Fear Not: God Knows What He’s Doing

Good morning, everyone. For those who don't know me, my name is Barry and my family and I have been members here at WLA for the past few years and this morning. I have the privilege of of preaching the first sermon in our Christmas series titled let nothing you a fright and starting today and moving throughout. The month of December will be looking at passages that to contain the Angels announcement about the birth and Life of Christ in the instruction that each of them to share to fear not and scripture speaks to us about our feelings of fear and hopelessness and I confront them with the truth of the Gospel that that is good news. And it's meant to be for our joy and it's my hope that say in this first sermon titled fear not God knows what he's doing that to go Gina a proper perspective in context for dealing with our feelings of fear and hopelessness. Begin, I'd like to invite you to pray with me before we go on.

Father God I praise you that your word is living and active and sharp enough and powerful enough to enter the deepest part of our being and exposed the thoughts and intentions of our heart for this morning as we listen to your word help us not to hide from the truth of scripture and fear to cling to our sin. But instead Holy Spirit stir our hearts with the glory the gospel in the Majesty of Christ and give us a fresh desire to follow you in obedience and in holiness. God me the words that I speak bring honor to you and may we encounter The Living Word Jesus Christ. I pray in your name. Amen. Maybe you recognize the phrase let nothing you a fright from the Christmas carol. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, it's a phrase that's very deep. And one of the stanzas this carol reminds me of a a classic scene from Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol where there's a man in the cold wanting to spread Christmas cheer any begins singing God Rest You Merry Gentlemen, and he goes door-to-door until he comes to one door in particular and it's Matty's met with just a harsh rebuke from Scrooge shoes sitting on the warmth of his on the inside of his home. And in this scene, we have this irony between the the cheer of the caroler trapped in the cold and Scrooge on the inside in the warmth of his home, but really nothing more than giving cold harsh responses. Maybe we can relate to this contrast on a more personal level particularly during the Christmas season where we try to at least on the outside exude joy and warmth and cheer but perhaps especially given all that we've encountered this year. Maybe all that were feeling on the inside is a sense of cold apprehension and fear. I'll be the first to confess that for a very long time. I thought the title God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, I was talking about a bunch of happy guys. It wasn't until I looked at it a little closer. I noticed that there is a very well place, It's God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen that the title is an instruction. It's not describing the mood of some people now if you missed this as I did, I think it's forgivable. Because we used some of these words in a very different sense today. For example, when this Carol was written the word Mary had the sense of being made Monday or strong and end in the same way. They were dressed wasn't referred. You're referring to sleep relaxation but of being made well, so if I rephrase the title of the Carol and contemporary terms it might sound like this God make you mighty people or even more if I borrow a phrase from the Apostle Paul God make you mighty people who are loved by God and called to be Saints. I think this is a reminder that it's Christians when we embrace the truth of the Gospel that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself fear not isn't just a seasonal sentiment but it's truth we can land on and being made Mighty a God begins with a mighty Encounter With Jesus our savior, who is Christ the lord and this morning. It's my hope that Jesus will be at the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth and look to the true that they point is to particularly that we can fear not because God knows what he's doing that is weekend deal with our feelings of fear and hopelessness and we can rest in God's sovereignty and we can know that he is faithful to keep his promises and in Christ. We can know the the working of God's Mighty power in our lives. Let's read together from Luke chapter 1 starting at verse 5, and I'll invite you to turn in your Bibles or use your devices. Luke chapter 1 beginning to read a verse 5 says this in the days of Herod King of Judea. There was a priest name Zechariah of the division of abijah and he had a wife from the daughters of Erin and her name was Elizabeth and they were both righteous before God walking blamelessly and all the Commandments and statutes of the Lord, but they had no child because Elizabeth was Barren and both were Advanced now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty according to the custom of the priesthood. He was chosen by lot enter the Temple of the Lord and burn incense and the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense and there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense and Zechariah was troubled when he saw him and fear fell upon him, but the angel said to him do not be afraid Zechariah for your prayer has been heard in your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son and you should call his name John and you will have joy and gladness and many Will Rejoice at his birth. He will be great before the Lord and he must not drink wine or strong drink and you will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb and he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. 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 of people prepared. And Zechariah said to the angel how shall I know this for? I'm an old man and my wife is advanced in years and the angel answered him. I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God and I was sent to speak to you and bring you this good news and behold you will be silent and unable to speak until that day that these things take place because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their time and the people were waiting for Zachariah and they were wondering at his delay in the temple and when he came out he was unable to speak to them and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple and he kept making signs to them and remained mute. And when his time of service was ended he went to his home. After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived and for 5 months. She kept herself hidden saying that's the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me to take away my reproach among people. I think there are three throughs that emerged from this passage that I'd like to highlight this morning. And the first is this that despite our circumstances God remains Sovereign over history that is gone is unquestionably Lord over creation and he sustains us and nothing happens outside of his controller care. Luke begins riding with these words in the days of King Herod, I like that Luke started with historical facts that can be tested and verified to control or confirm the truthfulness of what he's about to say. I think this is important because as we read this story and later as we read the story of the birth of Christ, we can recognize that it's a historical reality and a reflection of God's actual involvement in the flesh and blood Affairs of his people Luke starts the Christmas story with history to show that God is at work at a specific place and time. I think knowing this helps us to remember that the story of Jesus's birth is not just Fiction. It's not a fairytale. It's not a Hallmark special that's meant to give us warm fuzzies know it's true that we can anchor ourselves in the face of fear in the face of hopelessness, especially when we're tempted to think that maybe our lives are somehow merely at the mercy of random events know it's Luke's opening words that remind us that all of all of history. So he's at God's mercy and he has acted powerfully and decisively and providentially for our selves ation and ultimate Julian. I think Luke supports this truth in in three ways in the beginning part of the passage first the shows that God's sovereignty wasn't threatened by a cruel King. He says in the days of King Herod. This would have conveyed a special sense of of dread for the original readers because of the oppression that that government brought to the people of Israel Herod was that same ruthless leader who ordered the slaughter of children when he heard of Jesus's birth with the words in the days of King Herod Lucas setting a scene of a dreadful political climate, but at the same time throughout the the passage never once we get the sense that God sovereignty is threatened. He remains Sovereign over the lies of his people and creation and that was never in jeopardy. Secondly Luke shows that God's sovereignty wasn't threatened by the circumstances of his servants were told that Zechariah and Elizabeth had no child and Toulouse audience. These words would have had heart. In those days to be Barren would have been a heavy Affliction and cause for bitter. Sorro Elizabeth and Zechariah. They were suffering one of the greatest disappointments a Jewish Family could ever experience and Luke doesn't make light of this but he uses it to set up a contrast between the weight of a personal distress and the Majesty of God's sovereignty at work and we can imagine the heartache of Zechariah and Elizabeth we can imagine the prayers that they would have cried out to God their entire lives prayers that that that he would pour out his Mercy on them and relieve them of this bird bird in the western with a child but But as we know God didn't answer that prayer in that way for a long time and their life and despite all that. Luke doesn't say that they had turned a bitter heart towards God or turn their back on God. No quite the opposite. They're described as people who despite their hurt. They were consistently faithful. They were righteous before God. They walked blamelessly and all his Commandments and statutes. Is there Luke shows that God's sovereignty was revealed to the casting of a lot he writes that was Zechariah was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty. He was chosen by lot to enter the Temple of the Lord and burn incense in those days. There would have been a group of 2424 different groups of priests who each took turns serving at the temple for a week at a time. According to Old Testament law in each group would had it would have had a number of different priest so many that the be the one chosen to go into the holy of holies the most sacred place of the temple and and offer prayers and incense as like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity when we hear the words chosen by lot. I think sometimes our minds go to games of chance like flipping a coin or or rolling dice, but for Zachariah drawing straws or choosing Somebody by the lot was a legitimate way of determining God's will listen to Proverbs 16:33. It says the lot is Cast into the lap but it's every decision is from the Lord by casting lots. They were actually demonstrating their belief that nothing occurred by chance. And God would make his Sovereign will known even through that act Zacharias choosing. It was no accident. It was evidence of of the beauty of God's Sovereign hand at work in the lives of his people.

So God sovereignty wasn't threatened by a political climate. It wouldn't be ignored in the face of personal tragedy and it was beautifully revealed in the providential orchestration of events. I like to pause for a moment and offer my first point of application and it's this that despite the presence of hurt or fear and hopelessness in our lives when it seems that we're at the mercy of the uncertainty of our health or of our job status or the political climate or our personal disappointments. We can rest in the truth of scripture that God is Sovereign and providentially at work in our world for his glory and our Redemption. Paul writes to the Romans and we know well that we know that in all things God is working for the good of those who love him and when we see this we could be challenged by Zechariah and Elizabeth to respond as they did to choose the hunger and thirst after righteousness to choose to to walk before God blamelessly. Now this this striving this response isn't as Kevin DeYoung write some sort of debtors ethic as if God showed his mercy and now expects us to make up for it with a lifetime of quid pro quo obedience. He writes know there's no good work that we could ever do to earn our Salvation or to repay God in some way and I think reflecting on God's sovereignty and all that he's done for us in Christ and knowing that as the psalmist rights are time is in his hands. It should lead us to a place of Reliance and trust in God where we eagerly desire to live in obedience to his commands to be holy as he is Holy knowing that is Holy Spirit is at work and I think Bring us to Faithfully live out. The calling that we have is Believers despite. Our circumstances. God is sovereign. The second truth that comes from this passage is that God is faithful to keep his promises a Zechariah enters the temple Luke tells us of the crowd that had gathered that crowd of worshipers and they would have been about or kneeling with their hand spread out and prayer knowing that at the moment. They prayed Zachariah was in the very presence of God the holy of holies offering prayers and incense to God in those prayers would have been for the nation of Israel for God to fulfill his promise to send his Messiah 2 to deliver them from the oppression. Justice kid promise throughout the Old Testament as we read in in the scriptures this morning. God's promise. In fact is recorded in Psalm. 89. He says this I will not break my Covenant. I will not go back on my word once and for all I have made a promise. It's based on my Holiness and I will not lie to David his family line will continue forever his kingdom will last as long as the Sun. God had promised the people of Israel that his Messiah the one that would come in and free Israel from their oppression would come directly from David line and would rescue the people in established a kingdom that would last forever and bring peace to the nation. And this is what Zachariah and the people they were longing for and yearning for it in prayer that God would reveal his Messiah and on this day. Providentially ordered and orchestrated by God God began to reveal his answer but perhaps in an unexpected way because up until this moment the people of Israel had been living in a time of God's silence. In fact, it had been 400 years of Silence since the last prophet had appeared delivering God's message yet. He was a faithful remnant of Israel gathered at the temple in worship yearning for God to speak and reveal himself. Sometimes we feel that God is silent in our lives, but I think this is different from what Zechariah was experiencing because we know just as the author of Hebrews writes that in the past God spoke through the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his son and we don't enter a specific place to meet with God but because of Christ substitutionary atonement the curtain that divided the holy of holies separating us from God's presence it was torn in two and we can with confidence draw near to God throne of grace in our time of need find Mercy and more than that through faith in Christ. God adopted as Sons and Daughters into his family and he pee pee and Princess he feels it feels us with his holy spirit. Who reminds us of the truth of scripture that's living and active in god-breathed and I think our experience on this side of the Cross is different for Zachariah there 400 years of Silence. It would have been heavy it would have been foreboding it. It would have felt like a pronouncement of God's judgment. But in this moment God and faithfulness to his word, he broke his silence and sent his angel with the message saying your prayer has been heard in your wife will give birth to a son and many of the Jews will be turn to the Lord their God by him and you will call him Jon Jon a name. That means God has been gracious. God was revealing his graciousness and plan to Faithfully. He keep his promise to his people and the angel kept going quoting from the prophet Malachi saying he meaning John will be the one to go in the spirit and power of Elijah before Christ comes like Elijah John's work would be the bring the people into right relationship with God through repentance in And for the Messiah to be revealed, he will turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children. He'll teach those who do not obey to be right with God. He will get people ready for the Lord notice the Symmetry here. I got the Last Promise of the Old Testament to the prophet Malachi was right in line with the first promise of the New Testament God's faithfulness would be seen Elizabeth would give birth to a child who would announce the Messiah and Signal the start of a new era an era that the people were longing for yearning for. So what's the application for us while I think despite God seeming silence in our lives. We need to remember this. He is always faithful to his word and we need to be intentional about daily reminding ourselves of God's faithfulness allowing this truth to provide context for every circumstance including those that include moments of fear and uncertainty. In fact, I think we need to go further and take captive every thought and every Hall of philosophy and hold it up to the truth in the light of scripture remembering that God's faithfulness leads us to Hope. Faithfulness leads us to Hope in him. This is what the Apostle Paul prayed for the Ephesians church. He prayed that God would give them a spirit of wisdom and Revelation in the knowledge of him having the eyes of their heart enlightened that they may know. What is the hope to which she is called them. The hope we're called to have is not wishful thinking it's Not Mere feelings of positivity. It's it's Complete and abiding Assurance in God who is unchanging and completely faithful to his word. Our Hope isn't circumstantial or dependent on our feelings it's not something we have to whip up in ourselves know the hope that God has called us to it transcends all that it transcends our circumstances and it indoors because it's foundation and sources the character of God that the saving work of Christ in the sanctifying work of the holy spirit in us with the intent to give God glory in every circumstance that we face Now hoping and God doesn't always come naturally for us. Then I'll be the first to admit that often. We need to preach it to ourselves like the writer of Psalm 42 who stopped in the middle of his distress in and told himself. Why are you so downcast? Oh my soul. And why are you a turmoil within me? Listen up? So stop it. Hope hope in God for I shall yet again praise him for he is my salvation Believers. Remember God's faithfulness preach it to yourself that our hope is securely anchored in the person and the work of Jesus Christ. Is a second part to this application it would be for those who would say they aren't followers of Christ. The story of Christmas shows that God is faithful to his word and Zacharias and Elizabeth long to see God's faithfulness revealed. It was in fact the deepest longing of their heart forgot to break his silence and send his Messiah the challenge for us is to carefully examine our own lives and recognize what in fact is our deepest need and whether we admit it or not. Our greatest need isn't financial. It's not Material. It's not for a human relationship. The Bible says that our greatest need is connected to our sin are breaking of God's perfect law that's been impressed Upon Our Hearts that's infected our entire lives living a spiritually dead and without any ability to revive ourselves. It's left us standing in opposition to God our holy and just Creator and we rightfully deserve his raft in judgment for our sin. Our greatest need is to be brought from Death To Life. And we may try to meet this need by manufacturing a positive outlook on life or it we're trying to do all sorts of good things and good works. But all of that falls terribly short of properly dealing with our sin and ultimately is Paul rights leaves us without hope and without God in this world. But here's the good news of the Gospel. It's the good news that Zechariah and Elizabeth son would point to his ministries the good news that we celebrate at Christmas that God being so rich in Mercy and loving us so much, even though we were spiritually dead and doomed by our sin would send his son to live the perfect and sinless life that we never could and willingly die in our place as our substitute to take on the wrath of God that our sin rightfully deserved so that we might be brought from spiritual death to spiritual life through faith in Jesus as we confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead and turn from our sin or God in in Repentance and faith in Christ. This is the challenge at Christmas for those were not yet. Believers. God has met us in our most desperate and fearful state by sending his son to be our savior to rescue us from our deepest need.

So God is Sovereign over history is faithful to keep his promises and lastly Believers. We can know the working of his mighty power in our lives after the angel delivered the message does Zechariah Zechariah First Response wasn't an immediate and a Sheard Faith know it was doubt. He said how should I know? This is true that my wife will have a baby. I am an old man and with a little more tact. He said my wife is advanced in years. His initial reaction was was an expression of doubt. I doubt in God's ability to fulfill his own words. Now maybe Zechariah should have known better. He was after all the priests and would have been really familiar with the Old Testament stories of Moses and Abraham and Sarah and how how they are physical limitations were no hindrance to God fulfilling his will but before we criticize Zechariah too much we should see this may be as an opportunity to examine our own faith. What's our response to God's word in our lives? Are we don't hesitant to fully trust in God preferring to place our confidence in ourselves, or do we know God's power at work in us who believe? Riding on this passage commentator Darrell Bock rights this he says sometimes under estimating God is as dangerous as rebelling against him. Our sin may not be a matter of doing over wrong, but it being hesitant to pursue righteousness and to trust fully in the Lord. So, how do we correct this? What is the application while I think we start by recognizing that every moment of Our Lives is lived radically dependent on God's grace scripture is clear that God is the author and sustainer of life and we don't approach him ever from a position of entitlements. That means that after our acts of our obedience Are Spiritual disciplines every good work that ought to flow from our hearts. We're still depending on God's grace for life and salvation. We can never work our position to being in God's debt thinking that he owes us something for the good stuff. We've done know every moment particularly those filled with fear and uncertainty. We remain completely dependent on God's grace and more than that. We need to remember that God is our source of power for living. The life is called is too and he wants us to know know the working of his mighty power and our lives for Zachariah has doubt showed that he was focused on his own limitations yet. God graciously gave him a sign of his powers to Gabriel Gabriel. The angel said to Zachariah. I stand in the presence of God. I was sent to speak to you and bring this good news now because you didn't believe my words you will be unable to speak until these things take place. And that's what happened Decker. I lost his speech. But even this CERN served as a sign of God's power at work for Zechariah for Elizabeth, and for the people who wondered at what was happening. For believers today God says that we can know in our fearful in our in certainty in every circumstance that that might cause doubt the incredible greatness of his power already at work enough Paul prayed this as well for the Ephesians. He said praying that God would give them the wisdom and understanding to know the riches that he had already given them the whole. Call them to the inheritance that was promised and the working of his mighty power in them a power that can't be compared with anything. That's a working us who believe a power that is the same Mighty strength that was on display when Christ was raised from the dead. Paul wasn't praying that the Ephesians would recognize their need for God's power than ask him for it. Now. He prayed that they would know that God's power was already working in them. And it's the same for us. Power at work enough is a present reality. It sustains us empowers us to live for him. He has given us the power to believe he is working on a powerfully by his holy spirit shaping US changing us into the image of his son Believers we can escape by we are clay in the hands of the Potter. And this is our comfort and Assurance particularly in times of fear and doubt that we can know that God is powerfully and graciously. I work in us and he won't stop working on it until we stand before him and Glory.

So after reading Luke story. We're left with the definite impression that all those involved were changed because of their encounter with God that day Zechariah. He was left silent Elizabeth. The scripture says returned home and she conceived and the people they were left in amazement. I got to work. I think it's the same for us who have encountered Jesus as Savior and no God's sovereignty and know his faithfulness and know the working of his mighty power we end up looking and acting discernibly different particularly in the face of fear of in doubt and uncertainty. We hunger and thirst after righteousness and we seek to walk before God blamelessly as we welcome the Holy Spirit to work in our lives to put God's glory on display in every circumstance. We daily preach to ourselves that our hope is in God. I hope that separates us from the rest of the world because it's Anchored In Jesus and displays the power of the gospel and we examine our faith and we find that is built on the foundation of God's grace and the greatness of his power at work in us who believe that same power that was on display when Christ was raised from the dead but also gloriously revealed when Jesus was born in a manger. Libras we heed the instruction to fear not because God knows what he's doing and we can live in accordance to that. I'll invite you to pray with me.

Heavenly father. I confess how easy it is for me to become fearful when faced with difficult circumstances when it appears that the life is out of control. I ask that you would help me in in others like me to not forget your Sovereign rule over all of creation that all of our times are in your hands. Help us to live each day trusting fully in youth with a new Hunger in a new thirst for righteousness and a desire to see you glorified in every circumstance. Jesus help us to remember your sacrifice and praise you for it. That's the source of Our Hope. God maybe not place our confidence anywhere else but in your toning work, holy spirit help us not to hide behind our fear, but the welcome you're working us to lead us to righteousness and away from sin and God help us to know and know your power at work in us who believe and that your grace is always sufficient for us. Bring all this in your name. Amen.