still hearing and that he is still showing his favor. Maybe you were experiencing some disgrace or maybe you were experiencing some trouble with this whole how my heart toward my children or my children's heart toward me like I might love them, but they don't want anything to do with me. Maybe some of you are experiencing that happens I don't want you to know that God is still on the throne that God is still doing new and exciting things. He is able to take away any disgrace that we may have we're going to close out the service today with the time of communion and taking communion. And and if I could get the guys if you could you could come to help me. I would really appreciate that. Come on up. So you that I talk to you. Yeah. And Jeff, can you can you help with this also? And what? what we're going to do usually Usually we have all of these people that they come in they take communion elements to you. I'm going to do something different today. I know strange but you can tell me later. If you're mad at me. I'm going to ask two of you to stand right at that aisle, and I'm going to ask two of you to stand over here at this and and I'm going to invite each of you to come and too and to receive the elements in a few if you have trouble walking. Hey, we will bring them to you. Absolutely if you if you have trouble walking that does not a big deal. We will come to you. Okay, but here's what I want to give you an opportunity for as I want for you as families to have an opportunity for especially your father's to come in to lead your family. And taking communion today and this isn't a requirement it but if you want to you, you bring your family in and maybe gather around the Altar and maybe say a prayer for your family right at the very beginning and then take communion together. So so I should come there going to be holding the plates and you can come if you're just by yourself or whatever you can come and just take communion at that time. We're not going to we're not going to the whole weight together for one time to do it. But but if you come take communion as you receive it and if you want to bring your family around an alternate you want to pray together and then take communion as a family together. I just want to give you that opportunity to the other today. It's a God we want our hearts to be together as a family. And Lord we want to do something new here together and recognize your grace is part of this. I'm so if you would like it if you will come and if you have trouble walking just wave at us and we will will absolutely absolutely bring elements to you when she coming.

if there is anyone that needs communion elements brought to you just slip up your hand and we will be

Anybody else that you like elements brought to you?

I'm so thankful for the shed blood of Christ in his body that's broken for us. I brings forgiveness of sins and thank you so much for participating in communion with us today. If you or one of your kids wants to come and pray and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior their lives today, if if any of you kids think that sounds like a good idea. Don't you grab your parents and just drag him up you're doing all 2 right after service and are even right now because it's such a wonderful thing that God Can Transform our lives and you're welcome because God still does Miracles and and also and I'll close with this one. I want to I want to tell you a God does miracles. even in old people Okay, don't don't let age say God is done with me. No, no, he's not. God is willing to use you. Heavenly father. Thank you so much for this time that we've had to be together and to worship you and I think you that we can celebrate in your goodness. I know you're still doing Miracles Among Us. Or do you turn the hearts of parents to their children and the hearts of the children to their parents today? And will you help us as a congregation to disciple in our own homes? Will you teach us how to do that? I pray this in Jesus name. amen Thank you so much for being here metal Lord bless you and keep you and cause his face to shine upon you and give you his. Peace.