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| Date of Sermon: December 17, 2006 |
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“Are you ready for Christmas?” If I had a nickel for every time I heard that question, I would have my Christmas shopping paid for. Here is the one thing I have discovered every Christmas - ready or not, Christmas is coming! Now one would think that if I knew that, I would not be surprised by it, but I am every year. It’s not December 25th that sneaks up on me, it is the Christmas moment, that moment when the presence of God with us becomes so unmistakably real that I am nearly overwhelmed by it. It happened last week at lunch, it happened several years ago in a town square, it happened one Sunday morning as I watched the children play handbells. It happens every year, and every year I am surprised. Of course, that’s the character of the Christmas story. Fifteen months before the first Christmas there was a priest named Zechariah who was surprised to discover, ready or not, Christmas is coming! His story is found in the first chapter of Luke, on page 57 of your pew Bible, but rather than reading the entire chapter, let me tell you the story. It’s a great story and begins as all great stories do, Once upon a time… Once upon a time there was an old priest named Zechariah who lived with his elderly wife, Elizabeth. They were good people, but they had no children, something for which they had prayed a long time. One day, while Zechariah’s company of priests was serving in the temple, old Zechariah was chosen to light the incense in the Holy of Holies. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity that was surrounded with great awe and a little fear. I can imagine Zechariah walking quietly into this ominous setting taking in all the sights, sounds and smells of the holy place. Then all of a sudden, before he was even settled, an angel stood in front of him, just to the right of the altar of incense. The angel told old Zechariah to stop being afraid and then assured him that his prayer had been heard. Zechariah must have wondered, “which prayer”, but before he could utter a word the angel answered that question, “Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son and you will name him John.” That prayer had been spoken often, but it was a long time ago. Both Zechariah and Elizabeth had given up on the idea that they would ever become parents. It was only natural for Zechariah to ask the angel if he was sure he had the right priest, after all that prayer was so long ago. “How can I be sure?” Zechariah asked the angel. The angel, whose name is Gabriel, was apparently not in the mood to haggle with a doubting preacher. Later the same angel would show a bit more patience to a young girl who didn’t know any better, but this was a priest standing in the Temple who had only moments before been scared out of his wits. The angel told the old priest that as Gabriel he stands in the presence of God and was sent from that presence to speak to the priest. If the priest needed a sign he would get one – because he doubted what the angel said, he would not say anything until what was said came to pass. Nine months went by without Zechariah saying one word. Sure enough Elizabeth did bear a son and his name was John, because that’s what the angel told Zechariah to name him. In the closing verses of chapter one the old priest looks at his young son and says, “You, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins.” And the child grew into a fine young man of God. What a great Christmas story. There was no way that Zechariah could have been prepared for that. It was as if the angel appeared to him saying, “ready or not, Christmas is coming!” There are three sentences in that story that stand out to me. They are these: * Your prayer has been heard. * How can I be sure? * You, child, will prepare the way of the Lord. These three sentences remind me of lessons of Christmas: * Christmas assures us that God hears every prayer. * Christmas assures us that God sees every doubt. *
Christmas assures us that God has a plan for every person. Let us pray. Ready or not, Christmas is coming!
Christmas assures us that God hears every prayer. Gabriel began his announcement with this assurance that God had heard Zechariah’s prayer. Even though Zechariah may have forgotten about it and Elizabeth may have forgotten about it, God had not forgotten about it and it was time - God’s time. God hears every prayer. I have been touched by the stories that come from Samaritan’s Purse, especially Operation Christmas Child. Every year I read stories about how lives have been touched and prayers have been answered through those little shoe boxes full of Christmas surprises. In Zimbabwe eleven-year-old Tatenda was one of those stories. His father died when he was four, and his mother had struggled for years to make ends meet for his school fees, clothing, and food. But his mother had taught him to trust God for all his needs and to continue to pray. Two weeks before exam time, Tatenda mentioned to his mother once again the school supplies he needed for the tests--two pencils, an eraser, a ruler, and two pens. “God is faithful”-- that's all his mother could say. The following Sunday at church, the pastor announced that visitors were coming from Operation Christmas Child. Tatenda received a gift box and a Gospel booklet. On the way home, he couldn't hold back the excitement of finding out what was in the box. He opened it and shouted with joy at the sight of a 12-pack of pencils, a 10-pack of pens, a calculator, and socks. He and his mother sat by the roadside and carefully looked at the rest of the contents of the box. There were two t-shirts, a wristwatch, two toothbrushes, two tubes of toothpaste, soaps, towels, and sweets. His mother sang the “God is faithful” chorus all the way home. Just at the right time, God had answered their prayers. Everything Tatenda needed for the exams had been provided for, plus a lot more. It is easy to feel as though our prayers bounce right off the ceiling and back to us when they are not answered according to our schedule, but Zechariah and Tatenda teach us that God hears every prayer. Ready or not, Christmas is coming!
Christmas assures us that God Sees every Doubt. Zechariah did not mean to be obstinate. He was a good man. He just could not see how this thing could happen. He was old and Elizabeth was not exactly young. “How can I be sure of this?” he asked the angel. It did not seem humanly possible. Of course, that was the point, but Zechariah was so focused on his human inability that he could not see God’s divine ability. He was suffering from a very common spiritual near-sightedness that threatens all of us. I am sure that sometime this season I will watch “It’s a Wonderful Life” again. The story of George Bailey is one of my favorites. I like the part where he is told, “Why George, you’re worth more dead than you are alive.” And he almost believes it until Clarence, the novice angel, moves him beyond his doubts. He is able to see all that God has done through this finite, flawed human being. Doubting ourselves or even God is nothing new for us humans. Sarah and Abraham doubted God, Job and David doubted God. They were never punished for doubting, but they were each reminded that with God nothing is impossible. Perhaps you are stuck in the fog of doubt this very day. There’s nothing wrong with that. It may be uncomfortable, but it is not wrong. Even in the midst of this spiritual bemusement, know that God sees every doubt. You are not alone in that fog. God with us is with you. So ready or not, Christmas is coming! Christmas assures us that God sees every doubt, hears every prayer and
Christmas assures us that God has a Plan for every Life. Zechariah holds his son, looks into his eyes and says, “You will go before the Lord to prepare the way for him.” He knew that there was a plan for this child’s life. I think all parents are confident of this. Parents may not be able to figure out if there is a plan for their lives, but they are certain that there is a plan for their children. Last week at our District Christmas Party for Pastors, Jeremiah Booker delivered the Christmas message. He told of a woman with health problems who was advised not to have any more children. In spite of these warnings she was soon expecting another child. The doctors recommended aborting the child because of significant health risks, but she kept quoting Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” In fact, this verse meant so much to the mother that she named her premature child Jeremiah and it was he who 50 years later was telling the story. She was confident that God had a plan for that child’s life and because of that so was he. God has a plan for your life too. It includes the plan for John’s life. You and me are to prepare the way for the Lord. When Christmas surprises those around us, we want them to be prepared to look for it. Perhaps God will even use you to be that surprise. Ready or not, Christmas is coming! It gets me every time - the surprise of Christmas. I hope it surprises you as well. When it does you too will be reminded that: * God hears every prayer. * God sees every doubt. * God has a plan for every person. Ready or not, Christmas is coming! Amen.
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