Advent 2

Thank you.

It's a good day to worship God and I am so glad to be with you and to celebrate life with you here. And this time I'm going to go back to the Gospel of Luke. We were there last week and chapter one. I'm going to go back to chapter 1, you know, after all it is a tea vs. Long at at least get to sermons out of it. Right? So if you have a Bible just a little bit of a continuation of the story last week. We talked some about the prophecy of a of a boy that's supposed to be coming to Zechariah and Elizabeth boys are going to name John. I'm so today. I want to continue on that story and hear about the birth of John. So in Luke chapter 1 we're going to start in verse 57 and I I really do hope that you are engaging your Bible in some way shape or form through the week. Please keep your Bible in front of you in Some way whether you're listening to that or you are reading it. I whether you are having someone else read it to you whatever the case is it in the Bible. It is vital and vital in our relationship with God and how things work with us. Luke chapter 1 verse 57 and goes like this when it was time for Elizabeth. Listen to have her baby she gave birth to a son. And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy in this exciting this lady Elizabeth who is way too old to have a baby. She is having a baby and this is exciting the things that we know about her beforehand is that she she wasn't able to and now here it is by the word of God. She's able to have a baby in a community comes around her and and celebrates and I realized something this week is that I talked about Barbara starting to come in and said The Meadows head to the hospital and I said said, oh no and she said, oh, it's okay. It's it's a baby that's on her way. Guess what the baby came? I'm sorry. I forgot to tell you. How do I have to congratulate Barbara for a new grandbaby and those of you know donetta and I'll send her a happy happy note or something celebrate with her. This is this something that the community does they gather around Elizabeth and Lee share her Joy. They're excited about this brand new baby events come when when Andrea and I had our Liliana which was an exciting time for us. We haven't been able to have kids and so it was it was an interesting Journey for us. But we finally finally got to the point where we were at the hospital and Liliana I had been born and we have been able to have kids for so long. Everybody was just excited and they wanted to share Joy with us. And so everyone came to the hospital and Andrea was really really really tired and she didn't want everybody at the hospital. I don't know what it was like for Elizabeth. I don't know if she was just thrilled to have everyone there but Probably different for every pregnancy that every person how that is, but this is the case that the community comes around and they celebrate with Elizabeth. They share her joy and 59 and it says this on the 8th day, they came to circumcise a child and they were going to name him after his father Zakaria over 60 says but his mother spoke up and said no. He is to be called John and they said to her there's no one. I'm on your relatives who has that name. This is this is a little humorous to me in part because when we when we did have Liliana and we're in the hospital for the process of this whole giving birth thing is they want to have a name for the baby and you're supposed to register the ad and let the whole Hospital thing all those kind of deals you you're supposed to be able to get a birth certificate. How many of you have a birth certificate anybody have a birth certificate. I hope that's okay. If you if you're still awake anybody have a birth certificate really how gay are you all were born at some point? Right? If you weren't born I need to talk to you at the hospital and I were supposed to fill out the name and all this kind of things. And so I wrote out there a Liliana Elizabeth Twyman. That's her that your full name and Elizabeth by the way does have something to do with This passage in story because we have been able to have children for a while and we able to and so that's part of why Liliana Elizabeth is a middle name Elizabeth right here. I sit down with the people when they came back to me and they they print up this nice thing and it come back is Liliana a liar Booth instead of Elizabeth. They left out the Z.

Which made her mama rather frustrated? As you might imagine a man we have to correct this in and so I come down and say Something's Happened Here. I don't know what's happened. But this is supposed to be Elizabeth not a liar Beth and and the hospital told me well, that's what you put down. And I was the one who had filled out the paperwork.

And so I said, well, I'm sorry. That's not what I meant. And so Liliana for awhile was named Liliana alive until we got that fixed turned out when I went down went down and was going through the paperwork and they pulled it up. They said that's our fault. I'm sorry for the hospital. It actually made the the deal and I had filled it out correctly. I was one thing I did right but

This is exciting though in this story that the community, you know, they they come around to celebrate her Joy. But now the community also has this idea. They want to name him after his father and the mom says no it's supposed to be called John aren't you glad for supporting community that comes around you they want to name your baby's other things. They have ideas of how things are supposed to happen. But she says no its name is to be called John I seen who won, your relatives has that name for 62 so they made signs to his father to find out what he would like to name the child. He asked for a writing tablet into everyone's astonishment. He wrote his name is what? John there's something else astonishing to me in this little passage here is part of this is that they made signs to his father, you know, we're told that Zechariah was not able to talk and we're not told that he wasn't able to hear now. I suppose there is a possibility could be deaf. Maybe he's just so old that the words don't work so well, but they're making signs that he's he's not able to talk. We know that is he able to hear I don't know. I've been in a few places where for example I was in I was in Mexico one time and and we were trying to communicate about a work and witness project about where a certain Bean was supposed to go on the church that we were helping build up. This is singing and so are we had we had a few construction people there who thought they knew what was best and we had some other people who were part of the church there that they thought they knew what was best. So there was this kind of conversation going on but it was in English and Spanish. I don't know if you call that Spanglish or what do you call that but they were kind of going back and forth and one guy in particular was getting a little frustrated and he was speaking English and then they weren't understanding him in his English. And so he tried to tell them in a play Norway by speaking louder. What are you just said, he would say the same thing in English to the Spanish speakers who didn't understand a lick or what he was saying, he would just talking louder and talking louder and as if he would if you know, if you say it louder they'll understand it right different language ever done something like that. Somebody didn't understand you you say it louder. Even though they're speaking a different language every husband and wife. Are they raise their hand right now?

What do you think his name should be in to everyone's astonishment he rides his name is John and vs. 64 were told immediately his mouth was open and his tongue was loose and he began to speak praising God and the neighbors were all filled with on throughout the Hill Country of Judea that people were talking about all these things and everyone who heard this wondered about it asking what then is this child going to be for the Lord's hand was with him in that great. I think it's wonderful that Zechariah after these. 9 + months I'm not being able to talk when he opens his mouth begins to speak praises to God. There are lots of things no doubt he could have said but but he Praises God in the very first things that he says he wants to praise God. I'm I'm curious when you get up in the morning the very first things off your lips of praise to God when we go through something new and I go through a hardship and a trial. When are you don't have things going like we want them to go are the very first words off of our lips a praise to the Lord. He hadn't been able to speak for a long time. And the very first thing he says is praise the Lord speaks out the words of praise and and the people that are wondering where you were told the community wonders and the first of all the community sharing the joy and then there then they're trying to tell Sakura Elizabeth what the name of the kid right live the communities involved and now the communities involve some more they're wondering what is going to happen here. This child is going to do something amazing. We're told later on John. In fact, I'll have to have to tell people plainly if you read John chapter 1 meal to have to tell people plan Lee. I am not the Christ because they're wondering is this the Messiah is this the one that we've been waiting on but I want you to hear something else today. I want you to hear zechariah's song that's kind of the the title for this thing and inverses 67 through 88 where it's it's titled. Zechariah's song that I don't know that he sang this. Okay. I don't know that he was like my singing. I don't think that's what it means but instead that this is some kind of like like poetry thing or prophecy kind of thing. This is the is the idea here that I think we ought to listen in here verse 67. His father's Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied. Praise be to the Lord the god of Israel because he has come and has redeemed his people. Am I great did you catch the the tense usage their past and right because he has come it's it's happened has redeemed his people it's it's already in the works for six and a half. He has raised up a horn of salvation for nothing that a horn like a tuba but like a horn like like like a kingship or a leader, right? He has raised up a horn of salvation for Essenhaus of a servant David as he said there is Holy prophets of long ago salvation from our enemies in from the hand of all who hate us to show Mercy. The show Mercy to our fathers and to remember His Holy Covenant. It's it's kind of like God is performing the mercy that has been promised to the the the ancestors of long ago. God is already in the midst of this he's doing this. 473 the oldie swore to Our Father Abraham to rescue us from the hand of our enemies to enable us to serve him without fear and Holiness and righteousness before him all our days. And you my child will be called a prophet of the most high and you'll go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him to give his people the knowledge of Salvation through the Forgiveness of their sins. Because of the tender mercy of Our God by which the Rising Sun Will Come to Us from Heaven to shine on those living in darkness and the shadow of death to guide our feet into half apiece number Sadie of courses of a child grew and became strong in spirit and lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to Israel. I want to just bring out a few things from this zechariah's song this prophecy that he puts out there. One of the things that's interesting to me is that he says in verse 74 he's going to rescue us from the hand of our enemies enable us to serve him without fear. I was reading in Deuteronomy as last week and I'm just kind of making my way through Deuteronomy in and one of the things that goes on in chapter 4 of Deuteronomy. This is Moses gets it kind of goes on this little side and tirade about how the people of is I hadn't had made it to where he's not able to go to the promised land. He's upset about that. But to talk about how old am experience God and how how old they have seen the fire that if they have heard the word of the Lord and it's happened to them. I hadn't happened to their ancestor haven't happened in bed. Like like they have experienced it. They they have seen all of the things that are going on and it's like it was kind of scary for him. Like they're not even able to go like to the mountain where they wear if I go and Anna Moeller Marine person touches, even the base of the mountain they would that they be killed right because there is all of this thing is going on at can I just tell you that? I think we experience God and a very different way than the people from the old Covenant that we he read about in the Old Testament. There was very much a genuine fear and maybe we should get back to There was there was a way that there there's definite fear here and 474. Rescue us from the hand of our enemies enable us to serve god without fear. Can I just tell you that you're able to serve the Lord? Not fear because God loves you God cares for you, and we know that through the revelation of Jesus Christ brings to us. We're able to serve him without fear number 75. It says it in Holiness and righteousness before him all of our days. I don't know about you all but this is a challenge for me. That's the all of my days I should serve the Lord in Holiness and righteousness.

I'm pretty sure I like to think of myself as young I don't know who you think I'm young. What do you think? I'm old it might depend on them perspective. Right? Some people think I'm pretty young and that means in all my days. I'm to serve the Lord in righteousness and Holiness and and even as I get older, Even say as I get up and do a man before these are coming. I'm in the 50s or, and I'm in the the 60s and the 70s how many how many of you have made it to the 8th, please anybody here made it to the 80s yet, or got a few people here made it to the 80s or anybody in the nineties yet. Amazing that hole of our days. That means you're a kid and you're listening in here today. So that means you're in your 80s and you're listening today that all of our days wherever we're at. What are you think? You're young or whether you think your old wherever you are at. We are to serve the Lord and Holiness and righteousness all of our days. Because this is something that God has allowed for us.

because of the Tender Mercies of our God he is allowed us to be able to serve him and holy Ness and righteousness all of our days. I want to go finally over 79 again. I want you to catch this one. Starting about mercy of God. That's that's given to Jesus.

to shine on those living in darkness in in the shadow of death the guide our feet into the path peace

This is something that Jesus does this is that Shalom concept that that video talked about at the very beginning that God is bringing a completeness. He's he's guiding us into his peace. He's shining on us when we live in darkness. This is something that Jesus is doing for us. There's a there's a couple in the Church of Nazarene that are serving over in the United Kingdom was reading about this this week in the the Nazarene compassionate Ministries news thing them and they they they weren't from the United Kingdom originally, but they they've moved their kind of as missionaries at to serve in a multicultural multi-race multi-language church. So they're in the United Kingdom and I think they only have like five or six different languages spoken in that church and their services you think we could get up to five or six here while you think we can hard and and they're celebrating because they they get to serve God and such a wonderful way. But but they said it's interesting that they are used to seeing some some drug usage and some homelessness. where they came from in South America But they said it's it's different here as they're serving as missionaries in the UK. They said it's different because the ones here are are like little girls and little boys their their young ones in their homeless and they're addicted and they're broken.

And they take joy and saying we going to have light for them. We can just share the gospel with these young ones.

I don't know what kind of Darkness you've experienced in your life. Maybe there's a diction. Maybe there's homelessness. Maybe there's Brokenness and relationships. Maybe there's marriage troubles. Maybe there's Financial woes. I don't know what kind of Darkness you've struggled with, but I know know that there is a spiritual darkness. That is so horrible. There's a there's a spiritual Darkness where and we don't know about Christ in the way that he can bring peace to our lives in the way that he can help us if we're not connected with that. Oh, we are in a very very dark place and I just want you to know that there is light and there's hope that whatever Darkness you may face with her that's in this world. Was it that to me and spiritual since I want you to know that God has light for you and love for you through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Not as we commit to serve him and walk before him and Holiness and righteousness all have our days. But he brings a piece that guides Us in his Palace.

If you've never given your life to Christ, I would I would heard you I'd Begley I plead with you I can sit at that even today and to give your life over to Christ for he is the one that's able to bring us. Peace in the midst of darkness and Brokenness. One less thing and in the clothes with this this passage is talk to him about the community. That surrounds Zechariah and Elizabeth and John. and well I think that's pretty important. I am so thankful to be part of this community here. Not even tonight when we go to Fargo on and the Tri-County and I'm going to be with all of our brothers and sisters and all the other churches and we get together and we worship their there is something wonderful about the Fellowship of Christians in the church. That is that is that is not able to be found anywhere else. And I would encourage you. to care for each other as a community. I want to encourage you to just share in people's Joy. I want to encourage you to

to cry with them in the hard times when I encourage you to be Community of Christ even here because I was Christ leads us and Holiness and righteousness and he brings peace in their lives for the joy that we have is getting to share that with each other. You see your brother sister here that's having a hard time. Don't you take a few moments. I know you're busy you have other things to do without you. Just take a few moments. Say, how are you doing? I try to do that. I'm not very good at it. I I do try. If you ever feel like I've just blowing off a blown you off and gone on. I'm sorry. Stop me. Because I do care about you and I think that as a church we are to care for each other love each other pray for each other. Share Joy with one another this Advent season, and that's my challenge for you. This week is find someone in this congregation that you could just share life with for a little bit. Well, that's because you need to share a hardship with us because you just want to share some encouragement with one another. I had a card each other something call. Somebody text it whatever the case is find someone in this congregation to love on a little bit. All right. Heavenly father. Thank you for today. Lord thank you for this community. Where you lead us in your path of righteousness. the Holiness today And help us.

To come out of whatever darkness and maybe but to stay in the light of Jesus Christ. Pray this in Jesus name. amen Thanks so much for being here today. May the Lord bless you give you may cause his face to shine upon you and give you his peace. And there's a Salvation Army bell ringing sweet can go sign up if you haven't already.