April 16, 2025 • 25 mins
The silence had lasted 400 years. From Malachi to this moment, heaven had been quiet. No prophet had spoken God's words to Israel. Then suddenly, in the temple, as smoke from burning incense wafted upward, an angel appeared to an aging priest named Zacharias with news that would shatter not only the divine silence but also the reproach of childlessness that had marked his marriage to Elizabeth.
"Fear not," were heaven's first words after centuries of silence. These words—spoken to a trembling priest—resonate powerfully in our fear-filled world today. What fears paralyze you? What uncertainties keep you from stepping fully into God's promises? The message remains timely: those who fear God need fear nothing else.
When Gabriel announced that Zacharias and Elizabeth would have a son who would prepare the way for the Messiah, Zacharias responded with doubt rather than faith. His punishment—being struck mute until the prophecy's fulfillment—carries profound spiritual implications for us all. As Pastor Ken Davis explains, "When we do not believe God's words, our mouths are shut before Him." Our testimony flows from our faith. When we believe, we speak; when we doubt, we fall silent.
The beauty of this account reaches its pinnacle in the revelation that Zacharias means "God remembers" while Elizabeth means "His promise." Together, their very names proclaim that "God remembers His promise." This wasn't coincidence but divine orchestration—a living testimony that God's timing is perfect and His word never fails, even after centuries of seeming silence.
Whether you're waiting for answered prayer, struggling with doubt, or simply needing assurance that God hasn't forgotten you, this powerful opening to Luke's Gospel reminds us that God is always working, even when we can't see it. Join us in this verse-by-verse exploration of Luke and discover how God continues to break silences and fulfill promises in our lives today.
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
You're listening to Heed the Word with our pastor
and teacher, Ken Davis.
Pastor Ken is the senior pastorof Calvary Chapel, Southwest
Metro in Burleson, Texas.
Please join us as we study theGospel of Luke verse by verse.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
God has come.
Jesus has come to take awayyour reproach, not just among
people, but before God.
He came to forgive us for oursins.
He came to set us free, and hewhom the Son makes free is free
(00:40):
indeed.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
The Gospel of Luke is the third account in the
Gospels of the life andteachings of our Savior Jesus
Christ.
As believers, there are fewstudies that will benefit us
more spiritually than studyingthe life and teachings of the
Master.
God requires that when weapproach Him, that it be in
faith.
In today's message, zachariasfound himself in a position that
(01:03):
required him to simply trustGod.
Unfortunately, he didn't makethe right choice and the angel
of the Lord caused him to not beable to speak until the word of
the Lord was accomplished.
A good example to us that faithand trust in God is always the
better choice.
Don't forget to stay with usafter today's message to hear
(01:24):
more information about Heed theWord, specifically how you can
get a free copy of this teaching.
But for now, please open yourBibles to the book of Revelation
, chapter 8, verse 1.
We'll begin there and thencontinue in Luke, chapter 1.
Now here's Pastor Ken.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
The Apostle John, as he was seeing the vision that he
notes for us in Revelation,says in chapter 8, verse 1, when
he opened the seventh seal,there was silence in heaven for
about a half an hour and I sawthe seven angels who stand
before God, and to them weregiven seven trumpets.
(02:00):
Then another angel, having agolden cens, censer, came and
stood at the altar.
He was given much incense thathe should offer it with the
prayers of the saints upon thegolden altar which was before
the throne, and the smoke of theincense with the prayers of the
saints, that's you and I, thosewho believe in Jesus Christ,
(02:22):
ascended before God from theangel's hand.
That incense that Zacharias wasburning there at the temple was
representative of the prayersof the people who were praying
right outside there in heaven.
As that bowl of incense isbeing poured out upon the altar
(02:44):
before the very throne of God,as that wafts up into the very
face of God, as he smells thatsweet aroma, he's partaking of
the prayers of his people.
You say why should I pray?
So that you can burn incense inheaven, so that your prayers
can rise up to God and to be asweet smell to him?
(03:09):
Don't you think he'd love that,don't?
You think he'd be blessed bythat?
You say what gift can I give toGod?
You can give him the gift ofyour prayers.
You can give him the gift ofthat wonderful, sweet-smelling
aroma as it comes up before himfrom the altar.
As those prayers have beenpoured out there, turn back, if
(03:32):
you will, to Luke Now.
From the time of Malachi theprophet, there is no recorded
word of the Lord having spokento his people, israel.
A space of some 400 years haspassed with no word from God
whatsoever.
Now, certainly the scriptureswere being taught and studied
(03:54):
during that time, but from thedays of the prophet Malachi,
there had not been a prophet inIsrael to speak the word of the
Lord.
In that we have it recorded inscriptures.
We find nothing there butsilence for 400 years.
That silence in verse 11 isabout to be broken.
Then, as the incense is burning, as Zacharias is there praying,
(04:16):
as all the people await outsidein prayer, then an angel of the
Lord appeared to him.
Appeared to Zacharias and hewas standing on the right side
of the altar of incense.
And when Zacharias saw him hewas troubled and fear fell upon
him.
But the angel said to him now.
(04:37):
Mark my words.
Friends.
Hear the first words fromheaven in 400 years and those
words are do not be afraid.
I like the King James versionfear not, fear not.
400 years of silence, and thefirst thing God has to say to
his people is fear not.
(05:00):
There are a lot of us today whoare troubled by all kinds of
fears Fears of terrorism, fearsof the wrong party being elected
or the wrong man, fears ofsickness and disease, fears of
rejection in relationships,fears of financial frustration
(05:22):
or failed attempts and brokenand lost dreams.
Fears of all kinds.
Fear, it paralyzes us, it gripsus and it prevents us from
moving forward into whatever itis that God desires for us.
Fear not.
Jesus used those words too.
(05:45):
He said fear not, for I am withyou even into the end of the
age.
Fear not.
I've often said, and will saymany times more, that those who
fear God need fear nothing else.
And when I say fear God, I'mnot talking about a trembling
quaking oh my goodness, he'sgoing to squish me kind of fear.
(06:06):
I'm talking about a fear thatis born of the knowledge that
the one whom we serve spoke thisworld into existence.
I'm talking of fear that isborn of the knowledge that the
one who loves us is perfect inall of his ways.
You know, god has never had oneimperfect thought.
(06:26):
God has never done oneimperfect thing.
Now you say, well, I don't knowabout that.
I look around the world and Isee lots of things that are
imperfect.
That's because of thecorruption that has come into
the world through sin.
My wife shared something with meyesterday.
She had seen this on a sign asshe was driving around town.
It said God forms, the devildeforms, but Christ transforms,
(06:54):
amen.
And when we have thetransforming power of Jesus
Christ at work in our lives, weneed fear nothing and no man.
So the angel says do not beafraid, zacharias, for your
prayer is heard.
Your prayer is heard.
(07:15):
Saint of God, your prayer isheard.
What have you been prayingabout?
What have you been crying outto God?
For what have you been prayingabout?
What have you been crying outto God for?
What thing in your life haskept you bound and beaten?
As you've prayed fordeliverance from that thing, you
(07:35):
must understand that yourprayer is heard when you've
prayed for guidance, that Godwould direct your paths and lead
you to the right decision in agiven area of your life.
Your prayer is heard, whenyou've asked for God to cleanse
you of your sin and to forgiveyou for the things that you've
done wrong in your life.
Friend, your prayer is heardand it's answered in Jesus
(07:58):
Christ.
Zacharias, your prayer is heardand and your wife Elizabeth will
bear you a son, and you shallcall his name John.
The name John means God isgracious.
Amen, god is gracious.
(08:22):
So the first words from heavenafter 400 years could be summed
up in the words fear not, forGod is gracious.
Sweet, sweet words.
And you will have joy andgladness and many will rejoice
at his birth, for he will begreat in the sight of the Lord
(08:45):
and shall drink neither wine norstrong drink.
That's speaking of the factthat he would be a Nazarene,
someone who had taken the vow ofthe Nazarite, just as Samson
had taken, that he would drinkneither wine nor strong drink.
He will also be filled with theHoly Spirit, even from his
mother's womb, and he will turnmany of the children of Israel
to the Lord, their God.
(09:06):
He will also go before him Nowthis is gonna sound familiar if
you were paying attention when Iread from Malachi he will also
go before him in the spirit andpower of Elijah, to turn the
hearts of the fathers to thechildren and the disobedient to
the wisdom of the just, to makeready a people prepared for the
(09:27):
Lord.
Can I tell you that our ministryis to be the very same ministry
as that of John the Baptist.
John the Baptist was being sentbefore the coming of the Lord
and we, the church, have beensent before the coming of the
Lord.
John was sent before his firstcoming.
You have been sent before hissecond and your job as the
(09:49):
church is to bring light andhope and life and the word of
God before the rest of the world, that they might see and know
that Jesus Christ is Lord, tothe glory of God, the Father,
and that, believing that theymight turn to him, be cleansed
of their sins and be saved.
And Zacharias said to the gloryof God, the Father, and that,
believing that they might turnto him, be cleansed of their
sins and be saved.
And Zacharias said to the angelhow shall I know this?
(10:12):
Or, in today's vernacular, howdo I know that what you're
telling me is actually gonnahappen?
Now, this is rather ironic, ifyou think about it, because we
have a man who is a man of faith.
We have a man who is in thepriesthood.
We have a man who veryobviously has been praying for
years that he might have a son.
(10:33):
We have him here in the temple,in the holy place, offering up
incense on the altar of incensebefore the Lord, and God sends
an angel to answer his prayerand he says how do I know that?
I mean, come on, zacharias, getwith it.
God sent you an angel, whatmore do you need?
But apparently Zacharias wasnot satisfied.
(10:56):
So often we're not satisfiedeither, are we?
We ask for something, we prayfor something and God gives us
the answer and we see it and wesay, yes, lord, that's it.
But then we say but wait aminute, how do I really know?
In the book of James it talksabout if any of you lacks wisdom
, let him ask of God and he'llgive it to you liberally.
But don't ask and not believethat you've received.
(11:17):
Because if you're gonna do that, if you ask God for wisdom and
then don't believe that you'vereceived it, you're like a
person tossed back and forth onthe waves.
You just can't make up yourmind.
Don't let that person thinkthey're going to receive any
information from the Lord,because if you're going to be
unstable in your ways, like that, he's not going to speak.
And even as the Lord wouldn'tspeak in that situation,
(11:38):
zacharias is about to not beable to speak in this one.
And Zacharias said to the angelhow shall I know this?
For I am an old man and my wifeis well advanced in years.
And the angel answered and saidto him I am Gabriel.
At first it was just introducedas an angel, but now he's asked
(12:00):
how do I know this?
And the angel says okay, timefor some credentials, let me
pull out my badge.
Okay, this is who I am.
I am Gabriel.
There are many angels mentionedthroughout the scriptures, but
of all of those angels, we'reonly given the name of two of
the good ones anyway.
One is Michael, the other isGabriel.
Michael is one of thearchangels, the warrior, if you
(12:22):
will, the warrior, prince, who'sgoing out and leading battles
and victories.
Gabriel is often seen as themessenger of God, the one who's
delivering his word to theprophets and to the saints of
God.
And the angel answered and saidto him I am Gabriel, who stands
in the presence of God and wassent to speak to you and bring
these glad tidings, but behold,you will be mute and not able to
(12:50):
speak until the day that thesethings take place, because you
do not believe my words, whichwill be fulfilled in their own
time.
He did not believe and hisunbelief was evident to the
angel as he stood before him andthe angel said okay, zacharias,
you need a sign.
(13:10):
You got a sign.
You can't speak.
Think about that.
God has not delivered a messagein 400 years.
And you're a priest of God, soyou've got credentials.
And you're there in the holyplace offering up incense on the
altar of incense and you'repraying and an angel appears
before you Wow, and he bringsthis incredible news.
(13:33):
And now you don't get to tellanybody.
How do you like that?
You don't get to say anything.
And not only does he not get totell anyone right now when he
walks outside, but think aboutthis he was not going to be
allowed to speak until all ofthese things had taken place,
all of them, and that babyhadn't even been conceived yet.
(13:55):
So this man was not going toget to speak for at least nine
months.
Can you imagine a preacher notbeing able to talk for nine
months?
I can't Nine months.
My wife says, please, but hewas going to be mute.
(14:19):
Behold, you will be mute andnot able to speak until the day
these things take place becauseyou did not believe my words.
Can I tell you, friends, thatwhen we do not believe God's
words, when we do not have faith, then our mouths are shut
before him.
Turn briefly to 2 Corinthians,chapter four, the words of Paul
(14:39):
in 2 Corinthians, chapter four,verse seven.
But we have this treasure inearthen vessels.
What treasure that theexcellence of the power of God,
that the excellence of the powermay be of God and not of us.
The treasure that he's speakingof is the Holy Spirit that
dwells inside of us.
We are hard pressed on everyside, yet not crushed.
We are perplexed but not indespair, persecuted but not
(15:04):
forsaken, struck down but notdestroyed, always carrying about
in the body the dying of theLord Jesus.
And that the life of Jesus alsomay be manifested in our body,
for we who live are alwaysdelivered to death for Jesus'
sake.
That the life of Jesus also maybe manifested in our mortal
(15:26):
flesh.
So, then, death is working inus, but life in you.
And since we have the samespirit of faith, according to
what is written.
I believed and therefore Ispoke.
We also believe and thereforespeak, knowing that he who
raised up the Lord Jesus willalso raise us up with Jesus and
(15:48):
will present us with you.
What he's saying here is Ibelieved, therefore I spoke.
When we believe, when we havefaith, then we can speak.
If you're not talking to peopleabout Jesus, if you're not
sharing with people about whatJesus is doing in your life I'm
not talking about going out anddoing street evangelism Although
(16:08):
you could do that, that'd begreat.
I'm not talking about knockingon doors and saying what's your
relationship with the LordAlthough you could do that, that
would be great.
What I'm talking about is inyour life, as you bump up
against people, is the spirit ofGod spilling out onto them.
When you talk to someone andGod gives you an open door to
(16:29):
share him with him, do you do it?
Do you glorify God with yourlife and with your mouth?
You should be and I'm notsaying that because you should
be or else you're not going tobe blessed of God.
Or you should be or you're notgoing to be.
I'm not saying that this is nottied to salvation.
This is not legalism, okay.
What I'm saying is is whenyou're in love with somebody,
you tend to talk about thatperson.
(16:50):
When you are enamored withsomeone, they tend to be on your
mind quite a bit, and if youtruly believe what is written in
the pages of scripture, thenwhat you believe will come out
of you.
As a man thinks in his heart,so is he.
From the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.
(17:12):
If your heart is full of theword of God, because you believe
the word of God, then what'sgoing to come out of your mouth?
The word of God, amen.
Zacharias didn't believe, and sonothing was going to be coming
out of his mouth for nine monthsor more.
Turn back again to Luke,chapter one.
But behold, you will be muteand not able to speak until the
(17:37):
day these things take place,because you did not believe my
words, which will be fulfilledin their own time.
How important is that thesethings will be fulfilled in
their own time?
When we pray and seek God foran answer in our lives, we so
often want it now.
We don't want it even now.
We want it yesterday.
(17:57):
But God says no, these thingswill be fulfilled in their own
time or in God's time.
And the people waited forZacharias, and they marveled
that he lingered so long in thetemple.
See, the practice at that timewas, after the priest would go
in and offer up prayers at thetable of incense there, he would
(18:18):
come out and he would give ablessing to the people, and so
they're waiting for the blessing.
And oh, did he have a blessingwith which to bless them.
But he was unable tocommunicate it because he had
not believed.
So they marveled that helingered so long in the temple,
but when he came out he couldnot speak to them and they
perceived that he had seen avision in the temple, for he
(18:40):
beckons to them and remainsspeechless.
An early game of charades,sounds like angle.
I don't know.
How would he have done that?
How would he have tried tocommunicate that?
I mean, can you imagine he'sthere and I'm burning into the
angel or what I don't know?
I mean, I don't know.
It must have been a comicalscene if you think about it,
because here's this guy that hasjust seen an angel.
(19:01):
How do you not talk about that?
You know anybody who'd seen anangel and didn't say anything
about it?
Not too many.
If you saw an angel, would youtell anybody?
And then again.
Maybe you wouldn't, I don'tknow.
But he wanted to tell them, buthe couldn't do it.
He beckoned to them but theycouldn't understand him.
They couldn't hear him becausehe was speechless.
(19:22):
So it was as soon as the daysof his service were completed
that he departed to his ownhouse.
Now, after those days, his wifeElizabeth conceived, and she hid
herself five months saying thusthe Lord has dealt with me in
the days when he looked on me totake away my reproach among
(19:44):
people.
God has come among people.
God has come.
Jesus has come to take awayyour reproach, not just among
people, but before God.
(20:06):
He came to forgive us for oursins, he came to set us free,
and he whom the Son makes freeis free indeed.
As we end our study today, Iwant to point out something to
you that just blessed me to noend.
The closing words of Malachicome with a promise, and the
(20:27):
beginning story of the NewTestament bring the fulfillment
of that promise.
And the beginning story of theNew Testament bring the
fulfillment of that promise.
Now I want to show yousomething here that will let you
, and maybe help you just alittle bit, realize how perfect
the Word of God is and howincredible His divine power is
(20:47):
in our lives to move us anddirect us and to choose us for
his purposes.
A promise had been given, apromise was being fulfilled
through the lives of Zachariasand Elizabeth.
The name Zacharias means Godremembers.
The name Elizabeth means hispromise.
(21:09):
Zacharias and Elizabeth, theparents of the one who would
fulfill the promise, are named.
God remembers his promise.
God remembered his promise toIsrael.
God remembers his promises toyou.
You can bank on it.
(21:33):
Turn one last time to 2 Peter,chapter 1.
Simon Peter, a bondservant andapostle of Jesus Christ, to
those who have obtained likeprecious faith with us by the
righteousness of our God andSavior, jesus Christ, grace and
peace be multiplied to you inthe knowledge of God and of
Jesus, our Lord, as his divinepower has given to us all things
(21:55):
that pertain to life andgodliness, through the knowledge
of him who called us by gloryand virtue, by which have been
given to us exceedingly greatand precious promises that
through these we may bepartakers of the divine nature,
(22:17):
having escaped the corruptionthat is in the world through
lust.
But for this very reason,giving all diligence, add to
your faith virtue To virtue,knowledge to knowledge,
self-control to self-control,perseverance to perseverance,
godliness to godliness,brotherly kindness and to
brotherly kindness, love, for ifthese things are yours and
(22:41):
abound, you will be neitherbarren nor unfruitful in the
knowledge of our Lord JesusChrist.
For he who lacks these thingsis short-sighted, even to
blindness, and has forgottenthat he was cleansed from his
old sins.
Therefore, brethren, be evenmore diligent to make your
calling and election sure, forif you do these things, you will
(23:02):
never stumble, for so anentrance will be supplied to you
abundantly into the everlastingkingdom of our Lord and Savior,
jesus Christ.
As we read through those virtues, one added up to the other, one
on top of another, we realizethe fact that God is not through
with us today, but that we areall very much people in process.
(23:24):
We are people who are atvarying stages of development as
we grow into the person thatGod wants us to be.
I am not today the man that Godhas in store for me to be, nor
are you today the man or womanthat God has in store for you to
be.
But if you draw breath, god isworking on you Until the day you
(23:46):
die you have not attained.
Until the day you meet him andsee him and are like him.
You have not become all that.
It is that he has in store foryou to become, but God has given
you a what A promise that hewho began a good work in you
will be faithful to complete itunder the day of our Lord Jesus
(24:08):
Christ, under the day ofsalvation.
Speaker 1 (24:12):
For everyone who asks receives and he who seeks finds
.
And to him who knocks, it willbe opened.
That's chapter 11, verse 10 ofthe book we are currently
studying here on Heed the Word.
Luke Luke's gospel account ofthe life of Jesus is an
invaluable study that we knowGod will use in your life.
We do.
Thank you for joining us today.
(24:33):
This has been another edition ofHeed the Word with our pastor
and teacher, Ken Davis.
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(24:57):
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(25:19):
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(25:41):
Well, that's all the time wehave for today.
We encourage you to join usnext time as Pastor Ken
continues teaching Through theGospel of Luke, on the next
edition of Heed the Word.
You're listening to Heed the Word with our pastor
and teacher, Ken Davis.
Pastor Ken is the senior pastorof Calvary Chapel, Southwest
Metro in Burleson, Texas.
Please join us as we study theGospel of Luke verse by verse.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
God has come.
Jesus has come to take awayyour reproach, not just among
people, but before God.
He came to forgive us for oursins.
He came to set us free, and hewhom the Son makes free is free
(00:40):
indeed.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
The Gospel of Luke is the third account in the
Gospels of the life andteachings of our Savior Jesus
Christ.
As believers, there are fewstudies that will benefit us
more spiritually than studyingthe life and teachings of the
Master.
God requires that when weapproach Him, that it be in
faith.
In today's message, zachariasfound himself in a position that
(01:03):
required him to simply trustGod.
Unfortunately, he didn't makethe right choice and the angel
of the Lord caused him to not beable to speak until the word of
the Lord was accomplished.
A good example to us that faithand trust in God is always the
better choice.
Don't forget to stay with usafter today's message to hear
(01:24):
more information about Heed theWord, specifically how you can
get a free copy of this teaching.
But for now, please open yourBibles to the book of Revelation
, chapter 8, verse 1.
We'll begin there and thencontinue in Luke, chapter 1.
Now here's Pastor Ken.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
The Apostle John, as he was seeing the vision that he
notes for us in Revelation,says in chapter 8, verse 1, when
he opened the seventh seal,there was silence in heaven for
about a half an hour and I sawthe seven angels who stand
before God, and to them weregiven seven trumpets.
(02:00):
Then another angel, having agolden cens, censer, came and
stood at the altar.
He was given much incense thathe should offer it with the
prayers of the saints upon thegolden altar which was before
the throne, and the smoke of theincense with the prayers of the
saints, that's you and I, thosewho believe in Jesus Christ,
(02:22):
ascended before God from theangel's hand.
That incense that Zacharias wasburning there at the temple was
representative of the prayersof the people who were praying
right outside there in heaven.
As that bowl of incense isbeing poured out upon the altar
(02:44):
before the very throne of God,as that wafts up into the very
face of God, as he smells thatsweet aroma, he's partaking of
the prayers of his people.
You say why should I pray?
So that you can burn incense inheaven, so that your prayers
can rise up to God and to be asweet smell to him?
(03:09):
Don't you think he'd love that,don't?
You think he'd be blessed bythat?
You say what gift can I give toGod?
You can give him the gift ofyour prayers.
You can give him the gift ofthat wonderful, sweet-smelling
aroma as it comes up before himfrom the altar.
As those prayers have beenpoured out there, turn back, if
(03:32):
you will, to Luke Now.
From the time of Malachi theprophet, there is no recorded
word of the Lord having spokento his people, israel.
A space of some 400 years haspassed with no word from God
whatsoever.
Now, certainly the scriptureswere being taught and studied
(03:54):
during that time, but from thedays of the prophet Malachi,
there had not been a prophet inIsrael to speak the word of the
Lord.
In that we have it recorded inscriptures.
We find nothing there butsilence for 400 years.
That silence in verse 11 isabout to be broken.
Then, as the incense is burning, as Zacharias is there praying,
(04:16):
as all the people await outsidein prayer, then an angel of the
Lord appeared to him.
Appeared to Zacharias and hewas standing on the right side
of the altar of incense.
And when Zacharias saw him hewas troubled and fear fell upon
him.
But the angel said to him now.
(04:37):
Mark my words.
Friends.
Hear the first words fromheaven in 400 years and those
words are do not be afraid.
I like the King James versionfear not, fear not.
400 years of silence, and thefirst thing God has to say to
his people is fear not.
(05:00):
There are a lot of us today whoare troubled by all kinds of
fears Fears of terrorism, fearsof the wrong party being elected
or the wrong man, fears ofsickness and disease, fears of
rejection in relationships,fears of financial frustration
(05:22):
or failed attempts and brokenand lost dreams.
Fears of all kinds.
Fear, it paralyzes us, it gripsus and it prevents us from
moving forward into whatever itis that God desires for us.
Fear not.
Jesus used those words too.
(05:45):
He said fear not, for I am withyou even into the end of the
age.
Fear not.
I've often said, and will saymany times more, that those who
fear God need fear nothing else.
And when I say fear God, I'mnot talking about a trembling
quaking oh my goodness, he'sgoing to squish me kind of fear.
(06:06):
I'm talking about a fear thatis born of the knowledge that
the one whom we serve spoke thisworld into existence.
I'm talking of fear that isborn of the knowledge that the
one who loves us is perfect inall of his ways.
You know, god has never had oneimperfect thought.
(06:26):
God has never done oneimperfect thing.
Now you say, well, I don't knowabout that.
I look around the world and Isee lots of things that are
imperfect.
That's because of thecorruption that has come into
the world through sin.
My wife shared something with meyesterday.
She had seen this on a sign asshe was driving around town.
It said God forms, the devildeforms, but Christ transforms,
(06:54):
amen.
And when we have thetransforming power of Jesus
Christ at work in our lives, weneed fear nothing and no man.
So the angel says do not beafraid, zacharias, for your
prayer is heard.
Your prayer is heard.
(07:15):
Saint of God, your prayer isheard.
What have you been prayingabout?
What have you been crying outto God?
For what have you been prayingabout?
What have you been crying outto God for?
What thing in your life haskept you bound and beaten?
As you've prayed fordeliverance from that thing, you
(07:35):
must understand that yourprayer is heard when you've
prayed for guidance, that Godwould direct your paths and lead
you to the right decision in agiven area of your life.
Your prayer is heard, whenyou've asked for God to cleanse
you of your sin and to forgiveyou for the things that you've
done wrong in your life.
Friend, your prayer is heardand it's answered in Jesus
(07:58):
Christ.
Zacharias, your prayer is heardand and your wife Elizabeth will
bear you a son, and you shallcall his name John.
The name John means God isgracious.
Amen, god is gracious.
(08:22):
So the first words from heavenafter 400 years could be summed
up in the words fear not, forGod is gracious.
Sweet, sweet words.
And you will have joy andgladness and many will rejoice
at his birth, for he will begreat in the sight of the Lord
(08:45):
and shall drink neither wine norstrong drink.
That's speaking of the factthat he would be a Nazarene,
someone who had taken the vow ofthe Nazarite, just as Samson
had taken, that he would drinkneither wine nor strong drink.
He will also be filled with theHoly Spirit, even from his
mother's womb, and he will turnmany of the children of Israel
to the Lord, their God.
(09:06):
He will also go before him Nowthis is gonna sound familiar if
you were paying attention when Iread from Malachi he will also
go before him in the spirit andpower of Elijah, to turn the
hearts of the fathers to thechildren and the disobedient to
the wisdom of the just, to makeready a people prepared for the
(09:27):
Lord.
Can I tell you that our ministryis to be the very same ministry
as that of John the Baptist.
John the Baptist was being sentbefore the coming of the Lord
and we, the church, have beensent before the coming of the
Lord.
John was sent before his firstcoming.
You have been sent before hissecond and your job as the
(09:49):
church is to bring light andhope and life and the word of
God before the rest of the world, that they might see and know
that Jesus Christ is Lord, tothe glory of God, the Father,
and that, believing that theymight turn to him, be cleansed
of their sins and be saved.
And Zacharias said to the gloryof God, the Father, and that,
believing that they might turnto him, be cleansed of their
sins and be saved.
And Zacharias said to the angelhow shall I know this?
(10:12):
Or, in today's vernacular, howdo I know that what you're
telling me is actually gonnahappen?
Now, this is rather ironic, ifyou think about it, because we
have a man who is a man of faith.
We have a man who is in thepriesthood.
We have a man who veryobviously has been praying for
years that he might have a son.
(10:33):
We have him here in the temple,in the holy place, offering up
incense on the altar of incensebefore the Lord, and God sends
an angel to answer his prayerand he says how do I know that?
I mean, come on, zacharias, getwith it.
God sent you an angel, whatmore do you need?
But apparently Zacharias wasnot satisfied.
(10:56):
So often we're not satisfiedeither, are we?
We ask for something, we prayfor something and God gives us
the answer and we see it and wesay, yes, lord, that's it.
But then we say but wait aminute, how do I really know?
In the book of James it talksabout if any of you lacks wisdom
, let him ask of God and he'llgive it to you liberally.
But don't ask and not believethat you've received.
(11:17):
Because if you're gonna do that, if you ask God for wisdom and
then don't believe that you'vereceived it, you're like a
person tossed back and forth onthe waves.
You just can't make up yourmind.
Don't let that person thinkthey're going to receive any
information from the Lord,because if you're going to be
unstable in your ways, like that, he's not going to speak.
And even as the Lord wouldn'tspeak in that situation,
(11:38):
zacharias is about to not beable to speak in this one.
And Zacharias said to the angelhow shall I know this?
For I am an old man and my wifeis well advanced in years.
And the angel answered and saidto him I am Gabriel.
At first it was just introducedas an angel, but now he's asked
(12:00):
how do I know this?
And the angel says okay, timefor some credentials, let me
pull out my badge.
Okay, this is who I am.
I am Gabriel.
There are many angels mentionedthroughout the scriptures, but
of all of those angels, we'reonly given the name of two of
the good ones anyway.
One is Michael, the other isGabriel.
Michael is one of thearchangels, the warrior, if you
(12:22):
will, the warrior, prince, who'sgoing out and leading battles
and victories.
Gabriel is often seen as themessenger of God, the one who's
delivering his word to theprophets and to the saints of
God.
And the angel answered and saidto him I am Gabriel, who stands
in the presence of God and wassent to speak to you and bring
these glad tidings, but behold,you will be mute and not able to
(12:50):
speak until the day that thesethings take place, because you
do not believe my words, whichwill be fulfilled in their own
time.
He did not believe and hisunbelief was evident to the
angel as he stood before him andthe angel said okay, zacharias,
you need a sign.
(13:10):
You got a sign.
You can't speak.
Think about that.
God has not delivered a messagein 400 years.
And you're a priest of God, soyou've got credentials.
And you're there in the holyplace offering up incense on the
altar of incense and you'repraying and an angel appears
before you Wow, and he bringsthis incredible news.
(13:33):
And now you don't get to tellanybody.
How do you like that?
You don't get to say anything.
And not only does he not get totell anyone right now when he
walks outside, but think aboutthis he was not going to be
allowed to speak until all ofthese things had taken place,
all of them, and that babyhadn't even been conceived yet.
(13:55):
So this man was not going toget to speak for at least nine
months.
Can you imagine a preacher notbeing able to talk for nine
months?
I can't Nine months.
My wife says, please, but hewas going to be mute.
(14:19):
Behold, you will be mute andnot able to speak until the day
these things take place becauseyou did not believe my words.
Can I tell you, friends, thatwhen we do not believe God's
words, when we do not have faith, then our mouths are shut
before him.
Turn briefly to 2 Corinthians,chapter four, the words of Paul
(14:39):
in 2 Corinthians, chapter four,verse seven.
But we have this treasure inearthen vessels.
What treasure that theexcellence of the power of God,
that the excellence of the powermay be of God and not of us.
The treasure that he's speakingof is the Holy Spirit that
dwells inside of us.
We are hard pressed on everyside, yet not crushed.
We are perplexed but not indespair, persecuted but not
(15:04):
forsaken, struck down but notdestroyed, always carrying about
in the body the dying of theLord Jesus.
And that the life of Jesus alsomay be manifested in our body,
for we who live are alwaysdelivered to death for Jesus'
sake.
That the life of Jesus also maybe manifested in our mortal
(15:26):
flesh.
So, then, death is working inus, but life in you.
And since we have the samespirit of faith, according to
what is written.
I believed and therefore Ispoke.
We also believe and thereforespeak, knowing that he who
raised up the Lord Jesus willalso raise us up with Jesus and
(15:48):
will present us with you.
What he's saying here is Ibelieved, therefore I spoke.
When we believe, when we havefaith, then we can speak.
If you're not talking to peopleabout Jesus, if you're not
sharing with people about whatJesus is doing in your life I'm
not talking about going out anddoing street evangelism Although
(16:08):
you could do that, that'd begreat.
I'm not talking about knockingon doors and saying what's your
relationship with the LordAlthough you could do that, that
would be great.
What I'm talking about is inyour life, as you bump up
against people, is the spirit ofGod spilling out onto them.
When you talk to someone andGod gives you an open door to
(16:29):
share him with him, do you do it?
Do you glorify God with yourlife and with your mouth?
You should be and I'm notsaying that because you should
be or else you're not going tobe blessed of God.
Or you should be or you're notgoing to be.
I'm not saying that this is nottied to salvation.
This is not legalism, okay.
What I'm saying is is whenyou're in love with somebody,
you tend to talk about thatperson.
(16:50):
When you are enamored withsomeone, they tend to be on your
mind quite a bit, and if youtruly believe what is written in
the pages of scripture, thenwhat you believe will come out
of you.
As a man thinks in his heart,so is he.
From the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.
(17:12):
If your heart is full of theword of God, because you believe
the word of God, then what'sgoing to come out of your mouth?
The word of God, amen.
Zacharias didn't believe, and sonothing was going to be coming
out of his mouth for nine monthsor more.
Turn back again to Luke,chapter one.
But behold, you will be muteand not able to speak until the
(17:37):
day these things take place,because you did not believe my
words, which will be fulfilledin their own time.
How important is that thesethings will be fulfilled in
their own time?
When we pray and seek God foran answer in our lives, we so
often want it now.
We don't want it even now.
We want it yesterday.
(17:57):
But God says no, these thingswill be fulfilled in their own
time or in God's time.
And the people waited forZacharias, and they marveled
that he lingered so long in thetemple.
See, the practice at that timewas, after the priest would go
in and offer up prayers at thetable of incense there, he would
(18:18):
come out and he would give ablessing to the people, and so
they're waiting for the blessing.
And oh, did he have a blessingwith which to bless them.
But he was unable tocommunicate it because he had
not believed.
So they marveled that helingered so long in the temple,
but when he came out he couldnot speak to them and they
perceived that he had seen avision in the temple, for he
(18:40):
beckons to them and remainsspeechless.
An early game of charades,sounds like angle.
I don't know.
How would he have done that?
How would he have tried tocommunicate that?
I mean, can you imagine he'sthere and I'm burning into the
angel or what I don't know?
I mean, I don't know.
It must have been a comicalscene if you think about it,
because here's this guy that hasjust seen an angel.
(19:01):
How do you not talk about that?
You know anybody who'd seen anangel and didn't say anything
about it?
Not too many.
If you saw an angel, would youtell anybody?
And then again.
Maybe you wouldn't, I don'tknow.
But he wanted to tell them, buthe couldn't do it.
He beckoned to them but theycouldn't understand him.
They couldn't hear him becausehe was speechless.
(19:22):
So it was as soon as the daysof his service were completed
that he departed to his ownhouse.
Now, after those days, his wifeElizabeth conceived, and she hid
herself five months saying thusthe Lord has dealt with me in
the days when he looked on me totake away my reproach among
(19:44):
people.
God has come among people.
God has come.
Jesus has come to take awayyour reproach, not just among
people, but before God.
(20:06):
He came to forgive us for oursins, he came to set us free,
and he whom the Son makes freeis free indeed.
As we end our study today, Iwant to point out something to
you that just blessed me to noend.
The closing words of Malachicome with a promise, and the
(20:27):
beginning story of the NewTestament bring the fulfillment
of that promise.
And the beginning story of theNew Testament bring the
fulfillment of that promise.
Now I want to show yousomething here that will let you
, and maybe help you just alittle bit, realize how perfect
the Word of God is and howincredible His divine power is
(20:47):
in our lives to move us anddirect us and to choose us for
his purposes.
A promise had been given, apromise was being fulfilled
through the lives of Zachariasand Elizabeth.
The name Zacharias means Godremembers.
The name Elizabeth means hispromise.
(21:09):
Zacharias and Elizabeth, theparents of the one who would
fulfill the promise, are named.
God remembers his promise.
God remembered his promise toIsrael.
God remembers his promises toyou.
You can bank on it.
(21:33):
Turn one last time to 2 Peter,chapter 1.
Simon Peter, a bondservant andapostle of Jesus Christ, to
those who have obtained likeprecious faith with us by the
righteousness of our God andSavior, jesus Christ, grace and
peace be multiplied to you inthe knowledge of God and of
Jesus, our Lord, as his divinepower has given to us all things
(21:55):
that pertain to life andgodliness, through the knowledge
of him who called us by gloryand virtue, by which have been
given to us exceedingly greatand precious promises that
through these we may bepartakers of the divine nature,
(22:17):
having escaped the corruptionthat is in the world through
lust.
But for this very reason,giving all diligence, add to
your faith virtue To virtue,knowledge to knowledge,
self-control to self-control,perseverance to perseverance,
godliness to godliness,brotherly kindness and to
brotherly kindness, love, for ifthese things are yours and
(22:41):
abound, you will be neitherbarren nor unfruitful in the
knowledge of our Lord JesusChrist.
For he who lacks these thingsis short-sighted, even to
blindness, and has forgottenthat he was cleansed from his
old sins.
Therefore, brethren, be evenmore diligent to make your
calling and election sure, forif you do these things, you will
(23:02):
never stumble, for so anentrance will be supplied to you
abundantly into the everlastingkingdom of our Lord and Savior,
jesus Christ.
As we read through those virtues, one added up to the other, one
on top of another, we realizethe fact that God is not through
with us today, but that we areall very much people in process.
(23:24):
We are people who are atvarying stages of development as
we grow into the person thatGod wants us to be.
I am not today the man that Godhas in store for me to be, nor
are you today the man or womanthat God has in store for you to
be.
But if you draw breath, god isworking on you Until the day you
(23:46):
die you have not attained.
Until the day you meet him andsee him and are like him.
You have not become all that.
It is that he has in store foryou to become, but God has given
you a what A promise that hewho began a good work in you
will be faithful to complete itunder the day of our Lord Jesus
(24:08):
Christ, under the day ofsalvation.
Speaker 1 (24:12):
For everyone who asks receives and he who seeks finds
.
And to him who knocks, it willbe opened.
That's chapter 11, verse 10 ofthe book we are currently
studying here on Heed the Word.
Luke Luke's gospel account ofthe life of Jesus is an
invaluable study that we knowGod will use in your life.
We do.
Thank you for joining us today.
(24:33):
This has been another edition ofHeed the Word with our pastor
and teacher, Ken Davis.
As you likely heard at thebeginning of today's program,
this message is available freeof charge at our website.
Simply log on towwwheatthewordorg.
That's heatthewordorg.
Once you're there, select theListen Online page.
(24:57):
There you'll find the Heat theWord media player For your
convenience.
Today's message is available inMP3, podcast and mobile formats
.
By far the best way to staycurrent with all the latest
teachings from Pastor Ken is tosubscribe to the Heed the Word
podcast.
So log on to heedthewordorg andcontinue studying with us today
(25:19):
.
If today's message hasministered to you and you live
in the Burleson Texas area orwill be passing through, we'd
like to invite you to join usfor worship area.
Or will be passing through,we'd like to invite you to join
us for worship.
We meet each Sunday morning at10 30 am and Wednesday evenings
at 7 pm.
You can log on toheedthewordorg for driving
directions and more information,so please stop by and visit us.
(25:41):
Well, that's all the time wehave for today.
We encourage you to join usnext time as Pastor Ken
continues teaching Through theGospel of Luke, on the next
edition of Heed the Word.
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