If you have your Bibles,
open to Luke 1:37 and 38.
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"For with God
nothing will be impossible.
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Then Mary said, 'Behold
the maidservant of the Lord!'"
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Can we read the rest together?
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"Let it be to me
according to your word.'
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And the angel
departed from her."
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Loving Father in
heaven, we open our hearts
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this morning to be
continually watered.
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Thank You, Lord,
for that praise in song
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that water our souls.
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We now ask for You to
pour out Your Holy Spirit
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upon this message,
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and keep our minds
focused where we can say
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with a willing heart, Lord,
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let it be
according to Your Word.
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In Jesus' name I pray, amen.
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One of the most wonderful truths
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about the advent
of Jesus has been
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overshadowed by
one of the most famous
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music groups of
all times, The Beatles.
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I became aware of it
when I did the series
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not too long ago,
part two and then in 2008,
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part one on the occult and
the entertainment industry.
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And I was
reintroduced to the lyrics
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and many of the
songs of the Beatle
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and I cannot forget
that song, "Let It Be."
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The Beatles in their anthology
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included a song
entitled Let It Be,
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in which they chose Mary
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and they painted her in a light
out of harmony with God's Word.
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Let me remind you of the lyrics.
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The Beatles made
Mary the central person
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of comfort in
their time of trouble.
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The lyrics are as follows:
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When I find
myself in time of trouble
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Mother Mary comes to me
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Speaking words of wisdom
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Let it be
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Let it be
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They have also painted Mary
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as the ever present help
in their hour of darkness,
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for they say continually:
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And in my hour of darkness
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She is standing
right in front of me
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Speaking words of wisdom
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Let it be
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Let it be
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The Beatles have
also made Mary the guest
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who communicates to them
through the sound of music,
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for they said:
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I wake up to the sound of music
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And Mother Mary comes to me
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Speaking words of wisdom
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Let it be
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Let it be
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To add insult to divine injury
Mary is credited as having
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immortality and intelligence
that survives the grave.
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Because buried in
the tag of the song,
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Mary is credited with
speaking words of wisdom.
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Let it be.
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Let it be.
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And the Lord
laid it on my heart,
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therefore the
mission of this message
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is to take the reverence
that has been credited to Mary
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and appoint it
back to the anointed one
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whose name is Jesus.
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For in my hour of darkness,
Mary didn't come to me,
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Jesus did.
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In my moments of difficulty,
I didn't turn to Mary,
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I turned to Jesus.
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In my time of trouble, I
called on the name of Jesus.
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Mary had no
part in delivering me
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in my moments of
darkness, in my hour of trouble,
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not even through
the sound of music.
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It was Jesus who
came and discovered
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and rescued my aching heart.
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But Luke 1:26 and 27 invites us
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into an already
difficult set of circumstances.
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Open your Bibles today with me
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and let us walk
together through this narrative
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that sets aright the place
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that is appointed
only to Christ Jesus,
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and the Bible says to
us in Luke 1:26 and 27.
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The Bible says,
"Now in the sixth month,"
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what month did I say?
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Sixth.
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"In the sixth month
the angel Gabriel was sent
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by God to a city of
Galilee named Nazareth
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to a virgin betrothed to a man
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whose name was
Joseph, of the house of David.
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The virgin's name was Mary."
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This verse begs to
answer the question,
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for whom the circumstances
are already difficult.
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You have heard
the cliche before,
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good things come
to those who wait.
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Have you heard that before?
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Good things come
to those who wait.
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I think it's better said,
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I've got good news
and I've got bad news,
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which one do you want first?
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The bad news, good news stories.
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I've heard a story about a
guy who was in the hospital
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with two broken legs and
the nurse came into the room
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and she said,
"I've got good news
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and I've got bad news."
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And the guy asked
for the bad news first,
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and she said,
"The bad news, Mike,
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is that we're gonna have
to amputate both of your legs,
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we're gonna have
to cut them off."
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And the guy says, "So
what's the good news?"
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And she said the good news is,
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"The guy that's next to you
wants to buy your sneakers."
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That's not good news.
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You lose what's
most beneficial to you,
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only on a lower level
to get rid of something
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you don't need anymore anyhow.
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Good news and bad news.
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Sometimes good news plunges us
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into the worst
set of circumstances.
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Sometimes it takes a long time
for good news to start feeling
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for bad news to start
feeling like good news.
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Sometimes good news does
not always introduce itself
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as good in the very beginning.
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So God has to take
time to unwrap what's good,
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what eventually will be good.
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And my life is an example,
a perfect example of that.
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I would never have
known by the way my life began
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that I would be
where I am today,
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abandoned at three months old,
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left at a
babysitter by mom and dad,
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not knowing my
mother till I'm almost 26,
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and my dad when
I'm about 13 years old.
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I would never know
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but good news does not
always begin as good news,
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you got to give God
time to unwrap the good news.
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Can I get an amen? Amen.
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Because in the course
of continuing to trust God,
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what starts out, how it begins
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is not always how
it's going to end.
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Would God allow us to
happen the fiery furnace?
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We would never know
that it would result
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in the exaltation
of the name of God
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all throughout
the courts of Babylon.
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The lions' den, we would
never know that it would result
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in the exaltation
of the name of God
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throughout the courts of
the Medes and the Persians.
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Sometimes the
worst event in your life
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is the introduction
of the greatest blessing,
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sounds like last
week's message, doesn't it?
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To go through cancer and
come out on the other side,
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the bad news
followed by the good news.
00:08:07.28\00:08:09.58
God in the times of our
lives, draws out our patience,
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let patience
have its perfect work.
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Good news does not
always arrive in a good package.
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You see, God had to
unwrap the circumstances
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because the way
that it began for Mary
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and the way that it
began for another couple
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did not begin as good news
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because while Mary was
trying to make sense of the news
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that she got from
the angel Gabriel,
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there were two other
people Zacharias and Elizabeth
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that were about to
get some bad, good news.
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Look at verse 5 and 7 in Luke 1.
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Five and seven in Luke 1,
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they were about to
get their bad, good news.
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"There was in the days of Herod,
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the king of Judea,
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a certain priest name Zacharias,
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of the division of Abijah.
00:09:04.11\00:09:08.18
His wife was of
the daughters of Aaron,
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and her name was Elizabeth.
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And they were both
righteous before God,"
00:09:14.62\00:09:16.72
walking in," how
much to the commandments,
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"all the commandments
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and ordinances of
the Lord blameless.
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But they had no child,
because Elizabeth was barren,
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and they were both
well advanced in years."
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When you follow the narrative
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and you begin to dig
under the surface, wrestle,
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you begin to discover that
more than 40 years had passed
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since Zacharias could recall
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hearing Elizabeth complain
about her biological clock.
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You know, ladies,
you have that thing
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called the biological clock.
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Amen, the guys don't have one.
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Come on, guys. Amen.
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We don't have
one, we just go on.
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But that biological clock
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sometimes could be a hindrance.
00:10:00.86\00:10:02.83
Matter of fact, as
the matter of observance,
00:10:02.86\00:10:04.30
when the story
continues to unfold
00:10:04.33\00:10:06.17
as a matter of the observation
00:10:06.20\00:10:08.27
Zacharias and
Elizabeth stop walking past
00:10:08.30\00:10:11.01
the baby section in
their local Walmart.
00:10:11.04\00:10:15.11
They forgot about babies.
00:10:15.14\00:10:18.08
They probably
walked past that section
00:10:18.11\00:10:19.91
but at a slower pace
00:10:19.95\00:10:21.72
not because they
wanted to but at their age
00:10:21.75\00:10:24.25
speed is not
associated with walking anymore.
00:10:24.29\00:10:28.22
You see Zacharias was old
00:10:28.26\00:10:30.76
and had been in his
job for a long time,
00:10:30.79\00:10:33.36
locked in his routine,
and dreaming about children
00:10:33.40\00:10:36.97
was the last thing
that was in his mind.
00:10:37.00\00:10:40.30
But I want to say this,
00:10:40.34\00:10:41.84
but God's
blessings are not predictable
00:10:41.87\00:10:44.47
and God's blessings
are not preventable.
00:10:44.51\00:10:47.08
Just when you think
that God has forgotten you,
00:10:47.11\00:10:49.84
the blessing of a
lifetime begins to unfold.
00:10:49.88\00:10:54.12
Look at Isaiah
40:31. I like that.
00:10:54.15\00:10:58.22
That's why when you
rush God's blessings.
00:10:58.25\00:11:00.76
Matter of fact, I'm
going ahead of myself,
00:11:00.79\00:11:02.29
just go there but hold on
to that thought for a moment.
00:11:02.32\00:11:05.16
I'm gonna read Isaiah
40:31 in just a moment.
00:11:05.19\00:11:07.40
But God's blessings to me...
00:11:07.43\00:11:09.30
I was thinking
about this last night
00:11:09.33\00:11:10.67
and when my wife, you
know, my wife is gonna be
00:11:10.70\00:11:12.80
cooking tomorrow
some Jamaican food.
00:11:12.83\00:11:14.77
And, honey, it was
because of that thought
00:11:14.80\00:11:16.50
that this very
story came to my mind.
00:11:16.54\00:11:18.54
God's blessings are sometimes
00:11:18.57\00:11:20.94
like the Jamaican
food called ackee.
00:11:20.98\00:11:23.24
Have you ever heard
of the ackee before?
00:11:23.28\00:11:25.38
Now if you
haven't heard about it,
00:11:25.41\00:11:26.75
that's okay 'cause
you're not Jamaican.
00:11:26.78\00:11:28.82
But there is a fruit
in Jamaica called ackee,
00:11:28.85\00:11:31.22
and in Jamaica ackee is
called a mixed blessing.
00:11:31.25\00:11:35.42
Follow me carefully
00:11:35.46\00:11:37.06
because unripe ackee
contains a poison hypoglycin
00:11:37.09\00:11:43.57
which means if
you try to eat ackee
00:11:43.60\00:11:45.47
before it's
ripe, it'll kill you.
00:11:45.50\00:11:46.94
You have to wait until
the fruit's protective pod
00:11:50.67\00:11:54.98
turns red and opens naturally.
00:11:55.01\00:11:59.75
Sometimes you have to wait
00:11:59.78\00:12:01.12
to God's
blessings open naturally
00:12:01.15\00:12:03.82
because if you try
to rush God's blessing,
00:12:03.85\00:12:05.89
sometimes you end up just
like ackee in a toxic situation
00:12:05.92\00:12:09.66
when you try to
rush God's blessings.
00:12:09.69\00:12:11.53
Amen.
00:12:11.56\00:12:13.90
And once that ackee is
opened, and the fruit is red,
00:12:13.93\00:12:17.77
you have to remember that
only the yellow part is edible
00:12:17.80\00:12:21.07
because it's still surrounded
00:12:21.10\00:12:22.50
by the toxic part
that is dark black.
00:12:22.54\00:12:26.14
You got to separate the
toxins from the blessings.
00:12:26.17\00:12:29.31
That's how God is.
00:12:29.34\00:12:30.68
Sometimes you'll be
in a toxic situation,
00:12:30.71\00:12:33.25
but God is about to separate
the toxins from the blessings.
00:12:33.28\00:12:38.89
And so Zacharias and Elizabeth
were in a toxic situation,
00:12:38.92\00:12:42.19
they were not
thinking about kids.
00:12:42.22\00:12:43.76
My wife and I...
00:12:43.79\00:12:45.13
When I preached a
sermon about nine years ago,
00:12:45.16\00:12:47.43
I went through and redid it.
00:12:47.46\00:12:50.63
But nine years ago
when I preached a sermon,
00:12:50.67\00:12:52.43
somebody came to me
after church and said,
00:12:52.47\00:12:54.17
"Now you and your wife may
have a kid after that sermon."
00:12:54.20\00:12:57.41
I'm glad to know
God is serious about us
00:12:57.44\00:12:59.27
not having children.
00:12:59.31\00:13:01.54
Now if we have children,
it's gonna be somebody else's,
00:13:01.58\00:13:04.85
it's not gonna be ours.
00:13:04.88\00:13:07.58
But if I do have children,
00:13:07.62\00:13:09.02
I'd like to get
them when they're young
00:13:09.05\00:13:10.39
so I could mould their mind.
00:13:10.42\00:13:12.85
If you send me your kids,
we can have them for a day
00:13:12.89\00:13:15.22
we're gonna send them back.
00:13:15.26\00:13:17.36
You mess them
up, you raise them.
00:13:17.39\00:13:21.56
But when God's blessings come
00:13:21.60\00:13:24.33
to rush God's
blessings could sometimes mean
00:13:24.37\00:13:27.94
you end up in a toxic situation.
00:13:27.97\00:13:31.74
God will bless us,
but God wants us to wait.
00:13:31.77\00:13:34.98
Isaiah 40:31,
notice what the Bible says,
00:13:35.01\00:13:39.25
"But those who," do what?
00:13:39.28\00:13:41.62
"Wait on the Lord
shall renew their strength.
00:13:41.65\00:13:45.65
They shall mount up
with wings like eagles,
00:13:45.69\00:13:48.92
they shall run and not be weary,
00:13:48.96\00:13:51.13
they shall walk and not faint."
00:13:51.16\00:13:53.66
You got to be patient
00:13:53.70\00:13:56.13
because God is the
only one that knows Matthew.
00:13:56.16\00:13:59.17
God is the only one that knows
00:13:59.20\00:14:01.47
when the time is
right to bring to your plate
00:14:01.50\00:14:04.54
what He knows at that stage
in your life you're ready for.
00:14:04.57\00:14:08.68
Don't rush God's blessings.
00:14:08.71\00:14:11.05
Some folk lose
their zeal for serving God
00:14:11.08\00:14:13.88
because they've
made up their mind
00:14:13.92\00:14:15.25
that if God was gonna bless me,
00:14:15.28\00:14:16.62
He would have
done a long time ago.
00:14:16.65\00:14:17.99
But the Bible says,
"Let us not be weary
00:14:18.02\00:14:20.36
in well doing for in due time,
00:14:20.39\00:14:22.49
we'll reap if we do not faint."
00:14:22.52\00:14:25.93
Don't give up on God,
God has not given up on us,
00:14:25.96\00:14:30.37
but God knows
when the time is right.
00:14:30.40\00:14:33.23
Some people wait all
their lives to be recognized
00:14:33.27\00:14:35.67
and it comes when they
are old, you know, why,
00:14:35.70\00:14:37.54
because God knows
that if you got recognized
00:14:37.57\00:14:39.51
when you were young, you
may have been beside yourself
00:14:39.54\00:14:42.54
or too proud
00:14:42.58\00:14:43.91
or that would have taken
you in a wrong direction.
00:14:43.95\00:14:46.75
Some people play the
lottery trying to get wealthy.
00:14:46.78\00:14:49.15
First of all, God does
not authorize the lottery.
00:14:49.18\00:14:51.35
Amen somebody? Amen.
00:14:51.39\00:14:52.95
But some of the reasons
why God keeps some of us broke
00:14:52.99\00:14:55.09
is because if we got money,
we would leave the church.
00:14:55.12\00:14:58.76
God holds off the blessing,
00:14:58.79\00:15:00.33
until He knows our
hearts are in the right place
00:15:00.36\00:15:03.67
for that
blessing to be received.
00:15:03.70\00:15:05.90
Some people wait all
their lives to be noticed
00:15:05.93\00:15:08.60
and finally somebody does,
00:15:08.64\00:15:11.01
but then those that failed
to wait defeat themselves,
00:15:11.04\00:15:13.71
while God is
working on their blessing,
00:15:13.74\00:15:15.58
they often defeat
themselves with phrases like,
00:15:15.61\00:15:18.11
"Look at the things I get."
00:15:18.15\00:15:20.22
Let me tell you
something I've learned,
00:15:20.25\00:15:21.82
and I've learned it the hard way
00:15:21.85\00:15:23.18
because I used to be a young man
00:15:23.22\00:15:24.55
and I use to always worry
about what people thought,
00:15:24.59\00:15:28.72
and what members said.
00:15:28.76\00:15:30.76
Every now and
then I get a flashback
00:15:30.79\00:15:34.03
'cause every now and
then, you know, you don't like
00:15:34.06\00:15:35.50
when people say bad
things about you, amen?
00:15:35.53\00:15:38.00
Amen.
00:15:38.03\00:15:39.37
But I've learned that
you have to be more careful,
00:15:39.40\00:15:45.61
when people start
saying good things about you
00:15:45.64\00:15:49.08
than when they say
bad things about you.
00:15:49.11\00:15:53.52
Lord said, "Beware when
all men speak well of you."
00:15:53.55\00:15:57.55
You got to be careful
00:15:57.59\00:15:58.92
when people start
commending you too much.
00:15:58.95\00:16:01.82
When people start patting
you on the back too much,
00:16:01.86\00:16:03.79
you got to be at the place
where your heart is humble.
00:16:03.83\00:16:07.43
Even when you get
compliment, you have to say,
00:16:07.46\00:16:10.57
"If God could use me
to be a blessing to you,
00:16:10.60\00:16:12.87
then praise God."
00:16:12.90\00:16:14.87
You got to learn how to
reflect that back to God,
00:16:14.90\00:16:17.14
that's why the Apostle Paul
says in Colossians 3:23 and 24,
00:16:17.17\00:16:21.61
you have to make up your
mind that whatever you do,
00:16:21.64\00:16:23.31
you don't do it for
self, you do it for God.
00:16:23.35\00:16:27.18
Look at Colossians 3:23 and 24,
00:16:27.22\00:16:29.55
just a sidebar
before we get back
00:16:29.58\00:16:31.22
into Zacharias
and Elizabeth's life.
00:16:31.25\00:16:34.56
The Bible says,
"And whatever you do..."
00:16:34.59\00:16:36.89
And it says, "Whatever you do,"
00:16:36.93\00:16:39.29
do it how, "heartily
or with all your might
00:16:39.33\00:16:43.47
as to the Lord and not to men
00:16:43.50\00:16:45.23
knowing that from
the Lord you will receive
00:16:45.27\00:16:49.50
the reward of the inheritance,
00:16:49.54\00:16:51.11
for you serve the Lord Christ."
00:16:51.14\00:16:54.34
So don't do what you do
for recognition from men,
00:16:54.38\00:16:58.28
do what you do to simply
get the reward at the end
00:16:58.31\00:17:00.95
because when you
look for reward now...
00:17:00.98\00:17:03.89
The Lord said, "Well, what
blessing are you looking for,
00:17:03.92\00:17:06.19
you already got your reward."
00:17:06.22\00:17:08.02
If men are commending you
now, and praising you now,
00:17:08.06\00:17:10.39
and you're wallowing in the mire
00:17:10.43\00:17:12.19
of self-gratification
and self-glory.
00:17:12.23\00:17:15.36
The Lord says, "I can't
put a crown on your head,
00:17:15.40\00:17:17.07
you already got your crown."
00:17:17.10\00:17:19.23
That's why I'm not really one
00:17:19.27\00:17:20.60
that supports these award shows.
00:17:20.64\00:17:22.60
You know, even the shows
that give Christians awards.
00:17:22.64\00:17:26.41
How could you really measure
00:17:26.44\00:17:28.91
the success of a Christian song?
00:17:28.94\00:17:31.81
How could you give somebody
00:17:31.85\00:17:33.18
an award for the best
Christian song of the year?
00:17:33.21\00:17:36.45
Have seen the lives
converted by that song?
00:17:36.48\00:17:40.32
You haven't
seen how that song...
00:17:40.36\00:17:41.72
How could you determine
the impact of a Christian song
00:17:41.76\00:17:44.23
on somebody's life?
00:17:44.26\00:17:45.59
Sometimes my wife and I
listen to these songs together
00:17:45.63\00:17:48.13
and we pause and
just start crying.
00:17:48.16\00:17:50.00
There's a new
song by Steve Green
00:17:55.20\00:17:56.67
called Holding Hands.
00:17:56.71\00:17:59.44
And it blesses our
soul every time we hear it.
00:17:59.47\00:18:02.04
It reminds us of us,
00:18:02.08\00:18:03.85
how we face the
world as young people
00:18:03.88\00:18:05.91
unaware of what was coming,
00:18:05.95\00:18:08.12
all we did was
just holding hands.
00:18:08.15\00:18:12.02
And the years go by
00:18:12.05\00:18:14.19
and the trials
and difficulties come,
00:18:14.22\00:18:16.52
and when all of the blessings,
and challenges, and trials,
00:18:16.56\00:18:19.79
and the work of life is passed,
00:18:19.83\00:18:21.26
and we could hardly move fast,
00:18:21.30\00:18:23.26
we enter the Kingdom
of God holding hands.
00:18:23.30\00:18:26.03
Amen.
00:18:26.07\00:18:27.40
And last night that
song came on and I heard it
00:18:27.44\00:18:30.27
when I was in the living room
00:18:30.31\00:18:31.64
putting last
touches on my sermon
00:18:31.67\00:18:33.01
and I came and sat by
the bedside of my wife,
00:18:33.04\00:18:35.58
and without a saying of word,
we just looked at each other,
00:18:35.61\00:18:38.68
and let the tears just flow
00:18:38.71\00:18:40.68
'cause our desire is to walk
00:18:40.72\00:18:42.05
into the kingdom holding hands.
00:18:42.08\00:18:43.42
We began our life young
people clueless, holding hands,
00:18:43.45\00:18:48.89
and we're looking
forward to the day
00:18:48.92\00:18:50.36
when we enter the
kingdom together doing what,
00:18:50.39\00:18:52.69
holding hands together forever
00:18:52.73\00:18:55.20
the eternity in
view, that's out motto.
00:18:55.23\00:18:58.57
Zacharias and
Elizabeth had that desire,
00:18:58.60\00:19:01.00
but they also had a
desire to have a child
00:19:01.04\00:19:03.20
and they
wouldn't get that blessing
00:19:03.24\00:19:05.01
'cause God waited
for the ripe moment
00:19:05.04\00:19:09.04
to bring the blessing in.
00:19:09.08\00:19:10.41
Look at Luke 1:8-10,
00:19:10.45\00:19:13.55
the Lord drew
out Zacharias' faith,
00:19:13.58\00:19:16.52
he had to retrain Zacharias
because his faith in believing
00:19:16.55\00:19:20.22
that God is not limited
by time had already vanished.
00:19:20.26\00:19:23.56
The Bible says in
verse 8 of Luke 1,
00:19:23.59\00:19:25.69
"So it was, that while he
was serving as priest before God
00:19:25.73\00:19:29.96
in the order of his division,
00:19:30.00\00:19:31.53
according to the
custom of the priesthood,
00:19:31.57\00:19:33.70
his lot fell to burn incense
00:19:33.74\00:19:36.91
when he went into
the temple of the Lord.
00:19:36.94\00:19:39.54
And the whole
multitude of the people
00:19:39.57\00:19:43.01
was praying outside
00:19:43.04\00:19:44.71
at the hour of incense."
00:19:44.75\00:19:46.75
Meaning when they
smelled the incense,
00:19:46.78\00:19:48.98
they knew it was time to pray.
00:19:49.02\00:19:51.29
Zacharias lit the
incense, let's pray.
00:19:54.89\00:19:57.66
That's why right
before the most holy place
00:19:57.69\00:20:01.23
there is an altar of incense,
00:20:01.26\00:20:03.16
signifying the continual
prayer of the people of God.
00:20:03.20\00:20:08.24
When they smell the incense,
00:20:08.27\00:20:10.51
they knew that
it was time to pray
00:20:10.54\00:20:12.97
and as surely as
Zacharias lit the incense
00:20:13.01\00:20:15.91
and the people began to pray,
00:20:15.94\00:20:18.11
God showed up at
a moment of prayer
00:20:18.15\00:20:21.78
in Zacharias' life.
00:20:21.82\00:20:23.28
Look at verse 11,
00:20:23.32\00:20:24.89
"Then an angel of
the Lord appeared to him,
00:20:24.92\00:20:28.52
standing on the right
side of the altar of incense."
00:20:28.56\00:20:32.03
Why the right side
00:20:32.06\00:20:33.40
because God is
never on the left side,
00:20:33.43\00:20:36.03
He is always on the right side.
00:20:36.06\00:20:37.40
Amen somebody? Amen.
00:20:37.43\00:20:39.63
The saints will
sit on the right side,
00:20:39.67\00:20:41.74
the sheep are on the right side,
00:20:41.77\00:20:43.24
the angel of the
Lord took the place,
00:20:43.27\00:20:45.74
the angel of the
Lord stood where only God
00:20:45.77\00:20:48.44
can stand on the right side.
00:20:48.48\00:20:50.68
And then He said in verse
12, "And when Zacharias saw him,
00:20:56.22\00:20:59.95
he was troubled,
and fear fell upon him."
00:20:59.99\00:21:03.66
It's powerful
when God visits you,
00:21:03.69\00:21:05.79
how you respond
to a visit of God
00:21:05.83\00:21:08.40
will determine whether or not
the blessing will be received
00:21:08.43\00:21:11.40
or whether or not the
blessing will be doubted.
00:21:11.43\00:21:14.40
How we respond
00:21:14.44\00:21:17.17
at the moment of
the divine visitation
00:21:17.21\00:21:19.91
will determine whether or not,
00:21:19.94\00:21:21.28
we welcome the blessing of God
00:21:21.31\00:21:23.41
or whether we doubt
the blessing of God.
00:21:23.45\00:21:26.35
It's the attitude
00:21:26.38\00:21:28.22
that determines the impact
of God's blessings in our lives.
00:21:28.25\00:21:33.49
So in an attempt to
put Zacharias at ease,
00:21:33.52\00:21:35.52
the angel
describes the blessing.
00:21:35.56\00:21:37.06
I'm not gonna read the verses,
00:21:37.09\00:21:38.43
I'm just gonna go ahead
and give you the outline.
00:21:38.46\00:21:40.20
The angel said to Zacharias,
00:21:40.23\00:21:41.56
"Don't be
afraid, God has sent me
00:21:41.60\00:21:43.06
with an answer to your prayer."
00:21:43.10\00:21:44.83
And Zacharias
probably said, "What prayer?"
00:21:44.87\00:21:48.07
And the angel probably
said, "Forty-five years ago,
00:21:48.10\00:21:53.21
you prayed for a child."
00:21:53.24\00:21:56.38
Zacharias probably said, "What?
00:21:56.41\00:21:59.75
How long ago did
I pray this prayer?"
00:21:59.78\00:22:03.32
My wife and I are
still praying for my sister,
00:22:03.35\00:22:06.82
some of you are still
praying for your children,
00:22:06.86\00:22:09.59
some of you are still
praying for family members,
00:22:09.62\00:22:12.36
don't stop praying
00:22:12.39\00:22:13.73
because the answer
will come in God's timing.
00:22:13.76\00:22:16.30
Amen.
00:22:16.33\00:22:19.63
"I've come to
answer your prayer."
00:22:19.67\00:22:21.47
Then he said,
"Your 80-year old wife
00:22:21.50\00:22:23.30
is gonna have a son."
00:22:23.34\00:22:24.67
I looked at Mike and Chris,
00:22:30.38\00:22:31.71
I'm sure Mike don't
want that experience.
00:22:31.75\00:22:36.42
He said, "You'll have a
lot of joy and happiness."
00:22:36.45\00:22:39.79
But Zacharias is not smiling.
00:22:39.82\00:22:42.92
"Your son is gonna be great.
00:22:42.96\00:22:44.36
He is gonna be
filled with the Holy Spirit
00:22:44.39\00:22:45.73
from his birth.
00:22:45.76\00:22:47.10
People would
respond to his sermons,
00:22:47.13\00:22:49.46
and your son will get
people ready to meet Jesus."
00:22:49.50\00:22:54.97
Which takes me to
another point, David,
00:22:55.00\00:22:57.24
blessings always
come at the time God knows
00:22:57.27\00:23:00.64
they are best needed.
00:23:00.68\00:23:04.05
But often, when blessings come,
00:23:04.08\00:23:06.55
they come in a way
that we least expect.
00:23:06.58\00:23:10.82
That's why Zacharias'
attitude was the way it was.
00:23:10.85\00:23:13.82
Zacharias' attitude said that
00:23:13.86\00:23:15.86
he didn't
expect it when it came.
00:23:15.89\00:23:17.33
Look at verse 18,
00:23:17.36\00:23:20.10
"And Zacharias
said to the angel."
00:23:20.13\00:23:22.60
Notice what he
said, what did he say?
00:23:22.63\00:23:25.23
"How shall I know this?
00:23:25.27\00:23:27.60
For I am an old man,
00:23:27.64\00:23:30.31
and my wife is
well advanced in years."
00:23:30.34\00:23:34.18
Zacharias is faced
with a set of circumstances
00:23:34.21\00:23:36.75
that don't make sense,
00:23:36.78\00:23:38.11
you see when God
comes into your life,
00:23:38.15\00:23:39.58
it doesn't have
to make sense to you
00:23:39.61\00:23:41.02
as long as it
makes sense to God.
00:23:41.05\00:23:45.15
And that's the
problem with some of us,
00:23:45.19\00:23:46.52
we try to make sense
out of God's blessings.
00:23:46.55\00:23:48.56
We even try to make sense
out of our trial sometimes.
00:23:48.59\00:23:53.93
You don't need to know
why it came, if it comes,
00:23:53.96\00:23:57.60
God allowed it or God sent it.
00:23:57.63\00:24:00.80
In this case God sent it.
00:24:00.84\00:24:03.41
Look at verse 19:20.
00:24:03.44\00:24:07.88
"How am I
supposed to believe this?
00:24:07.91\00:24:11.11
And the angel
answered and said to him,
00:24:11.15\00:24:12.48
'I am Gabriel, who
stands in the presence of God,
00:24:12.51\00:24:17.49
and who was sent to speak to you
00:24:17.52\00:24:19.82
and bring you
these glad tidings."'
00:24:19.85\00:24:22.39
That would have
been enough for me.
00:24:22.42\00:24:24.59
Amen somebody? Amen.
00:24:24.63\00:24:27.00
And Gabriel didn't whisper that.
00:24:27.03\00:24:28.40
I'm sure his tall angelic frame,
00:24:28.43\00:24:32.93
radiating as it was in
the presence of Zacharias.
00:24:32.97\00:24:36.91
Can you see the heavenly?
Can you hear the heavenly?
00:24:42.34\00:24:44.88
Just radiating as it
were like a nuclear reactor
00:24:48.55\00:24:51.65
because there was
enough power in Gabriel
00:24:51.69\00:24:54.09
to annihilate the community.
00:24:54.12\00:24:56.73
But God wound it down
00:24:56.76\00:24:58.26
for the sake of an unbelieving
man called Zacharias.
00:24:58.29\00:25:01.76
And he is
telling him his resume,
00:25:01.80\00:25:03.13
he says, "But behold
because you don't believe,
00:25:03.16\00:25:09.14
you will be mute
and not able to speak
00:25:09.17\00:25:12.14
until the day
these things take place,
00:25:12.17\00:25:14.68
because you did
not believe my words
00:25:14.71\00:25:18.15
which will be
fulfilled in their own time."
00:25:18.18\00:25:22.12
When you think about this,
00:25:22.15\00:25:23.49
sometimes your life becomes mute
00:25:23.52\00:25:27.62
because you don't
believe God's word,
00:25:27.66\00:25:29.82
you know what that means?
00:25:29.86\00:25:31.19
Your life all of a
sudden becomes unproductive,
00:25:31.23\00:25:33.73
nothing can
come out of your life
00:25:33.76\00:25:35.16
because you didn't
believe God's word.
00:25:35.20\00:25:36.83
I would haste to say
that an unproductive life
00:25:36.87\00:25:39.47
can often be catapulted
00:25:39.50\00:25:41.37
on the heels of a lack of belief
00:25:41.40\00:25:43.54
in what God has said.
00:25:43.57\00:25:45.17
Because
Zacharias can't say a word,
00:25:48.74\00:25:52.45
nothing can
come out of his mouth
00:25:52.48\00:25:54.08
which means he can't
praise, he can't complain,
00:25:54.12\00:25:58.09
nothing comes out of his mouth
00:25:58.12\00:26:00.26
which means God is
saying to Zacharias,
00:26:00.29\00:26:03.29
"Right now, I don't want
you to speak in my behalf
00:26:03.32\00:26:06.49
and I'll determine when."
00:26:06.53\00:26:08.96
And I would say,
He's to say this...
00:26:09.00\00:26:10.33
some of the reasons why
God don't put some people
00:26:10.37\00:26:12.00
in positions
00:26:12.03\00:26:13.37
where they could
speak in God's behalf
00:26:13.40\00:26:14.74
is because their life
is a life of unbelief.
00:26:14.77\00:26:18.17
And God don't want
them speak in his behalf
00:26:18.21\00:26:20.21
and they want to know
why don't I get the spotlight
00:26:20.24\00:26:21.84
because you don't
live a life of belief.
00:26:21.88\00:26:24.61
So God mutes their
ministry, or mutes their gift,
00:26:24.65\00:26:30.05
or shuts them down
00:26:30.09\00:26:32.09
until He
determines the time is right.
00:26:32.12\00:26:35.12
You think about
Gabriel, he said I am Gabriel.
00:26:35.16\00:26:37.56
Gabriel traveling at
186,200 miles per second
00:26:37.59\00:26:42.93
in a hurry gets to Zacharias'
side and Zacharias says,
00:26:42.96\00:26:47.87
"How is this gonna happen?
00:26:47.90\00:26:51.64
Is that all I get.
00:26:51.67\00:26:54.14
Where did you
come from, heaven?"
00:26:54.18\00:26:57.15
Amen? Amen.
00:26:57.18\00:26:58.68
"You came from heaven?
00:26:58.71\00:27:00.05
Well, how is this gonna happen."
00:27:00.08\00:27:02.98
The fact of the matter
that he came from heaven
00:27:03.02\00:27:04.82
would have been enough for me.
00:27:04.85\00:27:07.12
"Were did you come from?"
00:27:07.16\00:27:08.49
Gabriel, "I heard
about you Daniel."
00:27:08.52\00:27:12.69
"You know
Daniel?" "I know Daniel."
00:27:12.73\00:27:14.26
Thousands of years ago.
00:27:14.30\00:27:15.70
"You know
Daniel?" "I know Daniel."
00:27:15.73\00:27:17.43
All he had to say
was, I know Daniel.
00:27:17.47\00:27:18.90
That's good enough for me.
00:27:18.93\00:27:20.27
"Are you gonna do for
me, what you did for Daniel?
00:27:20.30\00:27:21.64
I'm ready."
00:27:21.67\00:27:23.81
Let me add another component.
00:27:23.84\00:27:25.17
Some people get old and cynical
00:27:25.21\00:27:29.04
'cause God hadn't
done nothing for me,
00:27:29.08\00:27:30.41
so we get old and cynical.
00:27:30.45\00:27:33.55
"Church don't need me,
I ain't worth anything,
00:27:33.58\00:27:36.89
I've been serving
God for a long time,
00:27:36.92\00:27:39.05
I'm about to retire."
00:27:39.09\00:27:40.42
Let me tell you something,
00:27:40.46\00:27:41.79
I read an
article once that says,
00:27:41.82\00:27:43.16
"When you serve God,
00:27:43.19\00:27:44.53
you retire when Jesus
comes or when you die."
00:27:44.56\00:27:48.46
You don't retire.
00:27:48.50\00:27:49.83
You don't as a
saint of God decide
00:27:49.86\00:27:51.57
that you're not
gonna serve God anymore,
00:27:51.60\00:27:53.80
who you working for?
00:27:53.84\00:27:56.71
You're gonna say, "Well,
I'm gonna relax this year."
00:27:56.74\00:27:59.04
Well, you relax the
year that Jesus comes,
00:27:59.07\00:28:01.04
He'll say to you not well done.
00:28:01.08\00:28:04.78
They are ungood
and unfaithful servant.
00:28:04.81\00:28:07.35
That's why the Bible
says, "Blessed is the servant,
00:28:07.38\00:28:09.85
whom the Lord finds
doing when He comes."
00:28:09.88\00:28:13.79
You don't retire on
God, you don't tell God,
00:28:13.82\00:28:16.29
I don't have time.
00:28:16.32\00:28:17.66
If you want to cut
something out of your schedule,
00:28:17.69\00:28:19.09
cut out the things that
prevent you from serving God.
00:28:19.13\00:28:21.23
Amen. Amen.
00:28:21.26\00:28:22.60
You don't put God
on the backburner.
00:28:22.63\00:28:25.03
Some people put God
on the backburner, why?
00:28:25.07\00:28:27.10
I'm tired.
00:28:27.14\00:28:29.97
Well, you get a
chance to sleep when you die,
00:28:30.01\00:28:32.94
why you want to rush it.
00:28:32.97\00:28:35.54
I like when Danny said, he said,
00:28:35.58\00:28:38.31
"Death is
overrated, I want to live."
00:28:38.35\00:28:40.92
When you die, you
don't get to know anything,
00:28:40.95\00:28:42.52
I want to stay alive
and I want to know stuff,
00:28:42.55\00:28:45.35
death is overrated.
00:28:45.39\00:28:46.96
If you want to sleep,
sleep to sleep of death,
00:28:46.99\00:28:49.86
but don't sleep on God's time.
00:28:49.89\00:28:52.76
He says, "You'll be mute
00:28:52.79\00:28:54.40
until I decide
that the time is right."
00:28:54.43\00:28:59.67
There are those
that work for God
00:28:59.70\00:29:01.04
and God will not
allow them to speak
00:29:01.07\00:29:02.70
because what they say
might lead other people
00:29:02.74\00:29:05.57
to doubt the blessings of God
00:29:05.61\00:29:08.38
which brings me
to my last point.
00:29:08.41\00:29:10.65
Sometimes when it
is too good to believe
00:29:10.68\00:29:14.08
the best thing
to do is to believe.
00:29:14.12\00:29:17.02
I'm gonna say that again,
00:29:17.05\00:29:18.39
sometimes when it's
too good to believe,
00:29:18.42\00:29:20.82
when God sends it,
00:29:20.86\00:29:22.19
the best thing
to do is to believe.
00:29:22.22\00:29:23.69
Amen.
00:29:23.73\00:29:25.06
Sometimes when it's
too difficult to explain,
00:29:25.09\00:29:27.53
don't try to explain
it, just simply accept it.
00:29:27.56\00:29:31.07
Look at verse 24 and 25,
00:29:31.10\00:29:33.67
when you think about
how this unfolded Zacharias
00:29:33.70\00:29:36.27
is left in the
temple and the Bible says,
00:29:36.30\00:29:37.67
"He could not
speak, he was speechless."
00:29:37.71\00:29:40.34
Verse 22.
00:29:40.38\00:29:43.41
But now Elizabeth
get the good news,
00:29:43.45\00:29:46.28
how did Elizabeth take the news,
00:29:46.31\00:29:48.72
verse 24 and 25,
00:29:48.75\00:29:52.15
"Now after those days
his wife Elizabeth conceived,
00:29:52.19\00:29:55.69
and she hid
herself," how many months?
00:29:55.72\00:29:59.39
Five months, saying,
00:29:59.43\00:30:01.56
"Thus the Lord
has dealt with me,
00:30:01.60\00:30:03.67
in the days
when He looked on me,
00:30:03.70\00:30:06.07
to take away my
reproach among people."
00:30:06.10\00:30:10.01
In other words, she was excited,
00:30:10.04\00:30:11.91
she said, "I
don't care how old I'm,
00:30:11.94\00:30:14.54
God is taken away my reproach."
00:30:14.58\00:30:17.78
Eighty-year old women
waking in Walmart like this.
00:30:17.81\00:30:23.79
This is real, this is
not fake, this is real,
00:30:23.82\00:30:26.69
"Are you okay, Elizabeth?
00:30:26.72\00:30:28.06
Are you trying to shoplift?"
00:30:28.09\00:30:30.39
"I'm not shoplifting."
00:30:30.43\00:30:31.76
"What was that
under your jacket?"
00:30:31.79\00:30:33.50
"I'm pregnant." Yeah,
right, you are pregnant.
00:30:33.53\00:30:36.23
And security pulls over,
00:30:36.26\00:30:37.60
"Mam, you've been
coming here for 45 years
00:30:37.63\00:30:39.00
and you telling
me you're pregnant?"
00:30:39.03\00:30:40.77
And they touch
her tummy on a bit,
00:30:40.80\00:30:43.04
she is pregnant,
this is a real story.
00:30:43.07\00:30:45.97
At 80 years old,
00:30:46.01\00:30:48.24
this woman is having
a baby born in her life.
00:30:48.28\00:30:50.88
And what I like about her,
00:30:53.98\00:30:55.32
when you
compare her to Zacharias
00:30:55.35\00:30:57.55
is Zacharias thought
he was too old for God
00:30:57.59\00:30:59.82
to change his circumstances,
00:30:59.85\00:31:01.66
Elizabeth on
the other hand says,
00:31:01.69\00:31:03.76
"Finally, God comes and
takes away my reproach."
00:31:03.79\00:31:10.10
And I tried to ask the question,
00:31:13.84\00:31:15.17
I tried to calculate the story
when you go to verse 59 to 64,
00:31:15.20\00:31:19.04
this is one of
the longest passages
00:31:19.07\00:31:20.48
in the New Testament.
00:31:20.51\00:31:21.84
When you go to 59 to 64,
00:31:21.88\00:31:23.88
what you begin to discover
00:31:23.91\00:31:25.25
is that Zacharias
was not able to speak
00:31:25.28\00:31:27.22
for about nine
months and eight days.
00:31:27.25\00:31:32.85
Can you imagine
waking up in the morning...
00:31:32.89\00:31:36.06
"Moses what would
you like for breakfast?"
00:31:36.09\00:31:38.46
"Say something."
00:31:43.77\00:31:45.10
"You hungry?"
00:31:48.57\00:31:52.11
"Where's Benjamin?"
00:31:52.14\00:31:53.48
"He'll be back later?"
00:31:58.25\00:32:01.15
"You tired?"
00:32:01.18\00:32:03.49
Sign language, the
Lord gave Zacharias
00:32:03.52\00:32:06.72
a humility
lesson in sign language.
00:32:06.76\00:32:09.29
Nine months and eight days.
00:32:12.43\00:32:14.56
Verse 59, come
on run that with me,
00:32:21.50\00:32:24.47
"So it was, on the
eighth day," what day did I say,
00:32:24.51\00:32:28.18
"The eighth day, that they
came to circumcise the child.
00:32:28.21\00:32:34.65
And they would have called
him by the name of his father,
00:32:34.68\00:32:37.32
Zacharias.
00:32:37.35\00:32:39.72
His mother answered and said,
'No, he shall be called John.'
00:32:39.75\00:32:45.09
But they said to her,
00:32:45.13\00:32:46.46
'There is no one
among your relatives
00:32:46.49\00:32:48.20
who is called by this name."'
00:32:48.23\00:32:49.60
Customarily they took
the name of a relative.
00:32:49.63\00:32:53.13
"So they made
signs to his father."
00:32:53.17\00:32:55.64
You getting it?
00:32:55.67\00:32:57.01
"What do you think, Zacharias?"
00:32:57.04\00:32:58.37
"So they made
signs to his father
00:33:01.81\00:33:03.35
what he would have him called.
00:33:03.38\00:33:10.12
And he asked for
a writing tablet,
00:33:10.15\00:33:12.55
and wrote, saying,
'His name is John.'
00:33:12.59\00:33:16.46
So they all marveled."
00:33:16.49\00:33:18.79
And then the Bible
says, "Immediately..."
00:33:18.83\00:33:21.23
What the Bible say?
00:33:21.26\00:33:22.83
"Immediately
his mouth was opened
00:33:22.86\00:33:24.93
and his tongue
loosed, and he spoke,"
00:33:24.97\00:33:27.87
and what he do, "praising God."
00:33:27.90\00:33:31.34
You know the Lord
will shut some of you up
00:33:31.37\00:33:32.91
and until you
learn how to praise Him.
00:33:32.94\00:33:34.78
Amen? Amen.
00:33:34.81\00:33:36.14
That's why some
of you don't say amen
00:33:36.18\00:33:37.51
during the sermon
00:33:37.55\00:33:38.88
'cause you don't
have nothing good to say.
00:33:38.91\00:33:40.25
Hey, I'm based on the text,
00:33:43.28\00:33:44.75
I'm just telling you
what the Bible is telling me.
00:33:44.79\00:33:46.82
God shut him up until
he said up, praise God.
00:33:46.86\00:33:49.29
Amen, Lisa. Praise God.
00:33:49.32\00:33:51.23
We say praise God, you say no,
00:33:51.26\00:33:53.33
only amen has been
approved by the board.
00:33:53.36\00:33:55.36
No praise God, amen? Amen.
00:33:55.40\00:33:58.37
Let the redeemed
of the Lord say so.
00:33:58.40\00:34:01.00
Read what Ellen
White says in Evangelism,
00:34:01.04\00:34:02.54
she says when the
sermon is going forth...
00:34:02.57\00:34:04.31
And this is what
Ellen White said,
00:34:04.34\00:34:05.67
not me so don't connect the two.
00:34:05.71\00:34:07.31
But I believe what she said,
00:34:07.34\00:34:08.68
I believe she
was inspired by God,
00:34:08.71\00:34:10.05
she says, "Sometimes
the message is going forward
00:34:10.08\00:34:11.41
in the power of God."
00:34:11.45\00:34:12.78
And she says, "And
dumb dogs wouldn't even bark
00:34:12.81\00:34:16.55
in
acknowledgment of God's Word."
00:34:16.58\00:34:19.02
And you know what
she describes that for,
00:34:19.05\00:34:20.39
the condition
of Laodicea unmoved
00:34:20.42\00:34:23.32
by the power of God's Word,
00:34:23.36\00:34:25.36
but moved by a football
game, and moved by bicycle way,
00:34:25.39\00:34:28.26
moved by shopping.
00:34:28.30\00:34:30.70
We got to be moved
by divine things, amen.
00:34:30.73\00:34:32.83
Amen.
00:34:32.87\00:34:34.20
He opened his mouth, praise God,
00:34:34.24\00:34:35.60
no longer doubting God.
00:34:35.64\00:34:38.44
I understand
00:34:38.47\00:34:40.18
when Zacharias publicly declared
00:34:40.21\00:34:41.98
his belief in God's Word,
00:34:42.01\00:34:43.35
then God trusted him
00:34:43.38\00:34:45.55
with the privilege
to speak in his behalf.
00:34:45.58\00:34:49.78
But now that's not the...
00:34:49.82\00:34:51.15
There's another
part to the story
00:34:51.19\00:34:52.82
because now you have found out
about Zacharias and Elizabeth,
00:34:52.85\00:34:56.42
but Elizabeth didn't say it
and Zacharias didn't say it,
00:34:56.46\00:34:59.29
somebody else is the
focus of the message.
00:34:59.33\00:35:01.80
Go now to verse 26 and
28 of the very same chapter.
00:35:01.83\00:35:05.93
In the midst of
Elizabeth's ordeal
00:35:05.97\00:35:08.04
Gabriel goes to Mary's house,
00:35:08.07\00:35:10.87
as if he hasn't caused
00:35:10.91\00:35:12.24
enough trouble in
Zacharias's house.
00:35:12.27\00:35:14.78
He came to heaven
with two missions,
00:35:14.81\00:35:17.25
go visit
Zacharias and Elizabeth,
00:35:17.28\00:35:22.42
and then Mary and Joseph.
00:35:22.45\00:35:25.42
Look at verse 26,
00:35:25.45\00:35:27.02
"Now in the sixth month,"
00:35:27.06\00:35:30.23
that is the sixth month
of Elizabeth's pregnancy,
00:35:30.26\00:35:34.46
"the angel
Gabriel was sent by God
00:35:34.50\00:35:36.56
to a city of
Galilee named Nazareth,
00:35:36.60\00:35:39.97
to a virgin betrothed to a man
00:35:40.00\00:35:41.94
whose name was
Joseph, of the house of David.
00:35:41.97\00:35:45.67
The virgin's name was Mary.
00:35:45.71\00:35:48.61
And having come in,
the angel said to her,
00:35:48.64\00:35:50.78
'Rejoice, highly favored
one, the Lord is with you,
00:35:50.81\00:35:55.22
blessed are you among women!'"
00:35:55.25\00:35:59.12
And then Gabriel
gives her the news,
00:35:59.15\00:36:04.09
and she sees this being
standing up in her room.
00:36:04.13\00:36:06.66
Now the Bible didn't say
what time of the day it was,
00:36:06.70\00:36:08.23
but let's just walk
through this for a brief moment.
00:36:08.26\00:36:10.20
If it was morning and
Mary was brushing her teeth
00:36:10.23\00:36:12.67
and as she is
brushing her teeth,
00:36:12.70\00:36:14.04
over the sink she leans up
and there is a glow in her room
00:36:14.07\00:36:17.51
and he says to her,
00:36:17.54\00:36:21.34
"Highly favored one."
00:36:21.38\00:36:23.01
"How did you get in
here? And who are you?"
00:36:28.85\00:36:31.69
"But when she saw him, she
was troubled at his saying,
00:36:39.03\00:36:43.73
and considered what
manner of greeting this was."
00:36:43.77\00:36:47.24
What?
00:36:47.27\00:36:48.60
And he attempted
to put Mary at ease
00:36:52.34\00:36:54.34
and the angel
describes her blessing.
00:36:54.38\00:36:56.98
You see the God of
heaven has allowed me
00:36:57.01\00:36:59.91
to come to tell you that,
00:36:59.95\00:37:01.82
that long time
prophecy of the birth of Jesus
00:37:01.85\00:37:04.89
is about to come to pass
00:37:04.92\00:37:06.25
and you are the
method of deliverance,
00:37:06.29\00:37:09.42
you are going to be the one
00:37:09.46\00:37:14.63
that allows Jesus to step
on to the stage of humanity.
00:37:14.66\00:37:19.77
She considered what
kind of greeting is this,
00:37:19.80\00:37:23.54
and he said, "Don't be afraid.
00:37:23.57\00:37:25.74
Oh, by the way a small detail,
00:37:25.77\00:37:28.71
you're gonna get pregnant
before you get married."
00:37:28.74\00:37:31.08
I'm sure she
thought about Joseph,
00:37:38.92\00:37:41.76
how she gonna
explain that to Joseph.
00:37:41.79\00:37:45.09
What she says in verse 34...
00:37:45.13\00:37:47.33
"Then Mary said to the angel,
00:37:50.93\00:37:53.74
'How can this be,
since I don not know a man?"'
00:37:53.77\00:37:58.91
She passed biology
with flying colors,
00:37:58.94\00:38:02.01
how is this gonna happen?
00:38:02.04\00:38:04.78
In verse 35,
00:38:04.81\00:38:06.92
and when you read verse
35 what I want you to get
00:38:06.95\00:38:09.58
is not just the
response of the angel,
00:38:09.62\00:38:11.82
but the fact of the matter
00:38:11.85\00:38:13.32
the core truth of every blessing
00:38:13.36\00:38:17.03
is the Holy Spirit of God
00:38:17.06\00:38:19.56
is always present
00:38:19.59\00:38:21.30
when God is about
to bless your life.
00:38:21.33\00:38:23.77
"And the angel
answered and said to her,
00:38:23.80\00:38:25.87
'The Holy Spirit
will come upon you,
00:38:25.90\00:38:28.07
and the power of the
Highest will overshadow you.
00:38:28.10\00:38:29.97
Therefore, also, the Holy One
00:38:30.01\00:38:32.37
who is to be born will
be called the Son of God."'
00:38:32.41\00:38:36.34
The Holy Spirit
is always present
00:38:36.38\00:38:40.12
when humanity meets divinity.
00:38:40.15\00:38:44.29
Amen. Amen.
00:38:44.32\00:38:48.79
Without the Holy
Spirit in us there is no power
00:38:48.82\00:38:51.29
from which to draw.
00:38:51.33\00:38:52.66
Jesus cannot be present in us
00:38:52.69\00:38:54.90
without the Spirit of
God doing a work in us.
00:38:54.93\00:38:59.03
And when Jesus is
being born in you,
00:38:59.07\00:39:03.67
it's gonna change
everything about your life,
00:39:03.71\00:39:07.51
everything about your life.
00:39:07.54\00:39:10.61
Like the song writer,
00:39:10.65\00:39:11.98
I think Mark
Lowry wrote the song,
00:39:12.01\00:39:13.35
"Mary did you know
00:39:13.38\00:39:15.18
that's your baby boy
will one day walk on water?"
00:39:15.22\00:39:18.09
What an inspired song.
00:39:18.12\00:39:20.62
Can you imagine,
00:39:20.66\00:39:21.99
"Mary did you
know that your baby boy
00:39:22.02\00:39:26.73
would save our
sons and daughters?
00:39:26.76\00:39:30.87
Mary did you know
00:39:30.90\00:39:33.80
your baby boy would
give sight to the blind man?"
00:39:33.84\00:39:37.97
And there is Jesus...
00:39:38.01\00:39:39.34
What you did not
know in that little child,
00:39:45.48\00:39:48.45
all God's...
00:39:48.48\00:39:50.35
When I think about
that, that just bends my mind,
00:39:50.39\00:39:54.72
that the creator
of time and space
00:39:54.76\00:39:59.93
the God who has thrown
out from His Word countless,
00:39:59.96\00:40:04.27
numberless galaxies
00:40:04.30\00:40:07.50
condescended to come, to save me
00:40:07.54\00:40:11.77
and He came in the form
of helpless submissive baby.
00:40:11.81\00:40:17.78
You got to think about that
00:40:17.81\00:40:20.32
'cause He could have
easily said from heaven,
00:40:20.35\00:40:22.28
"John you are safe, but
I ain't coming down there."
00:40:22.32\00:40:25.72
But His coming down
here is a part of the means
00:40:25.75\00:40:29.09
by which I know I'm
safe, He walk where I walk.
00:40:29.12\00:40:32.29
Come on say amen somebody? Amen.
00:40:32.33\00:40:33.90
He walks where we will walk,
00:40:33.93\00:40:35.93
He's been where
we would have been,
00:40:35.96\00:40:37.80
and where we are going to be,
00:40:37.83\00:40:39.17
He understands our weaknesses,
He understands our infirmities,
00:40:39.20\00:40:42.44
He understands our
need and our wants,
00:40:42.47\00:40:44.57
He put himself
00:40:44.61\00:40:45.94
under the
direction of a human flesh,
00:40:45.97\00:40:50.95
a woman,
00:40:50.98\00:40:52.61
who is by no means perfect.
00:40:52.65\00:40:55.68
But God saw fit to bring
00:40:55.72\00:40:57.55
Jesus into the world
00:40:57.59\00:40:58.92
through this frail
flesh of human purity.
00:40:58.95\00:41:05.29
Pure or not by her spotlessness,
00:41:05.33\00:41:07.56
but by the glory that
God surrounded her with.
00:41:07.60\00:41:11.23
"Mary did you know
00:41:11.27\00:41:14.30
that you would be the one
to bring forth the Son of God,
00:41:14.34\00:41:18.71
the Holy One that will be born
00:41:18.74\00:41:20.41
and you will be
called the Son of God.
00:41:20.44\00:41:23.91
But now in the
middle of explaining
00:41:23.95\00:41:26.05
this to Mary...
00:41:26.08\00:41:27.42
the angel explains to her...
00:41:30.85\00:41:32.92
You got to read the
rest of the story yourself,
00:41:35.12\00:41:37.23
I'm not going
through 69, 72 verses.
00:41:37.26\00:41:40.30
But when you go back
00:41:40.33\00:41:41.66
and revisit the
story this afternoon,
00:41:41.70\00:41:43.70
the moment that
the angel Gabriel sees
00:41:43.73\00:41:47.90
the circumstance
00:41:47.94\00:41:49.27
he just catapults
Mary in the middle of,
00:41:49.30\00:41:51.81
he says to Mary,
00:41:51.84\00:41:55.31
"You need to go visit Elizabeth.
00:41:55.34\00:41:58.61
Go visit Elizabeth."
00:41:58.65\00:42:01.55
And when I read that
story, it said to me,
00:42:01.58\00:42:03.75
it is so good to know that
when you are facing difficulty,
00:42:03.79\00:42:10.23
God knows exactly to
whom He needs to send you
00:42:10.26\00:42:15.90
so that together we can
bear one another's burdens.
00:42:15.93\00:42:19.60
Amen.
00:42:19.63\00:42:21.64
He said, "Mary, you
are not the only one
00:42:21.67\00:42:23.00
going through that."
00:42:23.04\00:42:24.37
And sometimes we think
that the trails of life leave us
00:42:24.41\00:42:26.88
to be the only one,
00:42:26.91\00:42:28.24
don't ever think
you are the only one,
00:42:28.28\00:42:30.08
there's always somebody
that knows where you are.
00:42:30.11\00:42:33.42
There's always
somebody that knows
00:42:33.45\00:42:34.78
what you are going through,
00:42:34.82\00:42:36.38
there's always
somebody that's going through
00:42:36.42\00:42:37.75
what you've been through.
00:42:37.79\00:42:39.12
And here is Mary being sent.
00:42:39.15\00:42:42.46
And in another
sermon in the future,
00:42:42.49\00:42:43.83
I'll bring the second part out,
00:42:43.86\00:42:45.19
but here is Mary
being told by Gabriel,
00:42:45.23\00:42:48.00
Elizabeth is going
through the very same thing
00:42:48.03\00:42:49.90
because he said to Elizabeth,
with God nothing is impossible.
00:42:49.93\00:42:53.94
And she knows
exactly what she needs to do,
00:42:57.77\00:43:00.14
and she goes spend
time with Elizabeth.
00:43:00.18\00:43:06.25
And I'm gonna put
a hanger out there,
00:43:06.28\00:43:07.62
I'm going put a cliffhanger
00:43:07.65\00:43:08.98
she stays with
Elizabeth for three months.
00:43:09.02\00:43:12.02
And Elizabeth was away
from Zacharias for six months.
00:43:12.05\00:43:17.46
And if you stay with
Elizabeth for three months,
00:43:17.49\00:43:21.53
and she is already
in her sixth month,
00:43:21.56\00:43:24.00
you stay with her long enough
00:43:24.03\00:43:26.07
for her to give
birth to her child.
00:43:26.10\00:43:28.94
And you stay away
from Joseph long enough
00:43:28.97\00:43:31.67
for him to wonder where are you,
00:43:31.71\00:43:33.88
and you return
pregnant, and showing,
00:43:33.91\00:43:37.48
and you say to
Joseph, "Oh, God did this."
00:43:37.51\00:43:43.89
That's another sermon.
That's not today's message.
00:43:43.92\00:43:47.29
That's the cliffhanger,
00:43:47.32\00:43:49.02
how does Joseph
handle, God did this.
00:43:49.06\00:43:52.59
Well, I want you to
see is how Mary handled it.
00:43:52.63\00:43:55.26
Verse 37 and 38,
00:43:55.30\00:44:00.34
"For with God
nothing will be impossible."
00:44:00.37\00:44:02.87
Do you believe
that church? Amen.
00:44:02.90\00:44:06.94
Now it's important
for you to believe that
00:44:06.98\00:44:08.31
because when you
face your difficulty
00:44:08.34\00:44:09.88
which is going to come,
00:44:09.91\00:44:11.25
if it hasn't come,
it's going to come.
00:44:11.28\00:44:12.61
If the difficulty of life
00:44:12.65\00:44:13.98
that has not
stretched you and ironed you out
00:44:14.02\00:44:15.42
hasn't come, it's going to come.
00:44:15.45\00:44:16.82
But you have to believe that
with God nothing is impossible.
00:44:16.85\00:44:19.25
Meaning, simply this, no
matter what come your way,
00:44:19.29\00:44:22.19
nothing that comes your way
00:44:22.22\00:44:23.66
is impossible for God to handle.
00:44:23.69\00:44:26.63
Ain't that right?
Nothing's impossible.
00:44:26.66\00:44:31.33
And sometimes your prayer
00:44:31.37\00:44:32.70
that is not being prayed
in harmony with God's will
00:44:32.73\00:44:34.64
may seem to be not answered,
00:44:34.67\00:44:37.84
but God in the course
of time will get you like
00:44:37.87\00:44:40.54
He did Zacharias to
forget about that prayer.
00:44:40.58\00:44:43.95
So that he can answer it
00:44:43.98\00:44:45.31
the way that is in
his harmony with his will.
00:44:45.35\00:44:48.42
But with God
nothing is impossible.
00:44:48.45\00:44:52.29
Nobody is
impossible for God to save,
00:44:52.32\00:44:54.79
no circumstance is impossible
for God to turn around,
00:44:54.82\00:44:57.43
with God how much is impossible?
00:44:57.46\00:45:00.70
How much is impossible? Nothing.
00:45:00.73\00:45:02.40
Nothing is
impossible. Absolutely nothing.
00:45:02.43\00:45:06.67
And then Mary relents
00:45:06.70\00:45:09.60
because unlike Zacharias
00:45:09.64\00:45:10.97
that expressed an
attitude of disbelief,
00:45:11.01\00:45:14.48
Mary simply had an
attitude of unbelief.
00:45:14.51\00:45:16.95
"I don't believe
this, it's happening to me."
00:45:16.98\00:45:20.05
Where Zacharias was
this ain't happening to me,
00:45:20.08\00:45:22.28
that's why God muted him,
00:45:22.32\00:45:23.65
different types of
belief, disbelief and unbelief.
00:45:23.69\00:45:27.92
And then she said in verse 38,
00:45:27.96\00:45:30.29
"Behold the
maidservant of the Lord."
00:45:30.33\00:45:33.33
In other words, amen.
00:45:33.36\00:45:37.83
I don't know how
it's gonna wind up
00:45:37.87\00:45:40.04
and, you know, since
we don't have to know
00:45:40.07\00:45:42.87
how God is going to workout
the circumstances of our lives.
00:45:42.90\00:45:46.74
We don't have to know.
00:45:46.78\00:45:49.38
If you simply say,
00:45:49.41\00:45:50.75
here is the servant of the Lord,
00:45:50.78\00:45:52.11
do whatever you want to do.
00:45:52.15\00:45:54.12
I've said this and I don't know,
00:45:54.15\00:45:55.68
but I think God...
00:45:55.72\00:45:58.05
Let me rephrase
that, I don't think,
00:45:58.09\00:45:59.42
but I know that sometimes
00:45:59.45\00:46:01.06
when you give God
permission to do something,
00:46:01.09\00:46:03.32
He'll do it and then you say,
00:46:03.36\00:46:04.69
"Lord, I really
didn't mean that much trail."
00:46:04.73\00:46:10.23
You know, when
you pray for patience,
00:46:10.27\00:46:13.34
God's gonna send you some stuff
00:46:13.37\00:46:14.74
that you don't
know how to handle.
00:46:14.77\00:46:17.17
And He's gonna concentrate it
00:46:17.21\00:46:18.54
so that you would come away
00:46:18.57\00:46:21.28
from that circumstance
realizing you can't handle it,
00:46:21.31\00:46:24.18
God will send you stuff
that will make you pray,
00:46:24.21\00:46:27.92
that'll make you seek Him,
that'll make you turn to Him.
00:46:27.95\00:46:30.99
But she says,
00:46:31.02\00:46:32.35
"Behold the
maidservant of the Lord."
00:46:32.39\00:46:35.76
How much would be
different in our lives,
00:46:35.79\00:46:40.30
how much would
happen in your life.
00:46:40.33\00:46:43.97
When God
unfolds His plan for you
00:46:44.00\00:46:47.40
that will be
accomplished through you
00:46:47.44\00:46:50.04
by the power of
the Holy Spirit in you,
00:46:50.07\00:46:52.94
and all you got to do
00:46:52.97\00:46:54.31
to receive the blessing you say,
00:46:54.34\00:46:55.88
"Let it be
according to your servant."
00:46:55.91\00:46:59.41
But so many of
us want the details
00:46:59.45\00:47:01.15
before we buy into God's plan.
00:47:01.18\00:47:03.65
And God says, "Forget about it.
00:47:03.69\00:47:06.55
I'm God that's
all you need to know."
00:47:06.59\00:47:09.02
And then she says the words
00:47:09.06\00:47:10.63
that bring us
00:47:10.66\00:47:11.99
to the winding
down of our message.
00:47:12.03\00:47:15.40
"'Behold the
maidservant of the Lord!
00:47:15.43\00:47:19.00
Let it be to me
according to your word.'
00:47:19.03\00:47:23.77
And the angel
departed from her."
00:47:23.81\00:47:27.61
You got understand why he
left. You know why he left?
00:47:27.64\00:47:32.01
It didn't say the
Holy Spirit departed
00:47:32.05\00:47:33.52
because the Holy
Spirit was working in her,
00:47:33.55\00:47:35.62
but the angel
departed in the very same way
00:47:35.65\00:47:38.39
when the Lord let
Peter from His chains
00:47:38.42\00:47:41.02
past the first, second,
and third gate, the iron gate,
00:47:41.06\00:47:44.49
and Peter
finally got to the street
00:47:44.53\00:47:45.86
the Bible says,
00:47:45.89\00:47:47.23
"The angel of the
Lord departed from Him."
00:47:47.26\00:47:49.30
You see God
doesn't have to look out,
00:47:49.33\00:47:52.27
God doesn't have to
peek over your shoulder
00:47:52.30\00:47:55.50
when He knows that from
now on He can trust you.
00:47:55.54\00:47:59.44
Amen.
00:47:59.47\00:48:00.94
Some people need
heaven to baby sit them
00:48:00.98\00:48:03.31
because God can't put
a task on their shoulder,
00:48:03.35\00:48:06.25
but when the Lord knew
that Mary was all the way in,
00:48:06.28\00:48:09.35
angel said,
00:48:09.38\00:48:10.72
"I got some work to
do, I'm out of here."
00:48:10.75\00:48:13.25
And Gabriel left...
00:48:13.29\00:48:14.69
and the vortex of his departure
00:48:18.46\00:48:20.06
probably almost
pulled Mary to divinity.
00:48:20.10\00:48:23.93
"I'm out of here."
00:48:23.97\00:48:25.30
I can't wait to
see Gabriel. Amen.
00:48:30.77\00:48:33.51
I'm gonna ask him, how
many people did you visit?
00:48:33.54\00:48:36.14
I only know about
a couple or three,
00:48:36.18\00:48:39.31
David, I mean Daniel,
00:48:39.35\00:48:42.42
Zacharias,
Elizabeth, Mary, John,
00:48:42.45\00:48:43.89
how many did you visit?
00:48:43.92\00:48:45.52
Because, you
know, the cliffhanger is
00:48:45.55\00:48:49.99
he's got some more
work to do on Joseph
00:48:50.03\00:48:52.59
before this whole
dream comes to pass,
00:48:52.63\00:48:54.26
but she says, you see Mary,
00:48:54.30\00:48:57.17
then goes to meet Elizabeth
00:48:57.20\00:48:58.80
and for three months
00:48:58.83\00:49:00.17
they talk about God's blessings.
00:49:00.20\00:49:02.10
The predicament of
being chosen by God,
00:49:02.14\00:49:03.87
the challenge of trusting God,
00:49:03.91\00:49:05.24
the blessing of
having God invade your life.
00:49:05.27\00:49:08.38
Jesus becomes
the comforter of Mary
00:49:08.41\00:49:12.05
in her hour of darkness.
00:49:12.08\00:49:14.05
Jesus becomes
Elizabeth and Mary's
00:49:14.08\00:49:17.42
ever present help
in their hour of need.
00:49:17.45\00:49:21.59
You see The
Beatles recommended Mary,
00:49:21.62\00:49:23.39
but Mary recommended Jesus.
00:49:23.43\00:49:26.29
The words of wisdom
came from God not from Mary.
00:49:26.33\00:49:29.60
Mary followed
what God had to say
00:49:29.63\00:49:31.93
not the other way around.
00:49:31.97\00:49:35.24
The only declaration
00:49:35.27\00:49:36.60
that came from Mary
should come from us.
00:49:36.64\00:49:38.71
When God reveals it in
His Word the only declaration
00:49:38.74\00:49:42.04
that came from Mary
that should come from us
00:49:42.08\00:49:44.95
is let it be
according to Thy Word.
00:49:44.98\00:49:47.78
Amen.
00:49:47.82\00:49:49.92
That's the problem today,
00:49:49.95\00:49:51.35
the Christian world has
to change it to let it be.
00:49:51.39\00:49:54.62
They have to lie
about it to let it be,
00:49:54.66\00:49:56.42
they have to modify it
00:49:56.46\00:49:57.99
or delete it or
omit it to let it be,
00:49:58.03\00:50:01.36
but let it be
according to Thy Word.
00:50:01.40\00:50:06.20
And as the bad as
the Beatles music is
00:50:06.23\00:50:08.24
I got to agree with
them on one thing...
00:50:08.27\00:50:12.31
There will be an
answer if we let it be.
00:50:12.34\00:50:16.14
There will be an answer
00:50:16.18\00:50:18.15
if we say let it be
according to Your Word.
00:50:18.18\00:50:23.55
The greatest
blessings that ever graced
00:50:23.59\00:50:25.15
the human stage was
possible when Mary simply said,
00:50:25.19\00:50:28.69
"Let it be
according to Your Word."
00:50:28.72\00:50:32.03
The greatest blessing
00:50:32.06\00:50:33.40
that will ever come
into our lives will come
00:50:33.43\00:50:35.73
when we declare the same thing,
00:50:35.76\00:50:37.13
let it be
according to Your Word.
00:50:37.17\00:50:40.54
You see Mary's dilemma
00:50:40.57\00:50:43.61
is what a flash
of our own dilemma.
00:50:43.64\00:50:46.91
And so let me give you
00:50:46.94\00:50:48.28
four points of
encouragement today
00:50:48.31\00:50:50.31
if God is trying to bless you,
stop trying to figure it out.
00:50:50.35\00:50:55.05
How it's gonna work,
00:50:55.08\00:50:56.55
just simply
surrender to God and say,
00:50:56.58\00:50:58.45
let it be
according to Your Word.
00:50:58.49\00:51:01.36
Is there somebody here
today willing to say that
00:51:01.39\00:51:03.09
let it be
according to Your Word?
00:51:03.12\00:51:06.76
The other thing
you have to do is
00:51:06.80\00:51:08.13
you have to know
what God's Word says,
00:51:08.16\00:51:10.70
in order for it to be
according to God's Word.
00:51:10.73\00:51:13.84
Second
encouragement, don't tell God
00:51:13.87\00:51:16.20
when and how to
answer your prayers,
00:51:16.24\00:51:17.81
just say let it be
according to Your Word,
00:51:17.84\00:51:20.01
don't be weary and
holding on just say,
00:51:20.04\00:51:22.18
"Lord, no matter
how long it takes
00:51:22.21\00:51:24.51
I will be faithful
to the reveled word,
00:51:24.55\00:51:27.72
and I'm going to let it be."
00:51:27.75\00:51:29.18
If it's a year, if it's a month,
00:51:29.22\00:51:31.29
if it's three
months, if it's three years,
00:51:31.32\00:51:33.49
when it comes
I'm gonna simply say,
00:51:33.52\00:51:35.96
"Lord, here is Your servant.
00:51:35.99\00:51:38.79
Let it be
according to Your Word."
00:51:38.83\00:51:42.96
And so I say today,
00:51:43.00\00:51:44.33
your greatest
need is not a new car,
00:51:44.37\00:51:46.27
not a new job, not a new career,
00:51:46.30\00:51:49.44
the greatest need that we
have as the children of God
00:51:49.47\00:51:51.81
is to simply say let it
be according to Your Word.
00:51:51.84\00:51:55.31
You know what
happens when you do that?
00:51:55.34\00:51:57.28
You know what happens,
Tracy, when you do that?
00:51:57.31\00:51:59.11
Unbelief, disbelief,
anxiety, fear, hesitant faith,
00:51:59.15\00:52:03.35
sleepless nights,
troubled hearts, fading hope
00:52:03.39\00:52:07.06
will all disappear
when we simply say,
00:52:07.09\00:52:10.19
"Let it be
according to Thy Word."
00:52:10.23\00:52:14.73
The year is closing out,
00:52:14.76\00:52:19.03
it's December 9th
00:52:19.07\00:52:22.34
and we got 22 more days
00:52:22.37\00:52:24.87
before 2018 peaks its head.
00:52:24.91\00:52:29.34
We have no idea about 2018,
00:52:29.38\00:52:33.21
we got some calendar
events right, Jill, Greg, Danny,
00:52:33.25\00:52:36.48
we got some calendar events,
00:52:36.52\00:52:39.62
but we don't know what
mode we're gonna meet 2018 in.
00:52:39.65\00:52:43.86
But today my
appeal to you, if you say,
00:52:43.89\00:52:45.89
"Lord, first of all,
00:52:45.93\00:52:47.26
I want to thank you for
carrying me through 2017."
00:52:47.30\00:52:50.70
If that's your praise,
raise your hand today with me.
00:52:50.73\00:52:54.07
But if today, you want to
commit yourself to saying,
00:52:54.10\00:52:55.90
"Lord, I don't know
what 2018 is going to bring."
00:52:55.94\00:52:58.87
But simply I want
to just simply say,
00:52:58.91\00:53:00.41
"Lord, whatever is in Your Word,
00:53:00.44\00:53:01.98
let it be
according to Your Word."
00:53:02.01\00:53:05.01
If that's your
desire today, stand with me,
00:53:05.05\00:53:07.42
come on and stand with me.
00:53:07.45\00:53:09.02
God's Word, that's all you need.
00:53:09.05\00:53:11.25
It's in there,
that's all you want.
00:53:11.29\00:53:13.29
He said if
that's all that matters.
00:53:13.32\00:53:17.43
Two thousand and seventeen
00:53:17.46\00:53:18.79
for some people have been
in the valley of darkness,
00:53:18.83\00:53:21.16
other people on the
mountain top rejoicing.
00:53:21.20\00:53:25.57
Two thousand and eighteen
00:53:25.60\00:53:26.94
for those who
had a joyless year,
00:53:26.97\00:53:29.04
this year might have
a joyful year next year
00:53:29.07\00:53:31.44
and the tables may turn.
00:53:31.47\00:53:32.84
A joyful year this year,
00:53:32.87\00:53:34.21
but a joyless year
next year, you don't know.
00:53:34.24\00:53:38.28
Some have come into 2017,
00:53:38.31\00:53:40.22
we're leaving
them behind in 2017,
00:53:40.25\00:53:42.45
you don't know how
the year is gonna unfold.
00:53:42.48\00:53:47.29
But my desire,
Lord, I read the book,
00:53:47.32\00:53:52.23
I've even read
the back of the book,
00:53:52.26\00:53:54.33
and my only desire
00:53:54.36\00:53:58.43
is to say here is Your servant,
00:53:58.47\00:54:00.97
let it be,
00:54:01.00\00:54:03.57
to me personal,
00:54:03.61\00:54:06.64
let it be to me,
Rosemary, Gary, personal.
00:54:06.68\00:54:12.81
Let it be to me
00:54:12.85\00:54:15.35
according to Your Word.
00:54:15.38\00:54:20.32
Let us pray, Father in heaven,
00:54:20.36\00:54:24.36
sometimes we've got to go
00:54:24.39\00:54:25.73
through the
darkness of our valleys
00:54:25.76\00:54:28.23
to appreciate
00:54:28.26\00:54:30.60
the magnificent
radiance of our mountain tops.
00:54:30.63\00:54:35.47
Sometimes a night in the dungeon
00:54:35.50\00:54:40.64
brings us a
morning of rejoicing,
00:54:40.68\00:54:44.18
sometimes our faded memories,
00:54:44.21\00:54:47.98
our delayed prayers,
00:54:48.02\00:54:50.85
our postponed ambitions
00:54:50.89\00:54:55.99
are all swallowed up
00:54:56.02\00:54:58.49
in the moment of
divine visitation.
00:54:58.53\00:55:02.26
And, Lord Jesus,
as Your people stand
00:55:05.33\00:55:07.04
and even as
00:55:07.07\00:55:08.40
somebody watches this
program or listens to it
00:55:08.44\00:55:11.37
may be in their
vehicle or some other place,
00:55:11.41\00:55:14.04
somebody may be at that
intersection of the praying
00:55:14.08\00:55:18.31
that I've done through the years
00:55:18.35\00:55:19.68
that have not yet been answered.
00:55:19.71\00:55:21.18
I'm gonna say to you,
"Wait, God blessed Zacharias,
00:55:21.22\00:55:25.45
God blessed Mary,
God blessed Elizabeth,
00:55:25.49\00:55:29.79
God blessed so many of us,
00:55:29.82\00:55:33.90
but His desire is
to draw out in you
00:55:33.93\00:55:36.50
just one declaration."
00:55:36.53\00:55:38.23
Lord, if Your Word has said
it, that's good, enough for me.
00:55:38.27\00:55:43.67
Take us Lord,
00:55:43.71\00:55:45.71
from the unknown 2018
to the known God of 2018,
00:55:45.74\00:55:51.71
take us from the
table of interpretation
00:55:51.75\00:55:54.98
to the table of grace,
00:55:55.02\00:55:57.12
take us from our
unanswered prayers
00:55:57.15\00:56:00.72
to the God who knows
00:56:00.76\00:56:02.09
when that prayer
is to be answered.
00:56:02.12\00:56:05.53
We pray that we could
leave our fears behind in 2017,
00:56:05.56\00:56:09.06
our unbelief, our
disbelief, our anxieties,
00:56:09.10\00:56:12.43
the things that
cause us to lose sleep,
00:56:12.47\00:56:14.40
Lord, help us to
leave them behind
00:56:14.44\00:56:16.00
and we know that in this
world, in the vortex of sin,
00:56:16.04\00:56:20.48
new things will come
to challenge our walk
00:56:20.51\00:56:23.91
but, Father, help us to
keep our eyes fixed on Thee.
00:56:23.95\00:56:29.22
And the God of the first advent
00:56:29.25\00:56:30.59
will soon be our God
of the second advent.
00:56:30.62\00:56:33.02
Soon, we'll see
Jesus not as a babe,
00:56:33.05\00:56:35.92
but as a
conquering, glorious king
00:56:35.96\00:56:39.63
that will reign throughout
the ceaseless ages of eternity,
00:56:39.66\00:56:43.37
bless Your people Father.
00:56:43.40\00:56:45.50
We thank You for
carrying us through 2017,
00:56:45.53\00:56:49.97
who would even have
thought we would still be here.
00:56:50.01\00:56:54.04
Now carry us by that grace
into a new year, in a new walk,
00:56:54.08\00:56:59.95
in Jesus' name we pray,
00:56:59.98\00:57:03.35
and all of the
God's people said, amen.
00:57:03.39\00:57:08.26
And amen.
00:57:08.29\00:57:09.62