Luke 1:1-11, "When God Shows Up"

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Welcome to the October 19th sermon from Clifford Baptist Church, 635 Fletcher's Level Road in Amherst. Today's scripture is Luke, chapter one, verses one through eleven. And the sermon is entitled When God Shows up, delivered today by Pastor Jeffrey Campbell. [00:00:14] Speaker B: And his account by naming Theophilus in verse number three. And he will name him, as I said earlier, in the book of Acts as well. But he gives us three things that I want us to get before we move on, that we must understand as we open this book together. He gives us a recipient, he gives us his resources of writing, and he gives us a reason of why he writes. Now those are important things. When somebody writes a book, who are you writing to? Where did you get your information from? And as we think about the reason you write it, what are you trying to convey? So we know the recipient, Theophilus, and we really don't know anything about him other than this. In verse number three, he is addressed by Luke as the most excellent Theophilus. Do you see that? Most excellent Theophilus and some discussions. He is thought to be probably a Roman leader, a Roman ruler of some sort who had some hierarchy. Luke could have been his personal doctor. He could have been, but he is writing to this man to give him some instruction. But Theophilus name means a friend of God or a lover of God. And so as we understand who Luke is writing to, that is important as we see that Luke wants to write to this man that he knows he could have been his personal doctor. And we need to understand the resources. What do I mean by the resources? It's important to cite where you get your information from. Right? When you write a paper, you've got to do a bibliography. You've got to cite where you get your information. Well, that's exactly what Luke does here in the opening. He cites where he gets his information. Because Luke is not a firsthand account seer of what goes on his writings. Didn't happen to the year 60 AD or so is when he writes this book. And so what we see is this. He did not experience Jesus firsthand, if you will. But look there in the opening verses and you see in verse number two, it says this. Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word. So what Luke is telling us is this. I'm writing this account. I'm writing this book based on those who had a firsthand eyewitness to what Jesus has done. Even though I didn't witness it, these people did. And I am recording exactly what they saw, exactly what they've shared with me. And this is important because you know, the further you get away from the source, the wilder the stories get right. We understand that, but what Luke is telling us here is I've interviewed these people that have been with Jesus and that watched Jesus and that lived with Jesus. And I interviewed them and they have told their story. And I'm recording it for you, Theophilus, so that it will strengthen your faith. That's point number three that we're going to look at. The reason of the writing is this the reason that Luke writes? And that is found in verse number four. He says, this, Theophilus, that thou mightest know the certainty of those things wherein thou hast been instructed. So Dr. Luke is writing to Theophilus and here's what he says. Theophilus, I've interviewed those people. I'm writing it down first hand accounts of what they tell me. I'm sharing it with you that you can grow in your faith. How many in this room want to grow in their faith? All right, this is the perfect book because that's the reason Luke wrote it, so that Theophilus could grow in his understanding and his faith in Jesus Christ. And so today as we study this book, my prayer is this is that it calls us to grow in our faith. You see, Luke writes to bring clarity to Theophilus and his life and his walk with Jesus. And I want you to know, when God shows up, when God comes on scene, he brings clarity to things that we normally understand. If you will be a student of His Word through this study, it will bring clarity to maybe how you see Jesus. It will bring clarity to maybe how you live for Jesus. It will bring clarity to what you will say about Jesus. That's my prayer through this study. But we see that is the heart of why Luke writes this book. A deeper walk with the Lord. And that is my desire personally as I study now, I will tell you this. I'm already working on Christmas sermons in this book. We will get to Christmas real early this year. But here's what we need to understand. Jesus is the reason for that. Jesus is the reason that he writes this book. He wants people to, to know Jesus. Maybe you're sitting here this morning and you need clarity because you don't know Jesus. Read this book with an open mind and an open heart that the Lord will minister and speak to you. That is my prayer as we study together. So as we open this book, the first four verses are spent explaining why Luke is writing to who he is writing to and the reason behind that to bring clarity to to Theophilus and his walk with the Lord. Now we're going to jump into a very familiar story. Look at verses five through nine. There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias of the course of Abia. And his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord, blameless. And they had no child because Elizabeth was barren. And they both were now well stricken in years. And it came to pass that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course, according to the custom of the priest of the office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. Point number two. When God shows up, you will see throughout this book that God uses ordinary people. God uses ordinary people. Now, I know that you're sitting in that pew today and say, I don't know, how can God use me? You don't have to question. Maybe you question how, but you don't have to question if God wants to use you. That answer is absolutely yes, God wants to use you. You may work through your life trying to figure out how God wants to use you, but we're introduced to two old people. I didn't say it, the Bible did. Right? How many of you can relate to Elizabeth and to Zacharias that you are well stricken in age? Would you testify this morning? Oh, some of you didn't raise your hands. The Lord seen you. Here's what I want you to see. It doesn't matter how old you are. It doesn't matter your age. God can use you. And maybe you're sitting in that pew this morning and we're going to look at Zacharias and we're going to look at Elizabeth and you're going to say, how can he use old people? Here's the truth. When God shows up, he will use the those people that are faithful to him. And that's what we need to understand. We see and we are introduced to God working in a miraculous way through childbirth. And we're going to see two of those births that are miraculous. But Luke gives us the timestamp of Herod's reign and he introduces us to this older couple named Zacharias and Elizabeth. Zacharias was a priest, we're told that by Luke, but also his wife is from a priestly line. Here's the updated language. Here's the way I would translate it. They're very involved in church. They're very involved in the work of the Lord. As older people, they have been faithful to that. They're well stricken in years. They've been faithful to the Lord. And we see that on the pages of Scripture that well stricken in years means that they are advanced in age. Yes, they are, but they are still serving the Lord. Here's what we need to understand our age. We don't max out. We don't retire from what God can do with us. We continue on until he calls us home. That's my goal as a 43 year old man. I don't know what God will do with the rest of my life, but here is my heart's desire, as God will. As long as God will put breath in me. I want to serve the Lord in some capacity. It may not always be a pastor, but I want to serve my Lord. If God calls me to something different, I just want to be obedient. But right now God has me here. And those well stricken years, these are not new believers. These are the trusted believers. And I'm looking around this sanctuary today and I see a lot of young faces, but I see a lot of faces of people that have been the heart, the backbone of Clifford Baptist Church for years and years and years. You're not for God. You don't go unnoticed. You matter. And you have a responsibility before the Lord. And so today, what I hope you see from these two is they're still faithful in what the Lord has called them to do. They're faithfully serving in the work and in the house of the Lord. What else do we see? Their lives are defined in two ways, as Luke gives it to us. Look at verse number seven. It says this, and they had no child because that Elizabeth was barren. And they both were now well stricken in years. Not only are they older people, but what Luke tells us and how people define them is that they have no children. Luke points to Elizabeth being barren, that she can't have a child. And he also puts in that context that because they're well stricken in years, the hope of them having a child is beyond them. The days of childbirth are beyond. But they're still serving the Lord. Some of you have been through some hard times, some hard situations, and here's what you've done. You've continued to be faithful to the Lord and the Lord has strengthened you through those hard days. Amen. God will do that. We see this old couple, they don't have a child. They carry that burden, but they also carry the stigma and the definition that they must have done something wrong in God's eyes because God did not bless them with a child. Have you ever heard the whispers? Pastors hear whispers. The people that don't like you, that don't think you're doing a good job, that would have done something different. Maybe you've heard those same whispers. You walk out in our community. I sit yesterday I heard somebody talking all about Clifford Baptist Church. And the senior pastor was sitting right in front of them. I didn't say a word. Thankfully, it was all good things. It's amazing what happened. People talk. And the talk of the town is this. These two are faithful people, but they can't have a child. Something must be wrong. There's a sin. There's something that they have done before a holy God that God hasn't blessed them. That's what the people say. But what does God say? Look back at verse number six. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord, blameless. So the people are whispering behind their back and probably saying, these people are not faithful. Something's going wrong. They're sinful people. But here's what God says in my eyes and what I see, this couple is remarkable. They are faithful servants. And in verse number seven. Excuse me, verse number six, they are both righteous before God. They walk in the commandments and the ordinance of the Lord. Blameless. What does that word mean? Here's what that word means. That word blameless means this. There's nothing they have done to lead to verse number seven. Nothing in their power, they have done nothing to contribute to the barrenness that they are experiencing. And so what I want you to understand and see today that in the eyes of God, that's where you find your identity. That's where I find my identity. If I listen to the world or if I listen to people, I shouldn't be here. I'm not worthy, I'm not qualified. I shouldn't. But in the eyes of God, he's got a plan for your life? He's got a plan for my life. And he's got a plan for Zacharias and Elizabeth. As they continue to faithfully walk with the Lord, he will reveal to them, even in their old age, what he wants them to do with the rest of their years. And so today, when we think about ordinary people, it doesn't get any more ordinary than Zacharias and Elizabeth. Maybe today you can relate to a struggle, that you've been through something and you've prayed about it and God hasn't answered and you just keep on keeping on. That's the best thing to do. That's the best thing. Keep your hand to the plow, hold on to the Lord, focus on him and allow him to lead your days. But the world would see this couple as cursed and sinful. That's where they would define them. And yet in God's word, through the pen of Luke, we see that before God they are righteous and blameless. And so today, how are you defined? You see, when God shows up, he uses ordinary people. Most of the time he doesn't use the most qualified person. You've heard the saying, he qualifies those whom he calls. And so today when you look at your life, maybe you say, I'm ordinary. I'm just like these two people. I'm just trying to do what I need to do and I'm continuing on. I've had a bad season or years of my life, yet God is faithful. I'm still faithfully serving. But look at verses 8 and 9 here. See, it seems to say this or it seems to go this direction. It came to pass that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course, according to the custom of the priest. Excuse me, according to the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. So now we're going to zero on Zacharias. He's carrying out his priestly duties. As a priest, he was one of 18,000 people. Those 18,000 people were divided into 24 courses. In the language of the King James are divisions. And each division had to serve in the temple for two weeks during the year. And so what we see here is roughly in Zacharias Division, he's one of 750 priests. It is their duty, it is their two week duty to serve the temple and serve in that capacity. And in verse number five you see that Zacharias was of the course Abia. And in verse number eight, he is in the order of his course. So he is in that two week period, he's working in church, he's doing the Lord's work, he's faithfully serving. His division is selected to burn the incense. What in the world is that? Well, what this priest would do is he would enter the holy place. Now the holy place has another room inside of it called the Holy of holies. The priest could only go there once a year. For the atonement of the sins of the people. Only one time a year would they enter the holy of Holies. But in the holy place, the priests would go, and there was an altar there. There was a veil there, a curtain there before the Holy of Holies. And on that altar, they would burn incense to signify the prayers of God's people. So here's what's happened. We're not told if it's morning or afternoon because they did it at both times. But Zacharias is there in the temple, in the holy place the altar was set. And he's there offering incense on behalf of the people. Now remember, the holy of Holies contains the Ark of the Covenant, which is the presence of God as well. So he's in God's place, representing God's people, burning the incense to represent the prayers of God for a holy nation, for a holy people. He stands in that holy place of God, in the presence of God to make an offering to God. And here's what I need you to understand. This man, faithful, older, still, serving, stands there on behalf of the people, lighting the incense, the incense that represents their prayers. And here's the truth. His prayer hasn't been answered. He's been praying all his life. His wife, barren. All he wants is a child, an heir to his family name. And yet God is not answered. But it is his turn to stand in the place of God, to offer prayers before the people of God. As a man whose prayer hasn't been answered, God uses ordinary people as he stands there going and fulfilling his duty as a priest. I don't know if any of that ever crossed his mind. When I walked in this morning, I turned the lights on and I began to pray and say, lord, okay, we're in your place. Bring the people here that need to hear your word, God, this is your worship service today. I can imagine Zacharias lighting the incense, and it's burning. The people just standing outside the door, waiting for him to come out and give them a blessing so that they could go on with their day. And there he is, before the presence of God, before the people of God, waiting, doing what he's supposed to do. Maybe you're here today just doing what you're supposed to do and you need God to show up. Look what happens in verses 10 and 11. The whole multitude of people were praying without at the time of incense. And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. Now, verse number 10 tells us the people are Waiting on him. He's lighting the incense. They're going around. But what happens when God shows up? Point number three is this. God responds accordingly. God responds accordingly. Not to what you want, not to your desire. But God responds in his timing. And that's what this lesson this morning is teaching us. Sometimes we make a prayer and we say, okay, God, you didn't answer. And we are guilty of quitting praying. I guess God doesn't want me to have it. I can picture this old man pulling a two week duty. A once in a lifetime opportunity to be in the place of God, to light incense on behalf of all of the faithful people that are just standing outside of the door waiting for him to come out. And we see this. God shows up in the form of an angel of the Lord. We are told that that angel in verse number 11 appeared to him and he's standing on the right side of the altar of incense. So right there where Zacharias is performing his duty, the angel shows up. Now I'm not going to ask you what would happen in church if an angel showed up right now. I'm not going to ask you. But here's what I want you to understand. I never ever come to the place of God without expecting God to show up. God speak to me first. God change me first. God challenge me first. And in that place of God, we see Zacharias meet an angel of God. And that angel has a powerful message. You want to know why that angel came? You got to come back next week. But here's what I want you to understand. That angel shows up in the place of God to somebody that's been talking to God for years and has not heard a word. And this excitement of serving, I'm not going to try to put words onto the pages of Scripture, but Zacharias is probably looking at the time that he's closer to meet the Lord than the years that he has left to serve the Lord. And maybe as he stands here and says, this is the last time I might be able to do this. And God shows up, and God shows up, I want to ask you this question in your life, as we depend upon the Lord together as the people of God, prayer should be a priority in your life. And there are some things that you're trying to take care of that you're concerned with, that you're worried about, that you just need to give over to God and let him act accordingly on what he needs to do. We're reminded in Scripture that even a child with demons in Mark, chapter Number nine. We are told that this can only come forth by prayer and fasting. A healing of a demon can only happen through prayer, through the work of God. We're also told that whatsoever you desire when you pray, believe that you receive them and you shall have them. In mark, chapter number 11, first John, chapter five. This is the confidence we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, He. He heareth us. And I believe there are some things that God wants to do. There are some areas of your life that God wants to show up that he can't get there because you guard them and you don't open the door through prayer. And so today, in a moment of invitation, maybe you are a burdened soul. Maybe something's going on in your life and you just need to take that to God. If you want God to show up, invite him in, ask him to come share your heart's desire, and he will answer according to his will today, whatever that need is in your life. Here's what I want you to leave here. I don't want you to leave here today saying, God, God, you can't answer that. You've forgotten about me. Don't you dare leave this service with that attitude today. We need to leave here today knowing I've got an issue. God has it as well, and I am faithfully depending on him to take care of it for me, because he will do it. Maybe you're here today and you need a little clarity in your life. There's something going on. Maybe you're not a believer, you have some questions. Here's what I want you to understand. Jesus Christ in this book is coming to the earth as the perfect Son of God, the Lamb of God, without spot or blemish. We're going to get to that in a couple weeks. He's coming. But he came to this earth as God's plan to take on your sin and take it to a cross to die in your place that you would not have to today. He desires a relationship with you. So if you need clarity in relationship or in salvation today, don't turn to a pastor or don't turn to a priest. Turn to the Lord Church today. When we think about God showing up, we think it has to be an angel. But I'm here to tell you God will show up every day if you'll open the door. Let's pray together. Father God, thank you for this day and thank you for two older people. Dr. Luke in his heart is in his big heart and his love for people. Concentrates on two old people that seems as life has passed them by. God, thank you for these two people that will set the stage of this book that we see that love the Lord and serve the Lord, but they also need the Lord in a very special way. God, as you show up in their life, let it be a reminder how you can show up in our situations and how you can hear our prayer and how you answer our prayer according to your will and your timing. God, today if someone needs encouragement, God, I pray they will run to the altar and they will run to the throne of God. God that you will hear their prayer, that you will understand their need and God that you will answer according to your will. God for that one that needs you as Savior, I pray they do not leave this room without you. A doctor's love is that everyone knows Jesus. But I believe that is our Savior's love. He wants every person to come to him. So God, we pray that your Holy Spirit will do that work as we come before you. Lord, we're depending on you in our lives today to move in situations and through our lives that others will see the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you for meeting us here and as we stand and sing, God, I pray that you meet the people's cry. Thank you for hearing us and joining us in worship today. In Jesus name. Amen. [00:29:45] Speaker A: Clifford Baptist Church invites you to join us for worship every Sunday morning at 11aM for more information about our church, please call our church office at 434-94-605 55.