1 00:00:00,680 --> 00:00:05,960 We are going into the Advent season and from now till 2 00:00:05,960 --> 00:00:09,240 Christmas Day we will be speaking on the topic the 3 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:12,760 subject of Christmas. The title for this morning is 4 00:00:12,760 --> 00:00:16,520 Are you ready? Are you ready? 5 00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:24,920 Why is it that for many people, the closer they get to 6 00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:28,560 Christmas, the less ready they seem to appear? 7 00:00:29,120 --> 00:00:33,400 You ever noticed that? And it seems as if the day gets 8 00:00:33,400 --> 00:00:36,640 closer and then we have so much still to do in the time. 9 00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:39,840 The clock is ticking and the days are shrinking for fewer and 10 00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:42,560 fewer, and the more tense we become. 11 00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:47,480 Just go to the parking lots in the mall. 12 00:00:48,920 --> 00:00:50,960 Especially two or three days before Christmas. 13 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:55,280 I've sometimes asked people, Are you ready for Christmas? 14 00:00:55,280 --> 00:00:57,880 And they've asked me, Are you ready for Christmas? 15 00:00:57,880 --> 00:01:01,840 And so on. And this is starting to get to 16 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:04,319 me a little bit. Not in a bad way, but just it 17 00:01:04,760 --> 00:01:07,520 eats on my mind. It it to choose. 18 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:14,440 And why are we even asking that? Are we joyfully and expectedly 19 00:01:14,480 --> 00:01:18,600 waiting for Christmas? Or are we rushing frantically 20 00:01:18,600 --> 00:01:22,240 and hurriedly just trying to get ready the last few things? 21 00:01:22,520 --> 00:01:25,680 Is that how we live life? Frantically getting ready? 22 00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:29,960 Never been really ready until it's all over, And then to dump 23 00:01:29,960 --> 00:01:31,520 the whole thing and start over again? 24 00:01:32,240 --> 00:01:34,440 So much of life is spent getting ready. 25 00:01:34,440 --> 00:01:38,200 And I'm not saying we shouldn't get ready when an important 26 00:01:38,200 --> 00:01:40,080 event comes up. We need to get ready. 27 00:01:41,760 --> 00:01:44,000 But do we need to hurry getting ready? 28 00:01:44,960 --> 00:01:47,320 Does it always need to be a mad dash? 29 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:52,200 Why would we not just live ready? 30 00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:55,320 Think about that for a moment. It would seem to me that would 31 00:01:55,320 --> 00:01:58,880 make sense, right? I think Jesus lived ready. 32 00:01:59,320 --> 00:02:05,360 I think He did. I think He lived ready much more 33 00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:08,160 so than getting ready. Of course He got ready for 34 00:02:08,160 --> 00:02:09,639 certain things. We know that. 35 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:12,720 But it's a valid question. Are we ready? 36 00:02:14,040 --> 00:02:16,920 I often think of the buzz and so much activity and looks good and 37 00:02:16,920 --> 00:02:18,400 all looks great. I'm not saying we shouldn't 38 00:02:18,400 --> 00:02:20,080 decorate. Decorations look good and all. 39 00:02:20,320 --> 00:02:23,320 I'm not saying it's bad. But I think it's more a matter 40 00:02:23,320 --> 00:02:27,120 of the mind, a matter of the heart than anything else. 41 00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:31,320 Let me put it this way. I think Christmas is more about 42 00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:37,240 being than it is about doing. Yes, we're designed to do. 43 00:02:37,240 --> 00:02:40,200 We're created to do, But first we're created to be. 44 00:02:41,720 --> 00:02:44,240 We're all designed to be a reflection of God's goodness, 45 00:02:44,240 --> 00:02:47,920 his grace and mercy, and whose image bearers Genesis tells us. 46 00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:51,960 Just by being God's children, we already reflect his glory in 47 00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:55,280 some way. But we're so busy with getting 48 00:02:55,280 --> 00:02:58,400 ready, flitting here and there and forget about the being more 49 00:02:58,400 --> 00:03:01,360 than the than the doing. And again, doing is not wrong, 50 00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:06,120 but when doing replaces being, we got some things mixed up. 51 00:03:07,200 --> 00:03:09,880 When doing takes everything over and we forget about being, we 52 00:03:09,880 --> 00:03:14,240 missed the important part. Jesus warned people about being 53 00:03:14,240 --> 00:03:16,480 ready. Yeah, we do something to get 54 00:03:16,480 --> 00:03:19,840 ready, but being ready, numerous stories in the Bible, the 55 00:03:19,840 --> 00:03:23,840 servant who was told to to watch and to be ready. 56 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:28,000 The young virgins be ready. And they had to do some things 57 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:29,760 to get ready, of course, but to be ready. 58 00:03:32,120 --> 00:03:34,400 There are things in life that we're not ready for. 59 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:37,760 Let's just admit it. There are things in life that 60 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:40,640 when they happen, we're not ready, just not ready. 61 00:03:44,440 --> 00:03:46,400 And this passage that we are going to go into in a few 62 00:03:46,400 --> 00:03:50,960 minutes, his name is Zachariah. He had something happened to him 63 00:03:50,960 --> 00:03:53,120 for which he and his wife were not ready. 64 00:03:53,880 --> 00:03:57,480 Totally not. And it happens to us too 65 00:03:57,480 --> 00:04:03,080 sometimes. Maybe your person who has always 66 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:05,360 been waiting for something and you expected it and you are 67 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:09,240 ready for it never happened or you thought you were or 68 00:04:09,240 --> 00:04:11,440 something happened which you totally did not want to happen. 69 00:04:11,440 --> 00:04:16,120 Maybe an accident and an injury that impacts your whole life 70 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:21,440 from here on in, severe injury or maybe a loved 1 was taken 71 00:04:21,440 --> 00:04:24,560 from you suddenly, unexpectedly through illness or an accident. 72 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:28,960 You're not ready for that. Maybe it's economic. 73 00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:31,920 You all of a sudden lost your job or place of employment. 74 00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:34,360 Whatever the case may be, your finances went down the drain. 75 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:39,200 You're not ready for that. Wherever this morning finds you, 76 00:04:39,200 --> 00:04:42,880 in whatever circumstances you're facing today, you have to 77 00:04:42,880 --> 00:04:46,120 consider that even though you might not be able to avoid what 78 00:04:46,120 --> 00:04:48,120 happens, God is still in control. 79 00:04:48,280 --> 00:04:50,920 He's ready. He's always ready. 80 00:04:52,480 --> 00:04:55,120 But God does not tell us ahead of time what's going to come or 81 00:04:55,120 --> 00:04:56,640 what will happen, how it will affect us. 82 00:04:56,640 --> 00:04:59,800 Even sometimes He does. The story today that we're going 83 00:04:59,800 --> 00:05:02,800 to go into, He does tell this guy Zechariah, how that's going 84 00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:05,480 to affect him. He does tell him that, but 85 00:05:05,480 --> 00:05:08,840 mostly we don't get to know. But I do believe this. 86 00:05:08,840 --> 00:05:13,640 I, I do really believe this. God's interruptions in our lives 87 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:16,440 are acts of grace toward us. I really believe that sincerely. 88 00:05:17,560 --> 00:05:20,880 And even if and when God allows suffering and pain and hardship 89 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:24,880 into our lives, God sometimes disciplines us, not because He's 90 00:05:24,880 --> 00:05:28,320 want to set us straight, or He has, He has it out for us, but 91 00:05:28,680 --> 00:05:33,760 training us, moving us toward Him, graciously drawing us 92 00:05:33,800 --> 00:05:37,080 through the hardships and the good times too. 93 00:05:38,880 --> 00:05:41,800 He never tries to push us away from Him by what He allows into 94 00:05:41,800 --> 00:05:45,360 our lives. He knows what He's doing when He 95 00:05:45,360 --> 00:05:48,800 allows hardship into our lives. His desire always is for us to 96 00:05:48,800 --> 00:05:51,240 use what He allows to bring us closer to Him. 97 00:05:51,560 --> 00:05:53,960 Think of all the Saints in the Bible, all the men and women in 98 00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:58,040 the Bible who were tested and put under severe stress and 99 00:05:58,040 --> 00:06:02,240 strain, never for the purpose get away from me, but always I 100 00:06:02,240 --> 00:06:05,440 want to mold you, shape you to be ready for me. 101 00:06:06,560 --> 00:06:08,720 As I mentioned, we're in the advanced season today. 102 00:06:09,680 --> 00:06:11,440 Actually, last time it would have started, but we're starting 103 00:06:11,440 --> 00:06:13,840 this morning and we want to look at a character in the Bible 104 00:06:13,840 --> 00:06:18,040 whose life was drastically changed to one small, not small, 105 00:06:18,040 --> 00:06:21,760 but big interruption, something he totally did not expect nor 106 00:06:21,760 --> 00:06:24,320 was ready for. Never in his life would this man 107 00:06:24,320 --> 00:06:26,760 ever have dreamed that what would happen to him did happen. 108 00:06:27,040 --> 00:06:29,720 The story is found in Luke chapter one, verse 5 to 25. 109 00:06:29,880 --> 00:06:31,160 So we'll go through it this morning. 110 00:06:31,560 --> 00:06:34,040 Luke chapter one, verse 25 verse. 111 00:06:34,200 --> 00:06:37,880 We'll read the first 10 verses. For now, take your Bibles and 112 00:06:37,880 --> 00:06:39,360 we'll just read other scriptures, and I want you to 113 00:06:39,360 --> 00:06:42,080 keep your Bibles open to those passages as we dig our way 114 00:06:42,080 --> 00:06:44,480 through it. In Luke chapter one, verse 5, it 115 00:06:44,480 --> 00:06:47,720 starts this way. There was in the days of Herod, 116 00:06:47,720 --> 00:06:51,240 the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias of the 117 00:06:51,240 --> 00:06:54,760 division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of 118 00:06:54,760 --> 00:06:56,800 Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 119 00:06:57,440 --> 00:07:00,680 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the 120 00:07:00,680 --> 00:07:03,480 commandments and ordinances of the of the Lord, blameless. 121 00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:07,600 But they had no child because Elizabeth was barren and they 122 00:07:07,600 --> 00:07:09,800 were both well advanced in years. 123 00:07:10,240 --> 00:07:13,880 So it was that while he was serving as priest before God in 124 00:07:13,880 --> 00:07:16,560 the order of his division, according to the custom of the 125 00:07:16,560 --> 00:07:20,520 priesthood, his lot to to his lot failed to burn incense when 126 00:07:20,520 --> 00:07:25,440 he went into the temple of the Lord and the whole multitude of 127 00:07:25,440 --> 00:07:29,320 the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. 128 00:07:29,360 --> 00:07:31,600 We'll read further a little bit, but for let's stop here for a 129 00:07:31,600 --> 00:07:34,560 moment. Now there's a backdrop to the 130 00:07:34,560 --> 00:07:36,480 whole story that happens and this is kind of it. 131 00:07:37,640 --> 00:07:39,800 This was a worship servicing session. 132 00:07:39,800 --> 00:07:43,080 I want to shed a bit of light on the background of the story and 133 00:07:43,080 --> 00:07:45,960 highlight a few circumstances of that time. 134 00:07:46,640 --> 00:07:49,760 You see that that time was not easy for the Jews. 135 00:07:50,720 --> 00:07:54,280 They were, they were living in difficult days. 136 00:07:55,560 --> 00:08:00,360 And what we see here at the get go at the start of the story is 137 00:08:02,200 --> 00:08:04,080 Zachariah and his wife Elizabeth. 138 00:08:04,440 --> 00:08:06,480 They were faithful in difficult times. 139 00:08:06,480 --> 00:08:09,920 That's the first thing we see. But as a Jewish nation, they had 140 00:08:09,920 --> 00:08:12,000 it hard. They had to pay taxes to the 141 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:14,200 Roman government. They didn't have self governance 142 00:08:14,480 --> 00:08:16,720 under Roman rule. But in all of this, there were 143 00:08:16,720 --> 00:08:19,920 God fearing Jews. And Zechariah and Elizabeth were 144 00:08:20,200 --> 00:08:22,600 two of them. And of course there was also 145 00:08:22,600 --> 00:08:24,560 many others. And we see here there was this 146 00:08:24,560 --> 00:08:28,280 whole crowd at the temple. They were outside praying while 147 00:08:28,280 --> 00:08:31,080 Zechariah is inside doing the incense burning. 148 00:08:31,840 --> 00:08:34,159 Zechariah was faithful in hard times. 149 00:08:34,760 --> 00:08:38,039 Sometimes when life is hard a person, we get somewhat used to 150 00:08:38,039 --> 00:08:41,720 it, you know, and kind of we live in the discomfort or the 151 00:08:41,720 --> 00:08:44,640 inconveniences and then later on when it's all over and we are 152 00:08:44,800 --> 00:08:46,840 living better times, we wonder, oh, how would I ever get through 153 00:08:46,840 --> 00:08:48,800 that? Well, God must have helped us. 154 00:08:49,160 --> 00:08:52,160 And that's true. There were God fearing Jews and 155 00:08:52,320 --> 00:08:56,280 Zechariah and Elizabeth were two of those. 156 00:08:56,720 --> 00:08:58,720 The political environment wasn't good either. 157 00:08:59,120 --> 00:09:02,240 I mean, in terms of the local stuff, not just were they under 158 00:09:02,240 --> 00:09:05,320 Rome, but the local king Herod, who was the king, was not a good 159 00:09:05,320 --> 00:09:08,040 king. He was a ruler and evil man at 160 00:09:08,040 --> 00:09:10,480 that. And he tried to please Rome and 161 00:09:10,480 --> 00:09:13,520 then also kind of please the Jews and somehow get keep this 162 00:09:13,520 --> 00:09:15,320 thing together because there's always tension there. 163 00:09:15,760 --> 00:09:18,760 He was an evil man. Historians say that he was a 164 00:09:18,760 --> 00:09:22,600 tyrant. He banished his first wife, sent 165 00:09:22,600 --> 00:09:26,760 her away, married another woman, and then he became suspicion of 166 00:09:26,760 --> 00:09:28,120 a second wife and had her killed. 167 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:31,560 He executed her with her two sons that he had with her. 168 00:09:31,960 --> 00:09:35,760 Then later on his his oldest son, presumably from his first 169 00:09:35,760 --> 00:09:38,280 wife, had him executed because he didn't trust him either. 170 00:09:39,080 --> 00:09:42,880 He was the same king who tried to kill baby Jesus later on, but 171 00:09:42,880 --> 00:09:47,760 30 some years later, I mean a few years later, not 30 years 172 00:09:47,760 --> 00:09:50,040 later, a few years later, but a year later, he killed all the 173 00:09:50,040 --> 00:09:52,480 baby boys in Bethlehem to make sure he had killed Jesus, which 174 00:09:52,480 --> 00:09:54,840 of course is the story goes, Jesus was rescued when the Angel 175 00:09:54,840 --> 00:09:59,960 told Joseph to flee. So from the time that this this 176 00:09:59,960 --> 00:10:03,440 happened till the time he tried to kill baby Jesus was maybe two 177 00:10:03,440 --> 00:10:04,520 or three years or something like that. 178 00:10:05,520 --> 00:10:06,920 So the Jews had freedom of worship. 179 00:10:07,000 --> 00:10:09,800 The temple services were regularly going on faithfully. 180 00:10:10,720 --> 00:10:13,840 And all of this Zacharias served as a priest, married to his wife 181 00:10:13,840 --> 00:10:16,160 Elizabeth, Old and past child bearing years. 182 00:10:16,920 --> 00:10:21,000 A little bit about a priest. They served in groups and way 183 00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:23,920 back in the days, I think it was King David, they had organized 184 00:10:23,920 --> 00:10:26,880 the priesthood into divisions. There were many Levites and they 185 00:10:26,880 --> 00:10:30,280 served as priests. And so each division got a was 186 00:10:30,360 --> 00:10:33,440 was scheduled to serve at a certain time. 187 00:10:33,440 --> 00:10:35,480 And then a lot was cast which one of those priests would now 188 00:10:35,480 --> 00:10:40,360 do the the work, the sacrificing and incense burning and so on. 189 00:10:40,800 --> 00:10:43,880 And Zechariah's turn was this time he was on temple duty. 190 00:10:47,680 --> 00:10:51,960 Sometimes we become so focused in our hard times, we forget how 191 00:10:52,320 --> 00:10:54,760 God is trying to use us. And it just becomes about 192 00:10:55,080 --> 00:10:59,480 turning the crank and just doing church and living what we know 193 00:10:59,480 --> 00:11:01,800 is right. But there's never any real sense 194 00:11:01,800 --> 00:11:06,200 of purpose or real sense of umph or real sense of passion about 195 00:11:06,200 --> 00:11:08,000 it. And I don't I don't want to say 196 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:12,440 Zechariah was that, but in his old age, not having children, 197 00:11:12,440 --> 00:11:14,920 him and Elizabeth, we don't even know if they were together at 198 00:11:14,920 --> 00:11:16,640 the temple this time. Maybe she was at home. 199 00:11:16,640 --> 00:11:21,480 We don't even know. The verse 7 is a very hard verse 200 00:11:21,480 --> 00:11:23,840 as they had no child because Elizabeth was barren. 201 00:11:23,840 --> 00:11:26,800 They were both well advanced in years as far as they were 202 00:11:26,800 --> 00:11:29,240 concerned. They had been denied a special 203 00:11:29,240 --> 00:11:31,440 privilege in Jewish culture and Jewish tradition. 204 00:11:31,960 --> 00:11:35,920 A woman who hadn't, couldn't have a baby, was viewed as God 205 00:11:35,920 --> 00:11:39,160 has not favoured her or God has withheld from her what was would 206 00:11:39,160 --> 00:11:40,400 have been a blessing. And it would have been. 207 00:11:41,560 --> 00:11:45,120 Little did they know that life wasn't about to wrap up. 208 00:11:45,120 --> 00:11:49,360 It was about to begin. They're about to get going. 209 00:11:50,560 --> 00:11:53,440 But would they be ready for Zachariah? 210 00:11:53,440 --> 00:11:56,200 He's in the temple, and again, we don't know if Elizabeth was 211 00:11:56,200 --> 00:11:57,920 outside worshiping with the crowd or not. 212 00:11:57,920 --> 00:11:59,960 Maybe she was at home. What we do know is what 213 00:11:59,960 --> 00:12:01,360 happened. Just just picture this for a 214 00:12:01,360 --> 00:12:03,280 second. Imagine this Zacharias in the 215 00:12:03,280 --> 00:12:06,240 temple burning incense, which maybe was his first time in his 216 00:12:06,240 --> 00:12:08,920 life. We don't know because not every 217 00:12:08,920 --> 00:12:11,200 priest even got a chance once in a life according to the records. 218 00:12:11,200 --> 00:12:14,160 But he's here. He's doing his thing, burning 219 00:12:14,160 --> 00:12:18,600 incense. Let's read verse 11 to 17. 220 00:12:20,120 --> 00:12:22,440 Then an Angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the 221 00:12:22,440 --> 00:12:25,840 right side of the altar of incense, and when Zacharias saw 222 00:12:25,840 --> 00:12:29,400 him he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. 223 00:12:29,920 --> 00:12:33,320 But the Angel said to him, Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for 224 00:12:33,320 --> 00:12:36,360 your prayers heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a 225 00:12:36,360 --> 00:12:39,880 son, and you shall call his name John, and you will have joy and 226 00:12:39,880 --> 00:12:41,840 gladness. And many will rejoice at his 227 00:12:41,840 --> 00:12:44,760 birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall 228 00:12:44,760 --> 00:12:46,640 drink neither wine or strong drink. 229 00:12:46,880 --> 00:12:49,520 He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his 230 00:12:49,520 --> 00:12:52,640 mother's womb, and he will turn many of the children of Israel 231 00:12:52,640 --> 00:12:55,320 to the Lord their God. He will also go before him in 232 00:12:55,320 --> 00:12:57,720 the Spirit and the power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the 233 00:12:57,720 --> 00:13:01,560 fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the 234 00:13:01,560 --> 00:13:05,040 just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. 235 00:13:06,480 --> 00:13:07,960 He had been faithful in his work. 236 00:13:09,680 --> 00:13:12,720 You ever notice how it's the faithful Saints God picks to 237 00:13:12,720 --> 00:13:16,160 interrupt, to turn to different directions? 238 00:13:16,960 --> 00:13:19,560 That's how it often is. Next Sunday, we will hear about 239 00:13:19,560 --> 00:13:22,320 how God interrupted Mary's life. We'll go into that this morning. 240 00:13:22,760 --> 00:13:25,280 And but this morning we're into how he's interrupting 241 00:13:25,280 --> 00:13:27,160 Zachariah's life. So there's this interruption. 242 00:13:28,320 --> 00:13:31,600 Let's pay attention to what happened here and to the way the 243 00:13:31,600 --> 00:13:35,040 Angel talked to Zachariah. And God does things in the 244 00:13:35,040 --> 00:13:37,760 strangest of ways. Just reading. 245 00:13:37,760 --> 00:13:40,800 One more thing. Was there not a better time to 246 00:13:40,800 --> 00:13:44,200 have a meeting with Zachariah and share the good news with 247 00:13:44,200 --> 00:13:46,480 him? Why in the worst imaginable 248 00:13:46,480 --> 00:13:49,680 places and times of all time when he's on stage preaching A 249 00:13:49,680 --> 00:13:52,720 sermon where he wasn't on stage in the temple, But this was not 250 00:13:52,720 --> 00:13:55,800 a good time. He's busy. 251 00:13:57,480 --> 00:13:59,880 Maybe an informed, more drawn with conversation. 252 00:13:59,880 --> 00:14:01,760 He just dumped it on him, basically. 253 00:14:02,800 --> 00:14:06,200 It's good news, all right, just not good. 254 00:14:06,360 --> 00:14:09,920 Convenient timing. I mean, which old couple in our 255 00:14:09,920 --> 00:14:13,040 world today would want to hear news like that in a, in context 256 00:14:13,040 --> 00:14:16,400 like that? And yes, it was different back 257 00:14:16,400 --> 00:14:19,680 then, but nevertheless, it was a shock to Zachariah. 258 00:14:20,320 --> 00:14:24,080 No doubt his neighborhood friends in his village were 259 00:14:24,080 --> 00:14:27,400 grandfathers. In their time, they would be 260 00:14:27,400 --> 00:14:28,760 connected with their grandchildren. 261 00:14:29,200 --> 00:14:32,280 And what's happening here? Zachariah is away for an old 262 00:14:32,280 --> 00:14:34,080 couple. No children, no grandchildren. 263 00:14:34,480 --> 00:14:37,080 He's a priest. I want to say a few words about 264 00:14:37,080 --> 00:14:39,240 priests. By the way, the priests were 265 00:14:39,240 --> 00:14:42,440 Levites from the tribe of Levi, 12 tribes of Israel. 266 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:47,000 In the book of the Law, a man from the tribe of Levi was 267 00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:49,720 eligible to serve as a priest at the age of 25 until 50. 268 00:14:49,720 --> 00:14:52,080 Let's read that Numbers chapter 8, verse 23. 269 00:14:52,480 --> 00:14:54,520 Then the Lord spoke to Moses. Now this is going way back in 270 00:14:54,520 --> 00:14:56,600 the Old Testament. This is what pertains to the 271 00:14:56,600 --> 00:15:01,080 Levites from 25 years old. Above 1 and above 1 May enter to 272 00:15:01,080 --> 00:15:03,760 perform service in the work of the Tabernacle of the meeting, 273 00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:07,920 and at the age of 50 years they must cease performing this work 274 00:15:07,920 --> 00:15:10,360 and shall work no more. They may minister with their 275 00:15:10,360 --> 00:15:13,280 brethren in the Tabernacle of Meeting to attend to needs, but 276 00:15:13,280 --> 00:15:14,840 they themselves shall do no work. 277 00:15:15,080 --> 00:15:18,720 Thus you shall do to the divides regarding their duties. 278 00:15:18,960 --> 00:15:22,000 Now I will say I'm glad we don't practice it this way today. 279 00:15:22,400 --> 00:15:24,280 That would put guys like me out of work. 280 00:15:25,080 --> 00:15:28,000 And so now they they, they didn't retire by the way, maybe 281 00:15:28,000 --> 00:15:30,200 it was better than because they pensioned them off. 282 00:15:30,440 --> 00:15:32,080 They could still serve burning incense and stuff. 283 00:15:32,080 --> 00:15:34,400 They could still serve lugging the animals around, killing them 284 00:15:34,400 --> 00:15:36,640 and butchering them. That was not their job anymore. 285 00:15:36,640 --> 00:15:39,160 At age 50, that ended, but they still could serve. 286 00:15:39,280 --> 00:15:42,360 It's very interesting how this all how the system work in the 287 00:15:42,360 --> 00:15:44,960 Old Testament. So here's old retired Zechariah. 288 00:15:45,240 --> 00:15:47,160 He's in the temple burning incense. 289 00:15:47,240 --> 00:15:50,080 Not exactly a hard task. We don't know exactly how old he 290 00:15:50,080 --> 00:15:53,480 was, but old enough that to have a baby was would take a miracle. 291 00:15:54,080 --> 00:15:57,120 So in this lesson, Zacharias's neighbors or grandparents, he's 292 00:15:57,120 --> 00:15:58,680 for the first time you're going to be a new dad. 293 00:15:58,760 --> 00:16:02,120 Imagine that. Any 70 plus year olds who would 294 00:16:02,120 --> 00:16:05,400 love to just be a brand new dad. I can't imagine. 295 00:16:08,040 --> 00:16:10,440 But again, we must remember in those days, raising children was 296 00:16:10,440 --> 00:16:11,720 viewed different than in our day. 297 00:16:12,800 --> 00:16:15,840 And how did Zacharias react? Well, let's pause again, Verse 298 00:16:15,840 --> 00:16:17,680 12. When Zacharias saw him, he was 299 00:16:17,680 --> 00:16:21,400 troubled, fearful upon. Well, yeah, His reaction is 300 00:16:21,400 --> 00:16:23,600 fear. We can imagine where his mind 301 00:16:23,600 --> 00:16:26,480 was. He's an old man doing his duty, 302 00:16:26,480 --> 00:16:28,360 burning incense, an Angel standing there. 303 00:16:28,360 --> 00:16:31,360 This is not expected. And this interruption was not 304 00:16:31,360 --> 00:16:32,840 for nothing. It happened for a specific 305 00:16:32,840 --> 00:16:34,840 purpose. He had been and was a faithful 306 00:16:34,840 --> 00:16:36,240 man. He gets interrupted. 307 00:16:36,520 --> 00:16:38,000 This interruption comes with a calling. 308 00:16:40,720 --> 00:16:43,560 He's going to be a dad. Angel says don't be afraid. 309 00:16:43,560 --> 00:16:45,400 Your prayers heard. Your wife, Elizabeth will bear 310 00:16:45,440 --> 00:16:46,880 you a son. You should call his name John. 311 00:16:47,280 --> 00:16:49,680 You'll have joy and gladness. Many will rejoice at his birth. 312 00:16:50,560 --> 00:16:53,160 I think he's probably just just, this is too much to take in. 313 00:16:53,160 --> 00:16:55,920 But it's happening. And it's like, what prayer? 314 00:16:55,920 --> 00:16:59,640 Well, the one you prayed 45 years ago and your first years 315 00:16:59,640 --> 00:17:01,960 of marriage. I wonder if he was still praying 316 00:17:01,960 --> 00:17:03,400 that prayer. Had he given up by now? 317 00:17:03,400 --> 00:17:06,680 We're not told. It's always a good thing to get 318 00:17:06,680 --> 00:17:09,319 an answer for prayer, right? Provided the timing is right, 319 00:17:09,319 --> 00:17:11,319 Right. He had prayed. 320 00:17:11,359 --> 00:17:14,280 It just never happened until now, way past their 321 00:17:14,280 --> 00:17:16,280 expectations. Now it's going to happen. 322 00:17:16,720 --> 00:17:19,560 The Angel gives this man a lot of detail. 323 00:17:19,880 --> 00:17:23,800 I'm not saying it's I'm jealous, but hey, what parent wouldn't 324 00:17:23,800 --> 00:17:26,160 like to know the fortunes and blessings their child would 325 00:17:26,160 --> 00:17:30,000 bring to the world? And God gives this man a 326 00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:33,920 boatload of information about this boy they're going to have. 327 00:17:35,080 --> 00:17:37,400 When we have children as parents, we don't have anything. 328 00:17:38,200 --> 00:17:39,600 We don't know what they're going to be. 329 00:17:40,440 --> 00:17:41,800 We don't even know what to name them. 330 00:17:41,800 --> 00:17:45,880 We got a name in everything. He got them almost like a manual 331 00:17:45,880 --> 00:17:49,880 with him. What he doesn't mention is how 332 00:17:49,880 --> 00:17:51,600 John was called John the Baptist. 333 00:17:51,600 --> 00:17:53,160 What doesn't mention is how he's going to end. 334 00:17:53,160 --> 00:17:54,400 We know how he ends. Life ends. 335 00:17:54,400 --> 00:17:57,640 Not not good, but by no, no doubt by that time, Zacharias 336 00:17:57,640 --> 00:18:00,360 and Elizabeth are long gone. And so when John dies in prison, 337 00:18:00,520 --> 00:18:02,200 that's a whole nother story for another time. 338 00:18:03,640 --> 00:18:06,320 The Angel picked out the name tells him what the work will be 339 00:18:06,320 --> 00:18:08,200 he'll be doing. He'll filled with Holy Spirit. 340 00:18:08,720 --> 00:18:11,040 I won't spend time on that this morning due to time constraints, 341 00:18:11,040 --> 00:18:13,960 but it's a good story. But one thing that sticks out 342 00:18:13,960 --> 00:18:15,800 there is going to be joy and gladness. 343 00:18:16,080 --> 00:18:20,240 It's beautiful. And he's going to be a leader 344 00:18:20,440 --> 00:18:22,960 and he's going to do this in the power and spirit of Elijah. 345 00:18:22,960 --> 00:18:25,760 Now, Elijah was a hero. If somebody would say, well, 346 00:18:25,760 --> 00:18:29,800 your son will be in the steps of so and so, some ancient, famous, 347 00:18:29,800 --> 00:18:32,240 well known, highly respected hero, wow. 348 00:18:32,240 --> 00:18:36,480 That would be shoulder tapping, shoulder padding experience. 349 00:18:37,800 --> 00:18:39,880 As I was thinking about the story, the thought crossed my 350 00:18:39,880 --> 00:18:41,960 mind. I wonder how is the incest 351 00:18:41,960 --> 00:18:44,160 burning happening while all this is going on? 352 00:18:44,600 --> 00:18:48,120 Was he even paying attention? But either way, it didn't really 353 00:18:48,120 --> 00:18:50,280 matter. God had interrupted the whole 354 00:18:50,280 --> 00:18:53,920 proceeding. See, in our lives we may never 355 00:18:53,920 --> 00:18:57,360 be given news like Zechariah received, and in a way that he 356 00:18:57,360 --> 00:18:59,680 received it. But it doesn't mean that God 357 00:18:59,680 --> 00:19:01,120 does not want to use us for his Kingdom. 358 00:19:01,360 --> 00:19:03,200 He still want to use us. He still wants to. 359 00:19:04,320 --> 00:19:07,160 He still called us to embrace the challenges we face from our 360 00:19:07,160 --> 00:19:09,880 vantage point that anything with God is possible. 361 00:19:11,200 --> 00:19:14,640 There are times in life we pray and pray and pray. 362 00:19:14,640 --> 00:19:19,200 Nothing happens. It seems as nothing happens and 363 00:19:19,200 --> 00:19:24,040 yet God is at work, may be different than we expected, and 364 00:19:24,040 --> 00:19:26,320 it may happen in a way that humanly speaking, we say it 365 00:19:26,320 --> 00:19:28,480 doesn't make sense, this shouldn't be this way, and it's 366 00:19:28,480 --> 00:19:31,520 a God thing. Sometimes God specialises in 367 00:19:31,520 --> 00:19:33,320 answering prayers in ways that, humanly speaking, are 368 00:19:33,320 --> 00:19:37,080 impossible. So we have to give the credit to 369 00:19:37,080 --> 00:19:40,440 him. The problem is not God when it 370 00:19:40,440 --> 00:19:43,480 comes to answering our prayers. The problem is our lack of 371 00:19:44,480 --> 00:19:47,560 commitment or our lack of surrender or lack of trust or 372 00:19:47,560 --> 00:19:51,880 lack of faith. And how does how does that right 373 00:19:51,880 --> 00:19:54,400 respond? Oh yes, finally, finally. 374 00:19:54,400 --> 00:19:56,600 No, it's not what he does, not what he does. 375 00:19:56,600 --> 00:20:01,080 Let's read verse 18 to 20. And Zechariah said to the Angel, 376 00:20:01,440 --> 00:20:04,440 How shall I know this? I'm an old man, my wife has well 377 00:20:04,440 --> 00:20:08,000 advanced in years. The Angel answered and said to 378 00:20:08,000 --> 00:20:10,920 him, I'm Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was 379 00:20:10,920 --> 00:20:13,440 sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. 380 00:20:13,440 --> 00:20:17,080 But behold, you'll be mute and not able to speak until the day 381 00:20:17,080 --> 00:20:19,840 these things take place, because you did not believe my words, 382 00:20:19,840 --> 00:20:22,760 which will be fulfilled in their own time. 383 00:20:26,680 --> 00:20:30,040 If you pay attention to people and listen how they respond in a 384 00:20:30,040 --> 00:20:33,280 conversation, it's interesting when listening, how do people 385 00:20:33,280 --> 00:20:35,880 respond? The Bible says out of the 386 00:20:35,880 --> 00:20:38,040 abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. 387 00:20:38,760 --> 00:20:42,200 And Zacharias at this point spoke out of the abundance of 388 00:20:42,200 --> 00:20:45,480 his heart as well, and he sees an obstacle. 389 00:20:47,400 --> 00:20:51,440 He sees an obstacle. Now this was never God's plan 390 00:20:51,440 --> 00:20:54,160 for him. I don't believe that he's going 391 00:20:54,160 --> 00:20:57,480 to bless him with a baby boy, give him the name, gives him the 392 00:20:57,480 --> 00:20:59,560 job description, gives him what, By the way, also what he 393 00:20:59,560 --> 00:21:03,920 shouldn't eat, not wine, drink wine or strong drinks, gets all 394 00:21:03,920 --> 00:21:08,000 mapped out. And this obstacle is not of God. 395 00:21:08,360 --> 00:21:10,960 It's something Zachariah does, and he's not ready. 396 00:21:12,080 --> 00:21:16,320 How often is that not the case? You know, we can't get something 397 00:21:16,320 --> 00:21:18,320 through our minds because humanly speaking, there's a 398 00:21:18,320 --> 00:21:19,760 barrier. And the barrier is ours, not 399 00:21:19,760 --> 00:21:22,360 God's. When the Angel first met 400 00:21:22,360 --> 00:21:26,760 Zachariah, Zechariah surprised and fearful now with the news 401 00:21:26,760 --> 00:21:29,160 from the Angel that they would have a baby, Zechariah does some 402 00:21:29,160 --> 00:21:35,480 thinking and he doesn't believe. And I, I want to say let's not 403 00:21:35,480 --> 00:21:37,880 be too hard on Zechariah because I think I would have done the 404 00:21:37,880 --> 00:21:39,320 same thing if I was in his shoes. 405 00:21:40,840 --> 00:21:42,760 And so he wants to help the Angel out a little bit. 406 00:21:42,760 --> 00:21:47,160 He wants to give him some, some, some information that the Angel 407 00:21:47,160 --> 00:21:51,160 may have forgotten. He says I'm old, so is my wife. 408 00:21:52,240 --> 00:21:54,200 The Angel says, Oh yeah, I forgot about that, didn't I? 409 00:21:54,640 --> 00:21:57,240 It's not what happens. It's not what happens. 410 00:21:57,600 --> 00:22:01,280 God does not read reminding in our relationship with Him where 411 00:22:01,280 --> 00:22:03,640 there's obstacles. The obstacles are ours, not his. 412 00:22:04,400 --> 00:22:07,120 Many times in Scripture we read prayers where the person says 413 00:22:07,120 --> 00:22:09,280 Lord remember, look and remember, and God does not mind 414 00:22:09,280 --> 00:22:11,240 us praying that. But from what perspective? 415 00:22:11,240 --> 00:22:14,320 In this case, Zachariah wants the facts. 416 00:22:15,520 --> 00:22:17,160 I don't know how this is going to work. 417 00:22:17,240 --> 00:22:20,160 Explanations. Imagine you being a parent, your 418 00:22:20,160 --> 00:22:24,640 little 3 year old wanting you to give them a detailed fact by 419 00:22:24,640 --> 00:22:27,880 fact, detailed explanation of everything you're doing. 420 00:22:27,960 --> 00:22:31,680 You'll say just trust me because they're too small, too young, 421 00:22:31,680 --> 00:22:35,240 too inexperienced to know. Sometimes we do that to God a 422 00:22:35,240 --> 00:22:38,920 little bit and then we need to ask who do we think we are? 423 00:22:39,760 --> 00:22:42,120 Zacharias says. How will I know this since see, 424 00:22:42,120 --> 00:22:43,680 I'm an old man, my wife is old too. 425 00:22:45,440 --> 00:22:51,240 What does Zacharias get? He gets disciplined in a very 426 00:22:51,240 --> 00:22:54,120 interesting way. I find this humorous, actually. 427 00:22:55,160 --> 00:22:57,920 There, in the middle of his temple service, burning incense, 428 00:22:58,200 --> 00:23:04,040 Zach gets his voice turned off. Not just the volume turned down, 429 00:23:04,040 --> 00:23:06,360 it's off. No connection. 430 00:23:06,840 --> 00:23:09,120 No more talking, no more speaking until this would happen 431 00:23:09,120 --> 00:23:14,240 as the Angel had prophesied for a priest in that day, for a 432 00:23:14,240 --> 00:23:17,920 pastor in our day, not being able to talk is a huge deal. 433 00:23:19,640 --> 00:23:21,880 The one thing that's very important for a priest, there's 434 00:23:21,880 --> 00:23:23,880 others, but the one thing that's very important is being able to 435 00:23:23,880 --> 00:23:27,200 talk. He just lost that ability would 436 00:23:27,200 --> 00:23:31,720 last nine months. Well, the people are outside 437 00:23:31,720 --> 00:23:33,520 waiting while all this is going on inside. 438 00:23:33,520 --> 00:23:36,040 And we do not know how long this all lasts, but long enough 439 00:23:36,200 --> 00:23:40,160 beyond the normal time. It says they marvelled that he's 440 00:23:40,160 --> 00:23:42,320 lingering so long in the temple. They're thinking, what's he 441 00:23:42,320 --> 00:23:44,600 doing in there? What's taking so long? 442 00:23:44,600 --> 00:23:47,640 Let's read on verse 21. And the people waited for 443 00:23:47,640 --> 00:23:51,200 Zacharias and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple. 444 00:23:51,400 --> 00:23:53,720 But when he came out, he could not speak to them. 445 00:23:53,880 --> 00:23:56,400 And they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for 446 00:23:56,400 --> 00:23:59,520 he beckoned to them and remained speechless. 447 00:24:02,120 --> 00:24:04,920 The worship service that had begun and who knows when, turned 448 00:24:04,920 --> 00:24:07,600 out completely different than any normal worship service had 449 00:24:07,600 --> 00:24:11,400 been up to that time. Zachariah had not known when he 450 00:24:11,400 --> 00:24:16,680 walked into the temple he would come out zip a speech impediment 451 00:24:17,200 --> 00:24:19,600 that would now last for the next nine months or longer. 452 00:24:21,440 --> 00:24:25,760 I don't know about Zachariah, but it seems to me he might have 453 00:24:25,760 --> 00:24:28,120 thought, and I think I might have thought, well, this miracle 454 00:24:28,120 --> 00:24:29,840 better work because I'm done for her. 455 00:24:31,720 --> 00:24:34,960 I can't talk anymore. He comes out of the temple, He's 456 00:24:34,960 --> 00:24:36,640 different. He doesn't say a word. 457 00:24:37,200 --> 00:24:38,560 He can't. He's trying. 458 00:24:38,720 --> 00:24:42,000 Mouth is going. And then he starts using sign 459 00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:45,840 language and they figure, hey, what's with him? 460 00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:47,720 He's must have seen a vision or something. 461 00:24:48,080 --> 00:24:49,800 And he had much more than a vision. 462 00:24:49,920 --> 00:24:53,800 He'd been interrupted as never before and would never be again. 463 00:24:54,760 --> 00:24:58,720 This news was a lot to take in. But the fact that he had not 464 00:24:58,720 --> 00:25:02,640 believed that that this would happen 'cause God to shut him 465 00:25:02,640 --> 00:25:06,240 up. I'm thankful today that God does 466 00:25:06,240 --> 00:25:08,080 not shut us up. Every time we don't believe, 467 00:25:09,640 --> 00:25:14,240 think about how silent it would be if every time our faith 468 00:25:14,240 --> 00:25:17,200 failed and we and God would say, OK, you know what, until this 469 00:25:17,200 --> 00:25:18,480 happens, you're going to be quiet. 470 00:25:18,840 --> 00:25:22,960 He would shut us up so many times, at least me, I'm glad he 471 00:25:22,960 --> 00:25:26,080 doesn't do that. But this is how Zachariah had to 472 00:25:26,080 --> 00:25:28,600 learn a lesson. If our level of faith was the 473 00:25:28,600 --> 00:25:31,720 benchmark of how God would allow us to walk and talk, many of us 474 00:25:31,720 --> 00:25:34,320 would spend most of our lives silent and we would be doing 475 00:25:34,320 --> 00:25:36,440 sign language or now we have texting. 476 00:25:37,240 --> 00:25:39,520 Zachariah filled his days of service in the temple. 477 00:25:39,840 --> 00:25:41,840 Then he left for home. Verse 23. 478 00:25:43,360 --> 00:25:46,000 So it was as soon as the days of his service were completed that 479 00:25:46,000 --> 00:25:49,200 he departed to his own house. Now after those days, his wife 480 00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:52,440 Elizabeth conceived and she hid herself five months saying, thus 481 00:25:52,440 --> 00:25:56,080 the Lord has dealt with me in the days when he looked on me to 482 00:25:56,080 --> 00:25:58,920 take away my reproach among people. 483 00:25:58,920 --> 00:26:02,160 There you have it. That's how it was viewed as not 484 00:26:02,160 --> 00:26:06,560 being able to have a baby reproach, I think. 485 00:26:06,560 --> 00:26:10,560 Zachariah hurried home from that event from the temple services 486 00:26:11,640 --> 00:26:15,360 and used the notepad to scribble things because he couldn't talk. 487 00:26:16,320 --> 00:26:17,960 Well, the unexpected blessing came. 488 00:26:19,080 --> 00:26:22,360 What Elizabeth had wanted for years, hope for, prayed for, and 489 00:26:22,360 --> 00:26:25,720 wanted now happened. She was expecting a child. 490 00:26:26,680 --> 00:26:28,680 It was special in that it was a miracle. 491 00:26:29,800 --> 00:26:32,840 But I want to say this morning, isn't all of life a miracle? 492 00:26:34,920 --> 00:26:36,520 Too often we just take it for granted. 493 00:26:36,600 --> 00:26:39,360 The fact that we're alive, that we breathe, that we're human 494 00:26:39,360 --> 00:26:42,680 beings, conscious and conscious aware, and those things have, 495 00:26:42,800 --> 00:26:45,560 have, can reason and think that's a miracle. 496 00:26:46,560 --> 00:26:49,040 We take it for granted. There's so much stuff we don't 497 00:26:49,040 --> 00:26:52,320 even know. We know actually very little, 498 00:26:52,320 --> 00:26:54,400 almost nothing in comparison to what there is to know. 499 00:26:55,720 --> 00:26:57,760 In this case, God worked a miracle in the life of this 500 00:26:57,760 --> 00:27:00,280 couple. Then we I won't go into it this 501 00:27:00,280 --> 00:27:06,080 morning for the sake of time, but we find later in the chapter 502 00:27:06,360 --> 00:27:09,800 how the baby was born, the neighbors rejoiced and they 503 00:27:09,800 --> 00:27:14,040 hadn't circumcised and so on and and people wanted to know what's 504 00:27:14,040 --> 00:27:15,880 his name going to be? And Elizabeth says he'll be 505 00:27:15,880 --> 00:27:20,320 John. The people are surprised and and 506 00:27:20,320 --> 00:27:23,240 then John Zachariah emotions for a tablet and they give him a 507 00:27:23,240 --> 00:27:24,800 table. He scribbles his name is John. 508 00:27:24,800 --> 00:27:26,600 And at that point in time he can talk again. 509 00:27:26,600 --> 00:27:29,120 And then in the last part of Luke chapter one, we have the 510 00:27:29,200 --> 00:27:33,000 prophecy, how he glorifies God and what God has done for him. 511 00:27:35,440 --> 00:27:38,760 God had interrupted this couple's life by answering a 512 00:27:38,760 --> 00:27:42,120 long delayed prayer request. And what he had for them was far 513 00:27:42,120 --> 00:27:45,200 better or far more significant than if they had been an 514 00:27:45,200 --> 00:27:48,280 ordinary couple. They had joy. 515 00:27:48,280 --> 00:27:50,880 God had given them a calling, even though Zechariah had a 516 00:27:50,880 --> 00:27:53,240 struggle as God was gracious to him, is faithful to him. 517 00:27:54,040 --> 00:28:00,560 Too often, you see, when we read stories like these, we love 518 00:28:00,560 --> 00:28:02,160 these stories and think they're good stories. 519 00:28:02,160 --> 00:28:04,880 And they are. But I want us to go further this 520 00:28:04,880 --> 00:28:08,920 morning. How does this story today 521 00:28:09,440 --> 00:28:14,680 connect tomorrow to December 8th to next week? 522 00:28:16,080 --> 00:28:19,240 What difference does it make for us? 523 00:28:21,360 --> 00:28:23,400 No, we're not Zachariah nor Elizabeth. 524 00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:28,280 We're not the couple. But I dare say that God is just 525 00:28:28,280 --> 00:28:32,720 as interested in US, just as keenly focused on us, as He was 526 00:28:32,720 --> 00:28:35,280 on that couple. Whether we're individuals or 527 00:28:35,280 --> 00:28:37,560 married or single, old or young, makes no difference. 528 00:28:38,160 --> 00:28:40,520 The question we have to ask, are we ready? 529 00:28:42,840 --> 00:28:46,720 So how can you be ready for Christmas? 530 00:28:46,960 --> 00:28:49,000 And not just Christmas, but just be ready. 531 00:28:49,760 --> 00:28:52,080 The answer is surprisingly simple. 532 00:28:52,680 --> 00:28:57,000 I'm not saying easy. I'm not saying convenient, but 533 00:28:57,000 --> 00:28:59,520 simple. We can live ready. 534 00:29:00,080 --> 00:29:03,240 There's a story that's been told and published and written in 535 00:29:03,240 --> 00:29:06,520 various forms and, and many of you've read it over the years 536 00:29:06,520 --> 00:29:09,240 and numerous times I'm sure I've read it. 537 00:29:09,360 --> 00:29:11,920 It's an old story written, I think way back in Russia many 538 00:29:11,920 --> 00:29:17,720 years, kind of a parable. But the old cobbler, and I want 539 00:29:17,720 --> 00:29:21,000 to use that story this morning to illustrate a point. 540 00:29:21,000 --> 00:29:26,240 The story is told of a certain town that lived in old cobbler 541 00:29:26,240 --> 00:29:29,720 Shoemaker in a tiny one bedroom apartment with one window which 542 00:29:29,720 --> 00:29:33,040 looked at him toward the street. And he'd been a good man all his 543 00:29:33,040 --> 00:29:36,280 life, but in his old age he'd fallen into despair because his 544 00:29:36,280 --> 00:29:40,000 wife and his children had died and he was alone and was a 545 00:29:40,000 --> 00:29:42,000 Shoemaker by trade and kept making shoes. 546 00:29:42,000 --> 00:29:44,920 One day an old man from a monastery stopped by and visited 547 00:29:44,920 --> 00:29:48,080 him and told him he needs to stop grieving and to live for 548 00:29:48,080 --> 00:29:50,960 God, telling him to read the gospels until he taught him to 549 00:29:50,960 --> 00:29:53,680 learn how. And the cobbler bought a New 550 00:29:53,680 --> 00:29:55,960 Testament and began to read it every evening. 551 00:29:56,520 --> 00:30:00,960 The more he read, the clearer he understood that God required 552 00:30:00,960 --> 00:30:03,360 this of him and his heart grew lighter. 553 00:30:03,920 --> 00:30:06,760 One night as he was reading late, he read the story of where 554 00:30:07,200 --> 00:30:11,360 Jesus invited to the Pharisees house and with a meet for a 555 00:30:11,360 --> 00:30:13,960 meal. And a woman comes in and she's a 556 00:30:14,760 --> 00:30:16,680 interesting woman, at least say the least. 557 00:30:17,240 --> 00:30:21,080 She comes to Jesus kneels down and is weeping and washing Jesus 558 00:30:21,080 --> 00:30:24,160 feet with his her tears and and not pouring ointment over them, 559 00:30:24,160 --> 00:30:26,280 kissing them, drying them with her hair and so on. 560 00:30:26,280 --> 00:30:27,640 This fairies things. Who is he? 561 00:30:27,640 --> 00:30:29,960 He would know that this is a not a good woman. 562 00:30:30,720 --> 00:30:34,040 And then Jesus to the Pharisee, Hey, I came to your house. 563 00:30:34,200 --> 00:30:37,640 You didn't kiss me, you didn't wash my feet, you didn't anoint 564 00:30:37,640 --> 00:30:41,240 my head and and so on the Cobblers reading that story and 565 00:30:41,240 --> 00:30:46,600 he says I think I'm that man. I'm more concerned about my 566 00:30:46,600 --> 00:30:49,000 convenience and comfort than about my guests. 567 00:30:50,120 --> 00:30:53,400 And if the Lord came to me, what, what would I have done? 568 00:30:53,720 --> 00:30:56,200 He's thinking this and suddenly the cobbler hears a voice and 569 00:30:56,200 --> 00:31:00,000 says Call, we'll call him Martin, says Martin, look into 570 00:31:00,000 --> 00:31:01,920 the street tomorrow if I'm coming to visit you. 571 00:31:04,760 --> 00:31:07,520 The the version I read called this guy Martin. 572 00:31:07,720 --> 00:31:09,840 So old. Martin roused himself from the 573 00:31:09,840 --> 00:31:12,160 chair and rubbed his eyes and couldn't tell where they heard 574 00:31:12,160 --> 00:31:13,840 these words. Or was he dreaming or something? 575 00:31:14,280 --> 00:31:15,320 But his heart was filled with joy. 576 00:31:15,320 --> 00:31:17,560 The next morning he rose early and lit his stove and prepared 577 00:31:17,560 --> 00:31:20,320 some food and put water in the kettle, put on his apron, sat by 578 00:31:20,320 --> 00:31:22,160 the window to work, and kept watching the street, looking 579 00:31:22,160 --> 00:31:25,560 more and more. He soon saw a shabby old looking 580 00:31:25,560 --> 00:31:28,200 soldier pass by, and he was busy clearing the snow from the 581 00:31:28,200 --> 00:31:31,680 sidewalk, and poor fellow Martin thinks he must be half frozen. 582 00:31:31,680 --> 00:31:33,520 He opens the door and called. Hey, come on, man, warm yourself 583 00:31:33,520 --> 00:31:35,320 and drink some. Drink something hot. 584 00:31:36,120 --> 00:31:39,600 The man gratefully accepts and Martin gives him some food and 585 00:31:39,880 --> 00:31:44,160 to eat and tea to drink and, and tells me about the gospel and 586 00:31:44,720 --> 00:31:48,040 the sword of thanks him and leaves again and he's gone and 587 00:31:49,160 --> 00:31:53,920 and Martin turns to his window and keeps working away and 588 00:31:53,920 --> 00:31:55,600 watching anxious, thinking the Lord is coming. 589 00:31:55,680 --> 00:31:59,720 He still hasn't come. I only saw this old soldier have 590 00:31:59,720 --> 00:32:01,680 done nothing but give him something to eat and to drink. 591 00:32:02,120 --> 00:32:03,960 An hour later sees a young woman passing by. 592 00:32:03,960 --> 00:32:05,960 She's pretty, dressed in thin summer clothes and carrying a 593 00:32:05,960 --> 00:32:09,320 little baby wrapped in rags, and she paused wearily under the 594 00:32:09,320 --> 00:32:11,440 shelter of his doorway and opens the door. 595 00:32:11,440 --> 00:32:13,960 Come in, poor thing, he says, warm yourself while you rest. 596 00:32:14,160 --> 00:32:16,600 She comes in, explains she's going to the hospital, she's ill 597 00:32:16,600 --> 00:32:19,600 and has has no one to take care of her for her baby. 598 00:32:19,600 --> 00:32:22,760 And so he gives her some milk and bread and notice the baby 599 00:32:22,760 --> 00:32:25,960 has no warm clothes, takes care of her and young mother's eyes 600 00:32:25,960 --> 00:32:27,880 filled with tears. May God reward you, kind man, 601 00:32:27,880 --> 00:32:30,800 she says, and she leaves again. She leaves and off she goes and 602 00:32:31,440 --> 00:32:33,640 the cobbler takes his place at the window again and it's the 603 00:32:33,640 --> 00:32:35,440 afternoon. He's growing weary and he sees 604 00:32:35,440 --> 00:32:38,880 him old woman selling apples from a basket. 605 00:32:38,880 --> 00:32:41,480 And a small boy darts from around the corner, quickly 606 00:32:41,480 --> 00:32:44,280 snatches an apple from her basket, and she grabs him by the 607 00:32:44,280 --> 00:32:46,400 arm and holds fast to him. And he's crying and trying to 608 00:32:46,400 --> 00:32:48,840 pull away. And he rushes out the door and 609 00:32:48,840 --> 00:32:51,560 separates the two and asks the woman to forgive the boy. 610 00:32:51,560 --> 00:32:54,640 And she says he ought to be whipped and he ought to be 611 00:32:54,640 --> 00:32:56,760 taught a lesson. He says, but God's custom is to 612 00:32:56,760 --> 00:32:58,360 forgive. We ought to forgive her, else we 613 00:32:58,360 --> 00:33:00,600 may not be forgiven. If he's whipped, he'll turn out 614 00:33:00,600 --> 00:33:01,840 worse. If he's forgiven, he'll remember 615 00:33:01,840 --> 00:33:05,240 that the woman let the boy go and the cobbler gave her some 616 00:33:05,240 --> 00:33:07,400 money and for the stolen app. When the boy begins to weep in 617 00:33:07,400 --> 00:33:09,720 shame, and he takes the boy inside and takes care of him and 618 00:33:09,720 --> 00:33:13,080 then he sends him home and night falls and the cobbler sits down 619 00:33:13,080 --> 00:33:15,640 and feels disappointed and he doesn't come. 620 00:33:16,800 --> 00:33:19,360 He says, I did hope, but have not have not seen him. 621 00:33:21,880 --> 00:33:24,880 Suddenly he feels a presence in the room in a voice whispers in 622 00:33:24,880 --> 00:33:27,160 here, hey Martin, Martin did you not know me? 623 00:33:27,960 --> 00:33:31,080 From the corner of the old soldier steps forward and smiles 624 00:33:31,080 --> 00:33:35,320 and then got and then he's gone. The voice whispers again, 625 00:33:35,320 --> 00:33:36,680 Martin, Martin did you not know me? 626 00:33:37,040 --> 00:33:38,880 The woman and the baby appeared and she smiled. 627 00:33:38,880 --> 00:33:41,480 The baby laughs and they too disappear and the voice whispers 628 00:33:41,480 --> 00:33:42,960 1/3 time Martin did you not know me? 629 00:33:43,440 --> 00:33:45,080 The apple woman and the boys stand before him. 630 00:33:45,080 --> 00:33:51,520 They smile and the two vanish. And his heart's filled with 631 00:33:51,520 --> 00:33:54,520 glorious light, and he hears the voice repeating the gospels he 632 00:33:55,440 --> 00:33:58,560 had read the night before. And and he says, I was hungry, 633 00:33:58,560 --> 00:34:05,120 and you gave me. Something to eat. 634 00:34:08,760 --> 00:34:10,400 I was thirsty, gave me something to drink. 635 00:34:13,239 --> 00:34:14,719 I was a stranger. He took me in. 636 00:34:22,760 --> 00:34:27,840 He understood. His guest had come and he 637 00:34:27,840 --> 00:34:29,639 remembered the words of Jesus. As much as you've done it to the 638 00:34:29,639 --> 00:34:30,880 least of these, you've done it to me. 639 00:34:31,679 --> 00:34:34,199 Of course, it's just a parable, just illustration, but has a 640 00:34:34,199 --> 00:34:36,719 point. The point and the question is, 641 00:34:37,280 --> 00:34:42,280 Are you ready? We're in the advanced season 642 00:34:42,360 --> 00:34:44,480 with all the opportunities around us that we need to 643 00:34:44,480 --> 00:34:48,520 demonstrate the love of Christ. There's plenty of needs around 644 00:34:48,520 --> 00:34:51,600 us everywhere. Can we honestly say we're ready? 645 00:34:52,199 --> 00:34:55,560 You see, we're only ready when we left out the calling. 646 00:35:01,170 --> 00:35:05,760 Are you ready? I read a quote many years ago. 647 00:35:05,760 --> 00:35:07,960 It goes like this. We love Jesus only as much as 648 00:35:07,960 --> 00:35:10,280 the one we love the least. And that's how ready we only 649 00:35:10,280 --> 00:35:13,680 are. So let's do more than just busy 650 00:35:13,680 --> 00:35:16,200 running and hustling about, madly rushing about getting 651 00:35:16,200 --> 00:35:18,120 ready. Let's live ready. 652 00:35:18,800 --> 00:35:21,120 Let's be ready. Let's live ready. 653 00:35:22,000 --> 00:35:24,200 Jesus may come to us this holiday season in ways we had 654 00:35:24,200 --> 00:35:31,840 never imagined. Let's pray, Lord, we know that's 655 00:35:31,840 --> 00:35:35,240 only because of you that we are here and that we have you where 656 00:35:35,240 --> 00:35:37,880 we pray that we will be people who will embrace and take up the 657 00:35:37,880 --> 00:35:41,200 opportunities you bring us. Some of the opportunities will 658 00:35:41,200 --> 00:35:43,920 look like interruptions and inconvenience and hardships, 659 00:35:43,920 --> 00:35:47,240 even may be difficult, but they will be good. 660 00:35:47,760 --> 00:35:50,120 Help us to be generous in every way this holiday season. 661 00:35:50,120 --> 00:35:52,040 Help us to be generous with ourselves, not just with our 662 00:35:52,040 --> 00:35:54,640 money, not just with our clothing or houses. 663 00:35:54,640 --> 00:35:56,880 Help us to be generous with all those things, but most 664 00:35:56,880 --> 00:36:00,560 importantly with ourselves. May we be reminded each time an 665 00:36:00,560 --> 00:36:04,320 opportunity comes our way that by serving our neighbor, we are 666 00:36:04,320 --> 00:36:06,000 serving you. Thank you Jesus.