Hebrews 12:14
14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.
 
In the opening verses of Hebrews 12 we are told that as Christians we are to run the “race”. But what is that race that is set before us? Verse fourteen provides the answer – it is to... “Pursue Peace”. We are given a command to energetically strive toward the goals of peace with all men, and of personal holiness. We are not to be passive, believing that it will simply happen without any effort or action on our part.
 
Our responsibility to work out our salvation, in dependence on God's indwelling Spirit, is the pursuit of peace and holiness.
 
To obtain this inner peace, we have to have peace with God. If we are not in peace with God, then we still stand as His enemy.  Having this peace with God will cover all of life’s relationships.
You have heard me say it before, if your relationship above/with the Lord is not good, then nothing here below will be good.
 
A. Be at Peace with God.

1. The root cause of every war and every conflict, whether internal or external, is rebellion against God. When God created man, there was perfect harmony with God, but when man sinned that peace was broken and conflict entered the world, the greatest conflict being that of enmity with God.

 
Romans 8:7
7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.

1. While we are called to pursue peace with all men, you’re never going to make peace with all men until you first make peace with God. And there is only for you to make peace with God; and that is through the cross.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Colossians 1:19-21
19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, 20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. 21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled
 
Martin Luther told a story about a monk who denied original sin. The monk was frustrated with his own contrariness and impatience. He decided to go and live out in a desert by himself because he believed that people around him made him sin. He wanted to isolate himself and then sin would not be a problem. In the desert he thought he could live in peace and holiness because he was alone. One day he went to a spring to get some water. Inadvertently he knocked the container over and spilled it all. In anger he flung the pitcher to the ground and broke it. He realized something; he couldn’t blame his anger on other people. It was inside. It is inside us too. Jeremiah wrote, “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can understand it?” We need God’s transformation of our hearts.
 
Peace with God is only accomplished when we acknowledge our alienation from God due to our sin, repenting of that sinfulness and surrendering to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. God grants peace as a gift through Jesus Christ. His suffering and sacrifice opened the way for peace between human beings and God, and between human beings and other human beings.
 
Once God has made peace with you and you begin living a Spirit-filled life, you begin to realize the peace of God. The fruit of the Spirit includes a peace that goes beyond that of salvation.
 
God’s peace transcends on earthly issues and matters, as Philippians 4:4-7 illustrates…
 
Philippians 4:4-7
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
 
Because as believers we have been reconciled with and have peace with God, we are instructed to be peacemakers among fellow believers and with unbelievers.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Peace with fellow believers/all people:
 
Within the Christian community, God tells us to live in peace with one another. Unfortunately, peace is something that is lacking in many churches today. There are some who has conflicts with other believers. There are some who won’t let go of sin/repent. There are some who will dislike the message/pastor, because they cannot get their way.
 
The church is an assembly of individuals who have different personalities, backgrounds, and outlooks. Residing in the depths of each of them is residual sin of the old nature, leading to conflict within the church. Our relationships should be without any of the things that get in the way of peace: selfishness, argumentativeness, discord, jealousy, lying and distrust, cliquishness, as well as a host of other sins.
 
James 4:1-2
Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.
 
We are called to make every effort to preserve peace and unity within the Body of Christ. It is inevitable that conflicts will rise, but when they occur within the church, God provides us with the biblical methods of resolution.
 
As believers our first priority must be to glorify God in our lives and in the church. Paul teaches us that we must always place our human conflict within the much larger context of God’s eternal glory. If conflict arises in your life, relationships, or ministry, strive to help all parties, including yourself, to ask,’ How can I please and honor God in this situation?’ It’s not about ‘winning’ the conflict. It’s not even about “win/win” scenarios. It’s about joining together in obedience to Gods will.
 
Peace with unbelievers:
 
Not only does the command to pursue peace with all men apply to our relationships with believers, it also includes pursuing peace with the lost.
 
“Pursue Peace with all men.” – Paul wrote this command to Hebrew Christians who were suffering, at that time, from persecution because of their faith and urges them to demonstrate a spirit of kindheartedness toward all - even to those who were persecuting them.
 
As Jesus said (Luke 6:27-28)
 
Luke 6:27-28
27 “But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.
 
Those are not easy words to obey! They apply to wives who have husbands who verbally abuse them. They apply to believers who have family members who ridicule their faith or provoke them in an attempt to get them to deny their testimony. They apply to Christian teenagers whose parents are godless and verbally abusive. They apply to Christians who work with people who hate them for their faith, who spread falsehoods about them behind their backs.”
 
Spurgeon - Peace is to be studied, but not such a peace as would lead us to violate holiness by conforming to the ways of unregenerate and impure men. We are to be peaceful so far as never to be at peace with sin...”
 
The reality of living in this fallen world is that sometimes it is not possible to be at peace with everyone. When peace would require compromising obedience to God, either morally or doctrinally we must stand obediently to God. WE cannot and must NOT sacrifice personal holiness or commitment to God’s truth for the sake of peace.
 
IN CONCLUSION:
 
Because we are at peace with God, we should be peacemakers. Because we are counted righteous, we should live righteously. Our practice should match our position. Otherwise the unbeliever will stand back and ask…
 
“Why don’t you practice what you preach? If you don’t live like Christ says to live, why should I accept Him as my Lord and Savior?” – John MacArthur
 
Pursue Holiness
 
We have also been commanded to pursue holiness. But what is holiness? The words “holy,” “holiness,” “saint” and “sanctify” come from the root of a Greek word meaning, “to set apart to God.” The believer in the Lord Jesus Christ is set apart for God by the Holy Spirit.
 
The Believer’s Positional Holiness – a standing based on Christ’s Righteousness. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.
 
The result of failing to pursue Peace and Holiness:
 
A. Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.
 
B. Our walk and fellowship with God is hindered.
 
Psalm 24:3-4
 “Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart...”
 
2. You cannot walk with the Lord and the world at the same time.
 
3. “There is no plateau in the Christian life. We are either growing closer to Christ's likeness or we are falling away.”
 
4.Some has said, In the Christian life “Either you're growing or you're decaying; there's no middle ground. If you're standing still, you're decaying.”
 
5. A lack of peace in the church does not just harm the church—it harms the gospel witness and message as we fail to be light and salt.
 
Church…my family. The year will come to an end and on we go to the next. God has been gracious to His church for past years. And I know that He will be faithful till the end. As the days go closer and closer to the Lords return, the world will change for the worse. But.. we His church must remain true to His words and finish the race. We are stronger together and weak when we are apart. Let us not give the enemy a foothold in what God has started.
 
 
 
 
 
 

​                                                      Glory In The Highest
 
Luke 2:10-14
10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
 
A father called a family conference and challenged everyone to be more disciplined in the management of their time during the busy Christmas season and to curtail excessive spending on gifts. He talked about better relations between visiting relatives and a more congenial atmosphere around their home. He brought his speech to a crescendo with his final rally cry, "Let’s make this the BEST Christmas EVER!" His little second grade son countered the big motivational speech by noting, "But dad, I don’t see how we could ever improve on the first Christmas."
 
We certainly can’t improve on the first Christmas, but we can improve on the way we celebrate it. I want us to turn our thoughts to how we ought to rejoice in the birth of our Savior. As we think about how we should rejoice in Christmas, let’s consider the song that the angels sang when they announced the event of our Savior’s birth…
 
“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
 
From the song of the angels, we learn the following things about how we should go about rejoicing in Christmas…
 

1. Let’s Rejoice In The Greatness Of God - v. 14a

 
Secularists have put forth great effort in seeking to remove God from the celebration of Christmas. From judges banning nativity scenes, to retailers renaming Christmas trees "Holiday trees," to schools forbidding children from singing Christmas carols, the unbelieving world continues to make one attempt after another to remove Christ from Christmas.
 
But Christmas is all about God and what He has done for us in the person of Christ. He is to be at the heart of our rejoicing at Christmas. To remove God from our celebration of Christmas is to miss out on what Christmas is all about.
 
 
 
In rejoicing in the greatness of God, we need to . . .
 

1. Rejoice In His Person - "Glory to God"

 
Short Story:
 
Two Texans went to Minnesota one winter to do some ice fishing. After setting up their tent, they pulled the cord on their chain saw to cut a hole in the ice. Then they heard a mysterious voice from above saying, "There are no fish under the ice."
 
"Is that You, God?" they asked in awe.
 
"No," came the reply, "but I know that there are no fish under the ice. I’m the owner of this ice-skating rink."
 
We may have all the "trapping" of Christmas celebration, but if our focus isn’t on God and what He has done through Christ, then our worship is just as futile as was the Texans attempt at ice fishing.
 
Christmas is all about Gods precious gift to the world. A Savior, born in a manger, wrapped in swaddling cloths. So innocent and so pure. Holy and precious. A Baby…to be the Mighty King.
 

1. Rejoice In His Position - "in the highest"

 
One of our favorite Christmas carols, "Joy To The World," is not just about the first coming of Christ, but also about His second coming!
 
Verse 1 - The first advent of Christ
 
1) Joy to the world! The Lord is come; let earth receive her King; let every heart prepare Him room, and heaven and nature sing.
 
Verse 2 - The present activity of Christ
 
2) Joy to the world! The Savior reigns; let men their songs employ; while fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains repeat the sounding joy.
 
 
 
 
Verses 3 & 4 - The future advent of Christ
 
3) No more let sins and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make His blessings flow far as the curse is found.
 
4) He rules the world with truth and grace, and makes the nations prove the glories of His righteousness, and wonders of His love.
 
"Because of Christmas, the One who reigns up above, will one day reign here below!"
 
"The message of Christmas is the Christmas story. If it is false, we are doomed.
 
If it is true, as it must be, it makes everything else in the world all right."
 

1. Let’s Rejoice In The Grace Of God - v. 14b

 
Short Story:
 
A little girl was overheard, after a day at church, asking her mother, "Mommy, does God believe in us?" Give that question some serious thought. Does God believe in us? He created us. He sustains us. He sent His only Son to die for us on the cross. He has entrusted us with the responsibility to spread the gospel.
 
The answer is "YES!" He believes that though we are sinful, we are worth redeeming. Though we are lost, we are worth finding. Though we are condemned, we are worth saving! By His grace - His unmerited favor and kindness - He has reached out to us, so that we might become all that He created us to be!
 
A. The Providential Target Of It - "on earth"
 
This earth that is full of sinful, imperfect, rebellious men, women, boys, and girls, was the providential target of God’s grace when He took on human form to pay the price for our sin and salvation in the person of Christ! By His grace, through the person of Christ, the One who is beyond us has come down to us, so that we might have a personal relationship with Him.
 
The apostle John wrote some memorable words, about an even more significant historical event - the visit of God’s Son to this planet. He wrote: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.  (1 John 1:1-3)
 
 
John touched Jesus. And today, so can we. As surely as John held Him in the flesh, we can grasp the Son of God through faith. We too can experience the joy of having a close relationship with the Father and the Son. In faith, in fellowship, and in times of greatest need, we can say, "Our hands have touched You."
 
B. The Powerful Transformation Of It - "peace to men"
 
God’s desire in sending His Son was to make it possible to change our lives through changing the nature of our relationship with Him.
 
Colossians 1:19-22
19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, 20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. 21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight.
 
Short Story:
 
Jim Walton was translating the New Testament for a tribe living in the jungles of Colombia. But he was having trouble with the word peace. During this time, the village chief, was promised a 20-minute plane ride to a location that would have taken him 3 days to travel by foot. The plane was delayed in arriving, so he began the journey on foot. When the plane finally arrived, a runner took off to bring the chief back. But by the time he had returned, the plane had left.
 
Fortunately, Walton had taped the chief’s diatribe. When he later translated it, he discovered that the chief kept repeating the phrase, "I don’t have one heart." Jim asked other villagers what having "one heart" meant, and he found that it was like saying, "There is nothing between you and the other person." That, Walton realized, was just what he needed to translate the word peace.
 
To have peace with God means that there is nothing, no sin, no guilt, no condemnation, that separates us. And that peace with God is possible only through Christ.
 
"When you put your life in God’s hands, He puts His peace in your heart."
 
John 14:27
27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
 

1. The Personal Taking Of It - "on whom His favor rests"

Though God offers peace and new life to all, His peace does not rest upon everyone. Only those who personal accept the gift of eternal peace through a personal relationship with Christ are the beneficiaries of what was made possible because of Christmas. But if you will turn to Christ - the One who came to die for your sins be raised from the dead, and return to heaven, where by the person of His Spirit, He stands ready to enter into your life and change you from the inside out - you can become the personal beneficiary of His grace. Jesus said, "Whoever comes to me I will never drive away" - John 6:37 (NIV)
 
B. H. Carroll once said that he read the four gospels and noted the times people tried to get an audience with Jesus - either one person or a group. Carroll noted that there were at least 150 times when someone sought Jesus . . . and not once was anyone turned away.
 
"It’s not what you know about Jesus that counts, it’s what you do with Him."
 
You see…you can read the Bible from cover to cover… (and YES, I am still encouraging you to read your Bibles) But if you are not following, obeying, applying God’s commands in your life, then it is just a book to you.
 
2 Timothy 3:16-17
16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
 
If it wasn’t for the Word of God, how could we have known about the birth of our Savior? If it wasn’t for the Word of God, how could we have known that we needed a Savior?
If it wasn’t for the word of God, how could our lives be changed?
 
Conclusion:
 
The Gold Rush of 1849 had people from all over the world heading to California with dollar signs in their eyes. Each person came with visions of finding a fortune and many miners did indeed strike it rich. This phenomenon was all started by James Marshall who discovered gold in Sutter’s Creek. You would think the man responsible for starting all of that gold craze would have died knee deep in wealth. Ironically, Mr. Marshall died in the late 1880s as a penniless itinerant miner just a few hours from the place he first struck gold. His fortune was never realized because he failed to stake his own claim.
 
An individual can know all about God and the abundant life He has to offer, but if you don’t stake your claim through a life-long commitment to Christ you will never experience the riches of eternal life.
 
In celebrating Christmas, don’t forget to "stake your claim" on the gift of eternal life made possible because of God’s gift of His Son. As ones who have "staked our claim" let’s celebrate what we have to proclaim!
 
Merry Christmas… First Fil-am Baptist Mission Church. Let us not take the true meaning of Christmas for granted. Its not about what the world teaches Christmas to be. Its about Christ, the Savior born in a manger.
 
 
 
 
 
 

                                                        Zacharias’ Prophecy
 
Luke 1:67-80
67 Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:
68 “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel. For He has visited and redeemed His people,
69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us. In the house of His servant David,
70 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets, Who have been since the world began,
71 That we should be saved from our enemies And from the hand of all who hate us,
72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers And to remember His holy covenant,
73 The oath which He swore to our father Abraham: 74 To grant us that we, Being delivered from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear, 75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life. 76 “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest;
For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, 77 To give knowledge of salvation to His people. By the remission of their sins, 78 Through the tender mercy of our God,
With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; 79 To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.” 80 So the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel.
 
It is hard to believe that Christmas is almost here! Just the thought of getting hugs from loved ones, giving gifts and breaking one’s diet to eat mountains of food makes me quiver with excitement. As grand as these “traditions” might be, they pale in comparison to the thought that over 2,000 years ago our Savior was born and provided the means of reconciliation with a holy God! While this truth makes one’s heart leap with overwhelming joy, one can’t help but feel sad that for many in this world the birth of their Savior is the furthest thing from their minds!
 
Despite the testimony of nature and God’s holy word for many people their “commercial Christmas” leaves no room for giving their heart over to Jesus! While they will ultimately be held accountable for rejecting Jesus on His birthday. The following sermon is going to look at Zechariah’s song/ Prophesy, in hope that it will challenge us to share the best gift ever given to humanity with the world!
 
At the very beginning of Luke’s Gospel, the reader is told of the “extraordinary phenomena” surrounding the birth of John the Baptist. The story starts off by telling us of the piety of John’s parents. Not only was Zechariah a priest and his wife Elizabeth the daughter of a priest they both blamelessly kept the Lord’s commands and decrees (1:6). Despite their amazing standing we are told they were childless. Elizabeth’s womb was closed which was “a sign of divine punishment and shame” in the eyes of the Jewish people.
Zachariah’s disgrace soon ended when God chose him to go into the temple and burn incense (1:10), which was at best a once in a lifetime experience. While in the temple the angel of the Lord appeared to Zechariah and told him the good news that he and Elizabeth were going to have a child that would “bring back the people of Israel to the Lord their God” (1:16). Zechariah did not believe the angel, so Gabriel punished him by making him unable to speak or hear. When the baby was born Elizabeth broke with tradition and told her relatives that his name would not be the same as a parent or grandparent but would instead be called “John.” In disbelief they summoned Zechariah to write the boy’s name and the moment he wrote “John” on his tablet his ears were opened, and his tongue was freed up to speak again.
 
While Zechariah’s nine months of silence was most likely a divine rebuke for his unbelief it was also an opportunity to ponder, pray, and meditate on the Bible so that he might be reassured and accept the miraculous birth of John. Despite his age and stature as a righteous priest (1:6) the “peer pressure and attitudes of the world” had… had a profound effect on Zachariah’s unbelief before God. Even though Scripture clearly taught that God could open any womb, Zacharias chose to believe as the world does that such a miracle could not happen.
 
He had nine long months of watching Elizabeth’s belly grow in silence to not only bask in his shame of initial disbelief but also to spiritually grow in his understanding of the awesome power of God! Because…Zechariah was not an arrogant man he learned that sanctification was not a “momentary” event but a lifetime one! If a prestigious priest could learn more about God surely, we can as well!
 
Christmas is almost upon us and if we are not careful the peer pressure and customs of this world will keep us lukewarm and unreceptive to proclaiming the Good News that Jesus is our Savior. Christmas is not just about gifts, eating and visiting friends and relatives, nor is it about standing on the “perceived” power and prestige of our supposed spiritual maturity! Like Zacharias we need to spend time in silence and solitude this Christmas so that we might learn to “walk where God tells us to walk!” Holy living is not found in “taking control” and doing the things that pleases oneself but in following the One who is in control!
 
So…this Christmas let us brake our silence on what Christmas is truly all about. I know that it is hard and at times nerve racking, but Christmas is all about Jesus. While not all of us were called to be evangelists, (title) per say. Wait for an opportunity to tell those around you, what Christmas is to you.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Luke 1:67-75
67 Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:
68 “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel. For He has visited and redeemed His people,
69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us. In the house of His servant David,
70 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets, Who have been since the world began,
71 That we should be saved from our enemies And from the hand of all who hate us,
72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers And to remember His holy covenant,
73 The oath which He swore to our father Abraham: 74 To grant us that we, Being delivered from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear, 75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.
 
Instead of a voice of frustration for having been silenced Zachariah became filled with the Holy Spirit and began to prophesy and praise the God of Israel. To fulfill a promise made to Abraham some 4,000 years ago God would once again visit this world like He did in the days of the Exodus and deliver His people. The one in whom great prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel spoke of… would empty Himself of His reputation in heaven…
 
Philippians 2:6-11
6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it [a]robbery to be equal with God, 7 but [b]made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
 
And be born as the “horn of our salvation.” From the line of King David would come God’s only son whose divine strength would purchase victory not over political but spiritual enemies of His people. Jesus conquered sin and death so that His people might be freed to serve God “without fear and in holiness and righteousness.” With numerous references to the Old Testament Zechariah made it abundantly clear that the “stupendous, unrepeatable, incredible” birth of Christ not only fulfilled prophesy but was to be the song their hearts were to sing to the world … “the Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace” has arrived!
 
From this part of Zachariah’s song we learn that Jesus did not come to earth to redeem His people from sin and death so that they might become carnal lukewarm pretenders of the faith but so that they might receive and proclaim the Good News that all might be saved! Even though we are told in Scripture that the world will hate us for speaking the truth concerning Christ on His birthday…
 
John 15:18-19
18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
 
We are to take refuge in our rock and shield (Jesus) who has already conquered Satan and death and shout from the mountaintops “our Savior has arrived!” Like John the Baptist our role this Christmas is to not fear but to embrace the opportunity to point those who are dying of a disease called sin to the Redeemer that can not only save them from spiritual death but also provide every spiritual blessing in Christ, Jesus our Lord…
 
Ephesians 1:3
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.
 
So, this Christmas lets not be afraid of those whom God sends our way. With everything else that is going on in the world right…there will be someone who like to hear the greatest news ever…. “A Savior Is Born”.
 
Lastly:
 
Luke 1:76-80
“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, 77 To give knowledge of salvation to His people, By the remission of their sins, 78 Through the tender mercy of our God, With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; 79 To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.” 80 So the child grew and became strong in spirit and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel.
 
Through the Spirit Zachariah was told that his baby boy was called by God (Malachi 3:1; Isaiah 40:3) as an agent or forerunner to testify to “God’s saving purpose and plan.” Those living in darkness and were about to see a great Light and thus were to prepare their hearts for “repentance, contrition, and new paths of righteousness.
 
The Dawn was about to rise whose kingship would reign and reveal God’s mercy to send His Son to conquer the forces of evil that had enslaved and entangled His people in their sins. Using Scriptural images of “visitation, Exodus, Jubilee, New Covenant and illumination, Zachariah was overwhelmed with joy that his son John was called and set apart to preach “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins!”
 
The shoot or offspring of David, the raising Star Jesus’ life, atonement and resurrection would pave the way for Israel and the world…
 
Romans 6:10
10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.
 
To receive the gifts of peace and eternal life with God the Father in heaven! Even though the world was covered in darkness and death and John’s preaching ground was to be in a desert, he was overwhelmed with joy to say a Savior had been born!
 
The horn of salvation arrived more than 2,000 years ago to provide the cure for the deadliest disease humanity has ever seen and defeat an enemy that is best described as a ferocious lion. Praise be that Christ took on a human nature to atone for our sins and destroy this lion who held the power of death.
 
Church…let us not get caught up in what the world calls Christmas. We have already received the greatest gift ever, (Jesus) Its what Christmas is really about.
 
Church…I want to you to look at your household…your family. Take good care of it, give it all the love that you can. After all that is also Gods gift to you. Don’t let the enemy break or take that away. Always put God first and let Him take care of the rest.
 
Luke 10:27
27 So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ ”
 
The enemy will always try to break this command. Let’s not even give him a foothold. Keep this verse in your heart, in your life this Christmas. God loves you…and the proof of that is His Son, A Child is born. Our Savior lives!
 
Let us pray…

                                                        Zacharias’ Prophecy
 
Luke 1:67-80
67 Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:
68 “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel. For He has visited and redeemed His people,
69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us. In the house of His servant David,
70 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets, Who have been since the world began,
71 That we should be saved from our enemies And from the hand of all who hate us,
72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers And to remember His holy covenant,
73 The oath which He swore to our father Abraham: 74 To grant us that we, Being delivered from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear, 75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life. 76 “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest;
For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, 77 To give knowledge of salvation to His people. By the remission of their sins, 78 Through the tender mercy of our God,
With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; 79 To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.” 80 So the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel.
 
It is hard to believe that Christmas is almost here! Just the thought of getting hugs from loved ones, giving gifts and breaking one’s diet to eat mountains of food makes me quiver with excitement. As grand as these “traditions” might be, they pale in comparison to the thought that over 2,000 years ago our Savior was born and provided the means of reconciliation with a holy God! While this truth makes one’s heart leap with overwhelming joy, one can’t help but feel sad that for many in this world the birth of their Savior is the furthest thing from their minds!
 
Despite the testimony of nature and God’s holy word for many people their “commercial Christmas” leaves no room for giving their heart over to Jesus! While they will ultimately be held accountable for rejecting Jesus on His birthday. The following sermon is going to look at Zechariah’s song/ Prophesy, in hope that it will challenge us to share the best gift ever given to humanity with the world!
 
At the very beginning of Luke’s Gospel, the reader is told of the “extraordinary phenomena” surrounding the birth of John the Baptist. The story starts off by telling us of the piety of John’s parents. Not only was Zechariah a priest and his wife Elizabeth the daughter of a priest they both blamelessly kept the Lord’s commands and decrees (1:6). Despite their amazing standing we are told they were childless. Elizabeth’s womb was closed which was “a sign of divine punishment and shame” in the eyes of the Jewish people.
Zachariah’s disgrace soon ended when God chose him to go into the temple and burn incense (1:10), which was at best a once in a lifetime experience. While in the temple the angel of the Lord appeared to Zechariah and told him the good news that he and Elizabeth were going to have a child that would “bring back the people of Israel to the Lord their God” (1:16). Zechariah did not believe the angel, so Gabriel punished him by making him unable to speak or hear. When the baby was born Elizabeth broke with tradition and told her relatives that his name would not be the same as a parent or grandparent but would instead be called “John.” In disbelief they summoned Zechariah to write the boy’s name and the moment he wrote “John” on his tablet his ears were opened, and his tongue was freed up to speak again.
 
While Zechariah’s nine months of silence was most likely a divine rebuke for his unbelief it was also an opportunity to ponder, pray, and meditate on the Bible so that he might be reassured and accept the miraculous birth of John. Despite his age and stature as a righteous priest (1:6) the “peer pressure and attitudes of the world” had… had a profound effect on Zachariah’s unbelief before God. Even though Scripture clearly taught that God could open any womb, Zacharias chose to believe as the world does that such a miracle could not happen.
 
He had nine long months of watching Elizabeth’s belly grow in silence to not only bask in his shame of initial disbelief but also to spiritually grow in his understanding of the awesome power of God! Because…Zechariah was not an arrogant man he learned that sanctification was not a “momentary” event but a lifetime one! If a prestigious priest could learn more about God surely, we can as well!
 
Christmas is almost upon us and if we are not careful the peer pressure and customs of this world will keep us lukewarm and unreceptive to proclaiming the Good News that Jesus is our Savior. Christmas is not just about gifts, eating and visiting friends and relatives, nor is it about standing on the “perceived” power and prestige of our supposed spiritual maturity! Like Zacharias we need to spend time in silence and solitude this Christmas so that we might learn to “walk where God tells us to walk!” Holy living is not found in “taking control” and doing the things that pleases oneself but in following the One who is in control!
 
So…this Christmas let us brake our silence on what Christmas is truly all about. I know that it is hard and at times nerve racking, but Christmas is all about Jesus. While not all of us were called to be evangelists, (title) per say. Wait for an opportunity to tell those around you, what Christmas is to you.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Luke 1:67-75
67 Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:
68 “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel. For He has visited and redeemed His people,
69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us. In the house of His servant David,
70 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets, Who have been since the world began,
71 That we should be saved from our enemies And from the hand of all who hate us,
72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers And to remember His holy covenant,
73 The oath which He swore to our father Abraham: 74 To grant us that we, Being delivered from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear, 75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.
 
Instead of a voice of frustration for having been silenced Zachariah became filled with the Holy Spirit and began to prophesy and praise the God of Israel. To fulfill a promise made to Abraham some 4,000 years ago God would once again visit this world like He did in the days of the Exodus and deliver His people. The one in whom great prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel spoke of… would empty Himself of His reputation in heaven…
 
Philippians 2:6-11
6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it [a]robbery to be equal with God, 7 but [b]made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
 
And be born as the “horn of our salvation.” From the line of King David would come God’s only son whose divine strength would purchase victory not over political but spiritual enemies of His people. Jesus conquered sin and death so that His people might be freed to serve God “without fear and in holiness and righteousness.” With numerous references to the Old Testament Zechariah made it abundantly clear that the “stupendous, unrepeatable, incredible” birth of Christ not only fulfilled prophesy but was to be the song their hearts were to sing to the world … “the Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace” has arrived!
 
From this part of Zachariah’s song we learn that Jesus did not come to earth to redeem His people from sin and death so that they might become carnal lukewarm pretenders of the faith but so that they might receive and proclaim the Good News that all might be saved! Even though we are told in Scripture that the world will hate us for speaking the truth concerning Christ on His birthday…
 
John 15:18-19
18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
 
We are to take refuge in our rock and shield (Jesus) who has already conquered Satan and death and shout from the mountaintops “our Savior has arrived!” Like John the Baptist our role this Christmas is to not fear but to embrace the opportunity to point those who are dying of a disease called sin to the Redeemer that can not only save them from spiritual death but also provide every spiritual blessing in Christ, Jesus our Lord…
 
Ephesians 1:3
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.
 
So, this Christmas lets not be afraid of those whom God sends our way. With everything else that is going on in the world right…there will be someone who like to hear the greatest news ever…. “A Savior Is Born”.
 
Lastly:
 
Luke 1:76-80
“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, 77 To give knowledge of salvation to His people, By the remission of their sins, 78 Through the tender mercy of our God, With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; 79 To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.” 80 So the child grew and became strong in spirit and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel.
 
Through the Spirit Zachariah was told that his baby boy was called by God (Malachi 3:1; Isaiah 40:3) as an agent or forerunner to testify to “God’s saving purpose and plan.” Those living in darkness and were about to see a great Light and thus were to prepare their hearts for “repentance, contrition, and new paths of righteousness.
 
The Dawn was about to rise whose kingship would reign and reveal God’s mercy to send His Son to conquer the forces of evil that had enslaved and entangled His people in their sins. Using Scriptural images of “visitation, Exodus, Jubilee, New Covenant and illumination, Zachariah was overwhelmed with joy that his son John was called and set apart to preach “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins!”
 
The shoot or offspring of David, the raising Star Jesus’ life, atonement and resurrection would pave the way for Israel and the world…
 
Romans 6:10
10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.
 
To receive the gifts of peace and eternal life with God the Father in heaven! Even though the world was covered in darkness and death and John’s preaching ground was to be in a desert, he was overwhelmed with joy to say a Savior had been born!
 
The horn of salvation arrived more than 2,000 years ago to provide the cure for the deadliest disease humanity has ever seen and defeat an enemy that is best described as a ferocious lion. Praise be that Christ took on a human nature to atone for our sins and destroy this lion who held the power of death.
 
Church…let us not get caught up in what the world calls Christmas. We have already received the greatest gift ever, (Jesus) Its what Christmas is really about.
 
Church…I want to you to look at your household…your family. Take good care of it, give it all the love that you can. After all that is also Gods gift to you. Don’t let the enemy break or take that away. Always put God first and let Him take care of the rest.
 
Luke 10:27
27 So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ ”
 
The enemy will always try to break this command. Let’s not even give him a foothold. Keep this verse in your heart, in your life this Christmas. God loves you…and the proof of that is His Son, A Child is born. Our Savior lives!
 
Let us pray…